“At Least A .500 Football Team”
June 19th, 2014
New offense? New offensive coordinator? New and suspect offensive line?
No problem, says Tampa Tribune Bucs beat writer Roy Cummings.
Your Tampa Bay Buccaneers will not have a losing season in 2014, Cummings emphatically speculated on Bright House Sports Networks recently.
“I think the Bucs are going to surprise some people. I think they’re going to be at least a .500 football team,” Cummings said.
Joe’s not ready to draw such a line in the sand. Joe must see more before he can make his annual prognostication. Frankly, Joe’s having a hard time imagining Josh McCown having a career year and/or Mike Glennon leading the Bucs to such heights. But Joe surely doesn’t rule out QB heroics. Let’s see first, thought, what it all looks like in August.
Cummings went on to say New Orleans is his NFC South champ, if he had to pick one today.
Bucs training camp kicks off in five short weeks and optimism abounds.
June 19th, 2014 at 9:19 am
7-9 is where I’m at.
Our D forced turnovers last year, we just couldn’t capitalize on them.
Improving by 3 wins shouldn’t be a problem. Especially with a competent HC, a competent QB, and the talent on D.
The problem with all of these predictions for the NFC is that people think the top teams will continue to be good and none will drop off. That simply isn’t the case historically.
June 19th, 2014 at 9:33 am
QB heroics to go .500? What about the playmakers they’ve added on offense? Would think the quarterback(s) simply need to be above average for the team to find eight wins considering that Lovie feels he has the basis for a highly competitive defense.
But yes, it’s way too early as this team cannot afford any injuries to key players.
June 19th, 2014 at 9:34 am
I would rather have the possibility of a “suspect O-line” , then last year’s O-line which was gaurenteed to fail.
June 19th, 2014 at 9:40 am
It’s going to be a rough start to 2014, in my opinion. I think they’ll finish strong, very strong – but .500 might be the absolute ceiling this year. But by end of year they may be capable of beating down anyone.
June 19th, 2014 at 9:42 am
Further to the above – I think by end of year winning teams will start dreading a game against the Bucs. Once this team gels by mid season, they’ll be intimidating.
June 19th, 2014 at 10:15 am
If we win just one game all year, I hope it’s against the RAMS when we celebrate Derrick Brooks induction into the Ring of Honor.
June 19th, 2014 at 10:33 am
Lots has been written and said about the new vibe at OBP and I think this has some merit.
The roster turnover had much to do with it as we had to break the cycle of losing. The only ex-Bucs who have prospered of late is Talib and Bennett. They went to good teams with good players around them too.
The most impressive change has been that trust has returned with the coaching staff. Forget the slogans, put faith in leadership and the preparation instead.
June 19th, 2014 at 10:33 am
Does anyone remember “journeyman” Kurt Warner before he got his chance with the Rams? McCown is getting his chance with the Bucs with talented receivers and runningback situation. The defense is vastly improved and just needs time to come together. The Bucs do not need a pro-bowl quarterback, this year, to have a winning season and a chance for a playoff berth.
June 19th, 2014 at 10:57 am
I could see us 8-8. It will be the defense leading the way, not the offense.
June 19th, 2014 at 11:10 am
Best case scenario is the Chiefs improvement last year.
Sometimes replacing an incompetent head coach with a competent one can make a big difference.
June 19th, 2014 at 12:10 pm
I feel sorry for you Joe. You live without hope. Everything is questioned until it is proved otherwise. There is no courage in being Igor. Seek vision Joe. Hone those talents that let you see a brighter future when you believe it is real. That’s different than being a cockeyed optimist. Just develop a little vision. Take a risk. It is ok to be wrong. The safe answer always lies in negativity. The ability to see what can be is what makes GMs and Coaches. The can’t see beyond your nose approach limits you to blogger, talk shows, or columnist.
Really, you’re going to tell Joe, the guy with the most unique NFL blog in the country, to take a risk? Joe is hopeful for many players. –Joe
June 19th, 2014 at 12:38 pm
This year, just like every year, my prediction for the season is 16-0.
If we lose a game, i will adjust my predictions accordingly.
June 19th, 2014 at 12:42 pm
Let McCow play 8 games and then Glennon the last ones.
June 19th, 2014 at 1:11 pm
12-4 & a Superbowl victory is my prediction. I’m with Herm Edwards & Gil Brandt on this one… C’mon, Joe, you love Gil Brandt. Sprinkle some healthy optimism into your annual prognostication & go with at least 10-6 or 11-5. All pessimists will be made to look stupid this year.
June 19th, 2014 at 1:18 pm
I think the Saints are about to slide down, last year there were a lot of times they looked human, as did Drew Brees.
This is the beginning of the end for a LOT of NFL teams of the 2000s.
Saints will fall
Panthers won’t have same kind of year, but if they do, they may be a team to reckon with for the rest of the decade.
Atlanta had this fall last year, and they’re not back yet.
Bucs and Panthers will be the top two teams.
June 19th, 2014 at 1:25 pm
It doesn’t take “heroics” from our Q.B. for us to be a winner!!!
Yes Q.B. is the most important position. NO it is not the ONLY position. Football is still a team sport. What is it about Flacco’s game that makes everybody go gaga. He’s a fine Q.B. Matty Ice…same thing. And this year we get to find out of Cam Newton is a superstar or just another good QB.
This defense is going to keep us in most games. If the offense can simply be competent, not great, we’ll easily reach .500.
The exciting part is the “possible” upside. IF McCown has a decent year, not a great year, just decent, this team will be fine.
June 19th, 2014 at 1:26 pm
We will win the conference at the end of the year probably the last game will put us in first.we will get a by week and win one playoff game.tampaaa
June 19th, 2014 at 2:52 pm
responding to QP: I couldn’t agree with you more. I think we will have a Chiefs like season and be able to Compete this year with the new head coach. AKA Tony Dungy Jr. Its going to be great, take us back to the Winning Dungy and Gruden days please!
June 19th, 2014 at 4:36 pm
Bill Byrne Says
“Does anyone remember “journeyman” Kurt Warner before he got his chance with the Rams? McCown…”
That you even think the two are similar shows a lot.
On other matters…
I believe many of you are delusional. You just are not being realistic.
Take the first 2 games. We have a defense that will be good…later. defenses tend to start slow, especially their first year. Then we have a college offense with an OC that has never been in the NFL. He has assembled his playbook without knowing the speed of the game OR all the rules.
And we have an incomplete offensive line that will allow both our QBs to take a beating, regardless of our weapons.
My prediction is that we will be lucky to win half of the first 4 games, and after that? Who knows?
I think at the end of the season, we will look back and feel Lovies first mistake is not drafting a QB that was available when the bucs picked in round one…because it was our best chance of getting a good one.
Look around. Anyone see and Brees type opportunities coming at the end of the season? Anyone see us getting a top 3 pick?
June 19th, 2014 at 5:23 pm
I don’t think .500 is all that far fetched. I think we even make the playoffs worth mediocre qb play. The group that might hold us down are the O linemen.
June 19th, 2014 at 7:32 pm
I said 8-10 games
June 19th, 2014 at 9:45 pm
I think the Bucs will go 16-0… until they lose a game, then will I revise.
June 19th, 2014 at 9:46 pm
Boy…. did you “fans” watch last season? We upgraded at key positions and the o-line can only get better than that mess last year. If we had a coach worth a darn, we would have won the close loses last year. We will atleast win 10 games. Please believe that! The offense will be better than the run down the field…slant .. and catch offense we had last year. And the defense is going to be killer. Who did we loose? plus we upgraded the d-line. I’m with the one fan…… 16 and 0 until we loose then let’s just take it from there.
June 19th, 2014 at 9:54 pm
I can’t see how the Bucs will be less than 8-8. Lovie said that ‘his’ defense is good for 8 wins. Although I thought it a ‘funny’ statement, at the time, he certainly has the ingredients for a stout defense. *IF* the offense can give them an occasional breather (and maybe a few points, just to make it appear like it’s a team effort), then I think the Bucs can win 8-10 games. *ALL* of this is, of course, is based on papered stats and the ‘underwear’ football show.
By the end of the preseason I may wish to adjust my prediction, but bear in mind that preseason football is not much more than ‘underwear’ football… with pads. It’s not until the final game that the coaches even game-plan for the opponent.
June 20th, 2014 at 5:58 am
Really, you’re going to tell Joe, the guy with the most unique NFL blog in the country, to take a risk? Joe is hopeful for many players. –Joe
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Are you sure your blog is the absolute most unique NFL blog in the country? Surely there has to be an NFL blog that is also mixed with the writer’s love for ferret’s, or clowns, or mind reading. Maybe a blog where instead of writing, all stories are acted out by characters from a cartoon… If not…make it happen.
June 20th, 2014 at 9:11 am
Do it to it boys! This team is about to show some fight. Remember when you saw that out of the Bucs? Big. Powerful. Fast. I am pumped.
June 21st, 2014 at 10:01 am
BuccaneerBonzai Said:
I think at the end of the season, we will look back and feel Lovies first mistake is not drafting a QB that was available when the bucs picked in round one…because it was our best chance of getting a good one.
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Maybe L&L didn’t think we needed one. Maybe you should’ve talked to them before the draft.
8-8 > 4-12
If we get to the playoffs, I will make joyful noises from my sphincter. But I’ll take 8-8.