Bucs Must Deal With Being The Hunted
April 3rd, 2021
Bucs cannot be limp in 2021.
During the Lost Decade, when the Bucs won (especially at home), that was news.
Now, a former Bucs guard says when the Bucs lose, it will be splashed all over BSPN, FS1 and social media.
Welcome to being Super Bowl champs!
That’s the word from Ian Beckles, when the popular local radio personality took to his podcast “In the Trenches.”
Beckles marveled at how Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht has brought the entire Band of Bucs back together with the exception of furniture-tossing, bicycle-throwing Antonio Brown — yet.
“All 22 starters are coming back,” Beckles said. “Usually that’s not a good thing — unless you win the Super Bowl going away. I don’t know what more you can ask for as a Buccaneers fan? Bruce Arians and Jason Licht are bringing the gang back together.”
But pitfalls await champions.
“This year, they are going to have a target, alright?” Beckles noted. “You are going to have a target. Everybody is going to be going after the Buccaneers. And that’s a good thing. They just have to be ready. Winning back-to-back is real tough. It’s tough sledding.
“They got better last year progressed. This year they are coming out of the box [as the best]. When the Buccaneers lose, it is going to be big news, you know? So people are going to be gunning for them. That’s OK.”
Beckles also noted that Bucco Bruce Arians talking tough about training camp is hot air for several reasons.
“That’s something a coach has to say,” Beckles said. “The one thing you have to fight against after a Super Bowl year — something I don’t know anything about but from what I hear — is complacency. You just don’t want to be satisfied.
“[Arians] is just saying that. You can’t beat the sh!t out of players anymore. It’s just not possible. There is only so much you can do when you hit once every other day — once! We used to get hit every single day. You can’t do that anymore.”
And on the subject of Brown still trying to squeeze Licht for more Team Glazer loot, Beckles had advice for Brown. In short, Beckles said don’t be the fool. “If I was AB and the Buccaneers wanted him to come back, if I was you I would come back. If I was AB’s people or family, I would say, ‘Go back to Tom.’ AB is buyer beware, regardless.”
As always, Beckles welcomes feedback and encourages listeners to submit Bucs questions by e-mailing him at IanBeckles@RadioInfluence.com.
April 3rd, 2021 at 7:31 am
Playing the Patriots, Rams, Colts early in the season will help. Mike Florio said Bucs will be their 1st sunday night game this season but didn’t say vs. whom
April 3rd, 2021 at 8:02 am
We have the right mix of vets on both sides of the ball that understand the challenge ahead as well as looking to build on their resumes/legacy. Brady will be the ultimate worker/leader…..Gronk will lead by example…..JPP is hungry…..Suh is obviously playing for his legacy as well as David. All these guys will keep the focus on one game. The team is starting to have a swagger on both sides of the ball similar to our SB defense from the last run. That defense played to the inch, they wanted to suffocate the opposing offense. both our offense and defense have that mentality…..they dont just want to win, they want to dominate….they want to go down in history…again.
April 3rd, 2021 at 8:29 am
The Bucs won the Super Bowl by attacking. It’s embedded in the very core DNA of Arians. And that is not even mentioning Brady, who seems to be as intense each snap of practice as the last 2 minutes of a Super Bowl. Devin, Lavonte, Shaq, JPP, Whitehead – all born hunters.
I extremely doubt another team is going to outhunt the Bucs.
April 3rd, 2021 at 9:10 am
Beckles states the obvious….but it’s true….
The difference for the Bucs vs other SB winners is Tom Brady….there is no way TB allows this team to slide….
April 3rd, 2021 at 9:18 am
I really feel like we were being hunted by every team we played last season simply because of the media hyping us up to be an all-star team way before we were ready. Just look back at the Chicago Bears game. When you add Tom to the team a target is immediately placed on our backs. Every team we played last season in the early part of the season imo felt like a super bowl
April 3rd, 2021 at 9:21 am
Wonderful “problems to have” Being the hunted, and guarding against complacency lol. After years of a slow burn dumpster fire. It is good to be the champions, it is why you play. This is the best offseason in the Bucs 44 year history. It is a blast to see them so stacked, that need will not drive them to make a risky pick in the draft, but to allow the best player available to be picked. GO BUCS!!!
April 3rd, 2021 at 9:27 am
Keep it real. Seventeen games and the playoffs is a long hard road. Throw in road trips to other continents for some teams. Every team is almost guaranteed to loose key players to injury. A few left alive might still remember ten game seasons and a single league when a game was a game. Now it’s war and there are actual casualties, and talk of global expansion. The Bucs were the first league champion of a 32 team league. Today’s players are bigger, faster, and tougher than they ever were. They train year round. Football is their only job. Expecting the Bucs to go undefeated is ridiculous. Right now we should be odds on favorites to win another Lombardi, but we can’t take any team lightly, and we can’t be overconfident. We’re going to get the focus of every team we play. Every week will be their Super Bowl. It’s war and our guys have to survive.
April 3rd, 2021 at 9:55 am
You want that target. It’ll keep you sharp for every game. Best way to repeat. Accept the challenge and kick butt! BO BUCS!
April 3rd, 2021 at 10:06 am
I remember the ’72 Super Bowl with the undefeated Dolphins vs my precious Redskins (Fins won 14-7) The FIRST game the Fins lost the following season against…..Sonny Jurgensen and the Redskins
April 3rd, 2021 at 10:52 am
Pretty sure once they signed the goat people were hunting the Bucs, NO one takes him lightly.
April 3rd, 2021 at 11:02 am
I keep hearing we’re being the hunted like we’re scared. BRING THAT SH!T ON!!! We didn’t bring back mystic krew to be scared of anybody.
April 3rd, 2021 at 11:32 am
I’d far rather be the hunted than be hunting for 7 wins a season.
April 3rd, 2021 at 11:50 am
Bucs were largely underestimated last season. Even with Brady and a stacked roster, many did not think the team would go far. They were underdogs in 3 of the 4 playoff games. Vegas only had them at 3 point underdogs in each of them, but there LOTS of people taking bets that the Bucs would get roasted by one of the three (KC, GB, NO). NFL Pick Watch had 76% of analysts picking the Chiefs to win the Super Bowl. The NO and GB games had similar numbers. Even locally, I remember Ian Beckles and Ira Kaufman didn’t think the Bucs would beat the Packers. Chris Simms thought the Chiefs would win a blow out. At media week before the Super Bowl, several reporters referred to the Chiefs as “heavy favorites.” (Although they weren’t according to the betting lines).
And ultimately….all this probably helped the team in the end. When you are the underdog like that, it can be a motivating factor. You play to prove people wrong. It’s an us against the world type of mentality. And a team that harnesses that in the right way can be extremely dangerous in the post-season of any sport.
Now will that carry over into next year? Not only will the mentality of the opponents be different, but the mentality of the team could be different. Bucs won’t be sneaking up on anyone this time. The team has to find a new way to stay hungry.
Bucs do have some things in their favor. They kept the roster together. They kept the coaching staff together. That kind of continuity is extremely rare in this league even from one season to the next….especially for a Super Bowl team. And the Bucs will have a somewhat favorable schedule playing the NFC East and AFC East, and the Saints are likely to take a step back. So the window is open for at least one more year.
April 3rd, 2021 at 11:52 am
Brady and the Bucs will repeat as Champions.
There I said it.
April 3rd, 2021 at 1:48 pm
The amount of jealousy the Bucs SB win has caused seems unmatched from previous seasons. Elite QBs like Rodgers & Wilson bellyaching…Brees sent scurrying into retirement with a trip to the wig shop and tv gig as a consolation prize…the 49ers giving up a King’s ransom to move up in the first round…and perhaps finally the Patriots spending the equivalent of the GDP of a 3rd world country in free agency when it’s been against their “way” for two decades. It’s unbelievably enjoyable.
April 3rd, 2021 at 2:28 pm
Is Beckles trying to mean mug the camera while holding up a slice of pizza???
April 3rd, 2021 at 2:43 pm
We were the hunted this year!!! We were talk about all off season teams wanted to beat us. Why y’all think the saints was dancing like clowns like they won the super bowl? We got everybody best shot this the nfl. But guess what Tom Brady don’t give a F$ck about none of that they just in the way of his ultimate goals!!!!
April 3rd, 2021 at 7:12 pm
Even though I agree with Beckles…. I think that speech should have come from Warren Sapp instead… LOL. Cause Ian ain’t won Sh**
Also, I’m pretty sure Tom Brady can explain to the team what its like to play a season after a Super Bowl.
And also, if you liked the Bucs offense down the stretch once Brady and the clan started trusting each other…. well one can only imagine how they will do in 2021. So pumped!
The defense also grew up down the stretch… they are believers mixed with top talent lineman and linebackers. Scary now that they know they can stop anyone. The confidence and swag will be unreal.
We could NOT be in a better position right now.