After a couple of solid performances in losing efforts, Buccaneers starting quarterback Byron Leftwich’s day matched the outcome of the game.
And so he was pulled during a 24-0 loss to the Giants after completing seven of 16 passes for only 22 yards and an interception.
Leftwich was replaced not by rookie Josh Freeman but by second-year man Josh Johnson, who completed four of ten passes for 36 yards.
After the game, however, coach Raheem Morris said that Leftwich will return to the starting lineup next week, against the Redskins.
“I can’t sit here and tell you that this game can be blamed on any one man,” Morris said after the game, per Pewter Report. Five first downs, 0-of-9 on third down, 28 yards rushing. If I take Byron Leftwich out of the game I might as well take everyone else out with him.”
Meanwhile, Leftwich was at a loss for words to explain the ugly loss.
“I wish I knew [what went wrong],” Leftwich said. “I wish I had an idea, that way you can adjust and fix it. Whatever it was, it was something we couldn’t find an answer to today Nothing worked all day; nothing went well all day. It stinks when you play that bad because we know we’re a better team, but you have to go back and look at it. It’s something we did wrong because nobody played well today. We have to look at ourselves in the mirror and make sure something like this never happens again.”
The Bucs travel to D.C. and then Philly before hosting the Panthers and then the Pats (in London). Conceivably, the Buccaneers could enter their post-England bye at 0-7.