How Brutal Was “The Lost Decade?”
February 15th, 2024
This put things into perspective for Joe.
Right now it’s the early stages of the offseason as the franchise tag could get slapped on a Bucs free agent next week and then there’s the combine the following week and the free agency dinner bell ringing shortly after that.
So the offseason will be in gear very shortly.
Some Bucs fans are bickering over a quarterback who brought the Bucs to the brink of the NFC title game last season. We should instead be thanking our lucky stars for Baker Mayfield’s success, and Tom Brady’s success before him. Because not that long ago, Bucs fans weren’t arguing about playoff games, they were arguing about the draft every year, too often by Halloween.
You know, The Lost Decade?
Joe received a release from the Bucs that had all the stats compiled for the 2023 season, both team and individual.
Would you believe that this decade, the Bucs have been an elite team, as in only Kansas City and Buffalo have had more success? Only Kansas City has more postseason wins this decade?
Here was one screaming headline:
“TAMPA BAY IS THE ONLY NFC TEAM TO QUALIFY FOR THE PLAYOFFS IN EACH OF THE PAST FOUR SEASONS (2020-23), and 1-of-3 TEAMS in the NFL.”
So contrast that with what Joe came across on Twitter yesterday. In the past 10 seasons, the Bucs are still in the bottom 15 in fewest wins.
Think about that: With all the success the Bucs have had the past four seasons, they still are one of the bottom 15 teams in total wins the past 10 years.
Talk about putting things in perspective. Makes all the kvetching about Mayfield seem terribly petty, no?
Least #NFL Wins over the last 10 Years
Which team on here is the most surprising? pic.twitter.com/hDAjKNLWXA
— uSTADIUM (@uSTADIUM) February 15, 2024
February 15th, 2024 at 4:20 am
I still liked Koetter at HC. Built a good staff. Too bad Jamies doomed him.
February 15th, 2024 at 4:42 am
Which team on here is the most surprising?
Wow! Look at the Bucs! Very successful. Go Bucs!!
February 15th, 2024 at 4:55 am
It was so bad I gave up my season tickets after 17 years, was eating tickets at the end of every year.
February 15th, 2024 at 5:31 am
Please…Let’s raise the standard around here.
Tell me we’re good when people are talking about us and dynasty in the same sentence.
February 15th, 2024 at 5:40 am
We’ve been to only two super bowls in 48 years
One of which is because we had a qb who has been to 10 of them on his own.
Let’s become a team like with 4-6 rings then tell me how great we are.
Let’s look dominant again in stead of backing into an extended playoff format.
Let’s be dominant.
February 15th, 2024 at 5:46 am
Bottom 15 in a league of 32 teams puts us right around the median. So actually the last four years did make up for the previous six. I would like to see the whole list.
February 15th, 2024 at 6:03 am
As a Bucs fan it was quite BRUTAL indeed.
As far as Mayfield, i admit he played better than i thought he would but still he was not as great as some say.
If we want to compete at a higher level we must nail the Draft and some of the FA additions. Mayfield is a good QB but you must have a great roster around him. He is not on the level of QBs that will win games on his own and push the team further than its talent can.
Go Bucs
February 15th, 2024 at 6:25 am
Sign Baker for whatever it takes and lets roll!
February 15th, 2024 at 6:33 am
And the closet racists want to fire Bowles???
Do you guys remember Love Smith’s defense and free agents??
Do you clowns remember Koetter’s defense under “smiling” Mike Smith??
We have a SOLID defense!
You always have a chance in the NFL with a SOLID defense.
Licht and Bowles are drafting well.
They have built a POSITIVE AND LOVING locker room.
We are building a DYNASTY in Tampa Bay.
With players who love to play and players who love each other!
February 15th, 2024 at 6:34 am
Cleanhouse is never happy about anything regarding the Bucs. Why do you bother showing up?
February 15th, 2024 at 7:15 am
Fire the coach! Use half our draft picks to get Penix!
February 15th, 2024 at 7:22 am
Dynasty Bwahwahwahwah!
February 15th, 2024 at 7:44 am
I love how I have family and friends up here in South Jersey who tell me about hard times with the Eagles. Then I go to explain to them what it feels like to not make the playoffs for 13 years!!!
Being at rock bottom is picking first in draft and having no hope. We all know what that feels like as Bucs fans.
February 15th, 2024 at 7:45 am
Some clowns just can’t be happy
February 15th, 2024 at 8:37 am
Get a grip teacherman. You’re just another troublemaker trying to conjure up alleged racism that does not exist. You seem to think Lovie Smith was a lousy coach. I guess that makes you a closet racist too, huh?
February 15th, 2024 at 8:41 am
Personally, I look at it two different ways.
The Culverhouse ownership. 19 years
The worst sports franchise during his reign. Won less than 30 percent of their games.
1 HOF player.
2 division championships
The Glazer ownership. 29 years.
A little under a .500 record.
Some good coaches: Dungy, Gruden, Arians
7 division championships and 2 Superbowl wins.
Multiple HOF players.
Don’t need to heap the Glazer’s with praise. But they have made the Bucs relevant in a lot of different years.
February 15th, 2024 at 8:41 am
No he didn’t. Let me guess, were you a “stick carrier”?
Very few people from Koetter’s staff moved on to other positions in the NFL. Todd Monken is the notable exception. It seems the NFL wants nothing to do with Mike Smith at any capacity after he was fired.
February 15th, 2024 at 8:50 am
Again Finland hits #1 on the Happiest Countries in the World lists with a simple principle. ENOUGH. Yep they are strong believers in the concept of appreciating what you have!
I follow sports for many of the reasons as the rest of you but I want to be entertained!
TB’s first year here was entertaining because of winning the SB. Winning at that level is always entertaining. His final year here was anything but entertaining. It was like one of those Spanish soap operas on Telemundo! Making the playoffs brought no joy especially with the one and done route at the hands of the Cowboys!!!
This past year was truly entertaining for me at least. Like him or hate him ya gotta admit Baker was “entertaining”. Who can forget that quip near the sidelines after running over a DB…”Get your weight up”…I’m laughing as I type.
NOBODY, not even the guys on #teamnegative can deny Baker left it all out there on the field. He held nothing back, played(perhaps inappropriately) through bruised ribs and a bum ankle…Baker exhibited major cojones and HEART!!! I had “enough” despite the loss to the Lions to be “entertained”!
February 15th, 2024 at 8:54 am
Stick Carrier Crew has aged so poorly…oof.
Few things worse than a confused Winny in those awful costumes disguised as uniforms. It’s almost fitting the team wore those alarm clock costumes during such a bad era of Buc Football. At least the 80’s/early 90’s Bucs had the classic creamsicles and more excuses…no free agency ( until Nickerson came aboard and changed the culture ).
February 15th, 2024 at 8:57 am
Koetter was/is a good dude. Inherited Winny and wrongly hired his pal Mike Smith as a paid back favor leading to his demise.
Koetter recently coached Boise State ( where his son was playing )…took over mid-season as OC and did some really good things.
He slapped smarmy Sean Payton on the chest also…which was clutch.
February 15th, 2024 at 8:59 am
Agree with Geno711. The Glazer’s deserve the praise.
February 15th, 2024 at 9:17 am
Unfortunately, Jameis doomed many head coaches…he set this team back at least 5 years with and we just now coming through it…We need to start planning for the next decade with a legitimate franchise QB, Baker is just a bridge unfortunately.
February 15th, 2024 at 10:05 am
I haven’t really said it much, but I said at the time we were considering him, drafting Fameous Winston would cost you a decade…
Sometimes, you can’t overcome recency bias, or familiarity with Florida-based universities causes some to see the empty glass as full.
TraskForce should take notice.
They won’t, but it’s really good that GM & coaches finally figured it out.
SIGN BAKER, Mike, Antoine, and Lovantae!
February 15th, 2024 at 10:24 am
” We should instead be thanking our lucky stars for Baker Mayfield’s success, and Tom Brady’s success before him. ” Say it louder for the people in the back.
I would be curious to see a post from the Joes ranking QBs in Bucs history. Where would Mayfield fall? I’d guess third or fourth. (Brady, Johnson…maybe Williams?) Maybe a fan poll would be good too.
February 15th, 2024 at 10:24 am
The lost decade… so so bad. Bad coaches, bad draft picks and horrid uniform.
Sometime when you get pick #1, Joe Burrow is there and some years Jameis and Mariota are there… theres a little luck involved. If we don’t get BA, we don’t get Tom and the decade of depression continues
February 15th, 2024 at 10:36 am
Geno, the bucs should have won a super bowl during the culverhouse days
Vinny, whatever happened to the leader of the stick carriers?
If the bucs could somehow turn into the Baltimore Ravens franchise that would be awesome; and take it a step above the Ravens and go to Super Bowl (s) plural
Think they need to keep Evans and Mayfield…weird Mayfield best season was with the guy ME13 that made every QB he ever had throwing to him better
February 15th, 2024 at 10:36 am
Racists?
February 15th, 2024 at 10:38 am
Leeman Bennett. Ray Perkins
Even worse, Hugh Culverhouse.
Bucs are still the worst franchise in pro sports, as far as Wins/losses.
After John MacKay/Doug Williams left,
Just year after year after Year of absolute SUCK!
Fing Culverhouse had no interest in winning. He was chairman of the NF finance committee. He Only cared about the money.
The few good players we had, just playing their guts out, and losing their entire careers.
Sundays on Game time, you could walk up and buy cheap tickets. Stadium was empty. My friends and I would move around to different seats thru out the game.
Up high to watch the whole field. Down low to see close up.
No one cared. It was horrible. For decades.
Thank the Lord for the Glazers, who immediately began trying to fiels a competative team.
After living thru decades of that- a team going to the Playoffs every year is a joy.
Go look at the teams record every year, from 1980 to 2000.
It’ll change your perspective of the team
February 15th, 2024 at 1:01 pm
Sufferingsince76 is your screenname and you say I’m negative. At least my screenname and attitude demands action to change the suffering.
I like Genoa’s take about the two different ownerships and I feel a bit better.
Thank you Glazers
February 15th, 2024 at 1:21 pm
How many Superbowls has Detroit been to? The Cards? The Chargers? They’ve been having them once a year for quite some time now
February 15th, 2024 at 1:47 pm
Hey Beej. That means they suck
February 15th, 2024 at 2:07 pm
@CleanHouse
46 seasons. You suck as a fan. Would you rather have one in 56 years like the Saints?
February 15th, 2024 at 2:31 pm
Joe, clearly there’s been far too much inbreeding that took place in these parts of the woods that found its way to your most excellent message board. I wouldn’t take it personally. What can you do? Nada. Don’t let them get to ya man!
February 15th, 2024 at 5:37 pm
I suck as a fan because I miscounted by a few seasons and you’re a great fan because you say we’re relatively better than the Saints who suck?
All I’m saying is I’d like us to raise our expectations. Yes we’ve been competitive enough to have some post seasons, but no we’re not great…..
Sorry to describe reality
February 15th, 2024 at 6:01 pm
It was so bad I had to get on blood pressure meds and reduce my exposure to just games and less posting.
February 15th, 2024 at 6:02 pm
But, to be honest…the times before Dungy were a lot worse.
February 15th, 2024 at 6:53 pm
This is a false narrative. Yes, the Bucs suck for years AND Baker was mediocre for large stretches of this season. He was decent, good at times… and that’s it. That’s all any of us “Baker haters” are saying. If he wants to resign on a realistic deal, great. If he thinks he’s now a top 10 guy, go let Atlanta or someone over pay and blow up their cap.
February 15th, 2024 at 7:45 pm
Excellent article Joe. Some people are never happy with what they have. Most of the commenters on this sight would bitch if they got hung with an old rope.
February 16th, 2024 at 5:39 am
The site below puts it all in front of you. So many bad seasons for the Bucs and bad coaches. I was most disappointed in John Gruden as the HC. After the SB win in 2003, I remember thinking, “repeat”. Instead, Gruden over-engineered us into mediocrity.
I will say that 2022 was another huge disappointment, but this year was very exciting.
February 16th, 2024 at 6:49 pm
agree w t mcgee 100%
February 17th, 2024 at 7:11 am
Not just the lost decade Joe.
1976 to 2002 was largely ineptitude at it’s most miserable. But there was not near the ill informed “kvetching” that I see these days. Fans were not happy but we came to the Sombrero and cheered loudly anyway. We lived in eternal optimism that all would be well “next year”.
Go Bucs!