It’s A Jets Life
December 30th, 2021
Yes, that’s a different No. 12.
Happy Anniversary!
Seven years ago in Week 17, the Bucs intentionally tanked their game against the Saints so they could embarrass Bucs fans with a winless season at home to score the No. 1 overall pick the 2015 NFL Draft.
It was a shameful display. Joe is happy for newer Bucs fans — or returning Bucs fans — that weren’t around for that era. Joe is still disgusted with Team Glazer for not refunding money to fans for an intentional loss. That would have been the honorable thing to do.
Fast-forward to today, the true glory days of Bucs fandom. Life is very different.
Joe finished a weekly tradition of studying the next Bucs opponent, the Jets, and it really struck Joe how much Jets media and Twitter has moved on to next season. It was a flashback to The Lost Decade of Bucs football.
It also has Joe wondering if the Jets will start tanking on Sunday against the Bucs.
Longtime Jets beat writer Ralph Vacchiano, now of SNY.com, notes that the Jets currently own the No. 4 pick in the 2022 draft, as well as the No. 6 overall pick, via their trade of Jamal Adams to Seattle.
With a lot of help/luck, the Jets could still score the No. 1 overall pick if they lose their final two games. So that has Joe wondering whether the fix might be for Sunday, at least a little bit.
Tanking is usually executed in a subtle manner, especially at home. The Bucs, however, weren’t too discreet in 2014.
A great story of the Bucs’ tank job was Mike Evans getting IV hydration at halftime of that season finale, and right afterwards he was told he wouldn’t be playing. Of course, Vincent Jackson was yanked in the first quarter and Lavonte David was sent to the pine early, as well.
The Bucs nearly beat the Saints. If not for the drop by forgotten Bucs hero Tavarres King, they probably would have.
Joe still finds it comical to this day that in a game the Bucs wanted to lose, they started Josh McCown over Mike Glennon.
December 30th, 2021 at 12:44 pm
The Jets tank and the Panthers minds are on their off season vacation plans. Easiest path to 13 wins of any team right now.
December 30th, 2021 at 12:49 pm
Jets don’t really have to try to tank, they will earn the first pick with maximum effort
December 30th, 2021 at 1:12 pm
So nice to not be talking draft this time of the year.
December 30th, 2021 at 1:56 pm
Careful Joe, you might bring on the wrath of the Glennon Groupies
December 30th, 2021 at 2:00 pm
Hey I was at that game and the crowd was good with it, I remember seeing Josh Freeman jerseys with tape on them that read Winston. Lots of FSU fans at the game
December 30th, 2021 at 2:13 pm
Not according to Lovie, Joe:
“Not at all as we see it,” Lovie said, regarding whether he put evaluation of backups ahead of winning today’s game.
“With the lead, we wanted to play some of our linemen. We wanted to see some of them in the second half. That was a part of our plan going in. We had a lot more success in the first half than I thought we would, especially being able to run the football. With the lead, if you play pretty good defense, you should be able to hold on to that. tey made a ouple of plays at the end there. Their interception that they got on a pass that if we catch the ball, and not give them that quick turnaround, it is a totally different game.”
We had a lot more success in the first half than I thought we would??? smh
December 30th, 2021 at 2:20 pm
Seven years ago in Week 17, the Bucs intentionally tanked their game against the Saints so they could embarrass Bucs fans with a winless season at home to score the No. 1 overall pick the 2015 NFL Draft.
It was a shameful display.
———–
Uh, no, it wasn’t shameful at all. I was completely p/o at that game, that the Saints were trying to throw the game to make the Bucs lose the top pick. I cheered when we pulled players and put a bunch of scrubs out there, while I also booed as the Saints still fumbled around making it way too close.
I don’t know of any fan who wanted the Bucs to win that game. Not one. I’m pretty sure I was commenting here at that time and I don’t recall anyone wanting the Bucs to win that meaningless game.
It’s different if it’s a month to go in the season and the team is doing that. But in the last game of the year, when you know if you lose, you control the draft, you pick your guy, of course you do whatever you need to in order to lose that game.
December 30th, 2021 at 2:31 pm
I’m all for refunds, but if my memory serves me correctly most fans were in favor of losing that game for the #1 pick.
Could you imagine the uproar if the team had won and lost the first overall pick?!
Joe, this feels like selective memory.
December 30th, 2021 at 3:23 pm
I want to see a game where one team totally rests starters and the other team tanks.
December 30th, 2021 at 3:48 pm
In that pic, I think the tears started flowing before the ball hit the ground.
December 30th, 2021 at 3:53 pm
How about Philly’s tank last year costing the Giants a playoff spot. Jets HC fighting for his job and playing a 1st round draft pick QB. I hope they don’t take the Dan Campbell approach.
December 30th, 2021 at 6:36 pm
Really dumb take by this Joe. I was out of town at the time but I wanted my team to lose in the worst way and was jumping up and down when they finally found a way to lose. I knew Mariota was going to be a bust and I knew who they were taking the whole time. JW had the potential to be great and just couldn’t get rid of the mistakes on the field. He had the potential to be a great QB and you don’t piss that chance away to win a meaningless game and get stuck picking the gimmick system QB that was almost certain to fail.
December 30th, 2021 at 7:24 pm
It really didn’t matter… one of the worst qb classes in history!
Some argue Mariota might have worked out better with better coaches but surely the Bucs had such poor coaches so it wouldn’t have mattered either!
December 30th, 2021 at 7:31 pm
Hey Joes, you guys weren’t around/born (LOL) in the 1980s. That was back in the Culverhouse (crap on him) days, when Bucs led by Steve Young played and got their usual azzes kicked in the Snow Bowl in Green Bay. Go back and look at the tape. I have plenty of sympathy with the genuine Jets diehard fans cos I’ve walked in them shoes!!
December 30th, 2021 at 7:54 pm
No worries Joe. Good ole karma got us back….Vernon Heargraves was our pick and a huge bust
December 31st, 2021 at 2:57 am
Or you just pick a quarterback in the sixth round. Sometimes that works. 😀
December 31st, 2021 at 9:51 am
I’m really looking forward to The Bucs beating the crap out of the jets. We need this win and they need to lose. Let’s make them pay for beating us 62-28 in 1984. I’m still pissed. GOBUCS!
December 31st, 2021 at 6:57 pm
Ahhhhh. We’ve come so far