The Morning After
November 1st, 2021
Better we eat this bitter pill right away than let it linger. Hope you have your mug filled.
The Real Culprit
Forget Tom Brady’s pick-six. Forget the dumb defensive penalties too many to count or remember. This ugly Bucs loss boils down to one simple thing.
Bucs defensive coordinator Todd Bowles got caught with his pants down. That’s all there is to it.
For a fourth-string wannabe who hasn’t thrown an NFL pass since September 2019 to come in cold as ice off the bench and march up and down the field with time-eating scoring drives is absolutely unacceptable to a championship roster.
Bucs Super Bowl-winning coach Bucco Bruce Arians wasn’t going to unload on his dear friend and defensive coordinator Todd Bowles, who for the most part this year has coached his arse off.
But Sunday, Bowles was fully blindsided. How a two-bit quarterback (worse than that rotten Wing-T quarterback Taysom Hill) can turn in a dominant performance against a Super Bowl champion is beyond words for Joe.
What we saw yesterday was the kind of slop we grew used to during The Lost Decade from the likes of a-hole Bill Sheridan, lousy Lovie Smith and Mike Smith. Joe thought we were past this kind of nonsense.
The Bucs have one of the best front-sevens in the game. And still when they needed a turnover or a game-changing play, they couldn’t get one. Against Trevor friggin’ Siemian? You cannot be serious?
Joe could understand if Siemian practiced with the slimy Saints first-team offense all week. He came off the bench cold as any hot babe Joe tries to work on and it was as if Joe Theismann himself was coming into the game.
Joe doesn’t know how the Bucs made him look like a 10-year starting veteran. That was why they lost. And Bowles ought to show his defense film of that game every friggin’ day in practice so his defenders never forget.
This is the same defense that shut down Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers and Pat Mahomes in three straight games last winter? It’s almost like the Bucs defenders had their heads back home wanting to celebrate Halloween with their children and pocket all of their chocolate.
Only this time, the slimy Saints were the real ghouls and stole their candy.
Gutless
Late in the game, it took the Bucs five plays to go 75 yards to take a 27-26 lead with just under six minutes left when the immortal Cyril Grayson burned the slimy Saints on a 50-yard bomb from Brady.
And the defense needed to just stop a stiff of a fourth-string quarterback once and the game is likely over. Once! One stop! Just one!
Instead, the pride of the NFL quarterback factory known as Northwestern assembled a 12-play, four-minute field goal drive to regain the lead 29-27.
(When is the last time Northwestern produced a quarterback, Otto Graham?)
Couldn’t force a fumble. Couldn’t get a pick. Couldn’t squeeze the slimy Saints to punt in order to win the game.
The only word Joe can come up with is “gutless.”
#Sad
Blitzing Was Fully Useless
The blitz package Bowles crafted was thoroughly useless. Either Sean Payton has Bowles’ blitz packages figured out or the Bucs defense is tipping pitches, or Bowles needs to hop back on his Surface tablet and figure out better disguises.
Or have defensive line coach Kacy Rodgers work with the linebackers and defensive backs on learning to shed blocks.
The Bucs, per NextGen Stats, tried 22 blitzes yesterday. Not one resulted in a quarterback pressure. ZEE-Row. Nada. None.
Joe will detail later this morning how awful that is.
When you blitz, someone and maybe several defenders are out on an island guarding guys one-on-one. So if your blitz is never getting to the quarterback, that means someone covering receivers is likely getting hung out to dry.
And as Joe has detailed, dudes are out on the field that normally would not be if the Bucs were healthy at cornerback.
New No. 1 Corner?
On his podcast, Richard Sherman has mentioned what he believes is the high-level play of Bucs cornerback Jamel Dean. The fourth-year Bucs corner, in the final year of his contract, may finally be rounding into form.
Dean was picked on by Dak Prescott and the Cowboys in the season opener. Since, when healthy, Dean has played pretty well.
Now Joe doesn’t yet have the advanced stats from yesterday’s game, but entering Sunday, one could argue Dean was among the better corners in the NFL. Yeah, no lie.
For the season prior to yesterday, opposing quarterbacks had a woeful completion percentage of 39.9 and zero touchdowns when targeting Dean.
That’s pretty damn impressive. So one can understand why maybe Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht has been sort of averse to trading for a corner, thinking if he could just keep Dee Delaney or Richard Sherman healthy along with Dean, the Bucs might survive until after the bye.
No, Joe has no update on when Carlton Davis and/or Sean Murphy-Bunting will return. But Joe did see that SMB was working out on a side field at Bucs practice last week. So that’s a good sign.
.@Buccaneers CB Jamel Dean has been targeted 28 times this season.
He has allowed just 11 completions (39.3 comp%).
0 touchdowns allowed.
Opposing QBs have a combined 21.7 passer rating when targeting him (lowest in NFL). pic.twitter.com/XzydL70dbL
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) October 29, 2021
Tom Brady Among League’s Best
After yesterday, our Bucs quarterback, Tom Brady, is the NFL’s leading passer. Brady is pacing the NFL with 2,650 yards and 25 touchdowns. His next-closest competitor is Matt Stafford who has 2,477 and 22 touchdown passes.
Also, there is this cool piece of Brady intel from the Bucs media relations crew: Brady’s 2,650 passing yards and 25 passing touchdowns are the most by a quarterback through eight games in Bucs history. Brady’s 25 touchdowns are the fifth-most through eight games in NFL history, while his 2,650 passing yards are the 10th-most in league history through eight games.
And the dude is 44.
November 1st, 2021 at 12:11 am
The penalties were annoying, the Refs were a factor, the defense had no answer for a backu qb, BUT MAN, Brady just seemed off today… Like he had had to much halloween candy…
November 1st, 2021 at 12:12 am
Team has no killer instinct & Leftwich and Bowles have ZERO chance of becoming head coaches.
November 1st, 2021 at 12:17 am
I need to go back and rewatch the game tomorrow or later this week but those penalties were huge and came during 3rd down stops a lot of times and gave them a fresh set of downs to keep drives alive. They are the most penalized team in the league and will have to clean that up if they plan to be a contender in Jan. Hopefully getting back some depth at CB after the bye will help. I like Cockrell and think he’s a solid back-up or #3/4 but he’s not a guy you want to depend on more than 10 snaps a game.
November 1st, 2021 at 12:19 am
i should have stuck with my original preseason prediction that this was one of the games we lose…
instead because they won 14 of 15, or something like that, i switched it up for a victory…
anyway i had us going 14-3 or 13-4 at season’s end…and right now we are on a nice 12-4 trajectory…
gotta stay positive going into the game gap, with bye week approaching…
get healthy, tighten up the ship with november and december here, get focused and get on a roll…
we will catch the saints on the back end of the schedule at ray jay…
it’s funny that we never really got to see jameis play the bucs…well at least not for long…
hopefully he’s ok…DW is so strong, he can just rag doll dudes and sling them around with one arm
November 1st, 2021 at 12:23 am
i think “medicated poo-put” is tjmaxxcon trying to create a new personality…but i see leakage…
leakage indeed…
in fact a lot of the trolls never really leave, they seem to just reinvent themselves into semi-positive buffoons…
it’s tough to be a troll these days vs the bucs and tom brady…
you can’t stir the pot of success
November 1st, 2021 at 12:25 am
The QBs that Dean has faced have by and large, not been HOFers.
November 1st, 2021 at 12:28 am
Instead of Bruce Arians doing National Radio Show interviews ALL WEEK long & listening to talk show hosts kiss his red butt, maybe he should make sure we a resemblance of discipline on this team & get Darden OUT OF HERE. Darden is another wasted draft pick just like KYLE
November 1st, 2021 at 12:31 am
R-E-L-A-X. It wasn’t a great outing but this is our Bucs team. Believe in Tommy. Believe that they will be fine. Let them get healthy, stay healthy, and start to click. Trust the process. Better to get the horrible losses out of the way now instead of in the playoffs, when it truly matters. Let start to stress if by the end of November/beginning of December starts and this is happening. Wait off on pushing that panic button so quick!
November 1st, 2021 at 12:39 am
Antonio Wingfield Jr jinxed the entire season by saying “complacent” right before game 1 then he knocked out Sean Murphy then knocked himself out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
November 1st, 2021 at 12:39 am
3 1st half possessions-punt, fumble, interception- 9 point deficit at halftime.
Saints opening drive 2nd half- 4th and goal on 1 – if you defend anything you defend Kamara , yet he waltzes in the end zone even after bobbling the ball – game was in peril right there- down 16 in 2nd half on the road.
Brady brought them back but his 3rd turnover sealed the deal.
The offense lost this game , not the D.
November 1st, 2021 at 12:40 am
If the other DBs can’t play press man don’t put them on the field. Desir was playing like 8yds off on a 4th and 3 and still backed up on the snap. Even the announcer said the guy he was covering isn’t the type that’ll run by you. This game is squarely on the defense. I’ve had time to calm down after this loss and although Brady had some turnovers the defense did nothing when we needed a key stop. We’ve gotta get guys back and we definitely need to come back with more discipline.
November 1st, 2021 at 12:55 am
Cannot get over that stat that zero of 22 blitzes provided pressure. Mind numbing.
Now, We have to wait two weeks to get this nasty taste out of mouth. Smh
November 1st, 2021 at 1:05 am
Turnovers and penalties. It was a complete team effort. The rematch in Tampa will tell us if this team can win in the playoffs. Obviously coaching made a difference here.
November 1st, 2021 at 1:32 am
This game isn’t all that surprising considering Arians and Bowles are 0-5 during the regular season against Sean Payton. The Bucs have a clear talent advantage over the Saints and still found a way to lose to a 3rd string QB. Just imagine if the roles were reversed and Arians had to try and win the game with Kyle Trask starting for 3 quarters. The Bucs would’ve been blown off the field. At some point Bucs fans will have to admit that the Saints have the coaching advantage and it’s only through a wide gap in QB play that keeps these games competitive.
November 1st, 2021 at 1:38 am
The Bucs consistently got excellent pressure in this game. Winston and Siemien were constantly being flushed, but the Bucs just couldn’t seal the deal and get the sack/force a bad throw. Not championship ball. They did get a pick on Siemien but it got called back by a stupid soft roughing the passer call. Definitely was a factor.
What happened to “No risk it, no biscuit” at the end of the half? Arians had 30 seconds, 2 timeouts, and the best offense in the NFL. They even got decent yardage on their “throwaway” run with Bernard. But nothing. A field goal there would’ve been a huge factor.
Loved what I saw from Tyler Johnson, and Rojo’s catch and run where he fought for yardage instead of running out of bounds like earlier in the season. We really do have good depth on offense. Wish the same could be said for defense.
Devin White let Mark Ingram get into his head early in this game. Jawing at each other since the beginning and it clearly affected White’s play when he was on the field. Whether you agree with the taunting call or not, standing over Ingram like he just dunked on him in a basketball game when in reality Ingram burned the Bucs for a decent game is a rookie move. If you’re gonna talk trash do it after a POSITIVE play.
Brady played un-Brady like this game. Still had some really good throws, love the one to Evans. But he often overthrew open receivers or chose to go to double coverage. Unfortunately the lack of a run game hurt this time.
I think the Bucs needed this punch in the mouth before the bye. Their schedule is pretty soft afterwards. Plenty of opportunity to go on another tear. This is still one of the best teams in the NFL. And the Saints defense is no joke, even if their offense is. Hopefully Jameis is back for the rematch back at RayJay, really want to see the Bucs stick it to him like they should have this game.
November 1st, 2021 at 2:27 am
Very fine article, Joe, I just wish the game was, too.
November 1st, 2021 at 2:39 am
Good analysis of the defense yesterday, Joe. Bowles needs to really look at the tape. Maybe the schemes, as you suggest, are too predictable. Tipping. Got to clean that up, for sure.
November 1st, 2021 at 3:34 am
JAMEL DEAN!?!!?!!?!?!?!? BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
You mean the same Jamel Dean that gave up the critical 3rd down conversion by being a couple of steps behind his man on the Saints go-ahead drive? THAT Jamel Dean?
November 1st, 2021 at 3:40 am
***** WUT? WUT? WUT? IT’S THE PENALTIES! ******
The penalties were 90% of the reason the Bucs lost this game.
What the hell was Gholston thinking slamming himself into the QB after his helmet came off and the pass was long gone? That was just a STUPID play that negated Winfield’s INT.
Shaq Barrett jumping into the neutral zone on a critical 3rd down? IDIOT.
Devin White, knowing full well what the ‘taunting’ rules are in the NFL? IDIOT.
RoJo, he plays in the NFL yet moves before the snap? IDIOT.
Ross Cockrell, not disengaging from his man on a the-game-is-on-the-line absolutely critical 3rd down (which Siemian had to throw the ball away)? TOTAL FREAKIN IDIOT. Saints would have been forced to kick a 50+ yard FG to try and take the lead without his penalty.
November 1st, 2021 at 3:41 am
lol lol Med Pete, you have to be BA’s long lost estranged son, and daddy of N-Dog and Tmax and everyones favorite Realist!!!!!!!!!!!!!! lol lol lol
All in fun Pete, you have earned it lol lol
I know you are a fan, but being married to negative Nancy just keeps coming out of you bro lol lol lol
GO BUCS!!!!!
November 1st, 2021 at 3:50 am
Chill out guys it is one loss. My God it was NOLA on Halloween it had all the recipes of a loss. It’s why I had it as a loss. Y’all just need to breathe and realize some things.
1. Saints do not have a starting QB anymore and a very tough schedule ahead including the Titans, Cowboys, and Bills. And no dub is guaranteed without a starting QB.
Back up QB’s always have a good first game and then teams watch footage and figure them out real quick.
2. Bucs don’t face another winning team until Bills in December and that will be at Raymond James. WFT, Giants, Colts, Falcons…I mean come on, relax. We’re still one of the best teams in Football.
3. We were never gonna sweep the Saints, we’ll get our revenge in December.
4. Firmly believe Brady and everyone will correct the penalties going forward just like the Chicago game from last year.
We will hopefully be a lot more healthy post BYE and have everyone back in the line up. It’s alright guys. Bucs were not gonna win all their games. They have a very favorable schedule going forward and I have us going anywhere from 13-4 to 15-2.
November 1st, 2021 at 4:46 am
on paper the slants have 4 more difficult games (including us), and 6 easy ones…
on paper…
i don’t see them winning more than say 11 games…
in the end we most likely win the division by about 3 games
November 1st, 2021 at 4:53 am
The penalties were inexcusable. Refs made some bad calls but this has been a problem all year. I don’t see any evidence that Devin White is better than Kwon Alexander and he’s starting to get on my nerves. Guy was talking about how he wants a hundred million dollar contract. At this point, I hope it’s for another team.
Arians needs to get his team under control or we’re not going to win in January
November 1st, 2021 at 5:28 am
I agree with you westernbuc. White needs to focus on his play and less on his trash talk. Look at David, he just balls and let’s his play talk.
Yesterday was so frustrating. Get a defensive stop, look for the flag. The defense was exposed, it was like watching the Bucs of old.
The offense looked out of sync. They have two weeks to stew on this….
Let’s go Bucs!
November 1st, 2021 at 5:57 am
@Joe … ‘This ugly Bucs loss boils down to one simple thing. Bucs defensive coordinator Todd Bowles got caught with his pants down. That’s all there is to it.’
Seriously? Blame the defense in total? ‘That’s all there is to it’? Seems like a lazy analysis to me.
Defense stunk yesterday IMO. Way too many stupid penalties, bad tackling & inability to get off of blocks. Letting Winston break free for 4 first downs & 40 yds rushing was inexcusable. Pass rush simply wasn’t effective for most of the game. LB play was atrocious IMO, especially White & LVD (personally think he came back too early & we would’ve done better with Minter out there).
But the Bucs’ offense continually set them up for failure too. Three turnovers, 2 of which came at critical times, resulted in Saints’ points. Saints’ DLine was better than our OLine for most of the game (we did have a nice spurt there resulting in a flurry of points). Our OLine run-blocking was especially bad, and resulted in a lot of wasted plays.
Oh wait, maybe that was just bad play-calling. Nah, it was both.
November 1st, 2021 at 6:15 am
Penalties were the biggest factor in this game, IMO. DUMB penalties! While some were a little “suspect” we shot ourselves in the foot every chance we got.
Don’t know if this was mentioned:TACKLING! Is it too much to ask an NFL pro to wrap up?! 2 yard gains become 7 yard gains, etc., way too many yards after contact.
November 1st, 2021 at 6:39 am
Adam from NY, no games are easy when you don’t have a starting QB. They lost to the Panthers and Giants with Jameis.
Now they don’t have Jameis, they’re in trouble to me.
November 1st, 2021 at 6:49 am
The only CB on this roster that is really worth a damn is Carlton Davis. Jason better get to drafting or signing CB for next year.
November 1st, 2021 at 7:44 am
What I don’t get is these blitzes where Shaq, JPP, or JTS are in coverage and not rushing the passer. I’d rather see them rushing every play. Every blitz package should have those guys rushing the passer. It’s obvious that Lavonte and White can’t get there by now.
November 1st, 2021 at 7:47 am
I rewatched most of the game this morning. Brady before going into locker room at half walked over to the head official and said something, smirked and walked away. My guess is he said nice job keeping the Saints in the game. Stupid legit roughing the passer call on Suh and 2 bad roughing the passes calls on White, one was the bs horse caller. Gholstons was iffy but no call for hands to the face on Saints.. Lattimore clearly grabbed Evan’s and pulled his arm on the first downfield pass from Brady, right in front of the ref, NO call. Davis their linebacker in Lenny’s face taunting, NO call, Shaq got stripped searched a few times, NO call and Nelson’s lining up offsides was huge. Jordan didn’t hit the ball out of Brady’s hand, Brady was bringing the ball back in and hit Wirfs shoulder pad in the process which caused the fumble. My favorite of the night was Cockrells Halloween costume, dressing like a Bucs DB. Payton will beat BA, BL & TB with a blind Qb in a wheelchair. Bottom line
it wasn’t just Bowles, BA & BL shat themselves to.
November 1st, 2021 at 7:58 am
Too much focus on the Saint’s backup QB burning the Bucs when it was the Bucs burning the Bucs….
3rd down penalties on that last drive…..neutral zone infraction….WTF….what good team does that?
November 1st, 2021 at 8:21 am
It’s one game, half the season is left, they will be fine.
They need to get healthy, get some rest, regroup, come back and go on a run
November 1st, 2021 at 9:52 am
Man, I’m finding it hard to read just past the head lines this morning. This loss hurt. At least there was a nice ending to this article. I hope the team isn’t deflated as much as I am today.
November 1st, 2021 at 11:34 am
The Bucs got beat because they didnt come out to play in the first half. They didnt look like they were ready to play. Almost like they just assumed they would put up 40 points at any time…
Really really looked like they just didnt care until half way through the 3rd quarter.
November 1st, 2021 at 3:14 pm
If the defense had just played a cleaner game by one less penalty, that game is a W. Someone needs to put them all in a bouncy house, turn the thing upside down and play Air Supply music at 120dB until they lose their marbles.
Then let the disciplined rehab begin. That was awful. As I said it would be. The signs have been there.