Bucs Are Better, But Are They Good Enough?
September 16th, 2010
The lack of chaos for Mark Dominik and the Bucs this offseason already means the Bucs will be better this year, Gary Shelton writes.
It’s easy to feel better about the Bucs this season. Winning the first game of the season is a good reason, for starters.
Veteran sports columnist Gary Shelton suggests there are good reasons to feel better about the Bucs, and it has nothing to do with last Sunday’s win over Cleveland. In a St. Petersburg Times chat this week, Shelton said last offseason was such a mess, the Bucs can’t help but be better.
Comment From ATLRick:
OK, I was seriously embarrassed to be a Bucs fan last season. It wasn’t the record (rebuilding happens), but it was the coach firtings, the articles about the Glazers being broke, Raheem seeming to be in over his head, etc. Everything just feels different this season, at least to me up here in Atlanta. Am I crazy or is there a possible glimmer of hope? Does the whole atmosphere around the Bucs feel different?Gary Shelton
It’s better, Rick. There isn’t the chaos of a year ago. I wrote the other day that the worst season the Bucs have had in the last 20 years was last year’s off-season. They hired two coordinators who didn’t make it through the season. They spent the off-season deciding between two quarterbacks who never played after week three. They cut their veterans. They chased Jay Cutler and Albert Haynesworth. They signed Clayton, Ward and Nugent to big contracts.Compared to that, this is a walk in the park. There at least seems to be a plan in place. Whether than plan works, we don’t yet know. But things do feel better. Not good yet, but better.
Rich McKay used to say all the time: It doesn’t matter what your plan is, but you have to have one.
In retrospect, it seems the Bucs’ braintrust didn’t know what they wanted last offseason. They purged veterans but ran after high-priced veterans which, thankfully, Mark Dominik failed to land.
If nothing else, the fact the heinous Jim Bates Experiment was put out to pasture means this season is better.
September 16th, 2010 at 3:48 pm
All of those things point to a better season. Add that to “not playing in London for a home game”, not playing the AFC East and NFC East, a pretty solid draft hitting on some key contributors (even if they don’t blow away the league in year 1, they will contribute as much or more than the vets did last year). Many reasons to believe this will be a better season.
That said, there were many things in game 1 against the Browns that raise red flags. The O-line giving up 3 sacks and not getting much of a run game going. The fumble inside the 5 by Graham. Still a few big plays given up (a couple runs and a pass). Freeman floating some passes (maybe the thumb injury) and a couple penalties. All things that need cleaned up. I think Freeman will be loads better as his thumb feels better. I don’t think Graham has a fumbling problem, but that was really bad timing. Tanard probably takes a better angle with Talib at CB. Only thing I’m not sure they can clean up this year is the O-line. We may have to just “survive” with the line we got.
September 16th, 2010 at 4:49 pm
Gonna have to play better than last week to improve on the record, IMO.
Pretty ugly victory, and they cant expect those kind of gifts very often. Browns were on the verge of taking a big lead before half time.
This Sunday ought to be telling, given that the Panthers are super young like us.
September 16th, 2010 at 5:41 pm
Hey, we are “undefeated”! I see a lot of improvement over last year, especially in the receivers and D Line play. Next year, maybe we can concentrate on our O Line, so we can become the “Power Running Team” we fancy ourselves to be ?
September 16th, 2010 at 6:28 pm
“There isn’t the chaos of a year ago.”
So therefore its better?
Wow, how low have we come to be happy about NOT having chaos.
September 17th, 2010 at 8:00 am
Negative…Are you also Tampa2?
September 17th, 2010 at 8:50 am
Nah, negative used ta be zerointelligence. He doesn’t watch football. If you notice, he just post something the opposite of what everyone else is saying on every post. It’s his desperate and pathetic effort to get attention. If you watch how often he does it, it’s really sad. I argue with him once in a while, just cause feel sorry for him. This poor kid has been neglected in his life. Zero- you are going about this the wrong way! Being gay won’t get you attention. Neither does being a jerk on every post. Try acting Like a man! Don’t be a whinny bitch, more people will pay attention. Make some intelligent post and people will actually notice you- try it, it’ll work! 🙂