Playoffs?
May 19th, 2017
Overlooked.
Very interesting words from a couple of ex-NFLers about the Bucs.
On “Total Access” last night on NFL Network, Heath Evans and Willie McGinest said the Bucs should break their playoff drought this fall.
But what caught Joe’s ears is what McGinest felt kept the Bucs out of the playoffs last year.
Yes, the Bucs lost out on a playoff berth by one win. And Joe is quick to point out it was the offense, mired by rotten receiver depth that dragged down the team in December. Remember, the Bucs, in two one-score road losses to Dallas and New Orleans, scored a grand total of three points in the fourth quarter.
Defenses figured out Jameis was forcing too many balls to Mike Evans, McGinest said, because Jameis really had no other options. Also, Jameis’ never-met-a-play-he-didn’t-like mentality caught up with him when defenses basically decided to take Mike Evans out of games, all but telling Jameis, “Knock yourself out trying to throw to Bernard Reedy and that lounge act from Vero Beach.”
“When you really break it down,” McGinest said of Jameis, “he forced a lot of balls to [Mike] Evans because they connected really well. But at times, teams found out about it.”
McGinest, who likes Jameis’ talent, is excited to see what he can do now that AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht has added DeSean Jackson and O.J. Howard. “This team is going to be dangerous.”
Heath Evans is equally geeked about the defense.
He noted how it effectively shut down a “gauntlet” of quarterbacks and that was just a taste of what Bucs fans can expect this year.
Let’s take a look: The Bucs, after the bye week, faced bratty Jay Cutler, Alex Smith, Russell Wilson, Philip Rivers, Drew Brees (twice), Dak Prescott and Cam Newton. The Bucs were 6-2 and the defense gave up an average of 17 points a game. In those six wins, the defense allowed an average of 13 points a game. Any time you allow only 13 points, you should win.
Either way, this is enough to prompt Joe to start sampling Friday afternoon beers a little earlier today.
May 19th, 2017 at 5:06 am
Boom cannon fire kill shot 1 #13 ME/AKA/Godzilla Boom cannon shot 2 #11 DJAX/AKA/Flash Boom kill shot 3 OJ/The Freak Howard or Boom kill shot 4 Cam the man Brate or Hump or or and you see👁 Where I’m going with this can you say high octane I’m talking 93 premium phuck it’s more like NOS 1 time for them 2017 SUPERBOWL CHAMPIONS TAMPABAY BUCCANEERS yeah I said it whom ever want’s it please come and get it 813HeadBusta out man
May 19th, 2017 at 5:32 am
@McGinest … “that is just a taste of what Bucs fans can expect this year.” Everyone’s talking about the shiny new weapons we’ve added on offense, but obviously Willie McGinest is expecting B-I-G things from our Bucs D-E-F-E-N-S-E this season. Me too. Getting visions of our 2002 defense but with a high-powered offense this time. Oh ya.
May 19th, 2017 at 6:23 am
I hope the defense can start the season playing the way they did during the 5 game win streak. I expect the offense to be pretty good – and if the defense can play well too, we could get off to a hot start which would really help the team’s confidence.
May 19th, 2017 at 6:29 am
Both offense and defense are going to another level. #WeaponsforWins-a-ton checked! Skilled players added to the defense- checked!
Koetter is salivating and eager to show Bucs fans his new toys in the attacking offense. Smitty is eager to show more 3-4 defense and wrinkles in the game plan.
We have competition at returners and field goal kicker. Who ever wins will be a solid contributor.
Licht will be jumping in his pool just about every week.
Joe will change the name of the stadium to his own satisfaction because I think he is the only one depress at the stadium at this point.
Joe you can release your loyalty to the Rams and be part of the local celebration. You are always welcome at:
Ray Jameis Stadium!!!
Fire Them Cannons!!!
May 19th, 2017 at 7:41 am
doesn’t the defense typically on all teams start the season off faster, i mean usually it takes a little time for the offense to catch up or match the play of the defense, so if our defense holds the fort, or in our case the ship down, we should with all the weapons jameis has be all right, unless they ball out and gel much faster than normal, which wouldn’t surprise me with all the film and workouts with different receivers jameis has been doing, this year sure is going to be exciting, go bucs!!!!!
May 19th, 2017 at 8:11 am
They also spoke of how the defense will improve with the addition of play-makers on offense.
To go Realist-a-Damus on you:
Bucsfanman Says:
May 16th, 2017 at 11:31 am
“A better offense=a better defense. Brace yourself “passing league” proponents. DB55 above makes mention of “time of possession”. That is, moving the football, avoiding penalties and turnovers, and converting 3rd downs. In other words, if our offense is on the field, their offense can’t score. While it is well-known that this defense struggled last year, it was the offense’s inability to protect and move the ball that put us in bad situations.
The defense should improve along with the offense. With a healthy roster and another off-season to get acquainted with the system should also help us improve.”
The gauntlet has been thrown Realist!!! 🙂
May 19th, 2017 at 8:17 am
This is why I scratch my head when I read post that sound dire about our defense in 2017. I’ll continue saying “we lead the league in points allowed, sacks and turnovers” during that span. That’s shows me what our D is capable of. Coach Smith said this time last year they were at 2 + 2 in they’re understanding of his scheme. He said now they are at calculus. Our O is about to overwhelm our D is about to smother people.
May 19th, 2017 at 8:19 am
Translation- we are that “Badd@$$” football team coach K says he wants to be recognized as.
May 19th, 2017 at 8:19 am
@Nosbos- Man, if our defense even stays the same, I think we’ll still be trouncing people. This, provided that everyone remains healthy of course.
May 19th, 2017 at 8:57 am
That last line is the key Fanman.
May 19th, 2017 at 9:03 am
It’s crazy to think that we had a dominant d the latter half of the season and added baker, evans, beckwith, Wilcox, and stevie. Those essentially fill the holes and baker could even be an instantaneous GIGANTIC upgrade. Not to mention McCoy’s realization he needs to step up.
That interior will be dominant and it seems like our safety group will improve as well. We will be better against the run and our d backs should be better at coverage, especially with vh3 improving. I can’t picture the defense regressing lower than the #12 ranking we finished with.
Add in the superstar offense and we’re golden. We had 10 injuries to the offense last season. Bell and Murphy never even suited up. There’s no way that misfortune could happen again. *knock on wood
Year 2 in mike smith’s system and year 3, in which is known as a quarterbacks best season thus far, and this is going to get really fun really quick.
May 19th, 2017 at 9:05 am
I do notice that there a rarely any teams that have a dominant offense and defense. Usually if the offense is dominant than the defense plays more vanilla and the other team has garbage time stats or plays catch up by throwing the ball a lot and collecting yards. If a defense is dominant, usually the offense just enough to win. Playing conservative.
I could see us having both but if we do have one that is better than the other, than I expect it to be the offense.
May 19th, 2017 at 9:07 am
Now they about to be supported by a 30 point a game offense. I dare someone attempt to disprove my assertion. C’mon man how some of y’all can’t see what’s about to happen barring some strange occurrence is beyond me.
May 19th, 2017 at 9:12 am
Licht’s work this off-season has been outstanding.
May 19th, 2017 at 9:13 am
I feel you nosbos. I agree I just get a lot more nervous when we’re being talked about. We’re batting like 20% when we get hyped and lay an egg. MNF last year, TNF with Atlana, Lovie’s first year, Josh’s third year, Saints on Christmas, etc.
We just need to focus and when we win, not let it get to our heads like Arizona.
May 19th, 2017 at 9:14 am
And if you guys have been paying attention to the media, NFL network, espn, etc they are talking about us A LOT. More than any other team not named the Pats.
Panthers are getting a lot of exposure too.
May 19th, 2017 at 9:37 am
Anybody else catch the interview from Jay Hayes? Seems Noah Spence is actually bigger this year than in many of his games last year. Says he played games at 238 last season and is in the mid 240’s now but expects him to get to 250 or so before the season. According to Jay Hayes, he is leaner and bigger.
May 19th, 2017 at 9:55 am
How about the OT loss to the Raiders? Offense late was terrible, defense got gassed and it carried over to Thursday night vs Atlanta. There were several ways the Bucs could have had one more win.
May 19th, 2017 at 9:59 am
It’s a glorious time to be a Bucs fan!!! We deserve it after all we’ve been through.
Most people think our team would be better this year even without the additions…just young guys playing better…more together and hopefully healthier.
But again I go back to “career years”. Every year in the league somebody has a season that stands out in their career….the Bucs have some players who if putting in a “career season” would be awesome.
If GMC is so fired up he has a career year…10 sacks….if LVD is fired up..another 5 sacks and a gazillion tackles….Kwon will become a tackling machine…
If Brent Grimes has a career year and VHG continues to improve and Evans can win the starting spot at safety….our defense could be scary.
How this for a concept…the offense and defense both have breakout years and what’s difficult when discussing the Bucs becomes…are we an offensive team or a defensive team….or that rarity…a perfectly balanced team!
May 19th, 2017 at 10:32 am
The defense did that with a weak pass rush too. Should be better this year, especially from the start.
May 19th, 2017 at 10:50 am
Saw a national show predict 10-6 yesterday, with a division win.
May 19th, 2017 at 11:33 am
The gauntlet of QBs this year is no easier,
Brady, Rodgers, Manning & Glennon, to go along with Brees, Cam adn Matt
we have to take advantage of Tannyhill, whoever the Jets and Bills throw out there
May 19th, 2017 at 12:12 pm
The Saints scored 469 points last season and won 7 games. The Giants scored 310 points, won 11 games and made the playoffs. You have to be clicking on all cylinders to make the playoffs. And personally, I don’t think we’re there yet.
May 19th, 2017 at 4:42 pm
you really put Glennon with Brady, Rodgers and Manning? Everybody sing along.. One of these things is not like the other….
May 19th, 2017 at 4:54 pm
I am a huge fan of our GM and I think our offense will be much improved, but I am still very concerned about our running backs.
If we look at the running back group honestly it is fairly clear they are among the bottom 10 in the league unless our 5th round choice is the steal of the draft.