Health Is Now The Greatest Obstacle
December 21st, 2021
Good, but not what he once was.
We will all see what happens in the coming weeks, but Joe has a dreaded thought that the slimy Saints broke the Bucs.
It wasn’t just the score, it was the injuries. No team can make a serious run at the Super Bowl if it loses four of its best players (Lavonte David, Mike Evans, Leonard Fournette and Chris Godwin).
And as Joe’s good friend Mike Tanier of Football Outsiders points out, the days of Brady being able to beat good teams riding the back of Rob Gronkowski are likely done.
Brady cannot play at a championship-caliber level anymore with only Rob Gronkowski to throw to. If the Bucs limp into the playoffs with a depleted playmaker corps, they won’t stand a chance against opponents such as the Cowboys or Packers. Fortunately, they have three weeks to get guys healthy. But a month would have been preferable.
Joe thinks Tanier makes a heckuva point about Gronk. Oh, he’s still damn good. But if Brady could have leaned on Gronk to bail out the Bucs on Sunday night, he would have done so. We all saw what happened. Gronk struggled, too.
If Evans can get healthy with Antonio Brown in the lineup, Joe will feel a lot better. But damn that injury to Godwin is a punch in the nuts.
December 21st, 2021 at 9:04 am
Again brady had less to work with in new england but the problem is this coaching staff sucks at making a game plan. Evans, healthy AB, Gronk, etc whoever else is still a good group.
December 21st, 2021 at 9:07 am
last year we´ve been extremly lucky, not this year…..We are not alone, some other teams have the same problems, and it gets worst with Covid…
If CG is down(heartbreacking) his replacemnt will be AB, we need to change the way we play…No mistery here.
I have expectations on BP and Miller…..
Let´s not get apocaliptic, let´s keep expectations high.
We have good weapons and we have TB12.
Go Bucs
December 21st, 2021 at 9:08 am
It’s almost better at this point to just bench everyone when playing the Saints in the regular season and take the losses without taking the injuries from dirty hits. The coaching staff should just admit it is inferior to Peyton and the Saints defense. That game cost them players, momentum, it probably cost Brady MVP. An absolute catastrophe. This is probably fatal.
December 21st, 2021 at 9:15 am
All of the teams that beat us have one thing in common. They were all able to pressure Brady, with 4 people.
Pressure with only 4 people leaves a ton of people left to cover our receivers.
Thank GOD we still have AB to save our season, now that Godwin is out.
IMHO, our offense needs to adjust to teams that are able to pressure us with only 4 people.
We need to stop with this empty backfield BS, and keep a back in to block any one who gets through our line.
December 21st, 2021 at 9:16 am
I agree with Francisco. Byron is awful at his job. That was the primary factor that cost us against the saints. They have our number and Byron ran out of plays it seems like or cannot make any adjustments because he doesn’t know how to.
December 21st, 2021 at 9:21 am
Evans
AB
BP
Tyler
Miller
Darden
W/Gronk & Brate/OJ is more than enough. Missing CG will be difficult but if offense EXECUTES we will be fine. That said get healthy Godwin see you next year.
I want WFT again followed by Rams.
Go Bucs!
Go
December 21st, 2021 at 9:21 am
@”…we need to change the way we play…No mistery here….”
———————————–
We do not have a coach that knows how. This was due long time.
We were hoping TB12 can do that, can he?? He is The GOAT as a QB. Can he design plays?? I’m not sure at this point.
Actually after SNG, I’m confused on everything we are, or are NOT.
December 21st, 2021 at 9:22 am
#BountyGate is back
December 21st, 2021 at 9:27 am
Ben told y’all this would happen. Last year you were extremely healthy. That doesn’t happen two years in a row. Winning Superbowls requires a certain amount of luck, and all the stars aligned last year. Alongside health, no fans for road playoff games, and the superbowl in your home stadium!!! Throw in some of the stupidest coaching decisions for the other teams, and you get a title. If you had decent coaching, Ben wouldn’t write off the bucs, but you don’t, so I am. One good thing… You probably won’t have ole ammonia brain to kick around anymore. Get ready to say goodbye to him and his Darth Vader battery pack. Same goes for leftwit. Someone will probably give him a head coaching gig, and that would be great news for y’all. Let Brady bring in his guys, someone like bill O’Brien would be a great coordinator
December 21st, 2021 at 9:29 am
one man: Larry Fitzgerald
December 21st, 2021 at 9:31 am
All the trolls loving the Buc’s lost.
This team still has a very strong coaching staff, the Goat at QB and a lot of other capable players that will be ready come playoff time.
I am still 50/50 betting that the Bucs can repeat as champs.
December 21st, 2021 at 9:31 am
actually we need perriman to become something in this offense as he did late in 2019 with jameis…
he is the x factor…
the grimy yac of godwin is now gone – gotta replace it with the speed of perriman…
we already know what we get in AB – and he’s on the same page with tom…
perriman becomes important now…
we know what we have in scotty and tyler…complimentary pieces to a stacked line up
December 21st, 2021 at 9:31 am
@crazyBucs_CL
I think we do have a coaching staff that can adjust, there is no doubt in my mind…And we also have TB12 that he knows better than everybody that we need to and has the weapons to…
If you check the Bucs resume since BA stepped in, we had different options and different game plans, and the overall result was pretty amazing…..
I undesrtand we are somehow confused , and this CG situations really hurts, but we have weapons, we have a good coahcing staff, and we have TB12…..
I just can´t see why we sholud be apocalitic….Last season was very clear we can adjust…..And also to be a SB champ, you need some luck…..
December 21st, 2021 at 9:33 am
perriman has to become a true number 3…
with tyler and scotty punching in at 4 and 5
dardin is……well………….dardin
December 21st, 2021 at 9:37 am
i wonder if there is a way we can find someone to catch balls and create yac around the line of scrimmage like godwin…
sheesh he is gonna be sorely missed and the offense really changes with him out for the year…
all of a sudden our receiver group has lost that balance…we are now a speed and finesse group…godwin was the rugged baller of the bunch
December 21st, 2021 at 9:40 am
DON’T play ME, LF, LD till first playoff game. No matter what condition these players are, we want them 100% and totally healthy. I hope BA understand that.
December 21st, 2021 at 9:54 am
Sooooo, this coaching staff was good enough last year to win a SB but now they all “suck”?!
That’s what we’re saying here?!
If we were 4-10, you might have an argument.
Repeat after me: The sky is NOT falling!
December 21st, 2021 at 10:01 am
Joe-is there any chance we see Godwin come playoff time? Is it possible BA is holding back a little to keep teams from preparing early for our O attack?
December 21st, 2021 at 10:06 am
christina get off the tina…
godwin is lucky if he’s back by training camp for one of 32 teams, let alone the bucs…
he is a free agent and will soon have a bionic knee like lee majors 🙂
December 21st, 2021 at 10:08 am
Overreaction Tuesday.Lefty call the play that beat the bills. BA is by far the best offensive mind and head coach the franchise has ever had. Nobody is talking about how well the defense played with three starters out. It was always a long shot to repeat but we’ve beaten some good teams this year and we will not be any easy out for anybody. Team shouldn’t make excuses about injuries but they do matter. Ask the Ravens, the Browns, and the 49ers.
December 21st, 2021 at 10:08 am
Sean, you nailed it! I was thinking the same thing yesterday. If we beat the Panthers Sunday, just forfeit the last two hahahhahaha Get our players healthy. Last year we came from 9-6, (i think), and won the SB in asskick’n style. could it happen again. If you think our government can spend $5 trillion and it won’t cost a penny, then YES we can do it again hahahaha
December 21st, 2021 at 10:28 am
Just get healthy. I don’t care about seeding that much. Figure out which young WRs are ready to step up for playoffs in our last 3 games.
December 21st, 2021 at 10:31 am
Ben Green go back to whatever hole you crawled out of and root for whatever loser team you follow. If you think the Bucs are done you are an idiot. Even if you didn’t think the Bucs are done your still an idiot. There are a lot of playmakers on this team and our defense is starting to play well. I hope everyone else around the league thinks like you do, and writes the Bucs off. The Bucs don’t play well as front runners anyway, but play great when people start kicking dirt on them.
December 21st, 2021 at 10:35 am
Mike will miss only a couple games.
Godwin will return for the playoffs.
Rojo can do pretty good in place of Leneord, assuming his gassed issues are not due to Covid.
David? Huge loss.
December 21st, 2021 at 10:36 am
alton d green Says:
“If we beat the Panthers Sunday, just forfeit the last two..”
Because everyone loves a team that quits? Don’t even suggest that.
December 21st, 2021 at 10:42 am
Brady could never win with just Gronk. He had Edleman, Amendola, White, a slew of receivers. They won the Atlanta SB without Gronk, he was injured they had Bennett as the TE. I will say with the loss of Godwin it is imperative D steps up cause 30 points may not be in the future. As far a Ben G, his Pat’s got exposed Monday and Wentz sucked.
December 21st, 2021 at 10:47 am
dang bonzai…
you smoking the mini bonzai tree roots and typing away
December 21st, 2021 at 10:51 am
If we can’t beat the Panthers and get bounced in round 1, it’s 2008 all over again. Party is over. There will be mass retirements. And this team goes back to square one.
December 21st, 2021 at 12:02 pm
And this holiday season JBF theme is…”broke the Bucs”. We get it!
December 21st, 2021 at 12:16 pm
Not sure what happened to Gronk. He doesn’t have the speed he used to, but normally he is very sure handed. One drop was surprising, but I could not believe the one where he didn’t seem to even be looking for the ball and a perfect pass just went right through his hands.
Anyone who thinks the Bucs are not in trouble is deluding themselves. It is not like the offense was playing consistently great before all the injuries. I can’t remember the last time the offense dominated both halves. They seem to play great one half and tank the other. Brady just seems slightly off too. Will help to have AB back, but it is game to game if he gets injured again or suspended for another screw up.
December 21st, 2021 at 1:25 pm
Yo, anyone thinking Godwin is back for playoffs is mistaken.
TORN ACL & SPRAINED MCL.
He’s done this year guys!!
9 months of surgery/rehab coming his way..
December 21st, 2021 at 1:57 pm
Block and protect Brady, he will find a way. Perriman has to play his ass off these last 3 games. Offensive line has to be more physical because if they open up some holes for Rojo, he is even more explosive than LF. Just don’t make Brady hold on to the ball.
Start opening up that playbook to make defenses guess what Bucs will do. The passing game has to compliment the running game so that play action gets back into the offense.
December 21st, 2021 at 1:58 pm
Gronk saw what they were doing , so he was protecting himself ; rather than his typical running the pattern focusing up on the ball—he was watching who was coming from what direction.. There were also 2 PI penalties that the refs didn’t call ..
IF we’re healthy in 3 wks ; we could beat WFT, 49’s or Cards in 1st round
But ,,I just don’t see us beating the Rams or Packers
December 21st, 2021 at 2:49 pm
Bucsfanman
Right on. Leftwich sucks so it means our entire coaching staff does????? Very wrong.
What an embarrassment that the rest of the NFL has proved Bucs fans are nothing but BANDWAGON. GOAT was Jesus freaking Christ before Sunday night to fans and now we’re 10-4 instead of 11-3.
DO YOU PEOPLE REMEMBER OUR COACHING STAFFS AFTER 2007???!!! A-holes.
December 21st, 2021 at 2:55 pm
Limping into the playoffs??? I could be wrong but Gronk collected 71 yards his first game out of his SERIOUS INJURY. These guys are expected to be back for the playoffs. Vea returned against Packers in the NFCC and had a very large part in winning the super bowl.
Joke.
December 21st, 2021 at 3:10 pm
* These guys are expected to be back for the playoffs
Minus Godwin. My dumb arse. Always love you Chris. Hope you don’t end up with Byron calling bullspit plays all day.
December 21st, 2021 at 3:53 pm
This makes no sense. So if the Bucs lose in the playoffs at any point, we blame it on a loss in week 15? Lol. Odds are stacked against us right now but already blaming it on one game this far out is just irresponsible. They injured us yeah but my god let’s not crucify the season if we lose In the playoffs because of this. Bucs haven’t played the best ball in the nfc season long. Packers are right now with cowboys close behind.
December 21st, 2021 at 5:20 pm
Neither Brady nor Gronk should be relied upon so heavily. They need everyone else to be healthy and lights out. Even before Bountygate 2.0, health and depth were already compromised.
Credit where due, they all did a good job last season but repeating is way more difficult, and with a gimpy team, way tougher road. Opposing coaches have had more time to hone in on the weaknesses (while our coaches have not responded well)
December 22nd, 2021 at 8:01 am
If you’ve got Evans, Gronk, Brate, AB and BP that’s more than enough to beat the Panthers and the Jets but replacing Fournette is the wildcard in making the offense multi dimensional. Can’t win a Super Bowl without him.