So, About Those Drops
January 19th, 2024
Joe doesn’t know how many drops the Bucs had Monday night in beating the Eagles in the wild card round game. What Joe does know it was way too many.
If the Bucs hauled in those drops, Eagles defenders would still be in Philadelphia burn centers.
Yesterday, Bucs offensive coordinator Dave Canales was asked about the drops. He doesn’t believe it is the beginning of a pattern.
“I couldn’t really tell you – that just happens sometimes,” Canales said. “I’d love to see a day where we made all of those plays for the guys that were coming to life – Cade [Otton] really doing a fantastic job in the game.
“We’ve been talking about that complement to Mike [Evans]. When teams do stuff to neutralize Mike, everybody else has to contribute. Trey [Palmer], David Moore, Cade, Chris [Godwin] had a couple of [opportunities] in there – and certainly the run game is a big part of that, too.
“I really don’t like to get into our players’ heads with those types of things. They’re excited, it’s a playoff game, and we’ve just got to learn how to play with composure and those things and make the easy ones when they’re there.”
Joe thinks mostly Canales is right. Joe remembers back in 2020 the Bucs traveled to Washington to begin their march to the Super Bowl. In that game Chris Godwin had three or four dropped passes. It was unreal and so very much unlike him. Maybe, as Canales hinted, that was Godwin’s first playoff game so perhaps he was too amped.
Of course, Godwin had a helluva postseason, highlighted by one of the best games of his career in the NFC title win at Green Bay two weeks later.
Cade Otton has had a case of the dropsies since 2023 training camp. Not matter how this season ends, Otton really should put in a lot of work catching the ball. If he has to catch 150 balls from a Juggs machine daily and sleep with the damn ball, so be it.
Joe had a reader send a Twitter unloading on Mike Evans for his drops. Joe will gladly take ugly drops if that comes along with 13 touchdown catches.
Nitpicking Evans on his periodic bouts of the dropsies is like whining about Ronald Acuna striking out; meanwhile he belts 41 bombs and scores 149 runs.
But Joe doesn’t know if the Bucs can afford to have too many more drops if they hope to beat Detroit on Sunday.
Baker Mayfield & Trey Palmer (56-yd TD) 📽️
🔸 Palmer Top Speed: 20.78 mph
🔸 Yards After Catch: 50
🔸 YAC Over Expected: +49Palmer: Fastest speed as a ball carrier of career; Bucs receivers have gained 195 of 259 yards after the catch, +79 YACOE.#PHIvsTB | #RaiseTheFlags pic.twitter.com/5FqvOys5nj
— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) January 16, 2024
January 19th, 2024 at 7:35 am
Boys better apply a healthy dose of Stickum™️ on Sunday!
January 19th, 2024 at 7:38 am
I saw some folks online blabber on that Mike dropped that TD on purpose because “Mike Evans TD” was the most bet prop before the game and that he’s going to have a HUGE game Sunday in response.
January 19th, 2024 at 7:39 am
I wonder if anyone has figured out how many yards and TDs Evans would have had this season without the drops. My guess is about 1500 yards and 17 TDs.
January 19th, 2024 at 7:41 am
Evans does seem to drop at least one long pass every game
January 19th, 2024 at 7:44 am
” and certainly the run game is a big part of that, too. ” Coach Canales just can’t help himself. Not criticism, just an observation.
January 19th, 2024 at 7:47 am
You know who else has been dropping passes lately?
Taylor Swift’s boyfriend.
You think KC is gonna quit throwing to him?
Sometimes you just have to keep going to your best players and trust them to work it out.
January 19th, 2024 at 7:54 am
Can’t drop balls like that and expect 20+ mil per season. I love Mike but as an elite receiver those are the type of catches he must make. If the game was closer, a drop like that could have cost them the game.
January 19th, 2024 at 7:57 am
There were also great catches, great cuts, great passes. And they won.
No virtue in worrying about the past. Especially after a win.
This is the time to thrive, not survive.
January 19th, 2024 at 8:02 am
Let’s go back to last year in the first game against the panthers when Brady hit Evans in stride but he stunningly bobbled and then dropped what would have been a 64-yard touchdown on the opening possession. Yes Evans is a future HOF but he cannot perform like this in the playoffs. He must lead by example. Otton n Palmer are becoming regulars with the dropsies. I hope the coaches are emphatically addressing this concern.
January 19th, 2024 at 8:11 am
Cade Otton should invest in a pair of gloves. Who’s he trying to impress going bare-hands?
January 19th, 2024 at 8:11 am
I think it was a record for dropped passes in the first half a playoff game and it wasn’t really close. They counted like 5 or 6 just in a half.
Otton had been actually pretty sure handed all year besides that game. I remember Joe saying he struggled in camp but in the actual regular season games his hands were extremely reliable. Unless i’m forgetting a lot of drops. I can remember a lot of Evans drops this season for example but not Otton.
January 19th, 2024 at 8:22 am
Evan’s always drops passes, nothing new. No one is talking about how many drops Eagles had, more in the first half than Bucs all game, same with missed tackles. On GMFB this morning, Brant said the Eagles are now probably the worst team in the league and the Panthers could have beaten them. Can’t wait to see Palmer & Moore sole handle beat the Lions in their house. It was a good run Bucs fans, all good things have to come to an end
January 19th, 2024 at 8:26 am
If Baker puts it in his hands, Evans is dropping it. Remember he learned with Manziel in college, he’ll catch inaccurate passes all day.
January 19th, 2024 at 8:27 am
Otton stopped wearing gloves in the preseason beCAUSE of drops
January 19th, 2024 at 8:30 am
If you throw right to Evans, he’s going to drop it. Remember, he went to college with Johnny Manzeil that’s the way he learned, catching the crap he was throwing up.
January 19th, 2024 at 8:32 am
Not worried about last week, we won handily, our only focus is this week,
January 19th, 2024 at 8:41 am
Drops will happen…..the really good news is that Mayfield put the ball on WRs hands….he keeps doing that and we’ll be successful.
January 19th, 2024 at 8:45 am
Fully agree. Leave Evans alone. He has proven himself. And yes, we will all take some ugly drops if that comes along with 13 touchdown catches!
January 19th, 2024 at 8:47 am
Joe, have you mentioned the similarity between this team and the 2020 Bucs, a dropsy game (Godwin) n Philly game, then a road game to a dome as an obvious underdog, with a QB that was talked about as close to done in the NFL, streaking to end the season, Zyon as this years Bunting, defemse healthy, Stinnie filling in at LG, just some real similarities
January 19th, 2024 at 8:49 am
There are several reasons for drops. First…hands of stone and lack of physical ability. That clearly is not the problem here! All of these guys have NFL level hands and skill,
The second is mental. That IMO is the explanation. Lack of focus can be mental and as Joe suggested being to hyped…(nice way to avoid the “C” word) as the pressure builds hands and concentration can be affected.
I’m of the school of thought that all emphasis at this point should be simply mental. I suspect the Bucs have sports psychologists on hand to help.
Bottom line…yeah it wasn’t pretty but the % of drops to catches ratio with these guys is not out of hand. CG14 went through a spell as Joe pointed out and then turned it totally.
Everybody drops a ball now and then. But not everybody can make a play.
Have we seen ME13 with spectacular catches…ditto for CG14…and I’ve seen Otton make a couple of really tough catches. Trey Palmer is a kid adjusting to the big lights so hopefully his “mental” toughness continues to grow. All four of these guys can make plays!
Payne Durham has good hands…David Moore as well…There are plenty of good targets with DEPENDABLE hands to not spend much time worrying about a single bad game or even several drops in an entire season.
IF the Bucs come out focused everything will be fine!
January 19th, 2024 at 8:53 am
Yes?
Even Tom Brady stopped going to him for a streak of games
January 19th, 2024 at 8:58 am
Lets face it…this team has gotten extremely lucky this year…….soooo many drops…….so many should be int’s by baker.
big mike nor baker are worthy of top tier money..
the team had sooo many drops last week. we expect ME to drop them (no top WR is expected to drop balls) but this trend can not continue as their luck will run out.
the eagles were turrible!
January 19th, 2024 at 9:00 am
FU Ne fan, go away you troll
January 19th, 2024 at 9:00 am
One of things that lost us the first lions game was the drop balls. Lions are betting having CJ back will make it worse. A lot of lions chatter is they will “easily” handle us as they will be at full strength, have stadium noise, “baker sucks,” and they are “magical team of destiny.” It seems the fans and pundits have embraced all of that. They don’t even examine how Bucs have changed with Kancey, YaYa, Zyon, and defense changes along with our offense using different receivers, schemes and Baker has a big chip on his shoulder. I’ve read they believe CJ has gotten in Bakers head and they will win. I believe we can win because they are over confident. We are expected to lose by many and lose badly. If Bowles and Canales have a great plan that can adjust and the the players execute (block, run, throw, catch, kick, tackle and pressure) then we have an equal chance to win. We have improved and lions are still good but getting cocky. Use that and win.
January 19th, 2024 at 9:02 am
No receiver catches them all. If BM6 and the receivers play as well or better in Detroit, the Bucs will be in a place to win the game. Then its about making plays. The team that makes the plays when needed will win. I’m hopeful. LFG!!
January 19th, 2024 at 9:04 am
In 2020 Washington PO game, Godwin had four drops 2 in the end zone. Brady never stopped throwing to him.
January 19th, 2024 at 9:40 am
NE Fan is full of BS. The Eagles have no official drops from the wildcard game.
Creep is nothing but a hater. Keep drinking the Haterade and remember Pats don’t have Brady or Bill.
January 19th, 2024 at 9:42 am
The Evans drops are baffling. A couple of the throws to the tight ends he really put some mustard on them. Two of the drops I saw the tight ends hands were smacked away from the ball hard. No way they were catching it. I know they should but put a little touch on the ball. Mayfield does have a strong arm. There’s a time and a place for it.
January 19th, 2024 at 10:05 am
Haha Ne fan you are such a tool, GET A LIFE BRO hahaha
January 19th, 2024 at 10:22 am
Part of the problem is ball placement. Some are too long, too high. Some of the hardest balls to catch are too close.
That is stuff that just happens too. No one is really at fault, because emotions in such a game can overwhelm even NFL legends.
January 19th, 2024 at 10:57 am
Evans has struggled with dropped passes all year.
Drops the easy ones but makes the jumping behind his back one-handed circus catch…
I don’t get it but I hope he doesn’t drop any in Detroit. It’s going to be a tight game and we can’t waste any opportunities against those guys.
January 19th, 2024 at 11:11 am
@NE
You were offered a very nice invitation by me. However, you’re truth is your truth. And you very disrespectfully disregarded that invitation because You’re just a troll that lives under a cold bridge. And I definitely don’t feel bad for you going forward. I’ll never offer you quarter again. Mistake on my part.
You’re desperately trying to be relevant and it is one of the strangest displays of a disease I’ve seen in a long time.
However, in the spirit of your constant and So obviously jealously petty attempts I’ve got a few departing words for your Creepy Arse..
I want you to know that In the end, you’re just a bitter, petty, old troll. Man/Woman, whatever you are, you’re a sad specimen of a pathetic troll.
YOU NE, are an Embarrassment to the patriots organization and ESPECIALLY to the legend Tom Brady.. He wouldn’t let you Near him or his family because your a “special type”.
You have to much time on your hands for your own good. Maybe it’s best you invest some quality time into yourself in some other manner. This is apparently not healthy for you, and that became self evident after you lost your shat after we beat the SNOT out of the tired Eagles.
I’m guessing that’s your new team by your reactions to our domination of them.. Thats Your problem, Not ours.. They DIDN’T belong infront of a Winning organization such as the Buccaneers in the first place! And you over reacted in an obviously OUT THERE and in a very “self emploading” and Clearly self inflicted personal troubles kinda way.
Kindness for your funky stink is OVER creeper. And just like the Commenter or two above, please make sure and go F yourself elsewhere ASAP.
O just one more thing that you should shove up your hole for ya.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers HAVE NEVER needed a “special qb” EVER to win Super Bowles. Unlike the PATHETIC patriots. I don’t give a shat about the hapless patriots so I’m not going to bother to look it up but I’m betting the pats were NEVER good enough to win one or even SNIFF ONE without the very best qb ever.
In other words your team has ALWAYS SUCKED.
You have yourself a nice life now and don’t forget to go F yourself!
Good day to the Pathetically Creepy Troll, NE
GO BUCS!
January 19th, 2024 at 11:30 am
EXCEPT EVANS SUCKED …
In the first game against Detroit (lost the game).
In the first game against Philly (put us in a hole in the first with dropped TD and 2x3rd down passes).
In the 2020 playoff run.
He drops balls in big games. I think he gets too ampted up. He needs to calm down and just play his game.
January 19th, 2024 at 11:36 am
@Obvious, regarding NE Fake—–OUCH! Back to football. Good lord, folks, these players are human beings, not robots or AI garbage. Even almighty Jerry Rice dropped balls. As long as those drops don’t end up being turnovers. Especially this coming Sunday…..no way am I jinxing my team! Go Tampa Bay!!
January 19th, 2024 at 12:01 pm
LMAO, Evans had 1 drop. And guess what? We scored a touchdown 2 plays later. So it did not affect the game at all.
Otton had 3 drops I believe, but came on strong in the 2nd half at least.
Everyone needs to relax. Y’all sound like idiots when you claim other top WRs never drop passes. Guess what? They do. All of them. You just don’t watch those teams the way you watch the Bucs.
January 19th, 2024 at 12:01 pm
And yes the Eagles had like 3 drops as well. All from their tight ends I believe.
January 19th, 2024 at 12:02 pm
That video was so real, right down to the crowd noise.
January 19th, 2024 at 1:51 pm
Well, there can be a whole big difference between surprise dropped balls from excellent receivers, and then a case of dropped balls from receivers “who need work, and “may lack capability.
The Buccaneers’ receivers this year are really awesome if you think about in this comparable-sense.
In other words: look at “the depth” in receivers before this year: Scotty Miller, Johnson, Brate (who was still good, but forgotten) and Gio (who I had high hopes for receiving as what Rachaad has thankfully been).
With these players there became a legitimate question of “capability.”
With Palmer (who has easily taken over for Gage) Otton,
Moore, and the impressive tight end depth we’ve seen, it’s no contest that this year, not only are they all capable but a definite feeling that we haven’t even seen the best they can do yet.
With Otton in the great playoff win (the Eagles bad play was just another coincidence; the winning team can play well regardless of the oppositions’ bad play after all; “the national football media” finally seems to realize this with regard to the Buccaneers’ win). His early couple of drops (which Baker may have had some unexpected, extra sting on the ball, were more than made-up-for with Otton’s catches in the rest of the game.)
I can’t think of one receiver that goes-in this year where I’m thinking “uh ho” this could be a disaster; rather, it’s a sense in confidence that they have the talent for “play-making.”
A few dropped-balls seems just coincidental and nothing to worry about.
January 19th, 2024 at 2:06 pm
I wonder if the Bucs choose poorly in terms gloves or not wearing gloves, etc, because the lying fake new weatherman lied about the forecast, saying all week it would be a rainy muddy track, which turned out to be completely untrue.
In any case, Evans dropped one pass – not two. If you think a guy fully extended gets a drop for not making a catch with fingernails, you’re an idiot. Also, the Bucs got a TD literally two plays later, so no, the Bucs wouldn’t have scored 50 if they didn’t drop the ball, there wasn’t any points taken off the board because of drops. And no, I don’t count Otton being tackled before the ball got there as a drop, that was pass interference.
January 19th, 2024 at 2:36 pm
Obvious @ I obviously hit a nerve. I apologize my intention was not to make you cry. The Bucs beat up on a wounded animal last week and that’s OK, it’s part of the game. The game plan was superior to that of the Eagles I will give you that but man, we all watched the missed tackles and lookout blocks on offense and the Eagles abundance of dropped passes. The Coach took two scores off the board in a one score game. Listen if the Bucs win I will congratulate you all but you’ve got yourself a pretty steep uphill battle.
January 19th, 2024 at 2:55 pm
@ Rod
How ironic – Mike Evans drops Baker’s best throw of the season…
Good grief.
January 19th, 2024 at 3:59 pm
Marine Buc Says:
January 19th, 2024 at 2:55 pm
@ Rod
How ironic – Mike Evans drops Baker’s best throw of the season…
Good grief.
———-
It happens, but they got a TD 2 plays later, so it’s all good.
Assuming we get another good showing from Baker on Sunday, and he can get the ball in the general area of Evans, I’d expect Mike to have a huge day.
January 19th, 2024 at 4:11 pm
Ne fan You are a liar and a troll you promised you would go away when Brady left .. you didn’t You said you would go away when the bucs were 3 -1 you didn’t. I don’t believe anything you say. You always have something to say negative. I think obvious hit the nail on the head with you.. He is 100% correct describing you. The Bucs are in the playoffs and defeated the eagles in which nobody gave us a chance. Why are you so obsessed with the Bucs? Please answer that? Unbelievable the crap that comes out of your mouth, Do you have a team? Did the patriots fans run you off? Brady has a stalking order against you? What the helll is the deal with you?
January 20th, 2024 at 1:43 am
No drops this Sunday!
Need to pass protect and I expect ME13 to go off!
January 20th, 2024 at 8:39 am
I don’t know who it is that decides what a drop is but I so not think they have ever and I mean ever! Caught a football in a football game. Oh …it touched his hand …thats a drop! Again somone needs to step in on this madness! Just like these freaking refs and phantom holding calls when the opponet falls over!
Mike dropped one Monday that is all!
Go Bucs!
January 20th, 2024 at 8:56 am
I never saw Paul Warfield,or Lynn Swan drop a ball,if it hit their hands they caught it.But maybe God just doesn’t make receivers like that anymore.For pete’s sake,Evans is a hall of famer.