NFL Power Rankings: Panthers are new No. 1 entering Week 13

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been better than expected this season and had a chance to get on the right side of .500 against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday. Despite a rather pedestrian performance from the Colts, the Buccaneers couldn’t muster enough to get the win and fell flat.

Jameis Winston wasn’t awful, but he wasn’t great. Winston completed 20 of 36 passes for 245 yards, a touchdown, and a single interception. Doug Martin rushed 14 times for 97 yards but didn’t find the end zone.

The Buccaneers defense was able to keep the Colts ground game in check as well. Every team statistic is pretty even between the Bucs and Colts, really showing that they let a game that could’ve been a win slip away.

The one area the Colts really held the advantage over the Buccaneers was time of possession, which is a bit baffling given how poor their run game was. The other, and potentially more damning to the Buccaneers, was penalties. The Bucs were flagged 12 times for 95 yards, twice as much as the Colts.

The Buccaneers face a tough stretch of games ahead, beginning with the Atlanta Falcons at home next week. They also have dates with the St. Louis Rams and Chicago Bears, both teams which have looked formidable at times. But the Buccaneers could still be in the hunt for a Wild Card spot.

Next: 19. Washington Redskins