Shaking The Dixie Chicks
November 22nd, 2022
Bucs coach Todd Bowles.
Joe noticed a common theme while browsing various websites.
That theme is the Bucs will win the division.
Still, through 10 of 17 games, the lousy Dixie Chicks are nipping at the Bucs’ heels in the sorry NFC South, just a half-game behind Tampa Bay.
Could the Dixie Chicks still rise up and beat the Bucs for the NFC South crown? Dan Graziano of BSPN doesn’t think that is a crazy idea.
… it’s absolutely not an overreaction to say it can happen. We kind of expect Tom Brady and the Bucs to come roaring out of their bye week and put this division away, but what if they don’t?
Arthur Smith’s Falcons don’t seem to do much well. Only once this year have they won two games in a row. They have no business being here, and the fact that they’re in this discussion is a testament to Smith’s leadership and to how disappointing the Bucs have been. If the Bucs don’t get their act together, these Falcons are as opportunistic as their mascots, ready to swoop in and steal a playoff spot away from the GOAT. Tampa Bay needs to be careful, or that Week 18 home game against the Falcons could be a lot more important than the Bucs want it to be.
Joe sure hopes the Bucs team that showed up in Munich returns on Sunday and doesn’t disappear. It needs to be because, simply put, the Bucs before that win was not a reliable playoff team.
Joe isn’t too concerned about health on defense and has few worries on that side of the ball, though no Shaq Barrett the rest of the year is concerning.
The offense is the big question mark. Was the win over Seattle a taste of what’s to come? Was it a fluke? Time will only tell.
If the Bucs can produce on offense as they did against Seattle, then Joe doesn’t think the Bucs need to worry about the Dixie Chicks.
November 22nd, 2022 at 4:41 am
One game at a time. Our DEPTH isn’t any better right now than it was at the beginning of the year. To date we’ve lost 2 key players, Jensen & Shaq. IF their replacements kick ass, we can hang tough. But IF we get any lengthy injuries, particularly to key players, we’ll almost surely struggle. Without adequate DEPTH, we have little margin for error.
November 22nd, 2022 at 4:50 am
“testament to Smith’s leadership”
Who wrote this drivel?!?!
Oh yeah the #1 Leader in sports BS!
November 22nd, 2022 at 6:12 am
We’ve played two games this season where we looked like a good team, Dallas and Seattle. Talking like winning the division is in the bag is foolish.
November 22nd, 2022 at 6:38 am
The Bucs should be blowing up the division instead of relying on the mediocrity of the other teams to win it. Being the best of the worst isn’t a rousing endorsement.
November 22nd, 2022 at 6:51 am
We may have superior players compared to alot of teams but we have some of the worst coaches in the league.
November 22nd, 2022 at 7:17 am
The Testament to Todds leadership is a losing record in NY, and .500 with the Bucs
That is not a good testament. Right now TB is not out of the woods yet.
The Bucs just played a good game for the first time in ages in Berlin.
Nothing has really been proven except the Bucs are a 500 team, after 2 wins.
GO BUCS!!!!
November 22nd, 2022 at 7:23 am
We don’t need to go into Atlanta needing a win……anything can happen in one game….
The Falcon’s schedule is not that tough…. I could easily see them winning 4 of these games..
Commanders, Steelers, Saints, Ravens, Cardinals & Bucs…
I think our game with Cleveland is a must win….
November 22nd, 2022 at 7:45 am
A team that loses to Trubisky and Walker isn’t running away from anybody. I expect The Bucs to struggle in Cleveland. Hopefully, they will see the end zone before Q4!
November 22nd, 2022 at 8:19 am
The topic of this post sort of insinuates that it would be ok to simply make it to the playoffs (i.e., focus only on the other garbage teams in the division). I get the whole one-step-at-a-time thing. But the standard can and must be much higher than that. The other playoff contenders think we’re clown shoes. And so far they’ve pretty much been right. The rest of the season needs to be “statement” games, not just winning enough to edge out the crappy Falcons. Just making it to the playoffs isn’t good enough. Dungy basically got fired for that.
November 22nd, 2022 at 8:42 am
The offense needs to start putting up the 28/30 points again and the D has to stop letting the opponent back in during the 2nd half. If I’m Bowles shouldn’t I be thinking of what adjustments the opponent needs to make to stay in the game and make the appropriate adjusts as well? It’s supposed to be a chess game not this is what we do and we’re sticking with it. Brisset threw for 325yds and two tds Sunday, this team is NO push over. Yes there was a noticeable change in the O in Munich but the D was the same, stuffed them the 1st half and collapse the 2nd. That’s concerning.
November 22nd, 2022 at 9:43 am
I think our game with Cleveland is a must win….
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I’m kinda thinking there’s not a game left in the season that isn’t a “must win”.
IMO
November 22nd, 2022 at 10:03 am
There’s a warnng on the right side mirror of my car. Paraphrased, it would read “Warning – Teams in the mirror may be closer than you think.” I’m seeing images of black birds in my mirror.
November 22nd, 2022 at 11:30 am
Speaking of the Falcons, I can still remember when Josh Freeman threw a TD Pass up in Atlanta, and then did The Dirty Bird in Atlanta’s End Zone!
One has to wonder what happened to THAT Josh Freeman, our one time Alpha Male Quarterback ?
Gage has been injured, but IMHO our best acquisition from the Falcons has been Casey Phillips!
Arthur Smith is a great coach, who has the Falcons playing hard, and believing in themselves.
They are nipping at our Heels, and will overtake us, if we falter.
I honestly thought we would flat run away with the Division, and must admit that the Falcons have surprised me.
November 22nd, 2022 at 12:37 pm
Keep His Leftworthlessness staring into oblivion while Tom calls the game and Bucs might be ok.
November 22nd, 2022 at 2:20 pm
I just hope that between Bowles & Leftworst they don’t decide to put Goedeke back as starting LG ….!!!
November 22nd, 2022 at 3:14 pm
captivajim- when it comes to judgment calls, one had learned not to expect the best from these two.
November 22nd, 2022 at 6:28 pm
Pitts is on the shelf now so they have less weapons but Bucs have lost to Steelers and Panthers and Greenbay