“It’s Not Going To Be A Disaster If We’re 2-2”
May 17th, 2022
“Byron, hold on. I’m texting Peter King to tell him he’s an idiot.”
A guy with access to Bucs general manager Jason Licht and head coach Todd Bowles is putting words in their mouths — and he thinks it’s sound logic.
Joe feels like dropping an F-bomb, but will refrain.
Peter King, the esteemed NBC Sports insider, was bellowing on the Pro Football Talk show about how Bucs officials should have a level of satisfaction if Tampa Bay opens the season 2-2 after playing at the Cowboys and at the Saints, and then coming home for Green Bay and Kansas City.
King even thinks Licht and Bowles should have a loser mentality.
“I’m just saying, what can the Bucs realistically hope to be after four games?” King said. “If I’m Jason Licht, if I’m Todd Bowles, I’m just mentally saying to myself, ‘Look, it’s not going to be a disaster if we’re 2-2. It won’t be great if we’re 1-3 but we’ll still be in it.”
Joe would love to ask King which of the Bucs’ four opening opponents are a better team than Tampa Bay. Joe can’t say any of those clubs is better than the Bucs. So why should 2-2 be considered ok?
Todd Bowles’ goal is to repeat has division champs and earn the No. 1 overall seed. So Joe is very confident Bowles isn’t walking around in May or June or August thinking a 2-2 start will help him get to at the least the 13 wins he needs to hit the team goal.
And Licht knows his roster talent is as good or better than those of the Bucs’ first four opponents. Plus, the Bucs are on a 22-5 run. What GM thinks 2-2 is tolerable when his team is on a 22-5 roll?
Miss it yesterday? Enjoy it today. It’s another can’t-miss Ira Kaufman Podcast!
Ira Argues A 3-1 Start Versus A 2-2 Prediction, Talks Reality Check On Tom Brady’s Future, A Mike Evans Question, Luke Goedeke Fit & Much More
May 17th, 2022 at 11:16 am
4-0
May 17th, 2022 at 11:19 am
The Bucs could go 4-0 or 3-1. The team I would worry about more than any are the dam Saints. Only because they seem to have the Bucs number even though the Bucs are better on paper.
May 17th, 2022 at 11:20 am
It doesn’t matter if they are 9-8… just get in the playoffs. Wouldn’t surprise me at all to see the team not kick it into gear until Thanksgiving. This season has only one truly meaningful game – the Super Bowl. Otherwise, its just Tom’s farewell tour. The whole team knows that… they aren’t some upstart that needs to win vs. Green Bay or KC or whoever else to prove they belong.
May 17th, 2022 at 11:31 am
Right now you don’t know what you have. Defense is not the same and the offense is not either. This is not the past 2 years not even the same head coach. Who knows what he will do? All anyone can do is guess. Good luck and hope for the best. One game at a time.
May 17th, 2022 at 11:38 am
Naw they need to be 3-1 at least. They should beat the chiefs and cowboys although difficult games.
May 17th, 2022 at 11:40 am
On paper, once again, the Bucs look very strong. Makes for fun anticipation. And we’ll see. We all guess – but my guess is 3-1 or 4-O.
May 17th, 2022 at 11:46 am
Peter King has always been biased and is best buds with Mike Florio from PFT.com The bucs are likely to go 4-0 I believe because we are a really different team from the past couple of seasons. Not dramatically but enough to probably confuse teams a bit. Also We are more talented then Dallas and can win, Saints could be a shaky unit especially at qb with Winston healing, Packers are a question mark especially early in the season but will be a top 3 seed by end of season. The Chiefs game is the only one I think we could drop because its their revenge game. Peter King is a clown.
May 17th, 2022 at 11:51 am
We need to be hitting on all cylinders and the new additions need to be composed in these match ups. The key for us is that our depth is good enough to reduce or replace the starters so we will be able to weather getting injuries. If we come out the first 4 okay Brady will start getting the offense to gel and the defense will get more time to rest. Our team if healthy will get stronger as the season continues.
May 17th, 2022 at 11:53 am
Prepare as a team, mentally and physically, with expectations to go 4-0 to start. Then deal with the reality after it happens, make necessary adjustments, and expect not to lose the rest of the year. How can you win any/all games if you don’t expect to win them all? (Sorry, Jets, Jags, Panthers et al fans…that shouldn’t be your teams’ expectation).
We don’t need no stinkin’ loser mentality up in here! Win ’em all, let the NFL sort ’em out.
GO BUCS!!
May 17th, 2022 at 12:04 pm
We’ve got a determined Brrrrady!
That’s all we need!
Forget the pass rudh…lol j/k
May 17th, 2022 at 12:05 pm
rush*
May 17th, 2022 at 12:06 pm
Thinking 2-2 will get you to 0-4……….thinking 4-0 will get you to 3-1……no loss is acceptable especially before you play the game.
May 17th, 2022 at 12:10 pm
Some of these woke reporters these days are cool with the participation award trophy and this guy is good its just bad coaching. A local bspn bucs reporter is right up this alley. The problem is the NFL is only 17 games and these first 4 and the new staff and Brady’s apparent laizzez faire attitude with this season seems to be a bad recipe for an ugly season. Herm said it best!!!!
May 17th, 2022 at 12:21 pm
Deficiencies with the pass rush, and secondary will hold this team back. Bucs might be able to score on any one but they won’t stop many people with the roster how it currently is.
Loser GM has the 2-2 mind set, bank on it. Dude was incompetent in building a roster prior to Brady
May 17th, 2022 at 12:25 pm
If they don’t beat these teams now they won’t beat them in the playoffs either
May 17th, 2022 at 12:46 pm
Sign #93
May 17th, 2022 at 12:54 pm
Bucs record:
Five games against terrible, rebuilding teams with fringe QBs – Carolina x2, Atlanta x2, Seattle: have to go 5-0 to be considered an elite, Superbowl contender
Five games against no questions asked Superbowl contenders with top 10 QBs – Cincinnati, Dallas, KC, Rams, Packers: Four of the five are at home, need to go 3-2
Two games against the unspeakable abomination that is the Saints: 0-2 until the Bucs prove they can match the Saints physicality
Three games against solid, fringe contenders with young mobile quarterbacks (Cleveland, Baltimore, Arizona): 1-2
Two games against teams with good defense/running but questionable QB situations on the road (SF and Pittsburgh): 2-0
Bucs will lose at least one game they should win (e.g., like Washington last year), and win at least one game they should lose (e.g., like against the Bills), cancels out record-wise.
Final record: 11-6, second seed behind the Packers
May 17th, 2022 at 1:33 pm
If we start out great we’ll be fine, if we start out slow we won’t. If Gronk comes back we’ll have options, if he remains a spectator we’ll be limited. If Godwin heals quickly we’ll be dynamic, if not we’ll be predictable. If Fournette has too many carries he’ll get worn out, if not he won’t. My season prediction: 0-0-17.
May 17th, 2022 at 1:44 pm
Peter King is a loser so he expects everyone else to be a loser.
May 17th, 2022 at 2:11 pm
I can’t stand Peter king. Can’t believe this guy is one of the few doofuses Brady gives exclusive interviews to. Tom has some screws loose dealing with this old and crusty doofus that’s for damn sure.
May 17th, 2022 at 2:29 pm
TO PETE KING AND JOE(S): DO YOU THINK TOM FREAKING BRADY THINGS THAT WAY????
May 17th, 2022 at 2:31 pm
Dallas is not as good as opening game last year, that should be a win. Saints in N.O. is a very tough game, especially early when their lack of depth won’t be an issue. Pack in Tampa should be a w, Rogers and o should still be figuring things out, and their d is average. KC is KC until proven otherwise, that should be a battle.
2-2 is bare minimum, 1-3 means we gave up a tiebreaker to either Dallas or green Bay. Or both.
May 17th, 2022 at 2:40 pm
Any more than 1 loss in the first four games and that would be very disappointing.
May 17th, 2022 at 2:48 pm
I don’t care if they’re 2-2 or not 1-3, so long as they make the playoffs, and win in the playoffs. Early season success doesn’t actually mean anything in most cases.
Meanwhile, last year, the dopes commenting here were saying the team would go 17-0, if they lost one game they’d be a disappointment.
May 17th, 2022 at 3:15 pm
I just posted on FB a couple days ago that we need to finish AT MINIMUM 2-2. When you’ve watched football for 60 years you gotta learn something LOL. I’m not saying that if we finish at 1-3 or 0-4, the seasons over BUT if we start at 4-0, it will be a little easier if we get beat by the Panthers or Falcons etc etc
May 17th, 2022 at 3:20 pm
4.0
May 17th, 2022 at 3:23 pm
Mark, Dallas? No questions asked super bowl contender? Uhhhh I have a question, wtf would make ANYONE think that Dallas is anything other than a hype machine?
May 17th, 2022 at 4:22 pm
This wont be popular but I think our defense may take a step back.. Where is the pash rush coming from?? We have barrett, thats it… Teams will scheme him. Our corners have proven to be more bend but dont break. Our superbowl darling, winfield jr was puzzy whipped by cuper kupp in the nfc championship game.
Teams are going to eat up uss with the pass, as usuall. Thank god we have Tommy!! Hes a dog and hopefully can get us close to 30 pts per game.
May 17th, 2022 at 4:53 pm
Kyle, I agree if all they have is the existing mess. The bad defense will be even worse. But it’s May, and still time to make moves. There has to be a big push in free agency for D, or they will be in serious trouble.
I see a 9-8 season AT BEST. Could be a 4 or 5 win season at worst.
May 17th, 2022 at 5:08 pm
Those four teams lost a lot of key people in the offseason.
I like the Bucs chances of starting 4-0 … IF Gronk returns.
May 17th, 2022 at 5:50 pm
The front 7 got skewered at the end oh the season and by the Rams. Can they return to late 2020 / playoff form? If yes, 3-1 or even 4-0.
If not…..0-4 and 1-3 are possible.
Pass rush, stuff the run, plug the gaps, and ferchrissakes taclkle.
May 17th, 2022 at 7:45 pm
I can just imagine what Tommy Boy would say if he heard about 2-2 being acceptable LOL
May 17th, 2022 at 8:13 pm
2-2 is not the end of the world; but the dreams that could be built if they do 4-0 will be epic.
May 18th, 2022 at 12:28 pm
I know Rodgers doesn’t have the best record in FL, but he’s still Aaron Rodgers the reigning MVP, and the Packers defense will be really scary this season. They can most definitely handle our offense and give Aaron a chance to win. GB is my sleeper pick. They improved so much defensively. I think Joe is really overestimating our roster from top to bottom. Our defense is average at best and certainly isn’t better than last year’s team. Remember, Godwin also might not be back until November.