Positives Outweigh Negatives
December 6th, 2020
Progress report.
While the expectations for 2020 may have been too sky-high, take a step back and look at the Bucs and where they stand.
How rare has it been in the post-Chucky era that we are not knee-deep in draft chatter at the bye? Usually, if not by the bye week, certainly by Halloween Bucs games were little more than a reason to guzzle beer and get away from your significant other and get a better idea where the Bucs may draft the following spring.
But here we are in December and Bucs fans are wringing their hands over a 7-5 record with a real chance of playing a meaningful game in January.
This is the angle where Sheil Kapadia of The Athletic is coming from.
Kapadia did a progress report of sorts for all of NFL head coaches and when you look where the Bucs stand compared to where the franchise usually is on the first week of December, it’s easy to see Bucco Bruce Arians is anything but a failure.
Meeting expectations: It feels like the Tom Brady experiment with Bruce Arians is being viewed to some degree as a disaster or a lost cause. That seems like a case of recency bias. The Buccaneers are 7-5, and their plus-64 point differential is third-best in the NFC. Tony Romo mentioned during Sunday’s broadcast that Tampa could still make a Super Bowl run, and I agree with him. They are still trying to find their way in terms of meshing what Arians and offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich want to do with what makes Brady comfortable. Arians struggles with game management, and at times his team lacks discipline. But the Bucs still have time to figure things out and make a playoff run.
Joe loves to quote Hall of Fame coach Bill Parcells because what he often said really hits home. One of Joe’s favorite quotes from Parcells is the famous, “You are what your record says you are.”
That would tell Joe the Bucs are a good, though not great team. A team that may do damage come January.
To get there, beating the Vikings a week from today would be a big step in the right direction.
December 6th, 2020 at 12:16 am
Viking pass rush will determine outcome.
December 6th, 2020 at 12:32 am
Bucs will lose out. It’s over. The Glazer sons need to sell the team. After Malcolm had the stroke, his kids ruined the team by firing Gruden just like Culverhouse ruined the team by letting Doug Williams go for peanuts. The franchise is cursed.
December 6th, 2020 at 1:15 am
Just the facts….. 7-5 is better than most years in the history of the 44 years of this franchise. Winning record period. Anyone can Enjoy or suck on lemons, it is up to you, whatever. GO BUCS!!!!
December 6th, 2020 at 3:26 am
“Mike Zimmer vs Know it all almighty Bruce
7-6
2 words
Justin Jefferson”
Kobe Faker
December 6th, 2020 at 5:15 am
6 words
Can’t rush passer, can’t stop run.
December 6th, 2020 at 5:26 am
Kobe and D1 … Ooooo, fun game. How about 3 words … ‘Never say never’.
December 6th, 2020 at 5:59 am
How about ONE word…possibilities!
December 6th, 2020 at 6:57 am
Unmet expectations can always cause angst…..I’m satisfied as tp where we are…but we need to finish and that starts with the Vikings.
December 6th, 2020 at 7:04 am
So much for the “All In”!!!!!!!!!!!! Now the sheep are telling each other that they should be happy with one game over five hundred!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The problem sheep is that this one year window will end very soon!!!!!!! The roster will deteriorate this offseason!!!!!!! It will get worse, not better!!!!!!!!!!!! Hard to believe the sheep are “satisfied” and want to watch another year of ole stale biscuit repeated failures!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
go bucs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
December 6th, 2020 at 7:16 am
We just watched the “best team in the NFL” undefeated Steelers look like hot garbage against a quarterbackless downward spiral Ravens team….. guess we take them off the contender list smh.
December 6th, 2020 at 7:17 am
The Bucs are not performing to their level of talent. If you want a “good” team, OK…but if you want a good team that even becomes great some years, that requires an identity and character.
December 6th, 2020 at 7:27 am
Last week was the first time I recall the hesitation in the go route to Evans. The go route is too predictable to Evans. IMO, we need to take advantage of DB
contact and change direction. Put some dangle in the routes. Post, corner and out routes will give the the WR and QB a better chance to hook up,IMO. USE the Bye to add wrinkles to the offense and get secondary up to speed.
December 6th, 2020 at 7:27 am
Perspective people, a 3 point loss to the champions is not a reason to jump off the skyway, if we lose to the Vikings, perhaps.
December 6th, 2020 at 7:32 am
Eliminate some of the repetitive three and outs and we can win out. Go Bucs!
December 6th, 2020 at 8:01 am
2020 isn’t over and the whole season is in front of them. That’s what we should be focused on.
December 6th, 2020 at 8:30 am
Their destiny is in their hands.
December 6th, 2020 at 8:43 am
i wonder what the bucs are doing today…?
throwing darts at a kirk cousins poster…?
hanging in geraldini’s mancave and guzzling henny…?
practicing…?
they should be
December 6th, 2020 at 9:32 am
@Swampbuc: In a strong field of contenders, that is the dumbest comment of the day! Congrats, you’re the dunce du jour! 😂
December 6th, 2020 at 9:42 am
What are all of the so-called positives???????? BS and lies at press conferences and interviews is not a positive!!!!!!!!! All hype and no production is not a positive!!!!!!!!!!!! One game over five hundred, When they were supposed to be all in for a one year window!!!!!!!!!!!
go bucs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
December 6th, 2020 at 9:48 am
7 wins is a positive el sucko
December 6th, 2020 at 10:40 am
pho·ny
/ˈfōnē/
INFORMAL
adjective
not genuine; fraudulent.
“I thought your accent was a bit phony”
“Someone who constantly badmouths the Tampa Bay football team, then puts “Go Bucs” at the end of their lousy, negative post”
You came up missing for 2 months when the Bucs were 6-2 because you couldn’t handle the Bucs success. You call BA a fake, phony, fraud, and liar, yet you’re a fake Bucs fan. Are you gonna come up missing again if the Bucs win their last 4 games?
December 6th, 2020 at 12:35 pm
Yeah this site was most excellent when we were 6-2. All or most trolls were gone.
Go Bucs
December 6th, 2020 at 2:48 pm
D1
Four more words…
Can’t tackle, can’t cover
December 6th, 2020 at 3:36 pm
Jmark,
I got nothing!
December 6th, 2020 at 4:23 pm
Sadly, neither do our beloved Buccaneers 🏴☠️
December 6th, 2020 at 4:58 pm
Jmark,
Despite the recent few games, the Vikings shouldn’t be a team that we lose to or even squeak by. We’ve beat the teams we were supposed to beat and got beat by the teams that have a top ranked defense and offense.
The vikings are a run team, stopping the run is this teams strength. They struggle in the passing game which is good because we don’t have a good pass defense. On offense, the vikes absolutely suck at pressuring the QB and if give Brady time He wins. The vikes follow up poor pressure with a below avg secondary and that again plays into the teams favor. Running game, we seem to be the most effective team to stop us. Hopefully, but doubtful…the break has allowed for some reassessment of the offense and we see a more cohesive game plan and smoother execution. Again, the vikes defense isn’t good so it’s more about what we do or dont.
Frankly, I don’t see this as a team we need to fear. Although, I am a long time fan and the memory of these types of games going sideways is not something that I can forget. But it’s not relevant and it has no weight on the upcoming contest. But for the Fans, yes! But the team, no!
The next 4 games we should expect 3 wins. The tough opponents are behind us for the remained of the season. Playoffs, a whole different discussion.
December 6th, 2020 at 5:27 pm
D1
Yep it’s that sideways thing… the bane of the Buccaneers. Unfortunately Brady hasn’t really cured us of that yet.
I know Atlanta lost today, but I think that was mainly because of their Anemic offense. Of course the Saints D have made plenty look anemic.
Atlanta’s D is playing well, and historically it seems like we nearly always split with them. So there’s the one loss. Hope nothing else goes pear shaped.
December 6th, 2020 at 7:03 pm
Let’s take a look at a fact. We have ALREADY won as many games this year as last and we have 4 games to add to the total and actually secure a winning record.
At this point though a winning record won’t cut it. We need to win at least 3 of the last 4 and preferably show we’re for real by running off a four game win streak.
It’s the NFL…the No Freaking Logic as the late great Chris Thomas used to say.
So yeah we could end up tanking…but we have the talent to prevent that this season. It’s not just on paper either. I’ve seen Brady throw some passes that I hadn’t seen from a Buc in a long, long time. Tight spirals feathered right into the targets hands. Then there are the inexplicably bad throws. Not so much the picks…I think that’s been a lot of miscommunication but sometimes with receivers wide open TB just makes a horrible throw.
I see more good throws than bad…I see better OL play than bad…I see a better running game than bad…except for the major pass catching flaw and ROJO’s lack of pass blocking.
I see more good out of the D than bad. The schedule could not have been better. Through our toughest games…a bye to get ready for a manageable schedule.
The Vikings barely survived today to remain a .500 team. The Lions are 5-7 and the Falcons are 4-8.
We face a combined 19-29 record over the next four weeks. If we can’t win now when can we win?
December 7th, 2020 at 7:35 am
SPBF
While I certainly hope you’re right, I know you’ve been a Buc fan for a while, so you’ve witnessed a lot of games we shouldn’t lose.. no way, no how. If BA, Lefty and Bowles don’t start some actual coaching immediately it’s all up in the air.
I guess I have high standards but a defense that can’t cover, rush the passer or TACKLE doesn’t impress me much.. in the immortal words of Shania Twain.