“They’re Checking Out At Thanksgiving”
November 19th, 2024
Bucco Bruce Arians
The remaining Bucs opponents have a combined record of 24-47.
But facing a team during the holiday season is about more than just its record. Players on losing clubs aren’t always giving their best late in a lost season.
For some, that many have nothing to do with gameday effort. It might only be about pregame preparation.
For others, yeah, they might make business decisions when it comes to tackling and hustling.
This subject arose recently when Bucs Super Bowl-winning head coach Bucco Bruce Arians visited the Barstool Gambling show.
Co-host Will Compton, the retired linebacker, referenced how he had been a part of bad teams and saw players spending far too much time focused on postseason vacation plans instead of football. Arians eagerly jumped in and said, “They’re checking out at Thanksgiving.”
Joe saw evidence of this during The Lost Decade of Buccaneers football (2009-2018). Also, a former Bucs assistant coach once told Joe over a cold beverage that many assistant coaches are glued to media late in a bad season because they’re concerned about their current jobs — in addition to exploring potential opportunities with new teams.
Joe’s takeaway was that coaches also get distracted when a team is circling the drain.
On Sunday, the Bucs face a tanking Giants club in New Jersey before heading to play the depleted Panthers at Carolina (a team that just traded quality players for draft picks via trade).
After that, the Raiders (2-8) make a December trip to Tampa from Vegas for a 1 o’clock kickoff.
The Bucs (4-6) simply cannot lose those games against those teams.
Bring canned foods to help local food banks and/or a toy for a local child.
Bill Currie Ford, a mile north of the stadium on Dale Mabry Highway, is the place to watch the Bucs on Sunday. The watch party runs from noon through the end of the game. Come anytime!!
Martin Gramatica will be there all day and Bill Currie Ford will feed you! Raffles and more.
November 19th, 2024 at 5:07 pm
We may get the giants best Sunday bc of the qb change and the bye, but we have no excuse not to go 6-1 to end the year. We face 6 bad qbs as well (b young twice). A 4-3 record or worse to end the year should bring major changes.
November 19th, 2024 at 5:12 pm
I know that I would feel much less anxious if we were 7-6 after the next 3 contests. I think Atlanta is going to fall off and we must keep Nola at bay. If we lose one more game and it is to the Chargers, then I believe we win the division. All that said, if the defense continues to suck at historically bad levels I can also see finishing with only 6 or 7 wins if that many.
November 19th, 2024 at 5:17 pm
Anything less than 5-2 is unacceptable.
November 19th, 2024 at 5:24 pm
The best we will go is 5-2. We’re not beating the Chargers and the Stanks ain’t circling now that they got Inspector Gadget Hill back. 9-8 won’t be good enough for the playoffs
November 19th, 2024 at 5:31 pm
Oh don’t you worry, Toilet Bowles can serve up quite the turd. Just in time for the holidays, I’m sure our defensive backfield is cooking up something special.
November 19th, 2024 at 5:53 pm
Toilet Bowels will go 1-6 in games after the bye.
One score game epic loss coming up.
“Just gotta do better”
Hahahahahahah!!!
November 19th, 2024 at 6:02 pm
Bucs will win just enough of these games against really bad teams for Bowles to keep his job
November 19th, 2024 at 6:18 pm
Mayfield and the offense will do their part! Will anyone else?
November 19th, 2024 at 6:26 pm
So many are banking on the sorriness of opponents to get a winning record and get in the playoffs to get embarrassed nationally and be stuck another season with one of the nfls worst HC for another year…
November 19th, 2024 at 6:26 pm
The level of disrespect towards our coach on this page is juvenile and rude.
November 19th, 2024 at 6:43 pm
I agree with the Sage, with this defense anything is possible.
I can see the Bucs splitting with Car and NO. Division games tend to be that way. I don’t see us beating the Chargers. Yes would love to see the Bucs run the table, but this defense, well would not be surprised if we list any remaining game until the defense proves otherwise
November 19th, 2024 at 6:46 pm
One of these remaining taking teams would beat us on accident because Todd Bowles is head coach
November 19th, 2024 at 7:00 pm
I say we gotta win them all. Even the saints and chargers. We need to prove to ourselves that we can beat good teams. If we can’t we oughta be tanking for an edge rusher
November 19th, 2024 at 7:09 pm
The record at the end of the season may not reflect how many holes are on this team
November 19th, 2024 at 7:35 pm
I’m not confident about Sunday. Hopeful but not confident. Please prove me wrong.
November 19th, 2024 at 7:43 pm
To other posters…
I am not banking on the sorriness of Bucs opponents… I’m banking on our defensive HC being able to stop some of the worst offenses in the league and our 27 pt per game offense putting up points on some bad teams. I’m banking on the Bucs talent winning out cause even with injuries this team is better on paper than Carolina, NY, LV, NO, DAL.
If they don’t…. It’s on the coaches! Yeah players gotta show up but whose job is it to get them prepared and mentally ready to show up!
Bowles has my respect for helping win a SB, for being a great guy and being a guy that the players respect. It’s nice to have a coach like that but not at the expense of winning. Bowles has proven over these last 3 years he can’t win the big games. It’s over for him. You know why these division games are always rough and we are worried about Car/ NO and why we lost to ATL twice? Coaching. That’s it. They all know Bowles, they know what he likes to do and they know his conservative ways. JTS, Nelson, Vea, Kancey, Gholston, Gaines, David, Britt, Dean, McCollum, Winfield…. all first year in Bowles system right? Communication and tackling are problems… oh boy… let’s make sure we give Todd his due respect though.
November 19th, 2024 at 7:54 pm
Mayfield is a fighter and want to take the Bucs to the playoffs. He’s capable of going deep into the playoffs
November 19th, 2024 at 8:33 pm
The nofence will take down the Bucs like they have all year
November 19th, 2024 at 8:57 pm
Joe- i think what you were forgetting with all these articles of us going7-1 The rest of the season is that we’re one of the bad teams too. If you really are what your record says, we are 4-6. I’d like to see us win out, but our defense doesn’t look like they can do it to me.
November 19th, 2024 at 10:06 pm
Buc BUc Buc.. why are we juvenile and rude when we all watch it happen every week?
Bowles makes bad decision ie. see time outs
Defense is giving up record amount of yardage
Top talent is not playing to their pay scale .
No accountability for mistakes
Poor tackling
Players out of position not rookies or second stringers either
I agree with pewter power that we lose a game by accident due to bowles coaching.
November 19th, 2024 at 10:08 pm
A truth to keep in mind is that the Bucs manufacture new ways to lose. If they win 2 of those games mentioned above they will be extremely fortunate. I harbor no fantasy that the Bucs will be in the playoffs.
November 19th, 2024 at 10:39 pm
Buc BUc Buc.. why are we juvenile and rude when we all watch it happen every week?
Bowles makes bad decision ie. see time outs
Defense is giving up record amount of yardage
Top talent is not playing to their pay scale .
No accountability for mistakes
Poor tackling
Players out of position not rookies or second stringers either
I agree with pewter power that we lose a game by accident due to bowles coaching.
Ps do u see who we are playing this week .. new quarterback. U knw how we do against rookie or 2nd string quarterbacks
November 19th, 2024 at 11:04 pm
4-13 poppets. The clue bus left when BA handed the wheel to this guy.
Now we are watching the clueless bus. And it’s a short bus.
November 20th, 2024 at 4:22 am
Agreeing about the distractions, including the holidays.
The Bucs know they must win the games ahead. especially the Giants. So much on the line now. Still optimistically hopeful. Go Bucs!