“Manageable” Second Half?
April 16th, 2016
Will the final nine games be “manageable” for America’s Quarterback?
Joe’s not much of a gambler. Never got any sort of rush over it and more than anything, Joe hates p!ssing away money.
Those palaces in Vegas? They didn’t get built because the outfits are into charity. Joe can find lots of ways to throw money away and at least get some enjoyment out of it.
(Joe actually has been on vacation in Vegas and never dropped one dime on a bet. Not one.)
When Joe looks for football analysis, the last thing considered is what the gamblers in Vegas think, if Joe thinks of them at all. So Joe wonders if there is some wagering element Joe doesn’t give a damn about at play here when a prominent handicapper claims the Bucs have an easy second half to the 2016 season.
That’s what Warren Sharp, of SharpFootballAnalysis.com, Twittered out yesterday.
@SharpFootball – Bucs fans->6th hardest sked but its front-loaded. Wk 7 on is manageable https://t.co/JnjHfcOwXZ pic.twitter.com/8ZPJQlu9Rw
First off, it’s folly to predict a strength of schedule five months before the season kicks off. Remember how everyone felt the Bucs had a rough schedule last year? As it turned out, it was a cupcake (and still Coach My Scheme couldn’t take advantage of it).
Of the final eight games, the Bucs face three playoff teams from 2015, including two teams that played in the last two Super Bowls (Carolina and Seattle) and three division games.
For Joe, that’s more of a challenge than “manageable.”
April 16th, 2016 at 6:37 am
Would think that any schedule is ‘manageable’ (Sharp’s word) if we’re playing solid, competitive football. If we’re not, any schedule will be a bear.
Right now it looks like a tough schedule, particularly on the front end. But the Bucs have talent, and with some solid coaching there’s no reason we can’t compete in every game. Should be fun. Go Bucs!
April 16th, 2016 at 7:23 am
Any game is any teams game to win. Sure, on paper one team appears better the other team, but still any team can win. I think the Bucs go 9-7, just squeezing into the playoffs.
April 16th, 2016 at 7:33 am
Managing the second half of all 16 games should be he goal….
April 16th, 2016 at 8:03 am
If we just go off of last season’s play the Bucs could easily start out of the gates at 1-4. I hope Mike Smith has this defense ready tired of picking in the top 10. Mile Smith work your magic!
April 16th, 2016 at 8:11 am
As long as we have a head coach that will not go into the locker room at half time with three time outs and more than enough time to at least get close enough for a field goa we have a much better chance of winning.
“Coach why didnt you use your timeouts and try and get on the board at the end of the first half?”
“We didnt wanna score any points at that time”
IDIOT!!!!WTF So glad we have a real head coach.
April 16th, 2016 at 9:00 am
I thinks it’s almost impossible to figure out how hard your schedule will be. There’s always those talented teams that have a bad season or have injury’s to there key players.
Last season is a perfect example, the bucs were suppose to,have a tough little 4 game stretch but ended up facing backups for all of those teams. So you never know what’s gonna happen.
We will Def see what our bucs are made of this season with opponents like the Broncos, Cardinals, panthers and cowboys. But i think our Boyz will be up for the challenge. You don’t get better facing garbage teams all of the time, you become better by facing the league’s elite.
-“to be the best you have to beat the best”.
April 16th, 2016 at 9:26 am
Might as well see what we’re made of right out of the starting gate!
Has the season started yet :)!!!?
Just imagine with me beating the Seahawks or Broncos….sweet!
April 16th, 2016 at 9:53 am
You said it Joe, declaring this years schedule tough based on last years results doesn’t work very well. As stated by the great Don Quixote of La Mancha, “Look always forward, for in last years nest there are no birds this year!”
April 16th, 2016 at 10:01 am
Last years schedule was always looked as a easy schedule. Playing the nfc east and afc south was well known to be bad divisions. Add to that the last place teams the bucs faced for being last in the division. It was always a cupcake schedule. Don’t try to manipulate the truth.
This schedule is harder based on last seasons playoff teams. But the mighty fall, and the cream rises to the top. Worst to first! Go bucs!
April 16th, 2016 at 10:10 am
“to be the best you have to beat the best”.
———————
Absolutely true and I sincerely believe it’s a challenge that The Messiah and his disciples are eager to take on. Let the games begin.
Vegas insiders gives the Bucs 60/1 odds to win the SB and predicts another last place finish in the division.
April 16th, 2016 at 10:48 am
before the season last year the bucs had the 29th hardest schedule for the 2015 season!!! This year they have the 5th hardest schedule for 2016!!!!
You do the math!!!!
April 16th, 2016 at 10:56 am
Good control Joe! To be in Vegas and not wager a dime takes some strong restraint. People who gamble who occasionally win will boast and tell you all about it, it’s called brief euphoria. Losses you never hear nothing about it, it’s a tightly held secret and agonizing.
April 16th, 2016 at 11:00 am
I wrote this comment under the the previous article a few minutes ago but now see it’s more appropriate under this one:
The NFL’s SOS (strength of schedule) is a bunch of BS (#$%)! Makes no sense at all that a non-playoff team picking in the top 10 of the draft (Bucs) should be tied for the 5th toughest SOS for the upcoming season while the playoff GB Packers have the easiest at #32, even the Superbowl (&()&*) Champion Denver Broncos’ SOS is #14 and the Panthers is #12. Are you kidding’ me!!
I’ve been watching the NFL since games were broadcast in B&W and have seen every SuperBowl and year after year, the media just accepts how the NFL goes about creating schedules without calling it out for the corrupt money hungry it is. And all the media ever talks about is how teams need this player or that coach or a different scheme to become a winner, when more likely all they ever needed was for the idiots that determine schedules by SOS method be replaced by an upside down draft chart! The SB winners should have the toughest SOS and the team picking no. 1 in the draft have the easiest.
I know there will be those who disagree, but tell me, which gives all fans more hope of a enjoyable and perhaps winning season, a brutal SOS schedule before the season even begins, or one where most every game on schedule seems more like a ‘pick-em’ game?
I suppose those who would say keep the SOS system that’s in place now are the same ones who applaud college hoop schedules that pitted such a great rilvery this past fall as Duke vs. Elon (105-66, guess who won) or college football’s Alabama Crimson Tides’ vs. Charleston Southern Buccaneers (56-6).
How about at least spotting the underdog, in college or the pros, whatever the points are that come out of Vegas? At least then, it will seem like an underdog has a chance.
April 16th, 2016 at 11:28 am
Oh yea I agree Joe and one of those ways is the “strip club” but don’t lose me. This so -called 5th hardest schedule means didly squat to me. “Its any given Sunday”, if we’re better prepared and execute better than y’all we tend to win. Simple and plain if you ask me,playoff teams change every season many that were there this past sesson won’t be next season. This sets up perfectly for us tho. I recall Richard Sherman saying we knew we could cimpete with anyone when they beat the Pats and he ask Brady after the game “you mad bro”. I expect something similar to occur with us this season we’ll beat someone who’s considered real good league wide. After which we’ll know we compete with anyone. “Just Wait On It”.
April 16th, 2016 at 11:33 am
Where are you St.Pete??? I know you’re out there this one has you written all over it.
April 16th, 2016 at 11:41 am
@Nos-Bos
Its one thing to “steal one” or shock a team,,,, its another thing to run the Gauntlet!!!!!
If lovie has been wrongfully retained,,, their would be 3 wins with this schedule!!!! and lots of blowouts!!!
April 16th, 2016 at 11:46 am
Realist!!! I feel the sorriest for you and a few others around here. You live with the tornent of this man’s existence everyday of your life. Kinda strange but hey ima long way from perfect so I ain’t judging.
April 16th, 2016 at 11:50 am
I’m guessing these Bucs aren’t going to go out and get embarrassed by 30 points in the opener. Don’t see that happening now that Coach MyScheme has left the building.
April 16th, 2016 at 12:18 pm
The Bucs MUST come out of the gate strong. Because if they lose the 1st 4 or 5 games? Their season is hit..its over! And looking at the schedule, there are no easy opponents or games one can look at and say, We will win that one. They are all tough. So we had better be ready early. If not, its gonna be a real real long long miserable journey to the end.
April 16th, 2016 at 12:43 pm
Its easy to tell we’ve been a losing franchise for a long time. All this if we lose the first however many games To start the season. Its all good tho, you all will come around soon enough. But here’s a thought maybe just maybe we’ll start 4 and 0..
April 16th, 2016 at 1:14 pm
THe strength of schedule is a matter of good or bad luck. We know all but two teams for next year. It is just this year it is our turn to play the NFC and AFC west and the our division has Carolina which we play twice. Otherwise we play the third place teams in the the other NFC divisions. In other years this would be an easy schedule. The schedule makers are more just picking when we play the games now. And IMHO, they hooked us up by giving us hard games early. Throw in the fact that we have to beat the best to be the best, I love this schedule. If I am not mistaken, the year we won the SB, we played a pretty hard schedule…with cold weather to boot. Don’t see any cold weather games this year either.
April 16th, 2016 at 1:39 pm
@turk182,
Well said with the small exception that we’re actually playing the 4th place teams. Other than that your post was spot on.
April 16th, 2016 at 2:31 pm
We always get tough schedules. Last year was too. I was tough because we sucked.
April 16th, 2016 at 2:33 pm
@turk182
Also, a little acknowledged fact from our Super Bowl year…we lost our first game.
If that were to happen with current fans, they would be crying that the season is over…just like last year.
April 16th, 2016 at 3:10 pm
Makes no sense to take a Vegas crooks prediction on any teams season outlook.
April 16th, 2016 at 3:59 pm
I saw an opening win total of 6 1/2 over 20; that was pre-free agency. It’ll be interesting to see how it moves. If it wasn’t for the fact that they get to keep your money for 10 months, I think a lot of people here would take some of the over.
April 17th, 2016 at 2:12 pm
How close were their predictions last season?