Playoffs?
June 13th, 2018
Key ingredient for postseason.
Yes Virginia, and the other 49 states, there will be playoff football in Tampa Bay.
That’s the word from Adam Rank of NFL.com. He is convinced the Bucs will be playing in a real, meaningful game come January.
It’s hard for Joe to fathom this because it has been so long. The Bucs have been in such a playoff slumber they are over halfway to becoming an NFL version of Rip Van Winkle.
At any rate, Rank believes the main reason why the Bucs will finally play in a playoff game will be America’s Quarterback, Pro Bowler Jameis Winston.
Winston was voted the MVP of “Hard Knocks” last year by our own Dan Hanzus. The quarterback built a nice buzz around himself because of his unmistakable charisma. It was kind of like the way Cuba Gooding Jr. ended up stealing the show in “Jerry Maguire.” He was a breakout star — believe he won an Oscar and everything. And life looked pretty good. And then Gooding Jr. appeared in “Snow Dogs,” “Boat Trip” and some movie with Robert De Niro where he played a Navy diver, and things were never the same. Similarly, Winston made a questionable decision when, during a pregame hype session in New Orleans, he started talking about eating the W, and his season never recovered. It was his “Daddy Day Camp,” if you will.
Now, to be clear, I’m not blaming last year’s 5-11 Bucs disappointment on Winston and Winston alone. No, sir. In Year 3, Winston posted career highs in completion percentage (63.8), yards per attempt (7.9), yards per game (269.5) and passer rating (92.2). And as the NFL evolves into a short-passing league, Winston is like a throwback who will push the ball downfield. He averages 10.62 air yards per pass, and he picked up a first down on more than 40 percent of his throws. He’s one of the best passers on third down. But if he is on a strict diet of Ws, then he went hungry for most of last year.
That is going to change this season, because Winston’s going to have more help around him.
What help around him? The Bucs have the same skill position players as last year with the exception of Ronald Jones. And the right side of the offensive line is a big time question mark.
If Jameis has a healthy season, he will be fine. It is the right side of the offensive line, and cornerbacks not named “Brent Grimes,” which scares the hell out of Joe.
June 13th, 2018 at 12:29 am
LOL being in Mountain time I get to post first on this one! Playoffs WILL Happen this Yr! Ga tr buc said it first.!
June 13th, 2018 at 12:31 am
I’ll believe it when I see it! No hype this year. We Buc fans want WINS and..Plenty of them. Win and the playoffs will happen. But I’m simply not going to get my hopes up to high. Did that before. Lets see the product on the field the 1st half of the season. Then we can get our hopes up..or down.
June 13th, 2018 at 1:12 am
Only way this team sniffs playoffs is if gmc is on IR or quits by week 3
June 13th, 2018 at 1:41 am
^tmaxi strikes again!
June 13th, 2018 at 2:00 am
Its that time for the rah rah kool aid , I see.
Forget it………talk is cheap …….show me
June 13th, 2018 at 2:50 am
And the right side of the offensive line is a big time question mark.
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Hmm you don’t say? I thought the online was “average”? Lol
#RunJameisRun
Sounds to me like Jameis is doing his job even with a hurt throwing shoulder. Any other qb in the league not named cam would get a free pass for the year.
If only McIceCream would make a play when in counts, if Kwon can wrap up, if Beckwith moves to DE or mlb, if conte could actually break up a pass or not get run over when he’s the last line. If Ryan oh god never mind, if Stew…hmm, Davis nah, if vh3 🙄 could cover then maybe just maybe….
Oh and when you get all that corrected remember the special teams needs a kicker and a returner who can actually score. Whitehead, Wilson, Hargreaves.
June 13th, 2018 at 3:40 am
“What help around him?”
We also added Jensen at center and are moving Marpet back to guard where he’s best, albeit left guard this go-round. That’s a big improvement right there alone. We definitely have a question mark at right guard and will have to see how that pans out, including Marpet 2.0. But I agree with DB55 that Joe has toted that our offensive line wasn’t that bad last year and was at least average.
However, I’m also not jumping on the playoffs bandwagon or any other hype like that. We have a tough schedule starting out and practically the full same coaching staff, and a really young and inexperienced secondary that needs a lot of work. I agree with Rank that Jameis isn’t the problem. But it seems everyone is now jumping on the, “it’s uo to Jameis if we win or lose” wagon. Sounds like Koetter talking to Jameis before last season started.
June 13th, 2018 at 3:41 am
Cue Jim Mora. “PLAY-OFFS?”
June 13th, 2018 at 4:50 am
The right side of the line. That limits things to just one side. Last season the guard play was so bad it hurt every aspect of offensive play. Not sure how much of it was the guards or the center calls. Marpet looked excellent on film but the more that I’ve watched, I do wonder if he was missing line calls, or maybe the guards didn’t have faith in his calls. Jensen seems to have a better attitude for a center. Hopefully he keeps his edge. I didn’t think Sweezy would loose his, but his edge didn’t make it on the moving truck.
Everyone loves to point at Winston, Winston, Winston, Winston, but the two most critical factors regarding a possible playoff run are the two lines. Line play last season was really subpar. The O-line wasn’t as bad as the D-line but this was a historically bad D-line. This is why I’m critical of GMC. When you are the highest paid of the group, when you are the “superstar”, when you lead the group in snaps, and your group can’t stop the run or rush the passer, objectively, your play must be examined. This season will reveal just how big of a mistake the Bucs have made with GMC.
Either:
They truly screwed up and misused an elite talent by not surrounding him with strong players and proper coaches.
or
They truly screwed up by making him a centerpiece of the defense for as long as they did.
At this point, I truly don’t know which one it is. I’m hoping the former.
June 13th, 2018 at 6:11 am
I want what he’s drinking.
June 13th, 2018 at 6:36 am
So, according to the experts, we will be in the playoffs.
Or, Go 2 and 14
Yeah, thats about the value of predicting a future- with extreme variables.
Drew Breez , Matt Ryan, and Cam Newton are all lost for the season on week one?
Or
Jameis is suspended 3 games- then gets hurt
Predictions are a huge waste of time
June 13th, 2018 at 6:56 am
Bogus post, Joe. Adam Rank is not convinced the Bucs will make the playoffs! Read the print, he’s explaining how all the Bucs and all NFL teams could make the playoffs this season.
June 13th, 2018 at 7:35 am
@realityisabeaotch… it looks like GMC has already quit way before week 3. What else is new.
June 13th, 2018 at 7:37 am
He also had a career high in giveaways too.
June 13th, 2018 at 8:17 am
Yes of course because this team needs a pro bowl player at every Position to succeed. But wonder why the saints and Panthers can start rookie lineman and it not be such a big deal. The media makes people hyperventilate about this team. Everyone plays rookies and everyone has holes in their roster
I’m not worried about lineman or corners but I’m worried about Dirk and his offense scoring points and playing keep away. We saw last year it doesn’t matter what kind of weapons he has, we thought Howard would put us over the top only to have Dirk take all year to figure out how to use him and d Jack. I expect the same kind of struggles this year unless Winston continues to ignore his play calls
June 13th, 2018 at 8:25 am
Player always play better when they are scared JW knows its a do or die year either he does better or he does to much and blow it.
June 13th, 2018 at 8:41 am
Rip VanWinkle and his dog retreated to the Catskills Mountains to escape his nagging wife (I’m sure most here can relate!). Catskills= the football basement (where the Bucs go to sleep). However, who is the nagging wife in this metaphor?…Gruden’s curse?, Shiano?, fans?, the NFL as a whole (after the SB win)? Buckner just got here. Who else is yelling at OBP?
When VanWinkle returned from his 20 year slumber that occurred throughout the entire American Revolutionary War, he resumed the “idleness” of his past. The War=games (the Bucs slept through). After awakening, Rip was 20 years in the past, just like the Bucs (game-planning, coaching styles, play-calling etc.)
Trying to figure out the Bucs’ relationship to “idleness” is a bit easier, however.
June 13th, 2018 at 9:58 am
@ joe
What help around him? You cant be serious can you? This man is talking about a better defense, a better kickng situation, the potential of a running game etc. The bucs missed the playoffs largely because the defense couldnt hold on to a lead with 2 minutes to go. That is called help as well. Come on man. Its not that difficult.
June 13th, 2018 at 10:14 am
PROVE IT!!!!
#NOEXCUSESIN2018!!!!…#PRESSURESONTHECOACHES!!!…GO BUCS!!!
June 13th, 2018 at 11:22 am
MVP of Hard Knocks!! Lol what’s that get you how?? Kinda like your ridiculous first down stat last. How about this…just win. I see why Chucky punked Team Gkszer now. At The Raiders only thing matters is wins. #KluelessKoetter is more worried about having games in the locker room that the equipment managers can play against the players and try to win some coins. LOLOLOL
June 13th, 2018 at 4:36 pm
“What help around him?” – Joe
Oh, a defense that won’t cost him the lead, a stronger offensive line…you know…things that actually will help.
June 13th, 2018 at 4:36 pm
And the right side of the line is not a question mark…only right tackle.
June 13th, 2018 at 6:42 pm
Love the ‘air yards’ stat Joe. Shows Winston in not dinking and dunking. He is throwing the ball downfield. That being said I would like to see some more dump offs. Raise the completion percentage and keep the chains moving.
BTW, ‘Men of Honor’ was the Navy diver movie Cuba starred in.
Go Bucs!