Bucs Fall To No. 3 Seed Behind Dallas
December 20th, 2021
Losses have consequences.
The Bucs’ hopes of scoring the No. 1 overall seed in the NFC nearly evaporated after last night’s shutout by the slimy Saints.
Tampa Bay is a game behind the Packers with three games remaining, and Green Bay would own the conference tiebreaker against the Bucs if both were tied (and the only teams tied) for the NFC’s best record at the end of the season.
But the Bucs have bigger issues. Today, Dallas (10-4) owns the No. 2 overall seed. When three teams or more are tied for a conference spot, head-to-head records go out the window. So it doesn’t matter that the Bucs (10-4) beat the Cowboys on opening day. Dallas, Tampa Bay and Arizona (10-4) are all tied and Dallas has a better conference record. Arizona sits as the No. 4 seed based on the tiebreakers.
The good news is the Cowboys host the Cardinals on Jan. 2. And the Bucs have two games remaining with the imploding Panthers plus one with the garbage Jets.
December 20th, 2021 at 12:37 am
It’s due to a three way tiebreaker. The bucs better win out.
December 20th, 2021 at 12:38 am
What the bucs need is the rams to lose a game as well. The rams have the tiebreaker against the cardinals if the cardinals implode. Cowboys are not losing a game .
December 20th, 2021 at 12:43 am
This team right now should figure out how to get one win in the next three so they win the division, and then pray for a couple of plane crashes that they’re not on (thanks John Mchay) —
But it doesn’t matter. Anyone coming in wanting to play us physical, we’ve proven over and over we’ll wilt like a weed when hit with Roundup.
December 20th, 2021 at 12:44 am
The Bucs better not lose out — let’s repair our expectations.
December 20th, 2021 at 12:48 am
Incidentally, the Bucs are inches from losing to the Cowboys, the Patriots, and the Bills.
This team “Knos how to win?”
Naa. This team is super lucky to not be 7-7 or worse. And if they play on like they have for the last six quarters, it doesn’t matter. They could lose to the Jets, Lions, Harvard.
December 20th, 2021 at 12:51 am
Swampbuc defense showed up at least. This offense was horrendous and some of the decisions by brady was baffling. You need 1 yard so why make those deep throws?
December 20th, 2021 at 12:55 am
I hope someone else takes the mvp. Give it to Rodgers again.
December 20th, 2021 at 12:55 am
This game will either be the nail in this season’s coffin or the moment the team galvanized into the champions they ought to be. It sure feels like the former. They were kicked in the teeth by the Bills and then had their nads stomped on by the Saints. They’ve played a lot of bad football and have still managed to eek out 10 wins…but it seems like 12 and the boys are running on empty.
December 20th, 2021 at 12:56 am
Francisco — defense was stellar — of course it was against a broke fingered QB who is horrible throwing the football. But, D should be linging up to beat the snot out of the punter, the FG kicker, the OL, the QB, the idiot returner, and the TEs. And TJ and Scotty. Basically the whole offense ser=serves a royal sodomization in front of the Queen.
But, yeah, defense.
December 20th, 2021 at 12:56 am
Bucs have to handle their own business and not worry about whether other teams beat teams for them.
December 20th, 2021 at 12:57 am
FrankPillow —
I hear the hammer hitting the nail into Boron’s forehead right now.
December 20th, 2021 at 1:03 am
silver lining:
the bucs still haven’t played their best ball yet…
yeah they had decent wins vs indy and the bills, but you can’t say they are playing like they are primed for a repeat…
they’ve been playing decent ball up until tonight…
maybe this game will wake them up…
the next 3 upcoming games can only be a tune up at best to get things right because the quality of the opponents isn’t up to snuff…
tonight was the night to thump a team dead in your own building, priming you for the playoffs, and it wasn’t done…
these boys gotta find some motivation somewhere if they’re no longer listing to BA and tommy B
#LivingInDonutville #Donutville@RayJay
December 20th, 2021 at 1:05 am
i heard the sponsor for the red t-shirts tonight was dunkin donuts
#AyeDonutWasServedUpAtRayJay
December 20th, 2021 at 1:10 am
A wake-up call and a knock-out punch are about 3 ergs of energy different.
This one looked like a give-out. Brady wasn’t even trying, he was doing his best Aaron Ridgers Under Duress imitation.
Lenny WIDE AsS OPEN on a 3rd and two, NO, let’s throw it to Douchedon who doesn’t even know how to to run a go route right.
Stupid is as stupid does. Thanks Forrest Gump.
December 20th, 2021 at 1:19 am
Yeah. No more long bombs on 3rd and 1.
December 20th, 2021 at 1:20 am
Let’s review last year’s playoff run.
Barely got by WTF. Barely/
Barely got by the Aints when Brees was obviously compromised. The game was close until less than 4 minutes left.
Barley got by the Packers — if LeFleur doesn’t turn ghost on 4th down, they probably win.
The ONLY GAME that was dominant in any way was the Sper Bowl. One out of the bunch, and even that was close considering paraplegice on both ends of the Chiefs OL.
This team wins with a lot of Brady effect smoke and mirrors.
How about doing what the Saints did tonight ? Just show up and whup somebody’s arse physically on offense to win a game?
Naa that’s too old school. No genius in that………………….
This team gives me the tireds.
December 20th, 2021 at 1:22 am
if this team gives up and loses ANY OF THESE REMAINING 3 GAMES…
tommy b will retire or leave the bucs…
if they fail tom that badly he will turn his back and walk into the sunset
December 20th, 2021 at 1:23 am
What the Bucs need is to worry about their own quality of play and pray they somehow pull it together. They’ve lost twice to the saints and to two playoff teams- they aren’t all that and need to stop reading their own press. They have not had the killer instinct once this year in my opinion. That rugby play at the goal line was an abomination
December 20th, 2021 at 1:25 am
Homer has it right — and if Homer can see it, why not the alleged GOAT?
To DARDEN no less???????
Is Brady just trying to show how important AB is? He had him back already, it didn’t require brain death to prove that did it Gisele?
December 20th, 2021 at 1:40 am
Adam — do you watch the games at all? If you did you’d realize that one of the biggest reasons the Bucs have ony scored 3 points in the last 6 quarters of regulation is that Tom is playing substandarad for Tom. He is missing throws. That’s due to the Bills and the the Saints putting everyone up on the line and daring Tom to guess who is rushing and who is not — which takes him away from plotting who to hit deep or anywhere.
The Bucs have been exposed. Brady better go to Boron and demand he let Tom call the plays the rest of the regular season — please NO MORE 3rd DOWN BOMBS when a guy is standing WIDE OPEN for the first down? Good tap dancing christ. Did they decide they wanted to lose this game on purpose???????
SHUT OUT AT HOME.
Even Lovie Smith couldn’t do that.
December 20th, 2021 at 1:41 am
WHY throw bombs to Darden in 2 short yardage situations ?? Is this BL’s idea of situation football ???
December 20th, 2021 at 1:51 am
Capt — Brady is the one who chooses who to throw to. He gets frustrated and wants the numbers. He is the one who needs to go back to LET’S JUST WIN, BABY!
His play is why we lost tonight, even with the horrible OL play.
December 20th, 2021 at 1:51 am
That’s a coaching issue. Not a Brady issue. If the other team has adapted to what you are doing, then you need to change something. If the Bucs don’t know how to do that, then we have bad coaches.
I think we started this game with like a dozen straight passes. Why? Why the hell would that be our script when the Saints defense is obviously set up to counter that with the 2-deep cover 2? Are you telling me Leftwich doesn’t know what plays to call to counter that scheme? It’s frustrating as hell to see these playcalls where we are trying to force a square peg in a round hole.
Look, here’s the reality. Teams know how to slow down the Bucs offense. That blueprint is out there. Either we change our gameplan and schemes, or this season is over.
December 20th, 2021 at 2:22 am
Agree with Jerry. Saints didn’t do anything much different than the last time. These coaches have had weeks to prepare for same old blueprint. Instead, a repeat. Coaching has been worrisome all season, and I fear for their chances.
At best, this year’s team smells a lot like the 1996 Dallas Cowboys. A so-so team that got kicked around by division rivals with physical blueprints, but benefitted from fortunate playoff matchups and luck, and enough championship pedigree to wheeze out one last bit of glory. Need all of it now.
December 20th, 2021 at 2:29 am
Coaching lost this game tonight..Simple as that. Time to start taking some blame Mr. Arians. Your offense scored a big goose egg tonight. Not acceptable. Go Bucs!
December 20th, 2021 at 2:40 am
One more thing. I’m glad AB is coming back. Without him last years Super Bowl never happens. Time to get this ship right! Go Bucs! Keep the change you filthy animals.
December 20th, 2021 at 4:08 am
The number one scoring offense couldnt score 10 it’s really incredible.
December 20th, 2021 at 5:27 am
SwampBuc literally spamming the comments section with the terrible takes, chill out dude and go the f to sleep dude.
December 20th, 2021 at 5:43 am
Swampbuc Says:
December 20th, 2021 at 12:48 am
Incidentally, the Bucs are inches from losing to the Cowboys, the Patriots, and the Bills.
This team “Knos how to win?”
Naa. This team is super lucky to not be 7-7 or worse. And if they play on like they have for the last six quarters, it doesn’t matter. They could lose to the Jets, Lions, Harvard.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^
You lost any/all credibility when you said the Bucs would finish 6-11. Kick rocks, Swampbuc.
December 20th, 2021 at 5:58 am
Yeah go to sleep Swampbuc this isn’t your night bro. Also Saints injuries on offense when it was their defense solely that won them the game. They couldn’t do crap on offense, didn’t even score a touchdown.
Saints defense is a top 5 unit and had their studs back. Panthers and Jets are nowhere close to the Saints defense.
December 20th, 2021 at 7:40 am
I figured I’d wake up in a good mood since its the week of Christmas. Nope, I’m still p!ssed. The saints outside of last year’s playoff win are in the heads of our coaches and players alike. They stole our lunch money and slapped us in the face for good measure. Sad.
December 20th, 2021 at 8:55 am
Did the Bucs regroup at halftime and figure out what the Saints were doing to stop their offense? Nope, same stuff as in the first half.
Without Godwin and Evan, the only way to counter the Saints fronts would have been to use the running game and get outside. The toss plays to Jones were working. More roll out passes would have been a better option too.
Putting Brady in shotgun all night and not giving him clean pocket was a good reason to change the offense and attack the Saints in the flats and to the outside.
December 20th, 2021 at 9:16 am
yesterdays game is not over complicated. the saints rushed 4, played press man across the wide outs and tight ends and then played 2 deep safety. this forces brady to hold onto the ball. Now take away evans and godwin and the ONLY quick available pass is fournette then what is brady supposed to do? darden, miller and johnson could NOT get off press coverage!!! period!! they couldn’t get open and got zero seperation.. the wide receiver screen game goes away because its tough to do against press man and equally miller and darden are small and not blockers.
probably should have come out trying to run them out of the cover 2 shell but came out with our normal no huddle pass game that has worked.
even with the offensive line and struggling to block… well no one is open so ball is not coming and it has to be held longer
December 20th, 2021 at 11:01 am
There are some experts here who pretend to be fans who don’t like it when criticism is leveled at the Bucs.
Here is a fact.
If the Bucs play offense like they have the last six quarters, they will either miss the playoffs or get bludgeoned in the wild card round. Period.
That was an atrocity last night. Leeman Bennet, Richard Williamson, Raheem Morris, Greg Schiano. None of those genius coaches ever got shut out at home. Ever.
But go ahead and pretend what you want about this team and hate on the truth all you want.
December 20th, 2021 at 2:55 pm
we’ll be one & done in playoffs ..we could not beat Rams, Aints –never mind Dallas or Packers..
December 24th, 2021 at 7:39 pm
Everyone seems to think the Bucs defense played great without even contemplating that the Saint’s defense was better..