Soothing Thoughts For Bucs Fans
September 23rd, 2024
Cornerback Zyon McCollum.
Yeah, it’s a morning for shock and disbelief.
Losing happens. But getting your doors blown off at home by a bad Broncos team wasn’t on yesterday’s menu, except for the avowed Bucs haters.
Regardless, Joe meditated this morning while hugging an oak tree and found some soothing Bucs thoughts.
In no particular order:
*Only 5 NFL teams are undefeated at 3-0, and that could drop to 4 after tonight. So the Bucs at 2-1 are lumped together with a lot of excellent teams.
*The Bucs are undefeated in the NFC and conference wins are a major postseason tiebreaker. If you’re going to get hammered at home, then it’s good that it was an AFC team. The Bucs are 2-0 in conference.
*A painful early blowout can be great for a lot of teams. It’s better for that kind of wake-up call to come in September — for coaches and players. The Bucs were not punished by a weak opponent to this degree all last year. Rest assured it will resonate at One Buc Palace.
*The Bucs have a talented rookie running back, Bucky Irving, who has proven himself significantly through three games. Dude has produced a lot in just 55 snaps. Tampa Bay hasn’t seen this kind of rookie juice since Doug Martin in 2012. Now it’s up to coaches to figure out how to get the most out of him.
*Zyon McCollum ranks second in the NFL in passes defensed (6). He absolutely looks like a legit and dangerous 25-year-old starter.
*Backup/practice-squad-caliber defensive tackles C.J. Brewer and Mike Greene combined for 46 snaps yesterday. And their backup, Ben Stille, added 6 more. Massive upgrades are around the corner when Vita Vea and Calijah Kancey return. Joe doesn’t discount their loss.
These thoughts helped Joe get through the wee hours following the Bucs’ sackless performance (in more ways than one). Hopefully, they can help a few fellow struggling Bucs fans, too.
September 23rd, 2024 at 9:10 am
When will vita and CK return is a huge question
September 23rd, 2024 at 9:12 am
It’s one game and yes we should get some much needed help coming back soon, but….Our pass rush is PATHETIC and our O-line is going to get Baker killed! I am still trying to figure out why Evans is being ignored and we aren’t running screens to neutralize the pass rush!
September 23rd, 2024 at 9:13 am
Still not feeling anything good about. Will be pizzed all week.
September 23rd, 2024 at 9:21 am
Vita Vea may be the most important chess piece on defense that we have. It seems like when he’s out everything is f’d.
Vea AND Calijah out = whole defensive front is ineffective at both run and pass.
September 23rd, 2024 at 9:30 am
Good post Joe! I saw so many overreactions since yesterday’s loss, I had to laugh a little. My guess is, if I go back and look up the comments when we lost 38-3 against the saints the year we won the Super Bowl, the comments would be littered with Brady is washed up, Bucs won’t make the playoffs, BA and Licht will be fired etc.
Point is the sky is not falling, most expected us to be 2-1 by this point. Goedeke, CK, Vea, Winfield should be returning soon. Denver manner to catch us with our pants down yesterday. Still fully confident in this team.
September 23rd, 2024 at 9:31 am
Denver managed to catch us*
September 23rd, 2024 at 9:34 am
Baker had 33 attempts, was sacked 7x, hit another 9x. Not a recipe for success
September 23rd, 2024 at 9:36 am
“The Bucs have a talented rookie running back, Bucky Irving…” Been saying it all year. White is a third down back. Nothing more.
September 23rd, 2024 at 9:36 am
New Orleans and Atlanta both lost too.
September 23rd, 2024 at 9:41 am
F Callijah Kancy. He’s soft and delicate. He should be working at a boutique not an NFL team.
September 23rd, 2024 at 9:42 am
Theres no “soothing” thoughts for some of these mental patients on here
September 23rd, 2024 at 9:54 am
COOL STAT FOR JOE BUCS READERS …
Every Joe Bucs Fan has the same number of sacks, tackles, tackles for a loss a Calijah Kancey. We’re all just 1 Sack and INT behind the team leaders. Go us!
September 23rd, 2024 at 9:59 am
Dean led with 13 tackles…..because those receivers made catches on him.
September 23rd, 2024 at 10:01 am
The most disappointing part of the Bucs horrid loss was how ineffective both offensive and defensive lines were. The drop off in play with Gaines and Brewer on the inside of the defensive side is huge. Logan Hall shouldn’t be as weak either.
Offensive line has been also terrible the past 2 games. There is no pocket for Mayfield and when there is a short opening he is running or holding on to the ball.
Watching yesterday it was obvious that Denver was well prepared and knew how to attack the Bucs with downfield throws early setting up easy touchdown and the designed runs by Nix. Bucs were unprepared and had no hunger in their bellies.
They left their fight in Detroit and must have had a soft week of practices with too much time to loaf. Their tackling and blocking and pass rushing was soft and they mailed it in early.
This was an easy win for the Bronco’s and a refund is due to all their season ticket holders that had every reason to expect to see the same fight they had vs the Lions. Shame on them.
They are at home next Sunday and if they don’t play with more effort I believe that the coaching staff isn’t preparing them to be physical and aggressive.
September 23rd, 2024 at 10:01 am
So true tbbuc…wake up people..please. We have no legitimate pass rush whatsoever. Yaya is obviously showing the effects of the ankle issue….I think Lyght misread the caliber of the pass rusher ….we are not good! Yes, the absence of Vea and Cancy are obvious but when we blitz as often as we do and no one can get home a very serious problem is exposed…uh-oh! Also, unless we can protect Baker it does not bode well either….play calling against the zone was pathetic , the 7 step drops were ridiculous….just a poorly planned scheme on both sides of the ball….ugly and scary going forward.
September 23rd, 2024 at 10:06 am
You can not sugar coat this disaster.
September 23rd, 2024 at 10:18 am
Sadly history tells me we can’t count on snaps from VV and CK. Neither has played a full season.
September 23rd, 2024 at 10:22 am
My soothing thought is I don’t own the team. Coach the team. Play for the team.Its not my JOB to fix it I’m just a fan. Having said that. It was hard to watch and as a Bucs fan in Colorado I’m understanding why they can’t put butt’s in seats. If I live in Florida and can enjoy a beautiful day at the beach for pennies on the dollar or pay BIG BUCKS to go to a game after that stinker of a performance I’m going to the beach. Until it’s a 8 win season minimal. It makes so much sense to me now. WIN the games your supposed too that was pathetic on sooo many levels…
September 23rd, 2024 at 10:26 am
already past the loss, on to philthy!
the dirty aints roughed up devonte smith and slay
September 23rd, 2024 at 10:34 am
I don’t think the Broncos are a bad team. They are a young team gellin together. Every young team is a dangerous team. They have lots of young talent on both sides of the ball. They have an successful, experienced Head Coach. They play hard, they play smart, they never quit. They loss two close games, that don’t make them a bad team .
September 23rd, 2024 at 10:42 am
Seven points! Yeah, I feel soothed!
September 23rd, 2024 at 10:58 am
Much needed post, Joe.
Yes, we are still number one. An early blow-out can be very good and definitely humbling for all of us. We all thought the Bucs had this. Everyone did.
Now we need to win this Sunday! Go Bucs!
September 23rd, 2024 at 10:59 am
Joe … ‘ Regardless, Joe meditated this morning while hugging an oak tree and found some soothing Bucs thoughts.’
By any chance was the medication labeled ‘Tequila’ Joe?
September 23rd, 2024 at 11:14 am
I would feel soothed if I knew that the Bucs would get some of their injured players back such as their RT, Vea and Winfield. It sure sounded like Vea is close and if Goedeke is still out, time to grab a body off of another team’s practice squad as Skule has no business being on the field….. As far as Kancey goes, his extended absences look like they are going to limit his effectiveness…… If you cannot stay on the field then you are not a good draft pick. Not a bust like JTS or Logan Hall but certainly not contributing like a first round pick should either. Lack of an edge rush just may cornhole the Bucs post season chances as one of the Joes has been telling us. So what are next years draft priorities? My guess #1 edge, #2 more OL help (RG,LG and RT) and #3 a replacement for Dean at CB……
September 23rd, 2024 at 11:31 am
BucU, we all know you have a negative hard on for Kancey. Yes, he’s had injury issues his first two years. So did McCoy. And he had never had them again. Probably not the comp you wanted, but it doesn’t forecast the future necessarily either. Don’t you have other things to complain about? We all know you hate the kid. You must hate something else?
September 23rd, 2024 at 11:33 am
*Zyon McCollum ranks second in the NFL in passes defensed (6). He absolutely looks like a legit and dangerous 25-year-old starter.
^^^^
So if Winfield is back next week, replace Dean with Izien. Put some passion in the game.
September 23rd, 2024 at 11:36 am
@Lakeland,
I agree with you and believe that Denver is NOT a bad team. They’ve got a good defense and while it took Bo Nix a couple of games to get more comfortable jumping from college to the NFL, he showed he does belong. It was unfortunate that he figured things out against the Bucs, but it was just a matter of time. He’s going to have a long successful career in the NFL.
It was an ugly loss yesterday, but I doubt many teams in the league could lose four players like Kancey, Vea, Winfield, and Goeddeke and not have a huge dropoff in their level of play. That we beat the Lions in their home without those players is a tremendously positive sign.
Any new o-line, even with talented players, needs time to gel. Ours will continue to get better throughout the entire season.
Yesterday was a bad day but the sky is not falling. What matters most is if we are mostly healthy at the END of the season and entering the playoffs (if we get in). It’s not going to be a cakewalk though. The NFC South is much stronger than many predicted. Even the Panthers looked decent last night while destroying the Raiders!
September 23rd, 2024 at 11:45 am
Time for Jason to put Todd on IR and find his replacement. What a disgrace.
September 23rd, 2024 at 1:00 pm
Zion saved this from being a huge blowout more than it was.
September 23rd, 2024 at 2:20 pm
The Bucs had too many injuries to assume they would roll over the Broncos. I was worried when the Bucs were ranked #3. As a life-long Bucs fan, you never get comfortable with praise. Better to learn about yourself early vs. late in the season.
September 23rd, 2024 at 3:40 pm
It seems every year we get Blown out and beat down in a game.
September 23rd, 2024 at 4:45 pm
Thank you Joe. I needed that!
September 23rd, 2024 at 7:24 pm
Let’s stop the losing streak at 1!!!! Please, no repeat of last season!
September 23rd, 2024 at 7:25 pm
The coaches need to get this team prepared, hungry, and healthy!
September 25th, 2024 at 8:20 am
The Bucs can’t take any opponent for granted. This game was a good lesson for the players and the coaches. When you are considered as a contender, every opponent is that much more motivated against you. Last season the Bucs were not taken as serious playoff contenders. This year they are a target! Every opponent will be extra eager to knock them off. The Bucs at full strength are very competitive. Not so much with the current injuries.