Tampa Bay Vipers Performance Looked Familiar
February 10th, 2020
The inaugural Vipers game looked familiar
Joe was fired up over the weekend to consume mass quantities of XFL Football.
First, it’s new professional football in February. What could be better? Second, XFL games are the perfect complement to Joe’s stockpiles of Big Storm Beer.
Unfortunately, the Tampa Bay Vipers got pounded 23-3 on the road to the New York Guardians.
Let’s see, the Vipers had 18 first downs to the Guardians’ 11, but Tampa Bay missed a kick, QB Aaron Murray threw two costly first-half interceptions and the Vipers’ secondary looked a lot like the garbage the Buccaneers trotted on the field through the entire 2018 season and the first half of 2019.
Man, that Vipers’ performance felt a little too familiar.
Murray threw for 231 yards, which appears to be the second-highest total in the league’s opening weekend, and the Vipers ran the ball pretty well. But the Tampa Bay offense looked like it might be more dangerous with ex-USF star Quinton Flowers running an RPO-style set.
Flowers won the job in training camp and Flowers entered the game as the No. 3 QB/specialist.
Vipers defensive back Robert Priester, who came to the team via the CFL, the University of Wyoming and Robinson High School in Tampa, did his share of good things and is a player to watch going forward.
Joe hopes to be uplifted by the Vipers next week. No, Joe’s not throwing in the towel after one game. The home opener is Saturday, February 22 at Raymond James Stadium. 
February 10th, 2020 at 8:39 am
Vipers still have more credibility than a glazer ran franchise
February 10th, 2020 at 8:40 am
At least they scored, Bucs lost their first game 20-0 vs the Oilers. Not sure about the Bandits.
February 10th, 2020 at 8:51 am
i was about to leave a comment yesterday midway through the game that the vipers are kind of reminding me of the bucs…
then i saw no thread here for it, so i abstained from leaving a rando vipers comment on a bucs thread…
but yes…the vipers issues are similar to the bucs…go figure
February 10th, 2020 at 8:52 am
Tampa football is so funny. Vipers Oline looked awful, Murray is not very good and Flowers should of started the 2nd half. NY receivers were wide open all day..
LOL, You cant make this stuff up!! Go Bucs and their new green uniforms!
February 10th, 2020 at 8:52 am
the bandits were a fun team with reeves, truvillion, etc…
February 10th, 2020 at 8:53 am
No kidding! They 400+ yards of offense, costly turnovers, and bumbling in the red zone. It was like deja vu. Will it never end? Enjoyed the games over the weekend for the XFL. Loved the conversion thing. Many teams came away with nothing but it made it competitive even late in the game you were doing calculations with 3 pt conversions. Play was occasionally sloppy with Defenses mostly ahead of their Offensive counterparts unless you were PJ Walker or Cardale Jones. Both those guys looked pretty good, Jones, in particular, looked pretty smooth.
February 10th, 2020 at 8:53 am
murray needs to be pulled with those noodle arm tosses…
very weak arm or at least many very weak throws
February 10th, 2020 at 8:56 am
also the current bucs unis fit in well with all these new style crazy xfl unis…
but the bucs unis are not cutting it in the nfl…
the vipers unis and helmets are definitely decent after scouring through all the xfl teams unis and logos
February 10th, 2020 at 9:00 am
Man what is it with TAMPA Bay and football? MUST be all the strip clubs!
February 10th, 2020 at 9:07 am
Aaron Murray = Jameis Winston
February 10th, 2020 at 9:07 am
I could see Winston playing in the XFL
February 10th, 2020 at 9:08 am
adam from ny Says:
February 10th, 2020 at 8:53 am
murray needs to be pulled with those noodle arm tosses…
very weak arm or at least many very weak throws
Bucfan loves a weak armed game manager that can’t make all the throws. Talented qb’s that can make all throws are too complicated and risky for conservative scared bucfan to handle… bucfan prefers their players to lose quietly and join a local cult.
February 10th, 2020 at 9:12 am
The Bandits were Tampa’s best football team ever. On June 3, 1984, the Bandits beat Donald Trump’s New Jersey Generals, 40-14. Trump was so embarrassed! He had to get revenge! So he shut down the whole league, because he could never win the championship, and Tampa Bay kicked his ass. Trump may know more than the generals, the scientists, the economists, the diplomats, and Jesus, but he does not know more about football than Steve Spurrier.
February 10th, 2020 at 9:23 am
Well, at least the Vipers QB didn’t throw a pick six on his first pass to start his professional football career.
As for the XFL I really enjoyed it! I liked all of the differences. I liked the way kickoffs were handled and I really like the elimination of extra point kicks after the TD. I also like that they *fully* endorse sports betting and put the odds on the screen.
The only thing I didn’t like about the XFL happened in the off season when all teams named their starting QB. They announced the starting QBs before they had an opportunity to compete for the job in camp. Quintin Flowers should probably be the starter based on what I saw.
February 10th, 2020 at 9:26 am
LMAO, that one time Murray threw into triple coverage, and was of course picked. I thought to myself,,, what the hell is it with TB football??!!!
February 10th, 2020 at 9:28 am
Dewey Selmon Says:
“At least they scored, Bucs lost their first game 20-0 vs the Oilers.”
True!
The difference, of course, is that the BUCS were 1 of only 2 expansion teams.
The entire XFL is expansion teams. What is the Vipers excuse?
February 10th, 2020 at 9:33 am
Both teams are very similar.
February 10th, 2020 at 9:41 am
Just a few off the wall comments. Changing name to “Tampa Bay Clones,” I miss Eric Travillion and the “Bandits,” and I admit I found myself glued to the TV in an effort to satisfy my addiction to Football. “Sad, but true.” Only highlight was I found a Uniform uglier than Buc’s.
February 10th, 2020 at 9:42 am
Aaron Murray is horrible. So much for Plant High generating VHIII and Murray for the NFL. What a hoot that is.
EVERYONE..should check out the interesting piece Bill Barnwell has up at ESPN on the off-season FA movement (guessing) tool. Interesting. Under Melvin Gordon’s section, and Washington, Barnwell theorized that the Bucs trade a late round pick to NYJ for LeVeon…because the NYJ would eat day $4 million of his 2020 salary, decreasing Bell’s contract to $9.5 million for 2020. There is ZERO GUARANTEED cash for Bell after this year!! Makes a ton of sense behind our OLine with WE weapons here NOT NYJ and Barnwell though that Bell also would be ideal to BA’s system.
February 10th, 2020 at 9:54 am
Nothing with Murray. The receivers ran the wrong routes. Tipped the ball in the air in the end zone to get picked. Receivers did not come back for the ball….. He was Perfect.
Sound familiar too?
February 10th, 2020 at 10:02 am
Aaron Murray looked awful…as bad as Winston but costs a lot less. Yup, very familiar. The respite from Winston’s failures did not turn up yesterday. Hopefully it comes this weekend.
February 10th, 2020 at 10:05 am
The Vipers need a QB.
That JayMiss for example….
Please!!
Peace, out
February 10th, 2020 at 10:14 am
^DBS. That’s funny brother!
February 10th, 2020 at 10:21 am
where can we watch this……
S FL here..
February 10th, 2020 at 10:22 am
xfl i mean…are the games televised and where, specifically the tampa team.
February 10th, 2020 at 10:23 am
This entire league stinks…..inferior speed to NFL players; inferior skill sets; Pathetic….watched a few out of curiosity, couldn’t stay tuned for more than 10 minutes…..
February 10th, 2020 at 10:43 am
You could say the same for college football.
February 10th, 2020 at 10:53 am
Tampa Bay of course is the worst team in the league. It’s a shame they were soooo bad, a lot of people won’t be tuning back in.
February 10th, 2020 at 10:56 am
@footballjunkie
VHIII went to Wharton I believe… Plant did have Murray and James Wilder Jr at HB/DE. Pretty sure WR Mike Williams (of the Seahawks not Bucs) also played for Plant.
February 10th, 2020 at 11:11 am
What is up with Tampa teams…
After Saturdays games. I was hoping that the Vipers would play as well as those teams and of course, the Vipers turn the ball over a couple of times and only scored 3 points..
If things don’t change soon, it looks like one would have to leave the state in order to attend any quality pro games!
February 10th, 2020 at 11:14 am
Nah, stay with us, Tye.
The Super Bowl is in TB next year. 😉
February 10th, 2020 at 11:28 am
A little off topic; anyone notice the LA uniforms? Made me think of the Bucs and what could’ve been.
February 10th, 2020 at 11:34 am
^^ No doubt, Blackmagic. Especially the black ones. They are wicked cool looking. Really similar to a uniform concept I had for a Madden Team called the Tampa Bay Demons.
The only problem would be wearing black in the Tampa sun.
February 10th, 2020 at 11:46 am
I couldn’t help but think of the parallels in turnovers. I’m pretty sure that the WR ran the wrong route, the OL gave up on the play, the wind was in his face, and oh yeah it WAS a full moon.
It was entertaining. Not NFL level, but not as bad as I thought it was going to be.
February 10th, 2020 at 2:25 pm
D-Rome Says:
February 10th, 2020 at 10:43 am
This entire league stinks…..inferior speed to NFL players; inferior skill sets; Pathetic….watched a few out of curiosity, couldn’t stay tuned for more than 10 minutes
You could say the same for college football.
The rest of the NFL says that about the bucs
February 10th, 2020 at 2:27 pm
D rome
Rumor has it Vanderbilt has been making moves to get the bucs to join sec so they are not the only non football organization in conference
February 10th, 2020 at 2:31 pm
Trade for Justin Herbert Dolphins 5th pick would probably do it. Grab him before the chargers do. With the QB whispered he would ready to go in September. Tua would likely still be available at 14.
February 10th, 2020 at 2:50 pm
I forgot about the wind. Let’s see how it goes this week.
February 10th, 2020 at 3:47 pm
Actually liked most of what I saw from the XFL this weekend. Hopefully they will get enough corporate backing to stick around this time.
February 10th, 2020 at 5:17 pm
turnovers lose games …plain and simple
February 10th, 2020 at 5:25 pm
Jean Lafitte Says:
February 10th, 2020 at 5:17 pm
turnovers lose games …plain and simple
so does having a 1-dimensional team with a highly ranked defense that can’t score points.
February 10th, 2020 at 5:51 pm
tmax- Remember Alstott’s rookie year? What would you give for that kind of production out of the backfield?
This team needs to find that “special” player to augment what is already a potent offensive attack. “Balance” is the key here. We have to be able to at least threaten a run-game.
February 10th, 2020 at 6:07 pm
The Vipers looked as snake-bit as our other semi-pro team.
They should have started training camp earlier and come up with an, at least, well oiled product. The effort looked like a sandlot game, rusty.
February 10th, 2020 at 7:14 pm
Bucsfanman
Ive been saying guve jameis a CONSISTENTLY PRODUCTIVE rb and put down Dotson and Jameis wins super bowl
February 11th, 2020 at 12:51 am
Something in the Bay water. Might wanna check to see if we need a hazmat team as the quality may be infected with losing and poor performance viruses.