The Bucs’ Path To The Playoffs
October 19th, 2015
There is true rage and rancor at JoeBucsFan.com world headquarters this morning.
One Joe just isn’t feeling the momentum of the team and can’t see past Lovie Smith’s gruesome defense. The other Joe is bursting with optimism about the offensive line, a down year in the NFC, revived special teams, and Jameis Winston’s ability to flat out win a couple of games for the Bucs as his greatness develops through the season.
So upbeat Joe stopped throwing donuts around the office and has typed up the Bucs’ path to the playoffs.
@Redskins = Win. Washington is a crap team with a crap quarterback that made the entire Jets offense look like the dominant Patriots or Chargers offense. Bucs won there last year. They can do it again.
@Atlanta = Win. Here’s another garbage defense the Bucs can exploit where they’re comfortable — on the road. And don’t think for a minute that Dirk Koetter won’t be out of his mind focused on sticking it to his old team.
Giants = Loss. Emerging Giants team will be favored. Rightly so.
Cowboys = Win. Official Cowboys writers, on the team website, just wrote a feature on the next four games without Tony Romo, which includes this one. Joe’s not betting on Matt Cassel.
@Eagles = Loss. Tough spot. Cold weather likely. Eagles have plenty of talent.
@Colts = Loss. Bucs not ready yet.
Falcons = Win. See above. Falcons are overrated and always beatable, especially when they’re on the road.
Saints = Win. Bucs already dominated them in Week 2.
@Rams = Loss. Short week, and Rams will be playing their third consecutive road game. Joe fears for Jameis Winston’s health in this game.
Bears = Win. Bears are bad but improving. Perfect spot for Jameis to take over. The Bucs can’t lose that game. Simple as that, as Lovie says.
@Carolina = ?? Fantastic chance that the Panthers will be resting starters in this game after clinching home field in the playoffs. Anything goes at that point.
So maybe, just maybe, the Bucs seize a Week 17 gift from the Panthers to go 9-7 and make the playoffs. Under this scenario, the Bucs will have an excellent conference record and the tiebreaker edge on the Falcons.
Of course, this all assumes Lovie Smith can mold his team and get the most out of players from here forward, and use his defensive brain to adjust and stop allowing the most points in the NFL.
October 19th, 2015 at 11:08 am
I don’t think Washington is a crap team, actually. Couple of good RBs and a defense that works very hard. If DJax ever gets back to form, they’ll be competitive, at least, in most games
“Works very hard?” Man, you didn’t watch yesterday’s Skins-Jets game. –Joe
October 19th, 2015 at 11:16 am
Wow Joe, you are preaching music to my ears. Do you have a magic ball?
October 19th, 2015 at 11:17 am
The optimist in me likes this. The realist says two wins versus the Falcons has nearly 0% chance of happening. Given their offense and our defense, I’d be thrilled with one win. Everything else is definitely possible.
October 19th, 2015 at 11:18 am
@MGL — Read the Washington Post sports section this morning. The Skins are a dumpster fire. No running game at all yesterday, though no one will confuse our defense with the Jets. Cousins is an automatic 2 turnovers per game.
October 19th, 2015 at 11:21 am
Wish the Joes would credit who writes which post, like most journalist. Why be anonymous, put your name on it
Joe’s not interested in the spotlight, though you can get your answer Wednesday at 5 p.m. on WDAE-AM 620.
October 19th, 2015 at 11:24 am
The Bucs beat the Jags, Joe. The Jags.
October 19th, 2015 at 11:31 am
I see the Falcons winning both games and the Colts and Pathers betting us. That’s still 9-7, let’s face the facts here. The schedule is very favorable and if the Bucs start playing better defense I really think a 7-4 record to finish is reachable. It’s all about the defense. Go Bucs!
October 19th, 2015 at 11:34 am
Joe I agree with your forecast and share the optimistic perspective!!! However I can see wins over the Giants Egaels and Rams… In all honesty, assuming we have seen the worst this team has to offer which I believe we have… This weeks game should be a pivotal turning point for the D… Outside of cornerback they have the makings of a dominate D… Jennings can and should turn the “corner” with his play… Banks will allow us to “bank” an upset or two down the stretch… And with a healthy ASJ and ME supplementing The Musel Hamster we should be able to hang in there and pullout a couple shootout upsets as well….
I know it will sound crazy to most but the facts are that we have the talent the coaching and the schedule to run the table!!!
One game at a time however… The Pig Skins game is gonna be a huge test for the D… We need a dominating performance heading into the Tweety Bird game… For more reasons than confidence… It will put a doubt in ATL’s mind on how to best attack us… When we walk out of there having dominated them as well the confidence will be sky high and carry us through close ones against the Giants Cowgirls!!! At that point the offense should go off on that sorry team from Philly and the colts… Follow that up with a couple nail bitters in the division a Defensive slug match with the Rams and a Movie inspired throttling of the Bears and you have the making of a winner take all season final with the puttie Cats that ends with a Buccaneers Mannkins style BBQ of Catfish!!!
That said I will stick with my original prediction that the BUCS go 12-4 vs the 13-3 outcome of this bold prediction… So we might possibly find a way to lose one more…. 😉
Eat your heart out trolls!!!
October 19th, 2015 at 11:35 am
Optimist joe needs a drug test and intervention if he truly thinks Lovies defense will win those games. Let’s hope the bucs can beat a .500 team at least once this year. 2 wins against fellow bottom feeders in nothing to get too excited about.
October 19th, 2015 at 11:39 am
As goes our defense, so go the Bucs.
October 19th, 2015 at 11:51 am
Washington, the Dallass backups, Bears and the Saints are winnable so that’s a max of 6 wins. Lovie can’t out scheme or stop rookie or backup qbs no way he stops the Falcons twice
October 19th, 2015 at 11:58 am
As much as the Falcons were exposed for being 5-0 frauds, they are still miles ahead of the Bucs. I don’t see how a sober person can confidently predict a 2-0 record against the Falcons this year.
I would love to be optimistic about the Buc’s odds, but our victories were over an injured Brees and taking advantage of the Jags. Hardly signature victories yet.
October 19th, 2015 at 12:01 pm
Lovie has stopped teams on his way to the super bowl…..
October 19th, 2015 at 12:16 pm
I can’t disagree with the optimistic outlook you propose. On the other hand I see sugarplum fairies dancing in people’s heads. I don’t see the Bucs beating Dallas, if they do I will be elated.
October 19th, 2015 at 12:23 pm
How is this defense going to stop Devonta Freeman? Better defenses haven’t been able to. And if we stop him, they still have Matt Ryan to Julio Jones.
October 19th, 2015 at 12:41 pm
I think Matt Ryan is a much better QB than Blake Bortles. I also think Atlanta has much better weapons O than the Jags. That being said, I see us splitting with them.
October 19th, 2015 at 12:41 pm
ATL will sweep us and I’m being optimistic
October 19th, 2015 at 12:41 pm
on O*
October 19th, 2015 at 12:49 pm
Eric- Lovie hasn’t stopped anyone as a Bucs coach. Stop letting Loser Lovie live off past success.
October 19th, 2015 at 12:49 pm
But playoffs Joe? No let’s not talk about playoffs until they have more W’s than L’s.
October 19th, 2015 at 12:58 pm
This post is making me lol
October 19th, 2015 at 1:02 pm
@tampa tony it definitely was NOT Lee.. lol
October 19th, 2015 at 1:05 pm
Playoffs? Pffttt… Let’s start with baby steps. Like a winning streak. Or at least back to back wins.
October 19th, 2015 at 1:08 pm
all sounds good on paper. we have the talent to win more games and we ought to improve on offense in particular with all the young players there. what will get in the way is the bucs’ ability to make the biggest mistakes in the biggest moments. they are no stranger to losing winnable games, and it will continue until they find a way to stop all the miscues
October 19th, 2015 at 1:30 pm
theodore Says:
“The Bucs beat the Jags, Joe. The Jags.”
…Seriously.
October 19th, 2015 at 1:43 pm
I say switch those two wins against the falcons for 1 against the rams.
That is much more likely
October 19th, 2015 at 2:17 pm
Joe, please send me a six pack of the new brew. Mine has become stale and unpalatable.
I can actually see the potential in the scenario but……let’s win more than one game in a row please.
I think JW has the potential to take this team somewhere soon….maybe not this year but soon. I have been watching Mariota (live in Titans country) and have seen flashes from him but he shows a real weakness…nothing over 10 or 15 yards, he’s deadly on short throws BUT…JW can make those 20+ throws. If the run game stays strong the WR will be open for him to burn the deep ball.
GO BUCS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Find some secondary players and maybe just maybe we can make some waves.
October 19th, 2015 at 3:36 pm
What’s the saying? “Everyone’s got a plan till they get punched in the mouth”.. Thank you Iron Mike
October 19th, 2015 at 3:52 pm
Playoffs?! Playoffs?! You want to talk about playoffs?!
October 19th, 2015 at 4:11 pm
As posted previously:
It took practically a perfect game for the Bucs to beat the vaunted Jaguars.
Great kicking game, and perfect on three EPs and three FGs.
Bobby Rainey named “special teams” player of the week.
Doug Martin named “Fed EX “ground” player of the week.
Defense with six sacks, and a defensive touchdown.
Jameis played well enough to have the 4th best rookie performance in Bucs history, and was voted “Pepsi rookie of the week”.
Yet, with all of that………..the Bucs won by 7 points against the Jags.
tickrdr
October 19th, 2015 at 4:22 pm
Playoffs?!!? Playoffs?!!?? We need to back the Super Bowl victory parade up and concentrate on the Redskins and their perennial back-up QB, Captian Kirk Cousins. Actually, if I would have read this two days ago I would have just moved on. After watching the stinking Panthers give it to the Seahawks, I realize that we are better than a lot of people think. With some very important players returning from injuries, the Redskins game will be a nice barometer as to how many more wins this team can achieve. No player is more important to this team right now than Johnthan Banks. His return can bring stability to the spring break secondary who made a sophomore QB look like Johnny Unitas. With Banks back the defense can bring a Safety down to double with Jennings? If this team is going to make any noise this year the defense needs to step up. Everyone from the DE to LVD and Kwon Alexander. Alexander needs to not miss tackles. He had 3 in his last game and is averaging 2 a game. He also needs to step up on his coverage over the middle of the field. Austin Seferian-Jenkins return will have a big impact on the offense as well. His presence should keep a Safety from coming up to double on Mike Evans or Vincent Jackson. Jameis Winston needs to connect on the deep ball to Mike Evans. If they can do these things and obviously keep the turnovers in check, they just may be in the playoffs.
October 19th, 2015 at 4:24 pm
Joe’s a fan, no doubt!
October 19th, 2015 at 6:11 pm
tickrdr…yet it could have easily been by 14 and most Buc fans that saw the game would and should acknowledge that.
October 19th, 2015 at 9:37 pm
The only thing I gather from this: we’re going to win enough games to miss out on an elite player in the draft, but no playoffs.
October 19th, 2015 at 11:52 pm
In all fairness I looked at our schedule when it was released and based our record from how we played last season and Jameis played at FSU and came up with an 12-4 or 11-5 record with losses to only atleast 1 loss to all 3 in the division and then a possible loss to any of these (colts, Cowboys, rams, Texans) and now after 5 games and seeing how well we could play I’m sticking by my predictions we can beat the nfc east and beat our division rivals up and can beat Chicago stlouis but I see only real loss to the colts as of right now
October 20th, 2015 at 12:12 am
Really? Hahahahaha. No freakin way. I wish, but no way.
October 20th, 2015 at 1:05 am
After tonight’s game, I wouldn’t be too scared of the Giants or Eagles.
Those two worthless turnover machines cost me 300 bones………………………………………………………………….angry………………………………