“I Still Think Tampa Wins The Division”
May 25th, 2024
Yes, there are national analysts railing against the popular take that the arrival of Kirk Cousins makes the Falcons a powerhouse team and leaves the Bucs a few rungs down the NFC South ladder.
Most are the same people who believed a year ago that the Bucs could win another division title with Baker Mayfield.
Joe realizes some folks have fun saying everyone picked against Mayfield and the Bucs last season, but it’s a highly inaccurate take. Among others, superstar former players Keyshawn Johnson, Richard Sherman and Michael Irvin were on the Mayfield bandwagon.
And there were others like Chris Simms and Rick Spielman and Shaun King, guys who thought Mayfield was capable of leadiing the Bucs to a winning record. Heck, back in 2022, King pointed to Mayfield as one of three veteran quarterbacks that could handle replacing Tom Brady.
While Sherman has been caught gushing over the Cousins signing, Johnson is not biting.
Talking about the NFC South this week, Johnson explained that he’s not swallowing the Cousins/Falcons narrative. “I still think Tampa wins the division,” he said.
Undisputed co-host and known Mayfield lover Skip Bayless quickly agreed.
Simply stated, Johnson sees Mayfield as a good veteran QB, a returning winner in his prime that’s had some postseason success. Johnson’s not betting againt Mayfield and neither is Joe.
May 25th, 2024 at 10:21 am
Notice it was the former players on Bakers side not so called sports journalists who never played NCAA division 1 (a defacto second division pro league with NIL money) or pro sports.
May 25th, 2024 at 11:47 am
Players l, especially 2 top WR’s & a top CB, know a good QB when they see him. “Film don’t lie…” we will be more competitive this season than last!
May 25th, 2024 at 11:52 am
Baker will be fine as long as he doesn’t get injured. He needs to learn to slide and throw the ball away.
May 25th, 2024 at 12:31 pm
Tampa will win but saints, panthers and falcons will be in hot pursuit. This division is going to be tougher than they get credit for. Carolina won’t be the worst team in the NFL again. That honor always goes to a different team year to year. Division games are always tough. We didn’t win the Super Bowl last year so I won’t be arrogant until I see them in action
May 25th, 2024 at 12:44 pm
Baker should be better coming in as the second year starter. Licht gave him an upgrade at center, and two good skill players in McMillan, and Irving. I think we upgraded at OC also. Baker having worked with Coen can only help. Smart money should be on the Bucs as favorites.
May 25th, 2024 at 12:58 pm
You should go read the comments huh Bobby M and a few others look like dipshizz now
May 25th, 2024 at 1:10 pm
Atlanta won 7 games with Desmond Ridder at QB… He was probably the worst starting QB in the NFL in 2023.
They should absolutely be a much better team with Cousins at QB in 2024 and their defense will improve with Raheem Morris at the helm.
Atlanta is still a very beatable team but the will be vastly improved.
May 25th, 2024 at 1:10 pm
I saw nothing last season that made me think Mayfield is anything other than a solid veteran quarterback with a high upside and a chip on his shoulder.
May 25th, 2024 at 1:33 pm
I say it every year, Iwant the NFC South to be a dogfight. When we win it we will be be better prepared for the playoffs. We will also wiin some of the likes of the Chiefs, Fourtyniners, Lions and Eaglesgames. We will have the opportunity to make another run in the playoffs again.
Go Bucs!!!
May 25th, 2024 at 3:17 pm
We’ll see man. We’ll see. The Bucs will have to be better than last year because the Falcons have gotten better just by coaching alone. Hopefully it won’t be long mid-season losing stretch like last year.
May 25th, 2024 at 3:42 pm
Greg Jennings also predicts the Bucs to win the division! He said so on The Carton Show just last week.
May 25th, 2024 at 3:43 pm
@ Marine Buc
I’m kinda with you on the Falcons. We only beat them one out of two last year. They literally had a bad QB. As much as dislike Cousins…… They may very well beat us twice this year
May 25th, 2024 at 3:48 pm
Some of the media types talk about regression to the mean with Bake. I don’t buy it, because Baker had so many OC’s and played through injuries a lot. Nobody really knows his mean and his upside. If Baker gets a better running game and stays healthy, he will play fine. So much depends also on his team mates and whether they say healthy too. ME13 need to keep that hammy warm, etc…..
May 25th, 2024 at 4:21 pm
The Glazers other Football team won the open England FA Cup title which includes every single Football club in England. Even so the Glazers are expected to fire their Dutch coach for not finishing top four in the league season.
May 25th, 2024 at 4:25 pm
Yep. I saw that when Jennings picked the Bucs!!!! Carton, on the other hand, picked BOTH the Saints AND Falcons (along with the Bears). His reasoning… There are always, three ‘new’ playoff teams (outta each conference) who did not reach the playoffs the year before, but will make it the next season. So, he HAD TO pick ’somebody’ according to history… Now, I’m not sure if these were truly his ‘real’ picks for the season. I guess (playing along with this exercise), he has the Bucs, ‘Boys, & Rams not making it then. I don’t remember him giving his teams that weren’t making it this season who did last year. I just hope that ‘history’ doesn’t play-out accordingly, for this season. I don’t believe it will… As long as the Bucs remain healthy. LoL I like all of the same teams from last season honestly, at full health. Except for the Cowboys and maybe, the Rams. I think Da Bears make it, too… And, maybe ATL, as long as if Cousins is “Cousins” and he makes it through the entire season at 💯. Should be an AMAZING Season!!!!
May 25th, 2024 at 4:40 pm
Yea, I put my money on the Bucs.
My concern had been Coach Todd Bowles in previous seasons.
Im happy hes proven to be a very good Coach.
Hes 2 for 2, having Won the NFC South in each of his first 2 seasons.
Yeah, Im a believer.
May 25th, 2024 at 5:12 pm
Last year was Baker’s floor as a Buc. With an improved O line and new OC who will not insist on running on 1st and 2nd down, Baker will flourish. Really looking forward to a season where Bucs finish 10-7. Never sure how playoffs will go but sure Bucs will be there, again.
May 25th, 2024 at 5:36 pm
I put a little on them as nfc champs, and 10 on SB champs….the division champs and over/under games won wasnt available at the time….yeah that was a while back.
So now i need to put a ben on each, over 7 and division champs(easily). My 20 on Dallas in the nba is paying now…(i lost a little picking Denver, oh well) and I still have Edmonton winning the stanley. Fun fun fun
May 25th, 2024 at 7:21 pm
If Cousins is so great, why has he been with three different teams? Great ones are not let go easily….
May 25th, 2024 at 9:24 pm
Coen needs to ignore his head coach and unleash offensive explosivity through Baker and the weapons Licht has put together
Bucs need 30ppg of offense to have a chance to repeat as division champs.
I do think Baker is capable of better than last year and will produce. If allowed.
May 25th, 2024 at 10:22 pm
Cousins was absolutely NOT “let go,” Buddy… NEVER. He was a FA completely free to sign with the ‘highest’ bidder. Period. He has ‘played-it’ better and smarter than ANYBODY, when it comes to his $$$$. He played Washington like a fiddle and just exposed them as the fools that they are… Then, they still ended up losing him for nothing. Yeah, they had a really baddddd taste in their mouths after that. And, he is like the 5th highest earner in NFL HISTORY, just below Tom Brady. Again, he has NEVER been “let-go,” or traded. So, that is just ridiculous.
May 25th, 2024 at 10:33 pm
Kirk Cousins is coming off a torn Achilles. He has never won anything. Is he decent, yes , elite not even close. He is a paper tiger . One hit away from the blue tent. Way overrated and not worth nearly what the Falcons paid him that’s why they drafted Penix.
May 25th, 2024 at 10:35 pm
Booger, The Kirk Cousins signing will be just like the Joe Flacco and Russell Wilson signings. Regret regret regret.
May 25th, 2024 at 10:37 pm
Booger, The Kirk Cousins signing will be just like the Joe Flacco and Russell Wilson signings. Regret regret regret. When he said let go he meant teams do not let great QBs get away. He has gotten away 3 times. You are an …. Well you know don’t you?
May 25th, 2024 at 11:21 pm
Same. Buddy of mine is a Vikes fan and still thinks Atlanta is gonna give us trouble. I think Cousin got skill but we are bringing dogs twice a year.
May 26th, 2024 at 12:08 am
4 qbs posted a perfect passer rating last year. Allen, Lamar , Purdy, and baker. Only one did it on the road….i think our guy is pretty good.
May 26th, 2024 at 12:17 am
Reply to Larry Daszynski Says: “If Cousins is so great, why has he been with three different teams? Great ones are not let go easily….”
That’s because Washington was a dumpster fire team. Owner Dan Snyder and general manager Bruce Allen were convinced RGIII was the future of the franchise. Mike Shanahan was worried about RGIII’s injury history and that his transition to running a pro-style offense might not go smoothly and wanted a backup plan. He was proved right.
They were also too cheap to pay Kirk market value. At t the time, there was no precedent for a durable franchise quarterback with no injury history to walk out the door in the prime of his career.
The Vikings GM wanted his own guy as the quarterback. Unless they are stars, he also got rid of players that he didn’t draft or bring in.
May 26th, 2024 at 12:23 am
Kirk is a far better quarterback than Mayfield as it’s not close. Mayfield can’t even be consistent year to year. After the news broke that Kirk was signing with the Falcons, Sportsbooks moved the Falcons to 30/1 to win Super Bowl 2025 after opening at 50/1 prior. Atlanta now has the 12th-best odds to win the Lombardi Trophy. The Falcons are also 14/1 to win the NFC Championship on BetMGM Sportsbook, the sixth-best odds.
May 26th, 2024 at 1:31 am
Well!! if the experts say it Paul it has to be so!!! After all, in 2022 the experts all said Baker Mayfield would never be a starting qb in the NFL again. So there you go, when the experts speak its fact.😏
May 26th, 2024 at 1:38 am
Yeah Cousins playoff passer rating is 93.7 while “far worse” Mayfield’s is 100.7. Last year he ranked 4th in active qb with 106.3. Far worse than cousins. 😂 What a Joke
May 26th, 2024 at 1:38 am
Robert, it doesn’t really matter to me how the actual signing works out… That was not the topic. The topic was air he wasn’t that good in the first place then why was he “let go.” Well, because he WASN’T. He had NEVER been “let go.” And, YOU don’t have the FIRST clue as to how good or bad he plays for the Falcons or anyone else moving forward & neither do I.
May 26th, 2024 at 1:41 am
So, then YOU know what HE meant LoL. Well, you can just GT… Outta Here with all that, cause that was NOT what HE said. You sound awfully defensive over someone stating the facts. You must be one of those ‘thin-skinned’ BakerBois.
May 26th, 2024 at 1:42 am
Oh let ’em bake its nothing to go into Lambeau Field and walk out with a perfect passer rating. It’s so easy NO ONE OTHER THAN BAKER HAS EVER DONE IT, EVER. Come on now, he sucks!!!=
May 26th, 2024 at 1:42 am
Kirk’s Cousin is the one QB who Todd’s cover 3 zone bust defense seems to flummox. Advantage the Toddster.
May 26th, 2024 at 1:50 am
If you could remember… Washington ‘franchised’ Cousins TWICE, and backed themselves into a corner with that, & there was a lot of animosity there and contract breakdowns over and over through poor ownership. Cousins WON and was PAID. He didn’t trust them and wanted OUT and to sign elsewhere. It was all part of the plan… He didn’t want to play for them anymore, & signed with the Vikings as a FA.
May 26th, 2024 at 4:01 am
Joe absolutely not impressed by endorsements from any of those names from last year or this. They are wrong about so many other things and former “superstars” have very little respect from me. Simms, Meshawn and King? come on man these guys are homers…Right up there with Becless as far as credibility is concerned.
Let me know when and if Baldinger or Kirwan chime in on this. I dont think they will because they are too good to join in the prediction fest.
Geez!
May 26th, 2024 at 7:49 am
Larry. I don’t think people believe that Cousin is great but he is a up grade at quarterback. But I wouldn’t have said that about Cousin because we have a quarterback that’s been on 4 different teams in his first 6 years of his career. And some people on here especially his fan base thinks he’s a hall of famer!! So I wouldn’t have brought that up because or quarback been on more teams than him and Cousin came in and 2013 and he’s on his 3rd team. And I definitely don’t think Cousin is great at all .
May 26th, 2024 at 8:39 am
Mayfield > Cousins
Although OneilYuc the QB expert thinks he knows quarterbacks. LOL.
Sad about getting Brady. Sad about getting Baker. Wanting the Bucs to “develop a QB”.
Fortunately Licht runs the show and knows that winning is what it’s all about. With JaMiss, one winning season in 5 years, and after the 30INT fiasco where JaMiss single-handedly lost at least 3 games, the Bucs win a SB.
Let’s complain about that. ROTFL.
May 26th, 2024 at 1:34 pm
Dave Pear. I don’t remember seeing you on this site until Baker Mayfield came here. All you do is blame Bowles for everything and make up excuses for Baker Mayfield. You are a Baker fan not a bucs fan and it don’t matter how many excuses you give Baker or how much you love Baker Mayfield he’s never going to be a elite quarterback or a hall of famer. And yes I’m ready for my bucs to develop their own quarterback like the other franchises have done. I am tired of these stop gap quarterbacks that need a perfect team around them to win. You can’t put the game in the hands of Baker Mayfield type of quarterbacks because you are going to lose way more than you win . Every DC will tell you that coach against the bucs you want Baker Mayfield to throw the ball because that gives your team a better chance to win the game. To win with Baker you can’t let him throw 40 times and you must have a good running game.
May 26th, 2024 at 5:57 pm
Booger is a moron
May 26th, 2024 at 10:49 pm
Oqueef- not surprising. You only remember what you want, which is fine for you. You can have your own little alternative reality where you are the QB authority.
Hated Brady. Hate Mayfield. Love JaMiss.
What I say about Bowels is factual. If he starts 2024 at 3-1 he will finally be above .500 as Bucs head coach (but still way below for his career).
He took over from a coach whose Bucs record was 36-19. 29-10 if you exclude
JaMiss’s 30 interception, 3 games lost all by himself.
BA would have been good for at least 4 more wins over the last two seasons with 3 coming last season.
Right now Todd has a losing head coaching record with two different franchises. Quite an accomplishment in today’s NFL. He’s showing signs of growth and change, I’ll believe it when I see it.
Meanwhile, keep pumping your alternative reality QB narrative. It makes fans happy we have Jason Licht running the show and not you.
May 27th, 2024 at 12:06 pm
Dave Pear. Some of y’all love to I love Jamies but the truth is the truth the media hated him so they started a narrative against Jamies and they know all you have to do is say the same thing about a player rather it’s good or bad and people like you will believe the lie. Just like again I have never heard anyone in the media national or maybe even bucs media ever cared about the running game until Brady came here. My main point about Jamies and why he struggled at times was because he was stuck with a 32 ranked defense and a horrible running game. Jamies was asked to throw the ball down field just about every play . And go look at how many games the defense gave up and not to mention the kickers . That’s not me loving any player that’s me pointing out the facts . Our offense was top 5 every year without a running game while Jamies was the quarterback . And I’m not just talking about yards I’m also talking about scoring. But it’s hard for any team to win when you have to score 38 points a game just to win . And let’s be honest about something Baker is playing in a trash division. The NFC South was probably the best division in football between 2015 through 2020 . We had to deal with Brees, Newton, Ryan in their prime. In 2015 the Panthers made it to the super bowl and t
May 27th, 2024 at 12:09 pm
2015 Panthers made it to the Superbowl and Can Newton was the NFL MVP and the next year the Falcons made it to the Superbowl and Matt Ryan was the NFL MVP so that’s a big difference back than vs this division today.
May 27th, 2024 at 12:19 pm
And now everyone cares so much about the running game because of Baker Mayfield now . And now people care so much about the defense I can promise you one thing the lost against the Texans would have been Jamies fault back than. The lost against the Lions in the playoffs would have been Jamies fault especially throwing a int on the last the drive. I’m just showing how basia that a lot of the people on here are. And to be honest all of my favorite players played in the 80s and 90s and some early 2000s players when football was football. So I don’t have a favorite player in today’s NFL the only thing I care about is the bucs becoming a dynasty in my life time.
May 27th, 2024 at 1:37 pm
Since 2018 in head to head stats the only thing that Mayfield has done better than Cousins is in rushing, everything else he’s sub par to him. Fewer tds, more ints, lower comp by 6%, ypg, games won, lower qbr by 13%. Cousins has never been known as a runner but he’s mobile enough so his injury won’t lower his passing superiority over Mayfield. We lost to the worst qb in the NFL and you fanbois think that Cousins ISN’T an upgrade??? They’re both corny with their onfield rah rah vocal antics but on field Cousins is a superior qb. Leave it to fanbois from Mayfield’s college days and now NFL to live in a fantasy world to deny the better qb his props and to think the most consistently inconsistent qb around guarantees the Bucs a win against Atl.
May 27th, 2024 at 1:51 pm
Yo oneillbuc stop your blood clot crying because you are worse than these fanbois who dismiss Mayfield’s mistakes because all in all he is a better qb than Jaymiss whom you dismiss ALL of his mistakes. He DESERVED to be allowed to walk because even when he had the Dougernaut at his best he still made stupid and idiotic turnovers that killed this team, but to you none of it was his fault! I liked and supported him for most of his career but got to the point I couldn’t stand him. Now look at him a bigger buffoon and clown than before, forever a backup. Being his fanboi is such a humongously bad look on you.
May 27th, 2024 at 1:53 pm
Actually onei when you take the worst team in the league that was on a 0-19 losing streak and a 1-31 record to an 11-5 season and their first road playoff win in 51 years in your second year in the NFL with your 4th head coach I am quite confident that is the very definition of an elite NFL quarterback. And all that was done running for your life every play until you break your shoulder and continued to play for 4 games with that broke shoulder. Very definition.😂
May 27th, 2024 at 3:40 pm
What it is that that does not make him elite please stop it. Elite qbs do not regress every other year and not need fans to make excuses for them. Elite is going to a new team, new offensive concept learning it then blowing up and taking your new team to a Super Bowl win. When the qb does as much bad as he does good that does not make him elite it makes him mediocre. It took 22 seasons and a failed marriage for Brady to become mediocre, yet it only takes Mayfield a new season to do so. He’s tough but how is that elite?
May 27th, 2024 at 4:06 pm
Oh how soon you people choose to forget. Do you remember how the team that beat Tampa in the playoffs had the 49ers down 24-7 and those same niners went on to lose the superbowl by 4 WHOLE POINTS?? Oh that’s right, and who was the qb that took that 4 win team that close? Oh that’s right the middling qb Baker Mayfield. Do you even comprehend how close that was. And you people have the audacity to say he can’t get you there. Do you understand how dumb you sound??
May 27th, 2024 at 4:06 pm
I mean really
May 27th, 2024 at 4:07 pm
Between those last 2 games were a WHOLE 7 points that won the superbowl
May 27th, 2024 at 4:10 pm
There is a reason they all agreed to pay him $100 million. I’m pretty sure they don’t pay someone that much money that they don’t consider elite. And I’m also certain they don’t care what you consider elite.
May 27th, 2024 at 4:43 pm
See, they can see that it was 7 whole points and they can remember how they were expecting to win 4 games after Tom Brady left. But they didn’t. And the only real difference was a guy named Baker Mayfield. And THEY see that as elite. When someone can elevate a team like that and the 1-31Browns to 11-5 THEY consider that elite and they really don’t care what your definition of elite is.
May 27th, 2024 at 7:16 pm
DavidBigbuc. When Martin was running good he was rookie of year and the next year the bucs won 9 games. I’m talking straight facts about all of these players. And the blame I give Jamies is the same one John Gruen gave him and that’s being a coach boy . He called Jamies a boble head for running plays he new wasn’t going to work. So yes Jamies shares some of the blame to now but to act like the bucs put him in a good situation is a lie. That’s why even Brady had to bring in Gronk, AB and Forenett. And how did Brady play when those guys left he looked like the same Brady in 2019 with the same stats. And that’s fact Jack lol 🤣🤣
May 27th, 2024 at 8:50 pm
7 points
May 27th, 2024 at 10:16 pm
That’s true ‘what is’ that’s hilarious. Bake was that close, there’s not much the haters can say about that now is there? 7 points between the NFC Championship and the superbowl. But Bake can’t win a Superbowl. Lol
May 28th, 2024 at 3:21 am
If the Cowboys can’t win a superbowl with Dak what makes you guys think the bucs can put games in the hands of Baker Mayfield and we can actually win a superbowl? Dak is a waay better quarterback than Baker Mayfield!!
May 28th, 2024 at 7:25 am
7 points onei, 7 points
May 28th, 2024 at 7:57 am
Oh I don’t know, maybe there’s more to winning than stats. Especially when your stats have been affected by being on the worst teams in the league for the first 5 years of your career. The average passer rating of 85 has won the superbowl over the last 10 years so Bakers 106.3 is plenty good enough. And when your passer rating of 106.3 is ranked 4th among active qbs there is no one that is waaay better than you onei.