Warning Signs Are All Over
November 14th, 2021
Joe has gone from organizing a keg party for the Bucs’ first home playoff game since 2007 to wondering about going on vacation the weekend of Jan. 15-16?
The Bucs currently stand at 6-3. Hell yes this team should make the playoffs. But damn if the past two awful games don’t scream of a Pasco County sinkhole beginning to form.
The past two games — Joe is fully focused on those — the Bucs haven’t played like a playoff team. At least not one that can make a run to the Super Bowl.
Sure, the Bucs had a couple of clunkers midseason last year when the team went on to win the Super Bowl. The Bucs lost to Drew Brees, lost to Jared Goff (who got his team to the Super Bowl once) and to Pat Mahomes.
These past two games — awful losses — were to Trevor Siemian (a third-string never-been) and Taylor Heinicke (recycled from the AAF).
The Bucs simply couldn’t stop Siemian. And Heinicke, well, when the WTF needed to win the game, he engineered a 19-play (19!!!), 10:26 scoring drive to put the game away.
Heinicke simply took the Bucs’ defense’s will away from them in the fourth quarter. That’s all there is to it.
After the game, Bucs Super Bowl-winning coach Bucco Bruce Arians confirmed many fans and broadcasters belief about today, that the Bucs didn’t have their hearts in the game. Shameful!
Want more warning signs? The Bucs have all kinds of guys hurt and currently on the shelf.
When will Carlton Davis return? Who knows?
When will Vita Vea return? Who knows?
When will Antonio Brown return? Who knows?
When will Rob Gronkowski return? Who knows?
When will Richard Sherman return? Who knows?
When will Sean Murphy-Bunting return? Hopefully, soon.
When will Scotty Miller return? Hopefully, soon.
Oh yeah, and Jason Pierre-Paul is playing with one arm due to a torn rotator cuff. That won’t heal until after the season.
Not only are the Bucs playing uninspiring football, not only is the defense playing badly, but the team is shell-shocked with injuries to major players up and down the roster.
Oh, and don’t look now, but here come the feisty Giants and Daniel Jones, who has already carved up Todd Bowles’ defense the past two seasons for 615 yards, four passing touchdowns and two rushing touchdowns.
And Jones ain’t no Siemian or Heinicke.
Yes, the Bucs should make the playoffs. But the Bucs sure aren’t playing like a playoff team the past two games.
November 14th, 2021 at 6:07 pm
That is right on the money, Brady can’t save us with this defense.
November 14th, 2021 at 6:13 pm
No easy wins on the schedule not with this defense. Next week will be tough against the giants who have more weapons than Washington.
November 14th, 2021 at 6:13 pm
Its called bad coaching. Simple as that.
November 14th, 2021 at 6:14 pm
I’ve been a huge Bucs fan for 30 years. Just took my kids to their 1st game at Washington. The team didn’t show up. However, what makes me mad is I stood at the busses for about an hour and tried to get an autograph. Nothing! I made eye contact with both arians and light, and nothing! The team played like crap, and then they couldn’t even appear the fans. I’m pissed! Sorry, 1st post ever after following for years
November 14th, 2021 at 6:14 pm
It was fun while it lasted lol … Team will look different next year … Our age is starting to show…
GoBucs!
November 14th, 2021 at 6:14 pm
Yep the age and injuries are catching up with this team. Might be time to start thinking rebuild if we can’t get the ship turned around soon.
November 14th, 2021 at 6:15 pm
Where is Shaq when he is not playing against backup tackles and starters who are not playing their normal position?
November 14th, 2021 at 6:16 pm
This team will get smacked in the mouth until they decide different.
Absolute embarrassment today.
Defend all you want but The Bucs do not pass the eyeball test.
November 14th, 2021 at 6:17 pm
You guys have no idea how many times I’ve watched this scenario play out with Brady. They’re done, he’s done yada yada yada. More times than not the doubters end up looking like fools.
November 14th, 2021 at 6:18 pm
Three things to fix:
1) The relationship between Mike Evans and Brady. It looks like they are not i. the same page and Brady doesn’t like Evans.
2) Blitzing! Sometimes it is a good idea to show blitz and get out of it. Too many times, the Bucs blitz and leave the weak Secondary exposed.
3) Running on first down. It would be better to play action.
November 14th, 2021 at 6:18 pm
I would think a loss to the Giants is very very likely I should put money on it seems almost guaranteed, we can’t stop nobody–like you said heinecke 10+ minute drive could not be stopped by this team
November 14th, 2021 at 6:18 pm
Having your top corners out, throws the whole game plan into disarray. Having 6 wins without our corners is a huge achievement. This defense isn’t playing how it’s used to. Once they come back, im sure we’ll be great and catch fire heading into the playoffs. One things for sure, no games, let alone the playoffs are a given. We are extremely lucky Jamies got hurt, even though you never wanna see someone hurt. Had he stayed healthy, we’d have to work to win our division. We still might
November 14th, 2021 at 6:18 pm
Haven’t beaten a legit contender besides dallas this year and have made average QBs look great.
November 14th, 2021 at 6:19 pm
Austin don’t hold your breath. It will be nice to have our corners back but scheme wise i dont see how our secondary will better.
November 14th, 2021 at 6:23 pm
Stop all this injury non-sense! Packers won against cardinals without their number 1 star wide receiver and injured running back. Cardinals won against 49ers without Murray and Hopkins playing. Its all on the coaches and how they mentally prepare their team.
November 14th, 2021 at 6:27 pm
The next six games are going to put a strain on this Defense!
November 14th, 2021 at 6:29 pm
Yup BA making excuses again. Harbaugh took his bad loss on the chin, NOT BA he is the super coach that does everything right. Want to win games put him and his Pop Warner coaching staff out to pasture. They suck.
November 14th, 2021 at 6:30 pm
Won’t blame injuries, every team deals with them. This game we were out coached, and out hussled. After cutting it to three our D, or lack ther of let’s a beer bottle play keep away for the rest of the 4th quarter, and cherry on top score a TD. Good luck beating a team on the road in the playoffs. Last year was a fun run, now it looks like it was done with smoke, and mirrors. I only wish someone would hire Bowles as their HC, but that ain’t happening. B.L. ain’t going nowhere either. Why not run some hurry up in that first half to get the offense going? We didn’t try anything different on O, or D the whole game. That’s insanity.
November 14th, 2021 at 6:30 pm
Defense definitely has more stake in the blame game. Can’t let a subpar Washington stomp you like that. That 4th quarter drive was a thing of beauty if you’re anybody but a Bucs fan. Unfortunately we are.
But the offense deserves blame as well. No excuses for not targeting Evans. No excuse for not targeting Brate when he’s open. No excuses for the constant check downs. Not having Gronk and AB, two guys that didn’t contribute much last season until the end, is not an excuse to not score TD’s when you have Evans and Godwin.
Let’s not forget Bucco Bruce Arians. His famous campaign slogan “No risk it, no biscuit” seems to have faded away like a fart in the wind. Two critical 4th downs at midfield when you are down by two scores and your defense is playing like crap and you PUNT? TWICE? Definitely no biscuit for you sir. Mismanaging timeouts before both halves. Garbage game time management. Unfortunately that one isn’t new. BA has never displayed competence with timeouts, something a 12 year old can do in Madden. Smh
No need to push the panic button…yet. But this kind of performance coming off a bye? Can’t defend it. Hopefully just an ugly game where the injuries really hurt you and nothing more.
November 14th, 2021 at 6:34 pm
I am concerned about the Giants game. Also it is MNF and we never play well in prime time games.
November 14th, 2021 at 6:35 pm
Bucs are 6-3 not 3-6, so all our supposed fans who are busy pissin & moanin need to take a breath. Goal #1 is to make the playoffs; worry about what we do when (and if) we get in later.
The way to beat the Bucs looks to be pretty obvious to me: play smash-mouth football, take their lunch money, and kick them back on the porch if they can’t run with the big dogs. The Rams, the Saints & Washington all ‘out-physicaled’ us. And yes, all over the field, not just in the trenches. Most teams won’t be able to do that, but those 3 can and did.
Listening to Arians’ post-game interview, he was up-front in saying that Bucs just didn’t show the same energy today that they showed all week in practice. Same complaint he had after the Rams & Saints losses. One of his remarks in another interview today hit the nail on the head I thought: “We’re a really dumb football team and that’s a reflection of the coaches.”
Unless I’m mistaken, COACHES is plural. Reality right now is that we’ve got a lot of injuries to key starters & rotational players on BOTH sides of the ball, we’ve got some guys starting who shouldn’t be on the field, and our coaches are doing an unsatisfactory job of compensating for our weaknesses. BA’s right, we’re a ‘dumb football team’ right now. BUT … the season’s only half over & we’ve got a lot of talent on this team. Don’t write ’em off just yet.
November 14th, 2021 at 6:47 pm
Since all seems lost, it’s time for a classic Alfred E Newman quote:
What? Me worry?
Let’s Go Brandon!!!
Peace, out
November 14th, 2021 at 6:49 pm
Looking like the 9ers after their Super Bowl.
November 14th, 2021 at 6:53 pm
After two retread QBs, Daniel Jones is going to eat this sorry ass pass defense alive. And worse if Vita is out.
November 14th, 2021 at 7:03 pm
DR, he said that reflects on the coaches not that’s a reflection of the coaches. One is not the same, the ladder is NOT an admission of guilt. He is taking NO blame.
November 14th, 2021 at 7:04 pm
Brady can’t win by himself. Buc players need to step up.
For one, catch the f…..ing ball. And stop acting like hot dogs
after ordinary plays. This started with Mike Evans
disrespecting Brady when he gave away his 600 TD.
Go screw yourself Mike. You’re nothing compared to TB.
What kind of Ahole pretends he didn’t recognize that moment.
Tom-you deserve better but you won’t get it from these f-ups.
November 14th, 2021 at 7:10 pm
In the wings, sounds like the fat lady is starting to sing.
November 14th, 2021 at 7:15 pm
No heart no playoffs.
November 14th, 2021 at 7:21 pm
This is exactly how I felt after the NO game. The warning signs were flashing during that game. Some just didn’t see it. And after the break? No real return to health… no spark….more like a herd of turtles.
November 14th, 2021 at 7:53 pm
This D and coaching staff allowed a 2-6 QB throw for 300 yds 2 td’s and compete 26 out of 32 passes plus run a 19 play drive using up 10+ minutes in the 4th quarter without their #1 receiver. That’s hard to do.
November 14th, 2021 at 8:06 pm
The Giants D is always trouble for Brady. And Brady has to know that. Giants should stick in his craw as the most painful games of his career. The current Giants are not those Giants, but there is a tradition. Any Giants game should be red circled.
November 14th, 2021 at 8:17 pm
Listnfrmafar … That quote was lifted verbatim from another site quoting what BA said after the game. And the word in that quote was ‘of’ not ‘on’.
November 14th, 2021 at 8:25 pm
Shameful. Sloppy. Soft. Pathetic.
All good words to describe our Bucs.
But my favorite is- “pretenders”.
November 14th, 2021 at 8:29 pm
This narrative was starting last year until smoke and mirrors (ala 2016win streak) took them to the super bowl. This team should be 4-5 as they didnt deserve the Patriots or Cowboy victories IMO and Arians just now brings up EFFORT? I think the veil is off this mess and we are seeing that the team has turned on Ol’ Biscuit. I dont think we win the division with everything going on (injuries, finger pointing and poor coaching). Being 2-3 on the road isnt going to help in the playoffs as there are actual fans in the stands this season. Give me Josh McDaniels, Wade phillips and Louis Riddick as GM for 2022.
November 14th, 2021 at 8:40 pm
@DefenseRules Says “The way to beat the Bucs looks to be pretty obvious to me: play smash-mouth football, take their lunch money, and kick them back on the porch if they can’t run with the big dogs. The Rams, the Saints & Washington all ‘out-physicaled’ us.”
My take on things exactly. I would only add, play 2 deep safeties all the time too.
Todd Bowles also needs to cut back on his blitzing. Blitzing is great, when it works. But when it doesn’t, it leaves our already weakened secondary exposed.
The Washington Football Team not only kicked our butts today, but we were also badly outcoached to boot.
November 14th, 2021 at 9:06 pm
This one is on brady and the defense.
November 14th, 2021 at 9:10 pm
last year’s bucs was so last year
November 14th, 2021 at 10:35 pm
Joe everyone wants to talk about re-peat this re-peat that. It’s deff gone to their heads. If this team doesn’t tighten up and do it quick we will be lucky to make the playoffs or might even be 1 n done there.
November 14th, 2021 at 11:52 pm
The same team Jamies played with in 2019 and you got the same results. I told yall go off what your eyes tell you not the national media or your emotions.
November 14th, 2021 at 11:58 pm
Listnfrmafar. I told you that Brady wouldn’t have won with the 2019 bucs. And now all the talk about Brady or Billchick and yall laugh at Billchick but look at the Patriots now .
November 15th, 2021 at 9:59 am
I am so sick & tired of hearing about the injuries. God almighty every team has injuries. We got beat in the last three weeks by teams having to go to third string QB’s. Quit blaming the losses on injuries. What ever happen tp next man up. I blame the last two losses on the HC, OC & DC. And for God’s sake BA quit trying to convince fans how good Lazy ass Smith, Howard, Darden & Rojo are. They all suck. I’m sure I left a couple out but point taken.
November 16th, 2021 at 5:20 pm
LOL, gotta love the fans in here, already throwing “old” Brady, the coaches, the defense in the trash can and invoke a rebuild! Rebuild to what? To the good old Bucs of the last 15 years? Because, yeah, what we saw in the last two games is horrible and well below the high bar we Bucs fans can accept, based on our history. Let’s not hesitate to maul a team who won a SB last year to invoke a rebuild that brings us back to our traditional standards. Someone had proposed to go to the airport to boo the team returning from Washington. They should know here in Tampa we can’t accept half measures. We hate being among the teams that matter and fighting for the playoffs, we really can only accept two things: either win it all or be a bottom feeder!
November 19th, 2021 at 11:15 pm
When the Bucs are 6-8 let’s hear all the fangirls promising bludgeoning of the remaining teams. The Super Bowl hangover is real and is throbbing.