One Player Is Why Bucs Are Watching Playoffs Sunday
January 29th, 2022
Missed.
Maybe it is just Joe, but man, Championship Sunday is one of the best days of the year.
Today, Joe just isn’t that geeked for it. It feels like to Joe a college football Saturday without any marquee games. You’re cool with it because it is football and you will watch it because it is football but you just aren’t stoked.
Obviously, one reason is the Bucs lost last week on a terrible defensive playcall after a first quarter with a terrible defensive gameplan.
In the mind of one former Bucs guard, Ian Beckles, the reason why the Bucs are not playing this weekend can be summed up with the name of one player. Tristan Wirfs.
Of course, Wirfs, the Bucs’ All-Pro right tackle, did not play last week because of an injury. He blew up his ankle and may need offseason surgery. If the Bucs had a healthy Wirfs, Beckles believes the Bucs would have beaten the Rams, so he said on his podcast “In the Trenches.”
Beckles said the Rams dominating the line of scrimmage when the Bucs had the ball was crushing.
“Without Tristan Wirfs, I didn’t like the Bucs chances,” Beckles said. “With Tristan Wirfs, I liked their chances. Put Tristan Wirfs in that game and the Buccaneers are a completely different team. Completely different.
“They don’t lose the pass-rush. They can’t run the ball as well (without Wirfs). The Rams were just a tough team to match-up against down Tristan Wirfs.”
There is no doubt about it. Wirfs was a massive loss and despite the team suffering so many injuries, both physical and mental, probably the one player they couldn’t survive without was Wirfs.
With Wirfs, perhaps the Bucs had enough firepower to unleash Playoff Lenny and allow the Bucs to play keep-away from Matt Stafford?
January 29th, 2022 at 8:04 am
The Rams took advantage of our injuries, we couldn’t take advantage of theirs.
January 29th, 2022 at 8:06 am
This team was not injured in 2020 and summited the mountain. This year they remained among the favorites until Godwin went down, Shaq came up lame in Charlotte and Whirfs did too in wild card game.
Injuries defeated the 2021 Bucs more so than their opponents. I can’t just say it’s one player, but yes the theme is spot on.
January 29th, 2022 at 8:16 am
Same reasons times three of why Kanas City did not win the superbowl last year. Funny how everyone was saying too bad next man up last year.
January 29th, 2022 at 8:22 am
Proud Bucs fan – yes but here’s the thing, no one was talking about Kansas City’s offensive Line when they trounced Buffalo on their way to the Super Bowl. Kansas City was still favored. No one seemed concerned. I guess it was a problem, you know, after the fact when they got manhandled. Then all of a sudden it became a problem
January 29th, 2022 at 8:25 am
Wirfs was important but he didn’t play defense…..our defense gave up 30 and crumbled on their final drive.
Here is what we are told “We just didn’t execute”…….who the hell is “we”….
I think it’s they who didn’t execute…..and, who the hell are they.
January 29th, 2022 at 8:29 am
Secondary blew this game not injury’s
January 29th, 2022 at 8:31 am
Wirfs and our defense has not been the same since JPP went down. Since then we can’t sit back and rush 4. There’s no pressure. He’s a game changer.
January 29th, 2022 at 8:33 am
The coaching staff did not prepare to defend a hurry-up two-minute drill.
January 29th, 2022 at 8:35 am
Defense created 3 out of the 4 turnovers by the Rams , without those turnovers Bucs are never even in the game, get off the D.
January 29th, 2022 at 8:38 am
You can tell that Tampabaybucfan and other simple-minded buc fans have been brainwashed by Arains. So the players did not execute in the first half but did in the second half? Or was the players did not execute just another excuse in a very long list of Arians excuses that he was outcoached once again.
January 29th, 2022 at 8:43 am
WRONG as usual Beckles.
Bucs lost to the Rams because they could not generate any PASS RUSH whatsoever.
January 29th, 2022 at 8:44 am
Yes, it would definitely have been a better offensive performance with Wirfs in the lineup. Still, it doesn’t completely erase the poor defensive game plan and execution. Anyone and everyone knows that you can’t let Kupp beat you. You have to account for him at all times. You have to double him at all times. Bucs didn’t do that and paid the price.
January 29th, 2022 at 9:10 am
Unfortunately Wirfs couldn’t cover Kupp either, so I’m not buying we would’ve won had he played. He did play when we lost to them during the season, so he wasn’t why we lost this game.
January 29th, 2022 at 9:17 am
Facts
January 29th, 2022 at 9:24 am
With Wirfs, we win. The kid is a stud. It was a huge deal that he could not play.
January 29th, 2022 at 9:26 am
Yup, Beckles is spot on. Keep everything the same but add a healthy Tristan Wirfs back to the O-line and we win last Sunday.
I tried for years to explain to Joe the importance of having a dominant O-line, and we literally didn’t win the Super until last year when we had a legitimately elite top 5 unit. Of course having Tom Brady helped, but as you saw last week, a QB can only do so much when his protection is collapsing on nearly every snap.
Our O-line depth is also a major problem moving forward, because unfortunately injuries aren’t ever going away, and unlike the assessment of one of the Joes, I don’t think Josh Wells played.. well at all, in fact he got absolutely worked over.
Hopefully Brady comes back for a farewell tour, but even if he doesn’t, we still need to draft a quality back-up tackle or 2 for whoever is going to be playing QB (COME ON RUSSELL WILSON!) for us next season.
January 29th, 2022 at 9:28 am
IaN Becklee is right.
but not for why he thinks.
Words was missed. All Game long The offennse was out of synzc without him. This forced the coaching staff to do an all out blitz because the team could be counted on to score in overtime. And all out blitz, if effective, offered an opportunity to create a turnover, kick a FG and end the game.
Not having Wirfs eliminated the chance to go for two and end the game.
January 29th, 2022 at 9:31 am
Well this destroys all the super negative crap narrative about Todd Bowles sux being repetedly commented about.
OMG some actual wisdom from Beckles.
If the Bucs offensive line was not dominated in the first half, then the Brady led offense scores more than 3.
Team beatdown Team Loss REALITY CHECK
GO BUCS!!!!!
January 29th, 2022 at 9:31 am
Look, Wirfs’ absence certainly made a difference, but when it comes right down to it, we were in the game and may have won if it had not been for that one defensive series at the end of the game. Brady was hot, and maybe we win the toss in OT and he takes us down the field to score. We’ll never know, but bad D play calling on the Ram’s last drive is what lost the game.
January 29th, 2022 at 9:32 am
Sorry PSL Bob, the first half counts, because it was 24-10 Bucs in the 2nd half
GO BUCS!!!!!
January 29th, 2022 at 9:34 am
Football broadcasts have come so close to being an infomercial it’s sickening and nearly unwatchable for me if I’m not watching the Bucs. The silly rules and constant barrage of commercials are sucking the joy out of watching anyone other than the Bucs for me.
January 29th, 2022 at 9:34 am
YES. Injuries matter. This was why the Buccaneers crushed the Chiefs in the Super Bowl last year. Very unfortunate but that’s football.
January 29th, 2022 at 9:43 am
There are 2 men responsible for the Bucs not playing this weekend. Todd Bowles & Bruce Arians. BL gets a pass, he doesn’t coach D.
January 29th, 2022 at 9:43 am
Why do you continue to look for an excuse/reason for the loss…Wirfs out, DBs, no pass rush, Winfield blew coverage, LVD didn’t rush, blah, blah blah.
Imo, the reason is obvious BA, BL, and TB. We had the same gameplan that we lost with playing the rams in the season. Wirfs played the rams last time when we threw 50x and we threw 50x without him. Our rush was weak all year, sure flashes…a push from a tackle here, a Barrett sighting there. We never established a run game, virtually giving it up after our 3rd run of the game after two 8+ yd gains (Wirfs wasn’t in for those 1st 2 runs either). Sure tackling was terrible, yes Wells got blown up, but gameplan on both sides of the ball was the reason for the loss. That game was over by halftime and just because of a few exceptional individual plays to create fumbles you act as though it was an equal battle except for X. We were outcoached again and this time individual player talent could not make up for poor preparation and game planning.
January 29th, 2022 at 9:43 am
‘One reason for that is the Bucs lost last week on a terrible defensive playcall after a first quarter with a terrible defensive gameplan.’
Glad you added the ‘one reason’ to that statement Joe, because it was a TOTAL TEAM LOSS. The offense stunk it up for 3 quarters; the S/Ts looked even worse. The defense floundered especially during the 1st half, but finally got it together for most of the 2nd half. That game would’ve been a total blowout if not for their 4 takeaways in the 2nd half.
For the life of me, I can’t figure out why Wells was in there. He gave it all he had I’m sure, but he was pretty banged up (like Wirfs), and even max protect didn’t keep pressure off of Brady. Who BTW didn’t exactly have his best game (30-for-54?). Neither did Gronk (4-of-11 for 85 yds?). Or Brate (1-of-3 for 9 yds, even though he played over half the game). Donovan didn’t exactly rise to the occasion either.
But we found our scapegoat in Todd Bowles so we’re good. Let’s all move on. Well, not until after we launch a suitable number of scapegoats into the desert. Todd Bowles deserves lots of company after that game.
January 29th, 2022 at 9:51 am
DR…”But we found our scapegoat in Todd Bowles so we’re good. Let’s all move on. Well, not until after we launch a suitable number of scapegoats into the desert. Todd Bowles deserves lots of company after that game”.
”
1000% agree DR…again like you said Well, not until after we launch a suitable number of scapegoats into the desert.”
Seems like people just want a pound of flesh, objectivity be damned.
Whatever…..
GO BUCS!!!!!!
January 29th, 2022 at 9:51 am
Out All-World LT played a heck of a game though……….
January 29th, 2022 at 10:02 am
Whenever you claim one player’s absence causes a loss & it’s not a QB…..you are likely to be wrong.
And, imagine how many points the Rams would have scored without the turnovers?
I’m not giving BA a pass…a fish stinks from the head. Saying we didn’t execute is like saying we didn’t do our job well…..didn’t execute is probably the worst excuse for losing…..got our a$$ beat by a better team….or better coached team, I can buy.
January 29th, 2022 at 10:27 am
And AB and Chris
January 29th, 2022 at 10:51 am
Contrary to Beckles and some commenters here I think that all other things being as they were we would have won if Chris Godwin were available. His absence was the difference not Wirfs. Surely we would have scored at least one touchdown in the first half if we had possessed sufficient firepower. Our defence did its job overall.
January 29th, 2022 at 10:53 am
I agree with DR that no one person or decision lost the game.
This was a tough matchup from the get go.
1. Bucs lost Godwin to injury Rams added Beckham advantage Rams
2. Bucs forced to play injured JPP Rams added Von Miller advantage Rams
3. Bucs play injured Wells and and over matched DS76 Rams had Donald, Floyd,
Von Miller creating mismatches to pressure Brady Advantage Rams
The only way we win is for everybody on team to have near perfect games. That didn’t happen. As for DS 76, his steps to get in position are so methodical
that its gives a good speed rusher the chance of using their own momentum to
get around him.
January 29th, 2022 at 10:54 am
This was my play.
Not gonna attack the d coordinator for a gamble.
But this was on not having wirfs. Also, we still could have had a chance if we didn’t make that last tackle. Let kupp score a touchdown and we still had a small chance.
January 29th, 2022 at 11:15 am
Saints brought a JV team into Tampa and beat us in all 3 phases of the game!
STOP WITH THE EXCUSES!!!!
Elite staffs and coaching don’t make excuses, they coach around it.
January 29th, 2022 at 11:28 am
With Wirfs, Brady stays cleaner, and Bucs score 14 more points.
Injuries do play a part of the game.
Last year the team was very healthy outside of Vea and to a lesser extent Godwin.
January 29th, 2022 at 11:33 am
Didn’t know Wirfs decided to have a safety cover Cooper Kupp as the cherry on top of a game of stupid defensive play calls.
January 29th, 2022 at 11:51 am
Bellingham Bucs Fan Says:
January 29th, 2022 at 11:33 am
Didn’t know Wirfs decided to have a safety cover Cooper Kupp as the cherry on top of a game of stupid defensive play calls.
Yep that logic sure covers the beatdown the offensive line got put on them in the first half by the Rams Defensive line.
Yeah 3 points, pathetic offense, Got manhandled in the first half.
Oh But Todd it is all your fault, I forgot, the first 30 min of getting seal clubbed actually does not count. lol
Oh and Brady and the offense getting stopped on 4th down in the second half does not count either.
NOOOOOOO!!! Team got a beatdown put on them, the Team got beat by a better team on Sunday.
GO BUCS!!!!!
January 29th, 2022 at 11:53 am
Our Bucs lost to a better team Buc fans. It was a culmination of a lot of things. And the coaching played a much less part than the author of this article would suggest. Blame the players. Look at that final drive by the Rams. And study our linebackers and defensive secondary. You will find the answers there. Look at our lack of a pass rush the entire game. Team. We lost to a better TEAM.
January 29th, 2022 at 12:02 pm
I agree that we lost to a better team.
Sure, Wirfs would have made a difference, but Donovan Smith was getting beat left and right, so what about that ?
January 29th, 2022 at 12:07 pm
it’s never one player…ever…
unless his name is tommy b
January 29th, 2022 at 12:09 pm
omg i could have looped around donovan in the rams game if i wanted too…
it’s like he played in concrete cleats
January 29th, 2022 at 12:13 pm
All of this talk about the bad defensive call at the end, but for some reason no one is mentioning the missed field goal, which enabled the Rams to win by a filed goal instead of tie with a field goal. I wonder what would have happened if the game had gone into OT.
January 29th, 2022 at 12:14 pm
August, DR, there were four games lost by 3 or less points last weekend. The Bill’s lost due to a ST, HC bad call on a kick off, Titans because Vrabel decided to go for 2 rather than 1 after a.TD and Tannahill throwing into double coverage costing the team a FG attempt for the win, Bowles bad final call. The only one was Bengals where both teams fought to the end and the best team won. My point is ONE mistake can change the outcome of a game. Bucs no matter what the offensive or defensive scheme were never going to blowout the Rams. You can sugar coat it anyway you like but that ONE mistake cost them a shot at a victory. There were a combination of errors by both teams resulting in a tie. Fact remains Bucs had the momentum and as DR stated in a previous post the Rams O & D were more fatigued than the Bucs. Thanks BA & Bowles. My last point, if LVD and White, Shaq and whomever else were not in position tells me the play came in late by Bowles.
January 29th, 2022 at 12:34 pm
@Joe- I keep thinking that it isn’t that we lost words that did it. It was that we couldn’t beat the Saints once.
If they’d done that, wirfs would have been sitting that weekend.
January 29th, 2022 at 12:35 pm
Agree with Beckles.
January 29th, 2022 at 12:47 pm
Swamparse, the Rams all pro left tackle was also out. Bucs problem was the coaches opted to line a broken JPP up against their backup making him also look like a ALL Pro. Any great BA/Bowles call.
January 29th, 2022 at 12:48 pm
We got clipped by a better team put together specifically to compete with us. I really appreciate how the team still played their tails off in spite of missing some key pieces. We have been fortunate to have the O line intact for as long as we have had. Wishing those guys a happy and healthy recovery.
January 29th, 2022 at 1:07 pm
Listnfrmafar … ‘My point is ONE mistake can change the outcome of a game.’
I don’t disagree with you, BUT … what’s the ONE play? Would you pick the LAST 44-yd pass play to Kupp with 27 seconds left that allowed the Rams to get into FG territory? Most seem to. How about the play right before that with only 35 seconds left when Stafford went deep to Kupp for 20 yds from their own 24 yd line? Had that been incomplete game outcome could’ve been quite different.
Or maybe the ONE play was at 4:31 of the 4th qtr when Bucs were 4th-and-1 on the Rams 31-yd line and Brady threw incomplete to Brate. Had Brate caught it & the Bucs converted, we MIGHT have scored … or not … but in any event the game timing would’ve changed completely.
Oh no, let’s try another. Bucs are 3rd-and-5 on the Rams 27-yd line with 13:11 to go in the 4th qtr, and Brady gets sacked. I think THAT was the play of the game, because it took us out of FG territory, and THEN we failed to convert on the resultant 4th-and-14 when Brady threw incomplete deep to Mike Evans. Had we made THAT FG we would’ve been ahead 30-27 when that last Rams occurred and the Rams FG would’ve just tied it & taken us to OT. Yup, THAT was the ONE play.
My point Listnfrmafar is that I or anyone could pick dozens of plays that, if executed differently, could’ve changed the outcome of the game. It’s NEVER ONE PLAY.
January 29th, 2022 at 1:23 pm
Lirtfckstkidiot is clueless. Had been clueless, has been clueless, will be clueless and will have been clueless.
The Rams didn;t miss their LT because the backup played well enough to neutralize our ineffective edge rush anyway. But reason and logic have never been attributes of consonant boy.
January 29th, 2022 at 1:44 pm
I like to listen to Ian Beckles’ podcast, but sometimes he’s overly simplistic. It wasn’t justs missing Wirfs. Lots of factors.
January 29th, 2022 at 1:53 pm
T.W. could have greatly helped out the cause first announced by 4-Net breakin’ through on plays 1 &2!!
However, it was the D-Fence that cost the game, even though this site and others warned not to over-Blitz during the run up week to the game.
It is almost like an inescapable fate to see the season go down the drain bowl.
Yet we shall reemerge once more in the fragrant Summer air in the fair and unsullied waters of ye’ Tampa Bay. Sailing on!
January 29th, 2022 at 1:59 pm
Success in the playoffs doesn’t seem complicated. If you avoid key injuries, you have a much better chance. KC had O-line issues during the SB last year and we put enormous pressure on Mahomes.
We have O-line problems this year and Brady is under intense pressure. Turnovers and some big plays helped make this one damn close in the end.
January 29th, 2022 at 2:16 pm
If Brady retires, this is going to be a morgue.
January 29th, 2022 at 2:21 pm
just remember folks. Excuses and reasons ARE NOT the same thing!!!!
January 29th, 2022 at 2:33 pm
The one player who lost the game was SMB. Not only did he not bother to even chip Kupp, his blitz was late because he had his head elsewhere.
He failed twice in one play and that doomed our side.
January 29th, 2022 at 2:34 pm
DR, I can understand Swamparses ignorance but I’m a bit surprised by you. If the Rams didn’t miss a field goal, if Pinion didn’t kick it put of bounds twice following Bucs scores, if Akers or Kupp didn’t fumble, if SMB could tackle, etc, etc. Then end result was driven by ONE final play, not the pass prior the Rams were not in FG range. It was one bad call from Bowles and from the way the players reacted he sent it in late and BA heard it all on his walkman.
January 29th, 2022 at 2:36 pm
Bucs blew it in the first half last week. Offensively. Sacks and turnovers. You don’t do that playing a good team. If they hadn’t, Rams would have lost the game. I hoped for a Division crown. Bucs achieved it. The year before, Bucs were first team to win an SB in THEIR CRIB even tho the were not the home nor favored team. Any NFL (not Bucs) fan who accidentally wanders on this site is going to wonder? What’s with all the bitching?
January 29th, 2022 at 2:44 pm
There are no if it was 27-27 . Stop them it goes to overtime. This was not Brady 2 min drill . This was just seconds they had to kill and a long way. The entire world knew you do not blitz this guy and he did it anyway. he gambledled in the first half. 70 yards TD. Did it again and Lost.
January 29th, 2022 at 2:49 pm
*gambled
January 29th, 2022 at 4:53 pm
I couldn’t agree more. We lost because we didn’t have Wirfs.
January 29th, 2022 at 6:26 pm
List you cannot dismiss the Rams 20-3 first half score.
DR’s spot on, exactly what I was thinking, which 1 play do you prefer.
Maybe we just go with Bradys failed 4th down attempt in the 2nd half. lol
Just as valid as any other 1 play.
It is just excuses and sour grapes to say otherwise.
The Bucs were not the better team, and got their azz handed to them.
If the Bucs actually had their starting 22 on the field, most likely the Bucs win.
But again sour grapes and excuses will never change the final score.
GO BUCS!!!!!
January 29th, 2022 at 8:04 pm
Agreed 💯
January 29th, 2022 at 8:24 pm
Have you noticed when Brady is able to step forward in the pocket, meaning the offensive linemen keep the rushers to the outside, he is lethal. What we saw in the Rams game was a bull rush up the middle.
January 29th, 2022 at 8:35 pm
Architect- The AINTS brought a JV team in and BOUNTY GATED our best players !! As for the coaches , I didn’t like the fact that instead of GAME PLANNING FOR A SUPER BOWL RUN , Todd Bowles was on vacation looking for other jobs and so was Leftwich ! They should have put that off until the season was OVER and we might have another SUPER BOWL WIN on the way !! They both missed multiple days of practice and game planning to do individual stuff. Not that I don’t think they deserve it , but it should have happened after . Probably another reason Brady is going to retire . Go Bucs and thank you MVP , 🐐, Super Bowl winning QB TOM BRADY for the 2 greatest seasons that we will remember forever