The Bucs And The 2019 Playoffs
November 11th, 2019
The devout Bucs optimists, the never-say-die fans, deserve their due today after a thrilling Bucs victory at home yesterday.
Joe loves those folks and their big fantasies.
These are the people who smiled all last night while talking to themselves about the Bucs running the table to go 10-6 or finish crazy strong at 9-7 and squeak into the playoffs.
Do the Bucs have a shot to make the playoffs? You’re damn right they do. Sadly, it’s about as likely as Joe getting an invite to the annual cheerleader hot tub and champagne party.
The giant roadblocks in the playoffs fantasy are the Bucs’ losses to Seattle and San Francisco, Tampa Bay’s five conference losses, and the Saints’ sitting at 7-2. If the Bucs lose next Sunday against New Orleans at the Den of Depression, then take the NFC South crown off the table. The Bucs would be five back of the division leader with six game remaining and the Saints would hold the tiebreaker edge.
But a Bucs win Sunday would keep the division in play. The teams would have then tied head-to-head for the season and the Bucs would lead in the second tiebreaker, which is best won-lost-tied percentage in games played within NFC South.
As for a potential Wild Card berth, the Bucs would have to overtake Seattle (7-2) and/or Minnesota (7-3), or Green Bay (8-2) and/or San Francisco (8-0) if the latter two fell out of first place. Aside from the Bucs being a subpar team (sorry, crazed optimists) conference record becomes a key tiebreaker and the best the Bucs can finish is 7-5 in the NFC.
The combination of 10-6 and a 7-5 conference record is no guarantee. The 2010 Bucs were 10-6 and 8-4 in the NFC and lost out on the tiebreaker. The 2016 Bucs were 7-5 in the conference and lost out on the postseason tiebreaker.
Still, hope is alive and well for some. Beat the now-stumbling Saints on Sunday and take out the Falcons a week after that, and all of a sudden those optimists will have a few hundred more people at their monthly meeting.
November 11th, 2019 at 12:02 pm
LMAO is all I can think to say
November 11th, 2019 at 12:07 pm
….so you’re saying there’s a chance!?!
November 11th, 2019 at 12:08 pm
lol lol lol… now the Falcons will give us 2 more wins and you could get 2 more if the lions don’t have stafford and the colts have to start Brian hoyer again but thats it. Even those games are up in the air bc like we saw yesterday, Jameis will give both teams a shot to win.
November 11th, 2019 at 12:09 pm
Photos of this party or it didn’t happen.
Here is another way the Bucs could get in the playoffs… finish strong, draft well,
be smart in free agency and play a lot better and more consistent next year.
I don’t see wins over Brees and Watson, but 8-8 would be a positive step.
November 11th, 2019 at 12:09 pm
We need a bit of comedic relief. Thanks Joe!
November 11th, 2019 at 12:10 pm
Best quote of the day…..”like we saw yesterday, Jameis will give both teams a shot to win.” Thanks Miken!!
November 11th, 2019 at 12:12 pm
What a great season this has been. Nine games in and we can still talk playoffs. Things are coming together nicely.
November 11th, 2019 at 12:13 pm
So, I am surprised no one is making a big deal about “The Pose” after they intercepted the pass, down by 4 with time running out. It’s like McIceCream was back on the team.
November 11th, 2019 at 12:19 pm
Best path is to win out and hope Saints finish 10-6 with a 3-3 division record. Winning out would put Bucs at 10-6 and 4-2 in division. Highly doubt that happens, but that’s why they play the games. A fan can dream right?
November 11th, 2019 at 12:21 pm
Playoffs?
Playoffs?
PLAYOFFS?
November 11th, 2019 at 12:22 pm
Actually, the biggest roadblock to making the playoff is that the team sucks. If they could play the Cardinals in all seven of their remaining games…maybe. However, I feel more confident in my preseason prediction of 5-11 than I do in the playoffs.
November 11th, 2019 at 12:22 pm
You’re a funny guy ….
November 11th, 2019 at 12:25 pm
Your smoking crack!!!!
November 11th, 2019 at 12:26 pm
The biggest problem for the bucs…are the bucs…..They can play good one week and suddenly next week can be just awful….And it starts with th most important position on the field, the QB…..You have an inconsistent QB, you will have inconsistent results…..There is no magic on this, is not that I have found Coca cola’s formula here…..
I am not a JW hater, I am a Bucs lover, and I want what is best for my team….And we are not going anywhere with #3 at QB position. We will be inconsistent……..
November 11th, 2019 at 12:27 pm
Playoffs? Just ask Jim Mora:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2R2sH2ScBM
November 11th, 2019 at 12:36 pm
Thanks for the laugh. I needed to bear something positive considering the erratic quarterback and lousy gm I wake up praying are gone next year.
November 11th, 2019 at 12:40 pm
Yes thats what we want to make it to the playoffs and on national tv get embarrassed ummmm no thanks.
November 11th, 2019 at 12:42 pm
Ok Joe, Noe I know you put a dash of Irish Whisky in yer morning coffee. In the words of Jim Mora…Playoffs..PLAYOFFS? You gotta be kidding me! I luv my Bucs but they are gonna be sittin at home just like me on the couch with..several libations watching the playoffs.
November 11th, 2019 at 12:50 pm
The only race the Bucs are running- is with the Falcons, for last place.
But we’ll lose some close ones- that will make our coaches and fans happy!
That way, we can spend yet another summer- talking about” well, we lost 4 games by less than 3 points! Next year, we’ll dominate!!”
A low bar, and high hopes.
Its a Bucs life
November 11th, 2019 at 12:51 pm
Falcons give us two more wins????
Who’s going to cover Julio Jones in our secondary?
Falcons will sweep us.
November 11th, 2019 at 12:52 pm
Nice choice of picture Joe!
The 2 guys pictured along above along with JPP, and Shaq Barrett probably won’t be here next year, so I’m expecting a similar record or worse next year!
The fact that this franchise is happy to have a losing record without trying to clear salary and collect draft picks so that they actually have a chance at rebuilding and becoming a contender, is disgusting!
See 2018 with a lame duck coach, they trade nobody, including Mr Ice Cream and DJax and just roll into this season in salary cap hell, with no extra draft picks.
I’m truly an optimistic person, but this franchise has beaten me down!
November 11th, 2019 at 12:53 pm
we still need 2 more wins just to tie last years win total ..just like the year before that, and the year before that, the year before that, before that, that, that, th..
November 11th, 2019 at 12:53 pm
H8JWLVEBUCS Says:
“Yes thats what we want to make it to the playoffs and on national tv get embarrassed ummmm no thanks.”
Yes that’s what every team and fan should want…to make it to the playoffs.
You’re an odd fan though…
November 11th, 2019 at 12:56 pm
The long shot chances of making the playoffs ended with the loss at Tennessee. The back end of the schedule isn’t that hard starting yesterday and sitting at with a 4-5 record would’ve given some hope.
November 11th, 2019 at 12:57 pm
Crazy things happen in sports all the time.
Personally playoffs are too far out for me to think about.
What my hope is that we make up for that 4 game losing steak with a 4 game win streak. Do that and we are at 500 and can look at a playoff picture. Do that and none y’all will be laughing. But first they gotta beat the Saints. If they do that the fanbase may start to perk up.
GO BUCS!
November 11th, 2019 at 12:59 pm
A couple of plane crashes and we’re in the playoffs. John McKay.
November 11th, 2019 at 12:59 pm
This would require Jameis to post a winning record. That’s never happened in his NFL career. And the evidence suggests it never will.
November 11th, 2019 at 1:01 pm
Old Sombrero ….I think he went 9-7 once.
November 11th, 2019 at 1:06 pm
blah, blah, blah …. Cheerleader Hot Tub and Champagne Party … blah, blah, blah
Easily my favorite article of the year!
November 11th, 2019 at 1:09 pm
See ya’ll phucking with my emotions now talking about playoffs.
Who wouldn’t be happy.
But I will say this though …Lee (JBF) your on to something.
There’s some stuff bubbling under surface – that’s gonna turn real ugly here in a minute.
November 11th, 2019 at 1:10 pm
Y?
November 11th, 2019 at 1:10 pm
Steve in Mad Beach. Sometimes it’s not about building a roster. Sometimes it’s about building a mentality.
Teams come out of nowhere all the time in the NFL and very often it’s not because of a rebuilt roster. Confidence & mindset can breed success…….And don’t ever forget that half the game is 90% mental.
November 11th, 2019 at 1:17 pm
Not sure which event would make me more happy…the Bucs making the playoffs or Joe-Lee getting a much deserved/anticipated invite to a Buc cheerleader hot tub/bachelorette party. Why not both?!
November 11th, 2019 at 1:18 pm
One week, the Bucs are the worst team in the NFL and should fire sale the roster and intentionally lose to get a higher 1st round pick. Then, they win at home, barely, against an equally bad team, and then the jokes start.
Look, they need to play out the season and try to win every game with the best players. If that means they draft at 15, so be it. But that is the deal we all made.
November 11th, 2019 at 1:20 pm
The Falcons played the Saints well yesterday and if they’ve made the needed adjustments, The Falcons will not be wins for Bucs many thought…
Lions and Colts may play backup but when has the Bucs beat backup QB..
Quite possibly the Bucs may not win another game and end up 3-13..
Anyone remember back in JG era we were 9-3 and playoffs were in view when we lost every game, ended 9-7 and out of the playoffs.. this team is worse..
Maybe the Bucs squeeze out 2 more some how and strangely end 5-11 for 3rd year in a row.
November 11th, 2019 at 1:23 pm
This is all going according to plan…
November 11th, 2019 at 1:23 pm
I’m surprised that three weeks in a row and a fourth in New Orleans that nobody is talking about the Bucs have to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that the defense has caused fumbles yet the refs keep blowing the whistle after it was stated let the play, play out
November 11th, 2019 at 1:25 pm
The one unique positive from this regime so far vs any other recent staff, is we have basically been in every game this season, other than Winston’s London collapse which is on him, and we still almost came back in that one.
Under Schiano / Lovie / Koetter we were blown out bad in 1 out of 4 games on average at least. As in the game was over by the 3rd quater and we lost by like 2-3 TDs lol. This season could look so much different with a few better bounces from the football gods:
Make the kick vs the Giants and we’re 4-5
Get the call vs the Titans and we’re 5-4
Win the coin toss vs Seattle and we’re 6-3 imo
We did get lucky on the no call at the end – not that it would have guarenteed anything other than OT at best for the Cards – so that was nice. Other than that we’ve been on the bad side of luck when it counted in 3 other games.
Would be nice to win enough to at least get the fan base to care in December lol
November 11th, 2019 at 1:31 pm
More than anything I want to see this team finish on a high note this year. Starting 2-6 was a real bummer, especially since we COULD HAVE been 5-4 or even 6-3 at this point if things had worked out a bit better in our favor.
But still, finishing this second half of the season say 6-2 to have a break-even year SHOULD set us up for a good 2020, UNLESS the front office goes all Gump on us. Then we be screwed.
November 11th, 2019 at 1:39 pm
Yes Lord great point and those few plays show you we are much closer then our record indicates. While you could say that about last year or the year before it’s pretty obvisously those teams were not at all close to contending…….As you illistrated by them blowouts.
The one that really sticks in my crawl is the Tennessee loss. Because those bad calls was out of our hands.
See, what we got here is a pirates life. Our bandwagon is not ordinary because our is a ship. And ships take a long time to turn around……Ours is slowly making that turn right now. But boy you better look out when this sucker gets going the opposite way!!! Derailing a train is easier then slowing down a ship with a full head of steam!!!!!!!!!!
Jump on the bandwagon now fans while the gettins good!!!!!!!!!!
GO BUCS!
November 11th, 2019 at 1:40 pm
horay we are 3 and 6 …. the SAME winning percentage 33% under or awesome GM LICKED …. licht tenure is win 33% of time lose 66% of time …. sounds great… the definition of insanity is to keep doing the same thing and expect differant results……. forest gump says dont change a thing…….
November 11th, 2019 at 1:41 pm
Also, bite me to the one choice commenter who rendered the use of extra exclamation points completely worthless!!!!?!!!?????!!!!!?
Let the Bucs get good first and then we can be great.
November 11th, 2019 at 1:44 pm
” say 6-2 to have a break-even year SHOULD set us up for a good 2020, UNLESS the front office goes all Gump on us. Then we be screwed.”….Rules
Dear Rules, what evidence in the past can you site that would indicate this WON’T happen?
November 11th, 2019 at 1:47 pm
I’d be happy with 7-9 or 8-8. The Bucs have zero chance of making the playoffs with our secondary.
November 11th, 2019 at 1:48 pm
I like focusing on beating the Saints rather than the 2020 draft at this point……that’s for sure.
November 11th, 2019 at 1:53 pm
This should not even be talked about.
No chance at all in any universe.
November 11th, 2019 at 1:56 pm
How about forget all those scenarios and just start winning? It’s never to late to just finally turn this thing around and change the culture around here. To me, that’s the only thing on the table. And for the love of God, please stop talking about the draft. I would be over the moon with 8-8, ecstatic about 7-9, the same record as Tony Dungy’s first year (1996) and proof that things had turned around and there was hope for the future. Honestly at this point I’ll take what I can get. Stop analyzing every scenario and what it all means and take some advise from our esteemed Ira Kaufman: “You’ll know it when you see it.”
November 11th, 2019 at 1:56 pm
Too funny Joe.
November 11th, 2019 at 2:01 pm
Let’s just hope they can finish strong … playoffs are a pipe dream right now … lol all the scenarios will get joe constipate joe … don’t even discuss playoffs … discuss a strong finish
November 11th, 2019 at 2:17 pm
You failed to mention Rachel Watson amongst things Joe will never get.
November 11th, 2019 at 2:19 pm
When does It become acceptable to start writing articles about the 2020 NFL DRAFT?
Because the only race I see as even relevant, would be the race for the best possible pick by losing each and every single game left on the schedule. Like I’ve said before, Bucs need to get a QB in 2020 draft and no Project guyz who will be stuck in no mans land just like poor RG4
November 11th, 2019 at 2:24 pm
Oregonbucsfan … Even finishing 10-6 probably wouldn’t get us in the playoffs. As far as evidence goes, Gump’s influence is waning. I’m still convinced that the 2019 draft was all BA & TB. Also convinced that 2020 will be the same.
November 11th, 2019 at 2:39 pm
too, late….fan base already quit
November 11th, 2019 at 2:45 pm
Some reports show16 NFL teams had reps in the press box for LSU/ALA. No Buccaneers. That’s telling isn’t it.
November 11th, 2019 at 2:54 pm
Mentioning the Bucs and playoffs in the same sentence should be a criminal offense. They beat an awful Cardinals team that almost won the game if not for upfront pressure and a solid running game. Jamoist had little to do with this victory. The last thing we need is him sticking around after this season. The GM needs to go as well. I’m tired of always having a losing record.
November 11th, 2019 at 2:55 pm
Playoffs? Playoffs lol really. I just hope they finish winning some games to show some promise for next year. This team has not sniffed the playoffs since 2008 when Monte left and the damn team had a meltdown went from like 9-3 to out of the playoffs and everyone was let go. I am hoping I am still alive when they make the playoffs again and I am only 38. It is that bad for Bucs fans that have been waiting over a decade to see this organization get it together and back into playoff contention.
November 11th, 2019 at 2:56 pm
The Bucs (plural) are 4th in scoring.
Jameis is 1st in turnovers
Jameis is last of all starting QB’s with a 59.3% completion rate. The rest of the league is above 60%. The only others who are below 60% are riding pine.
November 11th, 2019 at 2:58 pm
It’s always from one extreme to the other here. LoL.
November 11th, 2019 at 3:01 pm
Seriously? Playoffs?
Peace, out
November 11th, 2019 at 3:01 pm
If we are to at least go 7 – 9 Jameis will have to tighten up.
His accuracy is abysmal.
November 11th, 2019 at 3:04 pm
As Han Solo once said to C3PO when he was given unfavorable odds of navigating an asteroid field in the Millenium Falcon —— ” Never tell me the odds”. John Madden in his infinite wisdom also said ” It don’t matter if the mule is blind , just load the wagon”.
You knew when the NFL admitted they dealt the Bucs a bad hand with this schedule that it was going to be a long shot , and that is exactly what we have left , a long shot. BA using ROJO and Howard more and more effectively will help , but the secondary play will decide most of the remaining games.
GO BUCS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
November 11th, 2019 at 3:11 pm
Long shot … not realistic. But there’s hope.
November 11th, 2019 at 3:19 pm
hahahahahahahahaha, this team has ZERO chance of the postseason this year -mathematical possibility perhaps, but common sense tells a VERY different story –
Murray was slinging bad passes all day, we are lucky to have won the game as it is
Brees will hang 48 on this D – the kids looked a little better, but not even close to being good
November 11th, 2019 at 3:27 pm
Bucs split with Saints in 2015,16,17,&18.
November 11th, 2019 at 3:52 pm
Robert you are wrong. Maybe some of y’all gave up. The rest of us stood strong and made enough noise yesterday to force consecutive presnap pentalties nearly pushing Arizona out of FG range. Had we quit like you perhaps that drive-ins in a touchdown.
But don’t worry the bandwagon is always open. I’m sorry all this seems on the deck of the ship are spoken for. We got a nice spot last for you below deck right next to the toilets it’s funny.
November 11th, 2019 at 5:14 pm
Did you watch the game yesterday? This team barely beat the crappy Cardinals at home. The Saints are going to b slap us into another dimension. I’ll be waiting for all the typical excuses I hear on JBF next week about how the receivers run the wrong routes and our line is no good, all while scoring 28 points a game, for Jay-Miss’ extremely poor play. I called the 2 pics against the crappy cards. He’ll throw at least two and fumble twice against the Aints.
November 11th, 2019 at 6:13 pm
Seriously, what’s more fun?
Being a know-it-all and insisting you are CERTAIN whats going to happen over the next 7 weeks? Being POSITIVELY negative in your sense that nothing but doom and gloom (or mediocrity) await us?
Or watching a win like yesterday and dreaming and hoping that our home team WON’T let us down, but instead WILL go forth and do great things??!!?
Sure, I’m aware of what’s more likely. But like Andy Dufresne said, hope is a good thing.
November 11th, 2019 at 7:13 pm
PLAYOFFS???!!! PLAYOFFS???!!!! – said Jim Mora
November 11th, 2019 at 7:41 pm
@Colonel Angus
First off you have the best name on this site. That was the funniest skit EVER on SNL…Walken was genius as the Colonel.
“A fan can dream right?”
I like the way you and Jurevicius and Andy Dufresne think….HOPE is a good thing.
@Perimeter
You beat me by a post…I knew folks had to be thinking that but there is nothing like the original…enjoy all…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7fjDS0jKiE
November 11th, 2019 at 8:50 pm
The Bucs playoff chances equate to Vita Vea passing through the eye of a needle.
November 11th, 2019 at 10:25 pm
Gtfoh this season was over weeks ago.
November 11th, 2019 at 10:51 pm
Bucs1987 – I stand corrected. Been so many years of inept football that I forgot about his epic break through 9-7 season. I just can’t get over his overall horrific winning percentage. Aside from Sam Darnold and Rosen I believe he has like the third worse winning percentage of all active QBs.
November 12th, 2019 at 6:29 am
Super bowl!