Bucs Blow Up Thursday Night Road Curse
October 26th, 2012
Yeah, Joe’s a Bucs guy first, and a football guy second.
For years, Joe’s weekends during the fall started on Thursday nights. Then, with ESPN broadcasting college football games, Joe often found himself parked on his favorite barstool, cold beer in hand.
After years of watching Thursday night football, it became clear that home teams often had a major advantage over visiting teams.
Usually, visiting teams (in college) would have four practices (Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and an abbreviated Wednesday film/walk-through session) and the team would fly out.
Home teams often got an extra day in, using Thursday afternoon for film study and/or walk-throughs.
As a result, visiting teams noticeably had a devil of a time to try to win.
This seemed to carry over to NFL games on Thursday evenings; visiting teams may get in three practices only. And it showed.
This season, home teams were 5-1 entering the Bucs-Vikings game. And the Bucs deficated all over that Thursday hex.
Using a bruising defense, a stubborn run game and a sparkling passing game, the Bucs slammed the Vikings for a 36-17 win and, for now, put to rest the wives tale of Thursday night road games, writes Jim Souhan of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.
By the time the drunks were finished with their fights in the stands, black-and-blue described the Vikings’ bruised psyches, not their style of play.
“They did a good job of just coming out and beating our brains in,” defensive end Brian Robison said. “It’s Football 101.”
Looking back on it, the game largely was just that: a back-alley brawl. It was physical, nasty yet not dirty, tough. Yards were gained by brute force and paid for in pain.
The Bucs came in and punched the Vikings in the mouth and served notice to the NFL: with a 3-4 record, this team isn’t shutting down any time soon.
October 26th, 2012 at 8:42 am
What a great game to watch, great game plan on both sides of the ball. I was talking with some of the writers at work and I said if Freeman throws for 260-280 yds and a TD the Bucs will win. Peterson was not really a factor, take away the 64 yd run/td, and he had a very pedestrian 14 carries for 60 yards. Percy Harven is a weapon but without a true number 1 WR the Vikes will be limited with what they can accomplish with him, Simpson is clearly not the answer for them. The Bucs seem to be really hitting their offensive stride, from Williams’ remarks after the game, they are running the offense without having to think about what they are doing, it is starting to become second nature to them. The defense is also starting to play the same way, and to all you Roy Miller haters, the guy is in a system he truly understands and plays well in.
October 26th, 2012 at 8:43 am
I will make an editorial comment about the power of persuasion and the impact of winning. The Bucs got national exposure and instant recognition as a team not to be taken lightly last night.
I use the NFL Network pre-game commentary to make my point. Before the game the Vikings were all the rage, up and coming, never lost at home this year, one of the best defenses in the league and the Bucs were simply regarded as a stop along the way to 6-2 record and contending in the NFC north.
By games end, just 3 hours later that dialogue was completely changed and the Vikings were now imposters with little chance of going anywhere this year and the Bucs were for that instant the new media darling led by a significantly improved QB, a possible ROY RB in Doug Martin and an intense coach who is destined to turn the fortunes of this team around.
You see, in the final analysis, it really is all about winning and you get instant respectability. I have no doubt that the Bucs are headed in the right direction and last night every team left on our schedule is going to spend an extra day on game planning.
It is no secret, everybody likes a winner, and I’ll be the first to stand up and say “It feels great”!!!
October 26th, 2012 at 8:43 am
A game like this makes work on friday tolerable. Doug Martin, holy crap… freeman must be posting a beastly TD-Int ratio these days
October 26th, 2012 at 8:47 am
Great call maccabee. It was all percy harvin this, adrian peterson that… No mention of the bucs at all in the pregame. Huge win for the exposure of the franchise
October 26th, 2012 at 8:53 am
I’ll take a plate of crow for all the smack I was throwing @ jfro earlier this year. BUT…the playcalling and run game have gotten much better as well.
October 26th, 2012 at 8:57 am
Have we finally resolved who the clear cut starter at RB is? It is obviously not a platoon system.
1. Martin
2. Blount
If too bad Blount lacks the initial burst and explosion at the line that Martin clearly possesses. If he had that, wow…
October 26th, 2012 at 8:57 am
Anybody else notice that they were giving that same media love to the Viqueens during the game, especially after the Penn vs Allen grudge match? This is all they need. That fight will be the turning point for the them. This place just came a live, blah, blah, blah…….HUGE SACK! Crickets…..
October 26th, 2012 at 8:58 am
7-1 td-int in October. 113 rating in October. Better than Brady so far lol
October 26th, 2012 at 8:58 am
So fun to watch when the Offense is rolling. Doug Martin was shot out of a cannon on that screen pass TD. Just seeing a screen pass for a TD. …..i had to do a double take
October 26th, 2012 at 9:32 am
great team performance…all around..
October 26th, 2012 at 9:54 am
Is there still any complaints about Josh Freeman? I know he still throws a few one hopper, but he is getting better.
October 26th, 2012 at 10:31 am
Wonder if “Cosmc Shien” still prefers Ponder over Frreman?
October 26th, 2012 at 10:34 am
Okay, we’re back to the best of the 2009 QB draft picks, based on their play this season, Freeman is again starting to look like he is going to be the long term star of that class. Sanchez is just horrible and Stafford has really regressed badly, keep it up Josh.
October 26th, 2012 at 10:37 am
@Sneedy16
Free had an ok game if u truly break things down. He still must make improvements in tha red zone, batted balls, accuracy, and playing from under tha center. He’s depending 2 much on his receivers bailing him out on jump balls, hence Williams 2 catches, V-Jax 3rd down catch and Doggie’s TD. He gotta hit tha quick slants and intermediate passes with more consistency.
October 26th, 2012 at 10:50 am
The batted balls are the result of the O-line not cutting the defensive player so they can’t get their hands up. Freeman had to resort to throwing sidearm to get the ball past the raised hands of D-linemen. I’ve criticized Freeman plenty of times in the past but he’s managing the game very well right now and ‘THAT is the truth’.
October 26th, 2012 at 11:08 am
Bobby, right on…you beat me to it. I do not care how many times a WR has to jump for the ball, all the great ones do. No int and 3 tds, no compliants here.
October 26th, 2012 at 11:18 am
Ya cut the d-lineman…Ya get off a quick 3drop!
October 26th, 2012 at 11:24 am
Free has a 93.3 passer rating right now, does he have room to improve? Absalutly. To say he just played ok against a very good defense on the road on a Thursday night, come on Truth, you are better than that. He did not play a perfect game, but not too many ever do, infact, no one ever does at the QB position. We are watching the peices fall in place. It is funny that people say “he is lucky his receivers are jumping up and bailing hi out” when talking about the Bucs, but other qbs just put it where his WR could get it or bat it down.
October 26th, 2012 at 11:48 am
I need to eat some crow. I thought for sure that against the Vikings defense Freeman would have interceptions. I still thought he would do well otherwise though.
He didn’t have the interceptions (came close though). Going into this game I “hoped” we could win…but I was afraid to say it out loud…didn’t want to jinx it.
I am VERY happy with the result.
October 26th, 2012 at 11:56 am
Josh Freeman is the first Buc qb to throw for 3 td’s 3 weeks in a row…..In team history
srsly there are a few of you who really have no clue…No qb is perfect but Josh is pretty dam good.
October 26th, 2012 at 12:24 pm
Freeman is doing his thing right now. Three games, three TDs, no INTs. BEAST!!!