“We Hadn’t Played Our Best Ball”
June 17th, 2021
Improved Bucs offense?
The Bucs averaged 30 points a game last year. Including 30 points a game in the playoffs. That’s crazy for any NFL team, much less the Bucs who, until recent years, have always been a ground-and-pound team.
Still, Bucs wide receiver Chris Godwin believes the Bucs left a lot of points on the field.
With 22+1 starters coming back, Godwin is confident the Bucs offense will be sharper this fall, so he wrote while subbing for hot-dog-eating-contest-protesting, mock-draft-scowling, L.L.-Bean-wearing, Second Amendment abolitionist, Mike-Florio-arguing, parrot-insensitive, chewing-with-his-mouth-open, soup-gulping, California-train-romancing, anti-football proliferation, outhouse-admiring, airline-napping, steerage-flying, Yogi Berra-worshiping, urinal-picture-taking, video-game-playing, Taylor-Swift-listening, pickpocket-thwarting, Bucs-uniform-frowning, Allie-LaForce-smitten, Big-Ten-Network-hating, pedestrian-bumping, olive oil-lapping, popcorn-munching, coffee-slurping, fried-chicken-eating, oatmeal-loving, circle-jerking, craft-beer-chugging, cricket-watching, scone-loathing, college football-naïve, baseball-box-score-reading, NPR-honk, filthy-hotel-staying, fight-instigating, barista-training, Budweiser-tolerant, baseball-scorecard-keeping, pasta-feasting, vomit-dodging scrooge, Kay-Adams-following, Coors-Light-souring, pineapple-upside-down-cake-eating social activist and NFL insider Peter King of NBC Sports this week.
Godwin wrote King’s “Football Morning in America” column.
This offseason, we became the first Super Bowl winner ever to bring back all of our starters, our key subs, our coach and coordinators and our GM. We appreciate what the GM, Jason Licht, did bringing us all back to take our best shot.
No one knows what kind of impact that will have, when you bring all the players back. But I think it’s a really good thing because we felt like we hadn’t played our best ball, even in the Super Bowl. We scored 31 points, but it wasn’t a great game for our offense for four quarters. We know we can be better. And I think we will be better. Our offseason gives us a really good opportunity to do that. But anybody who comes in saying we’re automatically in great position to win again because we brought everyone back? You’re lying to yourself. Familiarity guarantees nothing except giving us a good starting point.
As for Tom, we’ve thrown a few times this spring. His arm is so live. What I appreciate about him is the ball he throws is so receiver-friendly—the touch, and putting it right where you want it. I think, mentally, he has a good feel for the fact that he knows everyone isn’t like him. Because he’s like, “Okay, on to the next one.” But he’s not forcing his attitude onto anyone. Now, if we get to training camp, and guys keep saying, Remember this and that from last year? Then he’d say something. But I don’t see that happening. We know what the mission is.
Well, injuries are something no one can predict. But let’s think about this:
For all the skill position players (sans foot-rubbing, car-littering Rob Gronkowski and furniture-tossing, bicycle-throwing Antonio Brown), this will be their second year with park-violating, home-invading, NFLPA-ignoring, down-forgetting, handshake-stiffing, jet-ski-losing, biscuit-baking, tequila-shooting, smartphone-phobic, waffle-grilling, trophy-throwing, roller-coaster-scared, numbers-rules-peeved, Bucs Super-Bowl-winning quarterback Tom Brady.
And for Brady, it will be the second year with Bucco Bruce Arians. So the learning curves should be gone.
If the way the Bucs offense hummed from the second half of the first Dixie Chicks’ game is what we can expect, this 2021 season is going to be a blast!
June 17th, 2021 at 7:51 am
I think Godwin said something about something in this article, the reason I’m not sure is because he doesn’t have the repetitive douchey monikers before his name.
I’ve found the douchey monikers to be so great, because the douchey monikers help me realize who the douchy moniker giver is talking about, because their is no way to know who the douchry monikers giver is talking about unless there are douchy monikers in front of every name the xouchey moniker giver deems worthy of a douchey moniker.
Thank you douchy moniker giver for the douchy monikers, if only you could give douchey monikers to everyone in every article, that way everyone would feel worthy of a douchey moniker and I could enjoy your douchey monikers even more than I already enjoy your douchey monikers.
In BA I Trust!
June 17th, 2021 at 8:09 am
Can’t wait for the season to begin. Suffered thru the old Creamsicle uniform first season. Then the gradual improvement that led to the first Super Bowl win. Then the decline after the SB players began to retire and slow downwards spiral of one loosing group of coaches after another. Last season had me captivated and refreshed. Could not wait for the next game. Loved seeing this team rise together those last 8 games. Now can’t wait for the new season to begin. Even the preseason games. The starters won’t play all that much but we have promising rookies and backups to evaluate who will likely be needed over a longer season including another run at the SB! Let the games begin!!!!
June 17th, 2021 at 8:13 am
I accept that you moderated the post, I’m hopeful message was received for its intended audience.
🤪
Other than the Monikers, keep up the great work.
In BA I Trust!
June 17th, 2021 at 8:38 am
We’ve gone into many seasons hyped about the Bucs chances of making the playoffs only to be deflated like a punctured balloon 8 games in. This year’s worst case scenario is that we make the playoffs. Winning the Division seems likely. Getting a first week bye in the playoffs is certainly attainable, and winning the NFC championship is a realistic goal. What a welcome change.
June 17th, 2021 at 8:56 am
Warning this one written by moniker maker beta joey
June 17th, 2021 at 9:14 am
Sport, you said a mouthful! And you weren’t even douchey about it. And of course many of us have your back in this endeavor.
June 17th, 2021 at 9:15 am
Take the time to read the entire Chris Godwin Op-Ed. It is a fantastic read and you will be happy you did so (link below).
No wonder why he has such great chemistry with Brady. The entire Buccaneers roster is a work of art. A rich tapestry of awesome personalities that complement each other and a common shared goal of staying humble and never being outworked. If they can stay healthy (especially TB12) this could be the most interesting 3-year period in NFL history when Brady retires at 45 (and yes, he will retire at 45).
June 17th, 2021 at 10:00 am
I still remember going to games at The Big Sombrero. People would gi to the games with paper bags over their heads. They would cut the eyes out so the could see and would write Bucs Fan on the bag. You could walk up to the gate on game day and buy a ticket for crazy cheap. It’s been a long time, but I want to say we could buy tickets at the gate for $10.
We could go to church in the morning, and then drive from lakeland, park, get our ticket, and not even be late for the game. Man that stadium was a dump. Bleacher seating, no shade, and some of the most fun I ever had at a game. The people in the stands were great fans and fun to be around. Watching us try to get a wave going with barely any fans in the stands was always fun. I will never forget the BS chant we had going after Alvin harpers first touchdown was ruled incomplete (they changed it after ejecting harper for arguing).
We knew our team sucked, but we finally had scored and the refs stole that from us. We made that stadium sound full. Those bleachers were loud with everyone stomping on them and chanting BS.
Things sure have changed.
June 17th, 2021 at 10:08 am
“What I appreciate about him is the ball he throws is so receiver-friendly—the touch, and putting it right where you want it” ……I smell a shot at JW here, lol, just saying.
June 17th, 2021 at 11:41 am
Bkyrdbob said :”The people in the stands were great fans and fun to be around”
That’s what I remember most about the old stadium too. The end zone seats were like partyland even though we sucked.
Thanks for making me remember.
Go Bucs!!
June 17th, 2021 at 1:00 pm
Byrkd Bob – I was at that game and remember it well. Were you at the game in the pouring rain when Eric Rhett was pounding the ball down the D’s neck to close out the game, and these hand-out little fans were being thrown all over the place? What a blast! The concession stand area under the bleachers was the place to be as a high school kid / college kid. Everyone would meet up and hang out. Good times and good fun. Usually lousy football but great times anyway.
June 17th, 2021 at 4:04 pm
Sport, I skipped your monikers just like I usually do Joe’s. It’s real easy. Of course, you sometimes miss a good one. Like in the ones for Peter King.
June 17th, 2021 at 6:31 pm
I remember a rain game on the hard bench seats when it was raining so hard the steps looked like rapids or waterfalls. Sat thru the whole game soaked to the bone.
June 18th, 2021 at 1:53 pm
Def crazy to think our offense can be better. After the 1st half of the dixie chicks like JOE said our offense just started clicking and hitting on all cylinders then we hear that we’re not even hitting on all cylinders yet. My mind is blown. Is there even a defense that can contain us let alone stop us ? Hopefully not lol