“I Still Think They Are The Best Team In The League”
November 10th, 2021
Bucs coach Bucco Bruce Arians.
Joe’s just about over it — not fully though — remembering that horrible choke job nearly two weeks ago in the Little Caesars Superdome when a third-string never-been made the Bucs look like the Lions, handing the Bucs their second loss of the season.
Joe is mostly over it because so many teams that the Bucs are fighting for homefield playoff advantage were upset last Sunday. That helps get past the nightmare.
So with the Bucs’ loss to the slimy Saints fresh in mind, Joe thought it was wild that a couple of sports outfits ran a computer program and what spit out was the Bucs are no worse than the No. 2 team in the league.
And now a football man is saying the same thing.
On podcast “GM Shuffle” former coffee fetcher for Bill Walsh, Bill Belicheat and Al Davis, ex-Browns GM Michael Lombardi, said the best team in the NFL had a bye.
That was the Bucs.
“I think to me, as I look over the landscape of the league, I say, ‘OK, who are the really good teams?'” Lombardi said. “The Rams to me are soft. The 49ers are soft. I’d say the Rams are the biggest frontrunners.
“I would say after the midseason point, I think the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are still the best team in the league. I know they didn’t play [Sunday]. But I still think they are the best team in the league.
“I think they are going to be hard to play. When they are healthy, their offense will be improved.”
Lombardi is right on the money there. When foot-rubbing, car-littering film guru tight end Rob Gronkowski and furniture-tossing, bicycle-throwing receiver Antonio Brown are healthy, this is the best offense in the NFL.
Lombardi didn’t stop there. He thinks two leading candidates for MVP, Josh Allen and Matt Stafford, gagged away the award on Sunday.
“You can’t only score six points playing against the worst defense in the league like the Jags and win the MVP,” Lombardi said of Allen. On Stafford, Lombardi added, “You can’t lose to a team that is without its best player [Derrick Henry].”
As a result, Lombardi believes Tom Brady is the leader of the pack for MVP honors “by a longshot.”
Yes, Joe knows a ton of football is to come. It was still cool to learn another football guy still believes the Bucs are the best this season, despite being upset their last time out.
November 10th, 2021 at 5:05 am
Pete’s not over that bad loss b/c it’s gonna cost us a 1st rd bye. No chance in hell w/o it this season. We’re just playing out the season now as a formality.
November 10th, 2021 at 5:19 am
Yep, should just pack it in, season over… smdh lol
November 10th, 2021 at 5:19 am
What a turd!
November 10th, 2021 at 5:26 am
Medicated Pete Says:
November 10th, 2021 at 5:05 am
Pete’s not over that bad loss b/c it’s gonna cost us a 1st rd bye. No chance in hell w/o it this season. We’re just playing out the season now as a formality.
^^^^^^^^^
Did you watch the games last year? How did it turn out?
November 10th, 2021 at 6:16 am
I can’t imagine that any team has been struck by the injury bug more than the Bucs this season. And yet, we’ve hung in there & made it to the halfway mark at 6-2. That’s the sign of a pretty deep team IMO. But still, with 9 games to go who knows who’ll end up where in terms of #1 seed, home field advantage, etc.
There are some legitimate contenders in both conferences right now besides the Bucs … Cards, Rams, Packers & Cowboys in our conference, and Bills, Ravens & Titans in the other conference IMO. And there are several more who could sneak in & make some noise in the playoffs (like we did last season?). Should make for an interesting second half of the season. Hopefully we get our guys healthy & play disciplined, hard-nosed football the rest of the way.
November 10th, 2021 at 6:33 am
Medicated pete wants apologies everyone if he is right 😂
Cause he is really going out on a limb saying if we dont have #1 seed and home field advantage , we dont have a shot. 😂
Medicated pete takes the odds on favorite in every horse race . He is a big time gambler. 😂
What was our seed last year when we won superbowl ? 3 away games including in lambeau. We beat brees , karen and the ungoat Mahommes . we literally had a starter go down each week this year. Of course , we want to win and I would love to be at home playoff game ( the last being that crap giants game joe recently talked about. ). But look out when we get our guys healthy in these upcoming weeks (fingers crossed). Pass defense gets the needed push it needs. And healthy gronk and AB return to the field. Health is most important
November 10th, 2021 at 6:59 am
champs until proven otherwise…just the Cards to worry about really, catching the home field.
November 10th, 2021 at 7:02 am
Love how Pete gets in everyones head….he owns you guys. He’s “Medicated” for gods sake.
November 10th, 2021 at 7:18 am
Pete is just Realisto without the exclamation points.
November 10th, 2021 at 7:54 am
You pick your own destiny and as a team the Bucs did that last year along with QB12 constantly reminding them all that they were going to win. With all the injuries we’re playing mediocre football the pass D has a little more to be desired and the fluke last week of QB12’s pics is only going to make him more determined. 👍
November 10th, 2021 at 7:57 am
Long ways to go until the playoffs. Some favorites will stumble. Some underrated teams like the Bucs last year will shine. Injuries, surprise performances by newcomers or back ups. Plenty of surprises will happen. Bucs should remain among the leaders. Unlikely for the Bucs to finish as strong as last year but they are valid contenders for the playoffs. Our chances are as good as anyone’s, but it’s gonna be a dog fight to the end!
November 10th, 2021 at 8:05 am
Even with crucial players out of the lineup, the Bucs can beat any team in the league. The Saints game is proof that the Bucs are fully capable of beating themselves. I’m really looking forward to the rematch in December. A healthy Gronk will make that game a laugher.
November 10th, 2021 at 8:06 am
What should concern Bucs fans is the coaching. The Saints had a brilliant game plan, and we showed no ability to adapt. The roster alone is not enough.
November 10th, 2021 at 8:08 am
The loss to the Saints- sometimes a little spanking is just the right wakeup call. You can bet there’s been a lot of talk among the players the last 10 days about Bucs beating Bucs. We’ll see. They’ve got everything they need to go back if they play with some smarts.
November 10th, 2021 at 8:09 am
Hot take: medicated Pete is actually Joe driving engagement in the comments
November 10th, 2021 at 8:17 am
How could a 3rd string,(?), QB embarrass the Bucs? I’m really tired of preaching the obvious. Todd is so damn hard headed. We could throw a rock blindfolded and hit a QB that can do that as long as the Bucs keep playing 5-10 yds off the line. If a QB can throw a short pass against our secondary, they have a chance. SO, let’s not strut our tail feathers like a spring gobbler when talking about ANY TEAM whether it’s the Rams or Miami, Jags, Jets or Southern New Hampshire University. So I can assume Todd doesn’t watch film of other teams. Tommy Boy is doing what he did in NE for 2 decades. there was several years that they actually had a good defense
November 10th, 2021 at 8:24 am
I’m just a County boy(70), but when I see some of those deals players get, i’m amazed. When i saw Patrick Mahomeboy get $500 million in 10 years, i said that will come back to bite the Chiefs. Curt Cousins 95 million in 3 yrs, 100% guaranteed how’s that working out for you. Kalil Mack in Chicago and just wait for the drama queen in GB. Robert Kraft and Bilicheck went to the Dollar Store and bought a mansion
November 10th, 2021 at 8:27 am
Before we start predicting who is going to be the # 1 seed and who will get a bye week and home field advantage. Let our Bucs do there thing the next 9 games and hopefully we can run the table and not have any more sloppy games like we did in New Orleans. Get R Done Bucs. Let’s Goooooooo!!!
November 10th, 2021 at 8:34 am
Overall I am a fan of the Buc’s well coached team.
Since this coaching staff arrived, our offensive line has gone from well below average to well above average. Since this coaching staff has arrived, we have become the hardest team in the league to run against.
Since this coaching staff arrived, we have developed cornerbacks and offensive lineman.
There are many ways to win in the NFL but you can’t win a Super Bowl without good coaching.
Right now we are 3rd in offensive yards per game and 7th in defensive yards per game and that is with teams giving their best efforts to win against a Super Bowl champ.
November 10th, 2021 at 8:53 am
Half-Caucked Jeudy Says:
November 10th, 2021 at 7:02 am
Love how Pete gets in everyones head….he owns you guys. He’s “Medicated” for gods sake.
^^^^^^^^^^^
Medicated Pete posting under an alias? I think so.
November 10th, 2021 at 9:00 am
Joe doesn’t Ned to do that. 🙂
November 10th, 2021 at 9:10 am
I don’t care about best team in the league declarations.
Go out and beat Washington. Make Heinecken look like a scrub. Run the ball.
November 10th, 2021 at 9:30 am
TB12 would surely choose being named SB MVP over league MVP any day of the week.
November 10th, 2021 at 1:28 pm
Game by game folks. Concentrate on whats before you. Not sure if our Bucs are the best in the NFl. But I am sure the best ball will be played starting Sunday, the 2nd half of the season. The real teams start steppin up. We got a shot. But for now, we are just in the mix. Anything can happen. Defense gotta really start playin hella better.
November 10th, 2021 at 7:13 pm
Stop responding to T-Max and he’ll go away again.
November 10th, 2021 at 7:15 pm
You know he’s just dying to throw out another “stale biscuit”, but that’ll give him away for sure.