“Why Isn’t Anybody Smiling?”
January 7th, 2024
Joe gathered with a small group of devoted Tampa Bay fans to watch the Bucs-Panthers game today.
With the Bucs in victory formation, a very casual Bucs fan entered the space.
The question from the casual fan was simple. “Why isn’t anybody smiling?”
One hardcore fan replied, “Because the Bucs are bad.”
It was that kind of bizarre day for Bucs fandom. Joe can’t remember having such weird feelings during a time that should be filled with ecstasy and celebration. Yes, the Bucs exceeded most fans’ expectations this season with a 9-8 record and a division crown, secured today with a 9-0 shut out of the bumbling two-win Panthers.
But something about these past two games, the ugly home loss to the Saints and today’s touchdown-free showing at Carolina, is hard to stomach.Two big games with everything on the line and the Bucs, collectively, didn’t look like a bunch of fierce, hungry warriors.
By contrast, the battered and old slimy Saints (9-8) brought all kinds of juice to their last two games, including their pounding of the Bucs and a 48-17 hammering of the Falcons (7-10) today.
Joe just wants the Bucs to be progressing and winning at the same time. It’s hard now to say the Bucs are moving in the right direction, even though a glorious home playoff game is coming in a week.
Thankfully, the Bucs have another shot to put a smile back on fans’ faces.
And Joe believes that smile will be there win or lose, if the Bucs come out and look like a good football team next weekend.
January 7th, 2024 at 4:43 pm
Bucs stink…..
January 7th, 2024 at 4:45 pm
The Panthers literally scored two TDs and erased them off the boards themselves.
The Bucs couldn’t even get in the endzone…..PATHETIC!!!đź’©đź’©đź’©đź’©đź’©đź’©đź’©đź’©đź’©đź’©đź’©đź’©đź’©đź’©
January 7th, 2024 at 4:46 pm
True so true Bucs aint bad coaching is bad
January 7th, 2024 at 4:46 pm
This is the QB that joe and the army of jock washers on here want signed long term? 0 td 136 yards against the worst team in football in a clinching game… thats two weeks in a row of this garbage. How about we talk about our field goal kicker and the defense. The baker riding is pathetic. I will throughly enjoy watching baker get destroyed next weekend.
January 7th, 2024 at 4:46 pm
The Bucs just did the last two games of God awful football Joe. .. ….. how can any Bucs Fan be happy with that???? 🤔
January 7th, 2024 at 4:46 pm
No one is smiling because they are not going into the playoffs with momentum. They look like pathetic losers, and they will prove it next week when they lose their playoff game, probably in a resounding fashion.
January 7th, 2024 at 4:47 pm
EVERYONE NEEDS TO TURN THOSE FROWNS UPSIDE DOWN! THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL CONFERENCE SOUTHERN DIVISION CHAMPION TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS LEAD BY NFL MVP BAKER MAYFIELD AND NFL COACH OF THE YEAR TODD BOWLES ARE JUST GETTING STARTED!
NEXT STOP THE SUPER BOWL!
BUT TO GET THERE WE ALL NEED TO DO OUR PART AND KEEP A POSITIVE ATTITUDE!
JOIN THE MOVEMENT!
#TEAMPOSITIVE!
January 7th, 2024 at 4:47 pm
Im happy!!! Baker playing his a off, Winfield getting snubbed and “Showed them”… whats next is next, we’ll deal with it as it comes…..
DRAFT A CENTER FIRST PLEASE!
Just make Canales HC and get it over with
January 7th, 2024 at 4:47 pm
Because they know!
January 7th, 2024 at 4:47 pm
The last 2 games was hard to stomach? the last 2 seasons with his buffoon of a head coach has been hard for me to stomach.
January 7th, 2024 at 4:48 pm
5-1 to end the season….quit the whining losers!
Some of yall have gotten too spoiled and forget about the lost decade.….I bet some of yall didnt even know the Bucs were a team before Brady arrived.
January 7th, 2024 at 4:48 pm
The Buc’s arrow is pointing down.
A team can lay an egg and still win.
We’ve seen two really bad games to finish the regular season.
I expect a drubbing next week.
January 7th, 2024 at 4:48 pm
Injury report is gonna be ugly after this one. We had 2 down on 1 play today!
January 7th, 2024 at 4:50 pm
“You should be happy with this bad brand of football because we lost a lot of games in our history” is a really bad way to think. Bad football is bad football and we should never be happy with it period.
January 7th, 2024 at 4:51 pm
What?????
Seriously???
I am smiling my a@@ off!
Bowles made the palyoffs with a 4mm QB, ni money for free agency, a first time OC, twoVERY BAD cb like Dean and CDIII and he still made it.
But my biggest smile is Because despiste the so called experts and a bunch of negative Bucs fans he still made it!!!
Some a Bucs fans should shut up and spread their negativity on a Jacksonville site….
January 7th, 2024 at 4:52 pm
Bowles still stinks and no amount of alcohol consumption is going to change that, but some of you tried really hard today. Hope you’re not driving.
January 7th, 2024 at 4:53 pm
Everyone should be worried about Canales. Everyone should be worried about this OL getting absolutely rag-dolled last week, this week and likely next week. Does anyone here feel like we won’t be absolutely mauled by Philly or Dallas’s studs upfront?
January 7th, 2024 at 4:55 pm
Bakers $4 million will be playing in the playoffs while Carrs $150 million will be sitting at home ordering Pizza Hut
January 7th, 2024 at 4:56 pm
They don’t call him Toilet Bowles for nothin!
January 7th, 2024 at 4:56 pm
Defense played lights out, but the Offense and the O line looked bad. Everyone knows what more powerful teams like Dallas and Philly will do to this team in the playoffs. Everyone knows how bad the play calling has been and it’s doubtful Canales will change his gameplan in the playoffs. Think the fans are happy the Bucs won the NFL Jr. Varsity title, but everyone knows what is in store.
January 7th, 2024 at 4:56 pm
Bucs navigated a winning season with a lot of dead cap space. Defied expectation and won a division title.
Not a bad team but definitely not an elite team.
January 7th, 2024 at 4:56 pm
I’m happy they won only because I had a parlay bet at the beginning of the season. More than 5.5 wins and South Champs. Don’t think they’ll go any further. Still think they should get rid of Bowles.
January 7th, 2024 at 4:57 pm
9-0
Feels like 1979
January 7th, 2024 at 4:57 pm
This team could have won more games if it was not for Bowles poor clock management.
January 7th, 2024 at 4:57 pm
Becuz USF could beat the Panters.
January 7th, 2024 at 4:57 pm
Lets see how many are smiling after NEXT weekend. We are stuck with bowels for another year. Keep smiling folks! LOL
January 7th, 2024 at 4:57 pm
It comes down to Baker.
He did everything he possibly could to lose this game today. He had at least 4-INTs dropped, he averaged 4-yards per pass, he was literally terrible. These last two games have literally been his two worst games of the season, in the two biggest moments of the season.
That is why everyone, who isn’t a psychopathic Baker Boi, is down on the team. He’s looked awful, and gives the Bucs zero chances to not be embarrassed next week if he plays like this.
With that said, if he comes out next week and has the game of his life, the Bucs can win – in particular vs the Eagles and their awful pass defense.
This is what Baker is. He had a two game Fitzmagic like stretch, then collapsed and has looked like the worst QB in football the last two games.
Maybe he’s going in two game cycles, and we get good Baker next week. There’s at least a chance of that happening.
January 7th, 2024 at 4:58 pm
I mean seriously, what in the world were fan’s expectations entering this season if they are bummed out about making the playoffs?
January 7th, 2024 at 4:59 pm
Tbbucs3
Baker made at least 5 million with the incentives and I believe the saints are still alive.
January 7th, 2024 at 5:00 pm
Save for a measly 2 good games, this fan isn’t smiling because overall, the Bucs are simply not competitive.
I mean, this division championship, to me, feels like a participation trophy.
Little confidence for next week.
Still, sigh…GO Bucs ! ! !
January 7th, 2024 at 5:01 pm
I will take this over the lost decades of not making playoffs. A sure way to NOT win a playoff game is NOT making the playoffs.. let’s go bucs!
January 7th, 2024 at 5:02 pm
DooshlaRule
Thats chump change in the NFL
January 7th, 2024 at 5:04 pm
We aren’t smiling because….
Short term: Great! NFC South champs and in playoffs at home.
Mid-term: Mixed. We did so poorly last two games that this playoff game is looking more like a loss.
Long-term: Bowles will still be HC.
January 7th, 2024 at 5:05 pm
No idea why fans aren’t smiling – they won and made the playoffs in a year where they were in cap hell.
Baker Mayfield is an up and down hot and cold QB. That makes him better than about 10 guys starting in the NFL – but isn’t going to get you a championship without a whole lot of help.
But guess what – the Bucs are just another NFL franchise. They should expect to win a Super Bowl once every 15-20 years. If your standard is championship or bust you are going to be a miserable fan – and you will deserve your misery
January 7th, 2024 at 5:07 pm
I am happy for you Bucs fans. Playoff bound at home. Great signing by the g.m. in Mayfield. The Patriots will not be in the playoffs for a decade.
January 7th, 2024 at 5:09 pm
“Long-term: Bowles will still be HC”
Believe it or not, you could do a whole lot worse than Bowles at HC….Bowels at least brings the defensive element and the pass defense woes this year were more due to poor player personnel and not coaching.
Also, the Commanders are currently outplaying the “mighty” Cowboys, they are do it whos to say we cant?
Ill never understand why making the playoffs is a “bad thing”
January 7th, 2024 at 5:12 pm
Ugly win but they got it done. The offense drove the ball near the goal line on the final drive but did the sporting thing and ran the clock. Otherwise, 16-0.
January 7th, 2024 at 5:14 pm
Tbbucs,
Just stating the facts vs what you said
January 7th, 2024 at 5:19 pm
You can look for the gold or look for the dirt…..this blog is almost always dirt! They are playing next week with a really beat up QB, a hell of lot of NFL players will be watching at home.
January 7th, 2024 at 5:21 pm
People don’t have it in perspective.
This is a team most didn’t think would win more than 5 games this year. They exceeded expectations.
3 straight division titles. (longest streak in franchise history)
4 straight playoff berths (longest active streak in the NFL other than the Bills and Chiefs).
All that plus being in cap hell, signing a QB on his 4th team for 4m. AND a brand new rookie OC.
And Todd Bowles gets two division titles in his first two years as head coach. (Which is why he will NOT be fired).
Did people expect a 15 win season?
January 7th, 2024 at 5:22 pm
I can always tell who suffered with me through the 70s and 80s we are happy to Win …The new Looser Fantasy football crowd would rather looses and focus on Fantasy Draft picks and Coaches…Winners want to Win and loosers focus on Loosing.
January 7th, 2024 at 5:26 pm
They could read the writing on the wall, and it said what I don’t want to.
Hot Toddie might have pulled a new contract out of his ##s with that garbage truck full of a game, and if Hot Toddie is back, so is his Baker.
We will have years full of that trash to watch.
January 7th, 2024 at 5:29 pm
Doesn’t matter. There are no style points in the NFL. The Aints didn’t do enough all year to earn a playoff spot like the Bucs did.
January 7th, 2024 at 5:30 pm
There were no style points in the NFL. You win or you lose. Has anyone noticed how awful the Eagles that looked for the past 6 weeks? Kansas City has been a picture of mediocrity all year. That was lost two Arizona on the road. Detroit lost to the Packers and we slaughtered the Packers. Jacksonville lost on the road to Tennessee when all they had to do was win to win their division. Miami beats up on inferior competition but can’t beat anybody with a winning record.
January 7th, 2024 at 5:31 pm
Real fans know. I guess getting embarrassed in the playoffs is better than not getting there at all. Go Bucs!
January 7th, 2024 at 5:31 pm
If there were any justice Bowles should be fired if the Bucs lay an egg next week which is surely coming.
January 7th, 2024 at 5:31 pm
What kind of fan goes to a buccaneer game where they win a 3rd straight division and mark the 4th consecutive playoff appearance just to sit there with miserable faces. Sure, it wasent a dominant performance. Regardless you guys sounds boring and unpleasant. People like that put a bad name on the buccaneers fan base.
January 7th, 2024 at 5:32 pm
It’s great they’re in. It’s not great they are playing like crap. If they don’t have a turn around, the playoffs will be very short lived. Maybe, by some miracle, Baker can pull out a 4 game above-average to elite level set of games to bring it all home, but I’m not willing to put any money down on that. It’ll be miracle if we get a good enough performance this next weekend to be competitive.
Even last year most fans felt that Brady could pull it out. This year, I don’t think you’ll find many thinking Baker can.
January 7th, 2024 at 5:34 pm
Yeah, and the Saints can drink that juice while they sit at home and watch us play next week.
January 7th, 2024 at 5:35 pm
I came to Tampa area in 1978, and I agree with Johnny.
(I still think the Eagles will beat us next week).
January 7th, 2024 at 5:37 pm
Baker IS playing his ass off and is hurt, but he holds the ball too long and if his first read is covered we are in trouble. We did well this year by succeeding despite our major flaws. We need another year or two and another sick draft by Licht. We need more pass rush, more OLine and another high draft pick RB and we are working in the right direction
January 7th, 2024 at 5:42 pm
This game is like kissing your sister. It’s not supposed to feel good.
January 7th, 2024 at 5:46 pm
You Bucs fans are the worst & dumbest fans in Pro Football. You blame Baker Mayfield for making the Playoffs on a team you said wouldn’t win 5 games.
January 7th, 2024 at 5:50 pm
As much as I hate it is how it is, IF the Saints get the help to get in, I have more confidence that the Saints win some playoffs because they can score….
Bucs are just a bad team!
January 7th, 2024 at 5:52 pm
Jason… some of us aren’t stupid. I actually knew nothing about BM at the start of this season. I’m a fan who wants my team to win. PERIOD!
January 7th, 2024 at 6:03 pm
First, I will not be surprised if there’s not a sell out crowd of mostly Eagles fans in attendance.
Secondly, a playoff game against the Eagles is all about the trenches.
If we face the Eagles, our interior offensive line will be tasked with stopping the Godzilla like monster in defensive tackle in Jordan Davis as well as Jalen Carter and Fletcher Cox.
Hendricks will line up on Goedeke.
I can see how those matchups would cause Bucs fans to be very cautious.
January 7th, 2024 at 6:05 pm
I don’t know what our fans are so mad about. We finished 9-8. Thats one game better than last year and we had the great tom brady then. despite everything, the Bucs fought hard this year. They lost 3 really close games they should have won. Get us a pass rush next season and we will be rollin.
January 7th, 2024 at 6:14 pm
Get used to it this what they have wanted since the day Goodell was hired PARITY for tv ratings and everyone has a chance
January 7th, 2024 at 6:17 pm
Been a fan since 78 don’t think any of you realize how many lean years there were. Would have killed for a season like this in the 80s and early 90s. Let’s just be a little more positive
January 7th, 2024 at 6:22 pm
Bad football is bad football and if you want to be happy with that good for you but this team has been a bad watch most of the season, cap has nothing to do with bad coaching, bad game plans still predictable most the time with canales. Got lucky the division is the worst and they only had to struggle to beat the worst team in football who could have won but gave the win to the bucs because they are a slightly worse team.
January 7th, 2024 at 6:29 pm
Joe … “Why isn’t anybody smiling?” One hardcore fan replied, “Because the Bucs are bad.”
Yes it was a frustrating win … but it was still a win. We finished the season with a winning record (OK, barely at 9-8). We won the NFC South crown (OK, barely again). We won our 4th in a row playoff spot (hey, whoever we play will be excited). We almost surely saved the jobs of a bunch of coaches (yes, Todd Bowles & company will be back).
We didn’t back in to this thing; rather we finished by winning 5 of our last 6 games. Ugly? Yes, but mostly because we’re limping into the playoffs. But guess what, so is the team that we’ll meet in Rnd 1 of the playoffs, the Eagles. Right now they’re losing 24-0 in the 3rd qtr to the lowly Giants.
January 7th, 2024 at 6:29 pm
Want a smile? Fire Bowles
January 7th, 2024 at 6:30 pm
Get a life people. One more win than last season and they made the playoffs.
January 7th, 2024 at 6:33 pm
Many fans were rooting for losses all year hoping for a high draft pick and a new coaching staff. Those fans were already thinking about 2024 before 2023 even began.
January 7th, 2024 at 6:37 pm
The hardcore fan is correct.
Our only hope is that Philly looks even worse.
January 7th, 2024 at 6:41 pm
@ Hodad
Next week will be like having to kiss wierd uncle Chester… really, really not going to feel good.
January 7th, 2024 at 6:42 pm
We have some strange fans here at JBF. Most fans are accused of being “homers”, that is looking for everything positive to offset the negative.
We have a significant group here who look for the bad to offset the good!!! I guess I no longer understand the meaning of the term fan.
January 7th, 2024 at 6:49 pm
More than half the teams in the NFL now have fan bases with nothing left to cheer for.
The Bucs are still alive. Bucs fans can still cheer! And hope! And for the negative nellies imagine all the insults you can hurl if “your” team gets shellacked in the first round.
January 7th, 2024 at 6:50 pm
The fanbois are all singing Oh Happy Day for Baker our Bae he’s going to the playoffs! He played like pure tee shizzlean but they don’t want to hear about it. Oh he’s injured oh he’s under pressure oh it’s not fair all those big mean nasty men are being so mean to him and all the fans are not happy with his pathetic play when he goes up against a good defense! I hate it I just hate it!
Give it a rest clowns! Real Buc fans are not living in an altered reality warped by lust for an under performing over achieving career middling quarterback who’s teams all perform exactly how he plays. All his great stats are smoke and mirrors. The man feels pressure the moment the ball is snapped and he runs around like a scaredy lil chihuahua among pit bulls. All his heart and moxie mean nothing because he folds like an lawn chair against good defensive play. We believe what our eyes have seen all year. We have Retodd Blowles as head coach, Cornales as OC Faker as our qb, the weakest line in all of football and a defense that plays un inspired ball at times. Also having to deal with all the blood sucking fanbois.
Don’t tell me to be happy because you are. I had no expectations other than we would suck and at times we have. After the last two games and seeing all I have through out the year these Bucs will get stomped in the playoffs that’s my expectations. They barely beat the worst team in all NFL who could only bring their b game and a 6th year shorty vet qb couldn’t even throw a td pass. It sucks watching them embarrass themselves on national tv
January 7th, 2024 at 6:54 pm
All_da_way … ‘This team could have won more games if it was not for Bowles poor clock management.’
Perhaps (we’ll never really know). But playing the ‘What If’ game is always a winning proposition if you assume an outcome which never came to be.
Focus instead on this 2023 defense … that Todd Bowles created & developed. It finished the season allowing 325 points (a substantial improvement over all his previous 4 years here). That should earn us a #7 ranking for Points Allowed among the 32 NFL teams. And he did it with several rookies starting (Izien, Kancey & Diaby for starters) plus several underperforming ‘veterans’. It wasn’t pretty (OK, it was downright ugly at times), BUT … it worked.
Personally I wish that he’d just stayed as our DC, but I certainly won’t blame him for accepting the Bucs offer to be head coach. What I do hope though is that he designate someone this coming season to be the DC so he can better focus on his HC duties.
January 7th, 2024 at 6:59 pm
Stop complaining! Back in the late 70s or late 90s when we were lucky to score a touchdown I never heard fans bitch that the team sucked. Stop with the BS because is all this site has become is a bitch forum.
January 7th, 2024 at 7:02 pm
@Defense Rules totally with you. He struggles being a head coach and D coordinator but he seems to have done a better job this year managing personnel and maximizing potential. Yes a real honest to goodness d coordinator would make a massive difference.
January 7th, 2024 at 7:07 pm
Eagles losing to giants 10-27 with 3:39 left. If Bucs were surging people would be smiling at this news. Will Baker be healthy enough next week? Will offense play with all they got against eagles or be flat a third week in a row? I hope not.
January 7th, 2024 at 7:09 pm
Eagles sat there starters in the 2nd quarter.
January 7th, 2024 at 7:16 pm
I fell asleep at the half. Horrible game. Woke about 5 and heard saints and playoffs in background as I shut off the tv happily think we were going to flush. Then… WTF…..they won, horribly, and we might have to look at this turd for years to come. BM was tuuuurible!
January 7th, 2024 at 7:23 pm
DR: Bowles’ D did its job. And the ST? Wow! Carmarda Hit a 70+?? You define the problem. Canales is a BIG one . I don’t know who we are facing next week, But if Canales doesn’t”t get his butt kicked, Bucs are in trouble.
January 7th, 2024 at 7:43 pm
So BigBucsfan99 tells us how Baker feels pressure the min the ball is snapped and runs around scared, then goes on to explain how we have the weakest line in football, a crappy O.C. and no running game!!! Oh man u people are priceless…at least leave out all the contradictory facts if ur trying to belittle the guy
January 7th, 2024 at 7:44 pm
Anyone remember last years playoff game?? Huh…I wonder why Philly sat their starters in the 2nd quarter…lol
January 7th, 2024 at 7:55 pm
Some of you clowns are hilarious to listen to cry. And guess what the Panthers fans are saying? We could have won that game but …but… but.
January 7th, 2024 at 8:17 pm
Belle Glade Buc, they didn’t sit their starters until they were down 24-0. I watched the game. Brown may be out and Hurts finger issue while getting their rears kicked, saw the Dallas score and then emptied their bench. As for the rest of you, what in the hell did you all expect? Baker despite all his flaws saved this team with his cheap price tag. He’s not the qb of the future but he’s the qb of now, and we are in the playoffs. The same team carrying 35 mill dead cap money, the same team picked 31st out of 32 teams by more than one publication. Grab a clue from the clue bag.
January 7th, 2024 at 8:59 pm
And Philly is on fire??? Calm down you freaks and enjoy the day ffs
January 7th, 2024 at 9:17 pm
Having gone to the game today I had such mixed emotions. A win is a win but this was bizarre. However to see the stunned reversily in the Carolina fans after they thought they had first TD only to be overturned on fumble was great! Then to see the 2nd TD called back on a false start penalty was even better.
Honestly, if you would have said at beginning of season we would be 9-8 and hosting a playoff game every one of y’all would be praising every member of the staff, players, etc. I know the offense didn’t show up today but defense did and I am damn proud we finished w a better record than last year! Screw losing to get better draft picks that is loser mentality. You play your butt off and cards fall as they will. I think this season showed the world they we are a team not just not leftovers from when Brady was here! Regardless of next week I have faith in ownerhip and Licht to do best to get better! And we can beat Philly!
January 7th, 2024 at 9:33 pm
Because this team backed ass first into the playoffs and not a soul thinks they have even a remote chance of winning. The bucs will finish 9 and 9 (.500) and unfortunately we will have this nimrod as a head coach next year and once again we will all be calling for his head again next season. Saints were the better team at the end of the year and would have had a much better chance of advancing and I think that sux.
When the line comes out my guess is it’ll be Philly by 5+
January 7th, 2024 at 10:19 pm
Well Marco, your wrong. The line started at 2, and is now 2.5 Guess that makes you the nimrod. Bowles led a team with a new quarterback, new OC, absolutely no money and a whopping 13 rookies on their 53 man roster to their 3rd division title in a row and their 4th consecutive playoff appearance when everyone inn the nfl community thought they were going to tank this season.They’re an improvement from last year when they had the best quarterback to ever play in the NFL and right now even with these last two games they still have more momentum than the eagles going into next week. Saints are not a better team. We beat them up badly in week 4 and they came back in week 17 prepared. If they were truly “the better team” than we wouldnt have won the division due to more wins against common oppenents. So in short, basically everything you said is complete horse ****
January 7th, 2024 at 11:26 pm
How about a Bucs Monday night miracle?
January 8th, 2024 at 8:52 am
Bucs barely beat the Panthers with one of the worst win loss records in the NFL. Also got there butts kicked by the Saints and the NFL did nothing to penalize Mathieu after the Saints.Now Baker is injured for the playoffs. Bucs don’t inspire confidence against the Eagles.
January 8th, 2024 at 9:49 am
I remember In 1979 the Bucs were close to winning the division and after losing 3 games, they beat Kansas City 3- 0 to win the division in the last game of the season,got home field advantage and Eagles came to town as favorites which we won 24-17
Everybody was ecstatic back then. Boy times have changed.