“I Think They Would Be Lucky To Go .500”
August 6th, 2018
Can he steal a win?
Joe has been trying to get fired up for the new Bucs season but has been in a dark depression since NFL strongman Roger Goodell sentenced America’s Quarterback, Pro Bowler Jameis Winston, to a three-game detention.
Combined with the toughest three-game start to the season of any team in the Super Bowl era and just enough question marks elsewhere, Joe is dreading what may be in 2018.
It seems Jenna Laine of ESPN sees too many dark clouds hovering around One Buc Palace as well. And also like Joe, Laine seems to be of the mind that the three-game suspension of Jameis to start the season just may be too much for the Bucs to overcome.
In a recent spot on something called “Morning Roast,” Laine gave her outlook on the 2018 campaign.
“I don’t get the sense they are waving the white flag,” Laine said. “I think they would be lucky to go .500. … I think that they will be better than 5-11. I just generally think because of the upgrades they made on defense. … I just don’t see it, especially in a division like this with three teams that made the playoffs. It is definitely going to be tough for them.”
Laine did make one helluva of an interesting point that Joe never really pondered a great deal. Jameis seems like he only knows one speed: full-throttle. This has more often than not stunted his growth. He tries to force too many things; thinking he can make any play Bucs coach Dirk Koetter calls. As a result, Jameis forces himself into costly errors.
And Laine says that will likely take place when the Bucs travel to Chicago in the first game after Jameis serves his three-game suspension.
“You look at Jameis Winston. He is a guy [the Bucs] have had to tell time and time again, ‘Don’t try so hard. Don’t try so hard,'” Laine said. “You sit him for three games, and he’s away from the facility, what do you think he’s going to do in Week 4 when he comes out? He’s going to be trying to hard and I think he is going to be forcing things.”
Joe just prays to the football gods that somehow, someway, backup quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick can steal a win. As Laine points out in the interview, since 2014, the Saints are 2-11 in September.
August 6th, 2018 at 8:06 am
According to Laine, Jameis is an electric football game qb…
just more hand wringing…
August 6th, 2018 at 8:09 am
Can I look forward to one game 1st… Easy with the doom and gloom at this point, let’s get a preseason game under our belt before we toss them into the pit of misery. Dilly Dilly!!!
August 6th, 2018 at 8:14 am
I am confident Jameis will have his best year ever. A decent D and productive ground attack will take some of the pressure off him.
August 6th, 2018 at 8:18 am
We’ll be lucky to have 5 wins
August 6th, 2018 at 8:20 am
Does a .500 record save everyone’s, some or anyone’s job?
August 6th, 2018 at 8:22 am
“what do you think he’s going to do in Week 4 ”
Kick ass, help his team win the game – and never look back… THAT’S what!!!
If the Bucs can’t get to 8 wins in 2018 with the amount of talent currently on the roster – then its time to look for a new coaching staff.
August 6th, 2018 at 8:24 am
Jamies will have a very good year.
When Jameis was healthy he was playing at a very high level.
Profootball Focus had this to say about him:
“Winston has flashed the potential that made him the No. 1 overall pick in 2015. including this past season, he was more productive than any quarterback not named Tom Brady while under pressure, producing a passer rating of 84.4.”
August 6th, 2018 at 8:28 am
GreG please don’t disappear when we have 5 wins before the halfway point of the season. Simply put we have more talent than Cleveland, Chicago, Cincy, Baltimore, San Fran, Wash, NYG and Dallas. That is 8 teams we can beat and there is no reason we cant at least win two games against our division opponents. That means we should at a minimum win 8 games and listening to people like Laine who usually asks questions about things like the weather or feelings is just about as smart as listening to those guys who never watched any Bucs games last year as she has no idea what she is doing (sorry Joe I know you like her but its every press conference just wait for the worst question and every single time it is the same person which also equates to her cluelessness).
August 6th, 2018 at 8:30 am
News Flash Joe: Fitzpatrick is the starter, you keep referring him as the backup. I am also a little taken back that you were not aware that JW forces the ball. Reason why, he forgets his progressions.
August 6th, 2018 at 8:42 am
We are starting to improve….from 1-15 to perhaps 8-8
August 6th, 2018 at 8:45 am
We might as well embrace the uncertainty. I suspect most here feel like me…we can see this season going either direction….surprisingly good or in the toilet. Neither result would surprise me. Neither is hard to imagine.
And yes it starts with Jameis..it may or may not end with him. But perhaps Laine is right and sitting for so long will just bring out Jameis worst side…where he comes out of the tunnel like he’s just sucked down gallons of speed!!!!!!!!
We’ve seen this film before….his uncontrolled energy digs a deep hole for his team and he either leads a heroic comeback or his teams loses. More comebacks at FSU more losses in Tampa. This is obviously a “possibility” we’ve seen it before.
Then again…when has Fameis EVER paid for his sins…this is a FIRST in his life.
Perhaps it will have the desired effect and Jameis starts listening to those around him who have life figured out…that’s not Darby btw. Whatever happened to Derrick Brooks?
Maybe Jameis’ punishment will force him to stop and think and GROW UP.
Maybe he comes out with his clear talent under control…perhaps leading quietly and becoming a piece of the team. He has an amazing number of targets. Perhaps I’m prejudiced but I thought the final games of last year #3 was finally starting to go through progressions and taking what is available.
And so it’s not that hard to imagine Fameis writing the amazing story of redemption and blossoming into the QB so many here are rooting to see.
I’m honestly having difficulty remembering a season in any sport in which the team I cheer for has just as good a possibility of sucking or being champions.
August 6th, 2018 at 8:49 am
Here’s my question. If someone thinks we’re lucky to win five games, how ridiculous is it to be on this site on a Monday morning commenting. If you think we’re lucky to win five games and you have no hope just suffer in silence
August 6th, 2018 at 8:51 am
What Fitz lacks with physical talent can be offset with smarts. Seems like every great play Jamies makes is followed up with a blooper.
August 6th, 2018 at 9:07 am
Someone really needs to explain that if the NFL is all about parity and the schedule is based on wins-losses how the hell did we end up with a schedule that as Joe puts it it the hardest start of any team in the Super Bowl era did the schedule makers mix ours up with New England? I realize that the divisions you play are preset but really what gives here?
August 6th, 2018 at 9:36 am
Because he is.
August 6th, 2018 at 9:55 am
Jenna might be a lot of things, but Nostradamus she’s not. (Fluff like “It is definitely going to be tough for them” is actually kinda funny though). None of these media personalities have clue one what the Bucs record will be at year’s end. Wish they’d all just enjoy the ride … this could very well be a fun season, for a change.
The Bucs’ legacy is DEFENSE. We’ve never had a lights-out offense (‘functional offense’ is probably a better descriptor). This season is the first one that I can remember where we have a chance to have a Top-15 OFFENSE and DEFENSE. Granted, the competition’s tough in our division (and elsewhere BTW), but if you want to be the best you’ve got to beat the best as they say.
Sticking with my prediction: still believe we’ll have a winning season (10-6 is what I’m expecting). Also think we’ll at least break even in the first 4 games (2-2 but hopefully better than that) and that Fitz will start all 4 games before the Bye. All 4 will be really tough games for sure, but I like what Licht said about Fitz ‘spreading the ball around’ in his earlier interview. Convinced that a respectable run game combined with a solid short-intermediate passing game is how you beat the teams with excellent defenses (Drew Brees has become a master of that IMO). Oh and by playing GRRREAT defense yourself obviously.
August 6th, 2018 at 10:06 am
@ ndog
She does ask the dumbest questions. And then she has the nerve to ask more questions than any other reporter. I dont know how joe and the rest deal with it myself.
August 6th, 2018 at 10:14 am
stpete- I hope that this “sit down” is the fuel that lights the fire under the kid. It’s what’s best for Jameis and it’s what’s best for fans.
A guy who was involved in a murder case (allegedly!) just got a gold jacket! You think Ray Lewis might’ve gotten THAT wake-up call?!
August 6th, 2018 at 11:14 am
“Jenna L > Bucs sheep JBF posters…
How dare you Sheep talk bad about Kobe’s Girl like that!”
Kobe Faker
August 6th, 2018 at 11:20 am
SPBF
“Perhaps I’m prejudiced but I thought the final games of last year #3 was finally starting to go through progressions and taking what is available
————————————————
I was trying — that’s what messed me up — I was trying to throw the ball to Mike Evans the whole game and that kind of threw me off my game.
Last game of the season… Don’t know if you’re prejudiced…maybe just wishful thinking.
August 6th, 2018 at 12:04 pm
Anymore talking head cases going to weigh in on their Bucs expected paltry win total. Get in line clowns to join the circus of know nothing fools.
August 6th, 2018 at 12:46 pm
I think anybody scared about the schedule just has their Bucs goggles on. The fact about the NFL is that all these games are completly unpredictable, especially while we are in the preseason.
But Oh No!!!!! Did Jenna Lane say will will be bad. Let me guess so did a bunch of other analysts. And I bet they said the Pats Steelers and Packers will have winning records. I bet they also said that the Jets and Bears will be bad too.
Big deal they predicted us to be losers. They make these bogus predictions because they know its right almost every year. When we prove we can compete in the league we wont have to worry about lame schedules our predictions. Last year we didnt compete and we deserve no respect
August 6th, 2018 at 1:45 pm
The one thing I look at with the 5-11 team is that 4 times they took the lead with under 5 minutes and defense coughed it away. So when you look at that it’s really closer to a 8-8, 9-7 team. Building off that and not the 5-11 record is what gives greater confidence in this team. Schedule and strength of teams in the division???? The great 1997 team made the playoffs while playing in the central division along with the Vikings, lions and packers….. I guess that was a great division also
August 6th, 2018 at 1:49 pm
Gimme a break… Every year the “hardest schedule” crap comes out based on LAST year’s finish, and every year a lot of those same teams crap the bed. Absolutely none of those first three teams scare me. The Saints are still the Saints. S*#t defense and an offense completely dependent on an aging quarterback who we have routinely held in check even with last place defenses. BEATABLE. The Eagles are decent, but let’s be real, absolutely EVERYTHING fell into place perfectly for them last year, and Carson Wentz is still an untested rookie as far as I’m concerned. BEATABLE. And last but not least the Steelers. Where do I begin? The ONLY reason anybody is talking up Pittsburgh is because the AFC has zero teams anywhere near the Pat’s… Big Ben and the boys would be 8 and 8 if they played in the NFC and everybody knows it.. Fitz is a pretty damn good game manager and there’s no reason we can’t come out of Winston’s suspension at least 2-1…and as long as the rest of the team stays healthy, 10-6 is easy to see. Wayyy too much talent on this team to tank this year as long as Smith calls
the D to his players strengths and Koetter doesn’t call a predictable game every week… We’re gonna be just fine… Everybody just chill..
August 6th, 2018 at 4:50 pm
ndog I hope you’re right
August 6th, 2018 at 6:56 pm
Jenna makes a very valid point…
Jameis thinks he’s still in college playing inferior teams. I wish he would learn to take what the defense gives instead of forcing plays he “thinks” he can make when they are not there. Someone please make him watch tape of Brady or Montana while he is on suspension!
August 6th, 2018 at 7:50 pm
Bucs would start out 0-3 even with Winston. Look at the 3 QB’s the Bucs will face the first 3 games and it is very easy to see that Winston is not in their class.
Just like how the Bucs keep finishing last in their division because they have the 4th best QB there
August 6th, 2018 at 9:39 pm
Mark Ingram is suspended for PEDs, Carson Wentz may not be 100% healthy and the Steelers often choke in early season games like four years ago against the Bucs. So there’s got to be at least one win there.