Dream Beginning
May 14th, 2020The Bucs have had memorable games the past decade in New Orleans. Those outcomes had Bucs fans either guzzling Big Storm Beer in celebration or forced fans to barf their Doritos on the living room hardwood.
Five memorable games in the Big Easy:
* Josh Freeman leading the Bucs to a win over the Saints to keep hope alive for a playoff berth in 2010 to end the season. A big-time hit by Bucs linebacker Barrett Ruud on a key stop late in the game helped seal the win.
* After an atrocious NFL debut in 2015, Mr. Entertainment, America’s Quarterback, Pro Bowler Jameis Winston, looked every bit the No. 1 overall draft pick when he led the Bucs to a win over the Saints in Week 2. A wonderful 15-yard touchdown pass to Vincent Jackson was a key play. Bada Brindza actually had four field goals. No, really!
* The Bucs, fighting for a playoff berth, threw one away on Christmas Eve 2016. Trailing in the second half with Will Gholston, perhaps the Bucs’ best run-stopper on the defensive line, out with an injury, Saints running back Mark Ingram pounded the Bucs in the second half, often running for chunks of yards right where Gholston would have been. Doug Martin was a healthy scratch that raised all sorts of red flags. Four days later, we found out why.
* Jameis’ meltdown: This may have been the beginning of the end for Jameis. In 2017, the Bucs were on their way to their reserved NFC South parking spot at Buccaneers Cove (last place). Jameis ate W’s before the game, then couldn’t finish the first half with a bum shoulder. He then sparked a hassle with Saints corner Marshon Lattimore along the sidelines. This led to Mike Evans getting suspended for a game the next week for racing to Jameis’ defense.
* Fitzmagic: To open the 2018 season with offensive coordinator Todd Monken calling the shots, Ryan Fitzpatrick, starting for suspended Jameis, went full-blown Dan Fouts. The Bucs beat the Saints 48-40. Fitz threw for 417 yards and four touchdowns in a game that resembled an arena league game more than the NFL.
So now the Bucs have a new starting quarterback, the future Hall of Famer, park-violating, home-invading Tom Brady. So what should we expect in the Bayou dome that features the unexpected?
Sheil Kapadia of The Athletic lists the NFL games he’s looking forward to this season and has the season-opener at New Orleans as his No. 3-most interesting game.
Week 1: Buccaneers at Saints (Sunday, Sept. 13, 4:25 p.m. ET)
It really wouldn’t have mattered who the Buccaneers were playing. Tom Brady in a new uniform was going to get Tampa Bay’s Week 1 game on this list. Here’s the best-case scenario for Brady. First possession: Chris Godwin leaves Janoris Jenkins in the dust with a double move, and Brady hits him for a 37-yard touchdown pass. Second possession: Brady is pressured but throws one up for grabs for Mike Evans, who outmuscles Marshon Lattimore and comes down with the jump-ball touchdown. With the Buccaneers holding a comfortable lead in the third quarter, Bruce Arians fixes himself a pina colada on the sideline. Rob Gronkowski fills a Gatorade bottle with vodka like he’s a college freshman. And the two pop into the blue medical tent for an impromptu happy hour as they wait for the game to be over. Afterward, Brady 2.0 emerges for his postgame news conference in a hoodie that has a picture of a goat on it. He cuts loose and talks about how much fun he had and about how the Saints didn’t even deserve to be on the same field as him. When pressed about how he plans to celebrate, Brady admits he might allow himself to have a dessert that contains dairy. The Bucs start off 1-0.
Anyone notice nowhere in Kapadia’s writeup does he have Matt Gay attempting a game-winner? No, Joe wouldn’t be comfortable with that either.
Look, Joe doesn’t care how the Bucs win so long as they win. Would it be cool if Brady demonstrates to the nation that he still has an arm capable of burning a secondary downfield? Of course!
Can Brady pull off a Fitzmagic-like game? Sure would be fun to see.
May 14th, 2020 at 11:07 am
And the winner is fitzmagic let’s be honest.
May 14th, 2020 at 11:11 am
HELL YES FIRE THEM CANNONS, AND SING IT LOUD GENE DECKERHOFF, I AM STOKED AND READY FOR SOME TAMPA BAY FOOTBALL ACTION!!!!!!!!!!!
May 14th, 2020 at 11:15 am
Fitz game fo show
May 14th, 2020 at 11:17 am
I remember a game in Philadelphia where Jameis torched them with 5 touchdowns and looked exactly like the QB we had hoped for…….what happened to that guy?
I don’t really care how we beat the Saints in week one….just win…..
I’m hoping our defense will step up.
May 14th, 2020 at 11:22 am
^^^^^^^😂
May 14th, 2020 at 11:23 am
Who was guzzling Big Storm beer in 2010 Joe?
Nice plug attempt for a product that didn’t hit the market until 2012.
May 14th, 2020 at 11:24 am
Since we ha e heard for years the comparison between Brady and Brees chasing after many of the same passing records, it will be extremely gratifying if the Bucs Defense finally frustrates Brees and keeps him stifled while Brady lights up the scoreboard… (Only because Brady is now a Bucs, of course!)..
May 14th, 2020 at 11:34 am
My guess is that Brady’s presence will fire up our D. I look for a fine game (fans or no fans) by both our O and our D. And even special teams. Think positive!
May 14th, 2020 at 11:35 am
Didn’t write that.
May 14th, 2020 at 11:46 am
Better check your sheet Joe.
May 14th, 2020 at 12:19 pm
i thought the beginning of the end for JW and GMC was in 2016 vs dallas…the headbutt game…lol…and the “lets just go have fun pregame speech”…lol…
GO BUCS!!!!
May 14th, 2020 at 1:53 pm
Gay kicker is hopefully not the Bucs kicker by opening day.
May 14th, 2020 at 4:45 pm
we play them tough and ironically enough they happen to be our most equal division opponent of late even though theyve dominated the nFC south. the last game of 2017 was memorable too as well as 2016 at ray jay with keith tandy ending it. hell of a game.
that game in 2017 superdome was the beginning of the end of jameis. 5 days later after that embarassment he embarassed the franchise even more with the uber allegation and subsequent “alleged” cover up.
May 14th, 2020 at 6:14 pm
That Josh Freeman/Barrett Ruud reference reminded me that I’ve been following JBF since 2009. Dont always agree, but always appreciate the effort bringing us info. I drink wine now instead of beer but cheers anyway!
May 14th, 2020 at 9:34 pm
The Fitzmagic and Jackson connection was cool, it got really good.
May 15th, 2020 at 4:48 am
@TBBF: Exactly the same question came to my mind everytime Jameis threw the football around to targets only he saw or played like a scardey cat – usual after a game with the former.