Stop The Style Points Freakout

October 9th, 2022

The Bucs led 21-0 today in the fourth quarter and crapped the bed trying to close out the game at The Licht House.

Still, Atlanta never had the ball with a chance to win yet some Bucs fans are in full meltdown mode.

Joe is not in that camp. Style points are nice and yeah, the Falcons are not good and won’t have a winning record when the season is over. However, Atlanta is still a physical football team playing hard for their second-year head coach.

Newsflash: Atlanta ran the ball down the Bucs’ throat in Tampa last year and trailed 27-17 entering the fourth quarter. The Bucs kicked a field goal in the final seconds to win 30-17.

Joe gets that Bucs fans want greatness and have a Super Bowl-or-bust mindset. If the team doesn’t look like a Super Bowl champ, then it wasn’t a good showing; that’s what some fans think.

Joe thinks those fans need to get over it. This season, with young key players on offense and Chris Godwin coming back from a major injury, is shaping up a lot like 2020. Grind it out early, ugly if it has to be, and then gel late with rapidly maturing youngsters and a master at quarterback.

The Bucs certainly can do that in a weakened NFC.

Complete games are damn nice, but they don’t count more than a 21-15 win against the Falcons.

Joe is celebrating tonight … whether you like it or not.

32 Responses to “Stop The Style Points Freakout”

  1. Darin Says:

    Hey Joe’s coming around finally! Just win. Nobody will remember how at the end of the season. Stop trying to let em back in it tho Leftwich you bozo

  2. Bucsfan13 Says:

    Good points Joe. The Dallas D is nice, and fans complained that we didn’t score 30 plus on them. One thing I’m worried about is Goedeke. Give Walton a look

  3. LVMYBUCS Says:

    I truly beleive Bowles low key attitude is rubbing off on the players we need a coach with fire. Good win guys good win

  4. Bucsfan13 Says:

    @LVM. It is! Did you hear Devin White’s comment. Brady is obviously frustrated

  5. LVMYBUCS Says:

    I hope ur right Joe I hope they wip themselves into shape soon

  6. Kentucky Buc Says:

    Most of these posters got so used to bit chin and complaining during the bad years that they don’t know anything else.

  7. David Says:

    EXACTLY!!!

    Ugly wins are great early in the year because you get the win and the coaches can get on the team about improving and playing a full game etc.

    Like Brady has said for 20 years… It’s all about peaking heading into the playoffs.
    Remember, they were 7–5 when they won the Super Bowl.

  8. SB Says:

    A W is a W! I wouldn’t say we played true “Complimentary Football” yet this Season but we have done enough as a Team to be 3 and 2. Rejoice! Don’t harbor regrets this early. It will only cause you pain.

  9. Richard Dickson Says:

    The Rams, Cardinals, Browns, and Packers all would have loved to have won ugly today. It’s hard to watch in the moment, but we’ve essentially got two-game leads over the Saints and Falcons now.

  10. Tye Says:

    It would be NICE if they would get back to moving the ball well as they did past years and cut down on all these 3 and outs BUT, the Bucs did win and that is worth celebrating!

  11. Pewter Power Says:

    For a team with super bowl aspirations, Luke Goedeke just isn’t cutting it. I would like to see Walton in that starting lineup.

  12. firethecannons Says:

    agree with Joe on defense it was nice to see our young bucs get some pressure, on offense it was nice to see Cade Otton joing the ball carriers and get some yards

  13. alton d green Says:

    lvmybucs. you nailed it my friend. Bowles is about as exciting as watching grass grow

  14. TAMPA BAY DEMON™ Says:

    Well said, JOE,
    Points taken.
    GO BUCS.

  15. Sal Says:

    Y did they stop running the ball #? Is that Byron Leftwich or Todd Bowles #? They should have blown that team out they got lucky that they were playing a bad team but you can’t beat good teams with that kind of play calling #!!

  16. Pryda...Sec147 Says:

    Great post Joe I agree not the dominating game I want but it’s only October plenty of time to get much better

  17. T REX Says:

    Team is average

    Forget style points…smdh

  18. HC Grover Says:

    We on by surviving the 4th qtr prevent offense. The chicks did not get better, we got worse and faded. 21 point lead to start the 4th qtr and it turned in to a nail biter. The punter had to save a td return again with a heck of a lick on a chick. We took 3 pts off the board again too.

  19. Purplepirate Says:

    🤣🤣🤣

    Spin it however you like, but it’s not 2020. Needing help from the refs just to hang on against a bad team that was missing the league’s leading rusher isn’t a good sign going forward.

    So sure, be happy with the win but be realistic at the same time. Gronkowski, Brown, Jensen and Marpett aren’t walking through the door to save this team.

  20. Oneilbuc Says:

    I told y’all Devin White has been all talk this year and if you take those sacks away where he was running free up the gap what has he done?? He can’t get off blocks and he over runs plays . This ain’t no super bowl team right now.

  21. Old School Bucs Says:

    Joe are any of our O linemen coming back this season? Do you know what their status is?

  22. Goatfarmer Says:

    I’m with you Joes.

    When is Dardone getting cut?

  23. Colonel Angus Says:

    Best article yet Joe. Too many weak ass clowns in these comment sections.

  24. My Momma Says:

    My Momma says, that if this win had happened against the Chiefs, then an ugly win wouldn’t be cause for concern. She thinks that Joe is trying to use a Jedi mind trick on this here part of the interwebs to convince fans this win isn’t cause for concern. He’s trying to instill that dirty four letter word: “Hope”.
    Joe is saying ” Step away from the win. There’s nothing to see here”, when the signs are all around us. Right Joe?

  25. T REX Says:

    It’s actually NOT WEAK to tell the truth instead of being a dorothy dancing yellow brick road fool

  26. Buc'n Iowa Says:

    Come on Joe. I appreciate possitivity, but we won this game on bad calls. The same game we lost for decades pre-Brady. I’m embarrassed!! We all should be!!

  27. ForReal Says:

    I feel like Joe just doesn’t understand what quality football looks like any more. without those 2 VERY questionable calls, Atlanta likely marches right down on our defense and puts us away. They looked lost our there… Ask Tom Brady off the record… I’ll guarantee you he thinks the last 18 minutes of that game were a shirt show!

  28. Sorryjackchuckiesback Says:

    Buc’n …. YOU’RE embarrassed and we all should be? What position did you play today?

  29. ForReal Says:

    I find it juvenile (like a participation trophy) to want to celebrate every win like its a big deal. Sure, games need to be won simply for the chance to play in the postseason with a chance at the SB. However, Brady will be the first to say that how you prepare and how you are coached matter. This team often looks poorly prepared and therefore poorly coached. When a win is a relief that you survived a crap team, you know it was a crap game. Forget celebrating, figure out how to improve and start preparing like you care… Style points matter because it means you have a great team. Surviving bad teams and your own poor play means you don’t have a great team. WooHOO!!

    PS. Finally Otten looks like we may have a real tight end on the team.

  30. AbucAway Says:

    Nah, Joe’s . You are spinning. This team can’t make it. Every team gets better as the year goes, but what matters is where they start from. The foundation matters. And our foundation just sucks. One and done in the playoffs. I’m sorry to say.

  31. JimbobBucfan Says:

    I’m with you on this one, JBF. Grind it out early on. Spend the 17 games refining and refining. Play them one at a time. Then run the table in the post season and grab another Lombardi at the end. Brady, the GOAT, understands this process perfectly after 20+ years as a QB at this level.

    Go Bucs!

  32. Jack Says:

    Like or hate, one thing you can say about bellicheat is that his teams always improve as he gets closer to thanksgiving. He is cerebral with this game and as Brady will tell you coaches with fire during practice. @tye I see our offense improving but it seems like our defense is not.