The Surreal Bucs
December 14th, 2016
Changing minds and fortunes.
Joe has been so conditioned to the old, lousy, losing Bucs that it is still ingrained in Joe to expect losing.
When bratty Jay Cutler and the Bears scored a last-second, first-half touchdown, let’s be real: We all thought, “Same ol’ Bucs.”
When Kansas City was marching deep in Bucs territory in the fourth quarter about to score a go-ahead touchdown, you likely thought, “Same ol’ Bucs.”
When the Chargers took a lead on the Bucs early and America’s Quarterback, Pro Bowler Jameis Winston, threw an interception just afterwards, Joe thought, “Same ol’ Bucs.”
When the Bucs did their best to let the Saints back in the game and couldn’t do anything on offense in the second half, Joe thought, “Same ol’ Bucs.”
But this isn’t the same ol’ Bucs. George Diaz of the Orlando Sentinel all but suggests the old Bucs are dead in this nightmare-turned-wet-dream season.
Every Sunday for the last five weeks has been like a X-Files episode: a paranormal phenomenon that cannot be explained. Don’t even try.
And that’s the crazy fun thing about sports. Sometimes you just shrug your shoulders and embrace the good times.
In every game the last five weeks, with the possible exception of the Seattle win, those would have all been losses for the old Bucs. That team did its best to find ways to lose at critical points in the game: a turnover, a penalty, blown coverage, you name it.
The thing is: the Bucs did not do that. Rather than finding ways to lose, they found ways to win: takeaways, sacks, field goals — yes, field goals from Roberto Aguayo!
Again, if the Bucs pull off the upset Sunday night, Joe will likely take a shovel and finally bury his Sabby the Goat or Myron Lewis jerseys.
With a win Sunday, the old Bucs will be officially dead.
December 14th, 2016 at 8:08 am
There are some did not need their minds changed!!!! That have voted “totally confident” for this coaching staff since day 1!!!!! All I can say to the late-comers is welcome aboard!!!!!!
Go America!!!!!!
And GO BUCS!!!!!!!!!!!
December 14th, 2016 at 8:23 am
@ Joe and Joebucsfan readers
There is a pretty good little article on the wall street journal called “what is this defense and what did you do with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers” worth the read
December 14th, 2016 at 8:25 am
From John Breech with CBSSports
“If you haven’t been following the Bucs over the past five weeks — which is probably the case because their fan base consists of Backstreet Boy Nick Carter and six other people — then you may not have noticed how dominant Tampa has been.”
He went on to pick the Bucs and the title of the article is “Buccaneers will stun the Cowboys” but I feel like Buc fans need to respectfully let this guy know that there are a lot of us out there.
Let’s start a campaign where Buc fans just simply tweet at this guy “I am a Bucs fan.” We need to make sure he doesn’t use us as the butt of one of his lame jokes again. Everyone get on twitter and tweet @johnbreech “I am a Bucs fan.”
December 14th, 2016 at 8:29 am
And for the love of God. Please respectfully. We don’t need him quoting buffoonish tweets of Bucs fans. Simply “I am a Bucs fan.” @johnbreech is perfect.
December 14th, 2016 at 8:40 am
Joe is slowly taking off the training wheels to young Bucs fans. They don’t have a clue on what a dominant defense looks like.
FYI- The Bucs Defense is DOMINANT!
All we need is the running game to get back to normal and we’ll be playing the Patriots or the Raiders again in our last game of the season.
Go Bucs!!!
December 14th, 2016 at 8:48 am
Realist- very few of us that actually did vote totally confident in every Koetter poll.
Now had there been a Licht poll…but those aren’t conducted during the season for reasons unstated but well understood by this reader.
December 14th, 2016 at 8:56 am
Listening to Mike and Mike (ugh!) because we no longer have a local broadcast, a Cowboy fan called in. He said he was worried about the Detroit game coming up. He offhandedly said they would beat the Bucs. Five game winning streak and guys just dismissing us still. God I hope we pound the Cowboys! Shock the world! Make them believe boys!
December 14th, 2016 at 9:00 am
With a DOMINANT Defense and Jameis the possibility to win will always be there. Jameis to us from hoping to expecting to win.
Jameis has intervening and in the loosing mentality of Bucs fans. The Messiah delivers an early Christmas present.
But sadly, there are some that are walikng back and forward in their living room waiting for the Bucs to loose this Sunday. This will allow themselves to explode with complaints at JBF. They are hungry to express themselves. It has been to long of a drought for them. You know who you are! lol
Go Bucs!!!
December 14th, 2016 at 9:08 am
Matt Ryan
Colin Kaepernick
Jay Cutler
Alex Smith
Russell Wilson
Philip Rivers
Drew Bres
Drew Bres
Cam Newton
That’s an impressive list of trophies, next up the elusive Dak Prescot.
December 14th, 2016 at 9:10 am
I am so sick of reading on blogs about how the Bucs are really not that good. For instance, I was reading blogs on the week 15 power rankings on NFL dot com and the Bucs stayed at number 13. That by the way was below the Redskins and I believe the Packers as well. A Redskins fan actually said the Redskins are ranked higher because they are better than Tampa.
I am really sick of the NFC East and all of the smug, arrogant and self entitled fans of all of those teams as well as the media who has their heads up the NFC East’s butt. The other NFC conferences get no respect like Rodney Dangerfield.
A friend of mine who is a Cowboy fan, last week chuckled when I mentioned how pleasantly surprised I am that the Bucs have turned things around and said the Bucs are not that good. I hope it is us that get the last laugh. I will be absolutely on cloud 9 if we go into Dallas on prime time and manhandle “America’s team”. I hope “America’s QB’s team” destroys “America’s team.
December 14th, 2016 at 9:16 am
Dallas what did licht do to you? Because he is the one rebuilding this team and is doing a decent job for the most part.
Not sure what your beef with him is?
December 14th, 2016 at 9:22 am
As 99 is fond of saying, “The eye in the sky dont lie”. Dallas media is pulling their hair out wondering if Jerry should pull their rookie QB. Herm Edwards yesterday on NFL Live is adamant that Bucs will win against Cowboys Sunday night.
Go Bucs..
December 14th, 2016 at 9:40 am
DallasBuc, I and quite a few others selected “Totally Confident” each time. I’ll be doing it for years to come.
December 14th, 2016 at 9:43 am
Pit- it’s got nothing to do with me it’s about the myriad of poor decisions he has made in the last 3.5 years which everyone is happy to ignore. I praise him for the good decisions and give less credit for the easy/obvious decisions like picking Winston and Evans. It’s not hard to to make easy choices and you shouldn’t be labeled a genius for doing so.
December 14th, 2016 at 9:45 am
Hope the Bucs destroy Dallas at home. Would put everyone on notice.
December 14th, 2016 at 9:51 am
I actually like Dak’s grit and his grind, but as of today up until Sunday at about midnight, he is an enemy combatant of the U.B.A. (United Bucs of America). In the immortal words of Muhammad Ali “Now he must fall”
December 14th, 2016 at 10:11 am
DallasBuc spot on with teh evaluation of Licht he has done a C to C- job as GM he grabbed the obvious picks and screwed up FA every year until this year with 2 signings and the draft has been ok, but he has glaring misses in it as well
I have been totally confident in Koetter the entire year and always though Lovie was a bad hire and that schiano deserved one more year
December 14th, 2016 at 10:16 am
I was like @joe ….vs the bears and chiefs I said same ol bucs…..the beginning of the season I had zero confidence in dirk and smitty….watching the bucs get blown out a few times I thought dirk was in over his head….but i’ll admit I was wrong….and happy to be wrong…im glad I was wrong…..couldn’t be more thrilled I was wrong…..this team finally has leadership and a competent coaching staff(screw you @realist:) lol jk )…..GO BUCS!!!!
December 14th, 2016 at 10:34 am
I swear as soon as cutler threw that td I said “there’s my bucs!”
December 14th, 2016 at 10:39 am
They have to defeat the team with the best record in the NFL in order for the ‘old bucs’ to be declared dead?
December 14th, 2016 at 10:57 am
Saying that the only way to accept that the old Bucs are gone is for them to beat an 11-2 team is probably the dumbest, most unrealistic and all around ludicrous statement I can think of.
And it completely sums up the way most Bucs, fans in general really, think.
News flash, good teams occasionally lose to other good teams. It doesn’t mean it’s “same ol’ Bucs”. It could just mean that on that Sunday the other very good team made more plays and came out on top.
Now, lose to either the Saints or Panthers and I might feel a little of the SOB mentality myself.
But even a with a loss at Dallas, wins at NO and Carolina would mean a 10-6 record and most likely a playoff spot. For a team that was 4-5 at one point this season it’ would be hard to argue that the turn around isn’t for real.
December 14th, 2016 at 11:04 am
Please beat down the cowboys. Watching the game with a whole family of Cowboy fans who are already chalking up a win. Let’s go bucs, beat me boys with that big mfkn stick!
December 14th, 2016 at 11:52 am
Would be nice to not have to win the last two games and screw the Cowboys. Overrated trash.
December 14th, 2016 at 12:37 pm
Not Cowboys, Cowdung. Insulting the Bucs has been going on long before Joe was born. I sure hope Bucs can clean up Cowdung. They can dump the dung pan on Jerry Jones’s head. 🙂 Wish this one was at RayJay, but them’s the breaks. Go Mighty Bucs Sunday Nite!!!!!
December 14th, 2016 at 9:47 pm
I love the haters. Let them doubt us, and why they do we’ll just keep winning games. If there’s a team I can’t stand it’s the cowboys. Nothing would make me happier than watching Jerry Jones have a sad look on his face if we beat them in their own house. Jerry Jones is a despicable human and I can’t stand him, I can’t stand Zeke’s stupid cut off shirt, I can’t stand Dez Bryant’s piss poor attitude, and I can’t stand how everyone jumps on there bandwagon when they play well. Sunday night can’t get here soon enough!
Go Bucs!