Dec 28th 2008 1:49PM by Michael David Smith (author feed)
Filed under: Buccaneers, RaidersFor the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, today’s game against the Oakland Raiders is an absolute must-win: If they lose their season is over, but if they win they’re still in playoff contention. For the Raiders, the game is meaningless: They’re long since eliminated from playoff contention.

So which team came out flat today? The Bucs.

Tampa Bay punted on its first three offensive possessions and didn’t even get a first down until just a minute remained in the first quarter. The Bucs’ defense, meanwhile, has been soft against the run, and the Raiders used a seven-play, 60-yard drive to score a second-quarter touchdown and take a 7-0 lead.

The Bucs finally got something going on their fourth offensive possession and scored to tie the game at 7-7 But if the Bucs lose this one, Jon Gruden might deserve to have his name mentioned among the coaches on the hot seat.