CBS Scoffs At Bucs Playoff Chances
April 5th, 2024
Jeered.
Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports is a non-believer.
Benjamin earlier this week typed a story of new playoff teams to expect this fall. Naturally, if not lazily, Benjamin believes the Dixie Chicks will rule the NFC South because, you know, Kirk Cousins is such a profoundly game-changing quarterback.
You can almost hear Benjamin laugh and snicker at the Bucs patting themselves on the back for retaining their valued free agents.
Benjamin typed that he wasn’t impressed with the Bucs’ roster to begin with and he scoffed at the notion the Bucs may have improved in free agency.
Surprisingly, they have the longest playoff streak of any team on this list. And yet that speaks mostly to the painful lack of competition in the NFC South. They did excel at retaining key players this offseason, but are we giving them too much credit for “running it back” as opposed to upgrading a borderline wild-card lineup?
As Joe has typed, the Bucs indeed upgraded their roster. Who in their right mind doesn’t think Jordan Whitehead is an upgrade over Ryan Neal? Please!
Joe gets that the Bucs traded away their best corner. And the Bucs failed to obtain a quality edge rusher this offseason. That is a pretty huge hole.
But, come on, the Bucs are a borderline wild card team? Is Benjamin aware the Bucs won six of their final eight games last year and damn near made the NFC title game?
April 5th, 2024 at 4:36 am
Dejavu all over again
April 5th, 2024 at 4:47 am
Benjamin who? …
I respect Kirk Cousins, nice guy too. However, everyone has jumped on the Kirk Cousins bandwagon. Where were they for years? He is coming off an injury and no one has any idea how this is going to work out. This is Kirk’s 3rd team. He has had 4 career playoff starts. One victory in the 2019 season, wild-card. He is not Tom Brady.
Our Bucs are doing well with the signings, and the draft is around the corner. Go Bucs!
April 5th, 2024 at 4:49 am
Honestly it’s not surprising. This will be my 11th season as a fan and other than maybe a few Jameis years and the Brady seasons, this is the norm om used to. Unless we manage to get some more studs like Mike and Lavonte (and even then it’ll take a while), I don’t forsee this narrative changing.
April 5th, 2024 at 4:50 am
Cody Benjamin’s CBS Sports article is actually quite interesting Joe. He picked 6 teams out of last year’s 14 playoff teams who’ll possibly be in danger of missing the playoffs this season. He only named 2 teams though who might replace them this year: Falcons & Bengals. Who are the other 4?
April 5th, 2024 at 5:01 am
BTW Joe, my initial comment on this piece disappeared into Never Never Land (once again) when I hit the Submit button. No cooler, no dungeon … nada. Seems to be happening more & more for some reason. The comment simply disappears … POOF. I just hit the Back arrow, the original comment pops up again, I restructure it (usually taking out something) & try again. Sometimes it works; sometimes I end up just saying forget it.
Just thought you’d want to know. Love your site, primarily because it’s obvious you REALLY care about the Bucs, like all of us do. Been a Bucs fan since 1982 and I admit, they got me. I’m a Bucs’ addict. A ‘rabid fan’ so to speak.
April 5th, 2024 at 5:57 am
Is this guy forgetting that the Bucs went into Minnesota and BEAT Kur Cousins when he was in a better team??? Please, just stop. You sound ridiculous.
April 5th, 2024 at 6:07 am
Another post disappears into the ether.
April 5th, 2024 at 6:07 am
Obviously anyone with eyes knows Whitehead is an improvement and a great addition to the roster. That was our only improvement to the team thus far (I’m not gonna wet myself over rotational pothead Gregory). It was truly a feat of great GMing to resign Baker, Mike, Lavonte, and Chase, but they are not “improvements” to the team as they were on the team last year. I don’t take issue with that part of the article. What everyone seems to be forgetting is we don’t ONLY play the NFCS teams. Will we be better than the dirty birds with Cousins? I think it’s likely. Will we be a better team than last year? I think it’s likely. HOWEVER, due to the “feel good,” bowles’ job saving, pipe dream of a run to end last season, we now play a first place schedule (something the birds don’t have to do). They don’t have to be a “better” team than us to win the division, they just have to win more games. And they have a much easier path to do just that. I don’t know why nobody wants to acknowledge this???
April 5th, 2024 at 6:21 am
CBS…nothing but a left wing propaganda network who’s opinions mean nothing
April 5th, 2024 at 6:32 am
Didn’t the national pundits also have N.O. winning the division last year? And the year before. These same pundits had the Bucs winning 6 games at best. These people know nothing.
April 5th, 2024 at 6:37 am
Last year they proclaimed the Saints would win the division. Now the Falcons. Next year, maybe the panthers will have their turn.
It would funny except these morons vote on the awards that they use to keep people out of the Hall.
This dude wouldn’t last at McDonalds. So instead he writes hot takes
April 5th, 2024 at 6:46 am
I mean first off why can’t they scoff? Let them who cares? These guys who play football are just doing their jobs and playing football. To be fair imo CBS probably isn’t wrong either for that opinion. Lot of reasons to think that as of right now right? Of course there are hints. Nobody is hiding anything. 🫣
Bucs need some work and help if they’re to get back into SB form.
At least two starters on OL needed. Then three to four more starters minimum imo are needed. DE, CB1, ILB, and OLB.
Not solving all of that this next football season.
Replacing these guys:
Devin White
William Gholston
Carlton Davis
Shaq Barrett
That’s super important for our defense and our teams need to get back to playoffs and win the division again. I don’t see much changes coming on draft day. Maybe 2-3 starters if we’re lucky as we have picks:
1st
2nd
3rd
3rd
That means hopefully optimistic fans can expect maybe 4 guys coming in, but reality screams 2 most likely starters and that’s about it. Tampa Bay we’re banking on those 3rd rounders to give us reliable starters. Hidden gems on defense probably.
April 5th, 2024 at 6:55 am
Fodder that gives Baker wood!
April 5th, 2024 at 7:41 am
They should resign Gholston, if he’s willing, unless they feel he had a big dropoff.
We are not built the same way at linebacker, once our strength.
Our Rb and OL situation is pathetic. Maybe we can pretend we’re not a borderline wild card team.
CBS is not far off.
Find a vet corner to add to the rotation as well as a few edge rushers.
I don’t know if he would have been willing as he was a Canales guy, but I was impressed w David Moore- thought he was a great #3 who we let walk.
April 5th, 2024 at 7:42 am
I would encourage everyone to google Benjamin name. Does that look like a guy who knows ball? I think I farted and that gas had more NFL knowledge.
April 5th, 2024 at 7:46 am
5 of the 6 wildcard teams had a better record than the Bucs, and one had the same record. What’s wrong with his assertion, Joe?
April 5th, 2024 at 7:56 am
The software here has to have som keywords or phrases that get flagged for review. The three letter name of our guy for example.
Your post disappearing altogether is some kind of a “bug”, however!
Go Bucs!!!
April 5th, 2024 at 8:04 am
Good takes on our situation, ThatAintRight!
April 5th, 2024 at 8:17 am
You’d think that guy was a poster here….
April 5th, 2024 at 8:47 am
Bucs have a Safety that is one of the best in the business and were still the 4th worse Passing Defense. Shows that one guy cannot move the needle on his own.
Will the Difference between Whitehead and Neal be so great as to launch the Bucs to top 10 against the pass in 2024? Doubt that.
If the front 4 can’t stop the run or get to the QB on their own then it will be more of the same.
April 5th, 2024 at 8:50 am
DefenseRules
He names the 6 he thinks will replace – Falcons, Bengals, Jags, Jets, Seahawks, and Titans.
April 5th, 2024 at 9:04 am
More national media wall material, print it and put it on the locker room wall along with Peter King’s take.
April 5th, 2024 at 9:06 am
THE MEDIA PROBLEM …
The issue national media is they cover too many teams to understand the nuances of each team. They only see broad strokes. Last year they could only see TB12 leaving. This year they only see Evans and Baker returning.
MISSING A BIG UPGRADE …
Canales was terrible. All you heard was, “He is an optimistic guy that players really like.” OMFG! Barf! Bill Belicheck, Bill Parcels, Bill Cower, Nick Saban … nice guys? Nope. Football coaches with football minds. Yes. No one … NO ONE ever said Canales understood football and could game plan. His line (of BS) was, “My scheme is so complex it takes seasons to comprehend.” That’s a con. Canales’ positive attitude resulted in the 19th ranked offense (was 27 most of the year) with the 32nd ranked rush.
What are we hearing about the new guy? Nice? People really like him? Nope. We’re hearing: Innovative. X-Os guy. Studying personnel to optimize the offense. Bringing in other offensive minds.
The Bucs leveled up in places media people don’t look. The draft will be about plugging unattractive gaps and creating depth. The media won’t see that either. Stop worrying about national attention.
April 5th, 2024 at 9:12 am
4th worst pass defense last in rushing…
What are we talking about here?
April 5th, 2024 at 9:19 am
SenileSenior … ‘Your post disappearing altogether is some kind of a “bug”, however!’
Highly unlikely it’s a bug in any of my software because it’s happened a number of times over about a 2-year period or so. I use 3 different browsers (Safari, Brave & Firefox) and it’s happened on all 3 at various times. I’ve even pared my original comment down to nothing but a quote from the article and THAT’S even tripped the algorithm. Suspicion is that it’s related to the commenter’s name or the number of times he or she has recently commented. No way to know for sure though.
April 5th, 2024 at 9:26 am
Daniel Z … ‘He names the 6 he thinks will replace – Falcons, Bengals, Jags, Jets, Seahawks, and Titans.’
I went back & re-read the article at the link Joe provided and I still can’t find all those teams in there. Did see the Falcons & Bengals upfront, and the Jets later on (poised for a big leap my foot), but not the others.
Strange though that Benjamin would see those 6 teams replacing the 6 who he named as falling down this season. The Jets? Every year folks pick them for something and every year they disappoint. The Titans? Really? Was just in Nashville at Christmas and someone needs to tell the Titans fans that’s there’s hope; they’re not feeling it.
April 5th, 2024 at 9:40 am
The people on the Right finally figured out that the corporate mainstream media sucks. We on the left have been critical of it for 50 years. They cheer on any and every war and only interview ex-generals about their perspective never anyone crucial of it. I can’t understand how anyone can claim with a straight face that the corporate media is liberal. The only channel of all radio and TVs major stations MSNBC has given 80% of its shows to conservatives. Every day on that channel that sets the agenda is a 4 hour block of Ex Republican R Joe Scarborough. If you are getting your news from the fever swamp I suppose that might be thought of as liberal. It’s just a bunch of elite corporate hacks trying to sale and lie us into another war, selling pharma ads and telling extremely wealthy families what they want to hear. Free press is critical for any democracy to work. Those of us who still believe in Demicracy should support it. Prior to the 80s the news on TV wasn’t for profit. It wasn’t expected to make money, it was a service that was required to give to the public. The airwaves belonged to all Americans. Unlike British (BBC) system we sold ours to corporations. A requirement of the sale was that they were to dedicate a block of airtime to giving us the news.
April 5th, 2024 at 9:56 am
Davis is not the same player. He was 2 or 3 years ago. Besides, when is the last time he played a full season? You can expect him to miss at least three or four games a year. The time to trade a player is when his skills are diminishing. Dean is a more talented player, though far from perfect. So much depends on injuries and development of younger players. The Buccaneers could be a six-win team or they could be an 11 win team. They could have beat Houston last year and should have beaten Atlanta at home. That would have made them an 11-win team
April 5th, 2024 at 10:19 am
Flying under the radar which is great.
But the Bucs need to upgrade pass rush to be taken seriously as a perennial contender.
April 5th, 2024 at 11:33 am
Kirk Cousins is not a “franchise” QB. He is a solid professional NFL QB. IF…and it’s a big IF…he recovers completely from the achilles the Falcons will be dangerous. Guess what? So will the Bucs.
If I was looking for an “angle” as a sports “journalist” I’d be talking about the newest big rivalry in the NFL South…It’s no longer the Bucs and the Saints…it’s going to be the Falcons and Bucs for the next few seasons.
IMO it could produce some terrific games because I see both of these teams as relatively even talent wise with the Bucs having the intanglibles advantage.
IMO the Falcons Bucs should provide a compelling race for the NFC South and I welcome any exciting competition. Bottom line for me at least is the Falcons are worthy adversaries. The Saints? Not so much…And Carolina?????
April 5th, 2024 at 12:12 pm
the bucs play so well while underrated keep the hate coming!!
April 5th, 2024 at 1:57 pm
Achilles injury after 30 is a career killer
OJ Howard
SHAQ Barrett was slowed down will see this year
Falcons banking on Cousins is shaky
NO sucks anyways
Carolina needs a new OL
This reporters don’t follow the Bucs and pass judgement
April 7th, 2024 at 12:42 am
After last year’s win streak, and playoffs’ performance, the national sports media have very noticably been giving the Buccaneers respect; but don’t expect the various individuals in that same media to announce the Buccaneers are their “division-winner-pick;” it would just emphasize how wrong they were in the off-season last year.
In other words, ya, they’ve changed their opinion about the Buccaneers’ winning-capability, and therefore effectively admitting they were wrong, but don’t expect them to go any further than that (by picking the Buccaneers to win the division), especially since they can “hang-their-hat” on Cousin’s signing with the Falcon’s. It’d a lot to shake them off their “thing” for Atlanta, anyway.