The Tampa Bay Buccaneers lost their eighth straight game on Saturday night in front of a full house at Raymond James Stadium. The Dallas Cowboys came to Tampa and beat the Bucs 31-15 behind a three touchdown performance by Dallas QB Tony Romo. The Cowboys jumped out to a 28-0 lead at halftime before the Bucs mounted a comeback in the third quarter that was too little too late.
There are many factors that have contributed to this current losing streak, but the absence of Running back Earnest Graham should not be overlooked. The Bucs were 4-2 coming off an emotional 26-20 win against the New Orleans Saints at Raymond James Stadium on October 16 and prepared for a trip across the Atlantic to play the Chicago Bears. Graham suffered a season ending injury in the Bucs/Bears game played in London on October 23. The Bucs lost that game and have not won since.
Head Coach Raheem Morris has been on the hot seat recently because of this losing streak. The Glazers and GM Mark Dominick are remaining quiet during this difficult time leading to speculation that Morris may be fired before the end of the season. The Bucs need to win against the Carolina Panthers this Sunday in Charlotte, NC to stop the bleeding. Carolina rookie QB Cam Newton has played extremely well this season and a win against the Panthers would help the team gain momentum heading into the season finale in Atlanta against the Falcons. The Bucs cannot do anything about the last eight losses but can certainly go into the game on Christmas Eve ready to play. All I want for Christmas is a Bucs win. Go Bucs!!
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