Bucs May Be Better Than Expected, But…
August 15th, 2023
Roadblock?
So are the Bucs better than some think? Well, the Bucs sure do hope so (there’s that word, “hope”).
In the early weeks of the summer, Warren Sharp, the noted handicapper turned stathead, ranked each NFL team largely based on stats and quarterback history.
His Bucs analysis had the team ranked at No. 31.
So Sharp did a smart thing for his website SharpFootballAnalysis.com. He decided to re-examine his power rankings in mid-August after everyone had at least a worthless preseason game under their belts and a couple of weeks of training camp.
Raymond Summerlin doesn’t see the 31st team in the league when looking at the Bucs. But Summerlin added it’s really tough to look past what the Bucs have at quarterback.
Tampa’s roster is better than this ranking, but the quarterback situation is impossible to overlook. Baker Mayfield was one of the worst quarterbacks in the league last season, even in his “better” run with the Rams. Maybe Kyle Trask steps up and seizes the opportunity, but that feels like more of a wish than an expectation.
It is damn near unanimous among national NFL analysts and scribes. It all boils down to the quarterback, which makes sense since it is a quarterback league.
And the statheads and scribes Do. Not. Like. Mayfield. At all.
Look, Joe has seen the magic that Dave Canales worked with Kyle Trask in, what, six weeks? From the end of minicamp to the start of training camp? Trask looks like a totally different quarterback.
If somehow Canales can work some magic with Mayfield, who knows?
Objectively speaking, Joe doesn’t know how folks think Mayfield is worse than, say, a green-as-grass Anthony Richardson.
August 15th, 2023 at 3:47 am
Baker did his job, im impressed
August 15th, 2023 at 4:14 am
I will be shocked if Richardson is any more the savior than Mayfield. Raw athleticism sure but Arm talent not. Way way over hyped.
The dink and dunk from Mayfield did not impress me at all though.
Go Bucs!
August 15th, 2023 at 5:07 am
garro … ‘The dink and dunk from Mayfield did not impress me at all though.’
My first thought also, but there were several quality throws in there, albeit only 3 for decent yardage (38 yards & 1 TD came on 3 throws). But then again, he was executing the plays that our OC was calling, so 8-for-9 for 63 yards may have been quite acceptable using that criteria.
My problem is that I don’t think that drives based on a dink-and-dunk offense are sustainable for THIS team (too many penalties, seemingly unable to pick up short yardage via the run on critical downs, etc). Neither Mayfield nor Trask is a truly mobile QB (in the mold of say Jackson, Hurts or Murray). Plus our primary WRs (Evans & Godwin) are not ‘dink & dunk receivers’. We’ve got to be able to throw the ball down the field to take advantage of their talents, and that means having an OLine that can protect the QB for the time it takes for our receivers to run their routes.
IOW, using a dink-and-dunk passing offense to make up for an OLine that can’t adequately run block or pass protect won’t allow us to score enough points to win many games. Got a hunch we’ll see both Mayfield & Trask TRY to push the ball further down the field in the Jets game. That same hunch tells me that’ll be disastrous against the Jets’ defense with the OLine we saw Friday night.
August 15th, 2023 at 5:53 am
Tampa and New England have the dumbest owners in the nfl.
TB-12 will never be replaced. Morons.
August 15th, 2023 at 6:25 am
Richardson has more arm talent than most of the QB’s in the league, on top of top flight athleticism. His issue is his head. If Indy fixes that, they have a HOF QB.
August 15th, 2023 at 6:34 am
It all boils down to the offensive line and that unit will be worst on the team. The QBs and rest of offense don’t stand a chance to succeed because of it.
August 15th, 2023 at 6:42 am
mg Says:
August 15th, 2023 at 5:53 am
Tampa and New England have the dumbest owners in the nfl.
TB-12 will never be replaced. Morons.
^^^^^^^^^
Brady retired. Get over it. I’m sure you’re doing better than those “moron” billionaire Glazers.
August 15th, 2023 at 6:44 am
TDTB, drinking early, I see.
August 15th, 2023 at 6:51 am
The O-line will drag this team down as well, as will the defensive head coach.
August 15th, 2023 at 7:08 am
Whoever said that Mayfield is a dink-and-dunk QB is basing that solely on what they saw in the first pre-season game. The guy has a cannon and can make ALL THE THROWS. I think you witnessed that during Monday’s practice. These national media guys all echo the same trash. If Mayfield is the starter you’ll see what he’s capable of and the media guys will be quickly changing their tunes. Have faith. Go Bucs.
August 15th, 2023 at 7:13 am
The patriots were dumb but time and Giselle killed the Bucs.
August 15th, 2023 at 7:14 am
Bucs will be better than expected — that’s why I’m betting a load of cash on the over.
August 15th, 2023 at 7:23 am
Mg……. what? The dude isn’t playing anymore, what did you want the Bucs to do?
August 15th, 2023 at 8:01 am
The Bucs had the GOAT last season and look at the results. The head coach (or lack of having a real one) will be the main factor in the Bucs performance this year.
August 15th, 2023 at 8:10 am
Da Bucs Guy Says:
August 15th, 2023 at 6:51 am
The O-line will drag this team down as well, as will the defensive head coach.
^^^^^^^^^
How will your Saints do this year?
August 15th, 2023 at 8:13 am
I may not remember as well as others on this site, but I have never seen Joe like a coach so much before he really did anything of value other than Canales.
Maybe 10 to 1 in liking Canales over concern about his inexperience.
I am ok with you saying the “magic” of Canales, but just like it is underwear football for the players, it is also that for the coaches.
Until I see Canales showing that he is a good player caller and OC in week 10 of the season, he is nothing more than an unknown inexperienced OC.
Let’s see on Canales. That 1st preseason game did nothing to prove to me that he will succeed.
August 15th, 2023 at 8:14 am
** Maybe 10 articles of a Joe liking something about Canales for ever 1 article of a Joe talking about his inexperience. **
August 15th, 2023 at 8:40 am
8 of 9, 63 yards, 7.9 average…”Dink and dunk” . Mahomes averaged 8.1 last year
August 15th, 2023 at 8:42 am
Bucs will be better than expected: They’ll win six games instead of five.
August 15th, 2023 at 8:43 am
With Ryan Jensen not playing, can he be put on some sort of injury list?.
I’d hate to lose a good rookie to another team if Jensen will be unable to play. There are some good UDFAs this year.
August 15th, 2023 at 8:51 am
Isn’t there a certain point where you can put someone on IR and they miss the first 4 games? If Jensen can come back, it’ll be then or never
August 15th, 2023 at 8:59 am
To me the big X factor is this: Can Canales call plays and gameplan? And can he adjust 6 weeks into the season when defenses have tape of his offense? He’s never even done it at a high school level. He can have Trask looking great in practice.but I need to see the offense in several games before I start to believe in Canales.
August 15th, 2023 at 9:07 am
Rename this site pessimism.com. Ridiculous. Go look at the scouting reports on Baker prior to his draft. His senior year was better, much better, than any of the quarterbacks taken in the last three drafts and he went to a franchise, Cleveland that had not made the playoffs for more than twenty years. Yet the geniuses on this board treat him as a second rate talent. He was badly injured and now is healthy. He is a tough kid and will surprise a lot of people.
August 15th, 2023 at 9:10 am
Booger says that the Bucs will be entertaining, but basically horrible. They will be looking to draft a QB next season. I pretty much agree. Mayfield is wildly inconsistent like Jameis. A lot of the games will be close, but the Bucs will screw up in the fourth quarter and lose. It will be a combination of a defense that has spent the whole game on the field, an inept QB coupled with a terrible OLine and bad TEs, and finally a brain dead HC making stupid decisions. I think the Bucs will not be better than expected, but worse. I would not bet the over on this team.
August 15th, 2023 at 9:15 am
everyone on this site says the coach sucks well Mayfield has not had 1 good coach since he joined the league we all know he is capable let’s c if canales is the answer if u think he turned trask around then how the heck did he look so bad against the Steelers he had Brady for his 1at 3 years did he not learn diddly so how can the new oc help him I c Geno learned from Russell Wilson we will cgo BAKER
August 15th, 2023 at 9:23 am
wait did he say dink donk baker 7.9 versus mahomes 8.1 I must have missed his point
August 15th, 2023 at 9:24 am
you jokers treat BAKER like the Dems treat TRUMP WTF
August 15th, 2023 at 9:34 am
Right now the problem would appear to be the oline. Until we see an improvement on the right side and find out what is going on with Jensen it won’t really matter who we put in at QB
August 15th, 2023 at 10:14 am
Baker bustemup Says:
August 15th, 2023 at 9:23 am
wait did he say dink donk baker 7.9 versus mahomes 8.1 I must have missed his point
All Mahomes did with 8.1 yards (5,200 total) was win the super bowl
August 15th, 2023 at 10:17 am
Geno: I agree! I haven’t seen Joe this impressed with a Bucs coach since P.J. Fleck was our WR Coach.
August 15th, 2023 at 12:12 pm
Richardson has more arm talent than most of the QB’s in the league, on top of top flight athleticism. His issue is his head. If Indy fixes that, they have a HOF QB.
No, he does not. And it is not in his head. It is in his ability to process a defense quick enough and keep up with the NFL speed. His issues have always been the same. Great athlete with poor processing skills. In the NFL with the more exotic looks and shifting, he will never be more than average in as a true QB unless someone seriously teaches him more.
August 15th, 2023 at 12:16 pm
WyomingJoe Says
The guy has a cannon and can make ALL THE THROWS
Yes a 65 yard pass play to the 10 and can’t get it in the end zone. All his end zone passes don’t look like the one Friday Night. Then you got that cannon ball that flies way past the target. Don’t make him out to be on the same level as Dan Marino.
32nd out of 32 QB’s in Red Zone Efficiency last year. What’s goin to change that?
August 15th, 2023 at 12:21 pm
Call them if well. He was 100% Friday night, so there’s that
August 15th, 2023 at 12:35 pm
This team, both on offense and defense, will only get better as the season goes along.
I like this team. We just need a little patience. It’ll be an up and down season, but we’ll be in the hunt at the end of the year.
August 15th, 2023 at 1:08 pm
IMO. I saw enough of DC’s play calling and BM’s abilities, in the first pre season game, to expect decent results from the offense despite poor O-line play, if that is the case. Hopefully, the coaches can minimize the penalties and poor tackling, we saw! They played a big part in this team’s losses last season.
August 15th, 2023 at 1:10 pm
Stupid voice to text
August 15th, 2023 at 1:12 pm
D Cone…here you are again spouting complete nonsense about Mayfield. Baker threw a 57 yard touchdown against the Cardinals. He also threw the ball 70+ yards in the air, that went out the back of the end zone. I believe it may still be the longest in the NFL. But to say he can’t throw deep…dude you should just give it up.
August 15th, 2023 at 1:25 pm
Don’t tell me it’s raining Says:
But to say he can’t throw deep…dude you should just give it up.
This is what I wrote and has nothing to do with throwing deep. >>>Yes a 65 yard pass play to the 10 and can’t get it in the end zone<<< Refering to Red Zone Efficiency. Siri can help you with the big words.
AND I'M THE ONE SPOUTING OFF?
August 15th, 2023 at 1:31 pm
Wyoming Joe The guy has a cannon and can make ALL THE THROWS.
I will not dispute you on that. He can throw a nice deep ball. That’s why I was disappointed to see him dinking and dunking when there were receivers running free downfield.
August 15th, 2023 at 2:01 pm
Wyoming joe what are you Baker’s cousin from wyoming?
August 15th, 2023 at 2:08 pm
Yes you’re the one spouting off. Everyday. How many TD’s did your boy Trask have? How many INT’s? How many sacks? But it’s always someone else’s fault when it happens to him. The OL didn’t stop the rush, the receivers dropped the ball, he didn’t play with the ones. But with Mayfield, everything is his fault. He got lucky, it was almost intercepted, if it weren’t for that one lucky catch. You haters even blame Mayfield for other players not lining up correctly. Here’s a FACT you can spin all you want. Trask wasn’t better than Mayfield in college and he hasn’t been better in the NFL. So no matter how bad Mayfield has been in his career, he’s still done better than Trask. And you haters like to point out that the Big 12 isn’t the same as the SEC. In 2020 OU stomped Florida with Trask, Toney and Pitts, 55-20.
August 15th, 2023 at 3:08 pm
Don’t tell me it’s raining Says:
In 2020 OU stomped Florida with Trask, Toney and Pitts, 55-20.
Might want to fact check yourself and stop spreading untruths.