Adam Schein Not Buying The Hype
November 15th, 2022
Not buying.
Bucs fans are giddy this week. For once the Bucs played a real football game, their best of the year. Pounded a first-place team.
Popular sports radio and television host Adam Schein was impressed in his column for NFL.com. But he wants to see more, a lot more, before Schein buys into the notion that a 5-5 team can challenge the Eagles for NFC supremacy.
The Buccaneers are back!
Fiction. Now, credit Tampa Bay for rolling past a strong Seattle team in Germany, 21-16. The Seahawks scored two touchdowns in the final nine minutes of play to make the game appear closer than it actually was. Color me shocked, too: This might have been Tom Brady’s best game in the worst season of his career. The man clearly enjoys playing overseas, as evidenced by his 4-0 career record in international games.
With the Bucs’ win coming in the wake of the Falcons’ bad loss at Carolina last Thursday, Tampa Bay now sits alone atop the NFC South. So that’s good. Here’s the rub, though: The Bucs are still just 5-5 and don’t look at all like a team poised to make a postseason run. Obviously, it’s stupid to ever completely dismiss a TB12-led group, but I don’t view this team in the same stratosphere as the Eagles, Vikings or 49ers on the NFC side.
Yeah, Joe sort of agrees that it’s a stretch to believe a 5-5 team should be considered a conference heavyweight. That stated, the season is a living breathing thing.
Teams are up and down and you have to get hot at the right time. The 2020 Bucs are a perfect example. When the Bucs got beat by the Chiefs just before Thanksgiving, no one thought Tampa Bay was a serious player for the Super Bowl.
Well, look what happened. They got hot at the right time.
The Bills were kicking everyone’s tail earlier this season. Now? They are not so hot. Oh, Joe expects them to a make a run, sure. But again, the season has ebbs and flows. Teams have to catch a wave at the right time.
So yeah, until the past, oh, 1 hour and 5 minutes of football, the Bucs have been really, really meh. But the way the Bucs finished the Rams game and stomped the Seahawks and are getting healthy, there is a reason to feel great.
And hey, with Tom Brady at quarterback in the playoffs, all bets are off.
November 15th, 2022 at 4:12 am
Why the big mystery about Ryan Jensen’s injury?
I’ve never seen something so meaningless kept so secret in all the years I’ve watched sports.
November 15th, 2022 at 4:22 am
Schein … ‘I don’t view this team in the same stratosphere as the Eagles, Vikings or 49ers on the NFC side.’
Not even in the same stratosphere? Wow, THAT’S a dig. Schein is obviously way down on the Bucs. He’s also wrong though, for the reason that you gave Joe … ‘Teams are up and down and you have to get hot at the right time. With Tom Brady at quarterback in the playoffs, all bets are off.’
Eagles are 8-0, with the #2 offense & #3 defense. Yet the Bucs match up well against them IMO. Last year we absolutely took them apart in the playoff game 31-15. But it was actually much worse than that; Bucs led 31-0 entering the 4th qtr. Eagles have played some meh teams this season (only 2 have winning records, and the remainder of their schedule isn’t very tough either).
Watching the Vikings beat Buffalo Sunday, they’re legit, but half of their wins have been squeakers (3 points or less). They can be beat. 49ers (5-4) match up best against us IMO because of their defense, but they seem to run hot & cold (lost to the 3-7 Bears, 3-6 Broncos, 4-6 Falcons & the 7-2 Chiefs). Bucs COULD beat any of those teams, IF we don’t beat ourselves first.
November 15th, 2022 at 5:00 am
I’m not completely convinced yet, we need to dominate a couple more teams first. most notably the Panthers in my opinion. The week 5 travesty still stings.
November 15th, 2022 at 5:19 am
Eagles just lost to the commanders that have a losing record. So the NFC is wide open this year. Seeding won’t mean to much at this point in the NFC. Any team could go on a run in the playoffs and end up in the Super Bowl.
November 15th, 2022 at 6:00 am
Isn’t this the week Gronk should be returning to the Bucs!?
Yeah I’m not buying it, but I will buy the hype that this team has seen the light at the end of the tunnel and I’m betting it’s not a freight train. First, the NFC South title. Just stay healthy
November 15th, 2022 at 6:32 am
The Bucs were 7-5 two years ago. So we know nothing about the season matters in the playoffs. Not even home field advantage.
November 15th, 2022 at 6:37 am
If Bucs avoid future injuries to key players , they can definitely make a playoff run.
November 15th, 2022 at 6:47 am
It’s all about peaking and getting healthy at the right time.
Wanna know who will win the SuberBowl? The team that is playing their best football in December and January and who avoids the big injuries to their best playmakers.
They may be 5-5 right now, but the Bucs can be that team moving forward!
November 15th, 2022 at 6:51 am
Eagles aint all that havent beaten anyone but vikings and the rest are losing record teams
November 15th, 2022 at 6:58 am
I’m not concerned about Schein’s opinion. He’s just another talking head who never played the game.
November 15th, 2022 at 7:02 am
Eagles were set up by the league to be successful. Weak azz schedule. I’m not one of those who think games are rigged but schedules are another thing. The league is weird this year. Everybody didn’t suddenly get a good defense. A lot of contact being allowed on receivers this year.
November 15th, 2022 at 7:36 am
Single Tom Brady 2-0!
Stay single Tom. I’m sure Gisele is gonna be calling him next week during their week off asking if she can come back & attend the games. Can only imagine if he stayed single his whole career. Then he might be able to play until 60 or so. I CAN JUST IMAGINE HOW MICHAEL SAM WOULD’VE DONE IF HE WOULD’VE STAYED IN THE LEAGUE & HOW MANY RECORDS HE WOULD’VE BROKEN SINCE HE DOESN’T DEAL WITH GIRLS. Maybe we should try to sign Michael Sam now no matter how old he is now.😃
November 15th, 2022 at 7:37 am
I tend to agree we need to prove it going forward…..we are 5-5….
I expect us to be extremely healthy…..for the exception of Shaq….Ryan will be back and our defense is totally healthy.
Julio is back and we should get Gage….Brate will heal…..Maybe even Jensen..
(What the hell is the story on Jensen?)
And….we’ve got a great punter.
November 15th, 2022 at 7:40 am
It’s like you said Joe, just have to get hot at the right time like we did in 2020. Luck, and health are a big part of it too.
November 15th, 2022 at 7:48 am
49ers are 5-4, laughable they get talked about as a top NFC team
November 15th, 2022 at 7:48 am
This is as much a game of momentum as it is talent and coaching. Eagles and Vikings have the momentum favoring them for now. But they aren’t battle tested the way Bucs and 49ers are. If Bucs come out of the bye week strong and follow it up with a win against saints, I think Bucs will transform yet again into a team that can beat the brakes off of teams like the eagles.
November 15th, 2022 at 7:57 am
I am skeptical but hopeful that this team has pulled their collective heads outta their butt and will play solid football to finish the season.
65 minutes out of 600 is a really tiny sample size.
One game at a time.
The ‘Hawks game was nice for a change, but can they keep it up?
November 15th, 2022 at 8:04 am
Schein doesn’t know schit. Closest he ever got to playing football was Madden, by himself, on his sega, after getting beat up on the way home from school.
November 15th, 2022 at 8:06 am
I think he was forgetting how injured our defense was. Hicks coming back was huge. We are only good if we can keep our starters on the field and it’s a long season. Honestly our offense has only had one good game. I wonder if we can run the ball against anyone else. I’m not sold. Two weeks ago we were all jumping off the cliff talking about starting trask etc. What a difference 4 quarters plus a 2 minute drive makes.
November 15th, 2022 at 8:27 am
On the sports shows the pundits yell at each other. Schein is unique, He yells At the Television screen.
November 15th, 2022 at 8:36 am
Again…just win the Division and get in the playoffs. There are no leaders in the NFC that should really scare us. They need to be respected, but the Bucs are the team that everyone should fear.
How excited were teams in the NFC when it looked like the Falcons could win the South? Probably about as excited as I am that the Eagles, Vikings and Seahawks are all leading their divisions. All beatable! And better than facing the Cowboys, Packers and Niners.
November 15th, 2022 at 8:48 am
A strong looking win after the bye and I may be leaning on them to win the NFC South. Atlanta is one game back and the media hype thinks the Bucs can win the NFC because they won a 21 point game with Seattle coming back and scoring two TD in the second half.
November 15th, 2022 at 8:48 am
Iggles have played a soft schedule all year. They’re not unbeatable. The same goes for the Vikings as well. They look good but again it’s kirk cousins at QB. Bucs just need to figure out their offense. The run defense has looked better since the return of akiem hicks. Of course you worry about this coaching staff.
November 15th, 2022 at 8:56 am
Hard to argue with Schein, but he’s still a d!ck with ears.
November 15th, 2022 at 9:02 am
I might take stock advice from that guy, not so sure about football
November 15th, 2022 at 9:08 am
Amen, Cobraboy: one game at a time. Bucs are healing and getting the first stringers (‘cept for Shaq B 🙁 ) back, so that’s a good thing. LVD’s pep talk to his fellow players sure helped, too.
November 15th, 2022 at 9:35 am
It all hinges on Leftie.
He actually went a little ways out of his box for Seattle, but can he progress?
I sometimes think he can only remember 12 names and running backs not named Fournette aren’t among them. The team needs to use all 2 of their backs, maybe save Fournette for the fourth quarter, when the opposing defense is tired.
November 15th, 2022 at 10:40 am
Top guns on top teams become targets and get hurt. That is why early winners often lose superbowl opportunitys
November 15th, 2022 at 10:47 am
Last year Bucs entered playoffs in great position,but beat up. they lost . Year bbefore, they were wildcard,but healthy. Won it all. Lesson learned?
November 15th, 2022 at 11:15 am
He’s right…. For now.
They have 7 more weeks to keep improving and to catch their full stride. Remember when they won the Super Bowl… They were 7-5 before making a run
November 15th, 2022 at 11:39 am
I completely agree with Adam. . 5-5 says you are an average team. A grade C team. Go on a run. Win 4 or 5 straight. I am not yet sold on my team as being a winner just yet. The Browns are next. They are not the Browns of old. They don’t lay down for anybody. Coming off a bye, we should be kickin butt and takin names. We shall see what our Bucs got.
November 15th, 2022 at 11:51 am
The big problem is they still have Lefty. Who in there right mind would have TB as a receiver on a play. And the answer is worthless Lefty of course. Wake up Glazers & get rid of that guy before he gets your QB killed.