Smelling An Upset
December 9th, 2022
FOX Sports personality NIck Wright.
Maybe this Joe is still buzzing from watching Tom Brady make history on Monday night? Maybe Joe’s just trying to talk himself into this.
But Joe really believes the Bucs have a shot at an upset over the powerful 49ers on Sunday.
Todd Bowles and his Bucs defenses have a good record against rookie quarterbacks. And Mr. Irrelevent, rookie Brock Purdy, will start for San Francisco on Saturday.
However, a famous talking head on FOX Sports doesn’t see the game the same way. Popular national sports television personality Nick Wright has a web-only talk show on FOXSports.com. There, he believes the 49ers will suffocate the Bucs.
“There is no scenario that I can see where Tampa can move the ball on San Francisco,” Wright said. “I love San Francisco even with Brock Purdy because I think they can cover the 3.5 by getting to 17 points. I think they can get to the 3.5 by scoring 14 points.”
The point spread at BetMGM as of Thursday night was San Francisco -3.5.
“Tampa can’t run on anyone,” Wright said. “And you are not going to throw on this Niners pass rush. [Tom] Brady will be in self-preservation mode the entire game.”
If everyone is healthy on the 49ers, Wright has a very fair point. But Nick Bosa hasn’t practiced all week with a gimpy hamstring. Defensive tackle Arik Armstead is banged up with a bum wheel (foot).
Wright also thinks Christian McCaffery will have a big game on the Bucs defense. Well, since Bowles came to the Bucs, McCaffrey, the long-time star for the Stinking Panthers, was regularly shut down by Bowles.
Hell, Bowles even had Vernon Hargreaves in position to stop CMC once — Vernon Hargreaves!
If Bosa and Armstead can’t go, and if Bucs coach Todd Bowles has an epiphany and opens up his offense, Joe really likes the Bucs’ chances.
December 9th, 2022 at 4:23 am
niners are a little overrated…
bucs show out in this one…
upset in the making…
bucs need to go “no risk it no biscuit” in this one, just to prime themselves up for the bengals at home next week…
it’s time to score points in a big way the next couple weeks – and they need to prove to themselves they can look like the bucs of 2020 and 2021 when needed – as the playoffs are right around the bend
December 9th, 2022 at 4:46 am
If the goal is to make it to January, well now’s the time to open up the offense. They’ve been hibernating all year. It’s close enough to where they can go no risk it no biscuit to get prepared and score some points for the final stretch. They should not be gassed come playoff time. And honestly Bowles thinking his way of thinking is the answer is stupid. The way the team is built is for perfect complimentary football. Defense stops the run to make them one dimensional so they can pass rush. Well if the offense is stalling, the other team can rush and not have to rely on the pass. Unless you’re the Falcons who constantly do that no matter what. Scoring points also helps makes the opposing team one dimensional. In theory of course
December 9th, 2022 at 5:34 am
I wish I could be that optimistic. With but a couple of exceptions, this team has been an ongoing disappointment this season. The team remains very flawed in terms of personnel and coaching.
December 9th, 2022 at 6:01 am
One too many Bromosa’s, Joe.
December 9th, 2022 at 6:16 am
Strong defense causes Bowles to go into prevent offense. Any kind of defense causes Leftovers to go into prevent offense. Armstrong coaches prevent special teams who’s best player is Cmarda. 49ers will score at least 20. How will or can we score 21 when we’ve only scored more once??? It sucks to say that the blowhard isn’t wrong but hoping he is
December 9th, 2022 at 6:17 am
This guy gives great betting tips, he made people a lot of money February 2021 by strongly suggesting to bet on the chiefs to blow out the bucs in the superbowl.
December 9th, 2022 at 6:23 am
What proof has anyone seen that the Bucs can show out, risk it for the biscuit or open up the offense? These delusions are nothing but hopeful optimism. Brady won the game Monday night in spite of all of the teams usual tendencies.
The safest bet to me is U 37.5, based on all the arguments. The Bucs don’t score more than 20, and if the talking heads are convinced they can cover at 17 or 14 points then boom, bob’s your uncle. Plus you can still celebrate the unlikely chance that they do pull it off with a 20-17 victory.
Yes I’m jaded, yes I’ve lost confidence, but I’m using my head not my heart. It’s a sad truth folks.
December 9th, 2022 at 6:25 am
Point of clarification: they, being the 49ers can cover at 17 or 14
December 9th, 2022 at 6:30 am
Take a look at the Bucs history out in SF. I went to a couple of em. Both bad losses. Even if they had a good staff I still wouldn’t bet the Bucs this week.
December 9th, 2022 at 6:43 am
Max protect all game, run to the outside and start throwing more to your TE’s until it starts to loosen up. Then maybe in the second half when we’re down by oh maybe 17 points, run the hurry up. When all else fails, we can still do that right?
December 9th, 2022 at 6:53 am
The only show out this Sunday will be the Bowls Leftwich circle jerk shet show. Go Bucs in spite of them…
December 9th, 2022 at 7:03 am
Bowles will blow this game because he is scared to death of letting his Offense open it up. He will just stand there with his arms folded looking like someone just pumped his cat.
December 9th, 2022 at 7:29 am
A lot of “ifs” there Joe. How about Byron Leftwich gets off his sorry ass and gets creative for a change. Run more hurry-up. Get Scotty Miller more involved. Try some reverses. Just do something different for God’s sake! It’s criminal not to be able to score more than 20 points a game with the talent we have on this offense.
December 9th, 2022 at 7:30 am
EA says; You left one thing out of the equation. Arians was the head coach when the Bucs Whooped the indigenous Americans. Todd Bowles as head coach. Larry Mo and Curley
December 9th, 2022 at 7:36 am
There’s no upset coming. The Bucs will get soundly beat. Get a sniff of ammonia. You’ll be back to the land of reality.
December 9th, 2022 at 7:47 am
if you let tom call the offense we will win. #freetombrady
December 9th, 2022 at 7:53 am
Joe, your last sentence says it all but it ain’t gonna happen. Bowels doesn’t believe in Brady or his star players on the O. He is myopic mindset that the O just needs minimum scoring and the D will take care of the rest is archaic. So Tom another disappointing weekend on the way. Tell your friends and family you couldn’t get any tickets.
December 9th, 2022 at 8:39 am
When we win it will just be that they have a rookie qb and the discredit will keep on
December 9th, 2022 at 8:50 am
Monday night team on a Westcoast road game…… some one can look it up but I bet the numbers don’t look good for the Bucs….
December 9th, 2022 at 9:03 am
Some strong hopium is getting passed around.
Bucs can’t even beat bad teams and struggle with mediocre ones.
The 9ers are not a bad team. And vastly better than mediocre.
I’d be shocked if this game is less than a 17 pt. difference….unless the 9ers QB throws picks all over the place.
December 9th, 2022 at 9:07 am
The only thing I smell is the rotting corpse of Toad Bowelswich.
December 9th, 2022 at 9:22 am
Lol! This is Clueless Todd. Todd’s gonna fuk this up. He’ll sit back and let the rookie pick them apart with easy passes on soft cushions.
December 9th, 2022 at 9:22 am
Can we put Bowles and Leftwich on injured reserve before anymore games? Then maybe there would be hope.
December 9th, 2022 at 11:21 am
This is an important audition for Tom if he wants to play for the 49ers next year. I don’t think he will even let his friend Leftwich eff it up.
December 9th, 2022 at 11:21 am
Upsets are always possible but so is the possibility of getting outcoached when you have Bowels and Leftwich calling the shots. I think the D will play tough enough to make sure the Bucs will not get boatraced but if the O only puts up 13 losing 16-13 is a loss just like losing 28-9 or 31-10 like Nick Wright thinks.
However, one thing about Nick Wright, he is not exactly Nostradamus; I recall a Tweet from him earlier this year where he claimed that Baker Mayfielld was a steal for the Panthers and he also picked the Rams to go 14-3 and the Pack to go 12-5 this season. In other words, you might make coin by betting against this dude’s so called “locks”. That being said, maybe the Bucs hang around in this one late enough to see another dose of Brady magic for the win at the wire.
December 9th, 2022 at 12:14 pm
Bucs always play better when there the underdog. Bucs 24 49ers 13
December 9th, 2022 at 12:24 pm
Bowles will also play man to start and after Deebo Samuel schools K Neal for a TD, he will sit back in Zone the rest of the game letting Purdy pick them apart underneath.
Game over by then.
They will sack Brady at least 5 times.
We literally might not score in this one.
Or……….
I’ve seen strange things happen in this league, so I’ll continue to take a dose of that hopium.
December 9th, 2022 at 1:13 pm
It doesn’t matter who’s missing on defense, BL can even surprise Bucs fans so there’s nothing he catch the niners with that would sneak in a W
December 9th, 2022 at 2:48 pm
Niners are overrated… that said having Bucs feel a bit of underdog pressure is helpful.
Hopefully, Bucs can just get out of own way for the first 3 Quarters. 2022 Bucs season is almost painful to watch most of the time.
December 9th, 2022 at 4:57 pm
F$&k this guy first of all. Second D needs to create a turnover or 2 getting a pick 6 scoop n score would be huge n needed. D has been really good but no turnovers. Regardless going to be a low scoring game.
December 9th, 2022 at 6:35 pm
Let Brady loose. We’ll win.