It Is What Good Teams Do
November 4th, 2020
He knows.
Mike Evans spoke for Bucs fans far and wide after Monday night’s game.
This Joe is supremely confident that at some point while watching the win over the Giants, which was an absolute nailbiter, 90 percent of Bucs fans thought the Bucs would somehow lose that game.
Bucs fans who survived the Lost Decade, which saw the team plunge into the NFL abyss in the post-Chucky era, were conditioned to expect losing. And while the team is having its best season in 18 years, memories of choke jobs and uninspired play are just too fresh and raw for a lot of fans to stay confident all through a tough game.
Joe likens it to PTSD. It takes time and therapy and beers and counseling — and consistent wins longer than six weeks for Bucs fans to get over the past 12 years of nightmarish football. Bad beats, indeed.
So Evans summed it all up when he said Monday night, “In the past we would’ve found a way to lose a game like that.”
Speaking on CBS Sports HQ, prickly Pete Prisco said while the Bucs looked bad, this is what good teams do.
“After the game, Mike Evans said it best,” Prisco said referring to Evans’ quote above. “They didn’t play very well. They will be the first ones to tell you that. But good teams will find a way to win those games.
“They found a way to win, and that is the most important thing.”
Exactly. It’s a “W.” The Bucs ate a “W.” And they sure as hell are not going to whine to the cook.
As Bucco Bruce Arians said, he’s not about to start apologizing for wins.
Let’s hope the Bucs find a way to beat the Saints with a little less drama than Monday night.
November 4th, 2020 at 9:11 am
Win, winning is all that matters. Doesn’t matter if it’s by 25 or 3, just win. Sick of the losing and embarrassment of being a fan, I don’t care if the QB is 23 or 43, just win.
If fans are sick of the losing you know the players are, so hopefully they bring their best game on Sunday night and stomp the Saints.
November 4th, 2020 at 9:11 am
Brees needs to have mud and grass stains all over his jersey on Sunday Night! That is how we beat them Saints.
November 4th, 2020 at 9:27 am
For me there is just a belief that Brady will be his normal self and make the plays to win the game without the dumb mistakes that other QB’s make. It was so familiar to watch Daniel Jones play alot like Jameis has. He is just like Jameis in the fact he really wants to win, but does not yet know how to win, how to channel the drive to win with common sense and let a play go sometimes. Those 2 interceptions were so familiar to watch for any Buc fan after the last 5 years here. Again it takes more than talent to be a winning QB, You have to learn how to win, not just desire to win. GO BUCS!!!!!
November 4th, 2020 at 9:45 am
As a Bucs fan since 76, I certainly was in that camp that thought they were going to lose the game as it wound down. They had a shot to put it away earlier, but couldn’t stop the Giants from getting a 1st down late in the game when it 4th and 16(?). At least we knew they had to go for 2 if they scored a TD, and who knows what might have happened in OT.
November 4th, 2020 at 9:55 am
This team is pretty good right now but won’t be top notch until Godwin comes back and STAYS HEALTHY. With Brown,Evans, Godwin, & Gronk out there no opposing defense can double any of our receivers.
November 4th, 2020 at 9:58 am
Stop Cameron Jordan and Alvin Kamara and we shouldn’t have a problem. It makes me chuckle when Joe refers to the “Lost Decade”. I’m 60, been a Bucs fan from the beginning. There’s been a few lost decades. Speaking of PTSD. Joe is spot on. The 80’s were horrible. Try being in a military barracks on the Left coast and watching one of the few televised Bucs games. It was embarrassing. Lol. Last year, even my new wife, a Steelers fan, couldn’t help but laugh at the Bucs ineptitude. She tried to be supportive, but couldn’t help a laugh and head shake once in a while.
November 4th, 2020 at 10:01 am
We can ill afford to play like we did against the Giants when it comes to them Saints. They specialize in winning close games. And have won just about all of them. Stop Kamara and put Drew on his butt. Give him time back there and we are doomed. No way we can say we are the better team if we go down 0-2 to the Saints. Bucs will need to go all out and bring it come Sunday night.
November 4th, 2020 at 10:01 am
Games like this seem to bring out the best of the Bucs in the following week. Hopefully that holds true and we come out swinging against the Saints.
November 4th, 2020 at 10:10 am
Exactly right!! We too are a team learning how to win. We dealt with a young QB throwing away games for 5 years. And now the Giants are having to deal with that. I expect a much more focused team at RayJay Sunday night!!
November 4th, 2020 at 10:27 am
Tompa Stadium will be rocking Sunday night!
November 4th, 2020 at 10:37 am
My theme song for the Bucs had become The Who’s “We Won’t Get Fooled Again”. There had been so much promise in years past that just ended in tears. That thought did creep into my mind, especially after the Bears game, but I also thought, no, this is a Brady led team and there is no quit in them.
November 4th, 2020 at 10:53 am
When the defense is on the field I have very little faith they can hold onto a lead because what they do is sometimes so happen stance. To watch the soft coverage, can’t cover a runny nose guys getting burned because they’re too busy looking in the back field, giving up so many super long and 3rds and 4ths and almost guaranteeing ANY team that gets in our redzone a touchdown. How many times has the offense put together very good scoring drives and a “well rested” defense let’s the other team go right down the field on them and score. Why is it the Giants secondary were the only ones on the field defending passes even when their backs were turned away from the back??? Something not being taught on this team. On that final td if Dean had just pushed him out of the back of the end zone instead of jumping it would’ve been incomplete. If White had put his hands out when he saw him reaching out for the pass he might have defensed like the Giants were doing all game.
Now with Brady running this offense I belive he can win the game like he did.
November 4th, 2020 at 11:31 am
The Bucs bye week is coming at the perfect time. The Bucs play a crazy hard schedule the next four games. They’ll find out how stack up and then get a break to get their minds and bodies right for the final playoff push.