Bucs’ late-season swoon continues in 26-21 loss to Bears Roy Cummings, The Tampa Tribune, published 28 December 2015 For all the progress they appear to have made this year — and there has been tangible progress, at least on offense — the Buccaneers remain a franchise stuck in neutral. Or have they shifted back into reverse again? Judging by the way the Bucs are finishing what was once shaping up to be a very promising 2015 season, it might be the latter. A little more than a week after officially falling out of the NFC playoff race but vowing to finish strong, the Bucs are suddenly mired in their worst slump of the season. Their 26-21 loss to the Bears, who like the Bucs came into Raymond James Stadium on Sunday with little to play for, marked their first three-game losing streak this year. It also assured the Bucs (6-9) of their fifth straight losing season and second in coach Lovie Smith’s two-year tenure. “This just goes to show you we’re not where we want to be yet,’’ said Gerald McCoy, who was a rookie the last time the Bucs finished a season with a winning record. That was in 2010, the team’s second season under coach Raheem Morris, who replaced Jon Gruden in 2009. The Bucs have changed coaches twice since, but little has changed in the standings. With Sunday’s loss, the Bucs are in danger of finishing last in the NFC South for the fifth time in as many years. And to think, it was only a couple of weeks ago they were legitimately talking playoffs. “This is definitely not how we wanted to finish,’’ said Doug Martin, who has played a major role in many of the Bucs’ successes this year, but factored greatly into their latest loss. Martin, who already had lost more fumbles this season (three) than his first three years combined (two), lost two more fumbles to the Bears, who turned those giveaways into 10 points. The Bears also forced a takeaway on an ill-advised, third-quarter pass that quarterback Jameis Winston tossed up for grabs in the end zone. And the Bucs defense, which has forced just one takeaway in its past five games, had its only takeaway in this one — a second-quarter interception by Will Gholston — wiped out by a penalty. "That penalty really put us on our heels,’’ Smith said of the face-mask foul called on cornerback Alterraun Verner. “We never really recovered after that.’’ The Bucs led 7-0 at the time and Gholston had returned the interception 17 yards to the Bears’ 15-yard line. Any kind of a score there might have put the Bears on their heels. But after the penalty gave Chicago the ball at the Bucs’ 46-yard line, the Bears needed just five plays to tie the score. The Bucs took a 14-13 lead on a 50-yard Winston touchdown pass to Charles Sims, but Winston’s interception erased a chance to build on that lead and Martin’s second fumble wiped out another. “The only people hurting us is ourselves,’’ said Martin, who gained just 49 yards on 17 carries (2.9 per rush). “But I still believe we’re getting better. I still believe we’re growing up.’’ For a while it seemed as if the Bucs were growing up and getting better. After a 1-3 start this season, they rallied to reach the .500 mark twice at 5-5 and 6-6. They’ve lost three straight since, though, and many of the characteristics that contributed to their losses early in the year were evident again in their loss Sunday. Connor Barth missed a 52-yard field goal try, the offense converted only two of eight third-down tries and the Bucs lost the time of possession battle by 15 minutes. “It’s tough to win when you do some of the things we did out there,’’ Smith said. “As far as why, all I can say is we had lots of reasons to play well.’’ While vowing to finish strong, the Bucs talked last week of winning a rushing title for Martin, who came into the game trailing the Vikings’ Adrian Peterson by only 9 yards. They also talked of winning the offensive rookie of the year award for Winston, who completed 15 of 29 passes for 295 yards and two touchdowns and ran four times for 10 yards. The Bucs still could achieve those goals, but their goal of finishing strong is all but gone. So, too, is their hope of being the only team to knock off the Panthers, who lost to the Falcons on Sunday. “It would have been good to go into the final game with them undefeated and having an opportunity to end that streak,’’ McCoy said of the Panthers. “But we still have a great opportunity there. They’re still probably the best team in the NFL and they’ll be at home. “We just have to relish the moment and enjoy it, because the 2015 season is over after that. And when we look back on it we can say, ‘OK, it didn’t go the way we wanted, but we had fun, especially that last game.’ ” There is that.