So Sunday marks the first truly high-stakes Panthers home game in December since the 2018 season.

Tied with the Bucs atop the NFC South, Carolina (7-7) has reached a potentially pivotal moment in its franchise history. [read more]

Flash poll posted at 1:26 p.m. Poll closed at 2:39 p.m.

Yesterday, Joe asked Todd Bowles if he’s had any fun in the past week looking back on his profanity-laced postgame rant that went viral and will live on, Joe suspects, for decades.

Did players needle him? Did he get any fun texts? [read more]

Chiefs CB Trent McDuffie.

Joe is hesitant to type about 2026 because we’re still in 2025 and the Bucs are in the thick of a playoff hunt.

But given the source for this connect-the-dots speculation, Joe believes it has credibility. [read more]

Rookie cornerback Jacob Parrish is not alone.

Joe expects more from the Buccaneers rookies. [read more]

Tight end Devin Culp.

One reason Joe was stoked that Bucs tight end Devin Culp caught a touchdown pass down the hashmarks last week was that it proved something. [read more]

Joe keeps hearing nonsense on radio and on social media about how the Bucs must sweep the Panthers to reach the playoffs. [read more]

Mike Evans

The cavalry arrived! Too bad they didn’t have enough of the right kind of ammunition. [read more]

Bucs coach Todd Bowles.

Look, Joe has no idea how many bad apples are in the Bucs’ locker room. Joe has a few suspects, but that’s all it is. [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]

Shady, but helps Bucs.

When Joe looked at the how the Bucs could win two of the three remaining games of the regular season to get in the playoffs, Joe had pretty much banked on the Bucs-Dolphins game next week in Miami as an L for the pewter pirates. [read more]

First start coming?

Unless Bucs coach Todd Bowles does some juggling to his secondary — given how his defense has played the past six weeks, he may want to think about it — it appears rookie Benjamin Morrison will get the first start of his NFL career Sunday when the Bucs face the Stinking Panthers. [read more]

Mike Evans said he played “OK.”

We all (Joe assumes) saw the video of Mike Evans crashing out at the end of Thursday night’s gutless loss, hollering “Third and 28!” [read more]

Injury-free? Finally?

Health will not be a major excuse if the Buccaneers can’t beat the stumbling Panthers on Sunday afternoon. [read more]

Baker Mayfield

Sort of a roundabout and somewhat strange answer by Baker Mayfied today to a question about head coach Todd Bowles. [read more]

A family-owned Tampa icon since 1960, one mile north of the stadium on Dale Mabry Highway.

So it’s Week 2 on the Buccaneers practice squad for Jason Pierre-Paul, who the Bucs re-signed off his couch this month. [read more]

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The Sage of Tampa Bay Sports and Joe have plenty of perspective to share.

The wisdom and fun of Ira and Joe is presented by Bill Currie Ford. Click play above or listen at Apple Podcasts or Podbean.com. Many other platforms, too, including iHeartRadio.

A family business since 1960, Bill Currie Ford is one mile north of Raymond James Stadium on Dale Mabry Highway, and Bill Currie Ford GM Sean Sullivan is Ira’s great friend. He’s ready to help you personally — and to give you the Ira Kaufman discount on top of all their amazing deals. E-mail, call or visit Sean at the Bill Currie showroom.

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Todd offers proof that “cute moves” would have or did win fantasy playoff games last week. The Todd Wright Fantasy Football Podcast is presented by Hooters!

Click above to listen or download, or at Apple Podcasts, Podbean, iHeart Radio and many more platforms!

Can he find the right buttons to push?

If the Bucs have a pulse, if unnamed defensive players Bucs coach Todd Bowles called out last week have a heartbeat, now is the time to show it. [read more]