“It Felt Like We Could Do Whatever We Wanted”
November 28th, 2022
How bout that Tampa Bay offense after halftime yesterday?
The tale of the tape reads seven punts, a touchdown and a points-less drive that ended the second half, dying in part because Todd Bowles wouldn’t call timeout.
Seven punts after halftime. The NFL average for punts per game is four.
Only two teams have punted more than Tampa Bay through their last three games: the bumbling Broncos and Lovie Smith’s Texans.
To make the data worse, four of those after-halftime punts were on 3-and-out drives against a relatively weak Browns defense.
Mike Evans was in disbelief after the game. He lamented to reporters in the locker room how the Bucs started well and felt in command. “Early on it felt like we could do whatever we wanted,” Evans said.
And then the roof caved in. No, the Bucs didn’t call Florida’s Elite Restoration, they just were outhustled and outcoached.
Joe believes Evans’ shared feeling and the offense’s solid start are evidence that the team had enough talent to beat the Browns yesterday. But they also had enough talent to beat the bottom-feeding Panthers, Steelers and Packers, too.
The underachievement of the offense really has Joe in a state of shock. Tom Brady loves to say real football starts after Thanksgiving, when teams have forged an identity and they reveal who they are and the fruits from months of labor.
Who are these Bucs? Joe doesn’t have the stomach to answer.
November 28th, 2022 at 9:53 am
They are the effect. The cause is the coaches.
November 28th, 2022 at 9:55 am
The whole team is due for an overhaul. Especially the coaching. Brady just isn’t the same and he had a lot of bad throws in critical situations. The guy is basically a statue and defenses don’t fear that he will even run for five yards. He is no longer competitive IMHO.
November 28th, 2022 at 10:02 am
The team has NO HEART and it shows from the head coach on down. Playing to win and playing not to lose are two different things and sends a message to your team. Yesterday it was in full view for all to see.
1) 4th and 2 from Cleveland 37 they punt and gain a whopping 17 yards. Touchback.
2) Let clock run with 30 odd seconds in regulation instead of using time outs to save time.
They are playing not to lose.
November 28th, 2022 at 10:06 am
Keys to the Caddy where handle to a kid who wrecked it the next day, that’s what it feels like to me. Bowles and Leftwitch got fired for a reason.
November 28th, 2022 at 10:15 am
Coaching staff is stuck in the 80’s, but the game is more wide-open now.
Defense is important and needed to win a title, but not the way it used to be.
You have to score point to win consistently, and this coaching staff is more concerned with “game flow” and minimizing risks.
The time outs at the end of the first half remaining on the clock is mind-numbingly idiotic. But the play calling in the second half – assuming the win was in the bag – is by far a more serious indictment of the inadequacy of the coaching staff.
Not chipping to help Smith was insanely dumb.
They’ll end up in the playoffs because the NFC South is a joke, but it will definitely be one and done. As should be Bowles be, one and done.
November 28th, 2022 at 10:15 am
There is no aggressiveness on the offense at all…..run for 1 yard….pass for 5…..and throw deep, risky passes on third down…..punt and then not cover the great punts……
Time & time again…
And, I agree….Brady (despite the stats) is not sharp at all…..most of his stats are built on passes behind the sticks…
We do know one thing….Rachaad White can catch.
November 28th, 2022 at 10:19 am
Could Joe or somebody ask coach Bowles a the simple question; Why didn’t you call one of your two remaining time outs during that final drive? Not too many acceptable (none?) answers.
November 28th, 2022 at 10:20 am
I’ll say it again. Bowles has ruined this team by not playing to the strength of this offense. You are given a team that lead the league in passing yardage the previous season, so what do you do? Run the ball up the middle time and time again. You can blame Leftwich all you want, but this was a different offense with a different head coach. Bowles is a brilliant defensive coach, but he’s proven he does not belong in his current position.
But there is still time. Figure out a way to get the ball in your play makers hands, and that’s not playoff Lenny or Rashaad White.
November 28th, 2022 at 10:23 am
9-8 or 8-9 wins this lousy division , so we may have a chance to be the first team with a losing record to win the Super Bowl. So Bucs have that going for them.
November 28th, 2022 at 10:31 am
bad play calling and bad clock awareness and LACK OF ACCOUNTABILITY with that We should used the no huddle offense the entire 4th quarter and overtime pitiful
November 28th, 2022 at 11:17 am
Pitiful
November 28th, 2022 at 11:21 am
I honestly think by the second half of games Evans disappears because you can only ask a receiver to try and outrun your main down the sideline so many times before it adds up.. he’s gotta come running all that distance back to the huddle.. especially when you get into hurry up. It’s baffling that we don’t seem to have anything else in the playbook for him
November 28th, 2022 at 11:21 am
Im not sure Toms head is in the same place it usually is…. losing Gronk and seeing your wife on the front page going out with some other guy? He is still great. And is good enough to succeed with the talent around him. But he is human.
November 28th, 2022 at 11:22 am
Yeuup! Heard on the radio that it was 7-total 3 & OUTS on the day… SEVENNNN. THREE. AND. OUTSSSSS. Annnnd, like 5/16 (or something like that) on ‘Third-Downs!!!!” Same EVERY Week.
November 28th, 2022 at 11:42 am
Why so many 3 & out is simply because 1st down is a throw away. 2nd 10-12-13 forces a deep or underneath pass to get into a exceptable 3rd & short. EVERY game the same thing. Where was the middle screen when Garrett & Clowny were coming off the edge? I think Bowles & BL bought the cliff notes to How to be a Coach in Pop Warner Football, apparently they never finished reading it. Why is it every other team has wide open receivers yet other than a handful of times all Brady’s throws are contested and have to be almost perfect to get a reception? Sorry Bucs fans, I love Evan’s but he is clearly overrated. Diggs, Chase, Brown, Cooper, Jefferson, Theiland, Watson, Hill, Kelce etc, they all get separation. Godwin is the only one on the Bucs. Look at the Bucs long td’s Evan’s drop in Carolina, Jones wide open across the middle, Miller wide open down the Middle. Brady hits those uncontested throws.
November 28th, 2022 at 11:55 am
YES. Watching THIS “team” play football, really does remind you of watching a team straight outta THE 80’s. 100%. EXACTLY. Absolutely, NO-Difference.
November 28th, 2022 at 12:24 pm
Don’t forget Tommy scheming investors in Crypto and that’s why he went to the Bahamas to figure out a plan, so his brand wouldn’t be tarnished !! He never met with his ex, but fake news will tell you he did. He’s a problem and would love to Blaine get the start this week and just watch what happens. Lastly to all the people that think this team is going to win the division I want what your smoking because it’s not going to happen.
November 28th, 2022 at 1:26 pm
No team from the NFC South deserves to be in the playoffs, yet one team must go. So the Bucs might as well figure things out enough to creep into the playoffs. But who are we kidding, any team in the NFC can kick our butts. There’s just no heart or desire in this team this year.
November 28th, 2022 at 3:22 pm
Everyone is definitely right on the team having no will ro win. Like a bunch of employees waiting to get a check. Maybe if they start making deductions for lack of effort n mistakes then we can win more games.
Far as brady he is definitely going down with all that has transpired this season, but if the team lifts his up we can become A TEAM!!!!
November 28th, 2022 at 5:24 pm
Bowles is a terrible head coach, and Leftwich is a terrible OC. Simple as that.
November 28th, 2022 at 5:49 pm
Uhhh, I love ME13, but dude, ya didn’t look all that interested in playing ball yesterday. Is it the route tree? Is it slow footed WRs? No separation? Predictability? Whatever it is our WRs seem to struggle for long, long stretches of games getting open. Maybe it’s the QB? I dunno.
November 28th, 2022 at 5:53 pm
YucYuc got sucked in,
4 season tickets to BA’s clown show
as I write with a grinn.
You trash the man that lured you in,
So you are no different than the crypto titans.
Blame the man whose jersey you spent 10 G’s
For it was you YUC YUC
that took the cheese
I am sorry to hear of your
sorrow and pain
I hope you get your wish and
Spend all the money to see
Your boy Blaine.
The title of this poem is. “I AM A MORON, YUC YUC!”
November 28th, 2022 at 7:34 pm
Agree wholeheartedly with DaPostman… This year’s version of the Bucs is mentally and physically weak.
November 28th, 2022 at 8:41 pm
Be careful what u wish for. Im a BUCS fan via the Patriots and have followed Tom his whole career and now going on 3 years of mediocrity up here. Belichick is a .500 coach without Brady. They will figure it out. Brady. Evans. Godwin and the defense will get there. Just get on a little roll at the end of the season,win the division and I will take Brady against any other NFC QBs in a playoff game
November 28th, 2022 at 9:01 pm
Just stop. When this team wins, Tom deserves the credit. When they lose, he deserves the same. We all knew BL is dead weight. We all know Bowles is about as inspiring as turd in a toilet. What we never saw coming and the vast majority of you continue to be in denial about is that Tommy is checked out. Other than a couple of tantrums on the sideline, his fire has been missing this year. His body language, demeanor, physical appearance, and words all seem on par with someone who is depressed and disinterested. He’s been through the ringer, so understandable, but I believe if Tommy wanted it.. .really wanted, he is the only qb to overcome poor coaching (audible out of bad 1st down runs), underachieving teammates (be a leader), and a room full of complacency (drive). Otherwise, how can he be the goat, if he only succeeds with a HOF coaches (BA & Belicheat)? The G.O.A.T. finds a way to prevail. A really good qb does well in a good system. Instead of LFG, wake the f up!