“They Look Like The Guys Have A Lot More Money”
October 21st, 2022
One of the most astute Bucs observers and biggest Bucs fan you’ll ever meet was talking this week and Joe was listening closely.
That’s former Bucs quarterback Shaun King, one of four QBs to lead the Bucs to the NFC championship game. He hosts VSiN Primetime now after leaving the college football coaching ranks.
King visited the Maggie and Perloff show on CBS Sports Radio and was asked about the state of the Bucs. In his reply was this nugget.
“Tampa does look like they’re a little older. They look like the guys have a lot more money,” King said. “That hunger, maybe, I’m not saying it doesn’t exist, it’s just not evident when you watch them play — that they’re playing to like this championship standard and competing against themselves. It’s a little different than two years ago.”
Yeah, it is different than it was two years ago. Back then, the Bucs didn’t have “a toughness problem” to the extend they have know. But given the caliber of the roster and the presence of Tom Brady and many high-character players, Joe believes it’s all very correctable.
October 21st, 2022 at 9:38 am
Revisionist history. Two years ago the Bucs sucked ask for most of the season until the bye week. The sucking dynamics are a little different but they still sucked.
October 21st, 2022 at 9:42 am
Could be. Hope not. Still got time to get back in the fight.
October 21st, 2022 at 9:51 am
How about this? Let’s go back three years ago, four, five years ago… some of you would have given up your firstborn for a 3 and 3 record. Lol. It will work itself out.
As the saying goes… hard times make strong men, strong men make easy times, easy times make soft men, soft men make hard time…
Well something like that… in my George Bush voice. Lol.
October 21st, 2022 at 9:54 am
As it stands, we’ll still likely win the division, hey mebbe one home playoff game, then prolly go to Philly. At least we won’t be going to Green Bay in January
October 21st, 2022 at 9:56 am
panters just traded mccaffry to san fran….
October 21st, 2022 at 9:57 am
I mean, a lot of folks had us losing three times out of the Dallas, New Orleans, Green Bay and Kansas City games before the season started. We just happened to win two of those along with the flop in Pittsburgh.
October 21st, 2022 at 10:01 am
Yup, if we lose THIS time I’m gonna shove a spoon in my eye
October 21st, 2022 at 10:02 am
Joe… this was a great article. It reads much deeper. Everyone looks like they have more money… as saying the hunger isn’t there. The fans, media, everyone. We have grown accustomed to think our bucs are superbowl contenders. Division champions, conference champions! We have lost the hunger of just winning a game, beating a good team, ending the year above 500. Think about it. This Article speaks to everyone!
October 21st, 2022 at 10:14 am
You’d be hard put to find a more positive fan than TBBF……looking for the best in everyone….
But, if this doesn’t scream coaching, I don’t know what does…….stop looking for leadership on the field and start leading…..it’s your job.
There should be no way that Bowles should tolerate his team’s impotency.
October 21st, 2022 at 10:19 am
What Beej said.
October 21st, 2022 at 10:24 am
They don’t have Jensen, Marpet and Gronk anymore and the play calling hasn’t been creative or effective enough to compensate for the drop in talent
October 21st, 2022 at 10:31 am
lackadaisical coaching. no worries.
October 21st, 2022 at 10:32 am
Is he calling out Lenny?
October 21st, 2022 at 10:41 am
I’ve heard it all before … Catch …Block and Tackle and do it well!
October 21st, 2022 at 10:49 am
Maybe Byron is holding his best play calls for those super important games…..nah, he’s just a meh play caller.
October 21st, 2022 at 10:51 am
The difference between winning and losing is typically one or two plays. We need people to know their assignments, be in the right place and execute. We also need play calling to be much, much better and less predictable on offense.
October 21st, 2022 at 11:04 am
This goes with the GM and staff as well; it is malpractice and death wish for Tom Brady, if you keep running 67 out there
October 21st, 2022 at 11:06 am
The whole team is soft and the play calling is horrible. Receivers are not getting open, the line and TEs are getting bulldozed and Brady is now totally immobile. If we can’t even make a third and one, that’s speaks volumes about how soft this team really is. As far as the defense, the D-line is a disgrace. When teams can make every third down including third and seventeen , that tells you how bad the D-line really is. Bucs will remain a .500 team, unless there is a huge turnaround.
October 21st, 2022 at 11:17 am
Whose job is it to keep the players motivated?
October 21st, 2022 at 11:18 am
Is it me or does it seem like since the NFL has been more proactive towards trying to prevent certain injuries that there have been more reported injuries? Or are todays players just more soft? I’ve never seen so many strains put players on the sidelines in floppy hats. I mean do they get paid whether they are on the field or not?
October 21st, 2022 at 11:18 am
I mentioned that last week Joe remember when we had a discussion about Jones hmmmmmmmmm!!!!!! We need good hungry players some of these guys have gotten soft but thats coach fault for not seeing it and/or doing anything about it.
October 21st, 2022 at 11:31 am
It’s all correctable if Brady has time to throw.
It’s not if this O Line plays like they have.
We got 4 studs: Julio Jones and Russell Gage, and Logan Ryan and Aikeem Hicks. They have all been hurt. The loses on defense are glaring and you could tell vs Dallas and NO, Bowles had what he needed.
Carlton Davis allowed pass after pass to be completed in that Pittsburgh game, by playing too far off coverage. That’s a money problem for sure.
I saw Alvin Kamara sitting on the sideline yesterday not concerned they were losing by 14 at half after 2 pick sixes. That’s a money problem.
Bowles is such a quiet dude, I’m sure there are way less needed F Bombs happening. This team has been plenty of reasons to step up and Bowles can’t find one thing to get them to play hard and tough and freaking tackle.
October 21st, 2022 at 11:42 am
They’ve looked like 11 guys struggling to operate as a collective unit working towards the same goal whether it be play to play or series to series, all season. Offensively there’s nothing we’ve done well enough over 6 games that says “this is our identity” or “if X & Y aren’t effective, we can hang out hats Z” for an offense with the projected talent we have, the TEAM part is missing. That’s why I didn’t mind Bradys’ tirade on the sideline, somebody needs to speak up and keep these guys conscious of the basics and their responsibility carrying out their assignments in order to remedy the functional issues we have on offense with improved play on a much more consistent basis.
October 21st, 2022 at 11:44 am
The most interesting take I would like to hear would be from BA.
October 21st, 2022 at 11:48 am
Interesting article but the grammar demon spotted two errors. Not “extend” but “extent” and not “know” but “now”. Kind of sloppy.
October 21st, 2022 at 12:02 pm
There is no way Tua’s severe head injury is NOT having an affect on Brady. He’d be an idiot if it’s not.
October 21st, 2022 at 12:04 pm
That’s a good call by King but these are professionals and have to be coached and managed to play smart and physical. If they don’t and management can show them lack of effort then they should be benched.
Rarely I watch other teams and can’t help but notice the Bucs defensive linemen never make tackles. It’s a bad scheme if all the running backs are being wrapped up by lbs and DB’s. It seems they are wasting space. You do have to point fingers at Vea and Barrett. They are pro bowl talent and aren’t making plays.
The running game stinks how about running behind stud Wirfs and veteran Mason to right with Kleft as fullback.
If Goedke and Hainsey can’t run block they should be replaced.
October 21st, 2022 at 12:06 pm
they ARE the replacements….rumor has it Jensen back next month, if so, will fix a lot
October 21st, 2022 at 12:14 pm
Been, I might change it to a fork!
October 21st, 2022 at 12:15 pm
I don’t think we’re talking enough about the injury to Brady’s finger and shoulder. The finger is still being wrapped up. They mysteriously took him off the injury report two weeks. They’re hiding the injury like they did his torn MCL injury in 2020. That MCL injury affected his ability to drive the ball. I think the finger and shoulder are affecting him. How does he look in practice? Joe should work his sources to dig further into this situation.
October 21st, 2022 at 12:21 pm
At least we are playing the Panthers this week we could sleepwalk thru that game an win they stink.
October 21st, 2022 at 12:23 pm
Great take from Shaun King. And Shaun would have been a super bowl QB if the Bert Emanuel catch was ruled complete! Still remember that like yesterday. Anyway, coaching has something to do with motivation, but in my opinion it mainly comes from within. You need to have something to prove, standards you personally believe in, or someone you respect too much to let down. Each guy needs to find that fire for themselves.
October 21st, 2022 at 12:27 pm
Seams like a whole lot of Buc players are OK with mediocre, and not putting out great effort. Ditto for the coaches as well.
October 21st, 2022 at 12:54 pm
Seems mediocre pays well.
October 21st, 2022 at 1:12 pm
Maybe true for a few guys. Shaq has 2 sacks and 6 QB hits on the year. both sacks came against NO. Vea has smelled all year. It’s Bowles job to motivate these guys. My message would be simple. Start performing, or ride the pine.
October 21st, 2022 at 1:25 pm
Saying “King led the Bucs to a NFC Championship game” is disrespectful to our legendary defense.
The defense dragged King and a downright sad offense to that NFC Title game. King led the Bucs so well that he was promptly replaced at the first opportunity
October 21st, 2022 at 1:27 pm
@DungyDance
Even if Emmanuel catches the ball there was ZERO chance King led the offense to a TD to win the game. Offense was pathetic that day and were never going to score a TD that day.
October 21st, 2022 at 1:50 pm
Shaun King didn’t lead the Bucs anywhere. He was just along for the ride.
October 21st, 2022 at 2:00 pm
Suh.
Never mind, just screw it.
October 21st, 2022 at 3:41 pm
Guaranteeing money in any sport and especially football is bat sh!t crazy. I don’t think it’s rampant on our team, but it’s normal and human nature to slack off a bit once you know your butt is covered. If I’m not mistaken, even Ryan Jensen alluded to this once he got his big contract.
October 21st, 2022 at 5:31 pm
You can’t hide a turd on the offensive line. We have not one, but two, right smack dab in the middle. Recipe for no offense.
October 21st, 2022 at 8:03 pm
I’ve said this every game we have no dogs. Soft , soft soft. Lenny is running hard and playing but the rest not so much . Vea is getting pushed around, white misses more tackles and playes then he is making. They are all playing soft and collecting. Check. Attitude starts with the coach and accountability