“They’re Definitely Trying To Keep Us From Going Back There”
June 20th, 2022
Lavonte David weighs in.
After hearing this, Joe believes an us-against-the-world spin may have been injected into One Buc Palace last month.
Legendary Bucs linebacker Lavonte David certainly has a smart mind of his own, but the following also could be what he’s hearing from Todd Bowles, Tom Brady and/or other loud voices at team headquarters.
David joined The Rich Eisen Show last week and noted that the NFL power brokers want to keep the Bucs down.
“We definitely have that mindset that we should be back [to the Super Bowl],” David said. “But as you know (chuckles), the first four games of the season they hit us with all playoff opponents, playoff teams. So they’re definitely trying to keep us from going back there. But, you know, we’re accepting all challenges, man.”
Yes, Joe considers NFL schedule-makers to be among the powerful players in the league heirarchy. TV is where the NFL makes the majority of its money and teams’ schedules can drive the direction of their seasons. And Joe has no doubt that Roger Goodell has influence.
So it’s reasonable for the Bucs to look at the 2022 schedule — opening against the Cowboys, Saints, Packers and Chiefs — and conclude that somebody wants to keep the Bucs down, or at least take a shot at punching them in the gut and rattling their core and confidence.
True or not, if David and his teammates can rally around that mentallity, then Joe’s all for it.
June 20th, 2022 at 12:01 pm
Screw’em. We can and have beat all these teams. Need to sign Suh and JPP and get Gronk back. They need to be afraid of us! Go Bucs!!
June 20th, 2022 at 12:03 pm
But isnt every team trying to keep everyone out but themselves?
June 20th, 2022 at 12:18 pm
The schedulers have generally made it hard on the Bucs. It’s happened before.
Whatever. Long season. Maybe the Bucs become the first team to start 0-4 and then win a Super Bowl.
June 20th, 2022 at 12:19 pm
That schedule was NOT random.
But a great way to put a huge chip on the collective shoulder.
Media & Haters: “Brady will wilt in the first four games.”
Brady: “Hold my organic TB12 avocado chai soy smoothie, and watch this.”
June 20th, 2022 at 12:32 pm
Assuming we going to the playoffs, we will be the most battled tested team in the NFL with a schedule like ours! This years schedule could either make us or break us BUT with the GOAT under the helm and ah Great supporting cast i trust it’ll make us stronger than ever!!! Barring any major injuries teams should fear us heading into January
June 20th, 2022 at 12:33 pm
It’s a brutal schedule, especially those first 4 games (2 away then 2 at home), but you gotta beat the best to be the best. Iron sharpens iron. No excuses; bring it on.
June 20th, 2022 at 12:35 pm
It looks tough on paper, but that doesn’t survive the first punch.
Dallas hasn’t lived up to expectations for years. They’ll misfire again.
Saints: Jameis is recovering from a bad knee, as is Michael Thomas, they are going to start awful.
Green Bay: We don’t even know if Rodgers is going to play anymore. He is a slow starter anyway.
KC: Started something like 0-4 last season. Mahomes is running out of tricks and, like all dual threat QBs, is punch drunk.
June 20th, 2022 at 12:37 pm
this schedule helps to create urgency for the team o be ready for the season. the roster has for the most part been set except for bottom of roster and practice squad.
as a team loaded with vets, we should be ready for all challenges.
in my opinion, facing the opening 4 games against playoff teams when healthy at the start of the season is a positive thing, not a detriment …hopefully godwin is ready but if not our roster has plenty of firepower…those teams are dealing with playing us early…brady and company will be ready for all challenges!
June 20th, 2022 at 12:57 pm
The Week 11 bye after playing in Germany is also a really good look by the schedulers. Going into that rest week 8-2/7-3 would be best case in terms of how our schedule is lined up. Even if at 6-4 and depending on how we fair in our first 3 NFCS games, we could still be going down the stretch with our playoff hopes firmly in our control in the middle of November.
June 20th, 2022 at 1:04 pm
Got to play these teams at some point…..may as well start with them……2-2 would be fine
June 20th, 2022 at 1:07 pm
COWBOYS … (1-0)
They lost a lot this offseason. They’ll be talking about how overrated the Cowboys are after this game.
SAINTS … (1-1)
They have formula and they are loaded with talent. Until the Bucs prove they can win, the Saints are the favorite.
PACKERS … (2-1)
They lost the #1-2 WR in the NFL. Home game, coming off a loss. Bucs win.
CHIEFS … (3-1)
This one is tough. I like the home team. Bucs win.
June 20th, 2022 at 1:13 pm
It’s a band of Brothers kinda thing
Everybody in
June 20th, 2022 at 1:24 pm
Pirate pretty much read my mind…saints will be the initial threat we have to game plan them and ideally beat them to show the dominance in the south.
Nfc south teams play all the same schedule we just have out preform the Saint.
Atl will be a $hit show..
Panthers will sneak some teams but ultimately have a record.
Saints will fight to be in it all season.
Now for the first 4 games..
Cowboys have lamb at wr theba steel cliff of talent drop off…
If we can still stuff the run then we should beat them..they are a any giving Sunday team..so how we prepare n look out the gate determines that game.
Saints- will be a coin toss and depends on how we handle their offense because we can’t get in a shoot out vs that defense
Packers lost their best wr let’s see how they adjust.. suh is the rodgers killer will be different not having him on the field if we can’t work it out.
Chief lost their best wr..they will look less explosive and more methodical will need David to have a great game.
3 n 1 or 2 n 2 is highly likely with 4 playoff teams but it be awesome to smoke them out the gate.
Let’s be real other the atl n Panthers this schedule doesn’t get easier let’s hope for 11 wins and healthy team for the playoffs.
We will be battle tested by all the good teams
June 20th, 2022 at 1:29 pm
Don’t we have the 4th hardest strenght of schedule? So they must hate 3 teams more than us. The Rams schedule is no cake walk either. It just shows we’re a hot T.V. ticket. I remember when no station wanted to show the Bucs, and prime time was out of the question. Very excited to see us face off against the top teams in the league.
June 20th, 2022 at 1:33 pm
@Hodad
That TV blackout days were the WORST, thank goodness for Gene Deckerhoff in those times because the old ESPN App live game tracker was absolutely trash
June 20th, 2022 at 1:49 pm
If you think about it though, every one of the first 4 teams either lost their #1 receiver or are a team we don’t need hype to be up for.
1 game at a time approach.
We are better than all 4 teams RIGHT NOW
June 20th, 2022 at 2:09 pm
Are you kidding? Yup, the first four games are tough. Now let’s dig deeper. The bucs will not play any team this year, that’s had extra rest. If the league were trying to screw the bucs, they easily could’ve in that regard. The Patriots and eagles will each play 4 opponents, who’ve had extra rest. The bucs also have the easiest closing schedule in the league. That more than makes up for the first four weeks. The vast majority of the schedule is formulaic. I like a good conspiracy theory as much as the next guy, but let’s get real folks
June 20th, 2022 at 2:18 pm
After the first four games, the winning percentage of their remaining schedule is .412. oh yeah, and their bye is in week 11.
June 20th, 2022 at 2:24 pm
NFL…not for long…it doesn’t matter who is B-4 you,it’s what is inside of you…every game is unique,especially as a season progresses…. Let’s make everyone fear 😰 us….fast start….powerful finish..
June 20th, 2022 at 3:17 pm
That’s the blessing and the curse of being a division champion. Let’s hope next year’s schedule is just as tough.
June 20th, 2022 at 3:32 pm
Those are all very win-able games, I bet we go 4-0….. We’ll clamp Lamb; Saints? its time we sweep them this year; packers? Clamp them down; Chiefs? No tyreek, CLAMPS
June 20th, 2022 at 4:25 pm
It’s how you play after Thanksgiving. If this team has the character that I think they have, they’ll be fine even if they stumble out of the gate.
June 20th, 2022 at 5:05 pm
There’s no one the NFL and networks want in the playoffs more than Tom Brady. No conspiracy here.
June 20th, 2022 at 7:36 pm
The best should beat the best! A 3win 1 loss record would be a terrific start. A 2/2 record would not be a huge issue. A 1/3 or 0/4 would be a huge concern. A 4 win start would be fantastic but not very likely. Whatever the outcome it will be a hell of a start to the season!
June 20th, 2022 at 8:58 pm
Nothing would be better than to prove the world wrong, smack all of these teams (and the NFL high execs who made the anti-Bucs schedule) right in the mouth, hard. And go back to the SB again.
But it is a daunting challenge that Bucs don’t look fully equipped to pull off. They are many moves still short.
June 20th, 2022 at 9:36 pm
This is nothing new !! It was the REF’S last year that tried their best to make every game harder for our Bucs ! I mean let’s not forget from week 1 of last year they tried calling all kinds of garbage against the Bucs and didn’t call the same thing on the cowgirls !! Each week it was the same all the way to the Rams game in the playoffs and I’m not being a sore loser I’m only stating the OBVIOUS. Let’s hope they don’t try the same this year with this schedule ! Tom Brady getting his FIRST ever unsportsmanlike conduct penalty in the Rams game !! Bullsh!t . Go Bucs
June 20th, 2022 at 9:43 pm
This is nothing new ! It was the REF’S that tried everything to make the Bucs game’s harder from week 1 and continued throughout the entire season ! Calling penalties that were not penalties against the Bucs but not calling them against the other teams !! Like Brady getting his FIRST EVER Unsportsmanlike Conduct penalty of his career against the Rams in the playoff game ! Calling garbage against the Bucs from the start of the year and all the way to the playoffs. Let’s hope they don’t try the same thing with the bullsh!t schedule they handed the Bucs .. Go Bucs !!
June 20th, 2022 at 10:25 pm
You gotta play them all eventually. Who cares, losers look at the schedule and panic.
June 20th, 2022 at 10:56 pm
This is nothing new ! It was the REF’S that tried everything to make the Bucs game’s harder from week 1 and continued throughout the entire season ! Calling penalties that were not penalties against the Bucs but not calling them against the other teams !! Like Brady getting his FIRST EVER Unsportsmanlike Conduct penalty of his career against the Rams in the playoff game ! Calling garbage against the Bucs from the start of the year and all the way to the playoffs. Let’s hope they don’t try the same thing with the bullsh!t schedule they handed the Bucs .. Go Bucs !!
June 20th, 2022 at 11:58 pm
You sure about that unanonymous?
June 21st, 2022 at 7:09 am
Crying already lol
June 21st, 2022 at 6:01 pm
Gronk didn’t help the cause.