Russell Gage was in close proximity to the back of the end zone when Tom Brady threw a dart that slashed between two defenders and fell to him for a score.
The largest Buccaneers football crowd in Raymond James Stadium history, which had been all day restricted by errors, penalties, and the Green Bay defence, had come for the G.O.A.T. stuff. But with only 18 seconds left, this was shaping up to be a typical Brady finish.
A simple two-point conversion was all that was required to force overtime.
The Bucs then struggled to start. Another pass to Gage was incomplete, and they were assessed a delay of game penalty.
In a figurative way, this season's offensive, which has only mustered three touchdowns in three games, has been defined by a failure to get ready and a lack of execution.
A team that was lacking its two main targets, held out a third weapon, recruited a man off the street early last week, promoted him off the practise squad in the morning, and then threw the second throw of the day to him is probably not going to succeed.
However, it wasn't a surprise that that was the real problem in the Bucs' 14-12 loss to the Packers.