Flash poll posted at 5:12 a.m.

The man Buccaneers Ring of Honor general manager Jason Licht allowed behind the scenes of his 2020 NFL Draft decisions, a guy who for decades was catered to at One Buc Palace, is no fan of the current team. [read more]

Fateful slogan?

This is a depressing column and Joe fears a more depressing one is on the way within the next two weeks. [read more]

Another week, another flop.

Boy, a quarterback’s best friend isn’t a running game. It’s a Todd Bowles defense. [read more]

Welcome to your Morning Cup of Joe, an eye-opener to help Joe’s readers ease into their busy workday with a few football links, wacky news and a pleasant distraction. [read more]

Heat from national scribes now on.

It was not lost on Joe that the sweatshirt Bucs coach Todd Bowles wore on the sidelines yesterday was emblazoned with one of the NFL’s catchphrases, “Inspire Change.” [read more]

Falcons head coach Raheem Morris

Who would have thought that Falcons quarterback Kirk “You Like That Again” Cousins would throw for less than 200 yards today and an interception? [read more]

Bad game.

When Luke Goedeke was drafted in 2022, the Bucs tried him at left guard after the shocking retirement of Ali Marpet. Goedeke came into the league as a right tackle at Central Michigan. [read more]

Five weeks ago in Buffalo, Joe shared, somewhat in disbelief after a tough loss, how Lavonte David and his Bucs teammates felt the team was on the right track. [read more]

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BY IRA KAUFMAN

Dumb and dumber.

It’s hard to win in the National Football League when you play sloppy and you coach stupid. The Bucs were guilty of both infractions Sunday in a 23-20 loss at Carolina that cost them a 96 percent chance to make the postseason.

Instead, the Panthers find themselves on top of the NFC South at 8-7 while the Bucs fell to 7-8 with their sixth setback in the past seven weeks. Unless Tampa Bay stumbles next week at Miami while Carolina upsets Seattle, the Bucs can still extend their playoff streak to six consecutive seasons by downing the Panthers at home in the regular-season finale.

Predictably, the Bucs don’t make things easy. [read more]

An diehard optimist might say the Bucs straightened out their horrific and undisciplined special teams unit that was hurting the team early this season.

Joe can’t say that. Just look at what happened today before the final Bucs drive. [read more]

“That’s the math, Mr. Glazer.”

Playoffs? Playoffs! Playoffs??

Yes, the Bucs (7-8) can still win their fifth consecutive NFC South title after losing today to the Panthers in Charlotte. What a country! [read more]

“Ed, now you know what burning money smells like.”

Unless Bucs coach Todd Bowles ordered offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard not to throw the ball or Grizzard and Bowles were so scared Baker Mayfield would lose the game, there is no way to explain the passing stats of the Bucs today. [read more]

Bucs QB Baker Mayfield.

Baker Mayfield appeared on the Buccaneers Radio Network after the game and explained what he thought happened on the game-ending (season-ending?) interception late in the loss to the Stinking Panthers. [read more]

Why, Josh?

Joe needs to know, and Bucs fans deserve to know. The Bucs need to come clean on this. [read more]

#Fail.

All year long, Bucs fans as well as Bucs types from suits all the way down to the towel boys, pined for when the Bucs got Mike Evans and Jalen McMillan back healthy. [read more]