Five Things

September 24th, 2019

Joe’s weekly five-point look at the Bucs during the season.

When Jameis Winston threw his lone interception with 11:24 left in the game, the Bucs went completely turtle against the Giants until the final drive when they had no choice but to pass.

After Ryan Connelly picked off a Jameis pass which did not result in one Giants point — Shaq Barrett recovered a Daniel Jones fumble after he sacked the rookie two plays later — the Bucs attempted one pass before their final drive with just over a minute left.

That’s nine running plays and one pass play. And that one pass play to Cam Brate looked like it was a first down but Giants safety Michael Thomas made a tremendous open field tackle, forcing the Bucs to punt and setting up their game-winning drive. That may have been the play of the game for the Giants.

Joe can only reach one conclusion: Bucco Bruce Arians lost all faith and trust in Jameis after he threw that pick and Arians decided he was taking the ball out of Jameis’ hands.

Joe’s sick of people telling him how good the Bucs’ run game is. That’s nonsense. If the Bucs run game was so good, how come Gale Sayers (Peyton Barber) and Walter Payton (Ronald Jones) can’t break a tackle and house the ball?

If Arians and his coaching staff cannot see this team has significantly more talent in the passing game than the running game, then this team has a monumentally bigger problem than a kicker who can’t convert at point-blank range that a junior high school soccer player could.

So why then did Arians take the ball away from Jameis? He is either scared of Jameis or doesn’t trust him or both. It’s the only thing that adds up.

Creeping close to Culverhouse Era

The Bucs are 1-2. The season is hardly over. But objective minds looking at the schedule see the Bucs will not play at home until Nov. 10 when they host the Cardinals.

To be honest, this team plays so terribly at home it may be a good thing to get away, even though the physical toll will be massive with two trips to the west coast and a trip to London.

The Bucs may go 2-3 on that five-game trip which would give them a 3-5 record when they return to the Den of Depression. Anything less than that, and the Bucs are looking squarely at yet another playoff-less season at the halfway mark.

When the racist Hugh Culverhouse owned the Bucs, he mismanaged the team so terribly they went 14 straight seasons without seeing the playoffs. Not until he was dead did the Bucs return to the postseason.

Well, if Arians doesn’t work some magic, if the Bucs miss the playoffs this year, that will make it 12 straight seasons without a playoff berth. When the Bucs’ dubious streak went 14 seasons, it was considered one of the darkest periods in all of sports.

The Bucs are not far off from matching that dark history. And it cannot be blamed on a racist skinflint.

Shaq surprise

It is hard to believe, but the Bucs found a guy in the offseason who should get 10 or more sacks just walking the streets.

There is no way if you hook up Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht to a lie detector test that he would say he saw this coming.

Nobody saw this coming. Not Licht; not Arians; not Barrett; not the Broncos from whence Barrett came. Nobody.

Barrett tied an NFL record for sacks (!) on Sunday with the most after three games (eight). He leads the NFL in sacks (!). That’s right, a Bucs player!

Now the Shaq Watch is on. When will he get 10 sacks? And how high can he go? Hall of Famer Warren Sapp had 16.5 in 2000, the franchise record. Barrett is nearly halfway there after three games.

The question is, how do you keep him? Barrett would be out of his mind not to test the free agent market after this season. Hell, if he gets on the open market, Barrett could be looking at $17 million a year!

The best way of keeping Barrett? Licht needs to sign America’s Quarterback, Pro Bowler Jameis Winston, to an incentive-laden contract. Then, franchise Barrett.

The way Jameis has played, he’s looking at the franchise tag. That is, unless Barrett gets it first.

Apathy setting in

Joe has never seen it this bad.

Joe is in contact with Bucs fans on this site, on social media and through daily routines. Joe has never seen the fan base like it is now after that joke of a choke to a rookie quarterback making his first start, on the road, despite losing his Pro Bowl running back.

Bucs fans have gone from hope to despair to hope again to full-blown disgust in less than a month. And Joe senses apathy is about to set in. And when that happens, you may not get a fan base back for years, if you ever do.

Joe got a phone call last night from a friend who is a hardcore fan. He’s a season ticket holder. He has excellent seats. Pays $8,000 a year for tickets. In his phone call – Joe could tell he was really, really bummed by the tone of his voice – he told Joe he has had enough. This is a guy that cannot consume enough Bucs info. He is a draftnik and for the past three or four years he’s been outraged how the Bucs have drafted. Sadly, many players this guy wanted the Bucs to draft are having fine seasons. Dalvin Cook, Josh Allen, Brian Burns and Marlon Mack, to name a few.

This guy also could not understand why the Bucs this offseason were seemingly frozen in time in trying to upgrade the roster from a 22-loss team the past two years, as if to say, “Naw man, we’re good.” He’s sick of hearing about talent when he sees the losses pile up every year with the same talent.

This same friend of Joe was nearly in tears how the Bucs ignored Kareem Hunt, who could have been had for nothing, and that Dee Ford could have been acquired for a second-round pick.

“Are you trying to tell me we passed on trade where we could have had Dee Ford for freaking Sean [Murphy-] Bunting!?”

When Matt Gay’s game-winning field goal attempt sailed wide right, so did Joe’s friend’s interest in the Bucs.

“I can’t deal with this any longer,” he said last night. “I’ve wasted enough of my life sweating over this team and for what? I’ve wasted Sundays where I could be with my family for the past 12 years. And for what? I’m taking the boat out next Sunday and I’m spending time with my family. It’s time I enjoy life on Sundays again. I have no interest in watching the Bucs and ruining my day.”

A born-and-bred Tampa native and a lifelong Bucs fan, Joe’s friend added he was thinking seriously of adopting the Bills or the Colts and devoting time to them because he told Joe he believes those teams have a better direction and a plan than the Bucs.

That’s where this fan base is. Finally, it looked like this franchise stepped away from the coaches who crawled into holes with leads, guys like Greg Schiano or inept Lovie Smith, or even Father Dungy who was anything but aggressive here, and to a lesser degree Dirk Koetter.

When fans saw the man who once upon a time lived by the motto of “no risk it no biscuit” turn into a cool-uncle version of Lovie, well, we all have seen this movie before.

Joe cannot remember the fan base so depressed, so at a loss for words where there are even questioning why they follow the Bucs. They are just zapped. Numb.

But that is where the franchise is right now. The Bucs are actually chasing their own hardcore fans away with decisions both on the field and in personnel that really have no explanation.

And the losses. Oh my, the losses.

That’s how bad it is.

And once fans leave, you have no idea of when or if you will ever get them back.

Who exactly is tanking?

Think about this for a moment: There is no doubt the Dolphins are Tanking for Tua. Smart gamblers are taking advantage of this. This tanking thing is good for business and good for Dolphins fans. Don’t let any stuffed suit in New York try to tell you otherwise.

Anyway, the Dolphins are 0-3. So what, this is a Bucs site, right?

Well, the Bucs are just inches away from being 0-3. If Vernon Hargreaves doesn’t make a sick tackle of Christian McCaffrey, the Bucs lose at Charlotte in Week 2.

Why is Joe bringing this up? The Dolphins are actually trying to lose. The Bucs are actually trying to win. Yet the Bucs are a cat’s whisker away from being tied in the running for the first overall pick in the 2020 draft.

That’s how bad this organization has sunk.

Of course, this begs the question, if this team is so talented why does it always lose? Year after year? Maybe could it be, just maybe, this team isn’t as talented as folks have trumpeted?

The sell job that this team is talented is really starting to get stale. Talented teams don’t let a rookie quarterback making his first NFL start — on the road no less! — with no run game punk you in your own crib.

64 Responses to “Five Things”

  1. CPN Says:

    Just tank for Burrow, Fromm, or some other QB. Or just tank and send this team to the basement.

  2. Anonymous Says:

    Fromm is my choice, but we still have all season to see how things pan out.

  3. Blogtalkfootball.com Says:

    Football is the ultimate roller coaster… But ours has trap doors built into it.

  4. Seemore Bucs Says:

    We might as well be called the Tampa Bay Bills. New Jersey giants come to Tampa with a Super Bowl Winning QB on the sidelines and a backup QB starting and win the game because of a missed field goal wide right. This loss was almost inevitable. Though this version of either team is not as good as the 1990 SB teams. Matt Gay did his best Scott Norwood impression and unfortunately nailed that while simultaneously missing the winning kick. I hate the Giants so the Bucs completely have me depressed and demoralized and humiliatedv as a fan of this team for over 40 years. New Jersey wouldn’t have started a rookie QB against the Patriots, Rams, Chiefs or Cowboys, you know, teams that would have trashed them 50-3 and beat the kid up so bad he would have felt like I do now. Of course, Jones will play against better teams, be exposed and made to look like the average signal caller he really is and further embarrass this franchise and their fans, what’s left of them. It is either p*** or get off the pot to the Glazers. Light has been hideous as a talent evaluator and they have been miserable owners since Malcolm passed. If you don’t or can’t do what is necessary to bring Lombardi Trophies to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers franchise and their fans, SELL THE TEAM to someone who will or you may as make London your permanent home since more and more every game at RJS is a road game anyway and it will continue as more fans stop spending money on a losing product.

  5. Seemore Bucs Says:

    And I am a West coast Bucs fan, who has to go out of his way to see Bucs games every week. This lack of success and 5-11 bulljive every year is unacceptable.

  6. Cgmaster27 Says:

    Well said joe. Ive seen a more dreary fanbase after this loss than ive seen in some time. But you could see it coming. Me and my brother were sitting next to giants fans at the bar, and they were bitching at halftime. We said just wait, weve seen the Bucs screw this up before. We called their final drive and the ensuing missed fg. Its so pathetic, and yet so comically predictable, you could set a watch by it. As fans were burnt out from these types losses.

  7. FortMyersDave Says:

    If the Bucs were to move on from Jameis this is probably how the 2020 draft would open: first off the Bucs will probably win just enough (5-11) to be behind a few teams that could also be looking for a qb like the Fins, Steelers, Bungles etc. Good chance Tua, Fromm or other top qbs will go to these teams or someone like the Jets or Cards pick right before the Bucs at say 5 or 6 and they trade their pick to someone like the Saints or Panthers for another kick in the fanbases’ cojonnes. The Bucs then trade down for Licht to draft more irrelevant 2nd rounders like he did in the Vita Vea draft. Its a Bucs life….

  8. Alanbucsfan Says:

    It was a terrible loss
    Special teams have sucked again this year
    No excuse for the defensive let downs in the 2nd half, especially 75 yard td play right out of the gate, and Jones’ 2nd td run was unbelievable, especially after he already had run for 1 td.
    And , sorry Joe, but Jameis sucked in 2nd half.
    Not only did the interception kill a drive and momentum, but the deep pass to Evans at the end was underthrown and should have been 6 points.
    They still don’t know how to finish games and Devin White’s absence is underestimated- alot of middle of the field nonsense in 2nd half.

  9. isrBuc Says:

    Yup.
    Plot thickens. “They came because of Jameis, they love Jameis, They’ll fix Jameis, They believe in Jameis..”
    Can’t trust Jameis?

  10. TampaTown Says:

    Joe:

    What a pitch perfect, spot-on article. You have just summed up the feelings and vibe of the entire fan base and Tampa Bay Area. When I woke up this morning, after a cup of coffee and deep thought, I canceled my planned trip to
    London, approximately $8000 for two through the NFL. I share all the same traits with your friend who phoned you, as a lot of us do. My second phone call was to my customer service representative at One Buc Place and had her delete my account. I do not want to receive my invoice the week after the Superbowl (isn’t that nice timing) as I will no longer be purchasing my 4 season tickets. I also wrote the same sentiments on the Buccaneers survey I receive in my email after every home game. I am officially done. I cannot take this any longer while paying a lot of money for this gut punch/heartache. I won’t be adopting another team. I cannot believe the Glazer family allowed the stadium to be filled at a nearly 80/20 split of Giant fans on the day they inducted our greatest Corner of all time into the Ring of Honor. Just completely disgusting. I feel like I am done with football in general and for good.

    Bye Felicia

  11. Cubano Bucanero Says:

    I want the running back from Wisconsin

  12. Anonymous Says:

    There is good reason for the coaches not to trust Jameis. There is no doubt he makes good plays but also big bonehead mistake that make the good stuff null and void. When coaches were brought here to fix him under a GM that will lay his whole pro rep on him, of course if he’s not giving them confidence, then they are going to try to minimize him. Hope doesn’t get fans anything but disappointment when the reality actually sets in. Only idiots thought things would be different.

  13. Anonymous Says:

    If you are sitting in a bar or lazing it out at home and not going to the home games, who would blame you? There are tens of thousands of empty seats, and rightfully so. But unless you are dirt poor then you have no real business questioning others fandom here who have been saying all along this team isn’t going to do anything with Licht, Arians, or Winston. Yes, the Bucs are four inches away from being 0-3 and the only reason they even won that game was the Panthers beat themselves in penalties and their QB was injured and had no business playing. A healthy Cam Newton would have very easily done a two yard run like Jones just did in his longer TD run.

  14. Son of Kobe Faker Says:

    “If the running game was any good

    We would not be 3-14 3rd down % 2nd game and

    4-14 3rd down % and 1-5 red zone in the 3rd game

    Competent and average running games convert 3rd downs and baked to move the chains

    We get a nice run and don’t know what to do after but run it 7 straight times

    This FO and coaching staff is rotten to the core

    It’s all common sense folks

    Do the math

    What happens when you have a 2018 5-11 tampa bay team and bring in coaching staffs from 2018 4-12 NY Jets and 3-13 Ari Cards coaching Staffs

    You get what you put in”

    Son of Kobe Faker

  15. Clw JB Says:

    Sports is a distraction from th day to day noise of life

    Yes we suck again

    Yes I have been paying 3k a year for many years to watch us fail over and ov r

    Yes it hurts

    Yes it sucks out loud

    No I will never quit watching because it is purely a supplement to life, not life itself

    Still time to salvage the season, albeit unlikely- still possible

    Go BUCS!

  16. D1 Says:

    Pittsshore,

    Thanks!

    I like it. ….

  17. Bruce Blahak Says:

    Same thing here. I go back to the 70s and have finally had enough. I don’t live in the Tampa area but make yearly trips to a game. There will be no more game trips for me. It’s been a long stretch of misery with the QB position being the main culprit. Freeman and Winston? Come on man! I called it at draft time. Mariota and Winston both suck, it was a bad draft year where we ended up with the #1 pick. It’s a Bucs life yeah. Winston is what happens when you take a baseball pitcher and try to make QB out of him. He can’t make all the throws. It’s either a fast ball on a rope or nothing. No touch. He doesn’t have the head for the position either and for this team to continue with this fumbling stumbling mess will be another huge mistake by this cursed franchise. The London Buccaneers….

  18. Bruce Blahak Says:

    Last comment deleted? Can’t handle the truth about WinSTUNNED? Time to jump off the Winston train, JOE…Arians doesn’t even want him….

  19. BigHog Says:

    We lost…FAMOUS did his job, THAT GUY blew the win, Coach TB should feel naked because he was stripped on the giants last drive!! On to being ready for a bounce back win, let’s get LA READY!!

  20. Wjs90 Says:

    So many mouth breathers. Only thing didn’t trust was the defense. They moved the ball right down the field running it. Get 3rd and goal, key play in game and BA makes the play call to put the ball in Jameis hand because he doesn’t trust him? Silly. He gives him an RPO and said Jameis made right read not to pass it just oline blew up the play. So many people conflate their personal hate of Jameis with analyzing his play.

  21. Conte Piscatelli Says:

    How on Earth do you have an article that says you believe the head coach doesn’t trust his quarterback to manage a lead and then follow it up with they should sign him to an extension, or he’s looking at the franchise tag? You can’t resign a quarterback you do not trust. Five years in and the kid can’t be trusted not to do something stupid. It’s looking like next year’s QB class may rival the 83 class. The fifth QB taken will likely be an upgrade. That is how you save money, with a cheap rookie QB contact, then you can sign Barrett.

  22. Don_RyJo(e) Says:

    You’re not wrong, Joe(s)… when they ran 99 yards (or however long it was) down the sidelines for a touchdown to open the third quarter, that’s when I started “multi-tasking” and using the game as background noise. That’s actually become my go-to move when the Bucs start Bucs’ing. I’m not QUITE where your friend is (i.e. that of abandoning watching the Bucs altogether), but I’m pretty close. As a matter of fact, I’ll likely be moving out of Florida before the 2020 season and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t like the fact that it would be a chance to join a winning fanbase somewhere else.

  23. Waco Says:

    It’s getting more and more difficult to be a fan. I’m retired military and have been a directv customer just to purchase the Sunday ticket package to watch Bucs games for years. My sister has had season tickets for over 20 years and since last season I have gone in on tickets with her to watch the games in person. I live in Southeast Virginia and either drive or fly down for the games. I didn’t make it last weekend because I was sick. But I am tired of traveling 800 miles for “home” games only to hear the cheers of the other team’s fans as we leave the stadium and then face an 800 mile trip home early the next morning.

    I don’t understand how we always stink. Coaches, players change and we still stink. It’s baffling. I wonder what it would be like to be a fan of a team that wins consistently. I probably wouldn’t be the butt if jokes at work for my travels to see a team lose in every imaginable way.

    #itsabucslife

  24. Bucsfanman Says:

    It’s a Bucs life! You nailed it Joe. I consider myself to be one of the optimists around here and I just can’t get over that game. The pundits are straight mocking us! The narrative yesterday was Jones rise in NY. Not Shaq’s sacks, or Evans 190 yards, no it was about a rookie QB tearing apart yet another bad Bucs defense.
    With the flick of the wrist, hope filled out hearts as the Bucs were in position for a game winning kick. Joy, jubilance, but alas heartbreak.

  25. Oneilbucs Says:

    How can you blame Jamies for this lost is just plain stupid!! How can a rookie quarterback help this team win next year??? We need to focus on building our defense. Defense wins championships !!! Why do yall think that the Ravens are always a winning team?? If you can’t stop the other teams from scoring you are going to lose . Look how the Bears won last night. Our offense put up 31 points how many points do a team has to have to win???? Defense and kicking game lost this game. Jamies did his Job 380 yards and 3 touchdowns. Why do he have to have 5 touchdown passes and 500 yards to win 1 game?? Look at the bears they quarterback only had 200 yards passing and they still won the game.

  26. Morgus the Magnificent Says:

    An interesting JoeBucsFan piece from 2011…. https://www.joebucsfan.com/2011/06/the-optimist-the-greatness-of-culverhouse/

  27. Morgus the Magnificent Says:

    Conte Piscatelli…….perfectly stated sir.

  28. Anonymous Says:

    BA is absolutely fearful of Jameis’ play……
    How do we know if BA told the Glazers…..”I’ll do the best I can with Winston, but if it doesn’t work out, I’ll find and groom a new franchise QB for you.”

    Winston will likely not be signed to a new contract or franchised…..the Bucs need that money & they will need a new QB if BA doesn’t trust him. The Glazers are all-in with Licht & BA, not Winston.

    And Joe, I find it interesting that your friend likes all these players that you like…….in particular Dee Ford. Or, is that the other Joe? Are you going to be on duty for him while he’s on his boat Sunday? Safe bet that most football fans anywhere like Dee Ford. –Joe

  29. Colonel Angus Says:

    In the immortal words of Jim Lahey
    “A liquor captain never abandons a sinking sh!t ship”

  30. Good seats Bad team Says:

    Sad but true. Seriously doubt if I renew my tickets.

  31. Tampabaybucfan Says:

    Winston franchised?…..I think not…..not even resigned…..BA doesn’t trust him.
    How do we know that BA didn’t tell the Glazers “I’ll try to fix Winston but if I can’t I’ll find and groom a new franchise QB for you.” The Glazers are all-in with Licht (5 year extension) and BA…..not Winston.
    The Bucs need the money……drafting a new QB will accomplish that.

    And, as for your “friend”…..he seems to like all of the players you covet…..especially Dee Ford…..could that just be the other Joe you’re talking about?….or an imaginary friend” or your alter ego?

  32. Hodad Says:

    I want the offensive line from Wisc! Joe, his throw to Brate wasn’t even past the markers, and we only needed four yards. Can you blame BA for not trusting America’s QB after the egg he laid in the second half? I really think it was more about how bad he did against the 49ers that lost BA’s trust. People we don’t need to tank to get a top five pick, and a chance at a top QB. Just keep doing what we do which is lose. The sad part is as long as Licht is the GM do you believe he’d actually make the right choice?

  33. Loyaltotheend Section 312 Says:

    Loser culture and mentality prevents you from being successful

    Coaches and players both have this mindset

  34. The Buc Realist Says:

    @Joe

    Do not sell this choke job short!!!!!!!! It was historic!!!!!!!!! While national radio was lambasting the Bucs in this choke job, It was reported that it tied for The Largest Comeback by a Debut of a Rookie QB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Historic!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    You like that??? YOU LIKE THAT?????

    2019 will reveal answers to the sheep, that the “real” fans already know!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  35. Pete I Says:

    “Of course, this begs the question, if this team is so talented why does it always lose? Year after year? Maybe could it be, just maybe, this team isn’t as talented as folks have trumpeted?”

    It certainly isn’t at QB!

  36. Buczilla Says:

    Awesome article and it sums up a lot of my feelings too. It’s sad when you are looking forward to the draft 3 games into the season… “sigh”. From what I hear, there are 3-4 first round talents at qb and a slew of good defensive players. 😂

  37. Ndog Says:

    You have to love how dedicated the clueless are to blaming Jameis. We give up 32 points to a rookie QB making his first career start on the road, miss two extra points and a point blank FG to win the game and they all say the QB is the problem.

    Hey guess what guys let’s draft a new QB next year, just a few questions. Is he going to play defense, is he going to kick, is he going to play right tackle, is he going to return punts, he is going to block on special teams so our returners have a chance? Last one is he going to play perfect football with every other aspect of the game screwing up left and right around him each game?

    But yep let’s get a new QB that should solve all are problems especially when our current bum QB only threw for 380 and 3 TDs on Sunday, what a bum.

    Jameis was told you have to win the game yourself, you have a defense and kicker you can trust now. Um ok……

  38. Defense Rules Says:

    Joe, you’re whining again. Wah wah wah. I did, however, see one question in there that should cause JBFers to actually think …

    “Of course, this begs the question, if this team is so talented why does it always lose? Year after year? Maybe could it be, just maybe, this team isn’t as talented as folks have trumpeted?”

    MAYBE it loses because it’s not talented enough? Really? You’re just now asking that question after so many years of mediocrity? We’ve had guys playing (and sometimes starting) for years who couldn’t have made the rosters on even the worst NFL teams. And you could probably name a dozen just off the top of your head.

    But beyond that, our musical ‘coaching carousel’ has killed any chance that we would develop young draft picks into stars. Every 2-3 years, like clockwork, we flip staffs. Heck it takes that long for most rookie CBs to even find their way into the starting lineup; and instead we have multiple youngsters starting in ours. Chemistry? What’s that? Simplified game-plans? Oh ya, that’s the ticket to a winning season. Not.

  39. Loyaltotheend Section 312 Says:

    49ers game was on Jameis

    This loss was on the d, the coaching and Kicker. Although you hope a franchise qb can score more than 3 points against a awful d

  40. AlteredEgo Says: Your comment is awaiting moderation. Says:

    I am sure it is a interesting article, but the photo turned my stomach and I scrolled down to post this message..maybe later today…PTDS

  41. ClodHopper Says:

    About that apathy: Gotta admit, I saw the Ira podcast downloaded on Itunes and scrolled by it to the next one. Not Ira or Joe’s fault. I just didnt have interest in hearing about the Bucs yesterday. The sting on this game has been pretty hard to get over. Maybe I will listen today, we’ll see.

    About your friend: He could just watch it on TV. It only take up 3 hours of your day. You can get a lot of things done by 1:00 or 4:00. He could have the best of both worlds.

  42. Defense Rules Says:

    Ndog … “You have to love how dedicated the clueless are to blaming Jameis.” I see you’re still driving the ‘Jameis Defender’ train. Sunday’s game came down to a kicker missing a kick. It happens. Game 1 came down to Jameis throwing 2 Pick-6s. That also happens. If you, or a select few others, want to make the reason for the loss about “BA doesn’t trust Jameis’, then fine. MAYBE he doesn’t, at least not yet.

    Jameis’ 4th quarter INT with the Bucs leading 28-25 certainly wasn’t a confidence-booster for BA or Byron. The Bucs’ defense saved Jameis’ bacon after that play when Barrett forced Daniel Jones to fumble. Running RoJo SIX straight times to get down to the Giants’ 5-yard line with a 3rd-and-2 may have been a response to the INT … but it worked. It was the coaching decision AFTER THAT (to pull RoJo and run Barber) that may have been circumspect. And going for the FG when you’re only up by 3 pts with 6 minutes to go blew my mind admittedly (setting up a situation where 1 Giants’ TD wins the game?). But still, that’s the HC’s prerogative.

  43. Steven007 Says:

    Everyone keeps saying we’re a few inches from 0-3. Well we’re also few inches from 2-1.. That’s the way it is in the NFL. We are not even one quarter into the season. I’m not sure why there’s more doiom and gloom than usual here. I don’t like the results of the last game any more than any other fan, but I’m reserving judgment until we have a few quarters of football in the bag.

  44. 813bucboi Says:

    Gay blew it…..point blank period….

    GO BUCS!!!!!

  45. Bradinator Says:

    Reality says that, business wise anyway, that if we go 5-11

  46. Bradinator Says:

    Sorry got cut off there. The Bucs cannot keep Jameis if we are 5-11 or worse again. It might not be all his fault, but a QB with a losing record inspires no one to come down to the stadium every Sunday. No way are we franchising Jameis and paying him the average salary of the top 5 QBs, which is what a Franchised player gets, I believe. I said in another post, we just plain do not have the personnel to compete at a playoff level. I scoffed, fooled by my rabid fandom, when experts kept saying we are a couple of years away from having the personnel that would be competitive. I like Licht. That said, he has to go. If we go with conventional wisdom, and we do not have the horses to compete, that falls squarely on the GM. Why did we waste a pick on a kicker? Nothing wrong at all with Cairos Santos. He kicked well for us last year. Has a proven track record of being solid. Why? Squarely on the GM. We are not competitive. Period. NO coach could win with this team as currently composed. A pig in a dress is still a pig. You can put lipstick on it, but still a pig. That’s what we have now, a dressed up, lipstick wearing, pig. Very difficult to stomach for my hard earned dollars to support.

  47. idiaznet Says:

    While it did suck this weekend to see the Bucs lose and the way they did it was just sickening. But just reading this site this year has been ridiculous. Did you all not see last night when ESPN talked about 8 first year QB’s starting and winning. Not just D Jones!!! Steve Young said it best, it is what the NFL has wanted to fix the QB problem in the NFL. They are making it easier to play QB by removing a lot of what the defenses are able to do. Making defenders more hesitant. Jameis played really well outside of 1 decision where he didn’t set he feet for the throw. These things are not going to go away in one year. He has shown that he is not doing this as much and didn’t fumble at all.

    As for Matt Gay, when Sebastian Janikowski came in the league he had the same inconsistency issue and was almost cut by Gruden. He was able to figure it out and had a long career. If you notice even Vinitari had and issue this year with shorter kicks as well. Kickers have to adjust to this extra point move and Gay is doing that coming from college. My understanding from the broadcast was that there were winds that were causing problems as well.

    Bowles defense is not going to be awesome every game, and I believe there were communication issues on the backend as well. Not sure if players were not always in place at the point of the snap, too many times they looked confused before the snap. You have young players that just got cocky because they did so well in the first half and didn’t trust the system in the second. These coaches will get it figured out. They had some of the same problems in Arizona their first year there as well.

    People just relax, now we are bitching because we lost by 1 point. If this was last year we wouldn’t have even been in the game!!! We would have been blown out by half time with Mike Smith’s defense.

    I know it is hard believe me I am just as depressed about Jameis, the Kicking and the defense, but we really were one or two plays away from winning. That is far better than last year wear they would come out and say it, but it was a 20-30 point loss and you were just looking at the play they are referring to being in the first quarter. Rather than in the 4th quarter.

  48. Destinjohnny Says:

    Tua will be long gone by the time we pick as he will be the first pic
    Jake will be a solid pro

  49. wantstastayabuc Says:

    Get a rookie QB with a rookie QB salary. Look at what QB’s with 1 or fewer years of pro experience are doing! Add to that a few expensive linemen with the money you save by dumping the dead weight of an unecessarily large veteran QB contract. I would expect improvement.
    By the way, Jones had no running game after SB went out, nor did he have a defense. His receiver core is supposedly not as high powered as the Buc’s. He won. He just started his NFL starter career at 4:05 on Sunday.
    Cut bait and improve the team even if it means disappointing a few fanboys.

  50. Pops Malone Says:

    Good article. Been a fan up here in Chicago since Doug Williams rookie season.
    Its wearing on me. As soon as Engram caught the 75 yard td pass to start the second half, you knew where it was going. And of course, the kicker has to miss the gimme kick at the end to make it hurt even more. I am at that point too. How much longer do you want to watch the same movie over and over again? Its old. The organization should be ashamed of itself. Totally embarrassing. Start winning games. I don’t want to hear about talent.

  51. Thisisouryear!!! Says:

    I couldn’t change my allegiance to a team if I wanted to. How do you do that? If I could I’d be a stinking Pats fan!! I think Jameis has all the potential, but he’d kill us with 30 million per year and I don’t think he’s going to get consistent. He had a good game on Sunday but the coaches don’t believe in him. Why should we? Get a rookie QB and build around him.

  52. Pete Says:

    We gave up our seats this season.. until the Buc’s prove they are worth it we won’t re up. Tired of going to the stadium wasting a lot of time and money and coming home completely disgusted with how the team played, feeling like I just wasted a whole day. That has happened way too often in the past 11 years!

  53. tmaxcon Says:

    Joe,

    Culverhouse was pure class compared to the free pass glazer clowns. 1 good year they had… dungy’s tenure was pure failure and a waste of a generational hall of famer in sapp… that lombardi expired week 1 of the 2003 season… you and the rest of the low standard bucfans have been using that has a free pass for glazers since the final whistle… Culverhouse is George Halas compared to glazers.

  54. Cgmaster27 Says:

    Well the comments started smart and then the trolls and their anti jameis sentiment started. Jameis derangement syndrom is real for aome of you. And the fact thay some of you, troll i presume, out that loss on jameis, makes you have the football iq of a tree. Its sad to see auch stuoidity run rampant, but its not a surprise. Those of you wanted him gone the minute he was drafted. Pathetic

  55. Cgmaster27 Says:

    @wantstastayabuc no but what daniel jones did have eas recievers running wide open on busted coverages. Its almost like you didnt even watch the game. Daniel jones is nothing special, he was passing to widenopen recievers. Our defense made him look good, not the other way around.

  56. BetterBucFan Says:

    I jmoved to Colorado for college. Been a Bucs fan my whole life. I am about 2 losing seasons away from switching to being a Broncos fan. My father in Seattle has been a fan since the 80’s, he’s the same way. I can’t take this garbage anymore.

  57. Buccfan37 Says:

    Hurry up and wait.

  58. Buc1987 Says:

    Joe…the Gints were playing at home.

    Or did you miss all that BLUE in the stands?

  59. widerightandleft Says:

    Bucs 1987:
    When you have 12 years of terrible football the home fans tend to get alienated and don’t attend games and unfortunately other teams use the game weekend as vacation and outman our fans at home !

  60. Mike Johnson Says:

    Loved this article you did here Joe. I’m amongst those who cover my utter disappointment with this franchise by finding things to laugh at and getting…Snockered..Blitzcraiged on Sunday while watching us lose. I haven’t given up. But I..don’t expect much either. That NYG loss not only stung, it hurt badly. I truly do not think we recover from it this season. And not in LA. I no longer live in the city where I grew up and was born..Tampa. I live way out west now. But out here we are the laughing stock of the NFl. We don’t threaten anybody. Its getting harder to stay faithful. But I’m trying. Still wearing my Buc stuff. I do think we are on the right track though, As odd as it may sound, Overall we do look better than last year. But so do a lot of other teams as well.

  61. Bucamania Says:

    The Bucs fan base has been dwindling for years. The Glazer boys don’t have a clue. Behind the scenes they’re probably as dysfunctional as the kids on Succession.

  62. Jonathan Limpchimpi Says:

    Comfortably numb indeed, Joe. I was in Montana and following the game on my phone. When BA started to back up at the end I felt it to my core Gay was going to whiff. And he did. The Limp Biscuit Era has begun. The “stepping away” for health precautions isn’t far off.

  63. Joe Says:

    The Limp Biscuit Era has begun

    LOVE it!!!

    Joe’s going to steal that!

  64. Oneilbucs Says:

    Man I hate this fan base!!!! Maybe the reason why yall trying to blame Jamies is because Matt Gay is white !!!! He missed the kick and some kind of way it’s Jamies fault. Jamies put the team in position to win and even the guys that was calling the game said that Jamies has to put the team in position to win cause that’s what Franchise quarterback do . Jamies did that and he still is getting blame for the lost just like the pass 4 years. This is a red neck racist fan base and all they really saying is get us a white quarterback so we can root for our team. This is a fanbase for the kkk.