Bucs Beat

Full circle: Bucs return to Patton on special teams

For the fourth time in seven games, the Bucs are making a change on punt and kickoff returns, bringing back rookie Solomon Patton, who handled those duties for the first six games.

Patton's agent, Hadley Engelhard, confirmed that the Bucs signed the former Gators receiver on Monday off the Cardinals' practice squad. Lovie Smith's team goes back to Patton after short stints by Trindon Holliday and Marcus Thigpen, followed by current backup running back Bobby Rainey in Sunday's loss to Cincinnati. Rainey fielded only one kickoff, returning it 19 yards to the 22-yard line, and totaled 21 yards on three punt returns.

QUICK HITS: Bucs coach Lovie Smith had praise for his punt coverage unit Monday, which held the Bengals to negative punt-return yardage thanks to well-timed tackles by Rainey, Russell Shepard and Orie Lemon. Shepard also leaped to down a Michael Koenen punt at the 1-yard line.

"There were some good things that happened," Smith said of the 14-13 loss. "Special teams holding down their return game, especially their punt returner. Good coverage with it. Since the bye week, some of the coverage teams have improved quite a bit." …

Bucs' downfall started at end of first half, again

OCTAVIO JONES | Times

Andy Dalton's 5-yard keeper cut the Bucs' lead to 10-7 with 1:08 left in the first half, momentum already shifting against them.

TAMPA -- For all the missed opportunities and points left on the scoreboard early Sunday, the Bucs still had a 10-0 lead on the Bengals when they punted the ball away late in the second quarter.

But then, for the fifth time in six games, the Bucs gave up points in the final 90 seconds of the half, allowing the Bengals to march 64 yards without so much as a third down. Andy Dalton's 5-yard keeper cut the Bucs' lead to 10-7 with 1:08 left, momentum already shifting against them.

"I don't know. I really don't," defensive tackle Gerald McCoy said, asked about the lapses just before halftime. "I would be making something up if I gave you an answer. I really don't know."

In losses to the Vikings, Browns and Falcons, the Bucs gave up field goals as time expired for the half, giving up points in what would end up three losses. The Redskins' only touchdown against the Bucs came on a score with 11 seconds left in the first half, and the same thing happened Sunday after not allowing points on Cincinnati's first four possessions. …

Garrett Gilkey 'sloppy' in first ever game at center

DIRK SHADD | Times

Normally a guard, Garrett Gilkey slid over to center for his first start at that position at any level. And, at times Sunday, it showed.

TAMPA - With C Evan Dietrich-Smith (illness) sidelined, the Bucs gave Garrett Gilkey the second start of his NFL career in Sunday's 14-13 loss to the Bengals.

Normally a guard, Gilkey slid over to center for his first start at that position at any level. And, at times, it showed.

“For myself, when I get out of sorts, I tend to get sloppy,” Gilkey said. “Today that showed up.”

The Bucs didn’t have an experienced backup center on the active roster, so Gilkey learned on Wednesday that he might get his first start of the season. He said he tried to keep his preparation the same, even though his role would be different.

Gilkey, who was claimed off of waivers from Cleveland before the season opener, made several notable mistakes, starting on the Bucs’ third play from scrimmage. Gilkey said he didn’t get his hand on the ball as he should have, causing a low snap to QB Josh McCown and a failed third down inside the red zone. The Bucs had to settle for a field goal. He had another bad snap on third down in the fourth quarter, which helped force a Bucs punt. …

Run game starts well, fades late against Bengals

DIRK SHADD | Times

Led by Doug Martin, the Bucs averaged 4.6 yards per carry in the first half and totaled 69 rushing yards, their second-most in an opening half this season.

TAMPA - Facing one of the worst run defenses in the league, the Bucs tried to exploit the Bengals’ weakness and kick-start its own struggling ground game. The result was successful - for a half, at least, in Sunday's 14-13 loss to the Bengals.

The Bucs averaged 4.6 yards per carry in the first half and totaled 69 rushing yards, their second-most in an opening half this season.

“We felt like we could run the football,” coach Lovie Smith said. “Our game plan put us in position.”

It helped that a healthy Doug Martin began to look like a former Pro Bowler.

Martin’s 55 yards in the first half marked his highest total in a game since October 2013. His 7-yard touchdown run three minutes into the second quarter was the Bucs’ first rushing score since Week 5 – a stretch of almost 27 full quarters.

“A lot of people on this team ain’t seen how explosive Doug can be,” RT Demar Dotson said. “We knew it was always in him.”

But the Bucs’ run game disappeared late. Martin gained only three yards on six carries in the second half. The team ran the ball only 10 times and gained six yards in the final two quarters. …

All over field, backups stepped up as Bucs starters

AP photo

Akeem Spence stepped in for an injured Clinton McDonald at nose tackle and had seven tackles and a half-sack.

TAMPA -- It ultimately came in a losing effort, but all over the field, the Bucs saw backups pressed into new and larger roles with key players sidelined by injuries Sunday against the Bengals.

That included leading tackler Lavonte David, who missed a second straight game with a hamstring injury but saw Danny Lansanah step up with a game-high 14 tackles, including three tackles for losses.

"Danny’s playing some outstanding ball, just coming in, filling for Lavonte," said defensive tackle Akeem Spence, who stepped in for an injured Clinton McDonald and started at nose tackle, getting seven tackles and a half-sack. "Those are big shoes to fill. He's picked it up, and we haven’t missed a beat."

All three tight ends that played last week were inactive with injuries, so rookie Cameron Brate, promoted this week from the practice squad, started and caught his first NFL pass, a 17-yard gain. The Bucs also used backup lineman Oniel Cousins, a 315-pound tackle, extensively as a sixth lineman to help as an extra blocker. …

Thirteen flags prove bad luck for Bucs in loss to Bengals

DIRK SHADD | Times

In the end, the Bucs committed 13 penalties, something that had happened in a home game just five times in their history.

TAMPA -- That the Bucs' hopes for a game-winning field goal Sunday would be scuttled not once but twice by killer penalties should only be so surprising, given how flags flew any time the Bucs were close to scoring.

"When you make dumb, stupid penalties like that throughout the game, it ends up biting you at the end, which it did," said coach Lovie Smith, who took blame himself for the final and most costly flag.

In the end, the Bucs committed 13 penalties -- that had happened in a home game just five times in their history -- with a hold on center Garrett Gilkey taking the Bucs out of field-goal range in the final minute, then a penalty for 12 men on the field negating another play to the 20-yard line.

"We got down there, I just knew for sure we were going to win the game," said running back Bobby Rainey, who caught a 29-yard screen pass to the 31-yard line, well within field-goal range. "To comeback and hurt ourselves, we have to get out of that mode. We can't keep killing ourselves." …

Bucs 12th man costs potential winning FG vs. Bengals

Having not won a game at Raymond James Stadium in nearly a year, the Bucs were relying on the 12th man Sunday against the Bengals.

Not the home crowd, an actual 12th man.

Unfortunately, that's against the rules. Here's what happened in Tampa Bay's 14-13 loss to Cincinnati.

With the Bucs trailing by a point, a 21-yard completion from Josh McCown to Louis Murphy moved the ball to the Bengals 20-yard line with no timeouts and 26 seconds remaining. It would've been a relatively easy 38-yard field goal for Patrick Murray, who had made six in a row.

But the Bucs were penalized with too many men on the field as tackle O'Niel Cousins checked in as an eligible receiver and rookie receiver Robert Herron failed to get off the field.

The 12 men on the field was caught by Bengals coach Marvin Lewis, who dropped a challenge flag to stop play. But since it was inside 2-minutes when play can only be halted by the replay official, the Bengals were charged a timeout. However, it gave referee Bill Leavy and his crew time to notice the Bucs' mistake, nullify the gain and penalize them 5-yards to the Cincinnati 46-yard line. …

Bucs come up short again in 14-13 home loss to Bengals

TAMPA -- An early lead and solid defense still weren't enough for the Bucs on Sunday, as Tampa Bay couldn't take advantage of Cincinnati's mistakes in a 14-13 Bengals win at Raymond James Stadium.

The Bucs (2-10) looked to have driven to the Bengals' 20 for a potential winning field goal with 0:12 left, but replay showed they had 12 players on the field for a 21-yard gain to Louis Murphy. A fourth-down throw to Mike Evans came up short.

The Bucs jumped out to a 10-0 lead for the third game in a row, with Doug Martin rushing 7 yards for the team's first running touchdown in eight weeks. But the Bucs could have led by much more, turning three Andy Dalton interceptions into just three points. And for the fifth time in six games, they gave up points in the final two minutes of the first half, allowing a Dalton touchdown to cut the lead to 10-7 for the Bengals (8-3-1) at the half. …

Live blog: Bengals rally back, lead Bucs 14-13

Greetings from Raymond James Stadium, where the Bucs are still seeking their first home win and doing so without several key starters. LB Lavonte David, DT Clinton McDonald, C Evan Dietrich-Smith and all three tight ends from last week are out with injury, so they're shorthanded all over.

3:10 p.m.: Bucs again get amazing field position -- a botched onsides kick had them at the 31, and a personal foul before the first play put them at the 16 -- but they can't move the ball and again settle for a field goal. Patrick Murray's 42-yard kick cuts lead to 14-13 with 14:12 left in the game.

3 p.m.: Tell me if this sounds familiar -- Bucs jump out to 10-0 lead, only to see opponents rally back for lead in third quarter. Andy Dalton converted two third downs on the drive, then hit A.J. Green for 14-yard score (with Leonard Johnson in coverage) and it's 14-10 Bengals with 2:04.

2:10 p.m.: For the fifth time in six games, the Bucs have given up points in the final two minutes of the first half -- today, the Bengals cut a 10-0 lead to just 10-7 with a 64-yard drive capped by Andy Dalton's 5-yard keeper. Lost a bit of momentum here ... …

Bucs missing many: No David, McDonald, EDS, ASJ

The Bucs will be considerably short-handed today against the Bengals, with nearly all the on-the-bubble injury decisions sidelined today.

The Bucs will again be without leading tackler Lavonte David, playing it safe as he recovers from a hamstring injury, as well as all three tight ends from last week, starting center Evan Dietrich-Smith and starting defensive tackle Clinton McDonald.

That means guard Garrett Gilkey will make his first Bucs start at center -- where he hasn't played a snap this season -- and rookie Cameron Brate, promoted from the practice squad this week, is the No. 1 tight end, ahead of veteran D.J. Williams, who signed with the team this week.

Akeem Spence will make his second start of the season in place of McDonald, with Da'Quan Bowers as the only real DT on the bench. And at linebacker, Danny Lansanah and Orie Lemon will get more work with David out again.

With center sick, Bucs promote rookie Josh Allen

With starting center Evan Dietrich-Smith held out of practice all week with flu symptoms, the Bucs promoted undrafted rookie Josh Allen from the practice squad to the 53-man roster and waived cornerback C.J. Wilson.

If Dietrich-Smith can't play, backup Garrett Gilkey is likely to start in his place, but the Bucs had to promote Allen to have a second offensive lineman who can handle snaps if Dietrich-Smith isn't active. It would be Gilkey's second NFL start and his first at center -- he started the regular-season finale at left guard as a rookie for the Browns last season.

Allen, from Louisiana-Monroe, was with the Bucs from May until final preseason cuts, then was brought back to the practice squad on Sept. 25.

Wilson had been promoted from the practice squad two weeks ago but was inactive in both games. The Bucs had two corners inactive last week in Wilson and Crezdon Butler, with rookie Brandon Dixon as the only backup corner to dress vs. Chicago.

It's not necessarily a good week to have uncertainty at center -- the Bengals have one of the NFL's best defensive tackles in Geno Atkins, who had 12.5 sacks in 2012 but has been limited to 1.5 this season.

Bucs again seek new spark in return game

TAMPA -- Bobby Rainey is never short on confidence, so when you ask him if he's prepared to take over as the Bucs' return specialist, well, of course he is.

"Whenever my number's called, I'm going to be ready," said Rainey, who has handled returns in practice this week after the Bucs released returner Marcus Thigpen on Monday "Shoot, that doesn't change my approach. It gives me an opportunity to showcase what I can do back there on punt return if my number is called."

The return game has been a position of change this season for the Bucs -- rookie Solomon Patton handled punts and kickoffs for the first six games, then was replaced by Trindon Holliday, who lasted only one game before he was cut after a hamstring injury. Thigpen had the job for four games, including a 53-yard punt return, but after a second muffed kick in as many weeks, he was let go as well.

Lovie Smith, always hesitant to share depth-chart insights and surrender any tiny strategic advantage to his opponents, hasn't named a starter on returns -- another backup running back, Mike James, has been the top backup on kickoff returns this season. …

Give up 204 yards and lose? First time for Lovie Smith

The recent improvement of the Bucs defense was obvious in Sunday's loss to the Bears, when Tampa Bay held Chicago to just 204 yards of total offense, its lowest total allowed in nearly four years, since Seattle mustered only 174 in a 38-15 Bucs win in December 2010.

But to give up 204 yards and still lose? That was a first for Lovie Smith as a head coach -- he had gone 12-0 all-time when his teams allowed so few yards in a game.

In the NFL this season, teams giving up 215 yards are less are 18-2, with 14 of those wins by 14 points or more and only one other game beside the Bucs -- the 49ers gave up just 193 yards in a 13-10 loss to St. Louis.

Since 2005, the Bucs had lost only other game when holding a team to 204 or less -- in 2008, the Cowboys got 172 total yards in a 13-9 win against Tampa Bay. The lowest yardage ever allowed by the Bucs in a loss? That would be 107 yards -- matching the Bucs' second-lowest allowed in any game, period -- as the Giants won 17-13 in 1999 on the strength of two defensive touchdowns. …

David back at practice, while other Bucs injuries linger

Bucs linebacker Lavonte David practiced for the first time in two weeks Friday, an encouraging step as he works to return from the hamstring injury that sidelined him from Sunday's loss at Chicago.

"I'm feeling good. I feel real confident about Sunday," David said. "When Sunday gets here, we'll see how it goes, see what the verdict is. (It's been) very hard, sitting out for the first time since ever. Me being a competitor, I want to go out there and compete with my teammates. ... All signs are pointing up."

David's return would be a huge boost for the Bucs defense, as he hadn't missed a game in his three-year NFL career before Sunday and is still tied for the NFL lead with 116 combined tackles.

"Best outside linebacker in ball out there running around, getting closer to being full speed, that's a good thing," coach Lovie Smith said. "Hamstrings you have to be careful with. You can feel a lot better and stop having pain but you're not quite there yet. 'Vonte's close and that is definitely a big boost for our defense."

Several other key players did not practice Friday, putting their status for Sunday's home game against Cincinnati in jeopardy. …

Bengals' Hill among strong LSU rookie class

Bengals running back Jeremy Hill, who faces the Bucs in town this weekend, was thinking what many NFL fans were thinking this week when he tweeted about the impact he and his fellow former LSU players have made as rookies this season:

"I'm still trying to figure out how we lost any games last year in college," he wrote.

Indeed, how exactly did LSU lose three games and finish its season here in Tampa with a win against Iowa in the Outback Bowl? All over the league, there are breakout rookies making Les Miles look like an underachiever. Hill faces the Bucs with 643 rushing yards and six touchdowns -- in the last four games, he's averaged 112 rushing yards, this after totaling 195 in the first seven games of the season.

He's not alone of course -- two of the league's most impressive rookie receivers are the former Tigers in the Giants' Odell Beckham Jr. (609 yards, 5 TDs, this catch) and the Dolphins' Jarvis Landry (450 yards, 5 TDs). RB Alfred Blue, a sixth-rounder, has 436 yards for the Texans, and another sixth-rounder Zach Mettenberger, has thrown for 1,103 yards and seven TDs since stepping in as the Titans' starting quarterback. …