Early Bye Week Means Mandatory 2-2 Start
May 11th, 2023
Todd Bowles
Todd Bowles and everyone working the business side of things at One Buc Palace should be on notice.
The Bucs have four games before their early bye week.
They are as follows:
1. Sept. 10 at Minnesota 1:00 PM
2. Sept. 17 CHICAGO 1:00 PM
3. Sept. 25 PHILLY 7:15 PM
4. Oct. 1 at New Orleans 1:00 PM
5 Bye Week
That means the Bucs absolutely must start the season with a 2-2 record or better. If not, legions of Bucs fans will check out at the bye week and the alarm bells will sound for the head of Todd Bowles at water coolers, buffets and bars across the Tampa Bay area.
Joe hates that reality, but that’s the way it is.
And Joe can’t blame the common fan, if 1-3 is somehow acceptable, than that’s like saying a five-win season is acceptable. And it’s not.
After the bye, the Bucs get a gift from the schedule makers with back-to-back home games in the Florida swelter against two dome teams, the Lions and the Falcons, two physical clubs.
Those are winnable games. And if the Bucs don’t find their way to 2-2, they’ll both be must-win games prior to the Bucs head to Buffalo on a Thursday night for their Week 8 game against the Bills.
May 11th, 2023 at 8:33 pm
There should be a rule about bye weeks. No byes until week 7, man that’s early.
May 11th, 2023 at 8:37 pm
I feel that could be a 3-1 start. The new zone run should help change our pass happy fortunes with NO and does Minnesota really scare anyone?
May 11th, 2023 at 8:39 pm
I can easily see 1-5, 0-6, to start the season. Hope I’m wrong
May 11th, 2023 at 8:49 pm
I’m sorry, but I see us starting 2-2 at least. We will not be 1-5 or 0-6. Get real. Looking at the schedule I can easily see us having the same record as last year if not 10 wins. Got have a bit more optimism than that. If our defense plays at the same level as last year, and the offense can run the ball, we should be good.
May 11th, 2023 at 8:54 pm
Don’t be an azz. It’s getting hotter. This is actually a good five games for
May 11th, 2023 at 8:58 pm
Week 5 bye is a killer ouch
May 11th, 2023 at 9:00 pm
All four are wiinable; all four are losabe. That’s why they play. Should be a lot of fun.
May 11th, 2023 at 9:06 pm
We’re looking at an 0-7 start with the first possible win being against the Texans.
May 11th, 2023 at 9:15 pm
Early bye on works in the Bucs favor if they win a lot of game early. If the Bucs came out slow and have injuries then it hard to rally late in the year. Rallying late in the year to win a string of games becomes unrealistic.
So I agree that 2-2 heading into an early by is very important.
May 11th, 2023 at 9:27 pm
I see us around the 4-4 mark after eight but picking up steam and finding our way to 10 wins. Maybe 11.
May 11th, 2023 at 9:34 pm
All byes should be in weeks 7-12.
May 11th, 2023 at 9:36 pm
18 week season with a week 5 bye, seems like we might be picking in the top 3 of next years draft. Any takers on a bet that Baker flames out by the bye week?
May 11th, 2023 at 9:55 pm
A 1pm game in September at home. WOW! When is the last time that happened? Maybe I’m forgetting something, but for years, the Glazers didn’t want anything at home in September at 1pm, because the whiny fans can’t stand the heat.
In any case, all those practices in the summer heat and humidity, and the Bucs get one game in the heat.
May 11th, 2023 at 10:04 pm
So the Bucs have the most expensive starting cornerbacks in the NFL against Jefferson.
I like our odds.
May 11th, 2023 at 10:11 pm
The last time the Bucs played @Vikings was that amazing game where Ryan Smith and VH3 combined for one of the worst DB performances I’ve ever seen. I think in the comments someone was saying you could literally put a fold up chair on the field and it would do a better job, since at least the Vikings WR had a chance to accidently trip on one of them.
Looking back at that game – the Bucs top tackler was Kendell Beckwith then Adarius Taylor. The Bucs return man for that game was Bernard Reedy. The Bucs leading rusher was Jacquizz Rodgers.
Good times!
May 11th, 2023 at 10:32 pm
On paper, the 1:00 PM start should favor the Bucs, they should make the Vikes wear dark colors. However, its seems like certain things which should be taken for granted like the Bucs having and advantage in the heat and wearing light colors for a September 1:00 PM start are not a given. Conditioning is always a problem with the Bucs, guys cramping up and pulling hamstrings while the opponent plays in the 95F heat like it was a nice fall day up north. Bowels needs to use all the intangible advantages given to him but will he? I just hope the his squad does not get boat raced like Lovie and the lads did against the Titans in the Jameis/Mariota Bowl; 48-14????? I hope history does not repeat itself.
May 11th, 2023 at 10:35 pm
we got a lot of schedule benefits with the goat in the building…
or at least the nfl might believe that…
so now we get jammed with a week 4 bye
May 11th, 2023 at 10:41 pm
Actually, the more I think about it… you probably don’t want the Bucs to get off to a good start – or at least not beat the Eagles.
Bad Bucs teams ALWAYS win some game against a top NFL team, almost always at home – then they’ll lose every single close game vs bad teams for the rest of the year. If the Bucs do beat the Eagles, it means you’re doomed to be in that downward spiral.
A Bucs team that isn’t bad, that improves during the season, that shows promise, will almost certainly lose games early in the year that they’re supposed to lose, but will show progress and in the end, be a much better team with a better record.
That’s what history says.
May 11th, 2023 at 10:56 pm
Rod, bad Buc teams used to own Marv Levy and the Bills.
May 11th, 2023 at 11:21 pm
First Team Up! Vikings. Win or not that game. Second Team Up Bears! Third Team Up! Eagles. {It feels like an old-school NFC first few games}
As always week after week same mentality. Next Team Up!
Go!!!!! Bucs!!!!!
May 11th, 2023 at 11:23 pm
Byes are supposed to be systematicly determiner, but I think it’s no coincidence that we stunk for years and had early byes, got Brady and had late byes, he leaves and we are back early season.
May 11th, 2023 at 11:53 pm
Mandatory? 🤣
They’re going to get better as the season continues simply because of the magnitude of changes.
Can’t wait for the usual kvetching and catastrophizing if they start 1-3. 🤣
May 12th, 2023 at 1:09 am
A 1-3 start will probably do just what Joe says it will do. It won’t end the season but those grindstones will surely be whetting.
May 12th, 2023 at 1:31 am
The odds of 5 rookies on defense all being a bust is very low. Someone out of the 5 will make an immediate impact. I believe this new Bucs team is underestimated, especially the offense. Brady n his off field distractions are gone. DSmith is gone. Mauch is a rookie but I’d take my chances on him being my body guard than I would with DSmith. We’ve gotta get back to being violent n aggressive on defense. Watch the tapes of all the rookies on defense n u see pure smash mouth football.
May 12th, 2023 at 5:59 am
They will no doubt be a request to get 2 bye weeks in the next CBA. Which will in turn add a game or two to the reg season, or a permanent play in playoff game.
May 12th, 2023 at 9:13 am
A JBF commenter predicted earlier this week that the Bucs would have an early bye because Tom Brady isn’t on the team. Spot on. I didn’t realize the NFL does this. There’s only one team in the first two bye weeks that I expect to make the playoffs this season and that’s the Chargers. That said, I can see the Bucs finishing with 7-9 wins but probably 7 wins.
May 12th, 2023 at 3:49 pm
Early bye weeks (weeks 4 – 6) are given to teams that the league doesn’t expect / want to be competitive.
It’s one of the biggest FUs to any organization.
That’s why outside of the Brady years, the Bucs have repeatedly and routinely had very early bye weeks. Don’t believe me?
2010: Week 4 bye
2012: Week 5 bye
2014: Week 7 bye
2013: Week 5 bye
2015: Week 6 bye
2016: Week 6 bye
2017: No bye week at all
2018: Week 5 bye
2019: Week 7 bye
7 out of 10 years, our bye week was week 6 or earlier. Absolutely ridiculous.
(Contrasted with Brady- our bye weeks were week 13, week 9 and week 11)
And now in 2023, we’re back to our usual week 5 bye again. Hooray.
May 12th, 2023 at 9:29 pm
Lol. Nothing’s mandatory. Especially an average start after four games. Took a look at bowles and bakers records and you’ll sense a pattern. I feel for you guys trying to strum up excitement for this team. Whew.