The Best Win
February 14th, 2023
Best win?
The win over the Stinking Panthers to lock up the NFC South and send the Bucs to the playoffs was the most important win of the season without question.
But it wasn’t the Bucs’ best win.
Over at NFL.com, Kevin Patra decided to type about each team’s best win and worst loss. For Patra, the Bucs win over the Stinking Panthers in Week 17 was their best of the season. And the last of the season, as it turned out.
… Tom Brady finally found his connection with Mike Evans. The duo combined for three deep TDs on the day, including two in the fourth quarter to snag the lead. Brady threw for a season-high 432 yards and three TDs in the throwback performance that gave Tampa some minor hope heading into the postseason.
Joe isn’t sure this was the best win. The Bucs trailed at one point to the Stinking Panthers. It wasn’t looking good at halftime. It was Mike Evans’ best game, sure. And you might argue that it was Tom Brady’s best game. But as a team, nah. That would have come on foreign soil in November when the Bucs traveled to Munich.
The Bucs played the then-first place Seahawks and clobbered them. Brady was sharp. The Bucs ran the ball well, maybe the only time all year since the opening game at Dallas.
The Bucs defense manhandled Geno Smith, Kenneth Walker and the Seahawks.
That was the best, most complete game of the season. A case could be made for Week 1’s 19-3 crushing of Dallas, too. Yes, the Carolina win was the most important. It wasn’t the best.
February 14th, 2023 at 8:34 am
If I was Mike I would be asking for a trade this team is not going to be any good unless they make a big splash at OC and QB. Bowles is not bright enough to see they are setting him up for the fall.
February 14th, 2023 at 8:36 am
Best?
The only memorable win was in Germany.
February 14th, 2023 at 8:44 am
I love that people think that a team that was probably tanking let ME13 be single covered get get over the top 3x in a game was the sign that our offense had been “fixed”
February 14th, 2023 at 8:50 am
The sad part is Byron could not devise a game plan to get Mike involved.. and anyone saying trade Evans needs to have their head examined
February 14th, 2023 at 8:55 am
Seattle the D let them back in the game and made it far closer than it needed to be. Same with Carolina, they made a bottom 3rd tier QB look like a pro-bowler. A high school wr could have caught the 3 TD’s Brady threw to Evan’s that game. The best win was the Rams, they owned the Bucs prior to that game. In 2021 they owned Blows. He was too busy working on his resume instead of Staffords strengths and weaknesses.
February 14th, 2023 at 8:57 am
LV… I mean, If I were Todd, I wouldn’t be too concerned about being “set up”. He still collects a nice pile of cash for the year. And he can always go back to the college ranks, like Lovie did, and somehow end up in a good situation…even if he is a poor college coach as well.
The people to be sorry for are the soon to be suffering Buc fans. Like Don Corleone said in his Godfather… “When I thought I was out…and they pull me (us) back in.” We thought we were out of the dark days…and they pull us back in.
February 14th, 2023 at 9:07 am
The best win was definitely the Dallas Game. Not because our Offense played well…it didn’t. But our D did. And we thought the low scoring was just an aberration. The hopes for a Superbowl run still ran strong. But a few games after that, it became increasing clear that the team was vastly overrated, and the money we spent on NFL plus might as well have been flushed down the toilet.
February 14th, 2023 at 9:19 am
Agree….Seattle game was our best performance. Carolina game was definitely our biggest win….a lot was riding on that game and we came through to secure a playoff spot.
February 14th, 2023 at 9:21 am
OK… the NFL plus was only about $80. But I could have gotten a fishing license, trout stamp, and hunting license for less than that. And would have spent my time better doing those things that spending it on NLF plus and watching the Bucs games. At least if you don’t catch anything, you were in the great outdoors, rather than spending it watching the Bucs offense. In fact, anything short of a root canal was better than watching the Bucs offense 99% of the time last year.
February 14th, 2023 at 9:31 am
it was the only complete game I could sit through.
gave me hope!
until 1st qtr into playoffs and it was obvious they were playing the BL playbook and I shut it off knowing the game was over.
February 14th, 2023 at 9:32 am
Bobby… yes we won a division.. that was like your dog winning a beauty contest among a group of the four ugliest mutts. But if we had Carolina’s draft pick at 9 instead, we could be within distance of moving up for a franchise QB. So though it was a moral victory, later to be visited by a complete embarrassment, I will leave everyone to decide how “great” it turned out.
February 14th, 2023 at 9:32 am
If we lose to the panthers we pick 8th and don’t have the embarassment of the playoff loss.
February 14th, 2023 at 9:36 am
mark2001
Mark,
I’ve been known to watch & fish at the same time……streaming the game….but it sometimes was a good way to ruin the trip.
The best game for me was the comeback win vs NO…….but that’s just because it was sweeping the Slimy Saints.
February 14th, 2023 at 9:39 am
TBBF…actually I thought that might be right up there. 2-0 with the Saints and Dallas in the rear view mirror. We were riding pretty high.
And BTW… I thought about the watching and fishing at the same time last year. But in retrospect, screaming and cursing loudly wouldn’t help in the fishing results. Or in changing the results of the games either.
February 14th, 2023 at 9:40 am
Defensively, our best game was week 2 @NO and offensively our best game might be a tie between the Seahawks and last Panthers game for sure. W or L in 2022, it was usually a bowling shoe ugly game.
February 14th, 2023 at 9:42 am
And a 6.5mm Creedmoor or 10 gauge blast through the TV set wouldn’t help the hunting either. LOL.
February 14th, 2023 at 9:51 am
@mark,
I would never consider trying to watch a game while hunting or fishing. Even if the game turned out to be a good game, why ruin the bliss and harmony of nature and the relaxation it brings?
Watching football and fishing/hunting are diametrically opposed, in my opinion.
PS: I love me some trout fishing. When I lived in Cali near the Oregon border I loved to get a salmon tag and fish the native waters. So peaceful and relaxing, and I once caught a 60-lb steelhead in a stream that was only knee-deep.
PSS: At this point, I’d almost rather this blog be used to talk about real life….than this failing football “team.”
Still, GO BUCS!!! (Yes, sarcasm).
February 14th, 2023 at 10:14 am
D-Roc. Brook, Browns, and Rainbow up here mostly. Trout streams within a couple miles. Mostly Musky, with Walleye and LG mouth Bass here on my lake, with pan fish. But I need to get out and do more trout. I just think the entire process about Trout fishing it is about perfect. And regarding a perfect process, just about the opposite of the Bucs Offense last year.
February 14th, 2023 at 10:15 am
BTW… hunting and a football game. Not really. But if it were and I did, I’d have taken out a few TV’s last year.
February 14th, 2023 at 10:21 am
D-Rok
I’ve done the calculations…….17 3hr games in a season add up to 51 hours…out of a potential 8760 hours…..let’s chop that in half to eliminate night fishing…
So 4380 good fishing hours………the 17 hours would be using .00038 % of the time fishing & watching…..
Seems like a small sacrifice to me…..
February 14th, 2023 at 10:23 am
I hate reading the comments from so called fans about how bad we are going to be. If we get a decent offensive coordinator who can work with our strengths, we are going to be competitive.
February 14th, 2023 at 10:24 am
Now…..hunting & watching at the same time……that’s a whole other matter…
Wouldn’t advise that behavior at all….
February 14th, 2023 at 10:27 am
TBBF,
OK you’ve done the maths (I didn’t bother to check to see if you carried the 1, LOL) and in that context, I see your point that the time is indeed a small sacrifice to pay….
…however, the fault in your analysis is that you didn’t account for whether those games would be truly enjoyable or not.
Just teasing, man – good stuff and thanks for playing along.
GO BUCS!!!
February 14th, 2023 at 10:28 am
mark,
I am envious of your fishing situation! Sounds awesome to me.
February 14th, 2023 at 10:29 am
@LVMYBUCS wrote:
“If I was Mike I would be asking for a trade this team is not going to be any good unless they make a big splash at OC and QB. Bowles is not bright enough to see they are setting him up for the fall.”
Bowles was bright enough to craft a defense and game plan that held Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs to ZERO TDs in the Super Bowl just two years ago.
I’m sure he’s bright enough to know exactly what he has to do to retain his job going forward.
February 14th, 2023 at 10:41 am
The Bucs biggest and best win would have been the Glazers firing Bowles.
February 14th, 2023 at 10:47 am
I’m with you BrianBucs.
If not that ,any over the Saints will do
February 14th, 2023 at 11:15 am
Sad, Bad, going to get worse.
February 14th, 2023 at 11:18 am
Panthers was worst win. It may have saved coach Bowzo.
February 14th, 2023 at 11:28 am
Thanks D-Rok.. it was in the works for 30 year. You know how plans go. One step at a time.
February 14th, 2023 at 11:32 am
Grover…and cost us 10 draft spots, give or take a little in each and every round. But man, what a great accomplishment. Wait till we play in the playoffs. I think we will probably play Dallas, turn it on, Bowles will turn out to be a coaching saavant, and then on to San Francisco. What? What? I guess that is what happens when you are in a coma for awhile.
February 14th, 2023 at 11:38 am
You guys just don’t get it.. when you have a chance to go 9-8 and win a horrible division and unfortunately, but probably rightfully get wiped out in the playoffs, why wouldn’t you? Draft picks mean nothing. You think there will be a special ceremony for that division championship? Maybe a parade? It makes it all worth while. Who needs a NFC championship or the SB in the near future?
February 14th, 2023 at 11:54 am
Blowezo almost blew the Seahawks game too. Train wreck dumpster fire.
February 14th, 2023 at 12:02 pm
Poor Coaching was and still is the problem!!! Mike Evans had many passes delivered straight into his hands but couldn’t bring the football in! He’s not consistent- fantastic at times but uncountable the rest. Brady had no one he could truly count on to receive the ball. Fournet was his only reliable source. If we still had Gronk & Antonio Brown…. not Retiring and the other going Psycho things would have been different. Does anyone truly believe that Brady would’ve Retired if we had better talent on the team??!!! He would’ve stayed on at least 1 more year possibly 2- l don’t understand how Byron LEFTNUT and others got fired but the Head Coach who did NOTHING to make any changes still has his job??!!! Fire Todd Toilet BOWLES!!! Nothing will change with him as the Head Coach!!!
February 14th, 2023 at 12:13 pm
Do you make the ring of honor by backing…errr…leading your team into the second consecutive division championship, with a 9-8 record, in a weak division consisting of four teams? Nevermind the playoff blowout.
February 14th, 2023 at 12:16 pm
@mark2001
Mark I really liked your first write up. I think it was pretty much spot on. And you’re right about the being dragged back into “The Den”! There is a massive unhappiness moving through the crowd. There is a true anger pushing the tempo and it’s lit the “emotions” of us all. None of us want to go back to that hopelessness that held us for so long so there is an Absolute Uproar happening.
But hey I gotta say, the fun back and forth is refreshing. And a couple have reminded me that I need to go fishing. I know I’d like to catch another gator trout (Florida Saltwater) ASAP! Ok, to be honest I’d take a little trout or two to get me started and still feel a whole lot better.
I mean come on. Everyone knows a bad day fishing is better than a good day at work (usually anyways). Right.
You guys have a good day and maybe some good news will come our way. I guess I do have a strong suspicion that we’re about to get that OC. It might just be Today. And we might all be pleasantly surprised.
GO BUCS!
February 14th, 2023 at 12:25 pm
Hey Anonymous…hope springs eternal. Who knows? We might have a draft like Sam Wyche did and draft a couple future HOF’ers. Maybe lightning can strike twice. Think 1995 draft, and I’d even take Tony’s 1997. Quite a few starters in that one, and a future HOF’er of course.
February 14th, 2023 at 1:42 pm
I hated virtually everything about the 2022 Tampa Bay Buccaneers. And 2023 is going to make 2022 look like a great season. Can’t wait for the train wreck.
February 14th, 2023 at 5:07 pm
So now we resorted to talking about their best win?
February 14th, 2023 at 6:26 pm
Had some really good dumps this season. Kinda resembled the Bucs season.