Tristian Wirfs: The Bucs Are Playing Madden
July 29th, 2022
Bucs are playing real-life Madden, says the Bucs’ All-Pro right tackle.
Joe has heard this before. Still, Joe likes it a lot.
When the Bucs signed furniture-tossing, bicycle-throwing, V-card-forging, quitting Antonio Brown in 2020, Joe saw and heard this from national sports types in various forms:
“The Bucs are playing Madden.”
It was easy to see why. In a span of two years, the Bucs bought a who’s-who of NFL stars to make a run at a Super Bowl. Ndamukong Suh, Tom Brady, foot-rubbing Rob Gronkowski, Playoff Lenny and capped off with Brown.
And how did that turn out? A GD Super Bowl victory, bay-BEE! Awesome! Two years later, Suh and Brown and Gronk are gone. And the Bucs signed Pro Bowlers Akiem Hicks, Julio Jones and Kyle Rudolph, and two-time Super Bowl winner Logan Ryan.
Yesterday speaking with the local pen and mic club, Bucs All-Pro right tackle Tristan Wirfs said his head is spinning. He believes he is playing Madden.
“It’s like we’re playing a video game,” Wirfs said. “Since my rookie year I’ve gotten to be in the huddle with Tom [Brady], ‘Gronk’ [Rob Gronkowski], Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, and now Julio Jones. There [have] just been so many guys I grew up watching and everything, and now I’m on the same field as them. Kyle Rudolph [too] – it’s just insane. I think it’s really cool.”
Joe spoke with a couple of veteran Bucs players yesterday and both are fully geeked over Rudolph and Julio coming to town.
Now if they can turn that enthusiasm into production, that would be awesome.
And by the way, Joe has heard Wirfs refer to the Bucs as Madden before. Wirfs once said when he was first in the huddle in a preseason game, he looked around and saw Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Ryan Jensen, Ali Marpet, Brady and Gronk and the then-rookie said to himself, “I’m in Madden game.”
July 29th, 2022 at 9:08 am
Put Wirfs in bubble wrap now.
July 29th, 2022 at 9:51 am
That photo of Brady and Mahomes is quite the pose!
Go Bucs!
July 29th, 2022 at 10:02 am
Jensen lost for the year. We can not get to a SB with this O line.
What a catastrophic blow yesterday. I blame the coaches. All those bodies going full bore on the 2nd day of camp. Way to go guys.
July 29th, 2022 at 10:16 am
Thanks, Todd.
July 29th, 2022 at 10:35 am
Losers look for excuses and to place blame.
Winners overcome adversity.
Don’t be a loser
LFG
July 29th, 2022 at 10:43 am
DG
Blame whomever you want for the Unfortunate Reality that we now have to deal with. It does not help nor change the situation.
SO, STFU. Us fans do not give a flip who is to blame here because the bottom line is wins and losses.
Now, who do you suppose we should blame for the team being so successful the last few years?
Coaches? Players? Front Office? Ownership? The Fans?
Start by eliminating the ones that don’t apply first to find your answer.
If you insist on blaming someone for this most unfortunate mistake. Try blaming the people that invented the sport. If you’re not sure who those people are. See above question and results.
If the Fans are the reason for the game. We are also the reason these guys lay it all on the line KNOWING injury is just ONE unfortunate mistake away from happening ALWAYS.
This is part of the GAME. Embrace it and enjoy it. This is the hard part of understanding the GAME. The GAME is not all about the Sunday performance.
Now please for the love of yourself. Stop pointing your finger because if you look at your hand, you have 3 fingers pointing right back at YOU.
Blah, so tired of people wanting to blame others for crap that is outside of anyone’s control.
July 29th, 2022 at 12:07 pm
None of the other contending teams will have to deal with any injuries to key players, only the Bucs. Not fair. What good teams and coaching staffs do is adapt. Lot of whiners around here.
July 29th, 2022 at 12:15 pm
Yes our O Line will be worse right away, but it is unknown how Hainsey will do.
Either way the season is not lost and I live the post about winners and losers.
Hit the nail on the head.
Winners move on.
Maybe Brady will appreciate a non sweating back side.
July 29th, 2022 at 12:24 pm
Horrible luck with Jenson’s injury. All the receivers in the world don’t matter if Brady doesn’t have time, or worse, gets beat up/injured. Hopefully there is time to find a decent replacement.
July 29th, 2022 at 12:58 pm
Yep Horrible Luck yesterday indeed. But it seems like this Bucs organization is not like it was years ago before Brady got here. I am sure they were on the phones right after the injury yesterday to who (with T. B’s blessing of course) they can bring in to replace Jensen. Lets see how it plays out….
July 29th, 2022 at 1:21 pm
We don’t even know the extent of Jensen’s injury yet. If it’s only a couple months, they can patchwork the position with what they have. If he’s gone for the year, it’s a little different. Plenty of teams will be out of it but the trade deadline. I haven’t looked, but there must be a center on a bad team, in the last year of his deal.
July 29th, 2022 at 1:23 pm
BTW, Mason knows every call on the O line. I’m sure he could slide over in a pinch.
July 29th, 2022 at 3:44 pm
It’s rather unclear what the purpose of the OL is in a non-contact practice where there is apparently a lot of contact. Might as well put each of the linemen in a virtual reality headset and have them dance with ghosts. At lease we wouldn’t have guys pushing guys into other guys and crippling them in non-contact underwear football. We’re in day 4 of training camp and already the margin for error on the OL is zero.
July 29th, 2022 at 3:59 pm
Now all Bucs must stay off Madden’s official covers. The track records of injuries and sub par seasons are amazing after being on their cover.
July 29th, 2022 at 5:08 pm
This is professional football….injuries happen. They are good because they do everything at a high level….even non contact drills.
July 29th, 2022 at 6:22 pm
Freaking awesome.