Bucs Scare Offensive Linemen
January 4th, 2025
No, this post has nothing to do with the Tampa Bay edge rush or tomorrow’s return of Bucs sacks king Shaq Barrett.
It’s about how retired offensive linemen view the Bucs as a giant that analysts are snoozing on for the postseason.
“I think the Bucs are the sleeper team to me,” said Amazon analyst and retired left tackle Andrew Whitworth, the four-time Pro Bowler.
“They’re that team that you have no idea. I mean, I’m sure gambling people hate the Buccaneers because you have zero idea who they’re going to be week in and week out.
“I feel like they could show up and beat the No. 1 or No. 2 [seed] and you’d be like, ‘You know what? That’s Tampa.”
Whitworth was chatting on his podcast with ex-Bucs QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, who agreed with his co-host.
Justin Pugh, the 11-year guard and tackle, was adamant about the Bucs on the Clean Pocket podcast. “They are built for the playoffs. They are built for this run,” he said.
Co-host A.Q. Shipley, a Bucs backup center in 2020 and assistant coach in 2021, trains Bucs center Robert Hainsey privately and is known for candid takes on ESPN. He, too, was firm about the Bucs.
“If I’m any team in the NFC, I do not want to play the Bucs,” Shipley said. “People don’t realize about the Bucs; they’re top-5 in almost every rushing category. They fit playoff football. Almost everything about them fits playoff fooball.”
Joe thinks the Bucs fit playoff football, too, though their defense isn’t postseason-caliber. Still, there are enough playmakers on that side of the ball to give the mighty Bucs offense a chance to outscore playoff opponents.
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January 4th, 2025 at 4:28 pm
Our Defense is the wild card. So many games they looked terrible. They have to play better.
Hopefully, Shaq can inspire better play out of the D and have a onfield impact himself.
January 4th, 2025 at 4:47 pm
Just let Braswell rush please! Stop dropping him into coverage.
January 4th, 2025 at 4:58 pm
Tomorrow’s game is a critical game for the franchise for more than just the obvious desire to reach the playoffs.
They need to put some demons to rest. IF the Bucs lose but still get in because the Falcons also lose that will be very very poor consolation. I love the Bucs but in honesty I think any unprejudiced fan would say the Bucs don’t DESERVE to be in the playoffs if they lose tomorrow.
Having said that I’ll obviously still root for them if they backdoor their way in but it will leave a bad taste that even a first round win would not wash away. 2nd round neither. Reach the Conference Championship and play well perhaps.
Bottom line is there are a lot of obvious reasons this team is the wild card, and so unpredictable.
First of course are the injuries. Is ME13 all the way back as he appears to be? How about Bucky’s health? No Winfield and for many games other key elements missing. It’s hard to get a read on a team when they start so many different players in different positions..that’s the Bucs D.
But clearly the offense has arrived and the D may be just around the corner. May require the return of Winfield and a great draft to close the deal but the Bucs have potential there as well.
January 4th, 2025 at 5:11 pm
Too bad our defense is injury riddled and lacks depth and top end talent
January 4th, 2025 at 5:21 pm
The national hype is nice but bucs defense is a liability. It’s not a playoff defense.
January 4th, 2025 at 5:56 pm
Everything changes in the playoffs.
January 4th, 2025 at 6:27 pm
all hype sometimes they can barely beat a bad team… i never know which bucs team is going to show up
January 4th, 2025 at 6:57 pm
Where is the Bucs defense that Played the Lions the 2’nd game of the season? Did all the injuries derail them or do they still have the capability to put on that type of show?
January 4th, 2025 at 7:08 pm
Losing Whitehead for the rest of the season doesn’t help an already decimated secondary. It is what it is.
January 4th, 2025 at 8:00 pm
I agree it’s difficult to predict how far the Bucs will get. It wouldn’t surprise me if they get knocked out in the first round. It also wouldn’t surprise me to see them become the NFC Champions.
Their defense is not playoff caliber but if their offense plays up to its potential they’ll be competitive with anyone.
For their game tomorrow I’m predicting Bucs win: 41-20
January 4th, 2025 at 9:29 pm
The multiple collapses the Bucs have shown after impressive wins, as Joe has articulated several times (Lions win following Commanders doesn’t count, no one through Washington was any good then) — scares me. Especially against the Saints.
A different Head Coach and Defensive Coordinator would embue more confidence.
January 5th, 2025 at 7:50 am
It’s nice to see us get those kinds of plaudits from guys who’ve actually played in the trenches.
Although the point about “which team is actually going to show up”, is both a valid and good one.
Like everyone else, my biggest concern is our defense. If our D shows up today and continues to show up in the post season, we’ll absolutely make a deep run.
January 5th, 2025 at 11:06 am
It’s sad that we are even having this conversation about the defense. It has been a known problem right in front of our eyes for the past two and a half years. We have seen the decline plus other NFL teams have figured out how to attack and succeed against this defensive scheme. Between the hash marks we are awful, and without a consistent and persistent pass rush we could see this scheme exploited ann oh by the way, we already have. The better NFC teams will have their hands full with this offense, the defense is another story.
January 5th, 2025 at 12:18 pm
Today feels like another 50 and I ain’t talking shots either. Yes this defense isn’t really ready, but could they stop a team twice during a game and the offense put the points up ?? I’m still hopeful about the future. Let’s Go Bucs!!!!