It Shouldn’t Have Happened

December 29th, 2019

Choked.

Yes, Jameis lost the game. Every highlight show in America will have Jameis’ pick-six to start overtime as the game-winning play for the Dixie Chicks.

And it was.

In reality, Jameis shouldn’t have been on the field in overtime because there shouldn’t have been an overtime.

The game was lost in regulation. And guess why? A kicker!

(If there is an image for the Bucs in the Lost Decade that just ended today, it will be a collage of all the Bucs’ rotten kickers, specifically since 2014.)

Matt Gay missed three field goals today. That’s nine points. Even if he went one-for-three, the Bucs win.

But no! Kickers.

After the game, Bucs coach Bucco Bruce Arians noted that the only time Gay has problems with field goals is at home in the Den of Depression, specifically kicking into the south end zone.

That’s where Gay missed two field goals today and also missed his memorable would-be game-winner against the Giants earlier this season.

Arians vowed to have this corrected for 2020.

In fact, Arians said Gay will get ample practice time kicking in the south end zone in 2020.

Yes, Jameis lost the game in overtime. It shouldn’t have come to that. it was set up by Gay’s gagging in regulation.

80 Responses to “It Shouldn’t Have Happened”

  1. SteveK Says:

    But it did happen.

    And it tells the truth.

    Five years.

    No playoffs.

    Wake up and smell the turnovers!

  2. HeavyE Says:

    Yeah Gay, gets a pass……I wonder why??????

  3. Marine Buc Says:

    GM Licht needs to either sign a solid veteran or find some serious competition to challenge Matt Gay for the kicker job next year. He has lost us at least two games this year.

  4. Pete I Says:

    Kicking lost the game no doubt.

    However, Jameis ” meaningless stats ” Winston America’s QB, Mr excrement, 30 – 30 man made history today.

    That should be celebrated!

  5. Tampabaybucfan Says:

    Yep……but we aren’t paying Gay 20 plus million going to 27 plus…..we can sign another kicker if we need to…..

    Jameis is a dilemma…

  6. DavidBigBucsFan99 Says:

    He’s white that’s why!!!!! Ah HA HA HA HA HA HA !!!!!!šŸ˜œšŸ¤ŖšŸ˜œšŸ¤ŖšŸ˜œšŸ¤ŖšŸ˜œšŸ¤ŖšŸ˜œ

  7. dairider Says:

    This isn’t “JoeBucsFan” it’s JoeJameisFan” always making excuses why everyone else other than Jameis is responsible for the team failings.

  8. Adrnagy Says:

    Let the off season start.

  9. Joe Says:

    This isnā€™t ā€œJoeBucsFanā€ itā€™s JoeJameisFanā€ always making excuses why everyone else other than Jameis is responsible for the team failings.

    Joe doesn’t think truth is an excuse. Unless we were watching different games, Joe saw Matt Gay miss three makeable field goals today in regulation. The game went to overtime.

    Jameis and the Bucs walk out of that stadium as winners if Gay makes just one of those.

    Or were those three missed field goals simply a mirage?

  10. Dewey Selmon Says:

    He should have worn the neon yellow shoes.

  11. DBS Says:

    But wait. He got no pass in the Giants game. I wonder why!!!
    Because it never shuld have come to that??

  12. Miketb19 Says:

    This is a bad excuse for Jameis lovers sure Gay should of made those kicks but he didnā€™t and when the ball was in Jameis hands he blew it as well so enough of the excuses for the kid heā€™s a turnover machine and a choke artist he had 6 games where he threw at least 3 INTs were those Matt Gays fault as well

  13. Jeebs the Honey Bear Says:

    Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize it is the goal of every offense to kick field goals!! Leftwich once again went conservative in the 2nd half, as he has done before with first half leads, and the result was we did not get into the endzone. Combine that with more inconsistent play and inaccurate throws from Jameis, and we have ourselves the perfect recipe for a loss! Blaming the kicker for this loss is like blaming scotch tape for not preventing the leak in a busted pipe. THE LOSS IS ON LEFTWICH AND JAMEIS. Ditch them both.

  14. Tampabuscsbro Says:

    There goes JoeJameisFan making excuses again. I wonder which Joe it is today.

  15. Jean Lafitte Says:

    Gay’s misses put the team on it’s heels. He makes just one and we won this game.

  16. Adrnagy Says:

    Why happen to running the ball in the 4th qtr.

  17. Jean Lafitte Says:

    ā€¦.but that pick six was ugly as well.

  18. Duthsty Rhothdes Says:

    Around 10 ppl still 100% in jameis corner figures the jameis joe would bail before jpp… time to let jameis go just like you let jonny football go.. it all worked out

  19. HeavyE Says:

    Oh You mean heā€™s TRASH???? LMAO!šŸ¤£šŸ¤£šŸ¤£šŸ¤£šŸ¤£šŸ¤£šŸ¤£šŸ¤£šŸ¤£šŸ¤£šŸ¤£šŸ¤£šŸ¤£šŸ¤£šŸ¤£šŸ¤£šŸ¤£

  20. MadMax Says:

    @ heavy…..he’s a rookie, thats why. But all the race card players and race baiters will go along with you. Nothing more than keeping race relations screwed up than pretending theres a race issue there when there isnt…but go ahead

  21. Zzbuc Says:

    Joe.
    The kicker was probably the main reason we lost, but I know you know and everybody knows is not the only reason.
    We can keep on coming with tons of arguments why we are what we are, but I Know you know and everybody knows that JW is one of the main reasons.
    Thatā€™s a fact!!
    If Carr or Dalton or Bridgewater are the answer thatā€™s a different discussion!!

  22. Hodad Says:

    If Licht didn’t draft Gay, and Winston it wouldn’t have happened. You lose games when you count on a rookie kicker, and a QB who after five years still plays like a rookie only he wants to be paid like a top 5 QB. No Jameis should’ve never been on the field in OT. If he could’ve had one TD drive in the second half we win. Is that to much to ask of your franchise QB? Go back to the Giant game that everyone blames Gay for losing. Jameis in the second half of that game, like today, threw for no TD’s, but did throw a costly pick. That’s 4 quarters of football at home with 2 picks, and no TD’s. Yeah blame the kicker, his dog, the receivers, the O line, defense, special teams etc.

  23. Couch Fan Says:

    The thing is, you expect rookies to have bad games. This is not unusual. What is unusual? a record 7th pick 6 of the season that cost us another winnable game by the Choke Artist. Matt gay has cost us 29 points on missed field goals this season. Winston has given the opponent 42 points off of pick 6’s alone….. food for thought for the D riders.

  24. mark2001 Says:

    Sorry Joe…this is one that was completely in Jameis’s hands…getting the ball first in OT..decent field position. And what does he do? What he always done. Now if you want a guy to create website hits and emotion, Jameis is your man. But he will never be a SB winning QB, and never likely be better than the 7th QB pick alternate in the Pro Bowl…

  25. DBS Says:

    They tried this crap last week with all the turnovers . But Jameis got the team back to a tie and still lost. Same thing. Overtime or not. Tie game. That is when a true franchise QB shows up.

  26. ElioT Says:

    The kicker canā€™t miss three in a tight game.

    The QB canā€™t continue to throw picks like they donā€™t matter.

    Jameis threw 33 TDs and 30 INTs…

    7/30 INTs went for TDs.

    33 TD passes (for the Bucs)
    7 TD passes (to the defense)

    Itā€™s not good football.

    Jameis does great things and you expect that from a #1 overall pick in year five.

    He almost washes the great things out with the historic mistakes.

  27. dairider Says:

    Rookie kicker has a bad day let’s cut him and save $100,000. 5-year starter has (another) bad day, let’s pay him $20 million.

  28. Miketb19 Says:

    All of you Jameis excuse wannabes suck throwing this loss on Matt Gay suck up until this game the kid had only missed 5 kicks all year abc one of those was a block last week. He didnā€™t set the record for most INTs the last 35 years or pick 6s in a season face it when the game is on Jameis shoulders he blew it no different than Gay blowing those kicks today but last time I checked Matt Gay didnā€™t set the record for most missed field goals the last 35 years. But hey letā€™s give the guy who has turned the ball over 40% more than any other player in the league over the past 5 years and only one winning season yea letā€™s give that guy 27 mil next year just to see him blow it again

  29. Ndog Says:

    Neither pick was on the QB there’s that little fact as well. Yet that will go unsaid cause it doesn’t fit the narrative. He made two AMAZING throws that gave us the lead at half time and put us in position to score 9 additional points that we missed yet the QB is the problem. People are idiots.

  30. Ndog Says:

    THE KICKER SUCKS! HE LOST THE GIANTS GAME, HE LOST THE SEAHAWKS GAME AND HE LOST THE FALCONS GAME. That’s three losses cause of a kicker who had one job. ONE FREAKING JOB!!!!

  31. Couch Fan Says:

    LMAO Ndog as usual giving winston all the credit in the world for 2 throws as if Perrimans excellent play had nothing to do with that. Then completely dismissing his turnovers as everybody elses fault. LMAO. Gotta love how everything good is all due to Jameis and everything bad is never his fault. Poor Jameis the most unlucky QB in the history of the NFL.

  32. cmurda Says:

    The way you fix it coach is you get rid of this dude. Get yourself a vet who has been there and done it. He doesn’t need practice. He needs to lose his job and show that you’re serious when you talk about accountability.

  33. Adrnagy Says:

    Last throw from Winston was tip

  34. Couch Fan Says:

    Doesnt matter if it was tipped. Jameis through the ball did he not? Clearly he threw it in the wrong spot. I know, I know. Its not Jameis’s fault. Its the balls fault for not dodging the defenders hand. Poor jameis, most unlucky QB in the history of the NFL.

  35. Frankinthe813 Says:

    You put the hex on him in your pregame article

  36. Miketb19 Says:

    All you Jack Asses who keep say that last pass was a tip is crap he stared down Cam Brate and Jones caught him slipping he through that almost exact same pass on the pick 6 to Bradley Roby last week enough with the excuses or were the other 28 INTs all tipped passes to

  37. Tampabaybucfan Says:

    Most fans will blame a loss on the obvious……missed kicks, fumbles, interceptions….but there are lots of other things that happen in a game that many times go unnoticed.
    How about stupid, untimely penalties…..missed blocks, poorly run routes….
    We are very, very sloppy as an overall team….our punt and kick return game is horrible….
    Just sayin’…..

  38. cmurda Says:

    @Couch Fan. How can you crap on Ndog when he’s right? He calls out Winston when it’s appropriate. How is he wrong though? Matt Gay lost 3 games this year. In fact, with Justin Tucker or really just any decent kicker, we would have been playing this game with playoff implications on the line. Perriman was amazing but so were those throws by Winston. Lefty, per usual, took his foot off the gas in the 2nd half when we had the lead. For some reason, ROJO got only 11 carries when he broke 100 yards. He then hilariously runs Barber to the outside. Running Molasses to the outside is the equivalent of having Ali Marpet kicking FG’s. Actually, that’s not the worst idea.

  39. The Coroner Says:

    Hmmm
    A terrible pass defense killing the Bucs until VH III is gone…
    A savior kicker who blows 2 games…
    An offensive line that gets its QB sacked and hit the most in the league…
    And it all is Jameisā€™ fault. Really?

  40. mark2001 Says:

    Here is the bottom line for me.

    The most important decision we need to make for next year is at QB. Jameis had a chance to take this game by the throat and win it, carrying the O on his shoulders. It was a prime made moment for him.

    And he doesn’t deliver. The D that fought cats and dogs couldn’t even get on the field in OT. I’m done with Jameis. That was his moment under the spotlight for me.

  41. mark2001 Says:

    Can’t believe anyone with half a brain thinks fans believe Jameis is the only problem. They don’t.

    They think he is the biggest problem because he touches the ball on every offensive play, and is destined to make the most money. He can singlehandedly do more to help win or lose a game.

    Jameis apparently just isn’t a franchise QB. And we need one.

  42. ElioT Says:

    If you put an asterisk on Jameis picks due to issues caused by receivers…

    You have to do that for every other QB in the NFL.

    You see how that works?

    Or you can say our pass catchers are lousy, but what QB wouldnā€™t give his left nut for Evans & Godwin?

  43. tgregs Says:

    OH Joe, not the all to too familiar SODDIT defense! When will you admit you don’t know squat about QBs. See unwaverng defense of Moron #1 Freeman, campaign for ultimate loser Johnny Football, and continued defense of Moron #2 Winston. I bet you went on 368 dates without a score and still though it would happen next time

  44. Chris l Says:

    This is the harshest post against a player (that would be inaccurate–Joe) on this team yet nobody was ever called out jameis for losing a game like all the other ones this year. Please help me comprehend this.

  45. firethecannons Says:

    Facts: we cannot sign Jameis to a new contract along with JPP and Shaq and keep Suh and Carl Nassib and all the other contracts. Jameis is not consistent and wants way way too much money. He is replaceable, this team can win with less yards thrown and much less interceptions.We can still be a dynamic offense without Jameis who is much too turnover prone and will be much too expensive.Time to move on!

  46. Sloppy Joe Says:

    Whatā€™s funny is that these fans complaining actually think Winston will not be back. Winston is exciting and for every bad there is a good…most importantly he makes the Bucs relevant. Face it, heā€™s coming back and probably with a new deal, not the tag.

  47. Buc4evr Says:

    Gay needs to be cut tonight. The guy has lost at least three games this year and after today itā€™s obvious he should be in another line of work. Hopefully he wonā€™t be here next year. Total loser like Winston…..

  48. stpetebucsfan Says:

    This is truly fallacious thinking. There is strategy involved in those missed kicks that could have still allowed the Falcons to win the contest.

    You don’t get to subtract points at the end of the game and charge them to the offender…ROJO for three thanks to our D holding or that could have been six.

    It’s sports and the players that count are the ones who make THE PLAYS AT THE END OF THE GAME. Bill Buckner played for more than two decades…an All star…led the N.L. in hittng one year…but he’s remembered for what…that last play in the bottom of the 10th in the World Series when he booted the ball.

    I told my wife when we won that coin toss we were going to win. Russell Wilson certainly won didn’t he. But JW with the chance to truly cement a year of turnaround or a year of more of the same tosses a pick six. I told her you couldn’t write a script better than this…JW ends the season with a game winning drive in OT….right! What a way to spend the off season.

    Jameis Winston’s career with the Bucs is starting to resemble a freaking Shakespearean tragedy.

  49. Dapostman Says:

    @mark2001,

    So tell us who is this Franchise QB that the Bucs need. It’s not good enough to spout we need one. Who is the one? Go on record with someone who is available. We are waiting to hear from you.

  50. TouchDownTampaBay Says:

    Love it when all these online tough guys say the loss isn’t on the kicker. Screw all of you guys. Joe is right, the Bucs should have had an easy 9 point win today. Falcons kicker went 5 for 5 and ours went 0 for 3. If the Falcons kicker missed all of his kicks they lose. In the NFL games are typically going to be close and you can’t leave 9 points out there and expect to win. Yeah, Jameis had a chance in the end and he blew it, but this loss and the Giants loss are squarely on the kicker. Jameis was throwing to his #3 and #5 receivers and did enough to win the game in regulation. I was at the game and pissed as hell when he threw that pick six, but I am not going to act like him, the offense and defense didn’t do enough to win that game. Matt Gay choked in a big way. I give them credit though because when he missed the third one I was pretty sure we were doomed. They fought though and just couldn’t overcome all those misses. The team has to be demoralized too when some soccer player trots out there and can’t do his job at all.

  51. #1bucfan Says:

    Sorry joe but I put blame on the horrible play calling on both sides of the ball in the 2nd half. No points playing conservative is on the coaches. Gays misses didnā€™t help an of course Winston pick six sealed the game. This loss is on the coaches, gay an Winston. Defense played good but horrible zone coverage why in the hell did they do that. People running wide open freaking stupid

  52. soggy Says:

    Sure our kicker missed 3 goals but we were still in the game, QB pick 6 is how we really lost the game, Game was lost and done after that…We need a better QB..

  53. Wesley Says:

    Both Gay and Jameis lost today.

  54. soggy Says:

    and better kicker.. OH YA..

  55. TouchDownTampaBay Says:

    LOL at Soggy. So you completely absolve Jameis of the Giants game then right since gay missed the kick in that one as time expired. I am going to guess you sang a different tune that day.

  56. Jeebs the Honey Bear Says:

    Y’all blaming the kicker are missing the point completely. This team should not have to rely on a rookie kicker! No touchdowns in the 2nd half. What were Leftwich and Jameis doing??? NOTHING. Jameis is the FIFTH YEAR QUARTERBACK and Leftwich is the one leading him. THEY FAILED. END OF STORY. Stop acting like the kicker is the reason. Just stop.

  57. Craig Says:

    Gay is a rookie. He has never played a sixteen game season and I’m sure the stress of being an NFL kicker it atrocious.

    Gay will be better next year, Jameis?

  58. Greg Says:

    @ Ndog ” neither pick was on the passer” In your eyes of course of course they weren’t. Just like none of the other pick sixes he has thrown this season. Your garnet and gold goggles need a new Rx!

  59. orlbucfan Says:

    Loss started when Rojo fumbled. I listen on radio and I could feel it. Whether Gay blew it which he did, how different would it have been if Rojo HADN’T fumbled? The losing culture and ref crap, etc. starts to kill this team from the get-go when something like that fumble HAPPENS RIGHT OFF THE BAT!

  60. soggy Says:

    Better kicker and QB is what I posted, our kicker today had the team in a whole but our QB should be able to keep the ball in bucs hands to win the game at least once in a while..So tired of the turnovers and kicking too. People compare our QB to other QB’s that has thrown alot of int, but the other QB’s knew how to win in OT {Farve, Manning] Winston not at all.. Time to move on..

  61. Buczilla Says:

    I hope to read a headline here tonight or tomorrow that this gosh damn kicker has been fired. No excuse for missing ALL THREE makable field goals. While Jameis contributed to this loss for sure, it was a team effort all the way. The defense left plays on the field too. Jameis IMHO is still a bad, careless, and clueless at times qb who can make some incredible throws. Will that improve next year? No, I don’t think so, but ya gotta try.

  62. Coburn Says:

    I never buy those “well if he just went 1/3″… yeah he could have hit one more kick but then the rest of the game also changes… maybe the falcons are more agressive or whatever… I’ll buy the argument if he nails all 3 that probably would have been too much for falcons to overcome but they weren’t all easy kicks either.. 44 should prib be fairly consistent.. 49 not as much.. 35 yeah that’s a chip shot and should nail it above 90%. Definitely something off today but jameis should have thrown at least one more interception if Permian hadn’t stopped his route so abruptly to catch it. Also threw up that prayer back of end zone which could have went either way…

  63. Anglican Says:

    If it wasn’t for the Mr White defense scoring on a fumble ole JW would be looking even worse

  64. Coburn Says:

    Also no idea why they stopped passing to Perriman in 2nd half unless falcons just doubled him every snap?

  65. Defense Rules Says:

    @Joe … “In reality, Jameis shouldnā€™t have been on the field in overtime because there shouldnā€™t have been an overtime. The game was lost in regulation. And guess why? A kicker!”

    I wouldn’t have expected any less from you Joe. We can add to the Excuse List for why the Bucs lost yet another game.

    How about a little different rationale? Jameis had a defense today AND a running game. Perriman made several circus catches I thought (one for a TD). His OLine protected him quite well. Yet the Bucs’ #3 scoring offense scored just TWO TDs in 60 minutes of regulation football against yet another mediocre defense (ranked #22). And oh ya, the Bucs’ offense committed THREE turnovers once again, the EIGHTH time this season that they’ve given the ball away 3 or more times in a game. Their record in those 8 games? Yup … 2-6.

    TURNOVERS LOST TODAY’S GAME as much as anything, once again. Matt Gay missing 3 FGs certainly didn’t help any, but Gay didn’t lose that game single-handedly to be sure.

  66. Mister Negative Nancy Says:

    At some point Joe should reconsider whether he wants to be all-in on Winston any more.

  67. Joe Says:

    I wouldnā€™t have expected any less from you Joe. We can add to the Excuse List for why the Bucs lost yet another game.

    Fact(s) are not excuses.

  68. WillieG Says:

    Donā€™t put it on Gay. Yeah, heā€™s partly to blame, but he didnā€™t make two boneheaded mistakes that would get a Pee Wee player benched like Jameis did. Winston has been playing his whole damn life and he doesnā€™t know to not throw after crossing the line of scrimmage?! And he doesnā€™t know that he canā€™t throw the ball away behind the line of scrimmage?! Absolutely ridiculous. Both penalties resulted in loss of down. And of course the pick 6 was all Winston. Hopefully thatā€™s his last pass as a Buccaneer.

  69. Boltsfan17 Says:

    If Arians means fixing it in 2020 is by way a new kicker then Iā€™m all for it. Gay is not the answer.

  70. Buc4evr Says:

    Off with his head. Figuratively speaking of course.

  71. Brandon Says:

    HeavyE Says:
    December 29th, 2019 at 5:28 pm
    Yeah Gay, gets a passā€¦ā€¦I wonder why

    ____^^^^_^^^^^^^^^_____

    Because the LGBTQ community would be outraged?

  72. Tackleblockwin Says:

    Well the bright side is that if Gay DID MAKE those kicks then Jameis would have not made the 30/30 club. So proud Jameis got that awesome honor.

    Kidding kidding. šŸ™‚

  73. Buc4evr Says:

    Gay will never get better and simply doesnā€™t have the mentality or the consistency to be an nfl kicker. We need more competition in training camp and the Bucs should sign a proven veteran. No more drafting kickers.

  74. lambchop Says:

    @Joe,

    How can you play the “if the kicker makes 1 FG” excuse? You think the rest of the game would have played out EXACTLY how it did, if the circumstances were different? Like the Falcons didn’t know how many points they would need to come back? I mean, wtf is this?

    Every action has a reaction. You cannot plug and play points and think the game would have transpired exactly the same while you revise a portion in the middle.

    That’s lazy and obtuse just for the sake of coddling your QB.

  75. admin Says:

    ā€œif the kicker makes 1 FGā€ excuse?

    Not an excuse.

  76. lambchop Says:

    admin Says:
    December 29th, 2019 at 11:31 pm

    ā€œif the kicker makes 1 FGā€ excuse?

    “Not an excuse.”

    It’s an excuse when you revise part of the game and not the others. It’s an excuse when the game could have still been won. If Jameis converted on 3rd downs, if RBs converted on 3rd downs, if RoJo didn’t funble, ad naseum. It’s endless and pointless to 2nd guess especially when expecting the same outcome to a game when you cherry pick which play to revise.

    This is not based on FACTS, this is a classic case of DENIAL.

  77. lambchop Says:

    Or I should have said, expecting a different outcome in your favor while all other plays in the game remain the same while you cherry pick one play to revise.

  78. JameisAlmighty! Says:

    #GayOut what a crap bag rat sucker

  79. Rod Munch Says:

    Super Gay.

  80. unbelievable Says:

    Just like the GIants game.

    2 losses completely on this young man. Most of his rookie season was pretty good, but damn the games when he was bad, he was REALLY bad.

    Definitely need to bring in some competition. AGAIN.

    #ItsABucsLife

    Also pretty telling how many Bucs fans are still homophobes in 2019 (actually just about to be 2020)….