“We Don’t See Ourselves As An Underdog”
January 16th, 2024
Bucs sacks king Shaq Barrett.
Looking around the Bucs’ locker room, it’s stunning to see all the postseason experience. It’s on every level of the defense and there’s plenty on offense, too.
Four Bucs starters on offense have Super Bowl rings, and there are seven starters on defense, and more ring bearers on the bench. Half the darn starters have six playoff victories. That’s a stunning total.
Bucs sacks king Shaq Barrett is one of them. He spoke after last night’s playoff “W” against the Eagles and talked about how the team has to remain level-headed all this week leading up to facing the Lions on Sunday afternoon.
Shaq also noted that “we’re not done yet” but a key to success will be staying humble and hungry. He added that anyone calling the Bucs underdogs isn’t in the Tampa Bay locker room. “We don’t see ourselves as an “underdog,” Shaq said, noting teammates always take the field expecting to win.
For the record, the Bucs opened as a six-point underdog to Detroit.
Back to all that playoff experience on the roster, this is where it really helps. The pressure simply should not get to most of these critical Bucs pieces.
January 16th, 2024 at 12:27 pm
Just keep blitzing one way or another.
January 16th, 2024 at 12:28 pm
The Power of Positive Thinking.
January 16th, 2024 at 12:28 pm
As it should be! “Shaq said, noting teammates always take the field expecting to win.”
January 16th, 2024 at 12:34 pm
No. Shaq B. You are a beast as a player but you are drastically an underdog as a team. Defeating a busted bad team with so many injuries doesn’t make you a playoff elite team.
You will lose and get blow out if the trash version of Baker show up. Good version of the journey man has showed up only once in the last three games.
Also don’t re-sign Baker/TB until they at least go or win a NFC Championship. Otherwise draft a qb to compete with Trask.
January 16th, 2024 at 12:37 pm
This is why I’m enjoying this team so much!!! It’s that mixture of grizzled old warriors with their SB rings joined by the incredible fusion of youth.
Contributions are coming from both groups! The kiddie korps has me really excited. One more draft like last years, sign Baker and Trask if they can, I love Baker but his selfless win at all cost style of play will probably mean the Bucs should have a good backup for the times when Baker gets hurt. I’ll roll with our Traskophiles here and accept that he’d be a great alternative. He does represent a player who has the potential to step right in.
But it’s guys like Kancey, Yaya, McCollum (what a hitter) and others who are really contributing in a big way. The first and second year players show great promise.
Must remember though with a lot of youth comes inconsistency. Last night they all seemed to grow up and Palmer gave us our first glimpse of 4.33 speed and it was exciting! Still some spots to shore up and still some challenges in terms of signing Mayfield, ME13, LVD, DW45? Everytime I give up on the million dollar corners they show up and play great. If they get Mayfield and ME to return I’m good although as a loyal fan I’d love to figure a way for LVD to retire in a Bucs uni. DW45…he’s a mercenary…that’s ok…just that the Bucs owe him NOTHING but $$$…if they can agree fine…if not let him walk. He still has value I just suspect HIS belief of his value is far greater than the Bucs opinion of his value.
January 16th, 2024 at 12:37 pm
The Bucs ring bearers are after the one ring that rules them all!
January 16th, 2024 at 12:40 pm
All you Bucs haters just make our victories taste even sweeter
January 16th, 2024 at 12:45 pm
I already put my money down on the Bucs and like getting the 6.
January 16th, 2024 at 12:52 pm
Really felt good last night seeing Tampa Bay shown in a positive light on ABC and ESPN for all of the nation to see. They did a decent job of panning the cameras here and there. Our skyline looked great. Many people tuned in to see us..go down. But they witnessed a very fired up Buc team ball out. Great evening guys.
January 16th, 2024 at 12:53 pm
Still amazed that some “fans” wanted this team to tank and miss the playoffs to improve their order in the draft.
Playoff games > draft position
January 16th, 2024 at 12:59 pm
Ignore him. He’s lonely and just looking for attention. They won’t give it to him at home anymore.
January 16th, 2024 at 1:08 pm
If the Bucs put the same product on the field in Detroit that they put out there last night, I don’t think the Lions will have an answer. I don’t believe Philly was a weak opponent. They would have never gotten to 10-1 if they were. What about Philly’s poor tackling, you ask. Rashad White and others had something to do with that.
Battle of the Bays Conference championship rematch in Tampa? Dare to dream!
January 16th, 2024 at 1:15 pm
Gotta tamp down the hype. It workrked last week.
January 16th, 2024 at 1:20 pm
I’m gonna start it now – the Buc’s need to draft FSU’s Jordan Travis in the 6th/7th round. That will give the Traskites something else to worry about, while we build the team around Mayfield and go back to the Super Bowl…
January 16th, 2024 at 1:32 pm
Playoff experience counts for a lot. Pretty sure the vets explained to the rookies that everything gets faster, the hits are harder, and for God’s Sake don’t look at the damn scoreboard. When team’s do that (if they’re on the wrong side of it) they get desperate and stupid, and it goes downhill quickly. I was impressed, they got the Iggles down and kept their boot on that feathery neck. Next week gonna be tough because the Lions are gritty just like the Bucs. But i like our chances
January 16th, 2024 at 1:36 pm
Bucs are undefeated all time against the Lions in the playoffs. Including the year Barry Sanders won the MVP.
Little known fact. The Bucs played the MVP 6 times that year. Barry Sanders and Brett Favre were co-MVPs.
The Bucs played each team twice in the regular season and then once each in the playoffs.
January 16th, 2024 at 1:38 pm
HC Grover, i think you were the guy who compared Mayfield to Nilly Kilmer earlier this year, and you were close. What about Kenny Stabler? Guys like that aren’t gunslingers, they’re Swashbucklers. I think that’s more apt
January 16th, 2024 at 1:46 pm
It looks like Bucs played nickel defense on only 17 of 59 snaps. 29 percent of their defensive snaps.
Give the defensive backfield and Todd Bowles great credit. It might not work every game, but it worked last night.
January 16th, 2024 at 1:52 pm
If you can’t bring yourself to like Mayfield, you may have serious psychological issues.
January 16th, 2024 at 1:53 pm
Yep Buckey that is what I thought. Killers and tough as nails. Plus Canales is helping with his plans and the team likes him, that is important.. We could go all the way. 2 more. it is possible. If they whup the Lions look out.
January 16th, 2024 at 2:04 pm
Remember we were underdogs against the:
Saints 1/17/20
Packers 1/24/20
Chiefs 2/7/20
We saved our catchphrase for last/laughter.
“There’s no need to fear, our Super Bowl is here”.
January 16th, 2024 at 2:04 pm
RIGHT ON!!! Tbb, “Still amazed that some “fans” wanted this team to tank and miss the playoffs to improve their order in the draft.
Playoff games > draft position”
January 16th, 2024 at 2:05 pm
Bowles had the defense ready. You could see it from the first drive, and they never let up. I’ve had a lot of complaints about his HC blunders, but his defense carried an underperforming offense most of the season. The defense clinched the division last week, and the defense was the driving factor in the win last night.
Offense was up and down. There were a couple dropped passes and a couple dropped INTs. Baker held the ball too long and took some sacks, but he played better than I expected. Better than last week against CAR. RWhite was productive, but can we please get an upgrade at C? Hainsey is a huge liability.
Nice win, Bucs! Let’s see if Bowles has something ready for DET next week.
January 16th, 2024 at 2:09 pm
I take responsibility for what I said before the Carolina game. I said that I hoped we would lose. I had my reasons for saying that. After that embarrassing home loss to N.O. in addition to the other 2 losses we should have won I felt Bowles had to go and to lose that game would ensure Bowles departure. My concern was that if we only barely beat Carolina we would likely suffer another heartbreak loss at home. I was wrong about that. Don’t misunderstand me, I like Todd and feel he was set up to fail by the Kangol Hat. We now have a real chance to win the NFC. Regardless if we do or not, with another draft, salary cap relief, noticeable improvement by several players, a franchise QB, a maturing OC, and the departure of #45 we stand to have a formidable team next year. I also believe that having endured the debacle of last year and the low expectations and tremendous pressure this year Todd Bowles may have been forged into a solid head coach.
Go Bucs ! Get another ring.
January 16th, 2024 at 2:12 pm
TB and DC, stepped up last night! That was refreshing to see. TB’s defense showed some different looks like playing ZM27 at safety and YD0 at ILB!! Great to see him changing up somethings to confuse the Eagles! DC also had this offense humming!! LFG!!
January 16th, 2024 at 2:15 pm
In 2020 we got smoked by the chiefs in the regular season, in the superbowl it was night and day. This season the eagles smoked us in the regular season and we just trounced them out of the playoffs. I have often argued that Bowles never seems to game plan for a specific opponent, but it seems in the playoffs that changes especially if we have tape of them dismantling our team. If we manage to smack the Lions (who smoked us in the regular season) I’m going to have to believe that Bowles is really hard to beat twice.
January 16th, 2024 at 2:17 pm
“Also don’t re-sign Baker/TB until they at least go or win a NFC Championship. Otherwise draft a qb to compete with Trask.”
………………..
There are currently TWO QBs in the league who have won the NFC championship, so by that standard, all the rest are not worth signing?
‘the depths of his stupidity have yet to be plumbed, and yours is comin’ up fast on the inside turn.’
January 16th, 2024 at 2:29 pm
You are underdog because you have a journeyman HC and a QB.
Baker fans have been so quick to have him re-signed after a win all season long.
TB/BM will come down to earth if we get the trash version of the Baker.
Remember once you become a journeyman you always be a journeyman like Fitz P. or Case K., Carson W. and so much more.
All these journeymen were awarded lucrative contract after a single season only to revert back to their trash levels following next season.
Hopefully Bucs will not make the same mistake with Baker and TB.
Wait, they haven’t won anything yet.
January 16th, 2024 at 2:31 pm
That crack is hitting David differently today.
January 16th, 2024 at 2:31 pm
Not anymore.
January 16th, 2024 at 2:41 pm
Dont tell.Baker that. He plays best and sets records when knuckleheads like David and Munch my Rod boy call him trash. Truth is these people hurling insults at others are really talking about themselves if you believe what Confucius and Buddah say.
January 16th, 2024 at 2:54 pm
Marky Mark,
Setting records or padding your stats do not win championship/super bowl. Those are the indications of journeymen who will have their teams in mediocrity/twilight zone for a year or two before they discover their mistakes.
January 16th, 2024 at 2:55 pm
Imagine if the tush push is never seen again? The NFL didn’t need to make it illegal, the BUCS defense just had to defeat it. The BUCS are the shutdown kings of all things Eagles!!! Shut down the old Vet stadium and shut down the tush push.and for the troll from the NE, there is no facemasks in rugby as mentioned in the broadcast.
January 16th, 2024 at 3:03 pm
STOP MAKING FUN OF DAVID. David cannot help him self as he is a bed wetter. Bed wetting David can’t help but have a negative outlook on everything because he is a bed wetter. Bed wetting David has no friends, no girl friend, no hobbies, no nothing because he is a bed wetter. His only solace in life is to spread his bed wetting misery with everyone.
Pity David the bed wetter.
January 16th, 2024 at 3:04 pm
“Also don’t re-sign Baker/TB until they at least go or win a NFC Championship. Otherwise draft a qb to compete with Trask.”
You are truly an idiot. At least of the rest of the Kyle Trask meatgazers have crawled under their rocks.
January 16th, 2024 at 3:05 pm
@David. I know you are only here to troll and pi$$ on the Bucs and give excuses for why we win and why it is meaningless.
Fact is this team was in Cap hell due to Brady. Most experts had us winning 4 games this year.
Yet here we are. with a better ecord than last year and a playoff win.
Don’t minimize it, enjoy it. or if you aren’t a fan get f$@% out of here a fan site.
I am no Baker fan. His shortcomings are evident. His stature often limits his vision from the pocket. Canales had Wilson and they worked around that.
He holds the ball too long at times leading to sacks. He did again yesterday but overall you can see improvement with him getting it out early and making quick decisions. while he had some bad game this year he still has 31 TD passes and nearly 4400 yards passing through yesterday.
I am also critical of him not taking the easy checkdown and 2 of his sacks yesteday he had White in the flat and didn’t go to him.
Overall he was a number 1 pick because he has a good arm is a great leader and is quite accurate. I would argue he is significantly better than the guys Dave mentioned.
He has had to deal with injuries and 8 different coaching staff since coming out. That is a lot for anyone.
I hope we resign him to a team friendly 3 year deal so that if his play deteriorates we aren’t on the hook for long. Say 70-75 million wiht 25-30 guranteed so that we can get out in year 2 if need be.
January 16th, 2024 at 3:05 pm
A good life lesson is to believe in yourself even when others may not believe in you. Baker Mayfield has never lost faith in himself in the face of adversity. Neither has Todd Bowles or Dave Canales. If you doubt yourself you risk a self fulfilling prophecy into failure. Self belief is a key to life, not just football.
Win or Lose in Detroit these men will never let self doubt into their lives. that is why they have achieved their well deserved success. Cannwe as fans say the same about our lives?
January 16th, 2024 at 3:08 pm
Just stay aggressive Bucs, if they play every snap like it might be their last, they are gonna give themselves a good chance. All starts with the coaches though, gameplan pedal down!
January 16th, 2024 at 3:29 pm
All these Baker fans won’t be on this website with dismissal of Baker by Bucs or him testing the free agent market.
Why do I call them trash ? They are vicious fans with a minimal degree of tolerance replying with abusive language to any negative comment on Baker. They will follow him until he finds a permanent home as cap space nightmare for a team at the time.
January 16th, 2024 at 3:31 pm
We sure have done some hurtful things against the Iggles thru the years.
Closed the Vet with a win.
Opened Linc Field with a win.
Beat up on Donovan McNabb
….and the latest….. made Kelce retire!
I love it.
January 16th, 2024 at 3:36 pm
Something Baker said after the game I found interesting was when asked about the keys to next week he said ” stick together, that’s the main thing for us, just stick together “. Was he implying something or was that just football talk ?
January 16th, 2024 at 3:45 pm
HAHA good points LaRue. Love that!
January 16th, 2024 at 3:46 pm
Canabuc Says:
January 16th, 2024 at 3:05 pm
You are not talking to a trash Baker fans and I have no interest to troll on this website as they do.
I am just responding to Baker fans who post for Bucs to resign-him as soon as he has a good game to a long term contract instead of waiting for the season ends.
Do you know why ? Cause they know Baker is so inconsistent and he can have poor games at any given week without wining any important games.They want to get it while it’s hot or fish in muddy or troubled waters to take advantage of a troubled or confusing situation with a journeyman.
If you real Bucs fans you will not be satisfy with mediocrity after defeating a bad playoff team.
I know Bucs won’t.
January 16th, 2024 at 3:49 pm
All these Baker fans talk will come to end with a blow out loss to Lions. Baker has history of no shows against good teams.
I hope he shows up though.
January 16th, 2024 at 3:50 pm
NEGATIVES THAT COULD BECOME POSITIVES …
1. Lions crushed the Bucs in game 1. Bucs will know what to gameplan for. Any changes the Bucs make will be new to the Lions.
2. Evans and Winfield sucked vs the Eagles. They’ll be extra motivated to perform.
POSITIVES THAT COULD BECOME NEGATIVES …
1. Bucs Became a Passing Offense. Do Canales and Bowles overthink it and outsmart themselves by reverting to the run?
2. Kancey was extremely disruptive. He’ll draw more attention vs the Lions.
January 16th, 2024 at 3:51 pm
As long as “good” Baker shows up we have a chance. Baker’s first game against Detroit was awful – he missed like 4-5 wide open deep passes. He even admitted in a press conference that he needs to “work on things” after that game.
Also – I just rewatched the Philly game. Not enough is being said about how awesome Dean, Davis and McCollum played Monday night. Possibly their best game all season so far (collectively)…
January 16th, 2024 at 3:57 pm
TB has been efficient on the defensive side all season and it’s the main reason Bucs are in playoffs. Really ?? Yes, including pitching shutout against worst team in NFL while scoring 9 points.
January 16th, 2024 at 3:57 pm
@ Dooosh
That highlight of Ronde Barber returning that Pick six in the 4th Qtr in Philly will always be one of my favorite highlights of all time…
Kelce said – “Hey man there is no way I will do this “brotherly shove” BS against Vea again – I’m done” – HAHAHA –
Hey Kelce take your A-hole brother “Mr. Pfizer” with you… PLEASE!
LOL!!!!
AWESOME.
January 16th, 2024 at 4:16 pm
David is amusing.
Amusing like the homeless crazy guy on the corner shouting at nothing in particular ’til you give him a square of an uneaten sammich.
January 16th, 2024 at 4:23 pm
Joe………….Can you permaban David.? I mean some trolls are entertaining but this chick is out of bounds.
January 16th, 2024 at 4:34 pm
As for Baker and his “Moxie”……….. I taught hand to hand combat in the Military and I wouldn’t want to engage Baker in a fight. He is the type that you HAVE to knock out or kill. He won’t stop no matter how many times you knock him down.
I was against the signing. I am not anymore.
January 16th, 2024 at 4:46 pm
sorry to say but we are the major underdog sunday…
we are going to have to be ready for a completely different energy from the start on sunday…
campbell has his players amped and read yo play every sunday…
they’re a frothy team that will come flying out the gate…
not a lackluster group like philly, like we saw starting the game last night…
we were blessed by that mess last night with philadelphia…
detroit and san fran are no joke and will attempt to manhandle us from jump…
gotta be ready for teams coming flying out the gate like greyhounds from here on moving forward…
philly was a hot mess of something than no one can really seem to pinpoint – and we had our way with them…
gotta be ready for a way different mindset sunday…
teams often take on the personality of their coach…and campbell worries me – he’s a riled up, amped up beast and our coach is joe melancholy – it might be time for coach bowles to get crazy and sport a rally cap
January 16th, 2024 at 5:01 pm
The Brady effect is still in effect …LFG
January 16th, 2024 at 5:24 pm
Kancey was dominating an All Pro and future Hall of Fame C in Kelce and a Pro Bowl Guard in Landon Dickerson.
The Detroit Lions saw that and are very concerned, because a 3 tech like Kancey who has a lightning fast get off and multiple hand fighting moves is disruptive and can’t be game planned for when his 1 tech partner is Vita Vea.
January 16th, 2024 at 5:44 pm
The sad part with David is if the Bucs went 7-10 with Trask he’d be clamoring how successful of a season it was…..his world from his basement if falling apart now that the Bucs are a win away from a conference championship game with Baker Mayfield
January 16th, 2024 at 5:45 pm
Those DBs and safeties really did their thing last night, Marine Buc.
Also, Goedeke. 25 pass rushes against him. He allowed zero pressures.
January 16th, 2024 at 5:52 pm
SB
Great observation. Spent some time in the military, not as hand to hand combat instructor but overseas in the barracks I witnessed what you are describing.
Crazy is the most frightening thing an opponent can bring to the game.
Remember that old Monty Python movie where the knight engages in combat and his opponent chops his arm off…do you yield…no he chops off the other arm…do you yield..chops off the other arm and the joke continues.
Crazy guys have always frightened me because you have to kill them to stop them. You don’t have to kill Baker but you clearly have to injure him severly enough that he can no longer perform because NOBODY so far has frightened him even a little. I think Baker might be a little crazy.
January 16th, 2024 at 5:57 pm
Don’t feed the trolls
January 16th, 2024 at 6:37 pm
i get a good laugh out of some of these want a be GMs comments! Funny stuff!
Go Bucs!
January 16th, 2024 at 8:13 pm
True true SPBF! Good to c u again my friend.
January 16th, 2024 at 11:56 pm
rickym,
Good advice on trusting and believing in yourself. The other part of that is preparation which reinforces the trust in self. One other observation is that natural leaders get more out of others by building colleagues up rather than being overly critical. Want proof? Just keep nagging and belittling your children instead of telling them how confident you are about them. It is natural for people to not want to disappoint those who believe in them. They will generally rise to any reasonable occasion.
January 18th, 2024 at 5:22 am
So far all the experts have been way wrong Joe. (You know…those of the 6.5 win total?)
Six point underdogs to start? That is rediculous! Especially if you payed any real attention to the game earlier this year. We were in that game despite a bunch of poor QB/WR play and no running game.
Both of those two things have changed a bit since then. We have been beating all the doubters pretty much all year so…
Brady’s gone so we can”t win…. No that’s not right.
Evans is old so we can’t win… thats not it either.
Baker is a bust so we can’t win… oops.
Gronk ain’t coming back…so we can’t win… well dang it man.
Canales who? so we can’t win…no wait.
Too many Rookies and UDFAs so we can’t win… started who?
Jason can’t fix this they are in rebuild so we can’t win… he can’t do that!
They are Tanking on the sly so we can’t win… LOL nope.
That was fun! All things I have read here and elsewhere Joe (Not from you but…) So much for expert opinions!
Go Bucs!