Tampa, Fla. — As the season’s riveting first act wound down in early October, the Bucs’ sluggish offensive starts were deemed little more than a nuisance.
When a seven-week swoon followed, those first-quarter struggles were upgraded to deficiency. In the regular-season’s final stretch, they nearly became fatal flaws.
And here in the heart of January, one more wobbly start might serve as their epitaph. In terms of audibility, the Bucs aren’t so much entering a dome Sunday as they are a death metal concert — ear-piercing and unrelenting.
“It’s going to be tough,” coach Todd Bowles said of his team’s trip to Ford Field for Sunday’s NFC division playoff game against the Lions. “We can turn it up as loud as possible music-wise, and have noise brought in (to practice) and everything else, but Sunday is going to be at a whole other decibel (level).”
Unless Bowles is permitted to stage practice on a Tampa International tarmac, he can’t replicate the noise level awaiting his team. The Lions reported the noise for Sunday night’s playoff game against the Rams at Ford Field topped out at 133.6 decibels, eclipsing the venue’s previous record (127.5) reached during the 2023 home opener against the Seahawks.
A decibel level of 133.6 is equivalent to the noise of a jackhammer or jet engine, according to various reports out of Detroit.
That record might be imperiled if Detroit’s defense creates a few early stops Sunday.
“Talking to some of those Rams guys, they said it was the loudest thing they’ve ever heard,” Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield said.
“We’ve got to be completely ready for that. It just comes down to everybody knowing exactly what our game plan is — all the calls to and from, because there could be certain times where they can’t hear certain things.”
If the season’s normal pattern plays out Sunday, Mayfield and Co. will need a few possessions to get their bearings, at which time it could be too late.
The Bucs have been outscored 70-42 in the first quarter this season, their lowest-scoring quarter by far. Their first-quarter touchdown Monday night against the Eagles — David Moore’s 44-yard catch-and-run from Mayfield late in the period — snapped a streak of five consecutive games without a first-quarter TD.
And they have yet to reach the end zone on their opening possession this season.
“It’s critical, right?” offensive coordinator Dave Canales said of the necessity of a fast start. “I’ve seen that happen. You go to a place that’s a really hostile environment, and if you can have success it does quiet them down some. But I think this is something they’ve been waiting for for a really long time, and I don’t anticipate they’ll let off the gas at all.”
Therein lies another problem. Even an early lead likely won’t subdue a Lions fan base that has waited a generation to taste playoff success.
Sunday night’s 24-23 victory against the Rams was Detroit’s first home playoff triumph since January 1992, when Wayne Fontes (a member of Tampa Bay’s inaugural coaching staff) was head coach and Barry Sanders was still tormenting defenses. A win Sunday would send the Lions to their first NFC title game since Jan. 12, 1992.
Michael Jackson’s “Black or White” topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart that same week.
“They’ve been waiting for this moment for so long and they have a great team, so they’re excited,” Bucs receiver Chris Godwin said. “They’re not gonna just be, ‘Oh well, (the Bucs) scored once and now we’re gonna lose.’ It’s not going to be that kind of deal. So we’re willing to go out there and expecting to deal with the crowd the entire game.”
The obvious key will be to feed off the loudness.
And maybe, just maybe, lower the volume a notch or two.
“We’ve got to start fast, because this is their first time (in 30 years),” rookie edge rusher Yaya Diaby said.
“It’s going to be a loud (environment) and for me, I love games like that, being the opposing team to go up there and try to shut it down and start fast. That’s what we have to do, we’ve got to start fast and get after it, and then you’ll see it start to cool down a little bit.”
Joey Knight is a reporter with the Tampa Bay Times.
Divisional round
Buccaneers at Lions
▶ Kickoff: 3 p.m., Sunday, Ford Field
▶ TV/radio: NBC/97.1
▶ Line: Lions by 6 1/2
▶ Records: Tampa Bay (10-8), Detroit (13-5)
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