TAMPA – The game was lost, the Bucs were just too stubborn to admit it.

And because of that the season can also be lost.

Hoping for a comeback that would have registered high on the miracle scale, the Bucs lost star receiver Chris Godwin to a dislocated ankle in the final minute of a 41-31 loss to the Ravens on Monday night.

“It’s the terrible reality of this game,” Cade Oton said later.

In nearly half a century of Buccaneers football, there may not be a more terrifying sight than Godwin on his hands and knees, his head low in a near-silent stadium as a cart was brought out to take him away.

It was heartbreaking. It was unbelievable. It was unnecessary.

Tampa Bay trailed 41-18 with less than four minutes left in that game. The Ravens had already gone into cruise control, signing quarterback Lamar Jackson and playing preemptive defense to turn back the clock as quickly as possible.

The Bucs scored one touchdown, recovered an onside kick and scored another touchdown before using all three of their timeouts, while the Ravens nearly took a knee on offense.

By the time Tampa Bay got the ball back, they were 75 yards from the end zone, had 94 seconds left and still needed two scores without a timeout.

“We have no doubts,” head coach Todd Bowles said. “We have our guys, we play everyone we have. Unfortunately he was injured. We think that’s a shame, but he is a football player. He wants to get in the game just like Baker (Mayfield) and everyone else.”

And yet nine months ago, the Bucs trailed Detroit 31-23 in an NFC divisional playoff game with 93 seconds left, refusing to use their final timeout to potentially force the Lions into the to score a decisive field goal in the last minute.

“It’s kind of pointless,” Bowles said at the time.

If winning that game was pointless, this was completely pointless. Unlike the playoff game, the Bucs had reason to think about the future Monday night. In six days, they would play the Falcons in a crucial game that could decide the NFC South.

And now they enter the game without Godwin and possibly Mike Evans, who left Monday night’s game in the first half with a hamstring injury.

“It sucks,” said linebacker Yaya Diaby. “It sucks, but at the end of the day we have a division game on the schedule and that is our focus.”

Maybe that will be their focus today, but late Monday night almost no one in the Bucs locker room seemed interested in the upcoming games.

Godwin, 28, is one of the most beloved players in a Tampa Bay uniform. He is selfless, humble and absolutely dedicated to his craft. His reputation around the league is pristine, enough that Baltimore coach John Harbaugh stopped outside the Bucs locker room late into the evening to offer Godwin a hug and encouragement.

Stay up to date on the Tampa Bay sports scene

Subscribe to our free Sports Today newsletter

We’ll send you news and analysis on the Bucs, Lightning, Rays and Florida’s college football teams every day.

You are all registered!

Want more of our free, weekly newsletters in your inbox? Let’s get started.

Explore all your options

Three years ago, Godwin suffered a knee injury that could have ended his career, but he worked relentlessly to return to optimal health.

He entered Monday night’s game with some of the best numbers of his career while playing in the final year of his contract.

“It’s devastating,” cornerback Zyon McCollum said. “As an athlete who sees injuries all the time and knows the risks, it was still difficult to watch. We’ve seen him work so hard to get back to where he is now. Hopefully it’s not as bad as it seemed.”

It’s a violent game. Fans know it, and players live with it. Career-ending injuries are unfortunately part of the sport.

And Bowles is right. Players want to be on the field and do not easily give in to losing.

You could also argue that if Godwin, Mayfield and Tristan Wirfs were taken off the field in the final minutes, younger, less talented players would be in danger in their place. A coach cannot protect everyone.

However, it’s a coach’s job to weigh that risk against the potential reward when it comes to a team’s future fate. And Bowles failed in that regard Monday night.

The chances of winning that game were infinitesimal, and the outcome of the game in Atlanta was much more important to Tampa Bay’s season.

Maybe the Bucs will bounce back, but it’s hard to imagine that with Godwin, and possibly Evans, unavailable.

“You don’t want any of your teammates to go down,” Diaby said. “But he’s such a good person, such an impactful player, and he had a great year. It was a very, very difficult moment. All we can do now is pray for him and his family.”

John Romano can be reached at [email protected]. Follow @romano_tbtimes.

• • •

Sign up for the Sports Today newsletter and receive daily updates on the Bucs, Rays, Lightning and college football across Florida.

Never miss the latest news about your favorite sports teams in Tampa Bay. Follow our coverage on Instagram, X and Facebook.