The “Scrappy” Bucs
May 31st, 2018
Jumping on bandwagon early.
America’s Quarterback was not the only thing that got Kyle Brandt worked up yesterday.
The co-host of NFL Network’s fun “Good Morning, Football” show has a new nickname for the Bucs. “Scrappy.” Brandt noted each division is usually made up of three teams have a legitimate shot to win a division title but the fourth team is the one to look out for.
Tampa Bay, Brandt said, is that fourth team in the NFC South.
“Remember, last year the Saints were that scrappy team,” Brandt said.
Brandt also noticed the Bucs flying under the radar is likely a good thing for the team.
“I like that they are not being talked about,” Brandt said. “I think that will be good for them.”
Brandt also seemed to think “Hard Knocks” may not have been a good thing in the long run for the Bucs because of too many big personalities.
Brandt has an interesting point about the Saints that JoeBucsFan.com commenter “Gambelero” made yesterday. What killed the Bucs last year? No running game and a sieve of a defense, the worst in the NFL in fact.
Well, the mighty Saints, even with future Hall of Fame quarterback Drew Brees on the roster, had three straight losing seasons. Their defense stunk out loud and they had no running game to speak of.
All of a sudden, the Saints defense turns it around and the team finds a running game and — voila! — the Saints won the division.
The Bucs totally retooled their defense this offseason. They drafted a running back in the second round. As Brandt seemed to hint, could the Bucs be this season’s Saints?
Right now: đ´
This season: đł3 teams that are flying WAY under the radar. (via @GMFB) pic.twitter.com/gY3Wub4QGI
â NFL (@NFL) May 30, 2018
May 31st, 2018 at 9:23 am
Let’s hope our Bucs don’t have a season rhymed with scrappy……crappy!!!
May 31st, 2018 at 9:26 am
Finally somebody sees what is going on here!!!
Scrappy? I get the desire to be tougher, meaner, nastier and whatever. I concede that the 2017 Bucs were not but if you think about it that is just one problem the Bucs have. It much larger than simple toughness.
Fundamentally our team has NO identity. Our “team” though is just starting to exist in it’s present form…much of the talent is very young…of course when you bring in FA’s they are new at least for that first year. I never got the sense that this team truly jelled in ’17. It seemed we were in search of an identity all year.
This meant the ONLY identity was poor Jameis…he had to carry the team’s personality. I certainly concede #3 has a larger than life personality but that’s Jameis. What about our team? Think of our SB team. It wasn’t just Sapp and Brooks…we were loaded with not only good players but strong leaders all the way front to back with Lynch. That team was known as a defensive juggernaut.
It had a clear ID.
So…are we a passing team…a running team…or a balanced offense in ’18? We only had that first option in ’17. I think ROJO comes out of college looking a lot better than Kamara who IMHO is good not great.
We have TOTALLY revamped our D and not just the DL.
Again…who were our defensive standouts last year…who made the Pro Bowl…
Uh…GMC and….don’t know that he’s pro bowler but I still love Brent Grimes.
I thought with the injuries and games missed LVD and Kwon had subpar years.
So is that it? We only fielded 2 sometimes 4 good NFL players? We have nowhere to go defensively but up. Hindsight it 20-20 but it’s beginning to seem clear to me now. D.R. is correct. Out D talent last year was simply subpar!!!
Smitty could have blitzed more…more press coverage…yadda yadda yadda…it wouldn’t have really mattered with the serious lack of talent on our D.
I’m not throwing Licht, Koetter or anybody under the bus. Last year we revamped our Offense…this year our Defense…in 2019 we should be fine tuning and looking for that missing piece to get us to the SB.
May 31st, 2018 at 9:27 am
second half of 2019 will be the real beginning of a multi year run…2018 will be fits and starts with 9 wins
May 31st, 2018 at 9:43 am
Let’s be honest. On paper, this is the best offense we have ever had. And if the D could be in the upper half of the league, we should be a dangerous team on a weekly basis….and easily on the better side of .500. And if not? Something is very rotten in Tampa.
May 31st, 2018 at 9:50 am
I agree that on paper we have a good team and I am truly confident….the other side of the coin says we play on the toughest division on the NFL……..and that´s not fake news, thats a fact!!! But again we have a good looking team…..If we can stay healthy we can shut up more than one big mouth , and there are a lot around!!!
May 31st, 2018 at 10:20 am
wait and see mode!!!!!….nothing more…nothing less!!!!!!
#NOEXCUSESIN2018!!!!….#PRESSURESONTHECOACHES!!!!….GO BUCS!!!!
May 31st, 2018 at 10:24 am
@StPete … “Fundamentally our team has NO identity. Our âteamâ though is just starting to exist in itâs present form.” Great take StPete. To me, it all comes down to on-the-field L-E-A-D-E-R-S-H-I-P … I’m still waiting for the true leadership to evolve on BOTH sides of the ball. Both Jameis & Kwon were ‘anointed’ as team leaders in their first year here (by the media & others), and IMO that was a big mistake. Our OLine hasn’t had a true field general since Mankins retired, and as much as I like GMC, he’s not the leader that our DLine so desperately needs.
Personally I think our defense will be ‘significantly improved’ this year (Joe still thinks that’s ‘cute’ I’m sure). AlteredEgo is right on with his comment though that they’ll be better in the second half of the season … every team I’ve ever played on, it’s taken awhile for new pieces to fit together.
Our offense looks good on paper in most positions … EXCEPT the OLine. And that’s where the battle is won IMO, in the trenches. We’ve got 3 healthy, proven starters at the moment. I have little faith that Dots or JR will make it through the season (heck, they may not even make it into the first game). Not all that impressed at this point with any of our backup OLinemen, but time could change that. The other HUGE key is Dirk Koetter & Todd Monken working together as THE OC. I’m not at all convinced sharing OC duties is a good idea, but I’ll gladly be proven wrong. Dirk (IMO) needs to FOCUS on his HC duties for the good of the whole T-E-A-M. Another soft training camp will set the worst possible tone I think for the start of the season especially.
May 31st, 2018 at 10:34 am
A.E.
Agree with your take but you’ll forgive me if I “hope” you wrong by a year.
Again I do not really disagree because you’re probably correct. I’m just hoping for an accelerated schedule…I’m hoping playoffs this year and that being the beginning of the run you forecast.
The biggest fear I have for this year is that we really don’t have a “team” yet.
There are a ton of new faces…some young rookies…FA’s..2nd year guys and simply a lot of new personalities to merge. I hope we can come together and figure out who we are by September.
May 31st, 2018 at 10:41 am
@StPeteBucsFan
A.E. might be right on!!! Too many new players to “start fast” and will “Come on Strong” the back half of the year, due to “gelling” , schedule, And the rookies that will be getting their feet underneath!!!!! The sad part is that the sheep and so-called fans will abandon ship after one bad game!!!!
One thing that is interesting is how healthy the other 3 teams in division were last year!!! That is hard to replicate year after year!!!! If the Bucs roster stays healthy the coaches will shine!!!!! Most exciting football division in the league!!!!!
GO Bucs!!!!!!!!!
May 31st, 2018 at 10:45 am
stpete…. “biggest fear I have for this year is that we really donât have a âteamâ yet.”
THIS !….
May 31st, 2018 at 11:27 am
By my count we have 1 1st round CB and 2 2nd round CB’s and a 2nd round saftey in the secondary. Two linebackers who have made the Pro Bowl. On the Dline we have âone of the best DTâs in the leagueâ, two defensive ends that were starters on Super Bowl teams, and a top 15 pick for a DT. Along with proven depth. On offense we have a # 1 overall pick at QB, a 2nd round runningback and 2 backups who have started in this league, a 1st round WR, a 1st round TE, another TE who lead the league in TDâs one year, a WR who lead the lead in yards per catch several times, 2 OL men drafted in the 2nd round and the highest paid center in the league. We have one of the best punters in the league and a average to above average kicker finally. So if is it not on the coaches who is it on? They have plenty the work with and it must get done this year, it has been long enough.
May 31st, 2018 at 11:44 am
@Realist
The only type of roster turnover excuse I will buy is if a team is going to a youth movement and totally rebuilding. If we end up starting rookie CBs most the year for example – then maybe that makes a little sense I guess- but for the most part we should have mostly all vets starting on defense.
EVERY NFL roster changes out about 1/3 of its team year to year. Roster turnover is a problem EVERY team deals with. And EVERY team typically is starting some rookies throughout their season. Nothing about this is unique to us.
Vet D-lineman shouldn’t need a season or more to figure out how to be disruptive together and rush the passer. It’s not that complicated. We see players switch teams and dominate every year.
May 31st, 2018 at 11:57 am
I really hope this team and these coaches can mold themselves into a winner in 2018.
Bucs fans have been suffering for too long. 10 years without sniffing the playoffs is just pathetic. (Thanks Bruce! – Thanks Dom!).
The idea of starting over with new coaches and new systems (AGAIN) is not one that any of us should want to contemplate. But if the Bucs don’t win at least 8 games this year – that’s likely what we are looking at – SWEEPING CHANGES – and rightfully so.
I support Dirk, Smitty and the entire coaching staff 100% and am very glad the Glazers decided to give them all another chance to get this right.
But if this staff can’t post at least a .500 record with the amount of talent that the Bucs roster currently holds – then GTFOOH and don’t let the door hit ya where the good Lord split ya on your way out…
May 31st, 2018 at 1:16 pm
I am not a saints fan, but I just read that they had 3 loosing seasons and find not fire their head coach? What that is not how it is done right JBF GM’s they should have dropped the AX on Coach Payton’s neck at the end of the second loosing season, because you can get a better coach. It is my hope that our owners follow this belief in their coaches. You can never build a veteran home grown player team sending the head coach packing after two loosing seasons.
May 31st, 2018 at 3:42 pm
Sorry but isnât everything written here just basic common sense?
Hard knocks is a distraction / bad thing for teams? DUH. Most of us were saying that before the show / OTAs even started. (Most teams on the show suck during the regular season).
Having no running game and the worst defense in the league makes it hard to win? DUH. Same as it ever was.
Saints were bad to mediocre every year until they finally fixed their defense? DUH. You cant win in this league with a bottom 5 defense.
Who doesnât know all of this already?
May 31st, 2018 at 3:43 pm
Agreed DR! I was hollering about not having leaders in the trenches months ago!
Thatâs where teams get their nasty, take no prisoners attitude from: leaders in the trenches.
May 31st, 2018 at 3:49 pm
We have our running back and on paper, we seem to have a much improved Defense…On paper that is. Its imperative we take 3 out of the 1st 5 games. Tough? Hell yes it is. But winners do it don’t they? If we fall behind say 3 and 5 come midseason, we are in a world of hurt playing Panic or..catch up ball. Batter up Bucs and Good Luck. We are gonna need it.
May 31st, 2018 at 5:49 pm
Scrappy is good as in the Bucs are developing a scrappy bunch of over achieving contenders.
May 31st, 2018 at 8:03 pm
Can’t believe anyone read one of my posts. Thanks Joe.
June 1st, 2018 at 1:27 am
With the easiest rules slanted to the passing game since the new collective bargaining agreement and the change in PI rules by the competition committee, I would say it’s marketed as a high scoring passing league with a running game and a strong defense a bonus. But make no bones about it, it’s a QB driven league. Just look at all the passing yards by competent QB’s. They’re matching Dan Marino numbers yearly as we remember Marino to Duper ..Marino to Clayton who were a prolific passing attack in a day when rules protecting receivers were basic and minimal. Hits were vicious, just ask Ronnie Lott?
June 1st, 2018 at 9:45 am
At least we werenât called âyoungry.â