Dixie Chicks Claim They Won’t Lay Down
December 29th, 2011
Tony Gonzalez of the Dixie Chicks claims his team won't tank against the Bucs.
The Dixie Chicks have clinched a playoff berth. They will play another game next week while the Bucs are in the midst of planning golfing vacations where no one wears a coat outside.
If the Lions lose to the Packers early Sunday, the Dixie Chicks will have a chance to clinch the fifth seed in the playoffs. If the Lions win, the playoff seeds are set, no matter the outcome of Sunday’s game.
As Joe noted before, if the Dixie Chicks rest their stars like Matty Ice, Julio Jones, Michael Turner, Tony Gonzalez, etc., it opens the door for the Bucs to perhaps pull an upset and maybe save embattled coach Raheem Morris’ job.
But the Dixie Chicks rolling over for an easy upset won’t happen, Gonzalez said, via Stephen Holder of the St. Petersburg Times.
“It’s business as usual around here,” Gonzalez said. “We’re going to try to go out and win a football game against a really good team that beat us earlier in the season. I don’t think anybody’s mind-set around here is that we’re going to go ahead and rest, especially after last week the way we performed against the Saints. We have to go out there and put on a good performance going into the playoffs.”
Saying that in midweek prior to a game is one thing. But if a team is already locked into their playoff seed before kickoff Sunday, Joe finds it difficult to believe the Dixie Chicks will have the same fire in the belly to win that it normally takes to secure a victory in the NFL.
December 29th, 2011 at 3:13 pm
If we beat their first string team and they had their A game I would feel good about it regardless of losing a draft position but if they pull their starters and we lose a Trent Richardson, Justin Blackmon, or Morris Claiborne because of it I won’t be happy at all. That would be the epitomy of a ‘senseless win’.
December 29th, 2011 at 3:21 pm
Why don’t the Bucs play some of their back ups to see if they can play. Evaluate now for next year.
December 29th, 2011 at 3:29 pm
Maybe they will if the Falcons pull their starters. That would be great. I’d love to see Gaitor for a full game and Ahmad Black. I think these guys have game but they haven’t gotten enough time. I don’t see how Gaitor could do worse than Biggers or Black than Jones….
December 29th, 2011 at 3:36 pm
Please stop sayin that Joe … If the Bucs win Raheems job should be whatever it was before the game … For the Bucs to keep a guy because he figured out a way to stop a 10 game losing streak against a team of backups would be awful ..
December 29th, 2011 at 3:36 pm
@CC
That’s exactly why we need a new coaching staff. They keep guys that are playing like s*!t in the game and don’t pull them for young guys that we haven’t seen play! Bad season, we’ve been out of the playoff hunt for a long time……..it’s the perfect time to play guys like these!
December 29th, 2011 at 3:42 pm
jvato24:
No one but those whose names end in “G” — to be honest, it’s starts with “G” — know what is going to happen. For all Joe knows is that Team Glazer is undecided and a win by the Bucs Sunday could — repeat, could — sway their decision to re-up Morris.
December 29th, 2011 at 3:42 pm
They sure ain’t gonna end their season with a loss to a team that has lost 9 games straight…..I am only saying the Foulcons will not be laying down…
December 29th, 2011 at 3:48 pm
I want the Buccaneers players to play so poorly that they’ll essentially be raising their middle finger to me, the season ticket holder. While I raise my middle finger at The Glazers.
December 29th, 2011 at 3:49 pm
Keeping everyone healthy for the playoffs trumps losing to a team that has lost 9 straight and if you think it doesn’t then you really don’t understand that this is a business first, game second. Remember the Colts resting their starters when a perfect season was on the line?? The Superbowl is the goal and the ONLY goal when it’s playoff time.
December 29th, 2011 at 4:09 pm
A win on Sunday would only hurt his team.
December 29th, 2011 at 4:31 pm
I wouldn’t put it past the G-boyz to bribe the Falcons
to lay down and let the Bucs look improved
so they don’t have as much pressure to replace Morris.
That’s all we need now is a win to screw up our draft position.
That would really be the ultimate cherry in top of this ****
sundae of a season.
December 29th, 2011 at 4:42 pm
I would usually agree with you Bobby but I have the feeling the Falcons want to get that bad taste out of their mouths from that ass whipping they took from New Orleans. Get the feeling they would like to regain some confidence in their offense and defense heading into a possible rematch with the Saints.
December 29th, 2011 at 4:49 pm
Oh I agree they ‘want’ to do that but if it won’t improve their seed position then they WILL NOT take a chance on getting key players injured. Roddy White got hurt the last time we played them. Matt Ryan got hit hard by Clayborn and I don’t think they are gonna take chances just to get a meaningless win. Besides, the way our defense is laying down their second string can beat us.
December 29th, 2011 at 4:54 pm
I think the Falcon Backups can probably handle the Bucs.
So we’re in little danger of a draft-destroying win.
Remember…
We could’a had a V-8 (Ndamakong Suh)
December 29th, 2011 at 4:56 pm
@ Bobby: Can’t argue that lol. Redman isn’t too shabby of a backup and i think I’d rather face Turner than a solid dose of Snelling and Quizz.
December 29th, 2011 at 4:58 pm
mpmalloy:
Really? How?
December 29th, 2011 at 5:10 pm
Well Joe,
In 2009 the Bucs went 3-13.
In 2009 the Lions went 2-14.
I’m not sure about the draft position if we had the same record,
but the fact is….one ,possibly two more loses for the Bucs in 2009
and we would have drafted Suh.
Am I missing something?
December 29th, 2011 at 5:14 pm
I wouldn’t worry about the Falcons lying down on Sunday. The Buccaneers will do that for them.
And they’ll all be smiling when it’s over, glad to go home and be done with those pesky practices they were force to attend all season long.
Happy New Year!!!
December 29th, 2011 at 5:46 pm
It would’ve been worth it to trade our 2nd round pick to DET to move up for Suh. Arrelious Benn hasn’t done anything for us anyway.
December 29th, 2011 at 5:56 pm
Remember you said that Patrick….Benn is gonna make you eat those words if we draft Trent Richardson. All of our receivers will look sooo much better.
December 29th, 2011 at 6:15 pm
I think McCoy is pretty good.
I think it’s no coincidence that our epic slide started when McCoy got injured (again, sigh)…he’s just an injury machine.
Suh may be the next Warren Sapp.
December 29th, 2011 at 6:29 pm
The dixie chicks know it is impossible to lay down enough
December 29th, 2011 at 9:57 pm
Race to 10!!! (losses in a row)
December 29th, 2011 at 10:47 pm
I am sure Morris has an idea of which players quit on him this season (Sean Jones, Talib etc). Sit those bums and see what we have in young backups like Ahmad Black and Gaitor have to offer.
Sorry Joe – I dont buy into this “win one for Morris to save his job”. I am sure a decision has already been made and should he stay, I am sure he’d prefer the higher draft pick than dropping down a few slots and losing a guy like Claibourne or Richardson.
December 29th, 2011 at 11:13 pm
Race to 10 losses now thats funny…. A lot of people chastised me for making fun of morris .. Pile on everybody!!! Thanks Thomas !!!
December 30th, 2011 at 10:51 am
Dear Atlanta
Don’t worry we’ll lay down for you so your rested for the playoffs.
Regards
The Bucs.