Playoffs?
May 3rd, 2016
Damn, it has been so long since the Bucs have been in the playoffs — coming up on nine years — Joe barely remembers it.
Shoot, JoeBucsFan.com didn’t exist yet when the Bucs were clobbered by the Giants in January 2008.
If the Bucs are finally going to play meaningful football again in January, this past weekend’s draft may have secured their shot. That’s the word from Joe’s friend Jason McIntyre, creator and operator of TheBigLead.com.
McIntyre broke down five teams that helped themselves with a playoff push in the draft, and he believes the Bucs were one of those five.
Tampa Bay: Loved getting CB Vernon Hargreaves in the 1st round. He’ll start from Week 1. Not a huge fan of Noah Spence because of his off-the-field history, but it’s undeniable that he’s a terror on the edge. He’ll at least make offensive lines think they need to block someone besides Gerald McCoy. The Bucs are getting crushed in many corners of the web for drafting a kicker (trading up a few spots, technically) in the 2nd round, but that’s not an awful move. Connor Barth was 17-for-17 inside 39 yards and missed one XPT. He was, however, 6-for-11 beyond 40 yards. The pressure will be on FSU’s Roberto Aguayo to be virtually automatic inside 50. I wouldn’t have done it, and here’s something to remember – after Aguayo went 59th, two defensive backs went off the board at 61 and 62 in the division – Vonn Bell (Saints) and James Bradberry (Panthers). Jameis Winston should improve on 58 percent completions and cut down on the 15 interceptions. Tampa was close to the playoffs in Week 12, before fading; I think they can pull it off in 2016.
Yes, the Bucs faded last season, in large part to Coach My Scheme’s joke of a defense. The Bucs can’t possibly get worse there.
One would hope all the rookies who played so well last year will be that much better in their second seasons, which in turn should make the entire team better.
Playoffs? Joe can’t go there. Yet.
May 3rd, 2016 at 9:49 am
I’m so glad we have a so-called hard scedule this season. I don’t really buy into that its about talent and execution,I careless about the notoriety that accompanies some of these teams. We about to surprise some people.
May 3rd, 2016 at 9:52 am
Nope, thats next year. A tougher schedule this year which is needed to get our men competitive. Im thinking 7-8 wins would look pretty good for us. And we’ll address WR and another DE next draft. And if ASJ doesnt get it together, we’ll be addressing TE too.
May 3rd, 2016 at 9:53 am
Funny how Lovie’s coaching got them in position to make the playoffs…yet you blame him for not making them.
Meanwhile, the player who lit a fire under the defense was coincidentally suspended those same 4 games. But, of course, that would have nothing to do with it.
May 3rd, 2016 at 9:55 am
I’m not about to defend Coach My Scheme. If he hadn’t lost all those winnable games early…Tennessee…Houston…Giants…we wouldn’t have needed a four game run at the end.
Having said that…there were other SIGNIFICANT reasons we lost those final four!
Obviously injury and suspension were MAJOR. Lose your most dependable WR and arguably the best player on defense…certainly the middle of the D…this is why I think the Bucs are playoff contenders but it might be one and done…we still have some depth issues…especially at WR…if they all stay healthy and have decent years…VJAX…ME…ASJ…SIMS..Brate…Humphries…we have the potential to be really good…but we have no depth or margin of error. We fix that with the next draft or perhaps FA.
Another…more subtle reason…a significant % of this team..4 starters…were going through their first NFL season. They may have simply run out of gas those last four games. That’s pretty much par for the course with rookies. I think this is especially true for Marpet and Smith, and of course Kwon was suspended.
May 3rd, 2016 at 9:56 am
“cut down on the 15 interceptions”
I would love to see fewer picks…but 15 per year is not bad at all…so long as he has 22-30+ TDs.
Also…many of those picks were a result of the ball bouncing off WRs hands.
I would love to know how many picks it would have been if those WRs had actually caught the passes that bounced.
May 3rd, 2016 at 9:56 am
Its not the early rounders who worry me. It’s the unproven talent we got on day 3, coupled with Licht’s record of not doing too hot with day 3 picks.
May 3rd, 2016 at 9:56 am
There are so many fans right now, that after binge watching all the 5 minute youtube player highlights at college that this Team has all the Uber talent it needs!! But step back for a second!!!! There is worked to be done. Do not put all the pressure on all of this team that is comprised of a bunch of 1st and 2nd year players!!! They need to learn the new defense!!!! They need to coach “the lovie” out of some of these players!!!! And they need to learn to play consistent and meaningful football for 4 quarters of a game!!!!!
Go Bucs!!!!!!!!!!!!!
May 3rd, 2016 at 9:57 am
I think its going to take VH3 a little while. Corners, unless they are freaks like patterson, deion, ect… take some time. VH3 will need some time. If we are a playoff team, its because the last 2 draft classes (asl, jameis, donavon, marpet, evans) go from good to great and the thin postions on our roster stay healthy.
No sure if we make the playoffs, but we should be in it, compete in every game, and most importantly break the streak for finishing last in the south.
May 3rd, 2016 at 10:03 am
So far as this year…I want us to go all the way to the Superbowl…but that’s not realistic. I think a record of 10-6 is what we need. If we make the playoffs with that, fine. I don’t expect us to win in the playoffs though. Not this year.
That said, I’ve never been a fan of just making the playoffs. To me, if you cannot get at least to the final playoff game, anything else just costs you draft position.
Making the playoffs, even if we lose in the first game, would at least earn us some respect, but who cares?
Another plus to even a one game appearance is experience for the players.
If we win 10 games and don’t make the playoffs, we still have improved tremendously and we would probably pick 5 spots sooner in next year’s draft then if we make the playoffs.
So, unless we can win in the playoffs, which is better? One and done or winning season with no playoffs?
I want to see us go all the way, of course, but one and done hurts more than it helps.
May 3rd, 2016 at 10:04 am
@StPeteBucsFan
Very reasonably stated.
May 3rd, 2016 at 10:04 am
All these people keep talking about Noah Spence’s off field issues. Was that only the ecstasy at Ohio State? If so that was like three years ago right? Did he get into any kind of trouble at E. Kentucky?
May 3rd, 2016 at 10:10 am
@BuccaneerBonzai
Last I checked the same coach you are defending took over the defense which allowed a rookie QB to put up a record setting performance in the first game of the season(His first game in the NFL) at home. The same coach put players on the field that were absolutely no good because he liked them not because the were the best at their position. Kwon being suspended was a hit but should not have made this defense that bad. A good coach would have adjusted. Dirk’s first year with an offense made huge strides, Lovie’s second year with the defense took a huge decline. I will take my chances with Dirk.
May 3rd, 2016 at 10:11 am
If our defense can cover a slant, or at least jam a receiver, we will improve. This is where coaching comes in. How did Lovie have no idea that teams were going to use three step drops? Remember what Gerald McCoy said after the Ravens game. Something to the effect of we didn’t know how to defend a three step drop? What? Okay. Lovie and Leslie had no clue teams like the Ravens, the Titans, the Rams were going to utilize three step drops, and then there was no in game adjustment despite our defense getting shredded multiple times. And no, i’m not a so called “Lovie basher” either, I actually was quite the opposite during his tenure. But that four game skid last December, or more specifically the Rams game, that was the last straw.
But it’s now 2016, the draft is over and football is in full hibernation. We got a ways to go until that first training camp in late July. Simply put, we should compete. We are better than both Atlanta and New Orleans, possibly better than the entire NFC east, and we got a lot of younger talent on both sides of the ball. Seriously, on offense we have Jameis, Martin(all pro), Sims, Evans, Brate. And oh yeah, we got an offensive line! Not every team has playmakers AND an o line! On defense we got Jac Smith, McCoy(all pro), David(all pro), Kwon, Banks, and yes I love the thought of Banks and Hargreaves being our future starting corners. Lovie can go blank himself for benching Banks for Trash Jenkins. With all of the pieces on both sides, plus possibly more from the draft, some decent veterans in VJax, Darryl Smith and Clinton Mcdonald, there is no excuse not to compete. I don’t care how “hard” the schedule is.
And sorry for the ramble, but man it feels good to be back on this site 🙂
May 3rd, 2016 at 10:21 am
if we would have had a kicker and a competent coach/defensive scheme, we would most likely have been 9-7 if not 10-6 last season. Kicking game should be on point and the coaching especially the DL with Hayes should be much improved. It is hard to say that the schedule will be tougher in reality but it is projected to be tough. That being said, I really believe we will be in contention to the very end for a playoff spot this season. I think 10-6 is attainable and let the chips fall where they will.
May 3rd, 2016 at 10:21 am
7-9 this year, playoffs next year. GO BUCS!!!
May 3rd, 2016 at 10:22 am
We will know real fast how competitive this team is after facing Arizona, Los Angeles and Denver in our first four games. Not only did we have a great draft but we have some great FA additions who are all going to help in our secondary and with the pass rush. One of the advantages is the years experience rookies from last year now have.
May 3rd, 2016 at 10:23 am
Bonzai, all Lovie had to do was jam a receiver every now and then. Then on the other side, you got people like Realist saying moronic things like “coach the Lovie out of them”. Lovie was a smart coach, albeit stubborn and probably unqualified to make personel decisions. Let me add this. If you supplement your offense almost exclusively via the draft, and then you supplement your defense with only free agents and one 4th round pick, which side do you think will be better off?
May 3rd, 2016 at 10:44 am
Max…that’s where I’m at right now 7 to 9 wins.
May 3rd, 2016 at 10:53 am
Largo…the answer depends on who was doing the FA shopping… Jenkins Jennings, McClown, Johnson and Johnson etc. I could go on, but as far as I’m concerned Lovie called those shots.
May 3rd, 2016 at 11:02 am
So you’re saying Lovies mental telepathy style of coaching didn’t work.
May 3rd, 2016 at 11:06 am
Playoffs and Superbowl run in 2016.
You heard it here 1st.
Lol, and yes I’m totally serious.
May 3rd, 2016 at 11:09 am
C’mon 87, get on the 2016 SB train.
I know you’re calling a title for 2017, but I really think we can pull it all together this year. Hopefully, I’m right this time 😉
May 3rd, 2016 at 11:16 am
I believe this coaching staff will prove to be the best in franchise history. The Bucs would have been in the playoffs last year with these coaches. We’re due for a year with no key injuries. We’ve upgraded the roster and will add more in the coming months, not to mention we’ve suffered no major losses. The playoffs are not that far fetched IMO. For sure the Bucs won’t finish last in the division. A stout defense, dependable kicking, and an offense primed to set new franchise records, should be playing well into January. I like our draft and can’t wait for the season to start. Go Bucs
May 3rd, 2016 at 11:33 am
Chucky truly made chicken salad out of chicken spit.
He’s still pissed at the Glazers and rightly so.
During this draft he kept gushing about “his Raiders” and never mentioned the Bucs once. Seemed like a very conspicuous bias.
May 3rd, 2016 at 11:39 am
We are winning 10 games next year at least. We have 3 years of Lichts drafts out there and this new crop filled some huge voids. It’s easy to say we have holes in our lineup without realizing how many great players we actually have. Every single team has holes in their lineup
May 3rd, 2016 at 12:41 pm
6 wins while facing a list of backup qbs and bad teams. Hoping with a competent coach they can win more against non backups
May 3rd, 2016 at 12:47 pm
Okay 87, there is no disputing that Lovie made those calls. My questions who should have been signed instead?
Now, we can all agree that signing Mccown and cutting Revis. But in terms of signing Johnson, Mcdonald, Lansanah, Conte, Verner, Jenkins etc I think it’s kind of hard to criticize those signings because there were no other means of supplementing the defense, except for Kwon. The only other alternative would be to sign all mega stars on defense, which would be impossible due to the cap. So when you draft all offense for two years,the defense is going to struggle.
And of course, benching Banks for Jenkins was STUPID! Defenive playcalling was horrendous at times. Game day management was inexcusable for a coach with Lovies experience. But i’m not going to blame Lovie for bringing in the free agents listed above. When you draft one defensive player in two years you have no choice but to add free agents, and lots of them. And can understand bringing I Mike Johnson. e needed a DE and he was the best available. Now I can criticize the coaching because Lovie didn’t do enough to utilize his talents. But I can understand why Johnson was signed in the first place.
May 3rd, 2016 at 12:58 pm
PLAYOFFS? man,,,,I’m not buying into the hype. If we can win 8 or 9 games this season? Then we are on the way for next year. If..we win 10 or more? Then that’s a different story. But I’m not praising anything yet cept..we have the makings of a good team..on paper. I got us going 8-8 this year.And that’s if everybody stays healthy. Maybe 9-7. We shall see.
May 3rd, 2016 at 1:02 pm
10-6 with playoffs is the bench mark…licht didn’t hire dirk to go 7-9 or 8-8…this staff only has 1 side of the ball to improve…with the additions we made to the defense both players and staff 10-6 and playoffs should be excepted…I know licht is excepting it….GO BUCS!!!
May 3rd, 2016 at 2:00 pm
This will be the first year Winston has control of this team from the start. I know he’s expecting playoffs, and I’m confident he’ll have this team behind him and ready to go. It’s easy to get caught up in the draft, the coaches, the free agents and all sorts of other things. What this team has been missing the most is leadership. We saw some of it last year, but I expect this year to be significantly better.
May 3rd, 2016 at 2:28 pm
not until we get a pass rush
May 3rd, 2016 at 3:03 pm
11-5 this year and Aguayo will help us win 4 close games. Go Bucs!
May 3rd, 2016 at 3:24 pm
No reason not to dream. Year 2 Winston combined with a defense that keeps games competitive could be a HUGE difference by itself. The guy is a closer. Give him a chance to win a tight game in the 4th and he will do it way more often than not. He was undefeated in those situations in college and I think last year as well.
There were no losses where Winston had a chance to win the game late and didn’t:
Titans – total blow out horrific defense
Texans – put the team in position to win via FGs / mike evans drops in endzone but Brindza lost it
Panthers – blow out
Redskins – total defensive collapse. Not given the chance to score a TD on 4th down instead taking the 6 point lead via FG. Bad call by Koetter on 3rd down as well that didn’t give WInston a chance to score with a stupid run call.
Giants – 18 seconds is not enough time to score a TD from your 20 lol. Even for our savior. Lost because we gave up a clock killing 10 play drive.
Colts – down too much late
Saints – Lovie punts on 4th and Saints run 4 minutes of clock (rest of game) on 9 plays. This was after Dye dropped a pass right in his hands that would have put the Bucs in the redzone and in position to tie. Huge clutch throw by Winston when it mattered.
Rams – embarrassing blow out
Bears- Missed FG kept it at a 9 point lead for the bears and then the D gave up a 5 minute FG scoring drive that iced the game. We make that FG who knows.
SO let’s see – missed FGs were huge in at least 2 of those losses. A few of these were total blowouts with terrible D. A lot were the D getting dink’d and dunk’d killing 5 minutes of clock when we needed the ball back on offense.
On the other hand; of our 6 wins; Winston was clutch and key in close games against the Saints & Falcons (2x). He destroyed the Eagles & our offense ran all over Jacksonville. The only game our defense won was Dallas.
Mike Smith + Aguayo + Winston Year 2 = potential dramatic as hell improvement. Even before you factor in roster changes.
May 3rd, 2016 at 4:45 pm
Our injury prone plus aging WR’s, our rookies in VH and Spence, and our O line to be tested by a stronger schedule is whats keeping me grounded at around 7 wins.
Now D scheme and play calling should be much better under M. Smith, but these guys need time to catch up and jel in a new scheme. Thats why Im tempering things. Anything above 7 is a bonus, but the best thing is they’ll be ready to compete with a year’s experience under their belt when the 2017 season rolls around. Hopefully Smith is still here (should be) and thats when we’ll make some noise. We should have better WR depth then and another DT and DE.
2017 and 2018 is the years Im looking forward to. But still cant wait to see how 2016 unfolds. Im feeling pretty good about everything so far.
May 3rd, 2016 at 9:10 pm
Lord C…your post should be in the bucs bible for the training program..it’s so spot on..
And ErikAthletics..
I’m jumping on your train..I do believe this team will be SB bound…Kwon has a point to prove this year..if he would have stayed the last four games, we would have made the playoffs..but at that point, the air was out on the tires..
May 3rd, 2016 at 10:50 pm
So what you’re saying is that JBF.com has jinxed the Bucs! We haven’t had a playoff run since Jeff was created. Coincidence?