Down On Bucs
September 13th, 2020
Sad, depressing predictions.
Man, you talk about gloom and doom.
Over at SI.com a handful of their NFL writers made season predictions and none think the Bucs will make the playoffs.
(One believes the NFL is stupidly arrogant and foolish to try to play “contact” football — as opposed to “touch” football? — in a pandemic and will have to shut the season down because so many players will be struck down by the COVID. Meanwhile, teams had scrimmages and practices against themselves from mid-August through early September, and how many players exactly came down with The Sickness? Yeah, that’s what Joe thought. Clearly those folks are of the mind that Big Brother needs to lock us all in caves, storm cellars, doomsday bunkers and fallout shelters until the Great Gazoo in Washington tells us it is OK for the whiddle boys and girls can come out from their tombs like a bunch of zombies.)
One writer, Jenny Vrentas, went so far as to call the Bucs a “bust.”
Bucs bust
The Bucs will miss the playoffs. I’ll preface this by saying I’m a skeptic of dream teams. But as for a sturdier analysis: Brady has a lot to prove, but there’s no question that his performance dipped in his final season in New England. While he went to great lengths (perhaps too great during the pandemic) to get in work with his new teammates, this is a difficult year to be starting over with a new team, new system and new play-caller. It’s also a difficult year to be breaking in a rookie right tackle. Plus, the Bucs face stiff competition in their division with the Saints and Falcons.
Well, Joe sort of understands the skepticism and Joe will accept her fair point that if you couldn’t sniff a wild card with such a fantastic offense and talented front-seven on defense, then why expect an old man to carry a team there?
But now the Bucs have a running attack. And OK, if foot-rubbing Rob Gronkowski cannot stay healthy, having a future Hall of Fame player for, say, eight games is a helluva lot better than not having a superstar at all.
Another writer suggested the Bucs will fade away in the second half. Joe is of the opposite opinion. Watch the Bucs offense catch fire in the second half of the season.
September 13th, 2020 at 8:23 am
Pfffft, the pieces they added, excepting Brady, may not be even on the ground 100% of the time. This team has been built, shoddily at times, with high draft picks.
I would say the only “head case” on the team may be Fournette, and that seems to be behind him. I think there are too many great coaches and experienced players for this to fall apart.
GO BUCS!!!!
September 13th, 2020 at 8:30 am
Another trendy writer who won’t get called out because she’s a woman and immune to any criticism. That’s the PC world we created. One where KC fans are called racist because they booed a bunch of ignorant kids locking arms, many of whom aren’t even registered to vote and would be working at places burned and looted if they did not have God-given talent.
NFL ratings down when we are starved for normalcy? I wonder why.
But I digress. What qualifications does Jenny have to comment on the Bucs. Google?
September 13th, 2020 at 8:38 am
Why don’t we suspend all the political BS and try to enjoy some football. It’s game day folks!!! Bring on the Bucs and the beer, not necessarily in that order!
September 13th, 2020 at 8:53 am
SI and The Athletic have become complete trash. I if I correctly remember a few years back SI had to unload many writers. Im assuming they replaced then with cheap recently indoctrinated college grads. Life is nothing but a virtue signaling competition to them.
September 13th, 2020 at 9:11 am
A lot of these “writers” look around and see what everyone else is saying.
Then, in order to create devils advocate, say the exact opposite just to be different and create a buzz.
This guy probably is a closet JW fan.
September 13th, 2020 at 9:15 am
It’s addition by subtraction. I don’t think it requires explanation.
That people won’t predict the Bucs being successful, it doesn’t bother me. What, over the last decade would make anyone believe in our team?!
I prefer the underdog role anyway.
September 13th, 2020 at 9:35 am
PSL Bob,
I wish we could do that too….. but we can’t.
Just wait until game time,
Then the NFL/networks will start trying to force feed us all the political/social crap most of us are sick of and smart enough not to believe.
Hopefully we can return to normal football soon…..hopefully.
September 13th, 2020 at 9:49 am
I predict that Jenny Ventras career at SI will be a bust and she will go back to waiting tables.
September 13th, 2020 at 10:06 am
Get lost Bob and Doosh. Go watch reruns of Tucker and Hannity while the rest of us enjoy the the day.
September 13th, 2020 at 10:07 am
Sorry Bob that was meant for Ken and Doosh
September 13th, 2020 at 11:35 am
Joe…..”and how many players exactly came down with The Sickness? Yeah, that’s what Joe thought. Clearly those folks are of the mind that Big Brother needs to lock us all in caves, storm cellars, doomsday bunkers and fallout shelters until the Great Gazoo in Washington tells us it is OK for the whiddle boys and girls can come out from their tombs like a bunch of zombies.)”
With comments like this, Joe, it’s small wonder the US is leading the world in virus cases. I certainly doubted that this season was going to occur for reasons that seem to elude you. Let’s see how the season unfolds before you get your pass to the 2021 SB, though. We will see.
Meanwhile, I’ll be watching and pulling for Brady to lead the Bucs out of our wilderness. At least we can agree on this.
September 13th, 2020 at 11:50 am
No wonder SI is bankrupt.
September 13th, 2020 at 11:57 am
I’m not sure why anybody cares about predictions. It’s the same thing every year. Some people have you up, some have you down, and with the Bucs we know that offseason rarely corresponds to success. This is why they play the games. I’d rather be the underdog every year than be hyped.
September 13th, 2020 at 12:29 pm
Brady is obviously old and not nearly as good as he used to be, however, the Bucs just need a QB who will not turn the ball over–that means a QB who is old enough and wise enough to generally ignore whatever Byron Leftwich asks him to do.
September 13th, 2020 at 12:32 pm
Can’t have an argumentative talk if someone doesn’t take the opposite side.
She probably dreams about Brady and expects good things of him here.
September 13th, 2020 at 2:01 pm
Some fragile, triggered, old white men in these comments for sure.
LOL
September 13th, 2020 at 6:04 pm
Its great you new young fresh fans are ll hyped up about our Bucs. I luv it. But having been with this team since inception, I’m already knowin there has been far to much hype. Not a game played and we are giant killers. Brady is going to see a pass rush greater than the Vietnam Tet offensive come Sunday. I hope he and our O line are ready for it. Them Saints are no Ain’ts.