Playoffs May Hinge On Sunday’s Outcome?
November 7th, 2024
Bucs coach Todd Bowles.
There is a split point of view of the Bucs and the playoffs at JoeBucsFan.com world headquarters. And it has nothing to do with pineapple on pizza.
One Joe thinks the Bucs schedule after the bye is so cotton soft that double-digit wins for the Bucs isn’t off the table. The other Joe scoffs at this thinking unless something drastic happens with this defense; it’s just a matter of time before this porous defense gives up the farm.
The Bucs have lost four of their last five games. And two were winnable with just a little bit of forward-thinking — and both came in overtime on the road.
If you believe in the calculators owned by the PFF tribe, Sunday’s game against the 49ers could very well be pivotal in the Bucs’ quest for a playoff berth.
The tribe believes the Bucs currently have a 33 percent shot at the playoffs without specifying division title or wild card berth.
If the Bucs beat the 49ers Sunday, that playoff percentage spikes to a 54 percent shot of playing meaningful football in January.
If the Bucs lose? That percentage drops to 22 percent.
So yeah, the season very well could ride of beating the physical and rested 49ers (they are coming off a bye) who might be getting Christian McCaffrey back.
Oh, goody!
November 7th, 2024 at 7:24 am
If we lose Sunday its all but over – soft schedule after the bye but we’d have to win them all with no margin for error which unfortunately with our defense just doesnt seem possible
November 7th, 2024 at 7:24 am
If it comes down to a decision by Todd, they will lose. He’s gutless and has no real faith in his offense and continues to be delusional about his defense.
November 7th, 2024 at 7:31 am
49er fans are in the same boat. Neither fan base can believe that their teams are where they’re at.
Got to win this week. Cardinals and Green Bay are shams. SMH at the Falcons.
November 7th, 2024 at 7:32 am
“Forward thinking” is clearly not in Coach Bowles wheelhouse. Nor is “defensive genius.” You’ve got the Chiefs at home on the ropes. Two point conversation probably puts the game away. It’s raining and the field is wet. Advantage offense – no? Toss sweep behind Wirfs to Bucky. He makes people miss on the regular – right? Nah…let’s see what Mahomes can do against this D in OT. Brilliant Coach.
November 7th, 2024 at 7:41 am
I am less worried about McCaffrey and the really good running game of the 49ers than what Purdy can possibly do to our soft zones in the middle of the field.
Hope i m wrong but we see this over and over again. Mahomes in the worst form of his life with 8-9 TDs/INTs before us had his best game of the year. Almost every QB does.
Go Bucs
November 7th, 2024 at 7:43 am
With an average defense we would smoke the niners unfortunately we have a well below average defense. Offense shows up defense doesn’t!!!!
November 7th, 2024 at 8:06 am
Playoffs are just something to talk about. With this defense, Bucs are not going anywhere even if they miraculously make playoffs. The entire league has seen how open the middle of the field is. That is not going to change until Licht drafts some defensive help. Would like to see more of Braswell.
November 7th, 2024 at 8:10 am
According to that graph, if I’m reading it right, there are currently 4 teams ahead of us in the wildcard chase. One loss might make that 5.
I don’t think we have room for another loss this season.
IF we want to sniff the playoffs.
November 7th, 2024 at 8:24 am
Soft schedule doesn’t guarantee wins…..TBBF is not optimistic……
November 7th, 2024 at 8:30 am
Soft schedule with a soft, passive, conservative, sleepy, tired head coach does not guarantee wins.
Bucs will finish with 7 wins max
November 7th, 2024 at 8:32 am
Bucs have 8 games left and likely need to win 6 of 8 to get 10 wins . 10 wins will get you in the playoffs and anything is possible after that.
November 7th, 2024 at 8:33 am
Both Joes are wrong. Double digit wins ain’t gonna happen and the defense has already given up the farm. Bowels has lost the defense.. it is 2011 Raheem Morris all aver again.
November 7th, 2024 at 8:47 am
Playoff talk is a fantasy with this HC and his horrible defense. Bucs would be better off playing their young players as an audition for next year and the new HC.
November 7th, 2024 at 8:51 am
Potentially one step closer to dumping Bowles and promoting the OC. Bowles feels it, he knows he’s got deliver at a minimum, a first rd playoff win. Even then I think ownership recognizes he’s hit his ceiling. The game is geared for offense and we clearly got a good OC that we can’t lose.
November 7th, 2024 at 9:16 am
If they lose Sunday I don’t think they can run the table like last year after the bye.
November 7th, 2024 at 9:17 am
But I’ll happily be wrong.
November 7th, 2024 at 9:39 am
Playoffs! lol! Nope. Time to fire clueless Todd.
November 7th, 2024 at 9:56 am
Stranger things have happened I suppose but It was over after Atlanta x2.. it wasn’t necessarily the score (although..), it was the blunders of bowles which continue and will continue. It was the defense which hasnt changed, at all, with the same personnel after the trade deadline. We might see a second year guy make a showing if he gets up to speed and that’s it, right? During defensive meetings, I can’t help but wonder, who’s the smartest person in the room? Because that mind will need to come up with a new brilliant way to defend to have a chance. Winning 6?… Pass that shiz
I love our offense though. It feels good watching good offensive football and knowing it’s from the Bucs.
November 7th, 2024 at 10:13 am
Doesn’t matter, no edge rush and soft zone makes a the playoffs a pipe dream
November 7th, 2024 at 10:52 am
It’s a sad day when a game in the first half of the season is do-or-die for the playoffs.
November 7th, 2024 at 11:00 am
The season was over when the team lost to the Falcons a second time. This team has the talent to have a winning record, but the coaching decisions are holding the team back.
November 7th, 2024 at 11:47 am
Cue Jim Mora.
“Playoffs?!” Etcetera. Another humiliating loss coming for the failed coich and his Cover Who defenseless.
The only chance is to fire Lovie immediately after the 49ers destroy the Bucs defense, and the shock of that with someone who would move the scheme into the 2010s at least, might be enough to squeak out a winning record. That’s the best upside we’ve got with Catatonic LovieII at the helm, running wide open directly at the iceberg.
November 7th, 2024 at 1:10 pm
the problem with the soft post bye schedule is this:
if you remember dungy’s first year, 1996 i think, we were a team in flux and started out like 1-8…and wound up like 6-10ish…so we won a good portion of our 2nd half of the season games to finish out…
that being said:
at least a couple of teams who look super soft right now are going to turn a corner at some point in the later half of the season – and have an optimistic finish to the back end of their season…it happens every year…
so we will be facing a couple teams who just might got 5-2 down the home stretch themselves – while right now they look soft and lost af…
so it’s just something to consider – because it pans out that way every year…
a 3-7 team finishes like 8-9 with a good strong finish, and excitement to build on going into the offseason…
please consider this when reviewing out post bye soft schedule…
(and also a couple teams who seem to be rolling on all cylinders, get spookily derailed for no apparent reason…i.e. the eagles last year – remember they went from number one to number none, like almost overnight – then we mopped their azzes up in the playoffs)
November 7th, 2024 at 1:13 pm
^^^
a prime example of this potentially could be a minnesota losing their last 4 games of the season
(if i had to gamble on a team to collapse, minnesota would be one to consider……..or even a green bay potentially)
November 7th, 2024 at 1:18 pm
The analytics showed 2 points v 1 point attempt were 50/50. The coin toss lost the game, not lack of “forward thinking”.