“I’m Not So Sure They’re Not The Most Complete Team In The NFC”
October 19th, 2020
Joe spent the last 24 hours contemplating just how good the Buccaneers might be.
Didn’t you?
Are they good enough to win the NFC South and land in the Super Bowl?
Joe’s not so sure about both of those, but there certainly is no reason they can’t win the division. The offense is balanced, deep and extremely dangerous — with a quarterback who prefers to protect the football rather than play with fire. The punting/kicking game has been reliable. And the defense is ranked No. 1 in the NFL.
There’s finally evidence of leadership, and the coaches have experience.
Six games into a season is at least a reasonable sample size, and the Bucs’ arrow is pointing up. Former Bucs QB Chris Simms, a former Patriots assistant coach and now an analyst for NBC Sports, thinks the Bucs might be the best in their conference. And he’s questions for the doubters.
“I’m not so sure they’re not the most complete team in the NFC. They’re still a work in progress, but what are the weaknesses of the Bucs? You know, somebody tell me. Where is an area on the team where you go, ‘Oh, that’s a weakness,” Simms said to today at ProFootballTalk.com.
“The D-line is the real deal. And that was the big difference in the [Packers] game. Suh is a force; he does pop a handful of times. He’s immovable in the run game. So like his bad plays are just like, ‘Oh, stalemate at the line of scrimmage; you have three guys blocking me and I didn’t move.’ That’s the kind of guy he is.”
It’s a fun subject — the greatness of the Bucs. It’s much more fun than counting interceptions, missed kicks, excuses dumb draft picks, lazy free agents and empty seats.
October 19th, 2020 at 8:07 pm
Yikes, slow down. Remember the Saints game?
October 19th, 2020 at 8:15 pm
Our team is still developing a chemistry or identity which only comes from having all the pieces playing consistently together, unfortunately we have not had that situation to see how each piece can work together when healthy but we still have a decent record and many good things to build on. Hated seeing Vita injured as he was definitely a backbone of the defense but hopefully our new DT will be able to get acclimated with our players and help ease the sting. I am happy to see the defense has a separate identity from the offense as we looked flat offensively against Green bay in the beginning and the defense proved to be the one to get the heart pumping for the team. It is going to be a fun year to see how good we can become and if we can manage through the injuries and make a run at it.
October 19th, 2020 at 8:15 pm
Consistency first please…
October 19th, 2020 at 8:25 pm
you can’t use the saints game as an example of them not being good. You had a QB on a new team learning a new system and learning his new weapons going against a team that was 98% returning and arguably one of the top 3 teams in the NFL. The key to understanding how good this team can become is the progress they make from week to week, how they cope with injuries and the heart/confidence they play with. 1 game is too small of a sample size to hold weight. After 6 games and beyond is where thier true identity becomes clearer, after 6 games I consider them not only best in division but top 5 ranked teams in NFL. If they played same kind of ball as Sunday I don’t think there is a team that we can’t beat.
October 19th, 2020 at 8:29 pm
I saw the Tampa Bay Bucs play almost 3 quarters of perfect football. That’s unheard of. But, hey, why not? How about all 4 quarters of perfect football? In Los Vegas? The irony alone would be worth it. 😊👍
October 19th, 2020 at 8:37 pm
I mean, if we have the no. 1 defense in the league and our offense has the greatest QB of all time with an elite receiving corps and a solid o-line, there’s no reason to believe we’re not capable of going all the way. The biggest factor will be if we beat ourselves like we historically always have. We see what this team is capable of us when we play all 4 quarters and don’t have any self-inflicted wounds… Let’s see if we can keep that up.
October 19th, 2020 at 8:38 pm
A week ago, all of these experts were saying Brady was washed up, Gronk is a cripple, and the team was undisciplined and had no winning instinct, a classic group of losers.
Now, this week, “this is the greatest team in NFL history.”
Three weeks ago the big talk was how big Cam’s new contract with NE was going to be. Now, he’s going to get cut before the end of the year.
Raheem wins one game, and they are already talking about him getting the guy permanently.
These so-called experts are idiots.
October 19th, 2020 at 8:38 pm
what this team is capable of*
October 19th, 2020 at 8:54 pm
Years of disappointment have made me immune to positive talk… I don’t ever buy the hype, even when I’m hopeful. We’ll see where they are in two months.
October 19th, 2020 at 8:55 pm
Years of disappointment have made me immune to positive talk… I don’t ever buy the hype, even when I’m hopeful. We’ll see where they are in two months.
October 19th, 2020 at 8:57 pm
Well now since Simms has said it it MUST be true! I mean look at all the rings he has…. America is a great place. Only in this country can you be mediocre at your job then either teach others how to do it ( right Byron Leftwich) or talk about it like your an expert. Right Simms?
October 19th, 2020 at 9:06 pm
They have a long way to go and the WORST thing for a young team is to pat themselves on the back too quickly!! They played lights out one game and have been solid all year… The offense needs to produce more and the defensive line needs to be able to get pressure without blitzing the house everytime so in those games that the opposing QB does play the blitz well they won’t get exposed!! Barrett has to be kids a step quicker, Suh needs to just keep doing what he’s doing! He feels playoffs in this team and that’s when you see the real Suh!! Bunting needs to be kept at slot so he can concentrate on one thing… Edwards may need looked at for replacing Whitehead?? That’s tough and would have to see how they practice.. White needs to be allowed to blitz and play short pass and NEVER deep……. They need to get Mike involved in offense.. Yeah yeah I know whatever wins.. But in those big games and big playoff games they will need that connection to be there! Brady has been secure with the ball and that was needed on this team but he needs to let it go sometimes also!! He needs to trust Mike… They need to get Fornette back and Miller needs to step back up and be better consistently also…. There a lot of work to be done but the defense showed what they can be in a constant basis!! And like Arians said they set a new standard that anything short of will be a let!! That will require A TON of work and being able to play in multiple different ways and looks!! …. They have the talent no doubt!! This will be a deep playoff team!!
October 19th, 2020 at 9:10 pm
They have a long way to go and the WORST thing for a young team is to pat themselves on the back too quickly!! They played lights out one game and have been solid all year… The offense needs to produce more and the defensive line needs to be able to get pressure without blitzing the house everytime so in those games that the opposing QB does play the blitz well they won’t get exposed!! Barrett has to be just a step quicker, Suh needs to just keep doing what he’s doing! He feels playoffs in this team and that’s when you see the real Suh!! Bunting needs to be kept at slot so he can concentrate on one thing… Edwards may need looked at for replacing Whitehead?? That’s tough and would have to see how they practice.. White needs to be allowed to blitz and play short pass and NEVER deep……. They need to get Mike involved in offense.. Yeah yeah I know whatever wins.. But in those big games and big playoff games they will need that connection to be there! Brady has been secure with the ball and that was needed on this team but he needs to let it go sometimes also!! He needs to trust Mike… They need to get Fornette back and Miller needs to step back up and be better consistently also…. There a lot of work to be done but the defense showed what they can be in a constant basis!! And like Arians said they set a new standard that anything short of will be a let down!! That will require A TON of work and being able to play in multiple different ways and looks!! …. They have the talent no doubt!! This will be a deep playoff team!!
October 19th, 2020 at 9:31 pm
“…rather than play with fire”
NO
The QB is cerebral and methodical vs. a highly talented wild card.
That’s the difference and it’s no slight to Winston.
October 19th, 2020 at 9:45 pm
Still waiting to see week by week consistency that defines top playoff teams. The highs have been great but several games were not playoff caliber performances. Hope that this game showed the teams true potential. Exceptional defense, strong balanced offense and solid kicking. But ya gotta do it week after week! I want to be a believer but do it again and again. Go Bucks!
October 19th, 2020 at 9:47 pm
I really thought a win over the Packers would help get the bad taste of the Chicago loss out of my mouth. Although I am still giddy over yesterday’s win, I think it made the Bears loss hurt a little more seeing how well we played yesterday knowing how easily we should be 5 and 1.
October 19th, 2020 at 10:03 pm
The Bucs are getting great production from their draft picks……LVD, White, Davis,SMB,Dean,Whitehead, Edwards, Winfield,Gholston,
Cappa, Wirfs, Smith, Marpet, Godwin, Evans, Scotty, TJ…..
And….Rojo…..
Sure, also a mix of productive FAs……
October 19th, 2020 at 10:06 pm
Gruden to Sapp about the Eagles…”I got their blitzes down, we will see them again.” Let’s see how he and the Raiders fare against Bolwes.
“The great Michael Vick, how are you gonna stop him. Not one word was said about they’re gonna stop this defense! Remember that!”
Good times,
Let’s go Bucs! Beat the Raiders!
October 19th, 2020 at 10:12 pm
Bucs D is legit. They are giving up 282yds a game, have 22 sacks and 8 int’s, and are holding opponents to 20.3pts a game (18pts if you subtract Brady’s 2 pick 6’s). Pretty impressive in the pro offense modern era of football. Have to keep the penalties down and improve a tad on 3rd down defense. The defense is gaining that confidence, and have that old Bucs D swagger back. Definitely want to see a repeat in Vegas this Sunday night. The offense is averaging 29.5pts a game (28.3pts minus the 1 defensive score) despite not hitting on all cylinders yet. Once they do, look the eff out!
October 19th, 2020 at 10:45 pm
Nice censorship Joe… I know who YOU are supporting in this election. What happened to freedom of speech? Only if you agree with it.
October 19th, 2020 at 10:48 pm
Joe………I am going to change my IP address to see if that changes things.
You have “The Best Bucs’ Content’ In my opinion.
Worst IT support as well if you want to take the next step.
October 19th, 2020 at 10:48 pm
Last week we all contemplated if they could even make the playoffs-
I’ll believe it when I see more
October 19th, 2020 at 10:51 pm
Tampabaybucsfan= Jason Licht burner account
October 19th, 2020 at 11:08 pm
Clean House = Funny
Impressive win but if they lose to the Raiders and who cares about the Packers win. Let’s see if this team is mature enough to travel to Las Vegas and get a win.
I’m skeptical because the DBs are young and young players are often D-bags.
October 19th, 2020 at 11:17 pm
They are definitely better than this time last year but calm down some! We struggled against a very good defense but rebounded nicely. When the defense can stop giving up 3rds and long and almost guaranteed tds inside the red zone then I would give them a top status. On offense if we want an identity, make Rojo the bell cow and use Keyshawn more than McCoy
October 19th, 2020 at 11:22 pm
Seattle Buc:
Welcome home. Seattle has the worst tailgating situation but the best inside the stadium I’ve ever experienced in my NFL travels.
Regarding the previous thread- what is the big deal about sitting down to pee? There seems to be some sort of hostility about it. Don’t you all sit down to go #2? So it’s not like you never sit on a toilet. Is it because I can’t stand up to pee so I’ll never understand? Please explain why this matters
October 19th, 2020 at 11:24 pm
I don’t sweat the Raiders. Brady knows the AFC opponents, we are 2-0 vs the AFC West so far. Other than beating KC, no easy task for sure (it was a division/rivalry game and those can go any way) they’ve beaten Panthers and Saints, while losing to the Pats and Bills. Keep the penalties down and get after Carr. He’s due for an INT or 2.
October 19th, 2020 at 11:40 pm
Weakness: mental.
Gotta show me that’s in the rear-view mirror before I jump on the bandwagon.
Prove it. Show me.
Let’s not forget how bullet-proof we thought the Bucs were going into Chicago.
The Raiders is a huge game for the Bucs.
October 20th, 2020 at 12:09 am
The defense needs to bring it again, the Raiders offense is the real deal. The offense should continue to get better and better as they play together and get healthy.
JUST STAY HEALTHY!
October 20th, 2020 at 3:32 am
Love everyone talking about that Chicago game, played like trash, injuries all over the place, and the refs in Chi towns pocket, and we lose by one. I think if we play our worst game against a quality opponent and are THAT close, we have all the tools to get it done.
October 20th, 2020 at 7:40 am
It’s weird as hell to not be thinking about the draft in mid October.
October 20th, 2020 at 8:18 am
Sims is the same guy who picked us not to make the playoffs this season.
October 20th, 2020 at 10:35 am
didnt simms predict us going 8-8?…..
suck it chris
GO BUCS!!!!!
October 20th, 2020 at 4:15 pm
What a difference a week makes. After the Bears game, we were overrated, Brady was washed up, team had no discipline etc. Now we’re the most complete team in the NFL.