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Bucs lose to Vikings on first play of overtime

 
Minnesota Vikings outside linebacker Anthony Barr (55) celebrates his game-winning touchdown in overtime with strong safety Robert Blanton (36) and teammates. [BRENDAN FITTERER | Times]
Minnesota Vikings outside linebacker Anthony Barr (55) celebrates his game-winning touchdown in overtime with strong safety Robert Blanton (36) and teammates. [BRENDAN FITTERER | Times]
Published Oct. 27, 2014

TAMPA

Zero to hero and hero to zero. Only those who have made that journey, from awesome to awful during an NFL game, know exactly how Austin Seferian-Jenkins felt Sunday.

One minute, the Bucs rookie tight end was literally standing on his head in the end zone with the football after cradling a 3-yard touchdown pass, his first as a pro, which gave the Bucs a three-point lead with 2:02 left in regulation against the Vikings.

Two minutes and 19 seconds later — about the time it takes to microwave popcorn — Seferian-Jenkins' world turned upside down when he fumbled on the first play of overtime. Vikings rookie linebacker Anthony Barr recovered the ball and returned it 27 yards for a touchdown and a 19-13 win at Raymond James Stadium.

Forget that the Bucs led 13-10 on Seferian-Jenkins' touchdown pass from Mike Glennon. Or that the defense couldn't stop Vikings rookie Teddy Bridgewater from driving 61 yards for a tying Blair Walsh 38-yard field goal as time expired to force overtime. Or that cornerback Johnthan Banks dropped an interception that would have sealed the win for the Bucs (1-6) with 42 seconds left in regulation.

When the locker room doors swung open, Seferian-Jenkins was waiting in the middle of the room, ready to take his medicine.

"I fumbled the ball. He made a great play. Took it to the house. Game over," he said.

"We lost the game. You were the last one to touch the ball on the team, so it's obviously upsetting when you have control of it."

Strange as it might seem, despite their second overtime loss in three weeks, the Bucs finished the day the way they started it: two wins out of first place in the bullied NFC South. Division leader Carolina (3-4) lost to Seattle 13-9 and Atlanta (2-6) fell to the Lions in London 22-21.

As the fumble return for the winning touchdown was being confirmed by replay, Seferian-Jenkins remained on the field and stared straight ahead. When referee Craig Wrolstad announced that the game was over, Bucs guard Logan Mankins put his hand atop Seferian-Jenkins' helmet and spoke to him.

"It was a critical play and I'm sure he wished he could do it over, but that's not necessarily why we lost the game," Mankins said. "Sure, it was the last play, but if we'd done better earlier in the game, it shouldn't have come down to overtime.

"I told him, too, we probably wouldn't have been in overtime without him making that big play. Of course, he's going to be down about it. I didn't want him to beat himself up too bad about it."

It never should have come down to that play. Not with the way the Bucs defense had performed most of the day, allowing only 10 offensive points to the Vikings. With the 48-17 drubbing by the Ravens two weeks ago fresh in their heads and their best player, Gerald McCoy, calling the defense soft, Sunday was a redemptive game.

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Prior to the last drive of regulation, Bridgewater was a pedestrian 18-of-34 for 180 yards and one touchdown.

"We showed flashes, we took a step today," linebacker Lavonte David said.

The Bucs offense, however, continued its descent. Tampa Bay was 1-of-12 on third down, had five consecutive three-and-outs and had more penalties (six) in the first half than first downs (four). Entering the game having scored a total of 27 points in the first half, the offense managed to do worse and got shut out.

"Eventually, we will win a game here at home," coach Lovie Smith said. "It's kind of hard to win, though, just talking offensively, when you wait that long to get anything going."

It's also hard when you can't protect the quarterback. Glennon was sacked five times Sunday. Left tackle Anthony Collins struggled to stay in front of Vikings defensive end Everson Griffen, who had a sack, two tackles for a loss and two quarterback hits while forcing a holding penalty.

Still, the Bucs, who trailed 10-0 starting the fourth quarter, managed to conjure enough offense to score 13 straight points. Rookie kicker Patrick Murray nailed field goals of 54 and 45 yards before Seferian-Jenkins' TD grab gave the Bucs their only lead.

Bridgewater managed to avoid the big mistake, thanks in part to Banks dropping the interception.

"Yeah, it's one of those plays, man," Banks said. "I made a great jump on the ball, and it's unfortunate I missed it. It's one of those plays I wish I could get back. It's tough."

But nobody felt worse than Seferian-Jenkins. On the first play in overtime, he caught a 10-yard pass from Glennon in the right flat. But before he could get down, Barr stripped him of the football, scooped it up and raced 27 yards for the winner.

David, who had 14 tackles Sunday, said he knows how Seferian-Jenkins feels. Despite playing lights-out in the season opener against the Jets last year, he committed a late-hit penalty that led to New York's winning field goal with two seconds left in an 18-17 loss.

"With me, I had the support of the guys, and the team believed in me the way we believe in him," David said. "He's a great football player. You can't take that away from him. We've just got to rally around him. You never know, that play right there might motivate him to be even better."