CBS Predicts Worst-Case Scenario For Bucs
September 6th, 2023
Can he carry the Bucs?
Yesterday, Joe brought word from good guy Jeff Kerr of CBS Sports about what the best-case scenario would be for the Bucs, the team’s ceiling.
Today, the ugly part of Kerr’s piece on the Bucs, the floor. The worst-case scenario.
Kerr, unlike many outside the Tampa Bay area, realizes the Bucs have some dudes still on the roster. So his worst-case scenario is only one win worse than last year.
Floor: 7-10, miss playoffs
Baker Mayfield is the wild card in this division, as Tampa Bay may be his last opportunity to start in the league. Adding Dave Canales to call plays will help Mayfield, but will early season struggles force a change to Kyle Trask? Remember, Tom Brady isn’t walking through that door. The offensive line is a concern, even with Tristan Wirfs moving to left tackle and adding Cody Mauch at right guard. Todd Bowles didn’t do a good job with this team last year, and his job is on the line. Can he bounce back? Tampa Bay is an enigma, but it all comes down to Mayfield and his performance.
And that right there is why so many believe the Bucs are playing for University of Southern California quarterback Caleb Williams. Virtually no one outside Tampa has any belief, hope or prayer that Mayfield will have a bounceback season.
And Kerr is correct. If Mayfield rocks, the Bucs could make the playoffs. If he blows chunks, we might be looking at a new regime in January.
September 6th, 2023 at 4:09 am
7-10 would definitely put the Bucs in quarterback purgatory. That total would likely get Bowels fired and I doubt if Mayfield would be around in 2024 unless the 10 losses were ala a Mike Smith defensive effort while Baker played well, unlikely but who knows until the games are actually played.
The 7-10 Bucs would likely be positioned in the 2024 draft at best where the ATL and Carolina were last year at 7-10, pick 8th and 9th. They could be further back as well, maybe early teens depending on SOS. Obviously they will not be able to draft a top shelf franchise QB that far back unless they packaged up a deal like Carolina did with the Bears to move up. I bet Carolina brass wished they kept Rhule and allowed him to let the team out deul Chicago for the #1 spot without sacrificing so much more.
I suspect as Bowles is fighting to keep his job, the tank job is not in play unless the Bucs hit the bye 0-4 and then things could change. If they come out fighting and get a couple wins early then yeah, 7-10 is the floor and the ceiling is being a fringe wildcard candidate or actually challenging for the division title if everything goes their way.
September 6th, 2023 at 5:48 am
There are other scenarios too. The Bucs start poorly – say 0-4 – in the first month, then recover and win 10 or more of the remaining 14 games, with either Mayfield getting in his groove after the slow start, or Kyle Trask replacing a hopeless looking Mayfield and producing much like 49er 3rd stringer” Mr. Irrelevant” quarterback Brock Purdie and winning 7 straight games including a trip to the NFC championship game.
There are lots of potential scenarios – talking heads saying it’s this or it’s that is meaningless drivel, just yakking.
The games begin this weekend, and the ONLY thing that matters is the games, and how well the Bucs play in them.
September 6th, 2023 at 5:57 am
3-14
September 6th, 2023 at 6:59 am
The Glazers aren’t firing Bowles after this season unless there’s a total collapse. The Glazers have tightened the purse strings, because they know this team is far from a super bowl, and is rebuilding. They are not going to pay Bowles for the next three years, and his staff to sit home, and pay a new coach a kings ransom only to get the same results. This team has 16 rookies, and 6 UDFA’s. Vince Lombardi couldn’t get this team to the SB. We’re ranked by ALL the experts as one of the worst teams in the league yet it’s all on Bowles if we lose? The Glazers have spent when there was opportunity to win it all now. That’s no longer the case. The credit card is maxed, the spending is over. Todd is safe for at least next season.
September 6th, 2023 at 6:59 am
3-14. The ‘lawnchair 4’ show their true colors and each game will be like an nba scoring spectacle.
September 6th, 2023 at 7:23 am
Trask will save the franchise and all these guys job aslong as they dont stick with Baker to long.
September 6th, 2023 at 7:29 am
If we can not get Caleb Williams, the University of Washington QB looks really good!
September 6th, 2023 at 7:42 am
5-12
Mayfield benched after 7 games
Fire sale at trade deadline
Bowles fired after last game
September 6th, 2023 at 7:48 am
2-7 start, 6-11 finish
Todd is toast by Turkey Day
September 6th, 2023 at 7:50 am
Back to moderation jail for speaking the truth
Hahahahahahahahaha
September 6th, 2023 at 7:50 am
There is just enough talent on this team to put Caleb Williams out of reach in next springs selection show. Mark it.
September 6th, 2023 at 8:04 am
8-9 with the greatest = 5-12 with a career bust
September 6th, 2023 at 8:19 am
That is the way it is. This team relies on Baker. He has a chance if he doesn’t turn the ball over like he has in the past.
September 6th, 2023 at 8:20 am
6-11
September 6th, 2023 at 8:29 am
I love when Joe quotes the “experts” who are, at best, gossip columnists. Yet we accept every word they say as gospel. If we win some games early and start to believe in ourselves we can have a wild ride this year. And then, who knows what can happen! WE control our destiny not the NFL media nerds.
September 6th, 2023 at 8:49 am
Finally, I did see in one of the comments someone who sees what I see. Yes Bowles will not get fired because ownership knows no coach could win with all those rookies and undrafted free agents!!. That in itself should tell you the story. The team likely has no qb, the secondary is shallow in depth. They want to win the ball with an unproven line?, who is going to rush the passer. Do rookie dt’s usually fare well the first year? Does anybody really believe the team is not rebuilding? and finally yes management knows this team can’t win more than 6 ames this year without a lot of good breaks.
September 6th, 2023 at 8:49 am
7, 8 or 9 wins is the nightmare…. not good enough for the playoffs and not good enough for a to 10 pick and probably bring back Bowles / mayfield / trask. Let hope for 10 wins or if its 6 or lee, we know we have to blow it up.
September 6th, 2023 at 8:51 am
7, 8 or 9 wins is the nightmare…. not good enough for the playoffs and not good enough for a to 10 pick and probably bring back Bowles / mayfield / trask. Let hope for 10 wins or if its 6 or less, we know we have to blow it up.
September 6th, 2023 at 8:59 am
Thee trolls are disgusting.Go ahead fools. Bunch of fairweather fans.Your 6ft 5 blond nordic god will not save you. He will totally fail to fill your fantasys.He will stand like a golden statue back there and freeze like a deer in the headlights when the defense turns up the heat. Why? Because he hasn’t been throiugh the crucible. He hasn’t been tempered and pounded and mold by the heat of competrition and adversity. As for you loserws who willing to comprise all professional pride that the teams superbowl veterans still posess in order to bow down infront od an unproven rookie who is being hyped by the controlled scripted racist fake news.Well you can’t fix stupid.When Baker balls out and shakes up the division and the NFC conference I hope He signs with another team for big bucks andf leaves you all here to whine and moan while your SEC golden boy fails.Never seen such a town full of loers. Except in New York where the Jets ruin QB after QB and Cleveland same thing.Never int eh History of the NFL have o many been so wrong. Can’t wait for Bake yunz up a thanks giving Crow for you all to eat!. Ase for the Steeler fan who think Trask is one. Take your stupid opinion back to Pgh there is more than enough to go around here.
September 6th, 2023 at 9:01 am
LOL Quality blast!
September 6th, 2023 at 9:03 am
These trolls are disgusting.Go ahead fools. Bunch of fairweather fans.Your 6ft 5 blond nordic god will not save you. He will totally fail to fill your fantasys.He will stand like a golden statue back there and freeze like a deer in the headlights when the defense turns up the heat. Why? Because he hasn’t been throiugh the crucible. He hasn’t been tempered and pounded and mold by the heat of competrition and adversity. As for you loserws who willing to comprise all professional pride that the teams superbowl veterans still posess in order to bow down infront od an unproven rookie who is being hyped by the controlled scripted racist fake news.Well you can’t fix stupid.When Baker balls out and shakes up the division and the NFC conference I hope He signs with another team for big bucks andf leaves you all here to whine and moan while your SEC golden boy fails.Never seen such a town full of losers. Except in New York where the Jets ruin QB after QB and Cleveland same thing.Never in the History of the NFL have o many been so wrong. Can’t wait for Bakerto bake yunz up a thanks giving Crow for you all to eat!. As for the Steeler fan who think Trask i the one. Take your stupid opinion back to Pgh there is more than enough to go around here.
September 6th, 2023 at 9:12 am
Still seeing a congregation of silly in Tampa. Baker was # 3 on the Brown’s all time list with 14,100 yards and was hurt in 8 of his last games. Brian Sipe was # 1 with 23,700 in 125 games. Baker had the highest completion ratio of any Brown QB with 60 games played.
WATCH some of his games……… Danny Baker Buc Esq.
September 6th, 2023 at 9:21 am
That’s exactly what’s going to happen and if it does everyone should be fired. That’s what happens when you go get a mediocre quarterback. After 5 years for anyone to think Mayfield’s going to be anything different than what he has been is crazy. It sucks as a Bucs fan too that we potentially will blow an opportunity to get a legit starting quarterback in the draft. It doesn’t help that we have the worst head coach in the NFL. Let’s be honest if he wasn’t gifted this job he was never getting another one as a head coach.
September 6th, 2023 at 9:26 am
pmarcello
>todd bowles
>has 6’5″ nordic god at QB
>starts the midget who throws INTs instead
>OU clowns celebrate
Yeah OK buddy
September 6th, 2023 at 9:42 am
TB’s job is on the line. If BM can’t lead this team to a winning season, him and TB will be gone!! That said, I believe this team will have a winning season and even win the division! The season may start out slow but end strong! Imo. First glimpse comes Sunday!! Yay!!!
September 6th, 2023 at 9:47 am
6-11 more like it but yeah
September 6th, 2023 at 9:58 am
I believe in this team. Having said that, after the first 8 games, we’ll be able to evaluate them more objectively. Go bucs!
September 6th, 2023 at 10:47 am
I believe in this team, to secure a top 5 draft pick.
September 6th, 2023 at 11:25 am
@ Pmarcello: You’re so right about Mayfield breaking out and ballin’ like we know he can. You’re also right about these loser Buc fans, these Trasklodytes. The season hasn’t even started and they’re already surrendering. How French of them. Of course, that’s what happens when you watch too many SEC games. Go Bucs!
September 6th, 2023 at 11:31 am
As my pappy once said, “If I wanted to hear a bunch of quacking, I’d buy a duck. At least you can eat a duck.”
Our season starts in 4 days. Hopefully these “expert predictions” start to fade away
September 6th, 2023 at 12:11 pm
7-10 truly is worst case scenario. Not good enough to make playoffs and not bad enough to secure a potential franchise QB in Caleb Williams..I’m almost aboard to tank for Caleb train. Nobody with a working brain sees us winning a Super Bowl with Baker, so why not go and get a QB in the draft who could be the next up and coming superstar QB you can build around for the next 5-10 years
September 6th, 2023 at 12:16 pm
The floor is 3 or 4 wins. Bucs are in the weakest division, it would be hard to go winless. This worst case scenerio is based upon Mayfield/Trask being closer to Gabbert/Griffen than to Brady; the OL being a dumpster fire and there is no running game; injuries to Evans and/or Godwin and youngster unable to step up; and the Defense not getting better but actually regressing due to injuries, inexperience, and high draft picks failing to produce. Although worst case, this isn’t a far-fetched proposition… it would not be a big step backward. The Bucs are closer to that record than they are to a SB win.
September 6th, 2023 at 12:18 pm
This QB purgatory situation we are in is absolutely dreadful. We escaped it for a couple years with the help of TB12, but before that we were in the same exact situation with Mr Crabs… teams around the league are snagging franchise QB’s left and right while we are just sitting here trying to compete with a QB who nobody else wanted. We look silly. I think Licht should make it a priority to find that guy and not give us another long season in 2024
September 6th, 2023 at 1:24 pm
Joe, any word on Kancey playing week one?
September 6th, 2023 at 4:21 pm
Looks like Caleb Williams per his dad will stay in collage depending on who has the first pick… really hoping that was supposed to be directed at the cardinals and not the bucs…..
September 6th, 2023 at 6:44 pm
lincoln riley coached baker & kyler…baker has been a bust and kyler is trending in that direction….and folks want c.williams lol….
kj jefferson or michael penix jr please!!!!!!
GO BUCS!!!!!
September 7th, 2023 at 12:40 am
Okay..I’m tired of the tanking comments….is Caleb Williams bulletproof or highly flammable? Does anyone watch football..I don’t want a name I want a player…let’s ask ourselves this….jamarcus Russell? Jameis Winston? Marcus Mariota? Kyer Murray? Ryan Leaf? BOOK IS OUT ON TREVOR LAWRENCE …HAS SIZE AND SKILLS ..BLAH BLAH BLAH DONT MEAN HE GONNA BE WEARING HARDEARE ON HIS FINGERS ANYTIME SOON OR EVER I think to myself that tanking for for a “elite” QB is about as dumb as you can get…complete stupidity ..haven’t seen too many high draft picks panning Out in the last 25 years besides Payton Manning…Most good QB in the league r now are mid 1st and Aaron Rogers early 2nd round … And sometimes you can steal em as far down AS the sixth round (I’m not saying name here) or maybe Mr Irrelevant himself(so far.)Brock Purdy) history has proved to me on way too many occasions that drafting a QB with the top picks n the draft doesnt work out like it should. Other positions Yes QB…no …who wants to tank and lose and draft a “highly rated ” player that mAY not pan out ,on top of losing the year to get them , suffering thru a year or YEARS OF GROWING PAIN AND STILL A CHANCE OF NOT EVER BLOSSOMING ? I’ll pay a Free Agent or go all in on a trade for a elite QB before i TANK FOR UNPROVEN ..CUZ THOSE QBS DONT ALWAYS PAN OUT…HISTORY DONT LIE ..BAKER MAYFIELD? IM ON YOUR SIDE ….ROOTIN FOR YA …THE QB THE BEARS TOOK 2ND OVERALL 4 OR 5 YEARS AGO…..Thats my point….how would you feel about tanking and ending up with that guy? Or trading up in the draft? You would be pissed the rest of your life…tank that!!!! GO BUCS!!!!!