Brate Builds Bucs Hype
July 8th, 2019
Why not the Bucs, says Bucs TE?
Recently, Bucs tight end Cam Brate was over in England as part of a troupe of NFL players promoting the league and the game to the British soccer snobs and hooligans who just don’t know any better.
Of course, Brate was not the only NFL there trying to educate the masses. So too was Nate Burleson of NFL Network.
Naturally, Burleson asked Brate about Bucco Bruce Arians and Brate noted Bucs fans should not be shocked if the team wins this year. Why is that? Because the offense should be dangerous.
“It seems like the past couple of years we have been close, but we just can’t take that last step,” Brate said. “I’m just excited for this season to get started. … Last year was last year. We have really good talent.”
Joe has already written about how team officials constantly talk about the talent this team has, including past Bucs coaches. Yet the losses continue. At some point, either this talent has to show up and win games or people at One Buc Palace have to look in the mirror and come to grips that the Bucs may not have the right talent to win.
Now Joe is not expecting the following, but if the Bucs fall on their faces this season, Joe doesn’t think it is far-fetched that Team Glazer would delouse One Buc Palace of this alleged talent and start from Square 1.
Remember, Team Glazer once ran off the lone Super Bowl-winning coach the franchise has ever had one year after Chucky had his contract extended three years.
July 8th, 2019 at 12:23 am
The Bucs will surprise but it depends on the defense. Top 15 defense and they go 10 and 6. Defense below 25th and they go 6 & 10. the Bucs should be better than many of the talking heads are predicting. If Winston can complete 70% of his passes and keep his touchdown to interception ratio at 4 to 1 they will be okay. Can he do it? Probably not!!!
July 8th, 2019 at 1:28 am
All they need to do is “buy in” and WANT TO WIN MORE THAN ANY OTHER TEAM.
July 8th, 2019 at 1:55 am
Real simple. Our offense must play better than our defense. If our defense is giving up an average of 24 points per game then our offense must average 25 points a game. If our offense can only muster 23 points per game them we will lose more than we win. This offense should easily be north of 25 PPG average but we haven’t. K.C. had the worst defense last season giving up 25 PPG average but their offense scored an average of 31 PPG. <—- The result was a winning record. So stop bellyaching over our defense as the problem. From inopportune turnovers, redzone miscues, and missed field goals, we left a lot of points off the board last season.
July 8th, 2019 at 4:00 am
Shouldn’t be rehabbing his hip rather than flying to England?
July 8th, 2019 at 4:25 am
Note to Cam Brate: ‘Close only counts in horseshoes & hand grenades’. In NFL football, close gets you consecutive 5-11 seasons. Close gets your coaches fired. Close (in Tampa) gets your GM yet another year to fix the mess that he created.
Our Bucs TEAM has been very unbalanced for years. No DC could’ve won with the ‘talent’ that the Bucs put on the field on the defensive side of the ball last year. Especially not when using schemes that are outdated to start with. Our offense has lots of talent … but there are a couple of pronounced ‘holes’ on the OLine & in our RB stable that’ve kept us from being a high-scoring TEAM. Oh yes, plus our negative turnover margins during our losing years. It’s hard to win if you don’t hang onto the ball.
Jean Lafitte … BOTH sides of the ball AND our S/Ts must play significantly better for us to have a winning season. Personally I believe the biggest improvement will be on the defensive side, not the offensive side. And defense is exactly where we NEED the biggest improvement. The defense we fielded last year gave up 464 points … 2nd most pts ever given up by a Bucs team & the most in the NFL. It’d be hard NOT to improve on a performance like that.
I’m convinced that this year’s team will surprise a lot of people, in a good way. I’m expecting to see some solid, quality football this year. Still not certain how fast it’ll all come together though, especially on defense. But it WILL come together. No ‘delousing’ will be necessary.
July 8th, 2019 at 4:29 am
@Joe … “Remember, Team Glazer once ran off the lone Super Bowl-winning coach the franchise has ever had one year after Chucky had his contract extended three years.”
I love the way you sneak little things like that in there Joe. Kinda like ‘Oh by the way, if you want to see where this snowball called LOSING came from, look back up the hill’. Nice touch.
July 8th, 2019 at 4:46 am
Joe just so that you are aware we are not all soccer snobs or hooligans. Many of us are already aware of the nfl to the extent that all 4 games over here are sold out. American football which is in truth only a national not international sport is much appreciated over here and we hope that soon a franchise will be based in the UK. Why not the Bucs the Galzers already have a “soccer snobs” club here and if they can play to a full stadium they may start winning. If the Bucs do move here don’t worry I have a spare room you can rent in order to continue to cover the team.
GO BUCS
July 8th, 2019 at 5:50 am
Joe says “Now Joe is not expecting the following, but if the Bucs fall on their faces this season, Joe doesn’t think it is far-fetched that Team Glazer would delouse One Buc Palace of this alleged talent and start from Square 1.”
I wonder what can be meant by “fall on faces” and I think it also depends on “who” as opposed to “how much.” Is 7 wins with arrows pointing down (not solid wins, sloppy play, won on close calls, etc) or arrows pointing up (strong wins with complemenatary football and losses that are narrow) falling on their faces? 5 wins? 8 wins? I’d rather see fewer wins with arrows pointing up and swap out needed positions than have a 10-6 team that is a fluke like Raheem had.
I think no matter what, attention will be on O line and D line in 2020. And also no matter what, if QB and RB are not lights out regardless of record, those are focus areas too. The community vibe (fans and others) at the season end will be factored in by the Glazers too. Did people come out to see games? Did they show enthisiasm for community events? What is the gage for specific fan support and community support overall? These guys just spent over $120M of their own money rebuilding the gameday experience, stadium, and coaches. If they don’t see the vibe, they will make changes…and it’s not just wins that creates the vibe.
I don’t think we’ll see an epic Lovie season of 2 wins, but 4-5 is realistic. And while the Glazers simply don’t usually make strategic decisions mid-season, with a record like this AND them season a rebuild need, I’d not be surprised if that asked any coach who does not want to jump on the rebuild train as needed to leave.
July 8th, 2019 at 5:54 am
I suspect our Defense & ST will be much better…..we are younger and faster and have better coaching.
I am still concerned about our running game & Oline……I’m not as concerned about Winston as many are…..I think he turned a corner at the end of last year. As he matures, his turnovers will improve.
July 8th, 2019 at 5:59 am
@Tony the Brit…great post. I lived in England for five years…and I used to enjoy hosting Super Bowl parties at my house (in the 90s) for my British friends and neighbors. I know you all get it, and of course, though it’s my favorite, internationally American Football is not the main sport. I played for the top team in Florida one year and as good as we thought we were, we were really humbled when our English friends came over and kicked our butts.
Indeed, the Bucs (and many NFL teams) cannot fill their stadiums right now. Much of it is due to a sullied image of the NFL, from high prices and social activism by the entitled during games, and more practical things like better home theater systems and no local blackouts. But at least the British stand for your national anthem. You get it.
I’ve been a Bucs fan since they were born, and do hope that we never see them move…especially to England!
July 8th, 2019 at 6:01 am
^^^That is, they beat us in “Soccer.” Came over from Liverpool. It was 8-1, and I think they let us have the one.
July 8th, 2019 at 6:23 am
Magadude
Which team did you play for ? Just curious ?
July 8th, 2019 at 6:48 am
You realize that if the Bucs suddenly start racking up wins, say, like the Saints did last year, the media will claim the Bucs have been building toward it for years.
‘Building toward it’.
As in making progress. Annually. Even with Koetter. Even with Licht.
Of course, some will say it can’t happen. I won’t.
July 8th, 2019 at 6:51 am
Tony, don’t bring your red coat butt over here to try to steal our team.
LOL
July 8th, 2019 at 7:03 am
“7 million dollars for 2 bad arthritic hips
Brate should retire and we can get some salary cap relief to use on a veteran O lineman or corner
Brate will be cut next year and wont be picked up by any other team next year
He should donate 75% of his career salary to JW3’s son because without his father, Brate would have been out of the league 5 years ago”
Kobe Faker
July 8th, 2019 at 7:26 am
@ Jean, there were only three teams in the NFL that averaged more points per game than the Bucs gave up. The Bucs gave up an average of 29 pts per game, the Chiefs 35 PTS/G, the Rams 32.9 and the Saints 31.5. The fourth best team in PTS/G the Patriots scores 27.3. Even Brady and the Pats would’ve had trouble winning with the defense we fielded. I know they were put in unfavorable situations by Winston/Fitz and the offense at times. But how often did the D put Winston/Fitz and the offense in unfavorable situations. There was only one team that gave up more PTS/G the raiders 29.2.
On offense the Bucs were 12th with 24.8 PTS/G. So the Bucs were 12th in scoring offense and 30th in scoring defense, yet somehow it’s the offense that is failing. All the D needed to do was be 21st (Cleveland) 24.5 PTS/G to give the team a chance every week. If the O can sustain/improve and the D can match a 12th place rank 21.8 PTS/G (Eagles), well that’s how you win football games and play meaningful games in December/January. Bottom line is Less turnovers, a better defense and special teams is what the team needs to win more games
July 8th, 2019 at 7:35 am
Hope he didn’t hurt his hip playing soccer. He needs to be healthy so JL can unload his 7 mil contract.
July 8th, 2019 at 9:02 am
“…Team Glazer once ran off the lone Super Bowl-winning coach the franchise has ever had… Chucky…”
One of Joe’s favorite lines. But IMO, it was letting Chucky run off John McKay that was the tipping point. At that time we had the “strong GM” teams desire who knew how to pick talent, and MATCH talent in both players and coaches. That is the problem we have now. I don’t put it all on Licht; I think the rotation of coaches we go thru contributes greatly to where we are: perennial losers/Buccaneers Cove. the GM and the coaches have “vision” of how to build the team. Revis does not work in a Tampa 2 defense. Bennett was not loved by a coach here (Dominic loved him). Love did not like Jeremy Zuttah, Donald Penn.
Draft capital is a big part of the problem in fixing this mess. One year (or two) we spend huge draft capital to get DB’s that fit Mike Smith’s system (soft Tampa 2 like zone coverage), then the next year we have spend 4 draft picks to get speedy-man defenders to fit Bowles system. We had a team built for a 4-3 Defense, next year we spend draft capital to get players who fit a 3-4. RB’s and OL have to wait, obviously.
The point is, we clearly do not have that LEAD dog, the guy that has the right vision for the Bucs, be it a GM or HC, like Belecheat. Everyone likes to point at McVay for the Rams success, but is it him, or the guy who hired him? Hopefully BA is that guy… but how long is he here?
July 8th, 2019 at 9:04 am
These “talented” players need to stop just “having fun” and get mad and pissed that everyone else on every other NFL team laughs at the Bucs. Behind our back, in our face, on the field. It needs to be a personal attack on their manhood. Man up and show those other players that this will not continue. This is one of the reasons I am very excited about Suh being on our team he is not out here to have fun, he wants to WIN and if that takes smashing the egos and the noses of the other teams so be it. A take no prisoners attitude needs to flow out of our players from the first day of training camp to the last play of the last game of the season.andthose players who come back ne season need to keep stoking that internal fire of not being shat on and laughed at anymore. I see a Rookie LB we have that I believe will be making sure that this is the way we do things from this season moving forward.
Fingers crossed he can make that happen.
Go Bucs!
July 8th, 2019 at 9:09 am
@Bird…good morning. It was an under-19 team competing with other teams…can’t remember if it was Temple Terrace or Blackwatch that played the guys from Liverpool but I played for both of those, other than high school. We had the Candians down and they were more closely matched to us.
July 8th, 2019 at 9:38 am
Nice.
I definitely remember playing black watch around 1990 if I had to guess
July 8th, 2019 at 9:59 am
Hated the blackwatch uni’s….worse than the Bucs home jerzeys today.
July 8th, 2019 at 10:04 am
Leading the negative chatter right here on this site by saying stupid things. “Joe doesn’t think it is far-fetched that Team Glazer would delouse One Buc Palace of this alleged talent and start from Square 1.”
Dount you realize how stupid that appears. So your talking about getting rid of all the young talent we brought in? What veterans do you see in the secondary? Get rid of lavonte David and start over or are you saying something more idiotic like gutting our talented offense. Damn the more you read the more you have to come to grips with joe sounding like a pathetic hater.
July 8th, 2019 at 10:58 am
Look at the London comment trying to steal our Bucs away. This is infuriating and pisses me off. Send the Glazers packing minus the Bucs.
July 8th, 2019 at 11:16 am
Magadude,
Blasphemy!
How dare you ! I take great personal offense in your opinion that suggests that the Blackwatch unis were anything but great.
Lol, sorry bro but I played on the first TT Blackwatch team. At the time, they were a massive upgrade to what we had been wearing in TT. And at the time, I don’t recall anyone who wasn’t excited about it. There wasn’t any team in the area that had a traditional English style kit.
Btw, we won the first international match. But they were far and away more skilled than we were. Light years.
Sleepy Hollow
July 8th, 2019 at 11:16 am
@youngbuc
i agree….
GO BUCS!!!!!
July 8th, 2019 at 1:36 pm
@D1….bumble bees! Yes, the players though…the defectors from the lowly TT league. When I played, Farruhk Quarishi (Rowdies) was a regular guest visitor/coach for the breakaway league. Plus, the uni’s were not cheap for a high school kid trying to support a GF on the weekend. Long ago for sure.
But back to sad current reality…it’s seeing the local team off to sunny old England to play in hideous unis all their own.