Saturday Night Game Not Good For Bucs
January 3rd, 2021
Playoff kickoff announced.
Well, a lot of folks that follow the moves of the TV sports industry thought there was a good chance the Bucs would play their first playoff game in 13 years under the lights in primetime.
Most suspected that would be Sunday night. Alas, the NFL has thrown the Bucs a curveball and it isn’t good timing.
Aside from the fact the Bucs have not played well at all in primetime games this year, the Saturday night scheduled game (8:20 kickoff) at the NFC East division winner (Washington or New Jersey) is bad timing for a pair of Bucs stars.
First, that’s one less day of recuperation for Bucs wide receiver Mike Evans. He slipped on wet turf in the end zone today and hurt his knee. While he has no structural damage, per Jay Glazer of FOX Sports and Jenna Laine of ESPN, he is a day-to-day case.
Linebacker Devin White tested positive for The Sickness last week and if the Bucs played Sunday, then he had a slight chance to play.
January 3rd, 2021 at 9:37 pm
Can we talk about how we know Alvin Kamara broke protocol but the saints get a sunday night game to get him back.
Meanwhile we lost White and they tell us tough luck you’re playing saturday.
January 3rd, 2021 at 9:39 pm
Funny how now the Saints are on Sunday so they can get Kamara back. NFL is so transparent
January 3rd, 2021 at 9:41 pm
They can beat Washington or NYG without those guys. We’re good.
January 3rd, 2021 at 9:41 pm
JOE
What about Shaq? Will he be back?
January 3rd, 2021 at 9:41 pm
It’s hysterical honestly.
You would think that since we have Tom Brady they would want us to look good.
But no we have to make the organization that helped actively cover up the catholic church doing you know what.
It absurd.
January 3rd, 2021 at 9:41 pm
It’s a shock that the league wants to highlight Kamara and not White. 😂. Come on people. Why do you expect?
January 3rd, 2021 at 9:42 pm
^^^^
Bucs dont get love like other teams
Even with brady
Go and find mike evans record breaking day. Bet you cant find on any major sports pages.
January 3rd, 2021 at 9:43 pm
We are talking about teams not players Brad.
Plus Kamara actively broke protocol.
Devin White to our knowledge didn’t. We would have heard about it because he would have been fined by now.
January 3rd, 2021 at 9:50 pm
It is what it is!
Focus on winning just the next game!
The opponent is in the same boat
January 3rd, 2021 at 9:51 pm
Excuses are for losers. Curb stomp whoever! Go Bucs!
January 3rd, 2021 at 9:51 pm
Let me get this straight this isn’t me excusing things it’s me getting mad at the NFL’s Biasm towards the saints.
January 3rd, 2021 at 9:58 pm
Even with Devin White or Mike Evans out, the Bucs should beat either Washington or the Giants with no problem. The Bucs have considerable better talent than those teams. If the Bucs lose then they don’t have anybody to blame but themselves.
January 3rd, 2021 at 10:04 pm
if we end up playing Washington, Smith can barely move. So I think we’ll have to play press coverage and get to him quickly so he doesn’t have a chance for the quick throw. If we can do that and keep Brady upright long enough I think we went easily
January 3rd, 2021 at 10:05 pm
They’ll be fine with Minter.
January 3rd, 2021 at 10:06 pm
Can’t get all the breaks. We are playing nfc east so if you can’t beat giants or Washington without white and Evans then the coaches suck and you deserve to lose. Not one single excuse exists for losing to a 6-9 team as of yet. Hopefully they decide to rest Evans for this one so he’s ready for next opponent, just no reason to lose in the first round.
January 3rd, 2021 at 10:15 pm
You have to be able to win when you are down a player or two otherwise you’re not going very far anyway. Go Bucs. We will win the Super Bowl this year. Period.
January 3rd, 2021 at 10:16 pm
Yes.
January 3rd, 2021 at 10:17 pm
Okay with me, night game, won’t have to take the day off 😀👍🏻🏈
January 3rd, 2021 at 10:17 pm
Can’t believe it….but our first playoff game in 12 years and we just could be without 4 of our 1st round draft picks.
OJ Howard, Vita Vea, Devin White & Mike Evans….
And, yet….we are quite healthy in general.
January 3rd, 2021 at 10:22 pm
quit whining, the Saints were missing an entire position group. Do you really think the NFL was going to do that? I think I would rather Evans play on a met life turf vs a natural grass in DC. especially 8:15 kickoff
January 3rd, 2021 at 10:25 pm
Dayum TBBF.
January 3rd, 2021 at 10:31 pm
Rooting hard for WAS — they’re terrible.
January 3rd, 2021 at 10:33 pm
@Tampabaybucsbro-
That’s because the NFL hates the Bucs and always finds ways to screw us.
I shudder to think of how blatantly bad the officiating will be.
Make no mistake we’ll have 2 opponents to beat on Saturday night.
January 3rd, 2021 at 10:33 pm
If we cant beat a sub-.500 with the team that played today, then we don’t deserve to be in the playoffs.
Look at it this way, 45, 58 and probably 13 will get a week off. They will be rested and ready for a game that they are absolutely needed.
January 3rd, 2021 at 10:39 pm
Playing in NY will help prep for the frozen tundra in the divisional round. Unless the Bears upset the Saints and the Rams beat the Seahawks, then the Bucs would host the Rams in the 2nd round (assuming we beat NY of course).
January 3rd, 2021 at 10:42 pm
What a bunch of whiners on this post. I agree with Davenport. They should blow out either NFC Least “champ” regardless. If not, season was a failure.
The networks want Brady in Primetime, especially to boost ratings against a bad opponent.
January 3rd, 2021 at 10:45 pm
It won’t be any warmer in DC…..at this point….looks like 35 degrees & clear…..both cities….maybe 2 degrees cooler in NY….
May be the Brady & Gronk show….although AB & Godwin have played in the cold…..so has Marpet…..Winfield, TJ……
We got what we wanted….the East……now lets’s take care of business.
January 3rd, 2021 at 10:59 pm
At least Mike Tirico will be calling the game
January 3rd, 2021 at 11:09 pm
We have enough depth to play without Evans at the WR position. Devin white not playing is a huge deal because minter was a liability and the defense looked like hot garbage today. Looks like we are playing Washington and the NFL once again screwed us with the scheduling which they typically do. See years past when we had like 6 away games in a row.
January 3rd, 2021 at 11:16 pm
Tampabaybucfan, great perspective on 4 of our 1st round draft picks.
January 3rd, 2021 at 11:27 pm
Protect Brady- Win the game- on to the Division round…GO BUCS!!!!
January 3rd, 2021 at 11:35 pm
Tighten up on our coverage would be nice. And getting Shaq and hopefully Davis back will help. Would like to see the coaches prepare properly for an evening game and not playing down to their level and we should be fine.
All is attainable. Better than playing the Saints or Seahawks right off the bat.
January 3rd, 2021 at 11:40 pm
Weird the NFL decided to play a rematch of today’s Browns vs Pitt for Prime Time Sunday. Bad decision.
January 3rd, 2021 at 11:48 pm
Devin white being out will hurt but don’t forget. The defense was so bad today because we were down 3 starters and our best CB.
All of them will be back.
January 4th, 2021 at 12:54 am
On the positive side, if we win the game and have to face the Saints in the second round, we will have one more day to recover and prepare then they will.
January 4th, 2021 at 2:58 am
This team is too talented to loose Saturday or Sunday to the ‘skinless group in Washington, regardless of whether Evan’s, Shaq or White are there or not.
Best way to wave a finger at the NFL schedulers is for all 3 of them to get well and prepare for the ‘Aints in the next round. Time to some sweet revenge!
January 4th, 2021 at 4:26 am
I’m not much for excuses although TBBF’s missing four of our first round draft picks is pretty disturbing.
We don’t really miss OJ which is going to make for some interesting decisions in the off season.
I love ME and hate to lose him but we still have plenty of depth at WR. Most teams would be happy to have either AB or CG as their #1’s and we have both of them. Again some interesting offseason choices ahead. Can we figure a way to afford essentially three #1’s? I’d love to see it happen and so would TB12 so who knows?
What hurts is White and Vea. These guys haven’t even reached their prime and already they’re stars. And there is significant drop-off between them and subs unlike ME and VV. Hard to take the two most talented guys right out of the center of the D and not expect damage to the D.