“Not Good Enough To Make Desmond Ridder Look Too Horrible”
December 10th, 2023
Lots of smart people, including a slim majority of Bucs fans (see Joe’s home page poll), think Tampa Bay will lose today in Atlanta.
But why? Is it because the sputtering and injured Falcons are so special? They’re not.
The Bucs have a major edge at quarterback — solid but slightly fading Baker Mayfield versus dismal Desmond Ridder, who is extraordinarily inconsistent.
It seems most folks don’t believe the once-special Bucs defense doesn’t have the juice to pressure Ridder into making his trademark mistakes. That’s incredibly sad and rather telling. Joe hopes it’s not true.
Former Bucs QB Chris Simms, the NBC Sports film guru, went down that road when assessing the Bucs-Faclons game. Simms is no Bucs hater and he leans typically toward the team with the better quarterback. But today, not chance.
Simms acknowledged Mayfield has a good edge over Ridder, but Simms said he’s scared “the Bucs aren’t good enough on defense to make Desmond Ridder look too horrible or make him to too many stupid things. I’m going to ride the Falcons here 20-17.”
If Simms is accurate, and Ridder has smooth sailing against the Bucs defense, that would be terribly daming for Todd Bowles, the Bucs’ head coach and defensive playcaller. Ridder won’t have a starting job next year and Bowles has plenty of defensive talent. He’s also seen Ridder twice — in Week 7 this year and in Week 18 last year.
Simms’ Pro Football Talk co-host Mike Florio also sees the Bucs losing 20-17. He cites GodwinGate from last week. Chris Godwin’s wife lashing out at Todd Bowles on social media “speaks to dysfunction that is not all that far beneath the surface,” he said. Joe went down that dark path on the recent Ira Kaufman Podcast.
Big game coming up. If the Bucs can’t rattle Ridder with the Falcons down their starting right tackle, Joe will have to turn the page on this edition of the Bucs defense.
December 10th, 2023 at 11:35 am
Vita Vea is out. Huge test for the DL today facing a head coach that would be happy to run every single snap.
December 10th, 2023 at 11:46 am
If the defense can get off the field on 3rd and 4th downs, the Bucs will win. If not, it will be the technical end to this season.
December 10th, 2023 at 11:48 am
Correction, for all practical purposes….the end of the season!!!!!
December 10th, 2023 at 11:51 am
In the 1st game we scored 13 points. The offense is playing worse now. Yes the defense will have to show up, the offense better score more than 13 or yes we lose no matter what the D does.
December 10th, 2023 at 11:54 am
Both losses. Ridder is 2-0 against Bowles.
December 10th, 2023 at 11:55 am
No one is worried about Ridder
December 10th, 2023 at 12:00 pm
I predict Mayfield is going to have his worst game as a Buc … just a hunch
December 10th, 2023 at 12:17 pm
Bowles will be out coached today by a below average coach. Bucs D stinks!!!
December 10th, 2023 at 12:18 pm
And I predict Todd spent the week doing nothing to make it a winnable game.
December 10th, 2023 at 12:36 pm
Bet we had an incredible week of practice though
December 10th, 2023 at 12:42 pm
NE Fan you stink no team wants you as a fan!
December 10th, 2023 at 12:42 pm
@Lombardi Lenny
I sure hope they didnt over practice again.
December 10th, 2023 at 1:00 pm
Joe saying we have lots of talent on D is a joke. We do not. One starting ILB, one starting safety, one starting CB, walking wounded D line, poor OLB’s. And NO depth. What talent are you talking about???
December 10th, 2023 at 1:02 pm
Bucs have a ring without Brady, let us know when the Patricia’s get one.