Ndamukong Suh Picks A Bucs Loss, And More
May 20th, 2023
Former Bucs defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, a Super Bowl-era hero, was busy at NFL Network last week as a guest analyst and podcast visitor.
On the air, Suh had the nerve to pick the Jaguars to enter The Licht House on Christmas Eve and beat the Buccaneers.
A big fan of Todd Bowles, it seems Suh is no a fan of the Bucs’ quarterback options.
Suh also had a couple of other things to say that got Joe thinking about the Bucs.
First, he was admant that to be successful as a unit, defensive linemen need to spend a lot of time together off the field and truly care about each other. The cerebral Suh talked about how critical that is during the Total Access podcast.
That got Joe remembering the great chemistry on the Bucs’ D-line during the Super Bowl years. But now what?
The Bucs have a load of new pieces there with rookie Calijah Kancey and young veteran free agent Greg Gaines about to play huge roles. Also, Shaq Barrett’s early-season status is unclear after his Achilles injury and family tragedy. The Bucs also lost beloved players like Will Gholston (free agent) and Rakeem Nuñez-Roches (Giants) along the D-line. Will the cameraderie still flow?
Lastly, Suh was asked whether he would want to build an NFL team with a defense-first head coach or an offensive guru.
Suh didn’t hesitate. He said defense all day because limiting points is the ultimate priority and leads to championships.
Joe can’t agree 100 percent with that take, but it’s certainly music to the Todd Bowles faithful.
May 20th, 2023 at 10:06 pm
Truth be told, you need all three phases to excel.
May 20th, 2023 at 10:25 pm
Trevor Lawrence made a big step to NFL stardom last season, and the Jags have actually built a pretty good team, finally.
It is up to the Bucs to beat them. Trask might be able to, if he has gotten the NFL feel. Mayfly has a lesser chance.
May 20th, 2023 at 10:40 pm
Sounds like Suh is a Bowles fan
May 20th, 2023 at 11:03 pm
Whatever, this season is what it is….the begining of the next era. As a fan i want to see the rookies and young players develope rather than see them go 8-9 a d get blown out in the loffs
May 20th, 2023 at 11:10 pm
Todd Bowles has “faithfuls?”
Can some of those “faithfuls” explain their reasoning?
May 20th, 2023 at 11:45 pm
Where do these Bucs fans get the confidence in Trask playing better than Mayfield? I hope they’re seeing something I’m missing. I have seen Baker have a good NFL season. I have yet to see Trask have a successful NFL drive.
May 21st, 2023 at 12:37 am
Suh
May 21st, 2023 at 12:39 am
When our team loses repeatedly I get pretty impulsive calling for Coach’s heads. I think fan sentiment has ran off several decent coaches maybe a little prematurely. Since I’m thinking rationally atm, I’d like to see Todd Bowles get a couple more years at the helm. One thing I do know as a fan, and that is we definitely don’t have all the facts or know everything that goes on. We know wins, losses, stats and we definitely know when players loaf or throw the towel in.
May 21st, 2023 at 1:02 am
Up to Baker. He will start week one. This Traskfield is fake news. I hate OU and Bakers clown attitude through his career in college and nfl. Let’s hope he has matured like he says so. Canalas gonna take care of things.
May 21st, 2023 at 1:13 am
Wow! This was the first time I saw Suh in this role. I always knew he was a great speaker but I never knew he could be so animated. I also loved his voice on TV. I surely miss him as a player but this commentator job fits him very well IMO! Thanks for the article, Joe.
May 21st, 2023 at 1:18 am
Coaches with the Most Super Bowls win are booth former Defensive Coordinators
Bill Belichick (New England Patriots) 2001, 2003, 2004, 2014, 2016, 2018
Chuck Noll (Pittsburgh Steelers) 1974, 1975, 1978, 1979
May 21st, 2023 at 1:19 am
Coaches with the Most Super Bowls win are both former Defensive Coordinators
Bill Belichick (New England Patriots) 2001, 2003, 2004, 2014, 2016, 2018
Chuck Noll (Pittsburgh Steelers) 1974, 1975, 1978, 1979
May 21st, 2023 at 1:25 am
Coach with only undefeated season? Don Shula
May 21st, 2023 at 1:41 am
Baker Mayfield is not a quality starting QB. Not at all.
Truth is, we don’t know if Trask can become one either.
But that’s exactly the point. Mayfield has had plenty of chances and has proven he does not have what it takes. We need to see if Trask has it before our next draft.
I would be more than happy for Baker to prove me wrong…but I do not believe he will.
I think fans will be calling for his head by game six at the latest if he is handed the starting role.
And, of course, he WILL be handed the starter role.
May 21st, 2023 at 5:59 am
I think you build your system around your QB strengths as well as your olines. They are doing this now. I feel like when the offense grasps it’s assignments we will be a good team.
May 21st, 2023 at 6:12 am
Bonzai … ‘And, of course, he WILL be handed the starter role.’
You MIGHT be right Bonzai and Mayfield will be our starting QB for Game1, but there’s just as good a chance that you MIGHT be wrong and Trask will finally get a fair chance to win the job … and actually win it. None of us KNOW at this point, not even Joe (please don’t tell him I said that though; he seems so adamant, would hate for this to burst his bubble).
May 21st, 2023 at 6:20 am
@BigMacAttack: I know that impulsive feeling. It ruins teams; it’s a Jerry Jones operation at its finest. But I have to tell you: Todd Bowles has to be pocketed back into DC and paid good HC money. This title does not suit him. What we plainly saw last season was something a man with his experience should have been able to solve on the fly. He still hasn’t owned up to, let alone repaired, what went wrong with our game operations. The whole script fiasco was poison from his own wooden spoon. He refused to remove the OC or that script of run-run-throw behind the line we watched with disgust. He also had the game clock situation he repeated where he refused to give the GOAT QB the reins at crucial times so we could win games. Not to get into playoff position, but to boost morale. Please tell me ME13’s early suspension for a win against NO made him feel good as Devin White loafed on the field later in the season, especially now that we see he didn’t want to play here after all? That wasn’t plainly obvious to the HC at the time? I would have put a practice squad guy out there before leaving a loafing diva out there to expose our defense. The coach is soft; weak; complacent; a milquetoast…….as a former athlete, I can assure you that one bad apple will soften an entire team via morale, and it’s the coach’s fault because the best he could come up with was an incredulous smile and arms folded when he should have at least benched guy(s), and at most thrown his headset, yell at some refs/players, stomped his feet, and get seen on camera walking over to Leftwich to ask him why tf he woke up some morning with his flat brim-hatted head up his Hulu. This dude is underwhelming as a HC; uninspiring; toxic, and abrasively passive. A pushover and a doormat, it seems. You cannot “give” someone like that billion dollar franchise chances. They have to earn it. Anyone who knows football doesn’t need to see beyond the game clock incident or his failures to adjust radically at halftime over a long, boring season to know hey hey, no no, Todd Bowles got to go 👉
May 21st, 2023 at 7:02 am
The Bucs official website has pics from the offseason workouts, and some videos. The last video phase 3, has some clips of Baker, and Trask throwing to receivers. Couldn’t help but notice Trask throwing to Mike Evans, and Baker throwing to our new rookie TE. That’s not the first time I noticed Trask throwing to the ones, and Baker throwing to the twos. This QB job is going to be Trask’s to win, OR lose. Baker might have more experience, and win the job, but I really believe the Bucs are treating Trask as the #1 right now, and why not. He’s not a rookie, he’s a vet who’s put in his dues the last two years as a Buc. Not a stinking Panther, Brown, or Ram. He’s Licht’s second round choice, and anyone who thinks he’s not going to get a real chance to start hasn’t been paying attention. I’d say the Bucs view him as the starter now. We’ll see if he rises up, and can continue as the #1, or if baker proves to be vastly better. Me, I doubt Baker will prove better.
May 21st, 2023 at 7:23 am
Stan, the Trask fans are just UF homers. I grew up a Gator fan and my daughter is a student there now. It doesn’t mean I have to blindly pledge allegiance to all players that come out of there. The coaches see Trask every day at practice and in camp. They didn’t trust him enough to even be a backup or suit up other than a throw away game at the end of last year. As soon as Brady they went out and picked up an experienced QB who is a former #1 overall pick. They obviously see no real potential in Trask. Since they get paid to make these evaluations we need to trust their judgement that Trask isn’t cut out for starting in the NFL.
May 21st, 2023 at 7:53 am
Is there a such thing as “Todd Bowles Faithful.”
May 21st, 2023 at 8:11 am
It’s not so much what has Trask done. It’s that he hasnt had an opportunity to play with the starters and you spent a second rounder on him. You don’t know what you have until you do. I don’t want to hear the well they see him everyday. That’s been his whole mantra that he was overlooked and wasn’t a starter in high school or college. But played great in games when given the opportunity. We will get to see both of them this year I’m sure. Even if Mayfield starts the season I would like to see Trask start the first preseason game with the starters since he’s been here.
May 21st, 2023 at 8:22 am
Jaguars are on the rise and the Buc’s have questions marks.
May 21st, 2023 at 8:28 am
The Bucs won their two Super Bowls with their Defense. Sorry Tom Brady.
May 21st, 2023 at 8:35 am
It used to be common for a great college qb to come in and sit behind the starter for a couple of years while being groomed for the starting role. Nobody thought much of it then, it was just the way it was. Staubach, Starr, Rodgers, Favre, Brady and Young among others.
I think many potentially great quarterbacks have been ruined by being drafted high by a bad team and expected to perform miracles but in this day of instant gratification, they are expected to be great immediately or labeled a bust.
I think the Bucs were smart to go old school and allow a great college qb to sit behind Brady and learn without the pressure or high expectations that come with instantly starting.
We shall see if this turns out to be a smart move!
May 21st, 2023 at 8:47 am
ShakeandBaker Says: “The coaches see Trask every day at practice and in camp. They didn’t trust him enough to even be a backup or suit up.”
Then why did they pass on both Will Levis AND Hendon Hooker in the first two rounds of the draft? The Bucs’ 2023 draft decisions completely destroy what all you haters have been saying on this FSU fanboi website for the past two years.
May 21st, 2023 at 9:01 am
Fans used to say the same things about Jim Plunkett as they are now Baker Mayfield… and then Plunkett won 2 SB’s with Raiders.
You beat Lawrence the same way you beat Mahomes- pressure. Admittedly, hard to do.
May 21st, 2023 at 10:02 am
BBQ maybe you didn’t read the part about being a Gator fan! The coaches and front office didn’t think he was worthy of even being a backing the last two years. Believe what you want to believe but they have made it very clear that they don’t think much of Trask. Some picks just don’t work out.
May 21st, 2023 at 10:46 am
LOL, Not worried about Defensive Line Chemistry. A few times eating BBQ together should Bond our guys to each other.
That new guy YaYa is pretty Big, and looks like he can put away some BBQ!
May 21st, 2023 at 11:27 am
BBQ, don’t promote Trask just because we didn’t draft a QB. A rookie QB on this Swiss-cheese team would have been truly ridiculous. Maybe the coaches believe in Mayfield rather than Trask. That seems more likely to me.
May 21st, 2023 at 12:06 pm
Go Trask…beat Baker!
May 21st, 2023 at 12:44 pm
Let’s turn JTS and all the other edge rushers we have loose on the edge
Teams won’t stand a chance…..
May 21st, 2023 at 10:26 pm
Trask will be your starter
May 22nd, 2023 at 5:50 am
SUH
Why not pick the Jags, they are heading in the right direction and the Bucs are a huge mystery. Anywhere from 4-7 wins is about where this team will be, barring a breakout by multiple players, namely at QB and then others. Years of winning the line of scrimmage dissapeared last year. If that continues, 7 wins would be a huge feat to accomplish.
If you do not win the line of scrimmage, you generally get beat. Turnovers are the only equalizer. And you cannot live off of turnovers. You have to man up consistently or simply get beat. Last year is exhibit A
So the Brainiac one SUH is actually speaking from a place logic
And again
SUH
May 22nd, 2023 at 6:24 am
Just admiring the photo of Suh, what f@cking specimen this guy is… you just don’t see interior D-lineman look like him… damn I miss him, just an absolute beast.
May 22nd, 2023 at 6:54 am
ZOO Just admiring the photo of Suh, what f@@king specimen this guy is… you just don’t see interior D-lineman look like him… damn I miss him, just an absolute beast.
And Suh Never missed a game!! and as a D lineman with the way people come crashing into and falling into a linemans legs is a modern day miracle.
And Suh has made more money than almost all NFL defensive players to date.
The dude is a straight up unicorn. 1 of 1
May 22nd, 2023 at 8:42 am
The Bucs have had great to good defense for most all of their history. Dungy had a great one but no offense. It was at time’s very frustrating. Losing low scoring games because we just could not put the ball in the end zone. And of course when you add to that our history of bad kickers…well gotta disagree and agree with Suh if that makes any sense.