Bucs Against The World
August 29th, 2023
Has words for naysayers.
Joe brings this up a lot partly because it sort of blows Joe’s mind.
Outside the Tampa Bay area, good luck finding someone that doesn’t think the Bucs will blow chunks this year — no matter that the Bucs have Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, and the perpetually undervalued Lavonte David and Antoine Winfield and Vita Vea.
No, the Bucs will be horrible, the national pen and mic club believes, because — brace for it — Baker Mayfield (and Kyle Trask, too).
Tyler Dunne, the long-time NFL writer who has his own Substack blog “Go Long,” the same guy who this summer wrote a feature that included Carlton Davis daying the Bucs will “wreck sh!t” this fall, returned to One Buc Palace to interview several players and coaches about how few outside their locker room thinks the Bucs will be any good this fall (like this guy).
They hear and read all the predictions of doom. And it seems to be fostering an us-against-the-world mindset, explained Godwin.
Wide receiver Chris Godwin accurately points out that millions were crowning the Bucs last season, and that such adoration didn’t get them anywhere. They had talent — “all of the talent you could ask for” — yet staggered through a sloppy 8-9 season. All offseason talk to him is exactly that. Talk.
“Everybody outside of the building expects us to be one of the worst teams in the league,” Godwin says. “But it doesn’t matter what anybody expects to happen. All that matters is what happens when we go out there on the field and start playing games. That’s really our sole focus, to do our best to build a team.
“A team that’s together. A team that fights for each other.”
Well, just like what national NFL scribes type about the Bucs is all talk, so is Davis saying the Bucs are going to “wreck sh!t” and others claiming they will make the NFL writers eat their words.
That’s talk too.
Want to make a difference and show up those with no faith? Ball out. Make plays. Win games.
Talk is a two-way street. But actions, that’s something far different. Joe hopes all the Bucs’ chatter about a lack of respect is energy that turns into wins.
August 29th, 2023 at 3:15 am
I have said it before. The Bucs lucked out having Baker Mayfield sign. He is the former # 1 overall pick. won the Heisman, took the dreadful Browns to the playoffs for cryin out loud. He has a edge about him that football fans love or hate him. He may just be good enough to be average enough with a good D and an OC with half a brain to be a 9+ win team. Great move by the Bucs . Baker wants to be the Man for the next 10 years here and call Tampa home for his family. This MAY just turn out great from both sides of the FIELD. Go BUCS! Brady who? lol
August 29th, 2023 at 3:26 am
There’s actually a lot to be optimistic this year, but at this point it’s still a cautious optimism. Several of these rookies (Mauch, Palmer, Kancey, Diaby, Izien at least) don’t just look like they belong on an NFL team, but they look like they have starter-potential. Which is a very good thing, because they’ll all have to play big roles this year. Several others (like Mayfield, Hainsey, Goedeke & more) will have to improve over last year’s performances. Still others (Shaq, Vea, Davis, Winfield for starters) will have to prove to be more durable than they were last year for us to truly be lethal.
August 29th, 2023 at 4:37 am
The Bucs could use a little serendipity for a change. I hope we aren’t what they said we are. Time will tell.
August 29th, 2023 at 6:10 am
If we can run the ball and rush the passer. We are a 10-11 win team with Baker.
August 29th, 2023 at 6:37 am
I wouldn’t have it any other way LFG!!!!
August 29th, 2023 at 6:38 am
@ What TruthBeTold said
August 29th, 2023 at 7:02 am
“THEY” are wrong all the time, why not now why not us.
August 29th, 2023 at 7:05 am
I prefer the Bucs to be the underdogs. Makes it that much sweeter when we win.
August 29th, 2023 at 7:28 am
Just what if : Baker Mayfield does indeed turn out to be “our Drew Brees”
Bucs trade Kyle Trask so he gets a #1 job
That trade nets a HUGE return
Just sayin’
August 29th, 2023 at 7:41 am
@Citrus County – that would be amazing for us. I would settle for the good version of Baker (doesn’t need to be HoF) and getting our second rounder back for Trask.
August 29th, 2023 at 7:57 am
Quarterbacks are only as good as the system they play in. Alex Smith being a good example. Mayfield has all of the physical tools to be successful. Good arm, pocet awareness etc. A system designed to highlight his strengths are needed for him to be successful. Have the Bucs designed such a system? I beleive they have and I beleive Baker will have a very good year. I think the Bucs have much more to be concerned with, like the plau of the O-Line. Wishing success for this years Bucs and NFL scribes rarely make accurate predictions.
August 29th, 2023 at 8:38 am
The Bucs didn’t sign Baker to taylor Canales’s offense around HIM, what the guy happens to be good at coincides with what the Bucs wanna do. (AND, he doesn’t cost much)
That said, after what I saw of Trask in the preseason, I wouldn’t mind watching him do the no-riskit thing
August 29th, 2023 at 8:47 am
This team has talent everywhere…but HC.
The man at top is the weak link.
August 29th, 2023 at 8:48 am
Only 12 days till the fun begins!
August 29th, 2023 at 9:00 am
Words never threw a TD..words never tackled anyone. Words never won in the NFL…
THE MEDIA….for whatever reasons don’t like Baker Mayfield. That’s the reason and I’m sick about it. He’s going to do great in this system and the Bucs are going to win the division..
August 29th, 2023 at 9:16 am
Many of you keep bustin’ on Bowles but things don’t look to shabby as of now.
August 29th, 2023 at 9:20 am
oops, darn the editor, it should have been “too shabby”.
August 29th, 2023 at 9:20 am
BL was the biggest problem. He sucked when he cause the ruin of the former QB in Arizona. Then he made TB12 look pedestrian. BL is awful. Notice how many colleges have been trying to hire him….
August 29th, 2023 at 9:38 am
When it comes to the media there is always a narrative. When Tom Brady was here initially that narrative was about him being the goat and our savior.
I asked to hear the narrative was about his personal life and how that may affect the team.
Now the narrative is the he’s gone and this team will go nowhere without him.
The fact is there was a lot of talent on this team but there was not a scheme in place that made proper use of that talent last year. I think with our new offensive coordinator we will see a system that will allow these players to thrive.
All that being said the one thing we really lack is quality depth at a number of positions. Such that if any of our key starters go down it will have a significant impact on our season.
We no longer have a proven third wide receiver as we did in 2020-2022.
Our offensive line has been shuffled around and with no Jensen will be a question mark.
So since the media likes to be right they are taking the easy way out and just assuming we will be one of the bottom five teams in the league. But if coached right if the offense of line can be average and we don’t have any crippling injuries to our key starters I do think this can be a playoff team especially in our division this year.
August 29th, 2023 at 9:46 am
Bowles problem is he’s so worried about turnovers on offense he wants them to be too conservative. See last year in contrast to prior. What is confusing to me is bringing in a QB who has a history of turning the ball over. I’m sure they know what there doing. Right???
August 29th, 2023 at 9:52 am
Godwin sounds like Baker.
August 29th, 2023 at 9:54 am
From what I have seen in preseason, I feel the Bucs are going to shock teams that treat us lightly. We had a great draft class this year, and Canales has given us a great offense.
August 29th, 2023 at 10:03 am
Since76 … ‘Bowles problem is he’s so worried about turnovers on offense he wants them to be too conservative.’
So in the 2021 championship game against the Rams Bowles was too much of a risk-taker to suit everyone, but last year he was too conservative for everyone? Yup, makes perfect sense.
Fact is, Todd Bowles is who he is. And who he is happens to be a very good defensive coordinator who is dual-hatted as the Bucs’ head coach. I personally like him much better as our DC, and wish that he wasn’t dual-hatted, but you know what … It’d be hard for me to turn down a few mil extra each year for 5 years if someone offered that to me (like the Bucs hierarchy offered it to him at the end of last March?). Especially if the new job came with an opportunity to ‘redeem myself’ for past losing years as the Jets’ HC. And just think, if he’d turned it down, BA most likely would’ve turned to BL as his 2nd choice. Lovely.
August 29th, 2023 at 10:12 am
What’s the over under on how many games Chris will miss again this year?
Is it 3-4 games?, Time will tell. Since 2019 Chris misses games each season.
Honestly what’s the expected win total for this team, 4-7 wins?
It will take a herculean effort to get to 8-9 wins.
So enjoy whatever games that are won.
Winning NFL football games is always starts winning the line of scrimmage, O Line and D Line.
On Offense, controlling the Line allows you to run the football, and throw, and on Defense you stop the Run and put heat on the QB.
Then you need decent QB play, does not have to be great.
And Turnovers are a big part of winning and losing.
Last year is exhibit A for what a team looks like that does not control the line of scrimmage, O Line/ D Line.
The Bucs were mediocre at best last year, 8-9 record. A LOSING RECORD And a beatdown by Dallas in the Home Playoff game, so 8-10 actually 💩
Brady pulled out 4 wins, in late game situations.
Without that they only win 4 games last year.
This team is a far cry from the having the solid O line and D Line that was here from 2019 -22
This team usually controlled the line of Scrimmage for the B Arians years. That is why they had a historically good run defense for several years.
But last year is an ugly reminder, that if you do not control the line of scrimmage, then you will be mediocre at best, or downright bad.
Time will tell about this team.
But as of right now Aug 2023, the O Line is still a major work in progress.
The Bucs are a long way from being a consistent winning team.
Anything over 7 wins this year will be nothing short of a Miracle.
Respect is earned not given. OK Bucs, give us something that the League respects
GO BUCS!!!!!!!
August 29th, 2023 at 10:22 am
Predictions crack me up.
The Cowboys’ season was over when Prescott went down in week 1 last year. Nope
The Rams were going to “run it back” last year and become a dynasty. Nope
The Bills picked to win the SB every year for the past 3 seasons. Nope
Cobraboy says: “This team has talent everywhere…but HC”. Yes BUT he knows he’s on the hot seat and he has a gung-ho, rah-rah OC to counter his instinct of “conservative, play to not lose mentality”. (Hopefully..lol)
Even a slow start won’t deter or panic me. Limitations in camp, very few preseason snaps for the 1s, etc. The first couple of games are like extended preseason or practice. They count of course, but won’t really tell the tale of how our season will go but I’m sure people’s heads will explode if we start 0 and 2. Lol
August 29th, 2023 at 10:22 am
And speaking of the Line of Scrimmage
SUH
Lol lol
GO BUCS!!!
August 29th, 2023 at 10:38 am
Citrus County Says:
“That trade nets a HUGE return. Just sayin’.”
.
.
More than a 6th-round pick! More that the 4th-rounder that the cowgirls gave SF for what’s-his-name!
August 29th, 2023 at 10:57 am
I’ll leave the real and credible analysis to the two Joes and Ira, but has anyone noticed that B.A. was never able to coach the STUPID penalties out of a group of veteran players ? It seems so far that Bowles has done well with that this year. The young and rookie players made a few illegal procedure and O line jump starts, but that seems to have gotten cleaned up by Canales quickly. I don’t recall any special team penalties by us against Baltimore but they had a couple, I think.
August 29th, 2023 at 11:29 am
I have been on the 5-6 win track all offseason – Todd is just scary as a HC – 13 rookies, 75mil cap dump –
I want nothing more than to be completely wrong and hope this us against the world mentality catches fire within the team
For a few years we expected to win every week
It’s hard to go back to having absolutely no idea what’s gonna happen when the whistle blows
Bring on the Yikes!!!!
August 29th, 2023 at 11:30 am
Last year no one was talking about Philly in the preseason. Just win.
August 29th, 2023 at 12:51 pm
Hey crack pipe, I said “what if”. I said nothing about draft picks. I was suggesting that Jason Licht might help his former no.2 pick get a no.1 job and in the process get some real good benefit in return. Licht does have a knack for making good deals.
August 29th, 2023 at 2:16 pm
There are reasons to be optimistic, and I agree with many of the takes above. Licht may have quietly done the best work of his career putting this roster together. Between Kancey, Ya, JTS, Hall, and the miraculous return of Shaq, there may be a pass rush. They tripled down on White as the RB1 so they must feel that there will be a run game. Trey Palmer is a find, and could be that 3rd receiver that will feast on the shadows of Evans and Godwin. The roster is younger, and there may be more speed and athleticism on it. Not hearing anything good about the other teams in the NFC South, and if Jalen Hurts goes down, the whole NFC is open. I think they have the tools to compete. Once again all comes down to Todd Bowles.
August 29th, 2023 at 2:24 pm
I’d love to see them give Watts more of a chance. I liked him even when he was at Charlotte & coming out.
August 29th, 2023 at 2:28 pm
When you have a QB as bad as Mayfield, and a coach as bad as Bowles, that’s a lot to overcome.
I think the defense will be pretty good – but with captain checkdown running the offense, throwing for 2 yards and 3rd and 6, you’re going to see a ton of punting, and that defense getting really tired.
August 29th, 2023 at 2:31 pm
That’s what always amazes me about some people when some say how they’re just a late round pick or they’re undrafted & they probably won’t do much or make the team. No a draft pick is a draft pick & that’s why they should trade down as much as possible. Especially for depth, too! Most of the players they drafted I would’ve considered drafting, too! Wasn’t too sure on Hayes though. I think I might of drafted another CB instead.
August 29th, 2023 at 2:47 pm
Citrus County Says:
“Hey crack pipe, I said “what if”.”
.
.
My reference to a 6th was actually a snarky hack at the Joe who suggested in the IRA podcast that we could get a 6th for him. I agree with you that he is definitely tradeable, although I’d wish to keep him, he showed plenty in the preseason to draw interest.
August 30th, 2023 at 12:13 am
Hey crack pipe, I went back and read your post again. Now I understand and agree. I’m new at this but am beginning to like it. 6th or 4th my a–. Licht has a starting quarterback that has been slowly developed and groomed under the GOAT. I think a quarterback hungry team would love Trask over most any kid right out of college. Trask is like buying a 3 year old garage kept car washed and waxed weekly with 500 miles on it. But unlike cars quarterbacks with three years development that are showing starter ability don’t depreciate in value. I think someone would pay BIG for him.
August 30th, 2023 at 1:54 am
Godwin ain’t wrong and I love the attitude!
I am hoping the defensive side of the ball takes the same attitude as the defense from 2002. Sapp and company took offense to the naysayers and kicked some tail all season.
Go Bucs!