A 2016 Flashback
December 7th, 2020
What Buccaneer will come to play like Kwon Alexander did four years ago?
Remember the last time the Buccaneers’ played in a truly big game with major playoff implications?
It’s been four years.
The Bucs, led by America’s Quarterback, Jameis Winston, aka Taysom Hill’s backup, were 8-5 and riding a five-game winning streak. They were headed to Dallas to face a beastly 11-2 Cowboys team on Sunday Night Football.
That night Kwon Alexander played with his hair on fire and had 21 combined tackles and a forced fumble. The Bucs entered the fourth quarter with a 20-17 lead but whimpered to the finish line and lost 26-20. On the Bucs’ final four possessions, the Jameis-led offense failed to get a first down, and an interception helped Dallas tie the game.
That’s really the last time the Bucs faced a high-profile December game with massive playoff consequences. The next one is Sunday against the Vikings.
This time, the Bucs have a much more experienced quarterback and head coach, and a lot more talent. And throw in that the Vikings are garbage compared to those 2016 Cowboys and the Bucs are at home with the biggest coaching staff known to professional football.
December 7th, 2020 at 11:12 am
The vikings do one Elite thing run the ball, but the bucs defense stuffs the run. The bucs LBs cannot cover TEs & the vikes have a great one and have 2 excellent WRs and the bucs DBs cannot cover xfl wideouts. This game will come down to Leftwich, Arians Brady and the offense. They are going to need to score 28 or more and maybe bowels gets more aggressive or Sunday afternoon the cousins will be crying ‘YOU LIKE THAT” again
December 7th, 2020 at 11:34 am
You simply can’t compare games like that…..too many variables…..
The most important factors in this game…IMO…
Our bye week…..at home….must win….relatively healthy on both sides of the ball…
Vikings may miss Eric Kendricks All Pro…LB….
December 7th, 2020 at 12:09 pm
The way I remember things was that Evans was the Bucs only legit receiving option in that game as injuries forced Humphries and Brate into big roles and neither could get it done, outside of Humphries catching a tipped ball. So Dallas just double and triple teamed Evans knowing Brate and Hump couldn’t get open, and they couldn’t. Sort of like the end of last year when Evans and Godwin were injured and Brate was forced to step it up and ended up losing the Houston game with his huge drop a the Texans 30 on 4th down with about 3 mins left — or the Falcons game when the ball was going to Brate and he just stood there as a LB jumped the route, or this year when Brady for some unknown reason targeted Brate to end the Rams game…
Basically don’t throw to Brate in money situations — and Brady certainly have done so when he actually had healthy guys like Evans, Godwin, Brown and Gronk.
December 7th, 2020 at 12:14 pm
I went to that DALLAS game. Flew my father out (Cowboys fan)….definitely a good game before the let down in the 4th… and the jump in the salvation army pot by zeke….but this time…we will get the win…and lock up the running back we were suppose to draft.
December 7th, 2020 at 12:15 pm
Must win!
Hit cousins over n over. Jags had 4 sacks yesterday I believe. The line needs to step up and hit Kirk allllll day long!
December 7th, 2020 at 12:16 pm
Duthsty Rhothdes – Regardless of your nonsense panicking, David is one of the best coverage LBs in the NFL – and has been for nearly a decade now. Also the Vikings don’t have anything close to a great TE. I guess you’re talking about Rudolph, and he’s not even a starter anymore – he’s only playing because the starter got injured.
As for the Bucs defense being a excellent against the run – we shall see, they really haven’t played anyone who has just tried to run it down the Bucs throat. I do agree the Bucs corners can’t cover their top two WRs, but really the Bucs corners can’t seemingly cover anyone anymore – completely different from early in the season. What changed? The Bucs seemingly blitzed more on 3rd downs early as opposed to the soft zone cowardly defense that Bowles now sticks to in every critical situation.
But I do agree with your overall point, the Bucs offense needs to score points. The defense is lately the same garbage defense that Winston had, meaning they’re going to put you 14 or 17 points in the hole if you don’t come out and score TDs on your opening drives. The Bucs need to do more than run it up the middle to start the game, they need to show some creativity and stop being so insanely predictable.
December 7th, 2020 at 1:27 pm
‘Lowly cupcake’ Jags forced Vikings into overtime yesterday. It ain’t that Bucs could win, it’s they better win cos they are so much better than MN.
December 7th, 2020 at 3:45 pm
kwon came in like a house on fire to start his career and slowly his play has fallen off since the first 2-3 years…
most players get a little better each year until they hit their prime…
rarely, but in kwon’s case, he came in peaking and primed in his early years…
still a decent player tho…not worth that huge contract tho…
target him like ryan did on sunday by the end zone
December 7th, 2020 at 3:49 pm
Well hey we do that every week now lately, but it’s usually the beginning of the game instead.
Pretty stark contrast from the beginning of the year when we were scoring on every opening drive…