Five Things
September 23rd, 2024
Denver QB Bo Nix throws from a clean pocket Sunday.
So the Bucs went from one of the most thrilling wins in Todd Bowles’ time as head coach to maybe the greatest nutpunch in Todd Bowles’ time as head coach. Your coffee will go down easier by reading more.
Bucs Couldn’t Match Passion, Physicality
In recent years, the Bucs seemed to wilt against physical teams that would come in and punch the Bucs in the mouth. Joe thought that changed when the Bucs did just that to the Lions last week.
Premature jocularity!
Joe knew the Bucs were swimming upstream yesterday from the very first play from scrimmage. Bo Nix hit Courtland Sutton up the left side for 22 yards and Sutton ragdolled Jamel Dean to create separation to catch the ball.
Game on!
As Mike Evans said in his postgame remarks, the Broncos came out more physical, more aggressive, more intense and more determined to win. Baker Mayfield said the Broncos were the hungrier team. Why?
There are high expectations for the Bucs in these parts. Are the Bucs so undisciplined that after a huge road win over Detroit, the Bucs acted as if all they needed to do was show up yesterday?
They got backhanded by the alley bully, and rather than fight back and get physical, the Bucs turned submissive.
Mike Evans, who? Why use your Hall of Fame receiver when Rachaad White can be run up the middle. Which one of some 200 times White has attempted to run up the middle since being drafted in 2022 did White demonstrate he’s Mike Alstott?
Everything was off yesterday. The players didn’t seem into it. The coaches had a rotten gameplan to start the game and didn’t appear to have urgency in finding other options to move the ball.
Yeah, just like Bowles said yesterday. The Bucs got outplayed but they also got outcoached. Shameful.
Where Were The Leaders?
“This Joe” is not a leaders guy. That’s more (bad) sports talk show fodder than anything. But if you believe in leaders setting an example, where were they yesterday? The Bucs were blown out and shut out in the second half — at home.
The Bucs have thin skin, understandably so, when folks mock them as being NFC posers. “Hold up!” the Bucs say, “we have a lot of guys on the roster from the 2020 Super Bowl season.”
OK, so where were they? Where were they to step up, play hard and tell their younger teammates their half-arsed effort and weaksauce playing cannot be tolerated, and if they didn’t want to play football, then get off the field.
Do the Bucs have leaders?
It Ain’t Just Mike Evans
Joe doesn’t know if it is because the Bucs are always overlooked when they don’t have a quarterback named “Tom Brady,” or if it’s that Travis Kelce is a three-time Super Bowl champion superstar dating an internationally renown singer.
Apparently, Joe triggered people yesterday and didn’t mean to do so. Mike Evans is 31. He’s off to a nondescript start with only 103 yards on 8 catches in three games. He’s been targeted just 12 times, averaging four targets a game.
Why is that?
Is Evans consistently able to get open? Is he struggling to get open? Has Father Time finally come to visit? (Go look at the history of 31-year old receivers. Joe’s not saying 31-year olds cannot excel, but it sure as hell isn’t the norm.)
Joe brings this up because all over social media, people are calling Kelce, 34, cooked. His numbers are sort of like Evans’, though Evans has about 30 more yards receiving through three games.
Joe sort of thinks the spotlight is on Kelce more for his poor start because he’s in the international TMZ spotlight thanks in large part to his singer girlfriend.
And if Kelce wasn’t in another stratosphere of celebrity, would those same NFL klieglights be shining on Evans’ slow start instead?
Sacked By No Sacks
All offseason Joe banged the keyboard nearly daily hoping, praying, begging the Bucs to do something about an edge rush. Anything.
So the Bucs heeded Joe’s words and signed a dude who couldn’t put the bong down (allegedly). #Sad
(Sigh.)
Now, three games in, the Bucs are in a pickle. The Bucs might have a worse edge rush than last year. The Bucs have a grand total of two sacks and stand on the bottom rung of the NFL’s sack ladder.
Has a team with the fewest sacks in the league ever made a run in the playoffs? Maybe not. It hasn’t happened in the last 20 years. In fact, only two teams in the last 20 years have had winning records while ranking last in the NFL in sacks.
The Bucs had the worst sack total in 2017. And what did the Bucs do in 2018? They traded a measly third-round pick for Jason Pierre-Paul. How’d that work out? Three years later they were licking the Vince Lombardi Trophy.
Coincidence? Hell, no!
Yes, Joe knows Vita Vea and Calijah Kancey likely return within a few weeks. That should improve the Bucs’ sack total. Right now, the team is on pace for 11 sacks, which is not just gruesome, but it’s a number that would make Joe scared to show his face in public.
One Coach Was Fuming
Joe was at the game in the press box and didn’t see every second of the FOX broadcast. Did anyone see a coach or a player pull another player aside and unload on them?
In the tunnel after the game watching the Bucs come off the field, Joe didn’t hear one player speak one word. Joe couldn’t tell if they were shellshocked or so upset they couldn’t talk.
There was no yelling or hollering, just dudes staring straight ahead in stone-cold silence.
However, one coach looked like he wanted to swing on someone. That was Bucs offensive line coach Kevin Carberry. This dude was absolutely fuming. Joe saw him at one point rip his cap off and slap his leg with it.
Carberry looked as if he wanted to body slam one of his lineman. Joe can understand. If Joe led an offensive line that has given up 12 sacks in the past two games, Joe would have the urge to throw down, too.
Though Carberry didn’t say a word, you could see the steam coming out of his ears.
At least someone showed not named Bucky Irving showed passion yesterday. Too bad he was relegated to the sidelines.
September 23rd, 2024 at 5:27 am
If Carberry is so upset I can name at least one red haired, gap toothed gaurd that needs to be benched. Licht drafts nice guys who really like each other. Good locker room guys. There are times however when you need that S.O.B. who tears into people. Licht might want to look to draft a few, or trade for one. This team dropped it’s drawers, and said sir may I have another. Licht brought everyone back after the SB, and it didn’t work. He did the same this year, everyone got paid, but we ain’t getting the return. Maybe sometimes change is good. MFers with an attitude need to be brought in.
September 23rd, 2024 at 5:34 am
Its all good, chill peeps, we needed this
September 23rd, 2024 at 5:51 am
Mayfield just isn’t that good.
80 yards passing into the 4th quarter. Similar to so many games we lost last year where he had very few yards until teams went into a soft prevent to protect their leads on us.
September 23rd, 2024 at 6:00 am
Great overview, Joe! You were 100% right about an edge rusher. And here we are.
One coach showed emotion. But this falls on him too, everyone.
Now the Bucs can prepare for the Eagles. They can win this at home. Go Bucs!
September 23rd, 2024 at 6:21 am
Hope y’all don’t hold back during pressers this week. Things that need to be addressed:
– Wirfs lackluster play this far
– Coen forgetting about his “star” players even though he has reminders on his play sheet.
– Baker not pushing the ball down field
– Mike still dropping the ball when it finally does come his way
– Why White, Britt and Mauch are still starting
– Camarda’s terrible start the season
And yes, the pass rush and our DEs inability to hold containment on the edge
September 23rd, 2024 at 6:27 am
Licking Lombardi trophy?
September 23rd, 2024 at 6:31 am
0-2 is why they came out hungrier. Look at the records of all 0-2 teams in history in week 3. And it stood true yesterday again. Not surprised.
September 23rd, 2024 at 6:44 am
One of the most pathetic performances by the entire team I’ve ever seen to a sub par team. F Todd Bowles. You failed miserably in a big big game AGAIN.
Disgusted at this garbage showing.
September 23rd, 2024 at 6:59 am
I think the question “Are the Bucs for real?” was answered yesterday.
September 23rd, 2024 at 7:29 am
Hey the Broncos played hard all game and in all aspects of the game. The Bucs looked like they thought this game was going to be easy. Hard lesson but maybe a good lesson? Play every game like it’s the superbowl and take no opponent for granted. The road to the superbowl is laden with potholes for them unwary, the over confident and the unprepared.
September 23rd, 2024 at 7:30 am
HC Todd Bowles needs to put all loyalties aside and just go by the tape-BUCKY IRVING is the NUMBER ONE RB on this team!!!!!!!!!!!!
September 23rd, 2024 at 7:32 am
I knew the game was over when, after Denver cut through the Defense like a rusty butter knife through liver, and our OC decided to run this novel play that we’ve never seen before on the very first offensive snap: Run White up the middle.
What a joke.
September 23rd, 2024 at 7:34 am
Shame
Shame
Shame
Shame
Shame
September 23rd, 2024 at 7:38 am
Bowles Career Record: 46 – 61
This is who he is.
September 23rd, 2024 at 7:40 am
After three games our edge rushers have one sack. It’s a lack of talent. YaYa couldn’t beat a backup tackle once, that’s not coaching. JTS couldn’t get a sack, that’s not coaching. At some point you have to beat the man in front of you. JJ Watt, Hutchenson, the Bosas of the NFL don’t need a coach to tell them how to sack the QB. They just beat the man in front of them, sometimes two men. YaYa, and JTS can’t beat the man in front of them. It’s not coaching, it’s a lack of talent. Both players just aren’t any good.
September 23rd, 2024 at 7:49 am
Six things: Panthers, yes the lowly Panthers won yesterday. People on here act like this is the 1986 Bucs. They’re not. They’ll get their act together.
September 23rd, 2024 at 7:55 am
5 dings. 1. Parity was built into the NFL by Pete Rozelle with equal sharing of tv money. Anybody can beat anybody on any given sunday. You have to bring it every game. 2. After bashing David Tepper all week they start the 36 year old Ginger Gunner who smashes the Raiders. Uh oh no easy wins in this division now. Rookie QBs should sit a year like Mahomes and Brady did. 3. More to follow..
September 23rd, 2024 at 8:03 am
This loss is epic. I think the season is damaged beyond repair…I have seen this before…in the 70″s Eagles and Saints will tell. The rest of our division is coming on strong. Non division games look tough. That was a total collapse.
September 23rd, 2024 at 8:14 am
The offense had a bad day. Unfortunately, this happened the same day
when Bo Nix had an excellent day – he made good decisions, was mostly accurate and made plays with his legs.
The Bucs’ Defense was missing their 2 best linemen and playmaker safety.
Payton came up with a winning game plan and Bucs’ offense looked smothered much of the game. Mayfield was indecisive and the Broncos’ secondary played well.
Bucs fans are underestimating how well Bo Nix played in this game.
September 23rd, 2024 at 8:17 am
Jerry Rice having the requisite speed, seperation, fitness, athleticism at 40 (things quarterbacks don’t require) to get 1200 yards receiving is not talked about enough as one of the greater achievements in the history of sports, and is far more improbable than what Brady did in his 40s. And here we are talking about Mike Evans being 31. 31…
Evans could have 15 straight yrs of 1000 yards, wouldn’t matter. Jerry Rices records are untouchable. He is the greatest football player that ever lived. Just intimating that Evans may be losing a step is just a reminder of how ridiculous rice was. I’d like to remind people that he had like 1600 yards at that age and had almost 2000 receiving yards at 33
September 23rd, 2024 at 8:23 am
Licking the Lombardi Trophy….LOL…good one Joe!!! I choked on my breakfast a little laughing after reading that but I’m ok.
September 23rd, 2024 at 8:26 am
Anyone who’s watched this team long enough saw this loss coming….maybe not so bad but it was definitely coming.
Sean Payton has almost always had our number.
September 23rd, 2024 at 8:30 am
No article about the abysmal play of Baker Mayfield?
September 23rd, 2024 at 8:35 am
A motivated opponent, with a defense that’s been good, an opposing coach who knows us as well as anyone could, a number of key injuries, and terrible oline play. We should have known a loss was on the way.
September 23rd, 2024 at 8:37 am
Bo Nix played probably his best game of this season yesterday. You could even see that he fell off between the first and second half.
September 23rd, 2024 at 8:38 am
For clarity, I mean he played what will be his best game this season
September 23rd, 2024 at 8:41 am
Classic trap game for the Bucs yesterday. Forget about and beat Philly and all is forgiven. The non conference games are the ones to lose.
September 23rd, 2024 at 8:47 am
Bo Nix probably hadnt seen a pass rush that soft since he played against Portland State in college
September 23rd, 2024 at 8:48 am
Injuries. Too many of ’em in key positions. Yeah, we best Detroit last week with a bunch of guys out, but Detroit also beat themselves a little with poor clock management, which is on Dan Campbell. Defense stepped up last week and Baker was good, but it wasn’t a runaway or a rout.
Lack of halftime adjustments. Even though the score wasn’t out of hand at the half, the Bucs were getting their arses kicked and were ineffective on both sides of the ball. When you’re fielding a team that looks like a team you’d put out there for a preseason game (see injuries), coaches need to stop “tweaking’ their beloved game plans and make hard core, even radical adjustments. They should be practicing with a 6th o-lineman because we’ll face more challenges like Hutchinson brought last week. That’s just one adjustment. Yesterday, the defense just didn’t show up, but we always seem to struggle with rookie QBs for some reason. In that sense, Bowles is the opposite of Bellichick. BB owned and embarrassed rookie QBs, and rightly so. Our D gets lit up by them.
Next week is very winnable, mostly because their HC makes bad decisions. It’s a game the D needs to show up for to stop Barkley primarily. I hope yesterday’s debacle puts the chip back on the Bucs’ collective shoulders and they say, “That ain’t gonna happen again.”.
September 23rd, 2024 at 8:54 am
Some points here I agree with but to call out Evans is wild. He can get open, it’s on the OC to create favourable matchups and on the QB to get him the ball. That will change next week. I agree Bowles just can’t seem to keep his teams focused. Everyone was saying trap game all week. It wasn’t even close! How does this happen to an NFL team proving they can compete with the best teams. I don’t get it. In these games, they need to find a spark. Irving should have been fed the ball all game. Dennis should have replaced Britt after that outside run. I don’t even know what to say about the pass rush. Right now that can’t even get sacks on backups and guys who are hobbled and barely able to play. Its bad, but I also get they do not have to very good DTs. Still no.sacks is inexcuseable. This needs to be looked at, maybe make a.move. Tampa is the 2nd youngest team in the NFL. They have a good foundation but sometimes.you just need that key player to help. Go get a legit pass rusher.
September 23rd, 2024 at 8:58 am
Bowles is meh at best. Idk if it’s arrogance or ignorance, but Bowles doesn’t think OLBs need sacks. He prefers to beat offenses with smoke and mirrors, trixie CB blitzes, edges dropping back to cover the slot…. wtf, these tricks only work when your stars are available. When they’re out (and they are out a lot), you’re left with a base defense with a bunch of undersized OLBs, slow ILB, and career backup interior DL. Todd needs to take a look in the mirror (without the smoke) and realize his “genius” is dated and has been hacked. This team’s lack of fire and inability to adjust directly reflects this HC.
Re: offense… Licht needs to end his ginger OL obsession. Mauch is too small. A chip and release G who just ain’t cutting it. Never did. If they are so enamored with him, cut Kief (waisted, never used roster spot) and make Mauch your new never to be seen TE and let him chip away. And if all the blather last week about Baker making calls at the line is true, then somebody please get him a booster chair so he can see down field.
September 23rd, 2024 at 8:59 am
People are delusional idiots…. “We seen this coming, The writing was on the wall, Classic trap game”. Bullsh**, bullsh**, bullsh**. All terrible excuses. Just because you are a fan you feel you can’t say anything bad. I’m a long-time fan and I’m realistic. Win games you are supposed to win, and quit shitting all over my TV and on the field for your fans in your house. There is no excuses. It’s total crap and absolutely embarrassing.
September 23rd, 2024 at 9:01 am
Is Raheem Morris really the Falcons HC? That sure looked like a Morris coached effort yesterday.
September 23rd, 2024 at 9:23 am
The TEAM that showed up against Washington MIGHT win 9-10 more games this season. The TEAM that showed up in Detroit MIGHT win 7-8 more games this season. The team (?) that showed up yesterday will be lucky to win 2 more games this season. Talent levels matter. And coaching matters.
We were pretty much fully stocked against the Commanders, except for Kancey. Both our offense AND our defense played solid football. Against the lions though we were missing Vea, Kancey, Winfield, Goedeke & Bryce Hall, but their replacements played lights-out for the most part, AND the Lions MIGHT have taken a win a bit for granted (hmmm, sounds familiar).
Against the Broncos we were still missing Vea, Kancey, Winfield and Goedeke as starters, BUT their replacements didn’t show up at all. Matter of fact, most of our starters didn’t bother showing up either. Everybody was looking for someone else to make the BIG PLAY, and no one made it. We were never REALLY in that ball game, on either side of the ball.
Talent matters. Our starting defensive front yesterday consisted of Gaines (4th Rnd pick), Hall (2nd Rnd), Brewer (Undrafted), Greene (Undrafted), JTS (1stRnd) and Diaby (3rd Rnd). They were backed up by a interior LB corps of 34-year-old LVD (2nd Rnd), Britt (5th Rnd) & Dennis (5th Rnd), and a Secondary of Dean (3rd Rnd), McCollum (5th Rnd), Tykee Smith (3rd Rnd), Whitehead (4th Rnd) & Izien (Undrafted).
Talent matters, but so does coaching. We’ve all seen many instances where a later round pick excels (Tom Brady?), but there’s a reason why that’s ‘the exception rather than the rule’. The most talented guys normally get drafted earlier than the less talented? Excellent coaching can to an extent IMO make up
for a lower talent level, but only to a degree. You’ve still gotta have the horses to pull the wagon. Bucs have gone cheap out of necessity these past couple of years. For this team to break even it’ll have to play well above its pay grade. Certainly didn’t do that yesterday.
September 23rd, 2024 at 9:27 am
Once in a while a team lays an egg so rotten that fans see the truth and lose faith.
This team was never competitive in that game from kick-off to final whistle.
This game reminded me of “Tenessee Ready,” and that ugly TNF debacle with the Falcons took the Bucs to the woodshed 56-14.
The fact I compare the current coaching staff to Lovie Smith’s tells you my confidence level. That game should NEVER have happened.
“Veteran Leadership?” Really? PFFFFFFFT.
I saw NOTHING from this team, and I was expecting a trap game loss. I thought the Bucs would at least be competitive. They performed even lower than my already-low expectations.
I also saw that Coen is NOT some offensive savant. The fact that he could not scheme anyone open or that he had no answer for a pedestrian pass rush—there should have been 10 sacks—showed me everything I wanted to know.
This team either learned an important but painful lesson, or the wheels come off.
We will know against the Iggles.
If Bo Nix…BO FRICKIN’ NIX…can gash this team on the ground, just imagine what Hutrs might do.
I may bet my entire net worth on the Iggles next week. I’m not sure this team has the grit…or “moxie”…to dig themselves out of this hole, even if the walking wounded return.
September 23rd, 2024 at 9:34 am
Sure would have been nice to see the highest paid S or LT in the league, a future hall of famer who just got pd, an average QB who just got top their cash getting vocal on the sidelines, firing up team mates, LEADING. I guess they lead to the trough, quench their thirst, and are satisfied
September 23rd, 2024 at 9:34 am
I live in Denver. Yup, my Monday is not going well. At all. Of all the teams to lose to, we not only lost to them, we were flat awful. Even Wirfs was not that good. If your name wasn’t Bucky Irving, or Zyon Mccollum you should be ashamed of yourselves. I do not believe I’ve ever seen a pass rush that bad. Nix had time to compose his autobiography back there. What is it going to take to realize that Irving is a better RB and Dennis is a better ILB that we have going on there currently? There has to be someone, somewhere, that can rush the passer better than the collection of nobodies whose only “moves” are “run real fast around the Tackle” and “push straight ahead”. Greg Gaines on passing downs?! Just say no. After last week I thought this week would be like going to a Metallica show. Instead I got a Flock of Seagulls show. UGH!
September 23rd, 2024 at 9:45 am
For those ragging on Baker Mayfield, he’s currently 61-of-82 (74.4%) for 637 passing yards, has thrown 6 TDs against 2 INTs, rushed 8 times for 55 yards & 1 TD, and oh ya, has absorbed 14 sacks in just 3 games.
On the season, he’d be 346-of-492 (74.4%) for 3,610 passing yards, 34 TDs passing against 11 INTs, rushed 45 times for 312 yards & 6 TDs, and oh ya, absorbed 79 sacks. Baker’s fairly well on-track for having a pretty good season EXCEPT for (1) the sacks; and (2) the low passing yardage. He’s cost himself some sacks (holding the ball too long?), but also saved us some sacks (Houdini act?). The low passing yardage IMO is largely due to the game plan that Coen is putting together (tons of short passes but very few deep passes).
Baker actually had a decent game yesterday stats-wise … 25-of-33 (75.8%) but almost all were just short passes (only 1 officially was deep … Incomplete … and the other deep pass drew a pass interference penalty). Dink-and-dunk works best with an effective running game, and we didn’t have that.
September 23rd, 2024 at 9:49 am
If the players don’t play they need their a…. chewed out.
If the coaches don’t coach they need their a…. chewed out.
If the GM doesn’t chew out the a.. of the head coach after a performance like that, then he should be next in line for an a.. chewing.
To the Glazers; I’m proud to see the Bucs finally seem to be on solid ground after almost half a century. All is not lost but all should be held to account.
One of the Joes is angry with me for laying out the case that BA & BL & TB should be held to account.
Yesterdays sad performance is what happens when nobody gets held to account. I’m not saying fire people, I’m just saying that the burner needs needs to be placed under everyones a..
This entire team doesn’t appear to seriously desire to win another super bowl. They have the talent to do that.
September 23rd, 2024 at 9:52 am
Cobraboy Says:
September 23rd, 2024 at 9:27 am
^^^^^
Well said, my sentiments exactly !
September 23rd, 2024 at 9:52 am
No matter who we were missing the Bucs still should’ve won!! They were slapped on both cheeks yesterday. Eagles up. I think next week is wayyy important.
September 23rd, 2024 at 10:07 am
Time to flush this game down the toilet. Next up is the Eagles. They dominated the Saints at their place. Bucs need to focus on what’s ahead. They need to be ready for a dog fight.
September 23rd, 2024 at 10:07 am
If Winfield, Vea, Kancey, and Goedeke return next week they need to make a statement and put their teammates on notice. Luke the lifter needs to get in the face of his good buddy Tristan. Mayfield needs to take a whiff of smelling salts and come out of his trance.
The lug nuts are loose. I agree with Cobra Boy, the wheels may indeed be coming off.
I don’t think we will beat Philly. Prove me wrong Bucs.
September 23rd, 2024 at 10:25 am
In my opinion (and I don’t know all the facts) TB12 not retiring after the SB led to the scenario we face today. Had TB12 kept his ego in check and remained a pro and not (rumors say) gotten BA fired we may had another super bowl and he may have had his 8th. Nobody knows how things would have evolved had that scenario played out.
Who knows, maybe BL would have been a great head coach. Tom Moore spoke highly of him. I still contend that egos and vindictive retribution got out of control.
Jason Licht did a masterful job glueing the broken glass back together. He needs to rise to the occasion again.
September 23rd, 2024 at 10:29 am
This is the sort of test that can make Jason one of the best ever.
September 23rd, 2024 at 11:05 am
Evans isn’t getting separation. If y’all got All 22, put the game on… Looks like he’s a 4.7 or 4.8 guy this year unfortunately.
Even if you don’t have the All 22…. Watch his game 1 highlights… Those catches he got, all contested. Corners on him like glue….
And it’s having a big effect. Baker is basically only looking for Godwin at this point. Thankfully, Godwin is sooooooo comfortable in the slot.