DARN IT. BUCS WIN

BUCCANEERS 22,  FLOPPERS 19

In one of the hardest fought Doormat games this season,  the Miami Dolphins prevailed over the formerly perfect Tampa Bay Bootineers,  tossing them from the ranks of the Unvictorious.  The 1976 Bucs and 2008 Lions breathe a sigh of relief.

This was assuredly not some Mail-it-in game from two of the most inept football programs in the NFL. They brought the inept right out in prime-time on Monday Night Doormats for a riot of a game that only a Doormat aficionado could love.  

We loved it.   TWO yards rushing for the Dolphins.   That's the franchise record!  TWO YARDS.  How can the Bucs win with that on the other side of the ball?   The jockeying for Bonehead Penalty was intense.   #1 for Tampa has to be the Dolphin punt, with the ball already going out of bounds and the punt returner, who was standing stock still next to a Dolphin in similar repose, RIGHT IN FRONT OF A REF at the sideline,  suddenly clocks the Dolphin for a meaningless gratuitous 15 yards, putting the Bucs down at their, oh,  2 yard line to start a drive.  Miami counters with the best one- with about 4 minutes left, Bucs QB Mike Glennon, while throwing up a desperate 3rd down floater that looks like an interception for sure, gets head butted by a Dolphin LB who was 'sending a message.'   His fellow DE got the message, and screamed some morale-building advice at him right there on the field.  15 yards and a crucial first down for the BUCS...who still pulled off a punt 4 plays later to give Miami one last chance to take the win.  

 Bucs QB Glennon actually looks like he might be pretty good. He finally figured out his best receiver is OT Donald Penn, tossing him a 1-yard TD pass in the first quarter.

NO lead is too large for the Bucs to lose.   Miami,  playing about as badly as you'd expect them to after this last week of TOTAL EMBARRASSMENT,  staked the Bucs to a 15 point lead, including a work of art safety.   So what?  The Bucs blew a 21 point lead last week.   15 points is nothing.  Entering the 4th quarter, the Dolphins found themselves AHEAD 19-15.  But, with the Dolphins paving the way with a porous run defense, the Bucs march down the field in the 4th and snatch victory from the jaws of defeat with one last touchdown.

On their last chance with the ball,  the Dolphins did what they do best- give up dramatic sacks where it looked like the entire Tampa defensive line had a straight shot at Flops QB Ryan Tannehill.   BLAM!
The Bucs just could not lose this one, not matter what they tried.

Dolphins grab the loss and look like a complete Doormat team, covering all the bases.   The Bucs still lead the NFC at 1-8, and have the best shot at the Moldy Carpet Trophy,  but they have to accept that this is not their year for ultimate DOORMAT GLORY.

-wacko