The Bucs, Takeaways And Winning Football Games
November 20th, 2024
How are the Bucs doing?
Joe was very, very surprised no one with the Bucs had whined about this stat this year.
Lousy Lovie Smith would have been bellyaching about this for weeks.
We all know how defensive coaches just love takeaways. The way some of these defensive guys go on and on about takeaways, Joe swears they believe they’re more important than points.
So Joe looked up how the Bucs are doing on takeaways. Bet you’ll be surprised.
Even with Baker Mayfield doing a solid job taking care of the football, the Bucs have just as many takeaways as they have offensive turnovers. The defense has taken the ball away from opponents 12 times through 10 games. The offense has coughed the ball up 12 times.
So the takeaway differential for the Bucs is dead-even, a big ol’ zero.
How does that rank? That puts the Bucs at No. 10 in the NFL. Who has the third-best takeaway differential? Da Bears, who very likely will can their coach in a few weeks.
(Joe has friends in Chicago and touched base with a few about dead man walking Matt Eberflus. Chicago is on fire wanting his head on a platter after the latest debacle Sunday against the Packers.)
Who has the fifth-worst in takeaway differential? It’s the 9-1 defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs.
As Joe has preached for years, football is not about turnovers. It’s about playing fundamentally sound — blocking, tackling and most importantly, which cannot be stressed enough, scoring touchdowns.
November 20th, 2024 at 9:13 am
The biggest takeaway that would help the Bucs win games is if they takeaway Bowles’ job! Aaaayooooo!
November 20th, 2024 at 9:14 am
You don’t get many interceptions when you don’t have a pass rush to force the quarterback in the stupid throws
November 20th, 2024 at 9:34 am
Joe, everyone knows the 3 fundamentals to playing good football are blocking, tackling, and hanging onto the football. Everyone except you and Barry Switzer. He’s the only coach I ever saw that his team could fumble the football 2 or 3 times a game and he’d act like it was just part of the game.
November 20th, 2024 at 9:44 am
Just hoping the Bowles reign is over.
November 20th, 2024 at 10:00 am
If the Bucs lose to the Giants. It’s time to clean the bowels of Bowles.
November 20th, 2024 at 10:01 am
Tykee has been great turnover machine and Winfield is AWOL. Two games against Jesse Bates has been painful. Baker got a little loose for a couple games but has turned it around.
November 20th, 2024 at 10:03 am
Winning turnover differential gives teams more opportunities to score points.
The Bears lead the NFL in points scored off turnovers.
The Bucs rank near the bottom in points scored off turnovers.
Most current playoff teams are winning the turnover differential AND they score points off the turnovers.
The Chiefs have an elite Defense that compensates for their struggling offense.
November 20th, 2024 at 10:17 am
Read somewhere that Baker hasn’t thrown a pick 6 in his career. That’s awfully impressive. This is his 7th year.
November 20th, 2024 at 12:09 pm
Beeej, you also don’t get interceptions when the DB isn’t in the same zip code as the receiver he’s covering. Pass rush has been bad, but the coverage might be worse. It all adds up the same, rotten defense period.
November 20th, 2024 at 12:21 pm
My takeaway this season has been, it’s not about how many you score, it’s about how many you give up.
November 20th, 2024 at 1:07 pm
The Giants offense will remind you of the 1999 Rams on Sunday. Just watch. Or actually, don’t watch. It will be fugly.
November 20th, 2024 at 2:13 pm
Actually Joe,
The most important part of football is the win-loss column.
Touchdowns are meaningless if you do not know how to win games.
See the 2024 Tampa Bay Buccaneers. We score, but only win 40% of the time.
It’s an overall attitude and philosophy that quite frankly Bowels doesn’t have.
He’s weak between the ears. With no ability to change.
November 20th, 2024 at 3:30 pm
Lt. Dan Says:
November 20th, 2024 at 9:44 am
Just hoping the Bowles reign is over.
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You are an idiot, and it’s not a reign. The HC is no king. You’re probably no Bucs fan either.