Defining Night
October 7th, 2020
The Buccaneers and the Bears will clash tomorrow night in Chicago, and the teams have a lot in common.
First, neither club has beaten a good football team this season.
The Bears are 3-1 but those wins came against teams with a combined 1-11 record. (That’s no typo.) The clubs the Bucs (3-1) have taken down are a collective 4-8.
Joe can’t knock any team for getting the job done, but it’s too early to really know how good Tampa Bay and Chicago really are. The Bears pulled out a miracle against winless Atlanta, and the Bucs came out flat at home and needed heroics to finish off a bad Chargers team last Sunday.
Chicago and the Bucs have played strong defense, but at least the Bucs have a legit quarterback, so Joe gives the Bucs a huge edge there.
Joe doesn’t care about the Bears, but for the Bucs, tomorrow’s game in Chicago represents a real defining hour. The Bucs are trying to finish a statement to themselves — and to the league — that they can make the playoffs and not be the same old Bucs. Yes, Tom Brady is driving the in-house confidence through the roof, but what really fuels that is wins.
The thought of the Bucs losing Thursday and staring down the unbeaten Packers coming off a bye week is too much for Joe to bear. They can’t let that happen.
No, Joe isn’t calling tomorrow a must-win on the schedule, but as it relates to the team’s confidence and growth, Joe thinks it is a must-win.
October 7th, 2020 at 11:03 am
i agree, 4-1 facing the pack at home, is a hell of a lot better than 3-2
October 7th, 2020 at 11:07 am
So if neither team has beaten a good football team that makes them what?
So if both teams are ______ and the Bucs win does that still make them ______?
October 7th, 2020 at 11:08 am
Win or lose, this is not the same ol Bucs, last sunday showed the master still has it. But still nobody wants to see a loss. GO BUCS!!!!
October 7th, 2020 at 11:12 am
some fans wont be satisfied with a WIN…
they only want to see the bucs dominate every game 56-0….lol…
this will be ANOTHER character building WIN…
GO BUCS!!!!
October 7th, 2020 at 11:16 am
I agree. 4-1 is Significant.
>One step closer the playoffs
>Increased pressure on NO
>Remain in the running for best record
>4 Ws in a row is 4 Ws in a row
Get the win!
October 7th, 2020 at 11:19 am
I do believe it’s a must win. Everything Brady’s been preaching is that the 1st four games were like pre-season. So, now they should be warmed up and ready to go. I know there are injuries, but every team is dealing with injuries, some a lot more consequential than ours. So yeah they need to win. They’re playing a road game against a 3-1 team (doesn’t matter who they beat or how they won – a win is a win in the NFL). If they really are a playoff contender, time to show up!
October 7th, 2020 at 11:37 am
Mark my words, QBs that have limited film gives our defense fits….particularly mobile ones. I dont know if its how Bowles calls plays or if its film study from the players but a guy like Foles is the exact type of player we tend to struggle with. He’s a crafty vet, who can get hot, reminds me of Fitzpatrick. Over an entire season, he doesn’t seem capable but in short stints he seems to find a way.
October 7th, 2020 at 11:41 am
Please Buc fans stop placing the carrige before the horse. We gotta get to 4-1 first. Them Bears will be tough. Their d line is on par with ours. Some say better.
The pressure will be coming. Don’t count them egss before they are laid. Just be ready to go all out Bics.
October 7th, 2020 at 11:46 am
If the Bucs protect the ball, they will win. They would be 4-0 right now if they would have protected the ball in Nawlins. GO BUCS!!!
October 7th, 2020 at 12:01 pm
Thursday night will define the Bucs, one way or another, as a true contender, or as some think, a pretender.
I’d like a real conversation with both team’s medical staff, because who is *not* playing could make a huge difference.
October 7th, 2020 at 12:11 pm
Must win. Most important game they’ve had in a long while. Nation will be watching.
October 7th, 2020 at 12:21 pm
The Bucs are beat to hell. I don’t think I’ve ever seen them with so few WR and RB options. And the Bears defense is pretty solid.
Tomorrow has the potential to be very close.
October 7th, 2020 at 12:26 pm
Calling the teams the Bucs have played “bad” is just silly.
Of course the Saints aren’t bad!
Panthers are playing everyone tough, they just beat the Cardinals who were a fashionable pick to make the playoffs. Bridgewater is legit.
Broncos may be bad but still took the Steelers down to the last play and played everyone tough despite not having a QB.
The Chargers are easily the best 1-3 team in the NFL, Herbert is a future superstar.
The Giants and Jets are bad. The Texans and Lions are bad. But not the teams the Bucs beat. No, they’re not the Ravens or the Chiefs or the Packers even though SD was a whisker from beating the Chiefs.
Let’s not overdo the point. No these aren’t the best teams in the NFL, but far from “bad.”
October 7th, 2020 at 12:39 pm
Packers have beaten 1 good team and give up 28+ points per game. Not sold on them either.
October 7th, 2020 at 12:40 pm
I do not subscribe to the PC views of the talent levels of teams in this league.
I do not think the Chargers suck while the Falcons are talented. I think both teams are playing poor football right now but I’d much rather be a Chargers fan even though I think the Falcons still have a talent edge.
The Falcons are flirting with being yesterday’s news. The leash on their coach has to be getting shorter and shorter with each disturbing loss. The Falcons look like a defeated team.
The Chargers OTOH are young and on their way up. They still haven’t “learned how to win” but they’ve found the talent along the way to show some real promise.
This is where LUCK factors in and we benefitted for a change. The Falcons are going to become an easier team to play the Chargers however I believe are going to be a dangerous team in the second half of the season. Glad we got them early.
A LARGE part of the Chargers success against us was THEIR outstanding play. Other than the two blown assignments on the long bomb TD’s the Chargers largely earned their points and not simply because we played poorly. We played well but Herbert just made some plays to avoid sacks and then throws.
Luckily for us Brady made more plays and again luckily for us the Chargers are not on our schedule going forward.
October 7th, 2020 at 12:40 pm
@Bobby M.
Yea we struggles so much with foles last year huh? we got him benched in the first half, horrible take
October 7th, 2020 at 12:47 pm
Last week was the must win game. A loss in that one would have set the team back in a big way. 3-1 in the first quarter of the season. Hopefully the Bucs can do this 3 more times ala 2002.
October 7th, 2020 at 12:56 pm
That Chargers team is a lot better than they’re 1-3 record would indicate.
October 7th, 2020 at 1:14 pm
Woah “a bad Chargers team” I disagree. They lost in OT to KC and really should have won that game. Their defense is top 10, they have a “good” QB, good RB, and excellent receiver. Massive choke job Sunday, poor coaching, long and steadily-growing list of injuries, rookie QB who isn’t Andrew Luck. Should haves never count. (See Bucs in The Lost Decade.–Joe
My question is who’s a really that great in the NFC? No defense Seattle or GB? The Bucs are probably the most balanced of the bunch.
October 7th, 2020 at 1:15 pm
Posted previously, please ignore.
tickrdr Says:
March 20th, 2020 at 10:47 am
I hope this does alter draft strategy.
Justin Herbert, please.
Move up in the draft, if necessary.
Let our QB of the future marinate on the bench to watch and learn from the greatest. JMHO.
tickrdr
October 7th, 2020 at 1:17 pm
I honestly believe Evans will play as will Scotty Miller. These games are way too important.
October 7th, 2020 at 1:28 pm
Packers are licking their chops game planning with extra time, seeing how the Chargers scorched our defense.
October 7th, 2020 at 1:39 pm
This is when you are able to determine a team on a short week and piecing together a team out of the injuries. The time for those who numbers have not been called as much to step up and those who are working through pain and injuries to perform at high and discipline level. This will show our character it will not define us cause we are still at a early stage but it could elevate us to the team we are striving to be.
October 7th, 2020 at 1:44 pm
I would say this is the best Defense the Bucs have faced. So, it is a major challenge and barometer of where the offense is. However, I would expect our Defense to keep us in this game and potentially dominate the opponent.
October 7th, 2020 at 2:01 pm
We beat much better “bad” teams than the Bears have…….
Plus….
We don’t have a mental midget for a QB on our team for a prime time national game.
I feel good about this game
Go Bucs!
October 7th, 2020 at 2:18 pm
I suppose folks have forgotten how Tibursky lit the Bucs up two years ago.
Then again, how many current Buc defenders were on that 2018 team? Most have no memory of that debacle.
October 7th, 2020 at 2:20 pm
@ tickrdr: Herbert was my #1 QB, too. But I am happy the Bucs did not give away the store to move up. I am very happy with the top of this years draft.
October 7th, 2020 at 3:20 pm
Bad Chargers team lost 23-20 in OT to KC and $500 million S-Me-Off-Maholmmes. When you say bad teams it sounds like stupid team rankings.
October 7th, 2020 at 4:51 pm
@tickrdr
I remember you wanting Justin Herbert. Good call!
But we got Wirfs and Winfield in this draft and that was excellent for us as well.
Here is how NDOG rated Herbert:
Ndog Says:
January 1st, 2020 at 7:24 pm
For all you Justin Herbert folks I hope you are watching this have tonight and that will put those ridiculous comments to bed. This guy flat sucks but anything is better right?
First half stats 9/14 for 81 yards 0 TDs 1 INT and when watching it he is even worse than those numbers suggest.
October 7th, 2020 at 4:58 pm
The Bucs never ever win at Chicago, they always lose this game. I remember telling you dopes this a few years ago when ‘Fitzmagic’ was all the rage, that the Bucs were about to get beat down by the Bears, it’s what the Bucs do, they lose in Chicago.
If Brady can get the Bucs to win this, that will be huge, and to me his first signature win.
But I’ve been a Bucs fan for 35 years now, so I expect the worst, but it’s a reasonable expectation considering the teams history. It will be HUGE if Brady gets this win, much bigger than people think — but it’s also not the end of the world if they lose, because everyone with any common sense and knowledge of Bucs history should expect them to lose.
October 7th, 2020 at 5:03 pm
@Rod
I was at that Bears game. The worst away game that I have been to and the only away game that I have ever left early.
That was actually the MJ Stewart got exposed game. His lack of NFL speed got exposed badly on those jet sweeps.
Had a nice tailgate before the game. Got to meet and tailgate with Jack Cichy’s Aunt.
October 7th, 2020 at 5:03 pm
Just to back up what I said, the Bucs are 5-22 in Chicago, so an 18% winning percentage, that’s really bad even by Bucs standards.
The 2002 team did beat the Bears on the road, but the game wasn’t in Chicago so that doesn’t count.
October 7th, 2020 at 5:06 pm
geno711 – Ouch, yeah, as a Bucs fan that would have been a terrible game to attend, it was just a cluster.
Hopefully Brady’s GOAT can overcome whatever curse Doug Williams put back on the team when he was last fired.
October 7th, 2020 at 5:10 pm
If we go 4-1, before the bye, then getting into the playoffs is going to be much easier. Even going .500 from then on (and I believe we will do much better), we’ll be 9-7.
12-4 will look awfully good.
October 7th, 2020 at 6:55 pm
One of the keys in this game will be the Bucs defensive secondary. They’re all healthy. Now, can they bounce back by being humiliated by a good Chargers offense and potential star QB?
October 7th, 2020 at 7:16 pm
@Cobraboy and Geno711:
FWIW, I , too am quite happy to have the top of this year’s draft. My wish for Herbert in no way is meant to be critical of Wirfs and Winfield, who seem to be doing great early on, and likely are both potential future ProBowlers.
The comment from NDog is interesting, since he is the most vocal critic of having TB12 here, and jettisoning JW3, as his major reasoning against those moves is that we have no hope for the future after Brady “hangs em up. At least for me, I certainly wouldn’t mind if Justin Herbert was sitting on our bench right now. I understand that our most recent draft is meant to be “all-in” for the current year, and not for the future.
While I would like to claim prescience re: Herbert’s potential, in all honesty, the credit should go to Bill Parcells, who in the past has listed his criteria for picking a future “franchise QB”. I’ll try to remember them here, but you can look them up, and correct me if I am wrong. Some of these criteria are ” winning record, great TD/INT ratio, 4 yr. starter, good completion percentage”, and I think he expected progression of those good traits, and not regression. Furthermore, Herbert was an academic All-American in college, which can’t hurt.
tickrdr
October 7th, 2020 at 7:26 pm
TEST
October 7th, 2020 at 7:28 pm
@Cobraboy and geno711:
My response to you is still in moderation, but I’m not sure why.
tickrdr
October 7th, 2020 at 7:29 pm
I guess just listing another poster by name leads to moderation.
I’m just such a flame-thrower.
tickrdr
October 7th, 2020 at 11:37 pm
FWIW, here are the seven criteria listed by Bill Parcells.
1) At least a three-year starter
2) Started at least 30 games
3) Won at least 20 games
4) At least a 2:1 touchdown-to-interception ratio
5) Completion percentage better than 60%
6) Is a senior
7) Is graduating
tickrdr