Bengals Beating Bucs: “Kicked The Sh!t Out Of Them”
December 22nd, 2022
Missed.
You never heard this about the Bucs when Ryan Jensen was on the field.
How badly did Cincinnati’s defense manhandle the Bucs offense in the second half over the weekend? It was bad enough that the offense was forced to endure an involuntary laxative.
Joe has noticed in recent days that guys in NFL circles who considered themselves Todd Bowles’ guys can no longer stay silent. Former Eagles and Browns shot-caller Joe Banner recently unloaded on Bowles. They’re former colleagues.
Now it is Michael Lombardi’s turn.
Lombardi, a former coffee fetcher for Bill Walsh, Al Davis and Bill Belicheat, who also was a Browns general manager, was hyping the Bucs’ hire of Bowles before the season. And he boasted that Bowles would shock the NFL and dominate in his second gig as a head coach.
Now? Well, Lombardi believes the Bucs are one of the worst teams, despite being in first place in the NFC South.
On his podcast “GM Shuffle” with his co-host Femi Abebefe, both trashed the Bucs after gagging a 17-0 lead away to the Bengals.
Femi Abebefe: I was the idiot who took Tampa at 3.5.
Michael Lombardi: I never understood the Bucs love all week. … One team is playing really good and the other team sucks. So you are going to bet the team that sucks? It makes no sense at all.
Then, Lombardi admitted he was morally offended by how soft the Bucs offense was in the second half.
“I thought they kicked the sh!t out of them in the second half,” Lombardi said of the Bengals’ defense. “I thought they physically beat the sh!t out of them. They literally beat them up.”
A bit later as the two closed their show, Lombardi said he’s fed up with all the Bucs hype, even with Tom Brady at quarterback. Lombardi said it’s time to call the Bucs what they are: a bad team.
“The Bucs suck,” Lombardi said. “Stop betting the Bucs. They suck! They’re not any good. I mean stop it!
“Stop thinking there is a key you can put in the ignition that the Bucs are going to become a Super Bowl team. Just stop. They are not good.”
Abebefe summed it up saying, “They are pretty bad.”
If not for Brady’s magic against a couple of truly turrible teams, the sorry Rams and the slimy Saints, the Bucs would be on a 1-8 streak since (barely) beating the Dixie Chicks in October.
Ryan Jensen, you are missed. Outside of a Saints game or two, Joe can’t remember ever hearing that the Bucs offense got their arses handed to them physically when Jensen was on the field.
December 22nd, 2022 at 12:23 am
Tome Brady has NOT been at his best this season. His “80 for Brady” movie. Man in the arena TV series. Divorce from his super model wife. 2 weeks off during training camp. etc, etc.. These are just some of the distractions Brady had going on this season. Even someone as focused as Tom Brady has to let this get to you eventually. Tom and the team and coaches have 3 more games to figure it out. If not, there may be some brand new faces on the Tampa Bay Bucs next season.
December 22nd, 2022 at 12:24 am
Upon FURTHER review particularly on 2nd half, I couldn’t agree more with Lombardi. It is easy to dump everything on Brady for the major choke, yeah he did choke to be fair. But our game plan and effort in 2nd half sucked. Bengals D brought IT in the 3rd quarter. Our lame and lazy 3rd down offensive play calls played right into their hands that Brady had nowhere to throw to. He forced it, which he shouldn’t have… 100% Brady fault on that handoff fumble. The other three?!? Plenty of blames to go around (weak O line play… when line play was okay, nobody was open… what a frustrating combination) they need to bring their best efforts for the whole game.
December 22nd, 2022 at 12:29 am
Saints the last three years ring a bell, especially when they had Cam and Henderson. That guy made millions with the Bengal the next year. How about the Bears two years ago when Khalil Mack was throwing the rookie then Whirfs around after sacking Brady? Oh I remember too well. Those games showed me who Donnie really was.
December 22nd, 2022 at 12:36 am
Butt kicking happen. Especially when you turn the ball over and your defense isn’t fully healthy. Injuries happen, the team with the least are the most dominant. What if the eagles, bills, chiefs, OL was as bad as the bucs. Actually we saw it in the superbowl. Patty was running for his life. Put Brady behind a competent OL and he excels. That’s on the Football Gods. Injuries!
December 22nd, 2022 at 12:37 am
Head Coach, play caller, O-Line, period. Bye
December 22nd, 2022 at 1:26 am
We suck. We are mentally weak. Brady is gone. Never have a Defensive head coach. With the exception of a couple of outliers they all play coward ball. The rules in the current NFL favor the Offense and are designed to increase scoring. Someone needs to inform Bowles this isn’t the 80’s.
December 22nd, 2022 at 2:11 am
@BA’s Red Pen
I agree about the offensive head coaches… although even that is not a guarantee. Imagine if Leftwich had been our HC.
Then again, it couldnt get worse. If he lost more games, we’d get an earlier draft pick.
On Tom Brady, I think he’s gone from the team, possibly the NFL…but I do think he is still good enough to start on a good team.
December 22nd, 2022 at 2:12 am
If we could get Jensen back for the playoffs, I would be more interested.
December 22nd, 2022 at 2:20 am
Can’t argue with Lombardi on betting the Bucs. Unless you have significant brain damage you can not place coin on the Bucs under any circumstances. I saw the Vegas line has grown from Bucs -4.5 to Bucs -6.5. That is insanity. Take the Cards, easy money if they are giving almost 7. Hell put coin on the Cards’ money line to really get a big return. Does anyone really think Bowels and Leftwich can win by 7, heck, can they even win another game unless the other team goes turtle like the Lambs and Aints did!?!?!?!?
December 22nd, 2022 at 2:33 am
Just really horrible coaching. PERIOD.
December 22nd, 2022 at 3:51 am
Well… they ARE pretty bad.
I laugh at casuals that think these losers can just flip a switch and become a SB contender.
Not going to happen.
Hell, they have better odds of getting shut out in the first round IF they actually win the division.
There are so many leaks on the Buc’s ship they should beach the carcass and build another boat…
December 22nd, 2022 at 6:13 am
At one point in the game when D Smith left the game NOT ONE of the guys on the O line started last year let alone in the Super Bowl. And no Gronk. Six of the 11 starters. Why would anyone hype these guys.
December 22nd, 2022 at 7:09 am
They are spot on, this is a bad team with poor coaching and aged, deteriorating talent
We don’t deserve to go to the playoffs and I won’t believe it until
I see it happen
I fully expect to lose 2 of the next 3 games in similar fashion to the bengals, Steelers, Panthers losses earlier this year – all games we should have won easily but we’re outclassed by real coaching staffs
We will be cleaning house and starting over in 23 – or at least we should be
This experiment is over
December 22nd, 2022 at 7:12 am
Carolina will likely have the same record as us – oh yeah, they fired their useless HC and the interim is light years better
What a concept Glazer family but too late now
December 22nd, 2022 at 8:14 am
They weren’t wrong Bucs suck and it starts with the head coach especially considering their record just last year
December 22nd, 2022 at 8:20 am
Everyone is turning on Todd Bowles. Unfortunately none of them own the team. It’s up to the Glazers to put us out of our misery, I doubt if they will.
December 22nd, 2022 at 9:02 am
I guess they didn’t see the 9ers game, talk about arse whipping.
The momentum turned once Bowels went soft zone and let them score before the half then a fake punt/ 3 more points handed to them. Then came the dropped passes, zero yards on 1st down runs, turnovers, penalties and a 7.5 minute 4th qtr scoring drive killing any chance of coming back. The HC lost control of the situation. I was all for sitting Brady after the 3rd TO at least to show leadership and force everyone to be accountable. Bowles already knew Carolina and Atl lost, that was his time to make a statement. Ho hum, he didn’t.
December 22nd, 2022 at 10:34 am
He’s not wrong. They do suck and any talk of them flipping a switch is laughable. They are who we thought they are with Bowles.
December 22nd, 2022 at 12:27 pm
Things point to tanking the rest of the year and hope for a top 10 draft pick.
December 22nd, 2022 at 3:03 pm
Buccaneers “in Top 10”draft picks: (since 1989):
Broderick Thomas
Keith McCants
Charles McRae
Eric Curry
Trent Dilfer
Carnell Williams
Gaines Adams
Gerald McCoy
Mark Barron
Mike Evans
Jameis Winston
Devin White
Top 10 pick doesn’t really mean much.
December 22nd, 2022 at 6:43 pm
Big, bad Brod! I can remember when they played Broderick Thomas and waited for things to POP. Only thing that popped was popcorn while watching another 1st rounder go up in flames!
Gaines Adams was another beauty.
We’ve had a good few years with Brady and now it’s just smoke and dreams. I can’t even think how to fix this it’s so bad.