Five Things
December 16th, 2024
Will Gholston and Shelton Quarles already know Mike Evans is gone on his 57-yard catch-and-run from Baker Mayfield Sunday. (Photo courtesy Buccaneers.com.)
Good effing morning, Bucs fans! What an absolutely awesome Victory Monday this is. Joe hasn’t been this stoked since — well, Joe doesn’t kiss and tell. Joe hasn’t been this stoked over a Bucs win since maybe the Super Bowl win over the Chiefs. That’s how huge yesterday’s curb-stomping of the Chargers was. Make sure your coffee is hot and the mug is filled to the brim.
Let’s roll!
Chargers Got Knocked The Hell Out
Joe can’t put into adequate words how impressive that win yesterday was. Everybody and their brother talked about how tough and mean and nasty the Chargers are. You know, a chip off Jim Harbaugh’s shoulders.
And the Chargers defense, oh, the Chargers defense. The best since the 2002 Bucs. Jesse Minter is the next Bill Belichick.
Please don’t get Joe wrong. Joe likes Harbaugh and likes Minter and respects the Chargers. But the way some believed the Chargers were just going to kick the snot out of the Bucs, well, the Bucs sure flipped the tables on that narrative, didn’t they?
The wild thing about this is the Bucs dominated despite pulling dudes off couches to play safety.
Ryan Neal was watching Bucs games a week ago like you and Joe. And the next thing you know, the guy is on the field in Los Angeles.
To be fair, the Bucs struggled in the first half after scoring on their opening drive. They came alive in the second quarter. And when coaches decided that if the Chargers wanted to play smashmouth football, then give them their own medicine, that’s when the Bucs exploded.
Instead, it was the Bucs pummeling the Chargers in the back alley.
Maybe it is the way the Bucs won that has Joe so fired up. There was no finesse about the win. Good ol’ fashioned 1960s, slobber-knocking football. The kind that makes NFL strongman Roger Goodell break out into a cold sweat.
Maybe Jamel Dean Is Better Than You Think
Joe understands fans always have to have a player to hate. It seems to change each year. Bucs fans seem to have grown hoarse and bored hollering about Joe Tryon-Shoyinka and Logan Hall.
In part due to how Todd Bowles lets his cornerbacks play softer-than-Charmin zone, Bucs fans earlier this season began to focus their sights on Jamel Dean.
“He’s always hurt… he plays too soft… he’s not physical enough… he doesn’t get any picks…” You know the drill.
Well, perhaps the happiest Bucs player in the postgame locker room yesterday was Dean. His (rare) interception helped set up a Bucs touchdown and the Bucs never had to worry about the game after that.
Very interesting stats out there about the Bucs and Dean that seem to tell an important tale:
Dean got hurt in New Orleans, was placed on injured reserve and missed four games in which the Bucs were 0-4. When Dean returned to start against the Giants in New Jersey, the Bucs haven’t lost since, 4-0.
Just maybe, there may be a connection there.
The Return Of The Big Play
Joe has documented just about every week this season that the Bucs run a dink-and-dunk offense. Rarely do the Bucs throw downfield, maybe once or twice past 20 yards in a game. But Joe wasn’t complaining, only pointing this fact out.
Shoot, Joe would have to be a total a-hole to whine about a lack of deep shots when the Bucs offense is one of the NFL’s best this season.
Well, yesterday Liam Coen aired it out. As Tristan Wirfs told Joe, only one Bucs touchdown came in the red zone.
The Chargers have one of the best red zone defenses in the league. So Coen must have thought, “Why not try to score before the ball gets into the red zone?”
Next thing you know, the Bucs hung 40 on the mighty Chargers defense. With Coen loosening the collar some, this offense totally exploded. Mike Evans went bananas. And rather quietly, so too did Jalen McMillan.
Maybe yesterday was a sign that Coen is about ready to release the hounds?
Explosive Running Game
How much has the Bucs’ running game helped Sterling Shepard, Evans, and McMillan? How much have they benefitted from the development of Bucky Irving as a top-shelf running back and Rachaad White becoming a very tough runner? Joe believes it is a factor.
Irving and White are the new fire and ice for the Bucs.
Irving will get you big, exciting splash plays and White has developed into a steady, reliable workmanlike running back. Tough.
Yesterday was another example. White appeared to turn his ankle in the end zone early on and Joe could see with binoculars that White was in serious pain. He sucked it up and instead delivered pain to Chargers linebackers.
That’s a very dangerous duo the Bucs have in the backfield.
Bucs Fans Turn Out
When Joe arrived in a rental car at SoFi Stadium (more on that later) and started walking through the red lot to get to the stadium (damn, what a walk), Joe couldn’t believe the amount of Bucs fans there. Just in the lot Joe parked, at least 30 percent were Bucs fans.
Joe ran into a Bucs fan from Compton, Calif., by the handle of “Fonzee,” who had a sweet tailgate set up with a Bucs 2020 Super Bowl championship flag and a Mike Alstott jersey displayed.
Inside the stadium, there was quite a bit of red in the end zones and all behind the Bucs’ bench — all the way to the sort of cheap seats.
When Joe was in the tunnel outside the Bucs locker room in the final two minutes and heard a loud roar from the crowd, Joe thought, “Oh no, what did the Chargers do?” Instead, it was Kaevon Merriweather’s fumble recovery.
Yes, there were that many Bucs fans there and they were that loud.
Joe understands the Bucs fan group Buccaholics has a strong presence on the West Coast. They showed up and showed out.
It sort of reminded Joe of when the Bucs last played the Chargers on the road, this time in San Diego in 2016 at Jack Murphy Stadium. Entire sections behind the Bucs’ bench were nearly solid red or orange.
So nice job Bucs fans for packing SoFi Stadium and drowning out the Chargers fans. Which brings Joe to the following:
Addendum
When Joe left the stadium it was a full four hours after the game. Pitch black. Joe was parked in the “Red lot.” Problem was, the lot is not on the Chargers’ parking map as it is an employee lot located damn near a mile away.
The parking lot(s) at SoFi goes on and on and on. One colossal parking lot.
Few people there even knew where the red lot was. Anyway, imagine your car is somewhere between Tampa Bay Blvd. and Hillsborough Ave. — with Dale Mabry Highway and Himes Ave. as the borders and nothing but concrete between the four streets.
So Joe was wandering around like a mental patient, dragging a laptop bag for like 45 minutes constantly hitting the car key’s unlock button praying to see headlights or hear a horn. Nothing.
Joe asked one lady for directions but she couldn’t help. However, she told a friend about Joe. The friend, “Martín” (pronounced like Martín — “Mar-teen” — Gramatica) drove his white pickup to Joe, told Joe to get in and he helped find the red lot and dropped Joe off at the rental car (which finally picked up the light signals from the digital keys).
Joe gave Martín $20 for his troubles. He didn’t want to take the cash, but Joe insisted he go buy himself a couple of beers.
So Joe asked Martín why he helped a total stranger in a strange city in the dark of the night? He told Joe, “I don’t want people to think everyone in Los Angeles is a jerk.”
So since it is the holiday season, pass along a little kindness like Martín did. Especially to a lost guy after a Bucs game dragging around a laptop bag.
And no, Martín, not everyone in Los Angeles is a jerk. Far, far from it.
Thanks Martín!
December 16th, 2024 at 5:09 am
This is a young team, that is starting to believe, that is everything.
December 16th, 2024 at 5:26 am
epic story about gramatica LOL for real….
great guy wish he had hit that field goal in Green Bay way back in 2001
December 16th, 2024 at 5:26 am
Baker has control of the offense, he is the General. I love how he was orchestrating Evans td signal here and there then delivering a beautiful pass that would make the GOAT jealous. Just before the half I knew we’d be ok because the boys went right down the field and scored. We protect Baker and the ball and now with the deep ball part of the arsenal now we won’t have to be so concerned about the defense
B.U.C.S. BUCS BUCS BUCS !!!
December 16th, 2024 at 5:42 am
MJ, yeah, that miss was brutal. But if Gramatica had made it, we win the division and then perhaps win a home playoff game and go out. Then Dungy isn’t released, we don’t get Gruden and never win the SB– until Brady arrives nearly twenty years later. Then again, if Martin had made it, maybe we win it all that year.
December 16th, 2024 at 5:51 am
The spark for JDean to step up n quit playing like a rookie was when MEvans got upset on the sideline last week, threw his helmet down n screamed at Deans for a missed n passive tackle. I believe that was the motivation factor along with Lavonte giving a locker room hype speech. Veterans are more than just players, they’re player/coach. Gotta have them. Dean is a vet but still plays like a rookie. Down the stretch, all our Super Bowl vets need to schedule a Super Bowl vet meeting only to reset n discuss ways to motivate, hype, n encourage the team by listing strategic steps required to reach the ultimate goal. Can u say Super Bowl.
December 16th, 2024 at 6:14 am
Good on Martin and good on Joe for mentioning him! Cool story. Great column. Merry Christmas to you guys.
December 16th, 2024 at 6:14 am
Funny, Bucs flipped the script much like the Chargers tried to do. Meaning? They’re known for one thing, and then they come doing something else. I.e. Coen was committed to stretching the field a bit, Harbaugh abandon the run which his offense is 100% predicated as the key to his offense, and the Bucs managed to come out on the better end of it. Do I even remember a screen play from the Bucs, maybe one?
Furthermore, I could be wrong as I have not seen this Chargers offense play all season, and perhaps they’ve been so run heavy that it has not been a thing to consider, but I think there are some QBs good against the blitz, and some that it rattles them. We were getting some pressure, I felt no worse or greater than how we have been getting pressured, and Hurbert was rattled that entire second half from the blitz. Really surprised me how effective we were on defense.
December 16th, 2024 at 6:34 am
We’ve got a head coach with rings as a player and as a Defensive Coordinator. We’ve got a GM and staff who have put together a Super Bowl winner. Leaders on both sides of the ball have rings. We were so close to the Super Bowl last year! One thing stands out yesterday- on Rachaad’s td catch Mike Evans looked like a high school freshman hustling his as. off sticking to a block. Talk about leadership. And there couldn’t be a better leader on defense than LaVonte. With the Lions defensive woes it’s time to take it one game at a time and dominate each one. The team has known what they have in that building for a while. And they only have one goal this year. SWEET!!!
December 16th, 2024 at 6:35 am
Martin for the save. Good man.
December 16th, 2024 at 6:35 am
Brings back memories of Dungy’s first year when they went on the road and beat the Chargers.
Was the beginning of the crawl out of the abyss.
December 16th, 2024 at 6:48 am
5 things and I don’t think you even typed our QBs name and I think that’s a good thing
December 16th, 2024 at 6:58 am
I really like Licht. I really like Bowles. I think after watching every game for the last two seasons; yes I’m a transfer fan, it is abundantly clear that the players like their coach.
They play hard and they play tough and Baker is the straw that stirs the drink. He’s the perfect man for the job.
This team has a real chance
December 16th, 2024 at 7:03 am
It is so FREAKING HILARIOUS how the Bowles haters evaporate into thin air after a great statement game like this. Come on haters-whatcha got????
December 16th, 2024 at 7:24 am
Enjoyable read…
December 16th, 2024 at 7:25 am
Wow, what a story! Huge kudos to Fonzee and Martin and his lady friend too! Watching the game I noticed a lot of Buc fans. That was great to see.
McMillan sure has that spark going. Dean, Bucky, White, Evans, Baker, and so many more.
December 16th, 2024 at 7:42 am
Gotta love the all out effort yesterday. Defence hassled Herbert. Contained the run. Offence…let our OC know he is appreciated. Screen passes, deep throws and a run game that was not just the run it up the gut all the time for no gain like last year. If I was our GM I’d be worried Coen gets poached for a head coach job sometime soon. Great game boys!
December 16th, 2024 at 7:46 am
Good on Martin. Nice Christmas story, and it just adds to the elation Bucs nation is feeling this morning.
December 16th, 2024 at 8:03 am
Joe! Your Apple phone will tell you where you parked. Literal walking directions to your car. Just ask it! And damn was I wrong about this game. Wow. Bucs sure impressed. Amazing.
December 16th, 2024 at 8:12 am
It was great to see TB unleash his blitz packages and play less soft zone. It is his constant use of soft zone coverages that drives some fans here nuts! Celebrate!.
December 16th, 2024 at 8:12 am
I went to that game in 2016, it was called Qualcomm back then. I do remember seeing an entire section of red on the opposite side. The bucs won, but it wasn’t by a lot.
December 16th, 2024 at 8:15 am
Nice article! I’ve lost my car a couple times. Scary if your still pressing that button 5 mins later and no car. I can only hear in one ear so I’m constantly twirling around listening. And you know people are watching. lol
December 16th, 2024 at 8:16 am
Great story about Matine
December 16th, 2024 at 8:32 am
Next time you are in LA, you should write your articles as Joseph and make up a story about your helicopter ride to the stadium.
December 16th, 2024 at 8:46 am
great piece on Martin, Joe.
December 16th, 2024 at 9:00 am
DavidBigBucsFan99 Says:
December 16th, 2024 at 5:26 am
Baker has control of the offense, he is the General. I love how he was orchestrating Evans td signal here and there then delivering a beautiful pass that would make the GOAT jealous. Just before the half I knew we’d be ok because the boys went right down the field and scored. We protect Baker and the ball and now with the deep ball part of the arsenal now we won’t have to be so concerned about the defense
B.U.C.S. BUCS BUCS BUCS !!!
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
DBBF99 you sound like a Baker Boi? Too late, we have too much Mayfield negativity on you.
December 16th, 2024 at 9:00 am
Credit to the defensive line getting into Herbert’s face on Dean’s interception, but even with the wobbly throw if the WR doesn’t fall down the Chargers score a TD on that play because Dean, despite having eyes on the pass very early on, caught that interception about 3 feet off the ground. He had every opportunity to get into position and high point the ball. This team has zero ball hawking skills especially with Winfield out.
December 16th, 2024 at 9:15 am
Everything is possible on any given Sunday when all of you believe, good on coach Bowles for motivating these players at half time.
December 16th, 2024 at 9:18 am
Left Coast Buc fans may have showed out yesterday, but I don’t know that enough has been said about the Home attendance at last weeks Raiders game, it was atrocious. Huge gaps of empty seats in the upper levels.. what is the excuse for the Hometown Buccaneers fans? During the stretch run for a playoff spot to boot..??
December 16th, 2024 at 9:26 am
Way to go, Martin!
December 16th, 2024 at 9:47 am
Joe! is Martin a Bucs fan? Didn’t you tell Mar-teen about JBF website? Hi Martin–thanks for helping Joe in the dead of night! 💕
December 16th, 2024 at 9:53 am
Gholston lol
December 16th, 2024 at 9:54 am
JOE I fully believe that coen has bin hesitant to give the deep ball to ME13 until he is fully healthy. Even before the ravens game he hasn’t bin 💯 and looked what happened at the ravens game. It did him in. Even after he came back he still didn’t look fully healthy and I like that they eased him back. Really yesterday looked like a ME13 that is fully healthy. Also it takes a few games even for these pro athletes to get back into game shape.
December 16th, 2024 at 9:55 am
Uber or Lyft can be your friend, Joe.
December 16th, 2024 at 10:14 am
Not when you’ve alreaady paid for a rental for the weekend.
December 16th, 2024 at 10:15 am
Big win. ..great article …and some great human interaction
December 16th, 2024 at 10:17 am
Shout out to Martin making sure Joe was safe