“How Is Mr. Irrelevant Carving Us Up? Is Our Defense That Bad?”

October 7th, 2024

Recalls losing to Brock Purdy.

It was a day that will be celebrated in Northern California like so many, many other 49ers highlights.

It also was a day remembered in West-Central Florida like so many, many other Bucs lowlights.

Two seasons ago, then-49ers rookie quarterback Brock Purdy, the last pick in the 2022 draft, took over for hurt Super Bowl quarterback Jimmy GQ. Purdy torched the Bucs for three touchdowns to bodyslam the reigning NFC South champs 35-7 on a cold, dreary, rainy Silicon Valley Sunday.

Tom Brady recounted that game as he called the Cardinals-49ers game yesterday on FOX.

It seemed Brady, the Tampa Bay quarterback that day, sensed something wrong with his Bucs.

“I’m sitting on the sideline and I’m like ‘How is Mr. Irrelevant carving us up?” Brady said. “‘Is our defense that bad?’ It turns out that Brock is just that good.”

The Bucs were never in the game after a touchdown bomb from Brady to Mike Evans was wiped off the board for a Donovan Smith hold on the second play of the Bucs’ second possession.

It was like someone let the air of a balloon.

Bucs players seemed mentally checked out in the second half, like they wanted to be out of the rain and back home in the Florida sun.

Then Joe remembers seeing Brady reading the riot act to his offensive teammates. He was fired up yelling and his body language was saying, if you don’t get your heads out of your arses and start playing with passion, I’m not buying any Dairy Queen on the way home.

There was no reaction from Brady’s teammates.

No one started shaking a fist or hollering. No one challenged Brady. They all just sat there with a glum look on their faces staring straight ahead.

It was at that moment Joe began to believe the Bucs had tuned Brady out.

18 Responses to ““How Is Mr. Irrelevant Carving Us Up? Is Our Defense That Bad?””

  1. DoooshLaRue Says:

    The Durable Donnie effect.

  2. Truth be Told Says:

    Brady has gotten pretty good pretty quickly with his new gig.

  3. MF Bucs Says:

    I was at that game, that was a rough watch.

  4. Tampabaybucfan Says:

    How about an article on the storm and its effect on practice, travel.

  5. LVMYBUCS Says:

    How about we need a changer in Tampa out with the old and in with the new coaches. Bowles plays scared to much for me.

  6. PSL Bob Says:

    It seems that every time a rookie or backup QB is on the schedule, Joe preaches how we are going to easily subdue him and win the game – Brock Purdy, Justin Herbert, etc. Although we beat the Commanders with their rookie Jayden Daniels, it’s probably a good thing we played them before he got settled in to their operations. He’s lighting things up now. And that immobile Kirk Cousins that Joe said we should feast on. Can you say 509 yards passing? The point is, forget the credentials or perceived weakness of the opposing QB. It doesn’t matter. We need to prepare for every game as if we’re facing an all-pro. The defensive coaching guru just didn’t have a good game plan ready for the Falcons. In the absence of a consistent pass rush, Cousins carved us up. Some of that is on the secondary, but much is on the coaching.

  7. Jack Burton Mercer Says:

    Donovan Smith, the Eraser. No one in Bucs history erased more points off the board than that guy.

  8. Pewter Power Says:

    No you got it wrong Brady tuned the Bucs out!

    It’s hard to be around the loser mentality. Brady is the one who has to come change the culture and licht and bragged about it. These so called stars on our team don’t have the testicular fortitude to offend anyone on game day.

  9. D-Rome Says:

    Brady has gotten pretty good pretty quickly with his new gig.

    I agree. He’s good, but not great yet. He could get there though. When he called the Bucs game he was surprisingly good.

  10. Irish Laughter Says:

    I knew that comment would end up on Joe Buc’s hit list. Tom keep your mouth shut abut the Bucs. (Even if it is in jest.) We don’t want to hear about your experiences with Tampa Bay and the two super bowls we should have won. Keeping it real in Ireland.

  11. Tampabaybucfan Says:

    Hey Tom, how about your offense scoring 7 points in that game…..STFU

  12. Booger Says:

    It wasn’t HIS fault we didn’t win that second. INJURIES were. Hell, the very FIRST GAME the Defensive Starters ever played together at full-strength, was in The Playoffs, & THEN we didn’t even have WIRFS for that Rams game against Aaron Freakin’ Donald. That HIT that Gronk took in regular season game versus the Rams, effectively ENDED his career…. Was never the same after that. We’d already LOST Godwin earlier in that season, & Lenny was all banged-up. AND, Bruce ran-off AB handing it miserably, & pissing off Brady in the process… We HAD TO have him after losing both Godwin and (basically) Gronk. Plus, it was NOT Brady’s fault that the DEFENSE broke down in OT was the Rams. Brady SHOULDA WON the MVP that season… Hell, HE was ‘tuned-in’ that he literally, woke-up & lost his WIFE.

  13. heyjude Says:

    Brady is doing wonderful with his new role. Agree about Purdy too. He is quiet, humble, put’s his head down and gets it done. Respect.

  14. JD Says:

    Many of you guys don’t have a clue! Thanks TB! Ignore the idiots!

  15. PassingThru Says:

    Donovan Smith went into a career tailspin that season and never recovered. It wasn’t injury. He was young by vet LT standards. Now he’s sitting by the phone, hoping it’ll ring.

    I think the biggest problem started before the season started. Ali Marpet, one of the best OGs in the game retired. Stinnie fell on Ryan Jensen’s knee, tearing his ACL, MCL, PCL, meniscus, and fractured his tibial head and cartilage. How the hell he managed to suit up for a postseason game is beyond my comprehension. Fournette showing up as a lard-ass only added to the troubles. He was supposed to be a leader, and there wasn’t depth at RB.

    The team struggled during camp and the preseason. Forget the missed TD, that Bucs team was doomed from Day 1, and as Booger pointed out, it only got worse and worse as the season progressed.

  16. churrasco Says:

    Funny how Purdy was a nobody until Jimmy Garoppolo went down and Purdy went in and carved up the Bucs. Just like a guy named Favre was a nobody until Don Majkowski went down and Favre went in and carved up the Bengals. So many stories like this in NFL history. And yet JBF hosts so many mommy’s-basement GMs who “know” our nobody backup – who has never played – can’t play. LMAO. We’ll know for real next season.

  17. Booger Says:

    You’re talking about that final 3rd season, “PassingThru.” All TRUE. I was referring to that second season going for the repeat!!!! That “Irish Laughter” dude was referring to those “TWO Super Bowls we SHOULD’VE won,” saying he’s “keeping it real!?” So, I’m like yeah, rightttt… Whatever, CLOWN. All the injuries that season (Godwin/Gronk/AB/Wirfs/the entire Secondary) had a helluva lot more to do with it than what Tom Fricking BRADY ever did… Tom was un-freakin-believable that year!!!! That last final year, we never really had a prayer & you were right with it beginning in training camp… And, Tom’s personal life and marriage issues.

  18. orlbucfan Says:

    We never needed AB the headcase to win the SB. Nor Gronkowski. They were added to placate Brady who also wasn’t essential. The 2020 Bucs team was SB ready ‘cept for QB. A competent one would have served the purpose.