Not because the Houston Texans aren’t a solid football team on the rise, but because of the way the Buccaneers lost a game they should have won.

It was an epic collapse.

When it comes to the 2023 Bucs, it feels like all phases of the game just refuse to line up and perform well at the same time. As a result, the Buccaneers have lost four consecutive games and now find themselves sitting at 3-5 on the season, which places them second from the bottom in a very underwhelming NFC South division.

But since then, everything has come crashing down.

To put it simply, the offense can’t score enough points and the defense gives up too many. Despite being led by a defensive specialist, and having an impressive collection of proven stars on that side of the ball, the Bucs are one of the worst teams in the NFL when it comes to defending the pass and getting after the quarterback.

Offensively, the team has the worst rushing attack in the NFL and has proven incapable of generating any sort of offense on the ground. Whether that’s solely to blame for the Bucs’ inability to score points isn’t totally clear. There are other issues at work, including but not limited to: predictable first-down runs, the worst tight end room in the league, inconsistent accuracy from the quarterback, and ineffective run blocking up front.

READ MORE: Through the Spyglass: Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Tennessee Titans

So maybe a visit from a team like the Tennessee Titans may be just what the doctor ordered to get this football team back on the right track.

The Titans have some really impressive talent at a few key positions, but there isn’t much beyond that.

BucsGameday Staff Score Predictions: Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Tennessee Titans

Since the team traded away their star safety, Kevin Byard, at the deadline, the only other real threat is rookie quarterback, Will Levis. Although Levis made his NFL debut just a few weeks ago, his imposing stature, impressive arm strength, and strong pocket presence have allowed him to find success early on. With the Bucs’ susceptibility to giving up big plays — take last week vs. Houston, for example — this could certainly pose a threat to the Buccaneers’ secondary.

That said, the Titans offensive line is a major weakness. Aside from their rookie left guard, Peter Skoronski, who I expect to have a long and successful career, the entire unit leaves a lot to be desired.

READ MORE: Todd Bowles Confirms Three Starters Could Be OUT vs. Tennessee Titans

To the contrary, Titans’ head coach, Mike Vrabel, always seems to get the most out of his players. Which means that Todd Bowles and the rest of the Bucs’ coaching staff needs to make sure that their team comes out of the gate focused, motivated, and well prepared… or they could very well get burned again.