“Can’t Lose” Wins Out
October 19th, 2018
“Jason, you realize what a home loss to the Browns means, right?”
When a team is at a crossroads, fans and media often say the team’s next game is a “must-win.”
That’s not the case in Tampa.
Joe has talked to a lot of people around town this week, fielded many texts and emails, and seen plenty of social media chatter. And a trend has emerged: Sunday’s game against the Browns is being called a “can’t-lose” game rather than a “must-win.”
The semantics illustrate the state of the franchise and how fans view this high-powered Bucs offense.
A loss to Cleveland on Sunday would be unthinkable on so many levels. It’s not just one loss; it would represent NFL ineptitude of the highest order. Falling at home to the worst franchise in football rightfully passes that ugly baton to the Bucs.
It just can’t happen.
The Bucs have everyone healthy on offense — a true NFL miracle — and Cleveland is down to a third-string cornerback starting for their not-so-special defense. The Bucs should be able to ring up 30 and do enough to keep a rookie quarterback in check.
However, these are the Bucs, which is why Joe and legions of Bucs fans are very tense entering this game. The Bucs are 1-10 against rookie QBs since 2011, as the Tampa Bay Times noted this week. And as they’re talking about on Cleveland sports radio, the Browns’ road losing streak sits at 23 games, which feels like a Halloween trick being prepared for Tampa Bay.
The Bucs just can’t lose this game. Can’t.
October 19th, 2018 at 9:32 am
When you break down certain statistics the Browns defense is pretty good. Opposing QBs are only completing 58% of their passes against the Browns. They give up a lot of yards on the ground. They’re middle of the road in sacks, 4th in the NFL in interceptions, and #1 in the NFL in passes defended.
The Browns are poised to win this game.
October 19th, 2018 at 9:35 am
We might lose this game just for fun haha it’s almost too poetic not to happen. I really hope the Bucs don’t embarrass us all like that though. Jameis needs to play turnover free ball.
October 19th, 2018 at 9:38 am
D rome
Compared to bucs defense the local high school powder puff team d looks tough.
Bucs are doing exactly what glazers intended. another basement title run. Glazers have zero intentions of fielding a respectable product
October 19th, 2018 at 9:42 am
We will see a few high energy games out of the defense before they quit again in order to justify their paychecks. They have to at least make it look like it was Mike Smith’s fault so they don’t look bad. Then after the effort is used up they will just blame the failures on Mike Smith being gone and chaos in the building. Everyone has seen this show before. Tampa fans are veterans when it comes to the excuse train.
October 19th, 2018 at 9:43 am
The defense we know sucks.. Basically last in the league.. We can’t turn the football over period end of story. If we turn the ball over especially in the red zone we are likely to lose. Browns are not a good football team but they have been largely competitive this is a “Can’t Lose” trap type of game that we cannot take lightly.
In the end, I think Winston puts up big numbers and we secure a victory to get back on track. Go bucs!
October 19th, 2018 at 9:52 am
its a new day for the Bucs D, lets see how they respond tp the coaching change.
October 19th, 2018 at 9:56 am
“Kobe is getting inside info within Jason Gump inner circles…
Gump will be out end of the year, Licht is negotiating with Philly GM Howie Roseman in a “Trade for Job” future contract. In a few weeks Djax to Philly for a 4th round draft pick”
Kobe “1Buc mole” Faker
October 19th, 2018 at 9:56 am
I can see it now, “The Cleveland Browns have broken their streak of 23 straight losses in road games today against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.”
Things like this only happen to the Bucs.
October 19th, 2018 at 9:58 am
The Raiders rank 28th in scoring. The Buccaneers rank 8th.
If the Raiders can slap the Browns with 45 points, then the Buccaneer offense ‘should’ do no less, especially at home.
Let’s see a spanking.
October 19th, 2018 at 10:01 am
Bucs are in disarray and there is no turning this around and its a sad time to be a fan and the finger pointing will start Sunday at 4:15 when our Coach wont be able to look the media in the eye YET AGAIN
October 19th, 2018 at 10:05 am
Reality. come on bro you really think the glazers want to be the worst business in the league. That ridiculous thinking. We got one of the most potent offense in the league if the defense can play half as well as the offense were making the playoffs. Now that smitty is gone maybe our defense will play a lot better who knows but I can almost certain the glazers arnt thinking oh let’s be the worst team in football. They did a good job keeping koetter around since every other coach has bin 2 an done you can’t build a team in 2 years so they stuck with koetter now if we get our act together on defense it’s over for other teams
October 19th, 2018 at 10:05 am
Bucs 37 Browns 17 No way does this defense come out and suck this weekend.
October 19th, 2018 at 10:17 am
browns are saying the same thing….I think dirk has more pressure to win this game than hue Jackson….
a win for the browns and dirk loses the locker room….if he already hasn’t…
#NOEXCUSESIN2018!!!!…#PRESSURESONTHECOACHES!!!!…GO BUCS!!!
October 19th, 2018 at 10:23 am
Been a Bucs fan since 76′ and all I know after all these years is that the Bucs find truly amazing ways to lose games and just when you think they can’t disappoint anymore, they find new ways to disappoint. It will be either the defense (most likely), special teams or the offense, but one of those units, if not more, will find a way to screw it up. This game has all the making of finalizing the last nail in the coffin of this coaching staff. Remember when Schiano won 3 in a row after an 0-8 start and the Glazers said “it was impressive” despite already deciding to fire him. I truly hope that the Bucs win but the losing is engrained so deeply in these players that I don’t see them winning this game or many other this season.
October 19th, 2018 at 10:24 am
what rookie qb do the bucs have that win against?
October 19th, 2018 at 10:41 am
Curtis Painter, Minnesota Vikings, 10/3/2011
October 19th, 2018 at 10:41 am
Hawk Says:
October 19th, 2018 at 9:58 am
The Raiders rank 28th in scoring. The Buccaneers rank 8th.
If the Raiders can slap the Browns with 45 points, then the Buccaneer offense ‘should’ do no less, especially at home.
Let’s see a spanking.
———————————————–
Thanks for posting. The hot air negative bloviators are a pox on here. This offense is the best one Bucs have ever had in the 39 years that I’ve been following them. I just want to see it fully flower. 🙂 BTW, Browns aren’t cupcakes.
October 19th, 2018 at 10:59 am
“The Bucs are 1-10 against rookie QBs since 2011”
Post that in giant letters on the locker of every single fkn defensive player, especially GMC, LVD, and Kwon (I know GMC probably isn’t playing this week).
If that sad, pathetic, inexcusable fact doesn’t motivate these guys, then nothing will…
October 19th, 2018 at 11:07 am
I guess I’m missing something Joe. You keep talking about ‘this high-powered Bucs offense’ as though it’s really a world-beater. We did awesome in Game 1 (48 points) but in our last 4 games, the Bucs offense has scored 93 points … an average of 23 PPG. That’s not a world beater; at best that’s middle-of-the-pack, maybe not even that.
Looking at those last 4 games, we lost 3-out-of-4, and there’s no doubt that the defense stunk. But the offense didn’t exactly shine either. Our opponents had an average TOP of 31 mins, 26 secs to our 28 mins, 34 secs. Our offense made 11 turnovers (almost 3 per game) and gave up 11 sacks (almost 3 per game there too). Our 3rd-down efficiency was 15-out-of-39 total attempts (38% … not bad, but not sterling either). LOSING IS A TEAM EFFORT. We played good COMPLIMENTARY FOOTBALL in Game 1, but after that … meh.
October 19th, 2018 at 11:10 am
If I hear one more time that Winston has to play mistake free ball for the Bucs to win I’ll explode. Really, name me one QB in the league that can live up to that standard. People, other QBs make mistakes all the time, we just don’t see it. We see all the highlites and think if only Winston played like that we would win. What you don’t see is, those QBs defenses setting them up with short fields, forcing the other teams to punt once in a while. In other words making the QBs job a whole lot easier to produce. The way the Bucs defense is playing it’s giving the Bucs QB the impossible task to score almost every time they have the ball. Hopefully the Bucs Defense will improve so all the burden won’t be on one position. Just my opinion.
October 19th, 2018 at 11:11 am
The Bucs are 1 and 10 vs rookie QB’s since 2011?
The Patriots are probably 10 and 1 vs rookie QB’s since 2011.
There in lies the difference between the Prince and the Pauper.
October 19th, 2018 at 11:23 am
Anybody have the feeling were going to win big and Jameis is going to have an elite game?
27-34 360 yards 3 TDs 0 interceptions
October 19th, 2018 at 11:23 am
Anybody see us winning big and jameis having an elite game?
October 19th, 2018 at 11:28 am
Who else thinks we win big?
October 19th, 2018 at 11:36 am
Cleveland is not an easy out this year.
I’m anticipating a ugly choppy type game decided by a late field goal.
Win it and we stand a chance of closing within one game of the Saints for Division lead and lots of hope going forward.
Lose it and its all over……
October 19th, 2018 at 11:51 am
Seeya Dirk. Enjoy golfing with your buddy Mike.
October 19th, 2018 at 12:07 pm
Chipbuc
Drew Brees
October 19th, 2018 at 12:07 pm
My feeling is a big loss
October 19th, 2018 at 12:39 pm
I would be more surprised to see a big win than a blow out loss at this point. What can Mark Duffner really do that’s going to make that much of a difference if he’s going to be working in the same defense with the same players?
Wouldn’t be shocked if Mayfield goes off on our secondary just like Trubisky did. Jameis will probably have another great game and come short of winning, and then all the haters will blather on and on about how 400 yards and 4 touchdowns just isn’t good enough.
October 19th, 2018 at 12:39 pm
Don’t underestimate the Browns. I’ll say it again, DON’T UNDERESTIMATE THE BROWNS!!!!! The Browns have given up an average of 25 points per game (us – 34). They’ve played 6 games and given up 151 points while we’ve played 5 games and given up 173 points.
October 19th, 2018 at 1:22 pm
Bucs need to win this game by 20, period.
October 19th, 2018 at 1:24 pm
The Bucs have to get to a confident place, doesn’t matter what they do, this is what we do at “home”
October 19th, 2018 at 1:24 pm
DR
im glad you pointed out the struggles of the offense….so I guess that side of the ball is lacking talent too huh…..
nawl its coaching…as you pointed out, after game1 teams figured out what we were doing well, they took that away and forced us to beat them a different way…..the coaches haven’t figured out what to do next….
they haven’t figured out a way to win TOP…..the third down battle or rushing….
nothing will change until glazers clean house…..
#NOEXCUSESIN2018!!!!…#PRESSURESONTHECOACHES!!!!…GO BUCS!!!
October 19th, 2018 at 1:42 pm
YUCS win only if Houdini Geraldini sits. Count that!
October 19th, 2018 at 2:34 pm
If Bucs lose Sunday it is “GAME OVER “ ! Staff and select veterans can start packing !
October 19th, 2018 at 3:14 pm
Joe, hope to start the draft analysis if we lose Sunday.
October 19th, 2018 at 3:53 pm
This is a must win. Can’t go to 2-4.
October 19th, 2018 at 5:04 pm
Not good Bucs fans. Cleveland is coached pretty well on defense. Bucs can’t handle the blitz. This is looking like a blowout. 30-13 Cleveland. Bucs take over as the worst franchise in the league and firmly cement their history as the worst professional sports franchise of all time. Go Bucs!
October 19th, 2018 at 5:53 pm
Yes.. a win would be great… Viewing past trends on these supposedly easy games on paper, the team has a tendency to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.
October 19th, 2018 at 8:16 pm
We all know what’s gonna happen. Mayfield will throw for 400 yards and 3 td and our sad excuse for a qb will toss 3 picks.