'It’s not the energy, it’s the execution': Todd Bowles, Bucs running out of excuses as Tampa Bay's nosedive continues at 0-4

Cut it however you like: Tampa Bay is flailing. This is the NFL, not figure skating; you don't get credit for valiant but imperfect finishes. Blame injuries if you like, blame bad luck, blame the ownership, blame the ghosts that roam the decks of the pirate ship in Raymond James Stadium. The end result is the same: this is a team in freefall, with no landing in sight.

The latest evidence: losing a winnable game Sunday against a similarly reeling Green Bay, 17-14 . The almost-as-hapless Packers certainly gave the Bucs opportunities — Tampa held the ball with four minutes remaining down a field goal — but simply could not close the deal.

"We didn't get it done," head coach Todd Bowles acknowledged after the game. "We've been here a couple weeks now at the end of the ballgames, and we're not finishing. We've got to find a way to finish the game."