Contenders
December 6th, 2015
Contenders!
Today was a day we would find out if the Bucs were a pretender or a contender.
Folks, the Bucs are a contender.
They are contending for a wild card berth. The Bucs (6-6) now have a tiebreaker over the Dixie Chicks and are in possession of second place in the NFC South.
A win next week over the sad Saints and the Bucs will be 7-6 with three games to play.
Before this season, Joe would have been shocked if the Bucs were a playoff team, much less winners of more than six games. Joe thought six games was the absolute ceiling with a rookie quarterback, America’s Quarterback, Jameis Winston.
But a fun thing happened along the way: The rookie quarterback isn’t playing like a rookie, and if one was to stretch it ia little, Jameis may be the second-best quarterback in the division.
Things are happening around these parts, Bucs fans. You should have seen the look on players’ faces in the locker room. Even older veterans like Logan Mankins and Demar Dotson looked like teenagers after the game, they were so giddy.
Yes folks, the Bucs are not pretenders. They are contenders. Contenders for a wild card berth.
December 6th, 2015 at 5:40 pm
this is what happens when you have a true leader of men at QB
December 6th, 2015 at 5:51 pm
Jameis will lead us to the promised land. Believe it!
Maybe not this year – but this dude is going to win Super Bowls.
December 6th, 2015 at 5:57 pm
If you saw him in the locker room before the Clemson game in 2013, you aren’t surprised at this.
Leaders lead.
December 6th, 2015 at 6:02 pm
Look at some of the other teams around the league with a difference-maker at QB, and what they can do for a team – even w little talent around them: Pats, Panthers.
Winston has to keep growing!
December 6th, 2015 at 6:03 pm
I will not saying enough time, especially here ! How much I was wrong thinking we should draft Mariota !
Jameis is a great great leader, he still has to develop as QB though.
If Mike Evans could produce a bit more this offense could be one of the top 5 in NFC
December 6th, 2015 at 6:36 pm
From woeful pretenders to legitimate contenders, this Bucs team is building a force to be reckoned with. Go Bucs!!
December 6th, 2015 at 6:43 pm
We are Mike Evans drops away from 8-3
December 6th, 2015 at 6:48 pm
A question for the Glennon mob. How many games did it take Glennon to win 6 games? Oh that’s right he never got past 5 wins but people like bucrealist still pines for him!
How can the Bucs be true contenders when they struggled against the Cowboys Giants and Colts? If they win out it’ll be great but it’s somewhat hard to see it happening. There’s a few other teams ahead of us trying to mess it up for us.
December 6th, 2015 at 6:54 pm
Exactly, Love and Warrick Dunn. That 19 year old kid’s pre-game speech prior to the Clemson game was a glimpse into the future. I remember seeing it before the game and thinking “i hope this kid can back it up.” Well, he disassembled the Clemson defense that game, and he’s been backing it up ever since. The sky is the limit with him and this team. One of the truly special up and coming players in the league . . . AND HE IS ALL OURS, BUC FANS!!!!
December 6th, 2015 at 6:57 pm
Actually, we were a decent kicker from winning 2 more games. Kyle Brindaza blew 2 all by himself. That was a bad coaching decision
December 6th, 2015 at 6:59 pm
Jennings and Jenkins were the worst corners, again bad coaching decision.
December 6th, 2015 at 7:07 pm
Lets not put the buggy before the horse here. Contender? HMmmmm, not yet.
Lets see what we do the next 2 games. Then we can..pontificate..specuate. Until then, we are just a 500 team with a bright future. Never know though….
December 6th, 2015 at 7:38 pm
Good to see the Jameis Winston effect take hold. During the off season I talked on here about how I’m trying really hard to temper my expectations for JW’s rookie season. Something told me that he was going to have a roller coaster of a season or even a rough rookie year. Then on the other hand I was a Noles fan, that was just begging Jameis to prove that my other hand was wrong. I think things are falling into place just like I predicted during preseason and I couldn’t be happier. He was going to have lots of ups and lots of downs, but by midseason every Buc fan will be on board with this kid. By the end of the season they’ll all love him. Yes it’s all falling into place for me and your team. Everything is playing out how I saw it would play out. I expect Winston go on a tear during these last 4 games and you’ll all fall in love.
I say all this not to pat myself on the back once again. I say all this because over the last 3 years it’s been hard for me to gauge this team or put a bead on them. It’s never really been like that for me and the Bucs. I’ve always had what I think is a good handle on this team. Then the Freeman implosion sent me into no man’s land and I’ve been trying to get a bead on this team ever since. I think I nailed JW’s rookie season so far and it feels damn good for once.
Thanks again Erik for buying me that jersey. You should get one for yourself now.
December 6th, 2015 at 7:47 pm
Not surprise also Love and Warrick Dunn. Jameis have that it factor that causes other to fight with and for him.
It’s too soon to call us contenders. Let’s take it one game at a time. Just win our NFC south games and hope either the Saints or Falcons beat the Panthers. Then, we will be division champs and have a playoff berth no matter the record.
Until that happen, relax and take it one game at a time. I personally think the Rams and Panthers are our toughest games left on the schedule. It’s a toss up on those two games.
One lost and folks will be screaming fire Lovie and replace with Kotter. Get rid of Licht…etc..etc.. What’s going on now is slowly but surely the foundation for a good team is being formed. Give this staff 3-4 years to fully bring the potential of the team to fruition. Give them time to get the right players and staff.
December 6th, 2015 at 7:48 pm
This was another sample of this team trying in the usual way trying to give a game away. It took the offense the final drive. And to over come the usual Dotson flag and a sack by Winston to get it done. And once again Atlanta turned the ball over. Another game saved by Winston. The only contender here today was will by Winston. This team is not a Contender. It is Lucky!
December 6th, 2015 at 8:16 pm
And so the defensive stops at critical times were just luck Bucfan20?
What game were you watching. And so the absence of a push up the middle by our rush due to the fact that we were missing GMC and McDonald and the subsequent adjustment by Lovie at the half and the blitzing weren’t something positive.
Is the glass half full or half empty. For some of you it will NEVER be half full.
December 6th, 2015 at 8:31 pm
I can’t believe much less understand …WHY! Everyone is so negative.WE WON!The defense held over and over…did anyone see the last play?!! What about the JW last drive. That was storybook GOOD!! You should enjoy this amazing win. I’m on cloud nine :)!
December 6th, 2015 at 8:45 pm
Newbucsfan2 ….I took my 4ft by 2ft Buc flag and held it out the window while my wife drove to my mother’s house for a BBQ.
December 6th, 2015 at 8:52 pm
Newbucsfan2: the whiners on here are not true fans. They’re bandwagoners who bellyache to get attention. The Bucs won this game. Period. End. Of. Statement. Plus, Joe riles them up on purpose. I’ve been a devoted Bucs fan since 1979. That includes all the years of double digit losses, a record which still stands. This is the first time that this team has a maturing all-star offense. I’m still shaking my head in amazement, and I’m a Glennon fan. It sure feels good to be a Bucs fan. Go Tampa Bay!!
December 6th, 2015 at 9:04 pm
BTW….Everybody was quick to write off our win over the Eagles because the Lions beat them the following week.
Today…The Eagles go into NE and hand the Pats a second consecutive loss.
I hate Philly but I hate the Belicheats even more….bwaaahaaahaa
And so can some people here get a grip…on any given Sunday…the league is built on parity or mediocrity or meh. I like it…some one clear dominant teams.
The good teams peak right now…see Seattle!!!
But any team on any day…the Aint’s choked it away against the Panthers today.
IMHO Atlanta and the Bucs are pretty evenly matched. Our QB outplayed theirs today…it’s as simple as that. In addition the Falcons played some Buc ball themselves with bad penalites.
December 6th, 2015 at 9:46 pm
Anyone not saying we’re contenders are fools. Barth from day one and Mike Evans with hands with a mix of Austin and Jackson healthy and this team is EASY 9-3,8-4. Oh yeah that’s not counting the debacle in Washington. That would be potentially 10-2!!!
December 6th, 2015 at 10:31 pm
87 please stop already. I think you’ve been given enough credit by yourself and others. This is a great site but for crying out loud it’s one sight and you’re the only person that’s on HERE constantly besides me that never waive red. Saw every college snap as well and I can tell if u go in NFL.com or any other boards there are THOUSANDS of bucs fans that wanted Jameis so bad they may have jumped ship had he not been the pick. That said best site of the day was the camera shaking as dick Stockton announced it was a fumble- there were towels waving and what looked to be a sellout crowd
December 7th, 2015 at 1:41 am
I think you all should just enjoy the ride and where it takes us. GO BUCS!!!
December 7th, 2015 at 3:43 am
He’s the big reason we are 6-6 instead of 2-10
December 7th, 2015 at 12:18 pm
As magical as this season is starting to become, the Bucs have an uphill climb to clinch a wildcard berth. Even running the table and finishing 10-6 might not be enough.
Green Bay and Minnesota are both 8-4, one of them will clinch the Division and the other has a leg up in the wildcard race. Seattle looks to have a strangle hold on a wildcard berth at 7-5 with a very soft schedule to finish out the season. (How did that happen? Haven’t they been in the Super Bowl two years in a row? They should have a monster schedule!)
It looks like the Bucs will have to edge out the Vikings or Packers, so there is no more room for error anymore.