Bucs Made Kicking Boring Again
December 22nd, 2020
“Money.”
Joe has never seen a kicking circus like the Bucs have had through the better part of the Lost Decade. It was just unreal.
And it didn’t matter what the Bucs tried. Drafting kickers early, drafting kickers late, signing high-priced free agent kickers, bringing back former kickers. None of it worked.
As much of a nightmare as kicking became, it wasn’t boring, only in a car crash way. You couldn’t leave your seat when the Bucs tried a place kick. You had to watch like rubber-necking past a car accident on the side of the road.
It was a nightmare every time the Bucs trotted out a kicker. An absolute nightmare.
Joe has seen teams in championship games gather around in a prayer circle when a kicker attempted a big kick. The Bucs? They held hands and bowed their heads in prayer to the Lord when their kicker stepped onto the field… in Week 5!
Well this year that nonsense finally has come to an end with the signing of place kicker Ryan Succop who has been absolute money for the Bucs.
And yesterday, Bucs coach Bucco Bruce Arians hinted that Succop may have gotten better as the season has transpired.
“When you look back at his history before his injuries, he was money inside of 50 [yards],” Arians said. “And he’s gotten stronger. I’m watching him kick 58-yarders in the wind.
“Knocking on wood because again, he’s been really, really solid for us. It’s nice to know when you send a guy out there, you’re getting points.”
Again, Succop has made kicking boring again. Before there is no way you left your seat when a Bucs kicker took the field. Now? It’s time to go get a beer or hit the bathroom to take care of personal business from the beer you had before.
And how refreshing has that been? No need to want to watch a Bucs kicker do his job?
December 22nd, 2020 at 10:01 am
The only consistent part of this team all season!
December 22nd, 2020 at 10:03 am
dont jinx it…
GO BUCS!!!
December 22nd, 2020 at 10:07 am
Unbelievable…I’d have to add Wirfs to that list.
December 22nd, 2020 at 10:12 am
Agree, Tristan Wirfs has made right tackle boring again!
December 22nd, 2020 at 10:18 am
Boring is nice once in a while.
December 22nd, 2020 at 10:19 am
Joe, do you remember your praise of Matt Gay after game 16 last year? I do…
??? Helped us get Tristan Wirfs.–Joe
December 22nd, 2020 at 10:22 am
We must keep this guy!
December 22nd, 2020 at 10:22 am
Remember those damn kickers?!!! Roberto Brindza, Kyle Aguayo, Nick Gay, Matt Catanzaro, Cairo Folk?!!!! I’ve tried to forget!!!
December 22nd, 2020 at 10:34 am
@SOE – no doubt about Wirfs! I almost included him after I wrote that.
December 22nd, 2020 at 10:35 am
Must have had a few down years. Otherwise why would the Chiefs and Titans have ever let this guy walk. Given how close so many NFL games are, you need that reliable 3-point kicker. Hope his accuracy remains high while with the Bucs. Don’t need that excitement, particularly with the playoffs looming.
December 22nd, 2020 at 10:42 am
Joe, we got Tristan Wirtz because of Giants big time mistake……They picked thomas, and it was shocking to me at least!!!!
December 22nd, 2020 at 10:47 am
BUC CHEEKS Says:
December 22nd, 2020 at 10:22 am
Remember those damn kickers?!!! Roberto Brindza, Kyle Aguayo, Nick Gay, Matt Catanzaro, Cairo Folk?!!!! I’ve tried to forget!!!
FYI……Cairo Santos & Nick Folk are among the top NFL kickers in FG percentage this year….
We, understandably, haven’t been patient with some of our kickers and they have done well elsewhere.
December 22nd, 2020 at 11:09 am
Being a little suspicious of a curse, I couldn’t help but notice the year Matt Bryant retires the curse is lifted.
December 22nd, 2020 at 11:12 am
Nice story about the kicking game. Another thing about Wirfs. Rarely a flag.
December 22nd, 2020 at 11:22 am
lol clod
December 22nd, 2020 at 11:58 am
Tampa Bay Storm Hall of Fame Head Coach Tim Marcum used to say, “Never brag on your kicker.”
December 22nd, 2020 at 12:57 pm
Capece is caput and O’Donahue trying to kick a ball out of bounds and falling on his A$$ are past kicking follies and who can forget Yarno (rip) kicking an extra point.
December 22nd, 2020 at 1:38 pm
You’re welcome for the content prompt Joes, my editorial invoice is in the mail 😉
December 22nd, 2020 at 2:07 pm
We let Neil O’Donoghue go and he was a great kicker for a decade. We let Matt Bryant go and he was a great kicker for a decade
Sigh
December 22nd, 2020 at 2:19 pm
Dang it Joe!!! You just cursed us with the take on kickers! Damn watch this dude miss his next few kicks or worse cost us a playoff game! Should have left well enough alone until March, then you could have written this piece!
December 22nd, 2020 at 3:16 pm
Joe, you need a retracted story on this one!! Bad JuJu. Haha
For every one he misses going forward the other Joe gets to donkey kick you!! Haha
December 22nd, 2020 at 3:22 pm
Is it Kyle Aguayo or Roberto Aguayo? Got some real braindead commenters on here.
December 22nd, 2020 at 4:58 pm
I absolutely love a boring kicking game.
December 22nd, 2020 at 5:29 pm
It’s worse when they go to other teams and become better. Like Stocker going to Atlanta and burning us a little bit on some catches
December 22nd, 2020 at 6:40 pm
Kickers all hit their dry spells over their careers, some never get it back and some do. Succop had a dry spell last year, obviously, he got it back. Succop has been money. One of the best seasons of placekicking for the Bucs in their 44-year history. GO BUCS!!!
December 22nd, 2020 at 10:18 pm
We all know that we got Succop because he was injured last year, right? Right?
December 22nd, 2020 at 10:46 pm
Orlbucfan…
I was KIDDING, talk about brain dead!