Next weekend determines the season Gary Shelton, The St.Petersburg Times, published 18 December 2005 This is how you enter the playoffs. And that is how you don't. This is the look of a team that is once again something dangerous. And that is the way another reminds you of all of the old limitations. This is when a team remembers all the old dance steps toward greatness. And this is when another looks as if it is still trying to remember the footsteps of last week's performance. Those are the Patriots, and for goodness' sake, no one wants to play them in the playoffs. And that is the Bucs, and for crying out loud, other teams are scrambling to take a number. Against the ultimate barometer of the NFL, the Tampa Bay Bucs failed to measure up Saturday afternoon. The Patriots, cold-blooded and efficient, took the Bucs to school in a 28-0 victory. By comparison, the Bucs looked like a bunch of schoolboys who realized they had not studied for midterms. The result shouldn't really surprise anyone. Over the past few seasons, few teams have compared favorably to the Patriots, especially in December, especially in Gillette Stadium, especially when playoffs were in the air. For all of their early-season struggles, this was the New England team you remember, and that was the Tom Brady, and that was the Patriots defense. That frustration that Jon Gruden felt? Tony Dungy and Jeff Fisher have felt it in the past. That wide-eyed look of the outnumbered that Chris Simms wore? Peyton Manning and Steve McNair have worn in the past. Cornwallis, too. For the Bucs, however, the big disappointment of Saturday's spanking was the complete lack of challenge involved. This was never close. Not for one quarter, not for one series, was there the feel that an upset might happen. New England was better on offense, better on defense, better on the sideline. It was smarter on first down, meaner on third down and more dangerous on punting downs. This was not merely a defeat; this was a dissection. You could smell the formaldehyde. After they had won four out of their past five, including a thumping of Carolina, the Bucs looked to most of us like a playoff team. After this game, you might want to add: Yeah, but not this playoff team. The Patriots cleared their throats at the NFL in this one. As great as the Colts are, and as convincing as they were in beating the Patriots this year, do you think for one second that they want to mess with New England in the postseason? Even at home? But if this was about the Patriots re-establishing their identity, perhaps you can say the same about the Bucs. In some ways, perhaps Mr. Fun, Patriots coach Bill Belichick, did Tampa Bay a favor. Perhaps he reminded the Bucs of who they are, and of what they have to do to be successful. In recent weeks, the Bucs have established a fairly predictable, easier-than-it-sounds formula for winning games. They established the run, controlled the ball and protected their quarterback. They played defense, they avoided mistakes and they paid attention to field position. Pretty much, Belichick turned all of that upside down. Against the Patriots, the Bucs could not run. Because of that, the Bucs could not protect. Because of that, the Bucs could not throw. If you wish to continue the thread, they could not keep the ball, could not score and could not win. That pretty much sums up Saturday. The running game? The Bucs had 1.7 yards per carry, and their longest breakaway was - whee! - 4 yards. Cadillac Williams ran the ball 14 times (for 23 yards), and he was held to 2 yards or less on nine of them. Seven times, he was held to a yard or none. By the end of the day, the public address announcer had said "One Yard, Williams" so often, you thought it was his new nickname. Protecting the quarterback? Simms was sacked seven times, all by linebackers auditioning for parts in The Lawrence Taylor Story. He was also hit 11 times and hurried 13. Simms left the stadium rubbing his thumb tenderly, as if he were Roger Ebert trying to take care of the franchise. That's okay. There for a while, it appeared that Simms might go home carrying his head in a bowling bag. Throwing the ball? Simms hit 21 of 34, and he had several dropped, and he didn't have an interception. Still, most of the passes were paper cuts; the Bucs never had the time for Simms to line up and throw deep. For goodness' sake, the Patriots don't put it all on the quarterback, and they have Brady. Such are the lessons of the afternoon, and the Bucs would be wise to learn from them. For the Bucs, the playoffs essentially begin this week against Atlanta and continue into the regular-season finale against New Orleans. If Tampa Bay is to be successful, it has to return to character. It has to be a controlled, efficient team. It has to run. It has to protect. Every now and then, it would be nice if the defense could make a third and 16 stand up. Otherwise, the Bucs are always going to seem outnumbered, and every field is going to look uphill. As for Simms' thumb? If the Bucs don't play better than Saturday, it will be needed to hitch a ride from the postseason.