Big Bounce Back?
December 8th, 2020
Bucs DC Todd Bowles
Yes, the Bucs had a rough schedule in November and that more than anything may show why they finished November 2-3.
But that’s not how a playoff-bound team wants to march into December. Provided the Bucs make the playoffs.
Mike Sando over at The Athletic thinks the kryptonite of the Bucs is in their rearview mirror, until the playoffs begin. It seems opponents with a head coach-quarterback combo that have a Super Bowl appearance on their resume rip apart the team.
Did a note on this recently: four of Bucs’ losses were to well-established HC/QB combinations with SB pedigrees: Payton/Brees twice, Reid/Mahomes and Goff/McVay.
— Mike Sando (@SandoNFL) December 5, 2020
The very first thing Joe thought when reading this is, why are those coach-quarterback combos making Bucs defensive coordinator Todd Bowles look like Lovie Smith?
And what does this say about the Bucs, or maybe what does this say about Bowles?
Time for Bowles to prove Sando correct. Time to shut down Kirk Cousins and make him pay.
December 8th, 2020 at 8:17 am
Our November slate was extremely tough, our December schedule… not so much. Bounce back by going 4-0 in December (which is definitely possible) and everyone will forget. Roll into the playoffs full steam ahead and bring on whoever stands in our way.
Nobody wants to play Tom Brady in the playoffs, 43 years old or not. Nobody.
December 8th, 2020 at 8:29 am
Yeah, Bowles might want to watch some film of his opponents since just “winging it” in the first half ain’t working. Let’s not forget those coaches are some of, if not the best, play callers in the game. If we get beat by Dirk Koettter’s play calling in the 2 games we face the Dirty Birds, then he’s got to go.
December 8th, 2020 at 8:41 am
Backing into the playoffs for a cameo ONE and DONE Dungy the Clown style. that’s the bucs best hope for another failed season and failed pr stunt from the glazers.
Raheem will school this franchise at least once. No coach has ever been setup to fail the way raheem was and still won 10 games. Radio will get the last laugh!
not even the washed up goat can help the glazers minor league organization.
backing into the playoffs and losing the first round just proves you did not belong there in the first place…. way to celebrate losers…. No one has lower standards than bucfan.
December 8th, 2020 at 8:44 am
Can’t wait for Sunday !!
December 8th, 2020 at 8:55 am
I have no illusions that this Bucs’ defense will suddenly turn into our 2002 SB championship defense; they simply don’t have that level of talent OR experience … yet. Obviously losing a 1st Rounder like Vita Vea hurts big-time, but the Bucs’ defense is STILL playing some decent football since we lost him after the Bears’ game.
Bucs were 3-2 after the Bears’ loss, a .600 winning percentage, when we lost Vea. Of course, 4 of those 5 teams now have losing records. We’re now 7-5, a .583 winning percentage. Fairly close AND we’ve played a much harder schedule these last 7 games (Raiders, Saints, Rams, Chiefs alone have a combined 36-12 winning record to date).
Our defense has given up more than 30 pts in 3 of the 12 games, and 2 of those 3 games were to the 10-2 Saints (our nemesis for sure). And the 31 pts we surrendered to the Chargers included a Pick-6 that the Bucs’ defense had nothing to do with. Our defense has generated 20 takeaways in just 12 games … tied for #3 in the NFL behind the Steelers (23) and Dolphins (21). We also lead the league in run defense, but we’re very meh when it comes to pass defense (ranking #22). That seems to be our Achilles Heel.
Personally I’m under no illusions that this Bucs’ defense will suddenly morph into the NFL’s #1 defense (we currently sit at #11, which is a MAJOR improvement from the #29 we ended with last year & #31 from the year before that). With 4 games to go & a relatively healthy defense, we SHOULD be able to finish someplace in the Top-10 though. That’d be a nice improvement over these most recent years.
December 8th, 2020 at 9:04 am
I’m more worried about the offense and getting it clicking. stop the hail mary’s and learn to play like Brees/Saints….and then drop a bomb.
December 8th, 2020 at 9:09 am
Bowles is just good enough to get ya beat. Outsmarted week after week.
December 8th, 2020 at 9:19 am
Sad, but I agree with Jeff. Our coaches seem to get outsmarted every game. O and D.
December 8th, 2020 at 9:22 am
How about if we can’t get 60 minutes of consistent football, we have the offense carry us in the 1st half & the defense carry us in the 2nd….
December 8th, 2020 at 9:59 am
Agree with Robert, except maybe running an offense similar to the offense their own QB ran for 20 years (and had a tiny bit of success with) might just work 😂
December 8th, 2020 at 10:29 am
Best defense is a good offense. If that
Clicks early it will help the defense
In a big way.
December 8th, 2020 at 10:32 am
Sorry,Robert ,much the same comment but I would add don,go deep until Brady gets his arm warmed
Up a bit.
December 8th, 2020 at 10:40 am
I would also like to see use of full route tree
To eliminate some oft repeated plays.Defenses study
Tendencies and we are repetitive in the run and pass
Calls at times. Log G
December 8th, 2020 at 12:58 pm
Seems like we could mix on a tunnel screen or shovel pass to a TE or something with some imagination.
Instead of run up the middle and two deep shots every possession
December 8th, 2020 at 1:17 pm
Its time to bounce toilet bowles out of town!!!!!!!!! No improvement!!!!!!! Just better free agents were added!!!!!!!!! Time for the sheep to “realize” the truth!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
December 8th, 2020 at 1:37 pm
Go into the playoffs with confidence and your chances of winning increase 2-fold. Limp into them and limp..right out. Bucs really do need to RUN THE TABLE these last 4. Do this and we can say we got something here.
December 8th, 2020 at 2:26 pm
1 (dash) 3 the rest of the way!
They’ll stumble into a win against … Detroit. But the birds will sweep us (they are finding a rythm and we never had one)
#It’saBucsLife
Coaching is the reason. Waaay below average OC overall and a DC who can’t figure out how to show up for the first half.
Maybe next year with an offseason. At least Bowles seems capable of adjusting at halftime.
Ugh. So dissappointed. And I hate that Tom is such a poor sport about the basic post game handshake. That’s on par with attacking the victory formation. You’re the king of the sports world, show a little class FFS.
December 8th, 2020 at 3:00 pm
For once I agree with Mike Johnson. Yes we SHOULD run the final four games and head into the playoffs on a high. A hot team can do damage in the post season.
It’s pretty simple really. The combined record of our past four opponents compared to the next four.
Past four opponents 33-15
Next four opponents 19-29
That is a SIGNIFICANT change in the quality of competition. But still it’s the NFL and if we don’t bring our A game we can lose…I do not think we can be beaten by any of these teams but we can certainly LOSE to any of them.
IT’S ALL ON THE BUCS.
December 8th, 2020 at 3:37 pm
I read a comment on the Bucs that I can’t shake. “If the Bucs had Belicheck or Payton as head coach they would likely be undefeated.”
Hard to argue that our coaching staff isn’t the best.
December 8th, 2020 at 8:01 pm
What happened to press coverage, jamming at the line and blitzing?
Playing scared thats what happened.Soft zone will lose every…single….game!