Chaos In The NFC South
October 12th, 2020
Benched (for a game).
The way the Bucs shat all over themselves along the lakefront in Chicago on Thursday night, they looked anything like a playoff team to Joe.
In fact, Joe is now scoreboard watching. Joe is paying almost equal attention to what other teams are doing as much as he is the Bucs. Unless other teams fully collapse, Joe isn’t ready to lay cash the Bucs could be a wild card team the way they played Thursday, when you look at who the Bucs still have to play.
That’s a wordy way of suggesting the Bucs better be gunning for the NFC South title. The Bucs are currently tied with the Saints in the loss column. And tonight the Saints will be without their star wide receiver and Bucs killer Michael Thomas.
Per various reports, Thomas punched a teammate, safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson, in practice and Saints coach Sean Payton told him to stay home. Good for Payton. Most coaches would pander and make excuses for and try to appease Thomas. Payton didn’t. He is a hard@ss from the Bill Parcells tree.
Nevermind that may hurt his team. That’s Joe’s angle. 🙂
Up in Atlanta, it looks to be a Bucs takeover. The expected happened much earlier than this-Joe thought: Atlanta owner Artie Blank not only ran off coach Dan Quinn but also the Dixie Chicks tossed general manager Thomas Dimitroff.
Former Bucs general manager Rich McKay has taken over day-to-day operations of the Dixie Chicks. Depending on your football philosophy, either former Bucs coach and current Dixie Chicks defensive coordinator Raheem Morris will replace Quinn or former Bucs coach and current Dixie Chicks offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter will replace Quinn.
Just as an outsider looking in, neither choice is good for McKay. The problem with the Dixie Chicks is defense. So do you reward Morris was a lousy job by promoting him (that would be like a couple of years ago running Koetter mid-season and replacing him with Mike Smith)?
Then you look at Koetter, Joe likes the guy but to expect Koetter to fix Atlanta’s defense is naive. Look what Koetter did with the defense with the Bucs? Remember it was someone up the food chain at One Buc Palace who pulled the plug on Smith, not Koetter. And Smith’s defense was no less than horrible.
So in a big picture, Joe doesn’t know how Koetter or Morris are expected to fix Atlanta’s defense. Joe can only guess this was a move to appease Dixie Chicks fans, making a move just to make a move.
What was funny for Joe is the rampant speculation that the Dixie Chicks are now in the running for Trevor Lawrence.
October 12th, 2020 at 12:08 am
Geez. How about The Bucs play better and earn it? Still relying on other teams hiccups and injuries to win.
October 12th, 2020 at 12:16 am
Seem to recall the Super Bowl Bucs did just that. Packers lost to the Jets in the final week which gave the Bucs a bye. That allowed Brad Johnson to rest up and heal and start against San Francisco.
If the Bucs had a play a wild card team without Johnson, that offense was so bad it is not lock they would have won.
Besides, if Thursday is any indication, as explained in the post, the Bucs don’t resemble a team that can waltz into the playoffs without any help. So division title it may have to be.
October 12th, 2020 at 12:32 am
Joe
I can see that. I dont think it never worked out for us since The Super bowl Bucs. Man looking back that was a special team man
October 12th, 2020 at 12:33 am
Trevor Lawrence, huh?
Maybe Matty Ice would make a good stand-in when Brady leaves…
October 12th, 2020 at 12:42 am
Let’s see if they can get past my 6-10 pre season prediction
October 12th, 2020 at 12:42 am
Raheem should take over the dirty birds.
October 12th, 2020 at 12:43 am
Always in moderation- why? You don’t like the number 5109?
October 12th, 2020 at 12:47 am
Joe Says: If the Bucs had a play a wild card team without Johnson, that offense was so bad it is not lock they would have won.
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Yee of little faith.. In the playoffs the Bucs defense, against all top 10 offenses, only gave up 31 points total — while scoring 28, that’s just 1 point per game the offense needed to contribute.
Also the defense would have actually outscored the opposing defenses if Rice hadn’t been an idiot and hit some 49ers offensive lineman on the Ronde TD return that got wiped off the board (the INT stood, the return was wiped).
Also if the special teams weren’t so inept, giving the ball to the Eagles at what, the Bucs 20, on the opening series of the game, they likely wouldn’t have even got 10 points that day…. Also if the refs don’t totally F@$! the Bucs with that BS TD to Jerry Porter in the SB, where he’s clearly juggling the balls, the Raiders offense isn’t getting to 16 points.
There’s a reason that those with intelligence (myself) say that Bucs defense IS an all-time great, perhaps the greatest, and they were definitely the greatest pass defense ever – and unlike the overrated 2000 Ravens, they did it without beating up on cupcake expansion teams and playing Kerry Collins in the SB.
October 12th, 2020 at 12:49 am
“Cobraboy Says:
Maybe Matty Ice would make a good stand-in when Brady leaves…”
No thanks, giant forehead choke boi should kindly not come here.
October 12th, 2020 at 1:20 am
I’m still mad about Thursday. Unless we stop shooting ourselves in the foot, there is no way we are beating a quality team, much less making the playoffs. It’s early yet, but damn, we blew a great opportunity against the Bears.
October 12th, 2020 at 1:24 am
Clean House Says:
“Always in moderation- why? You don’t like the number 5109?”
.
.
LOL
October 12th, 2020 at 1:32 am
Man!!! Awesome article Joe. But I really don’t want to think of having to face Trevor Lawrence twice a year,.
October 12th, 2020 at 1:35 am
Keep Toms Jersey clean and not turn the ball over and cut out stupid penalties and they have honest shot at making the playoffs. Dirty Jersey for Tom and everything else is moot point. They will progress week by week. Also cant say Chicago D line was totally dominant, ROJO got 100+ again. And that is against a legit defense. The Bucs still have a long way to go, but this year there is hope this year. 6 time world Chapions tend to have that effect. GO BUCS!!!!
October 12th, 2020 at 1:47 am
August 1976 Buc Says:
“Also cant say Chicago D line was totally dominant, ROJO got 100+ again. And that is against a legit defense.”
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It’s kinda weird how our run blocking seems to be getting better, but pass blocking regressed. I guess Kalil Mack takes credit for most of the QB pressure. Glad we won’t see him again soon.
October 12th, 2020 at 2:40 am
Kalil Mack is a straight up monster, awesome game wrecker of a player from Ft Peirce Fl. One arm flinging 300 pound Wirfs to the ground lol. But Wirfs will be fine and here for the next 10 years barring injury. They gave Wirfs some more help later it looked like. Should have before at times to help with the monster. The Bucs will be fine as time goes, but the GB Buzz saw coming next week and it might not look to pretty, but they should win at least 10 games this year. we will see. GO BUCS!!!
October 12th, 2020 at 6:38 am
Best news I’ve heard, I need T. Smith to get me 11 pts for a fantasy win!
October 12th, 2020 at 6:39 am
Joe better pay attention to what Matt Rhule has Teddy and the boys doing- Panthers and Bucs are both 3-2.
October 12th, 2020 at 6:41 am
Interesting comment Joe about us having to be appeased with just a division title. Bucs will be amazingly lucky just to make the playoffs this year, especially after the loss of Vita Vea & with so many guys getting banged up so early in the season.
Look at the teams that we still have to play who are clearly playing better football than we are: Packers, Raiders, Saints, Rams, Chiefs. And the way we’ve played these last 2 games, we’ll have our hands full with the remainder of our scheduled opponents (Vikings, Lions, Giants, Falcons twice, Panthers).
Sorry, but nothing’s a ‘given’ with these Bucs. And especially in this year of ‘The Sickness’. The only way I see us being in the hunt is if this defense really gets its’ act together (I thought we’d turned the corner this year, but it looks like we stepped off the cliff instead).
October 12th, 2020 at 7:02 am
We need to make a move now before someone bust a move n eliminate Brady for the season. Move TWirf to left tackle n Joe Haeg to right tackle n please BENCH DSmith. He is who he is…Garbage. This guy is soft as tissue n over paid.
October 12th, 2020 at 7:13 am
I agree with you Joe…..this team does not resemble a playoff team. With the ineptitude of soft ass, flabby Donavan Smith and the with fat carrot top Ryan Jensen throwing temper tantrums and racking up penalties, I don’t know what’s going to happen first. The putrid protection by Smith getting Tom Brady killed or the continuous penalties killing drives for the offense.
I see us definitely losing to the Packers, Raiders, Chiefs and Rams. I also think we’ll lose to the Panthers as they are getting better and most likely will have Christian McCaffrey back when we play them again.
I once again fell for the off season hype with this team. And just for the record I am NOT a Captain Crablegs nut hugger in the slightest…..I am a true Buccaneers fan, I just don’t look at this team through red and pewter glasses or drink the kool-aid like a lot of fans do.
October 12th, 2020 at 7:29 am
Maybe if they put Dirk in charge he can bring back Mike Smith and get the ole band back together.
October 12th, 2020 at 7:42 am
So….if you give the Conference titles in the NFC to Dallas, Seattle, Green Bay & New Orleans….
Then you have to be worried about the Rams, Bears, Arizona, Panthers….
Good to see teams like the Vikings & Eagles losing
The Chicago game hurt…….but we have crucial games coming up vs Rams, Panthers…
And, the good news is that some of these contenders for wild cards play eachother.
But……we need to win games we should win…..period.
October 12th, 2020 at 7:59 am
The biggest surprise to me is the Panthers being 3-2 without Christian McCaffrey.
Wasn’t this supposed to be a team trying to tank this year?
October 12th, 2020 at 8:05 am
Bucs will not make playoffs with the sorry coaching and undisciplined players.
October 12th, 2020 at 8:52 am
Injury and penalty plagued. A good bet would be how many penalties will Donovan Smith get that game. He’s so gone. Draft another top tier RT and we could possibly have a shut down line on the outside for 10+ years.
October 12th, 2020 at 8:58 am
Saints don’t need Thomas to win this game and it’s bye bye first place. Saints schedule is pretty easy the rest of the way except for the chiefs game
October 12th, 2020 at 9:04 am
Pewterpirate99
Wouldn’t call Jensen fat. He’s also one of the best centers in NFL. But if I were Bruce and Tom I would say “CUT THAT SH1T OUT NOW!!!” with his constant personal fouls. Smith should be wearing a sun dress every week cus he’s hopeless
October 12th, 2020 at 10:26 am
SOEbuc Says:
October 12th, 2020 at 9:04 am
Pewterpirate99
Wouldn’t call Jensen fat. He’s also one of the best centers in NFL. But if I were Bruce and Tom I would say “CUT THAT SH1T OUT NOW!!!” with his constant personal fouls. Smith should be wearing a sun dress every week cus he’s hopeless
Well SOEbuc I did reply to your post and do completely agree with you on Donavan Smith. But I guess Joe or one of his Joes thought my post too mean and decided not to post it. Just like Donavan Smith…….SOFT!
October 12th, 2020 at 10:29 am
love the players
but i have very little confidence in
arians/leftwich/bowles
seems we get outcoached more often than outplayed
October 12th, 2020 at 12:02 pm
I said after our week 2 win that this still looked like an 8-8 team.
Still feel that way, maybe 9-7. If we play the way we did on third, 8-8 would be lucky.
We still have to play the Packers, Chiefs, Vikings, Saints again and the Panthers again. Not to mention that teams like the Lions and Falcons (twice) can put up a lot of points.
Our defense better pull their heads out of their a$$es or this season will get ugly. Oh and then you gotta worry about a Brady leaving and us being, once again, a team without a franchise quarterback.
Good times!
October 12th, 2020 at 12:03 pm
*on thurs
October 12th, 2020 at 2:19 pm
Ask yourself why when the Bucs play why do we as devoted fans be on the edge of our seats biting our nails hopeing they can at least get 3 points why can’t we relax assured that our team is going out there and give any team hell and win us some games.