“They Fell Sound Asleep”
October 31st, 2022
The quit/lack of energy in the Bucs’ game is glaring and Bucs icons like Rondé Barber and Warren Sapp have talked about it publicly.
They’re not alone.
Joe doesn’t know anyone who watches the Bucs and says, ‘Damn, they get after it physically for 60 minutes. What a physical bunch. Todd Bowles has those guys playing hard.’
It’s a sad commentary. The Bucs go soft for stretches of games.
The dynamic radio duo of former Bucs scout and Jets personnel executive Pat Kirwan, with co-host Jim Miller, the former NFL quarterback, talked about it last last week on SiriusXM NFL radio.
It’s a very embarrassing subject to anyone who cares about the Bucs.
They noted how the Bucs came out playing intense football on Thursday night before napping after jumping out to a 10-3 lead. “They fell sound asleep,” Kirwan said.
Joe refuses to accept that the Tampa Bay roster is bad and isn’t up to playing hard. Most of the roster was on the team when the effort was consistent the past two years.
It is said that teams reflect the identity of their head coach. Maybe that’s unfair. Maybe it’s not.
Regardless, the Bucs collectively are a soft team because they choose to be. If Todd Bowles can’t squeeze 60 hard, no-excuses minutes out of his team on Sunday against the Rams, then Joe will assume all hope is lost for 2022.
Ira Kaufman Explores Answers, Responds To Tough Byron Leftwich Questions, Addresses Jason Licht’s Future, And Much More
October 31st, 2022 at 1:44 pm
The Bowels Era won’t last long, Leftwich will be lucky to make it out the season.
October 31st, 2022 at 1:52 pm
If we go by how Bowles faired as Jets head coach, and he’s gone so far as our head coach, I’d say the odds of him turning this around are next to zero. You are what your record says you are. Bowles record as an NFL head coach isn’t pretty. I have no faith in him.
October 31st, 2022 at 1:52 pm
To me it’s an overrated defense from the beginning. Only LVD, Winfield, Dean, Nelson are keepers right now. Outside of these guys, I don’t see any effort especially Devin White who is massive overrated and a disaster
October 31st, 2022 at 1:55 pm
Reminds me of the 2002 BUCS. Won a bowl didn’t work as hard period. After we lost to the Colts blowing a 21 point lead that should have never happened by the way a illegal onside kick a crazy crazy leaping call. But it was like we went dark and numb. WAKE UP…We have a good roster. Look at the what a trade can do. Did you see CMC for the 9ers. There is loyalty and there’s just being scared to get out of a bad relationship. If the player won’t hustle sit him on the bench. Set a damn example
October 31st, 2022 at 2:04 pm
Remember when casuals claimed BA was a non-consequential figurehead?
October 31st, 2022 at 2:07 pm
LOL, I did not see them fall asleep, I saw a team that is terribly out of football shape get very very tired in the second half of the Ravens game.
I think a LOT of our current problems are due to this lack of being in great football shape, as evedence by how we were beating the Ravens, in the fist quarter.
It seems when we are not tired, we can play with and beat nearly every team.
October 31st, 2022 at 2:14 pm
Maybe they were bored…like D White gets at times. This team lacks energy, physicality, motivation, creativity, and just about EVERY mental/physical trait you would need to win a damn game! Sad times we are in! It’s one thing to lose a bunch of players and be rebuilding but we have like 80% of the roster we won a SB with!
October 31st, 2022 at 2:26 pm
BA. Pay him big bucks.
October 31st, 2022 at 2:31 pm
With the Jets, Bowles teams played hard, they just stunk. It’s hard to motivate guys who aren’t self starters. I think the bucs have a few of those types. Parcells would challenge your manhood. “She’ll be alright” referring to the late Terry Glenn. Belichick will simply bench you. I don’t think Bowles has the personality to be a head coach.
October 31st, 2022 at 2:36 pm
I’m not as an astute Bucs observer as many on this board. But here are my two cents worth of comments on the issues, anyway.
D. Tackling is generally sub par. Only David and Winfield are sure tacklers. There cant’s be that much difference in skill sets – so it must be technique. Maybe those 2 sure tacklers should take a bit of time to teach their techniques to other members of the D.
O. The inability to run block is poor. Probably the best blocker is Wirfs. But his physical skills and strengths are abnormally good – you can’ teach that. So he couldn’t be used as role model. Some better run blocking needs attention, in any case. A major lack that needs more attention from the coaches.
October 31st, 2022 at 2:40 pm
Joe … ‘Joe refuses to accept that the Tampa Bay roster is bad’.
Keep working at it Joe; you’ll come around. The team we put on the field against the Ravens is not even close to the team we put on the field for SB 2020. Offense & defense are but a shadow of what we had then; 6 different starters on offense & 5 different starters on defense took the field Thursday night. Our offense started Julio, Kieft, Otton, Hainsey, Leverett plus Mason, while our defense started RNR, JTS, McCollum, Edwards & Neal; none of those were SB starters.
October 31st, 2022 at 2:50 pm
watching a few games yesterday; one thing that struck me was whether a team was ahead or behind -there was energy in the coaching staffs. they would talk to a group of players ,, talk to refs , welcome defense after forcing a 4th down punt , players talking to each other , etc.. there’s little to no energy in either bowles or leftwich
October 31st, 2022 at 2:55 pm
the utep miners can beat on this team
October 31st, 2022 at 2:57 pm
Dean has been great in coverage but if you really watch he’s avoiding contact on some plays. If you watch him he rarely takes on an opponent head on. Winfield and Logan Ryan are sorely missed in that secondary.
October 31st, 2022 at 3:03 pm
Too many old guys just collecting a paycheck that are regarded as leaders. The young guys are taking their cues from them. Cut Jones, trade Hicks and turn up the heat. Get Smith to stop taking plays off again like he did blocking for JW. Effort is the solution for the rest of the season.
October 31st, 2022 at 3:09 pm
Arians needs to grab Bowles for a ride in his golf cart and show him how colorful language and passion can motivate people. Might not hurt to cut someone like Arians cut our superstar first round CB. That seemed to motivate some folks as well.
October 31st, 2022 at 3:15 pm
Chris … ‘I did not see them fall asleep, I saw a team that is terribly out of football shape get very very tired in the second half of the Ravens game.’
I agree with you Chris. Ravens had the ball for 38:23 in that game to our 21:37, and advantage of almost 17 minutes TOP. Ironically it’s far worse than that.
Bucs first 2 drives led to 10 points and took 8:48 total of that 1st qtr. After those first 2 drives, Bucs had the ball for a grand total of 12:49 for 8 drives. That 2nd drive finished with just a few seconds left in the 1st qtr, so there were roughly 45 minutes left in the game … and Bucs offense had the ball for less than 13 minutes of that. Bucs defense was on the field for over 32 minutes of just those last 3 quarters.
Ravens had SEVEN drives in the 1st half, and only scored 1 FG (and that was because of the fumbled punt at the Tampa 6-yard line by our not-so-special teams. Defense rose to the occasion time after time after time; Ravens ran 41 plays in that 1st half but our defense only gave up 3 points.
Second half was a totally different story, as the Ravens went to the run. They scored on 4 straight drives (3 TD & 1 FG) in 33 plays. Of those, 24 were runs & 8 were passes (all short; all complete). Of the runs, 4 were to the left, 7 were up the middle and 13 were to the right. I’m suspecting that whoever is playing DLine over on that right side was viewed as being a real weak link by the Ravens. Just a stab in the dark though.
I don’t care how good football shape you’re in, staying on the field for THAT LONG will wear down any defense. Of course, to a bunch of armchair experts it’s not that the Bucs defense was exhausted, it’s that they were ‘sound asleep’.
October 31st, 2022 at 3:16 pm
In a prior post Joe wrote: BSPN Scouts tske on the Bucs. At first sight I thought it said Boy Scouts and I immediately thought, finally a game they can win. This D grabs you by the seeds every time. Like I’m sure many of you watching the Balt game I was watching saying to myself, they figured it out. The O will chip away at some points and this D looked like the way they played in the 2020 PO’s. Just as I was getting my happy feet on, smack across the forehead with a 2×4. These players are talented but lost the coaches really need to go. DR, every team is dealing with injuries on both sides of the ball. When the Jets, Lions, Jags,Seattle, Carolina, Atlanta,Giants, Chicago are all playing harder than you, that’s a REAL problem!!!
October 31st, 2022 at 3:20 pm
The Bucs D got tired – as D’s do.
The Ravens had the damn ball for over 38 minutes. Even the ’01 Bucs D would have gotten tired chasing Lamar.
The glaring problem on this team is at QB and OL. It isn’t on D.
But criticizing our QB is not allowed for many.
October 31st, 2022 at 3:26 pm
Casual Observer
Yep. Tackling is non existent, however by the time players get to the professional level they should know how. If they need more instruction it should come from the coaching staff first and foremost.
Personally, I think the off-season program is a joke, and clearly the pre season is. It sure seems to me that there were far less injuries back in the day when there was training camp, playing time in preseason games and actual hitting.
October 31st, 2022 at 3:27 pm
Cobraboy
I wanna know what BAs role is now. He’s on the payroll, surely there’s something he can contribute.
October 31st, 2022 at 3:46 pm
rjs@ BL has a new game plan, Brady hands the ball to Lenny and or White then picks them up, hurdles the Oline for 5 or 6 yards. If Brady were the problem I would be all over him. He is the leading passer in the league, most accurate on short to intermediate passes and has the fewest int’s, with a make shift Oline, NO receiving TE, no # 3 wr, the worst running game since in the SB era and most of all a dip shat for an OC. What other QB in the league has these obstacles? If you don’t think Bucs D doesn’t quit go back and watch Carolina, I guess they were tired the entire game or BORED. Another idiot.
October 31st, 2022 at 3:49 pm
The Bucs were up at halftime. But the offense going 3 & out the whole game eventually tires the defense. The Ravens time of possession was double that of the Bucs.
October 31st, 2022 at 4:02 pm
Look I’ve told the bucs fans and I’m telling you again. I watch the Patriots play the Jets every time for the whole time Bardy was there and Todd Bolds is a zero. he does alright on the defense until the other side figures out his plan, but even look back at his games, they had times when they blitzed and then times where they just would just let the Patriots score, like they weren’t even there, Also with coaching orther teams. This is that affirmative action hirering crap again. No discipline for one thing and no consistency on execution.
October 31st, 2022 at 4:38 pm
The fans are falling asleep too. The conditioning coach is a girl. Oh Well. The radio announcers would put anyone to sleep.
October 31st, 2022 at 4:49 pm
I thought we had already erected a statue of Todd Bowles to commemorate the SB. Then I realized it was really him on the sideline.
October 31st, 2022 at 4:57 pm
TRADE DEVIN WHITE BEFORE THE TRADE DEADLINE. HIS LACK OF EFFORT IS ATROCIOUS
October 31st, 2022 at 5:21 pm
Poppys… poppys… sleeeeep…
Happy Halloween gents.
October 31st, 2022 at 5:23 pm
Hmm. A wizard of oz quote gets me bounced to mod?
Oh well
October 31st, 2022 at 5:34 pm
When your offense can’t run the ball…
When your offense can’t convert 3rd downs
When your offense can’t pick up a yard when needed
When your offense fails in the red zone and gets 3 instead of 7
When your kicker leads the league in FGs….
Your defense doesn’t stand much of a chance….
October 31st, 2022 at 5:35 pm
Let’s go Byron
October 31st, 2022 at 5:35 pm
The Lost Season
October 31st, 2022 at 5:47 pm
everyone was waiting on this game…vs the rams…
if they can’t get up for the team that ended their season last year…
then break up the bucs
October 31st, 2022 at 5:51 pm
You may get a 4 th for D White and they should take it !! Watching the MLB for the Bills last night is what effort is about !! That guy was hustling and doing what ever he could to get off blocks !! Not necessarily even skill set or technique just being in good enough shape to allow your effort to be a game long difference maker .
October 31st, 2022 at 5:53 pm
I feel like Ryan Jensen was such a tone-setter for toughness and tenacity that his absence is felt the most on game day.
October 31st, 2022 at 5:58 pm
Remember Devin White said he gets bored sometimes on defense. That’s code for when I loaf on a play we will just say I got bored. He is basically asking to get cut playing like that. He played like garbage for all to see on National TV. If you get “bored” on National TV there is something seriously wrong with you. You either have no pride, or you really don’t care about football that much. Playing like that as a Buccaneer is a slap to all the guys who have gone before him and current Buccaneer players.
October 31st, 2022 at 6:26 pm
Still a fan. But what I see is a team not being held accountable. Or coaches for that matter. I also see a team playing not to lose. Not playing to win. It looks as if they are doing the minimum they have to. I’m sure playing in the heat takes its toll but Miami is in the heat Jacksonville and all NFL teams at the start of the season. Ya I know some areas are hotter but that’s why you train in the off season and get in playing shape in preseason. Everyone sits and still we have major hamstring and other issues. Maybe it’s time to bring someone in who actually has to be subtle to perform in their career. Like a dancer or gymnast or ballerina. Go ahead and laugh but when’s the last time you’ve heard of one pulling a hammi. While doing a jumping split in the air
October 31st, 2022 at 7:01 pm
I see a team that reflects the same lackadaisical attitude of its HC and a firm knowledge the OC is a complete tool…
No sense of urgency and no heart when it matters most
That could never be said of the Sapp led Bucs
Barber was a great Buc, but he played on a lot of crappy teams at the end
October 31st, 2022 at 7:07 pm
The captain of the defense was getting pancake block every time an offensive lineman got hands on him and was loafing on stretch plays when he was unblocked. That’s the supposed leader of this bunch.
October 31st, 2022 at 8:48 pm
Hire Sapp, Ronde, Brooks as defensive assistants to coach DL, DBacks and LB.
Bring in Alstott to coach the RB, hire Arians protege Larry Fitzgerald to coach WR, Gronk as TE coach and Marpet (and Jensen while he recovers) to coach the oline.
Trade any loafers or malcontents.
Why is BA on the payroll if he can’t fix the offense?
October 31st, 2022 at 9:21 pm
Butthole toilet bowl.
October 31st, 2022 at 10:46 pm
Probably sitting around playing video games and being late to meetings
October 31st, 2022 at 11:18 pm
Zero energy Bowles and Lacking Leftwich.
October 31st, 2022 at 11:24 pm
Leftwich is downright incompetent. Steelers gameplan was inexcusable. How do you not attack the secondary? They had no starters?
November 1st, 2022 at 1:29 am
Listnfrmafar Says:
October 31st, 2022 at 3:46 pm
rjs@ BL has a new game plan, Brady hands the ball to Lenny and or White then picks them up, hurdles the Oline for 5 or 6 yards. If Brady were the problem I would be all over him. He is the leading passer in the league, most accurate on short to intermediate passes and has the fewest int’s, with a make shift Oline, NO receiving TE, no # 3 wr, the worst running game since in the SB era and most of all a dip shat for an OC. What other QB in the league has these obstacles? If you don’t think Bucs D doesn’t quit go back and watch Carolina, I guess they were tired the entire game or BORED. Another idiot.
HAHAHAHA! I am right there with you dude. Its easier to blame Brady because of his name. If you expect a quarterback to have NO running game LITERALLY NO RUNNING GAME, throw 50 times with a shirtAzz OL and the most vanilla OC in the game, and make every throw perfect you are an imbecile that needs to take out your pacifier and start to work because whining is all you’ll ever be good at.
November 1st, 2022 at 3:49 am
It occurred to me that many of the players in the NFL may not be in as good a physical condition as we may think. Its been said that the Bucs defense was exhausted. I played the game for 8 years. Games were much less physically demanding than practices, particularly preseason practices. I know these guys are much bigger today than when I played. But still…Makes me wonder …are they really in shape? In today’s NFL I don’t think players have much opportunity to get in shape in preseason (Hell they can’t even go full pads most of the time) so if they are not in shape somehow before the season starts they are screwed.
November 1st, 2022 at 7:09 am
Tampa Bay is about Tom Brady,not the Bucs.He retires,guys leave.He comes back in half capacity.All theses guys aren’t completely stupid,they see it.I’ve always said the defense feeds off the offensive performance.Constant three and outs and the Defense on the field every three minutes takes it’s toil.Sure Brady has seven rings but the game has passed him by.He’s immobile,and without a star studded oline he’s pathetic.
November 1st, 2022 at 10:29 am
The blame always goes to the head coach, he is the one to fire them up!
November 1st, 2022 at 9:51 pm
All true. Bowles does suck.
However, this is Brady’s reincarnation of being behind 27-3 to the Rams or 28-3 to the Falcons. His divorce is in the books and it was quick and amicable. He can now focus on not only being the leading passer in the league, but on throwing TD passes. A guy leading the league in pass attempts with only one interception is hardly “missing throws” or “inaccurate”. And if you watched the NFL’s so-called elite passers so far, they make at least as many mistakes as Brady’s made.
November 2nd, 2022 at 12:46 am
Has anybody mentioned, that while the BUCS are crapping all over the field, Bowles is standing there on the sidelines grinning , almost laughing.