Too Many Angry Bucs Fans
November 24th, 2020
It feels like two-thirds of Bucs fans really believed in their hearts and souls and minds before this season that the Bucs would win 11 or 12 games.
And that reality (albeit misguided) has created an enraged sect of fans as the Bucs sit at 7-4 and in great position to win 10 games and make the playoffs.
Prior to opening day, Joe thought the Bucs were a 10-win team for a variety of reasons. And Joe would view a 10-win season, which represents a virtual playoff guarantee in the expanded 2020 postseason format, as a major step for the franchise.
Heck, if Tom Brady made it through a 10-win season healthy and ready for another year of football, then that would be an even bigger bonus on top of first-time playoff experience for so many Bucs that have endured years of losing.
As Joe types this today, Joe knows the Bucs will be heavy favorites in two remaining games against the deplorable Falcons (3-7), and against a bad Lions team that’s been blown out in three of its last four games.
The Lions will play the Bears, Packers and Titans in the three weeks before hosting the Bucs on Christmas weekend, a recipe for the Lions mailing in another season before they even face the Bucs. Tampa Bay also will be favored at home against the Vikings (4-6) and their horrendous defense on Dec. 13.
That’s quite a desirable stretch of games after an early-December bye week for the Bucs.
One might think Bucs fans would be feeling pretty good about themselves, despite giving away a game to the Rams last night. Rams manbeast Aaron Donald was rendered invisible, and the Bucs run defense was suffocating while the defense overall played well enough to win. With just a little better quarterback play, the Bucs would have won easily.
But no, optimism is scarce this morning and the loud crowd is getting louder.
Unfortunately, their expectations balloon is primed to be completely popped Sunday by the mighty Chiefs, and they’ll be in agony all through the bye week.
Joe hopes the angry crowd can relax and see through the clouds to the upside of what this season is on track to be.
November 24th, 2020 at 6:11 am
The Bucs should be 9-2 right now, that’s what’s so frustrating.
The Bears and Rams losses were just awful.
The offensive scheme doesn’t make sense.
The defense plays hard and makes plays but can’t get consistent pressure on the QB.
The coaching staff gets owned by more innovating opposing coaches.
November 24th, 2020 at 6:11 am
…and they’ve looked like garbage on all three prime time games.
November 24th, 2020 at 6:12 am
Being a fan for 20+ years, I’ve caught myself a few times almost getting angry until I realize that before the season started I said as long as we make the playoffs I’d be happy. I, like Joe, still get the feeling just waiting for something to happen in games where we go “it’s a Bucs life” because that is what was engrained after so many years of groin stomping losses. This one hurts only for the fact that I truly believed that TB12 was going to lead us down the field for the victory or a field goal shot at worst. All in all, 10 wins is still very achievable. Next week is tough, but I feel like we match up well with the Chiefs.
November 24th, 2020 at 6:27 am
ARB has diminished the offense…..Brady is looking for the jackwagon way too much. And Evans and Godwin know it.
November 24th, 2020 at 6:31 am
Be Honest Bucs fans…………..we settled for old “has been HOF QB” Brady
Brady has consistently over thrown receivers all year long
….and his Jameis Winston interceptions are getting old……….just like him
November 24th, 2020 at 6:33 am
Let’s not blame AB……..
but one cannot help but think that there’s too many plays being designed off of him now?????
Look people………every fan is trying to place blame for this loss
But truly this loss falls on the coaching staff and stupid decision making by your HOF Brady………
Brady just wasn’t really good last night
November 24th, 2020 at 6:34 am
This is the “all in” year for the Bucs. If anyone is “satisfied” with an improvement of 10-6 given all this they probably have low expectations for themselves.
It’s not about being angry; it’s about wondering why this franchise can’t do what others do when needed. It’s seeing over and over the Bucs create their own adversity if no one else throws any their way.
While closer than they’ve been in 12 years, this roster still doesn’t have what it takes to win the division, despite all they’ve done. It’s not on any one person, and indeed, they needed to get rid of some bad parts to improve (like Winston), but won’t be there in their “all in” year. And BA and company simply can’t raise to the level of McVeigh and Payton…and others.
What I’d expect and (it’s down to) hope now is they get one of the wild cards and they go back through New Orleans and finally win when it counts most. They are certainly not up for a marathon.
November 24th, 2020 at 6:37 am
We have a x QB who in his prime wasn’t even that good trying to coach one of best rosters in the NFL. We paid for Aries and got Leftwitch and it shows. No way in hell we would be 7-4 if we had a better OC or head coach there are teams doing better with less that just goes to show……..
November 24th, 2020 at 6:40 am
Hey Leftwitch go home and design plays that spotight a players strong points.
November 24th, 2020 at 6:41 am
And for those not “angry” now, who are happy with 10 wins, are happy to just to make the playoffs, let’s see what it looks like this weekend when the champs come to town on a short week.
The Rams game here is one game out of the two the Bucs should have done really well in. They needed this one.
Meanwhile, the Rams are missing two key O line members, have kicking problems, and had to fly across the country to play Monday night. They readily overcame. I wonder what healthy Chiefs will do to this team.
November 24th, 2020 at 6:43 am
@ Roy
I hate to say this…………..but I see this team narrowly missing the playoffs now after the loss last night
They’re just too inconsistent to make a run for the playoffs
Every bucs fans have been hoping for a complete game from this team…..BUT
……this team plays more like “Let’s hold on for one more win hopefully”
rather than they should play like “We’re gonna kick your azz today!!!”
This team is just simply missing the “IT” attitude all championship-caliber teams have.
November 24th, 2020 at 6:43 am
Joe, I agree 100%
November 24th, 2020 at 6:44 am
Best roster in the NFL coached by a idiots This is not a playoff COACHING STAFF
November 24th, 2020 at 6:44 am
Truth is, an overrated team. 10-6, and at best first round exit from the playoffs… RIP 2020/2021 Bucs.
November 24th, 2020 at 6:45 am
The loss sucks, but the idea that all phases played terribly is absurd. The Rams defense has allowed 18 points a game. Our defense all but shut them down I second half. Brady made 2 errors, and the defense let points go at the end of second half. If Brady marches down the field and puts it in the end zone, all these terible fans are talking about ME great catch, JPP second INT, and how the bucs broke their night time blues today. Such a bunch of negative Karen’s on this website. We ate in position to get in the dance, Go Bucs.
November 24th, 2020 at 6:45 am
Tom Brady Winston…………..please don’t throw another stupid uneeded deep ball interception for the rest of the year please!!!!!!!!!!
…………….then maybe you’ll have a shot at a wildcard spot.
November 24th, 2020 at 6:47 am
Oh
and Todd Bowles has been saving Arians and Leftwich bacon all year long from their bad coaching with the defense bailing them out
…………….it’s about time this offense bails out this defense
So far………..Todd Bowles has been the best coach on the bucs this season
November 24th, 2020 at 6:54 am
Joe, again it not win or lose it’s how u do it. Bucs can’t be contenders playing and being coached like this.
November 24th, 2020 at 6:58 am
I love the work that you do Joe but c’mon man, spiking the proverbial football on your prediction?
Joe’s not spiking a football whatsoever, mostly reminding people that going 10-6 or even 11-5 means you lose games (hopefully painfully close games). Yes, it appears the Bucs are not worthy of a top seed in conference. Mildly frustrating, but that’s really where it stops, and that’s not enough to get Joe crying and thinking the sky is falling as the team pulls itself out from The Lost Decade. Brady (and everybody else) knows it’s more about how the team finishes. And about the “10-6 or worse comment,” those numbers are less powerful in the expanded playoff format in a year with less home field advantage. –Joe
No way, fans have very good reason to be upset about this loss. Very few teams in NFL history have won the Super Bowl with 10 wins or less. This season is ALL about the Super Bowl. I think over the past 30 years there may have been three teams that won the Super Bowl with a 10-6 record or worse.
If the Bucs make it to the playoffs and go one-and-done I hope I never see some banner hung in the Den of Depression saying “2020 Playoffs – Wildcard” as that will be a constant reminder of what could have been seven months prior in your own stadium.
November 24th, 2020 at 7:00 am
100% agree, even with a loss to chiefs. Let’s say they lose to the chiefs the bucs will be 7-5 with 4 of the 5 losses against the #1 or #2 seeds and the Bucs are still staring at 11-5 or 10-6. Really where this hurts is you want to go against the nfc east winner and not travel so say Green Bay in week 1. I know everyone will complain about offense and they did have 6 horrible straight drives….but they also scored 24 points against the rams defense. This game was lost with the soft zone before the bucs switched to man (and no they didn’t just play better they switched almost to 95% man after rams 1st TD in 2nd half.
We just need Chicago to keep losing
November 24th, 2020 at 7:04 am
“Joe hopes the angry crowd can relax and see through the clouds to the upside of what this season is on track to be.” Sorry Joe, but I think you’re missing the point.
All the ‘angry’ Bucs fans have endured years of sub-par NFL football. And yes, endured years of teams that didn’t measure up … as well as coaching staffs that didn’t measure up. Put more succinctly, we sucked.
The ‘expectation’ this year was that we’d see some QUALITY FOOTBALL that would lead to WINNING FOOTBALL. Our starting rosters on both sides of the ball have some superb talent, and many nationally-recognized players. No more laughing stocks … THIS was gonna be the year the Bucs kicked ass.
Well, something strange happened on the way to the forum. The enemy isn’t rolling over & playing dead Caesar; they’re fighting back. Who knew? And your staff has stumbled numerous times during the presumed march to the playoffs. The old tactics are outdated & they aren’t working; we need some new ideas Caesar before your successor (some guy named Nero?) comes along and burns it all down.
All is not lost … yet. Bucs aren’t playing QUALITY FOOTBALL right now, and haven’t been consistently playing that all season long. THAT’S ON COACHING.
Too many dinosaurs. They went extinct, and this staff is on the verge of joining them.
November 24th, 2020 at 7:06 am
Some good comments here. I agree that the biggest problem is the coaching. Both game plan/strategies for the O and D.
November 24th, 2020 at 7:08 am
Why are fans angry, because we have seen this before. Something about this team – we are winning on talent alone, the same way Jameis could throw for 5000 yards on talent alone – but the mentality (even with Tommy Terrific) still is questionable. We have two players with swag, JPP and Vita Vea, they allow the rest of the defense including 45 and 54 to eat, if this team played with their heart the coaching wouldn’t matter – it’s like Dungy said, “do your job”. Carlton Davis is getting there. On offense, it’s ME13, CG14, Wirfs and Brate (these guys have the talent and right attitude – the rest, need a coach like Mike Tomlin to get them ready to play.
November 24th, 2020 at 7:22 am
Casual, you are correct. Byron Leftwich is not the answer. Bowels is not Montey Kiffen. Combine that with half assed O-line play and it makes winning even that much tougher…
November 24th, 2020 at 7:24 am
if you think this is frustrating for fans, imagine being a player on this team.
the team is out-schemed and out-coached more often than out-played.
what happened to putting your players in a position to win and playing to their strengths ?
how many 8-25 yrd passes between the numbers can we allow ?
how come our offense seems to have so few of those.
offensively, seems like playing desperate. is there really a checkdown available on every pass-play? their not calling a game to brady’s stregths. more often than not no rhythm to the offense. whatever happened to move the chains ? 20+ yd passes on 3rd & 4 or less. no riskit no biscuit. low probability vs consistency. where’s adjustment to the defense, o that’s right, we do what we do. but what do you do when they stop you ?
generally not sure we are out-played (except maybe our soft zone dbs with 2 a-gap lb blitzers & 2 best rushers dropping into pass coverage-jpp/shaq)
it’s frustrating to watch talent being so poorly led
i believe they are better than that.
jimm
November 24th, 2020 at 7:28 am
This team reminds me of all of them Washington Redskins teams of the past
Daniel Snyder will pay a boat load of cash to acquire all these free-agent talents and then produce a crappy product on the field
…………..so much talent and wasted results every Sunday.
November 24th, 2020 at 7:35 am
10 wins from this team oozing with talent WILL be a major disappointment. NOT GOOD ENOUGH!!!
November 24th, 2020 at 7:36 am
“is there really a checkdown available on every pass-play?”
It continues to perplex me how on 2nd and 3rd and short (and sometimes very short, like 2 yards), they line up with no one in the backfield at all. Why EVER remove all doubt of a pass when it’s clear the play can go either way. Especially when you have a sick O line.
November 24th, 2020 at 7:45 am
i’m with you all the way…..I have never posted about SB…..just make the playoffs and anything can happen.
I thought the matchup with the Rams was worse than the Chiefs and I still do…
I will be happy if we make the playoffs….
And it’s possible to even make them with 9…..
Assuming the Rams take the West & the Packers take the North…..give Seattle & Arizona a WC….then we would be vying for a birth with the Bears or perhaps the Vikings……If we beat the Vikings, we will have a tie-breaker if they get to 9…..so, the Bears would have to win 4 of their next 6 to get in above us….
November 24th, 2020 at 8:29 am
We’d have a better chance if the play calling was better. We also wanna pretend that TB isn’t 43, but he is. We need to lean heavier on the run and the defense.
I think we should’ve ran the ball more in such a close game.
November 24th, 2020 at 8:51 am
Good Morning Everyone! We are 7-4 and on pace to make the playoffs. Two of those losses came against the Saints, who own us. They also are 8-2 and the top seed in the NFC. Most years, every playoff team loses a couple of games they should have won. Last night and the Bears game qualify as two such games.
This year, we have not lost two games in a row, and we have followed up each loss, including the two stinker with impressive wins. Quick, when was the last time we could say that?
So here come the defending SB champs, 9-1 KC Chiefs at home. They don’t have a stout run defense, and our speed on D gives us an edge that the Chiefs’ victims did not have. And did I mention we haven’t lost two in a row this year?
This is not to say that Brady is not in a long ball slump. Or that two of our three young corners are not struggling. We can minimize those deficiencies by pounding the rock and keeping the ball away from Mahomes.
2020 has been a tough year, but not for Tampa Bay Sports fans. Stanley Cup, World Series, and a Bucs team that is in a solid playoff position. Are we a Super Bowl team? Maybe not this year, but if we beat the Chiefs and close out the season at 11-5, playing our best ball in December, then anything is possible.
I’m not being pollyannish here. Let’s shrug off this loss and enjoy the best Bucs season in a decade. We deserve it.
November 24th, 2020 at 8:58 am
cant blame the play calling on drop passes by the rbs and inaccurate passes by brady…
with that said, i do think BL got away from rojo and the run…
GO BUCS!!!!!
November 24th, 2020 at 9:04 am
10-6 and at least one playoff game would indeed be an enjoyable year. Heck it’s already been an enjoyable year.
But I guess some fans enjoy 3-13 and thinking about the draft from October onwards.
November 24th, 2020 at 9:05 am
NFL Football is a game, A GAME. My life does not depend on it. It is non essential. There are multiple millions of people that struggle just getting food and clean water around the world. I live in a 3rd world country, and see this reality sometimes daily. I have been a fan of the Bucs since the beginning in 1976. I love football BUT football is ONLY A GAME. Yes I wish the Bucs were doing better, losing sucks. Football is there to enjoy. It is great entertainment. So yes I wish the Bucs were at least 9-2, and not giving away games that they should have won. But There is so much more to life and helping others, than being bummed out because they crapped the Bed again. This is the best season in over a decade. GO BUCS!!!!! And Again KEEP TOM ALIVE FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIP DRIVE!!!!
November 24th, 2020 at 9:44 am
^^Amen 1976! It’s just football!
There’s no reason for this offense to be so out of synch. With Brady, there is so much knowledge and experience to pull from. The Bucs continue to over-complicate a simple game. You adjust to them, they adjust to you, you adjust to their adjustments. There’s no timeline. You do it in-game, each play if necessary.
Coaches coach and players play. So both of you, do your jobs.
7-4 is still the best we’ve seen in some time. The playoffs are within our grasp. Lets go get it!
November 24th, 2020 at 9:46 am
The most disappointing thing to me as I look back on this season so far is the lack of creativity on offense. Our plays are simple. When I watch how creative other coaches are, aka Sean Payton and Sean McVay, I wonder why our head coach, who I believe is considered an offensive guru??? consistently runs such bland schemes. It is either throw it up high so only ME or Gronk can reach it and mix in a couple runs up the middle. And of course now we have to get AB his targets.
November 24th, 2020 at 10:04 am
I agree Joe. I picked them to win 10 games too. The frustration I have is with coaching/ play calling. 0 creativity on offense.
November 24th, 2020 at 10:15 am
A few days ago in a moment of euphoria I suggested that we stop referring the Ray Jay “The Den of Depression.” Joe responded something to the affect that not until the Bucs prove it. Well Joe I completely regret my post and your response was spot on. This team has beaten one playoff caliber team, the Packers. They have lost to the Saints (Expected) the Bears (tragedy) and now the Rams (Brady meltdown.) There is no way they beat or even compete with the Chiefs and will probably lose to Minnesota. Based on the way they played last night I Doubt if they win 2 out of 3 games with the Falcons and Lions. Finally let me predict no playoffs and instead of turning our attention to the Draft in October we will have to wait until December. I had a total brain fart when i thought the acquisition of all these great player would change our fate, after all we are talking the Suckaneers, perennial losers of the NFC South who play at the Den Of Depression.
November 24th, 2020 at 10:22 am
I told you guys when we accquired brady it will go down as one of the worst decisions in franchise history. I got many blessings out. He looks old, cannot run or do anything unless the situation is perfect. maybe you guys have not noticed, but the way of the modern day QB is going mobile and being able to do things while on the run.Just watch KC next week and the fluidity of their QB. The man is smooth. I said 9-7 at seasons beginning. After next weeks beatdown we will be 7-5. Eye told you all a long time ago. 50 million for what..an aging goat who has had his day.
November 24th, 2020 at 10:26 am
What I’d like to know is what the hell happened to the tackling last night, particularly in the first half. I think the referees should have done a post-half inspection to see if Kupp and Woods were greased up. C’mon man! Had our DBs made sure tackles, the Rams would have had half the yardage. Their YAC numbers were through the roof because of poor tackling.
November 24th, 2020 at 10:27 am
The negativity is because it feels like we were outsmarted in this game and against the Saints. Primed to have a lousy loss in first week of playoffs if they don’t smarten up somehow.
November 24th, 2020 at 10:29 am
If at the start of 2020 you’d offered me a 10-6 season and a wildcard exit i’d have snapped your hand off for it.
November 24th, 2020 at 10:55 am
No. No. No.
We went all on this year. There is not future for this team based on how it’s built, it’s 100% all in for this year only. 20% of our starters will be gone next year.
Limping into the playoffs at 10-6 and getting beaten in the wild card will be a FAILURE!
November 24th, 2020 at 10:58 am
If we won last night we have a bit of room for error and can afford to drop a deuce in a game we should win. Now with the loss we basically have to win all those remaining games after the chiefs…. And Atlanta has a chance to beat us
November 24th, 2020 at 11:10 am
B l. Play calling sucks! No imagination a great roster with no offence corordinater with any experence ! Stupid hire! Brady won six rings with 20 ,30,yard passes! A deep ball now and then! Ba loves going deep. Does not play to brady strenth!! You got speedy miller, could be used like edelman! You have the blue print how to win with brady, use it! Quit being stubborn. Bl sucks you need a yard and you go for 30 ? Were is a roll out, a screen, a end around, run behind pulling guards! A 4 or 5 reciver set? And were the hell are the tight ends? This coaching is killing us! Yoi have a stubborn man in ba who always wants to go deep ! And bl with no experience!! He sucks! Fire him and get someone who knows what the hell there doing!!
November 24th, 2020 at 11:29 am
I’m just irked because I know if we don’t stand a chance to win it all then what is the point of just getting to the playoffs? My hope is that we will adjust and maybe the stars will align once we get to the dance and we can win it all with the goat! It’s Super Bowl or bust anything less then that will be a complete failure in my opinion. No participation trophies here. Go Bucs! Come on Brady and defense play to what works for you.
November 24th, 2020 at 11:32 am
Blaming AB? Really?
The dude runs good routes, gets open and catches everything.
But, OK, lets call out a productive player because he is doing his job.
November 24th, 2020 at 12:17 pm
I woke up this morning…hit balls and played a set of tennis…and the sun still came up over Tampa Bay. I may suck at tennis but the view is magnificent.
And the views was good this morning. Joe has already done a wonderful job of explaining how greedy we got because people like Steve Young were propping us up as SB Contenders. Joe is right…10 wins and a playoff is success.
The biggest question is Brady’s gas tank. Is he done or not. I’ve seen enough great passes to not yet write him off. He simply had a horrible game last night.
So PERSPECTIVE….Tom Brady had a horrid game yet thanks to our D we were in it. We had the freaking ball with the two minute warning and decent field position. How many times has the GOAT led his team to victory in that situation…big games…small games…that SHOULD have been where Tom Brady made all the off season moves worth it. He came up short….last night.
There are still 5 games left. Let’s see how he finishes. The TEAM was in position to win a tough MNF contest against another very good team.
November 24th, 2020 at 12:36 pm
I called the loss way before the game even started.
So I’m not too angry. I expected it.
November 24th, 2020 at 1:02 pm
Who wrote this nonsense? The Bucs may just go 11-5… so what… that’s not the standard. The standard is win the championship. Without a complete collapse by the Saints against a similarly easy schedule, the Bucs are a Wild Card team. With the horrendous offensive scheme and regressing D we’ve seen, they are a 1st round exit – 2nd at best.
Win the Super Bowl or bust. No excuses. They brought in Brady for one reason.
All this grass is greener lecturing is just going to anger fans further. Bucs fans have one season, maybe two, to see them dominate. Not muddle through games with the Left Sandwich offense. Yes, we are tired of mediocrity.
November 24th, 2020 at 1:26 pm
Why are Bucs fans pissed off today? Well, speaking as an educated, long suffering fan for 41 years, it’s cos Tom old fart Brady and Bruce fossil Arians gave the game to the Rams. PERIOD! What was with the long bomb throw to CG14 that the Rams DB had no problems grabbing and running it back to the Bucs 37?Rams scored 7.How about JPP’s pick and the best yahoo goat could do is 3 points? The Defense did their damndest to win but when you got a couple of old fossils in powerful spots, oh well. The biggest problem Is inbred ownership. So be it. This talented ream deserves better. If they don’t kick the Chiefs’ azz, I know where to look!
November 24th, 2020 at 1:47 pm
Talk about low standards.
This team should have won 10 games last year.
THIS YEAR’S team should be competing with the Steelers for best record in the league.
So far Arians and crew, while certainly a step up from previous regimes, are still underperforming with the assets given to them. All you have to do is imagine what kind of record this team would have with any of the top tier coaches at the helm instead.
November 24th, 2020 at 2:13 pm
Short, talk about high standards. 43 year old QBs don’t win SuperBowls. Read that again and let it sink in. A 10 win season is a good year. Once we start with a new QB in 2022 will we have a chance at the SB
November 24th, 2020 at 3:48 pm
Bruce Arians QB whisperer? Doesn’t fix Winston and has the GOAT and he still throws interceptions. Overrated and out coached by a Gruden Disciple. Give Gruden this talent and watch what would happen. He did way more with less!
November 24th, 2020 at 5:16 pm
@87 I expected it too (said so last week).
But I’m still mad lol, b/c it was self-inflicted at the end of the day. Awful interceptions / play calls.
November 24th, 2020 at 6:04 pm
Let’s stop with all the stupid slogans like the Dunkaneers and No risk it No biscuit . Instead we need BA to start preparing our coaching staff to come up with better game plans and making better adjustments during the game. Once we get Marpet back and stop trying to throw the deep ball I think we’ll be alright.
November 24th, 2020 at 6:27 pm
Just making the playoffs is not what we want.
November 24th, 2020 at 7:52 pm
The talent level is currently better than the coaching. Never thought I’d be praising Licht but in the last 2 years he has done a great job.