Gameday Tampa Bay!
December 24th, 2017
Game 15
Bucs (4-10) at Stinking Panthers (10-4)
Kickoff: 1 p.m.
TV: WTVT-TV Channel 13; DirecTV Ch. 710
Radio: Buccaneers Radio Network (WXTB-FM 97.9 in Tampa-St. Petersburg region); Buccaneers broadcast SiriusXM Channel 83, national broadcast SiriusXM NFL Radio Channel 384.
Weather: Per AccuWeather.com, not too bad. In fact, it will be Green Bay-like weather, at least the weather the Bucs experienced earlier this month in northeastern Wisconsin. Tailgaters will enjoy 50 degrees mid-morning and it is scheduled to be 52 at kickoff. Later in the second half, the temperature is expected to climb to 56 and should remain steady through the end of the game, all under sunny skies. That’s good football weather.
Odds: Per FootballLocks.com, Dixie Chicks -10.5.
Outlook: Joe is smelling a blowout and no, not in the Bucs favor. In case you missed it last Monday night, the Bucs were beaten to hell. Already the team had bad injuries across the board and Monday night made it even worse. The good news is that running back Doug Martin is expected back as he practiced this week. Joe spoke with Martin Friday and the story is coming a bit later this morning. Look, the Bucs defense is downright a friggin’ nightmare on the road and Carolina has been playing its best football of the season since tight end Greg Olsen returned to the lineup late last month. Joe just doesn’t see how this game even remains close. Joe suspects the Jameis haters will be out in full force by roughly 3 p.m. today. It’s going to be ugly. Look at the bright side Bucs fans, it’s all about draft slot now.
Trinkets: The Bucs have the No. 5 passing attack in the NFL (263.9 yards a game). … The Bucs defensive allows an abominable 429.6 yards a game on the road. Another garish road stat: Opponents convert 56 percent of third downs when hosting the Bucs. … QB Jameis Winston has five touchdowns and one pick in his last three road games. … RB Doug Martin has 282 rushing yards (94 per game) in his past three games at Carolina. … RB Peyton Barber has two touchdowns in division games this year. In his last three games, Barber has 274 yards rushing. … WR Mike Evans has two touchdowns in his last three games against the Stinking Panthers. … TE Cam Brate has two touchdowns in his last three games. … LB Lavonte David leads the NFL with five fumble recoveries and leads the NFC with five forced fumbles. In five career games at Carolina, David has 46 tackles, two sacks, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. … LB Kwon Alexander had 13 tackles last week and now aims for his third straight game against Carolina with at least 10 tackles. … In week-by-week statistical analysis, the Stinking Panthers have never been worse than No. 7 in third down efficiency this season. They are currently sixth. … QB Cam Newton passed for 252 yards and four touchdowns last week. In his last four home games against the Bucs Newton has been virtually unstoppable with eight touchdowns against two picks with four rushing touchdowns. Newton leads NFL quarterbacks with 643 rush yards. He has four seasons with at least 600 yards rushing, which is tied with Michael Vick for most in NFL history. … RB Jonathan Stewart has five rushing touchdowns in last four games. … RB Christian McCaffrey had a career-high 136 yards from scrimmage (73 receiving, 63 rushing last week. Leads NFL rookies with most catches (73), a Carolina franchise record. … TE Greg Olsen had nine catches for 116 yards last week. In his last four home games against the Bucs, he almost averages 100 yards receiving. Since returning from injured reserve Nov. 24, the Stinking Panthers are undefeated. … DE Julius Peppers has 10 sacks after being signed as a free agent. In his past six games against the Bucs, Peppers has 7.5 sacks and three forced fumbles. … LB Luke Kuechly has 43 tackles, a sack, a forced fumble and two picks in his last five games against the Bucs. In his past 10 NFC South games, Kuechly has at least eight tackles in each. … CBs James Bradberry and Daryl Worley both have an interception in each of the past two games.
December 24th, 2017 at 12:18 am
Dear Santa…Please don’t make the Bucs a “real” NFL team this week and win! We NEED the draft pick to be as high as possible. Also Santa if it isn’t to much could you make Mike Smith and the rest of the defense get their collective heads out of the chimney and actually earn their paycheck? What Santa I am contradicting myself??? Oh I’m sorry I have been watching the Bucs all year so I’m VERY confused!
December 24th, 2017 at 12:24 am
I think Indy lost that game on purpose..lol..
We need to just lose out..I don’t care to win the next two..
December 24th, 2017 at 12:25 am
LOSE the game … unless you’d rather get another Vernon Hargreaves (Ken Webster) in the draft instead of a Joey Bosa (Bradley Chubb) or Jalen Ramsey (Minkah Fitzpatrick).
Regardless, even if the Bucs play their hearts out, they’re still probably going to get smacked as they’re missing a ton of starters.
Panthers 38 Bucs 23
December 24th, 2017 at 12:30 am
LifeOfABucFan,
Indy is losing next week on purpose to the Texans as well imho … which will give the Texans (whose pick the Browns own) 5 wins and therefore we will JUMP AHEAD of them in the draft!
I also expect the Bears to beat the Browns, which will give the Bears 5 wins and therefore we will JUMP AHEAD of them in the draft as well.
As long as we lose our last two games, we should get the #5 pick, just behind the Browns, Giants, Colts and 49’ers.
If no trades:
Browns: Josh Rosen
Giants: Sam Darnold
Colts: Saquon Barkley
49’ers: Minkah Fitzpatrick
Bucs: BRADLEY CHUBB
I could also see the Colts and 49’ers trading down to stock-pile picks and the top 4 picks all being QBs, which would give the Bucs their choice between SAQUON BARKLEY, BRADLEY CHUBB and MINKAH FITPATRICK.
SMART teams LOSE when that is best for the future of the franchise!
December 24th, 2017 at 12:37 am
@NFLNut…I like it..I like it like that…Chubb!!!!!!I also love Minkah..
I just don’t want the Bucs to win for the sake of the HC..Indy was smart today..too many indications they didn’t give a darn to win..smart!!!
December 24th, 2017 at 12:46 am
LifeOfABuc,
I agree with you 100% … but of course, if the orders do come down from above to “play hard but make sure you lose the next two games on purpose as we need the highest draft pick we can get”, even if Jameis plays lights out, if the team loses, the loons on this forum will kill him for his team’s win/loss record and pretend that other obviously inferior QBs are somehow better simply because their TEAM had a better W/L record … loons.
As for the dudes I mentioned … Saquon has HOF talent and some consider him to be the “perfect player” … Minkah is a choir-boy off the field and a monster on it that his teammates strive to emulate … and Chubb is a high-motor sack machine … I’d love any of those three!
December 24th, 2017 at 12:59 am
NFL,
Saquon has 8 games below 100yards/game. I think it’s going to be a big deal when draft time comes. HOF players are not allowed to be held in check so many times by less than impressive opponent’s. Rutgers isn’t SEC level .
December 24th, 2017 at 1:11 am
Guice, 650 squat, 370 power clean, 4.3 speed, SEC level comp, No Jackson and Herschel Walker territory.
December 24th, 2017 at 1:19 am
^ I disagree entirely … Saquon is considered a perfect prospect … the dude is like a mix of Todd Gurley, Jarvis Landy and Cordarelle Patterson … he can run like a monster with speed, finesse and power, catch like a legit wide receiver, is a dynamic kick returner … the dude even threw a TD … he’s the best RB prospect since Barry Sanders imho and a way better prospect than Zeke or Gurley or even Adrian Peterson was.
BTW, the stats you posted … um … you’re counting his games against Pitt, Georgia State, Northwestern, Maryland and Rutgers … he could have easily went over 100 rushing yards in all 5 of those games if Penn State needed him too … they didn’t. The kid has averaged 146 yards per game over his career and has accounted for 52 TDs in just 37 games. He’s just unreal.
December 24th, 2017 at 1:20 am
Duke … I’ve been trumpeting Guice since his freshman year at LSU … I love that kid! He can probably be had in the 2nd round too!
December 24th, 2017 at 1:24 am
Careful. Always remember and never forget what Warren Sapp said.
“You don’t pump weights on the 50-yard line.”
December 24th, 2017 at 2:19 am
@NflNut..before I finally pass out with a good amount of CVS brand sleeping pills ( they work better than the illegal stuff)..
I about choked on my nightly cigarette reading your comment on digging up Lombardi and putting a playbook in his hands..OMFG..funniest thing I have read this year..
December 24th, 2017 at 2:40 am
^ Hahaha, I’m glad you liked that one bro … have a great sleep!
December 24th, 2017 at 5:12 am
Lose on purpose to get a few spots higher draft pick??
Yea that sounds like a GREAT way to help establish a winning culture…
December 24th, 2017 at 6:31 am
Listen…..you don’t have to hope for a loss….you’ll likely get one…..I prefer to root for a win and be disappointed only to find after the loss that our draft position improved….thus feeling better.
So, kick the $hit out of the stinking Panthers…..let’s put Cammy’s sorry a$$ out of the game and the playoffs.
Same result…..different feeling.
Now when it comes to rooting for teams above us in the draft to win….I’m all in for that.
December 24th, 2017 at 6:40 am
When it comes to the draft, you have to pick Chubb. You can go for the RB in round 2 or 3….
Also, at 5 we could get an opportunity to trade back. We could use extra picks.
Like I’ve said….we need 6 DEs, CB, DT, Oline & RB….(no tight ends or WRs please)
December 24th, 2017 at 10:05 am
NFL,
I should have said that SB is the real deal my points were just to put forth a reason that He’s not picked up in the top of the draft. The season ends with a draft order based on how a player actually performed. By draft day, we have combine #, endless questions about ???????, Basically it’s not the same draft order as today.
I posted Guice’ s speed and weight lift # because they are damn near the same for SB.
@Joe, Sapp was an athletic freak show I think He was taking shots at work out guy .
December 24th, 2017 at 11:02 am
Not sayin I want my Bucs to lose today. However..If it puts us in better position to nabb CHUBBY CHUBB?…………….
December 24th, 2017 at 12:14 pm
PICKGRIN,
The Spurs tanked an entire season for Tim Duncan … and established a “winning culture” the very next year that continued for 20 years!
The Colts tanked an entire season for Manning and later for Luck … and established winning cultures in short order … until Luck got injured years later.
TANKING WORKS and only short-sighted fans dislike it!
DUKE … I understand what you’re saying but I would SHOCKED if Saquon is not one of the first 3 players (along with Bradley Chubb and Minkah Fitzpatrick) to get drafted after the QBs … so even if ALL 5 QBs manage to go #1-5 and Chubb and Minkah go #6-7, the lowest I could see Barkley dropping to is #8 … he’s just that special.
I wouldn’t even be shocked to see him go #1 overall with the Browns choosing to wait till their 2nd #1 to pick Mayfield … or to see him go #2 overall to the Giants if they decide to stick with Eli for another year … we’ll see what happens.
December 24th, 2017 at 12:36 pm
Hard to argue with any of Joe’s points…they’re all accurate.
But I’m excited to see how some young guys fare under the bright lights. We can say that the Panthers will take us for granted and still crush us…but they’ll be playing hard they don’t want to lose playoff shape and condition two weeks before the season ends.
Our young guys will get to test themselves against the Panther’s best…playing hard as they round into playoff shape…it’ll teach them a LOT!!