Shaq Laments Loss Of Preseason Games
August 3rd, 2020
Today, Shaq Barrett acknowledged that he’s “sad.”
No, it has nothing to do with the Tampa Bay Rays’ weekend meltdown or the Bucs’ questionable depth at edge rusher.
Shaq is “sad” because preseason games were wiped out by The Sickness.
Joe asked Shaq for his feelings on the matter during a virtual news conference. The Bucs’ pass rushing great had a rocky start to training camp last season and actually was trotted onto the field for Tampa Bay’s final — and meaningless — preseason game. So Joe suspected Shaq to be a pro-preseason kind of guy.
And he is.
“[Preseason] is a tough loss, especially if I had been coming out this year because I was an undrafted guy,” Shaq said. “So them guys might have to figure out a way to make an impact on practice on the field. It [felt] like something had to be sacrificed. I mean, I’m sad that it had to be [preseason games] because I do enjoy at least playing in one preseason game to get like my bearings, get the rhythm going. Having that time out there just to fix the mistakes that we will make early in the preseason, so we don’t have to worry about making the same mistakes in the game.”
For Shaq, the remedy is more focus and tougher practices.
“It’s going to be just hitting the film room and treating practice like it’s a game and just going from there and just being very coachable,” he added, “because we are going to make the mistakes and we ain’t going to be able fix them from preseason games.”
Mike Evans also is a preseason games kind of guy.
Joe believes this is where coaching steps to center stage. Some teams will find ways to get their teams ballin’ from Day 1. Others will struggle out of the gate.
August 3rd, 2020 at 2:44 pm
I can’t believe Warren Sapp’s backup at Miami just bought the XFL. Small world.
August 3rd, 2020 at 2:50 pm
I just had ptsd of our oline getting blown up by the Browns d line last year, and Winston running for his life.
August 3rd, 2020 at 3:39 pm
It is what it is.
No matter how much some hate preseason games, they play an important part in ‘getting up to game speed’ before the games count.
August 3rd, 2020 at 3:49 pm
they should add the preseason games to the regular season, and give em 4 more games that count in the standings, so instead of a 17 week season with 16 actual games played for each team, we would get 21 weeks and 20 games played, that way you could evaluate, and cut players as usual in the first month of the season, and 2-3 losses, out the gate wouldn’t doom your season, you would think anyways, as long as you righted the ship, and came away with at least 1 win during that first month, then players like shaq, would be happy, the owners would be happy and the fans would be happy, problem solved
August 3rd, 2020 at 4:02 pm
Just delay the season until November and play the Super Bowl in April. This virus isn’t going away as long as people keeping having their packed pool parties and continuing with the protests/riots (whatever you want to call it). The sooner people in America stop being so selfish, the quicker we’ll be able to go back to our normal life.
August 3rd, 2020 at 4:22 pm
I find it curious that Preseason games are being described as “meaningless” in particular this year when: There was no rookie mini-camp, no OTAs….a shortened TC….no intra-squad practices….and yet there are countless articles about Tom Brady and preparedness & chemistry…
Now does preseason count with stats and regular season W-L? No….but is it “meaningless”
Ask MLB if they would like to abandon Spring Training.
August 3rd, 2020 at 4:45 pm
Tampabaybucfan,
You hit it right on the head.
There will be many teams that struggle badly due to the lack of other training and pre-season games. The solid vet teams from last year won’t struggle as much, but new teams with a lot of new personnel will, and that means US.
There’s no way the Bucs start the season without quite a few struggles. Too many new players playing together. A new QB. Most likely some system changes.
It will be a miracle if the Bucs start the season playing great football. My guess is they’ll need about 4 weeks into the season before they’re firing on all cylinders of whatever they’re capable of.
August 3rd, 2020 at 4:46 pm
Patrick:
The virus isn’t going away until or unless there is a vaccine that works. To get hundreds of millions to take a (working) vaccine won’t happen overnight.
So if we are going to live lives, have to adjust and plow through it or fully shut down the country for God knows how many months which would likely lead to an armed rebellion because hardly anyone will have a job left. The first shutdown didn’t exactly stop it so not sure why anyone would expect another one to stop it.
This country got through polio without living in caves. It got through typhoid fever without living in caves. It got through the Spanish flu without living in caves. It will get through this China virus/corona/covid.
In other words, this is the new norm.
August 3rd, 2020 at 4:48 pm
“No, it has nothing to do with the Tampa Bay Rays’ weekend meltdown or the Bucs’ questionable depth at edge rusher.”
Man I actually slipped up and let myself get a tad bit excited over the Rays when they started 4 and 1!
Now they are 4 and 6. Normalcy restored.
August 3rd, 2020 at 4:50 pm
Just a reminder, last year Shaq was playing in the 4th quarter of the Cleveland preseason game.
Not really sure what that says, but it’s something to remember.
August 3rd, 2020 at 4:52 pm
“The sooner people in America stop being so selfish, the quicker we’ll be able to go back to our normal life.”
Sorry bro but selfish IS America.
No matter what color you are.
August 3rd, 2020 at 5:26 pm
This country got through polio without living in caves. It got through typhoid fever without living in caves. It got through the Spanish flu without living in caves. It will get through this China virus/corona/covid.
Joe is insensitive to Cavemen (Cavepersons)…….
August 3rd, 2020 at 6:05 pm
Joe said: To get hundreds of millions to take a (working) vaccine won’t happen overnight.
No, it won’t but needs to. I am old enough to (vaguely) remember the polio vaccine, which was first administered via syringe, and then was given orally. It was a given that children would be vaccinated and I recall lining up at school to receive it. There was a lot more trust back of institutions and people readily had their children vaccinated. It also helped that the originator of the Salk vaccine, Jonas Salk, tested it on himself and his children before running a larger test.
August 3rd, 2020 at 8:42 pm
The main thing I remember about Shaq is watching him celebrate his personal accomplishment versus Falcons while M. Ryan on back-to-back drives drove his team down to tie the game but oh yeah Shaq had a lot of fun. Oh yeah I also remember Daniel Jones doing the exact same thing with his great Giants offense minus S. Barkley just going right down the field to win the game at the very end remember that. Funny thing is I also remember R. Wilson going up and down the field versus the Bucs defense and even at the end of the game and then again in overtime, yep remember that as well. I also remember the Saints absolutely destroying us with T. Bridgewater and with D. Brees when they both just carved this defense apart like nobody’s business and Shaq was nowhere to be seen ironically.
But we all love him don’t we? Where was he at in crunch time?
Did we stop one drive at the end of a game all year when we had the lead? Just asking for a friend?
August 3rd, 2020 at 8:42 pm
Joe you are right on. But we will have to deal with those who cant handle freedom. They want the government to have all the answers and be responsible…….Nope that’s not America. We are free we are responsible. We have the info. We know who is at risk(which is common sense btw). So take care of your own self…….Because at the end of the day you are right nothing is really gonna protect us short of strict forced quarantined and widespread total shutdown. Some may think that’s a good answer but the truth is it’s not possible. Not in a free country.
August 3rd, 2020 at 8:46 pm
Ndog Shaq had a pro bowl season. Should a been AllPro to be honest. Too bad ya missed it.
August 3rd, 2020 at 9:08 pm
JimmyJack Says:
August 3rd, 2020 at 8:46 pm
Ndog Shaq had a pro bowl season. Should a been AllPro to be honest. Too bad ya missed it.
To bad he missed every time we needed a play. Aren’t you the one always talking about empty stats?
August 3rd, 2020 at 9:09 pm
I love how you guys try to have it both ways, just love it.
August 3rd, 2020 at 9:38 pm
Ndog, the main thing I remember from last season is Jay Miss throwing pick 6 after pick 6, including his last pass of the season. You don’t have to worry about that this season though, because he’s a 3rd stringer, so there must be at least 64 better QBs.
August 3rd, 2020 at 9:42 pm
Ndog yet of course you know our defense did make huge plays to win games. Was not it Shaqs fumble that Suh took to the house? I might be wrong on that……And how about all the big late game INTs? You could say pass rush pressure had zero to do with that but that would make you wrong.
And dont forget Shaq is very underrated against the run so when you see we were #1 in run defense dont think Shaq didnt have a impact……..Again sorry you missed an AllnPro season.
August 3rd, 2020 at 9:46 pm
Like usual you guys have nothing for the FACTS I deliver. This is an article about Shaq not anyone else, but you guys simply can’t argue what I said so you do what all losers in a debate do, deflect. Why don’t you defend the merits of all the great in our 4th quarter defenses closing games out against anyone who could even throw the ball a tiny little bit?
August 3rd, 2020 at 9:57 pm
Ndog….You are just being irrational. Our defense played dammed good football in the back half of last year. And yeah, they closed out most of our wins during that time. Dean made a huge INT that basically sealed a win. Bunting had 2. I mentioned already the strip sack Barrett had to seal another win…..So you must not be understanding properly.
Look at our Falcolns win. We had Matt Ryan seeing ghost we hit him so much. That’s was all pass Rush. That was good defense.
Yes, they were dreadful starting the season. Nobody will argue that. But it was real growth that was obvisous to see. If they are legit they will continue to grow on that on 2020. Quit being irrational
August 3rd, 2020 at 10:00 pm
Again when did they preserve a lead? I know of one I’m just seeing if any of you can?
I know they blew the Giants game, Seahawks game, both Saints games and the 2nd Falcons game. I also know that when it mattered most in close games Shaq was MIA, but you people seem to forget that. In fact against the best team we faced all year, which was the Saints twice, Shaq had exactly one tackle and one assist COMBINED!!! But he’s great right guys? Where was he vs the Saints, where was he to stop D. Jones, where was he to stop R. Wilson EVER, where was he to stop M. Ryan? WHERE WAS HE??????
August 3rd, 2020 at 10:02 pm
Just go look at Julio Jones numbers against us. Played him twice on the back stretch. He did nothing special. We held his ass in check.
I dont know what Bucs team you been watching but it’s been years….decades…..since we were able to consistently stop a premier WR like that. Dont pretend that it’s a small accomplishment. Little tougher to do then you wanna give credit
August 3rd, 2020 at 10:09 pm
Preserve a lead? Both the Bunting picks preserved leads. I literally just mentioned it…..add the Carolina game too BTW
And I’m not arguing or defending how bad they were in the Fiants, Seahawks games ect…….I already acknowledged they were dreadful at the start. I’m not talking in riddles dude. I accepted both the good and bad in my comment. And I didnt say they was good, I said if they were legit they will continue to grow in 2020…..like they did at the end of 2019…….You are just being completely irrational.
August 3rd, 2020 at 10:36 pm
Yet Christan Kirk caught 6 balls for 138 yards and 3 TDs on us.
M. Thomas caught 11 balls for 182 and a 2 TDs in the 1st game
(BTW I thought TOs where the reason our passing defense sucked, well this game we had 0 TOs).
M. Thomas caught 8 balls for 114 and a TD in the 2nd game.
Some guy named M. Johnson caught 3 balls for 105 and a TD for Indy.
T. Lockett caught 13 balls for 152 and 2 TDs in the Seahawks game.
In that same game D. Metcalf ALSO caught 6 balls for 123 and a TD. (I guess the 1 fumble lost caused all those yards right?)
Shall I go on, or do you still want to tell me how great our passing defense is?
August 3rd, 2020 at 11:15 pm
Do I still want to tell you how great our pass defense is? Well, that would require me to tell you it in the 1st place, which I didnt……Thanks for showcasing your irrational behavior again.
I dont need a list of poor performances. I seen them all. And I acknowledged them in my posts. I’m now reminding you of this a 2nd time after I already told you twice. There is something just not switching right in your brain apparently. Alls I can tell you is all them stats you just posted was a complete waste because your trying to prove something I never said.
Our defense finished strong last year. After learning a entire new system it can be reasonable to think it took them some time to learn how to play as a team together……..But the strong finish was real and supported in the numbers and performace……..If they are legitimately good they continue playing good football like that. I think that fair……………..Dont know why I bothered explaining that to you once again. Read into it how you wish and react as you see for. Have fun.
GO BUCS!!
August 4th, 2020 at 2:05 am
@Ndog – Stats other than JW INT’s are not relevant to majority of JBF posters. Save yourself any heartburn.
Post-Gruden years, Bucs were the most BORING team in NFL to watch on Sundays, especially on offense. Those years were my best “catch-up” sleep time on the couch, on Sunday afternoons.
Then, JW was the QB, who actually threw a pass farther than 10 yrds. Next five years were wild, frustrating and yet exciting. I did not fall asleep on my couch watching a Bucs game. I was mad, happy, pissed-off, and so many emotions watching the Bucs.
We dumped a young, future QB for a 2-yr rental to win a SB in 2020. I get it, as it relates to BA’s goals and JL.
Brady has to deliver SB in 2020, for this experiment to end well. Period! Brady has a the best O talent in NFL, teed up for his amazing inherent talents….
SB Win in RayJay with Bucs hoisting Lombardi trophy > is the only justification for Brady strategy.
August 4th, 2020 at 3:09 am
who’s this ndog character? ..