A 3-1 Start Is Critical
May 15th, 2024
Joe’s not the kind of hardcore fan hoping for or expecting a mildly satisfying nine-win season to secure a shot in the playoffs.
Joe expects this Bucs team, barring freakish injuries, to raise the bar on last season and continue to be the team that finished the 2023 campaign winning six of eight games.
So tonight the NFL revealed the Bucs will open with three of their first four games at home, Washington, Denver and Philadelphia with a trip to Detroit sandwiched into Week 2.
With a short-week trip in Week 5 to Atlanta for Thursday Night Football followed by a Week 6 trip to the Slimy Saints, Joe sees the Bucs as desperately needing to open 3-1, just like they did last season.
Yeah, Joe thinks the Bucs can beat the Falcons, but it’s brutally difficult to win on the road on Thursdays. And that’s even harder after facing a physical club like the Eagles, which should be an emotional Week 4 game that will be a rematch of last year’s playoff game at The Licht House. Devin White will be trying to play out of his mind for Philadelphia, and the game will be sold out with far too much green in the crowd.
That, for Joe, is a must-win game.
Gotta find your way to 3-1.
Washington has a new head coach and QB and should be very beatable on opening day. Denver has issues and a new QB, too.
If the Bucs start 2-2, then there’s a great chance they land at 3-3, and that would make the road to 10-7 or 11-6 very difficult.
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May 15th, 2024 at 9:02 pm
That is one of the toughest schedules I’ve ever seen. I think they’ll destroy Washington, beat Detroit and be 4-0 in the first 4 games. I think the Washington game is one I’ll definately bet a few hundred on if the point spread is under 10.
May 15th, 2024 at 9:16 pm
I did my game by game, and I have them 2-2, but I could see the Bucs going into Detroit, fired up beyond belief and getting a meaningless regular season victory and people claiming that makes up for Baker choking in the playoffs when it actually mattered.
The Eagles game … people that actually think the Eagles stink, that the Bucs will manhandle them again, well, I hope they’re right. I don’t think they are, but that is one game where I’d love to be completely wrong and see the Eagles get embarrassed.
As for the Falcons game, on the road, on a Thursday night … that should be considered a W if the Bucs lose by less than 20 points. That is a game the Bucs always lose in huge fashion. It’s just the way things are, so I’ve already accepted it and won’t be that angry when they’re down by 38 and they bring in Trask to have him hand off the ball 9 times in a row to end the game (that’s 3 series, and 3 punts, to be clear). Again, I’d be happy to be wrong, but out of every single game on the schedule, this is by far the one I’m most sure about.
May 15th, 2024 at 9:17 pm
LOL. Already looking past week one. Overreaction day it is again. Getting prepared for week one is critical.
May 15th, 2024 at 9:35 pm
Week 1 is my sureshot game of the year. There is no way the Bucs don’t win by 20 points or more against a rookie QB & a new Head Coach.
May 15th, 2024 at 9:45 pm
The by-product of the silly and way overhyped schedule release……..
All the geniuses penciling in wins and loses.
What a ridiculous exercise, especially for Bucs fans.
You should really know better.
🤦♂️
May 15th, 2024 at 9:46 pm
If they start 3-3 and can’t get to 10-7 scuttle the ship….. that means we’re not any good.
May 15th, 2024 at 9:50 pm
i really see the key is to hang tough thru the first 10 and go 5-5 in that span before the bye…
my guestimate has us flying out the gate post bye week, with 3 wins in a row…then splitting the next pair with the chargers and dallas…
then with the division on the line, taking those 2 final home games, to secure our 4th straight south title
May 15th, 2024 at 9:51 pm
Dooosh:
can we have some fun bruhhh 🙂
May 15th, 2024 at 9:52 pm
week 2 we go to detroit for a definite loss
May 15th, 2024 at 10:03 pm
Munch I agree. We will get absolutely ripped by Atlanta on that Thursday game. It’s what Tampa does every year for decades. I think Eagles will get us too. We may start 2-3. I am not as confident as some others are. We could lose 4 in a row in the middle of our schedule. Niners and Chiefs are all but guarenteed losses especially being the KC is MNF. Yikes. I can see why oddsmakers placed us to be 4rd in division.
I want to desperately be wrong but don’t have a great feeling after seeing how this schedule has panned out.
May 15th, 2024 at 10:41 pm
I see a 10-7 11-6 season coming down to the 2 last in division games like it always has
May 15th, 2024 at 10:43 pm
Mac – Yeah, I don’t see it going well, my first take had them at 6-11. BUT, last year I think first take was also 6-11, and they well exceeded that, so hopefully they can do it again. Not rooting against them at all – and I’m not as doom and gloom as last year.
May 15th, 2024 at 10:47 pm
You beat who they put in front of you, or you don’t. It’s just that simple.
May 15th, 2024 at 11:00 pm
It’s all on Baker & Bowels… As long as we remain as ‘healthy’ as we did for last season. It’s a great mix of strong veterans (at the most important positions with playoffs/super bowl experience) & young hungry talent on this roster… A LOT of ‘homegrown’ too, with great character (top notch) and pride. There is also a ‘chip’ there with this team and it all starts with their QB. They’ll go as far as he can take ‘em. On the other hand… The schedule starts out great and gives a plenty of time to get a real good look at where we are before the trade deadline. If we start out 2-4 or WORSE (with Baltimore, ATL, KC, and San Fran up next), then we will KNOW 💯 to start moving assets… If 5-1/4-2, then we become ‘BUYERS’ and maybe, we can get that coveted ‘EDGE Rusher’ (&/or) at least a true #1 TE!!!!
May 15th, 2024 at 11:11 pm
9-8. Wild card.
May 16th, 2024 at 12:02 am
Dang only 1-4pm game at home all season. They hate BUCS fans. Go BUCS
May 16th, 2024 at 12:58 am
What matters is the record at the end of the year. 3-1 becomes 4-7 with Dr. Complexity as your head coach. Thankfully he and his lads kept doing group hugs while the Leader, Baker, took charge.
Todd could easily be 3-8 after 11 games. It’s Todd.
May 16th, 2024 at 5:51 am
Rod Munch Says:
May 15th, 2024 at 9:16 pm
I did my game by game, and I have them 2-2, but I could see the Bucs going into Detroit, fired up beyond belief and getting a meaningless regular season victory and people claiming that makes up for Baker choking in the playoffs when it actually mattered.
The Eagles game … people that actually think the Eagles stink, that the Bucs will manhandle them again, well, I hope they’re right. I don’t think they are, but that is one game where I’d love to be completely wrong and see the Eagles get embarrassed.
As for the Falcons game, on the road, on a Thursday night … that should be considered a W if the Bucs lose by less than 20 points. That is a game the Bucs always lose in huge fashion. It’s just the way things are, so I’ve already accepted it and won’t be that angry when they’re down by 38 and they bring in Trask to have him hand off the ball 9 times in a row to end the game (that’s 3 series, and 3 punts, to be clear). Again, I’d be happy to be wrong, but out of every single game on the schedule, this is by far the one I’m most sure about.
^^^^^^^^
Yeah, you had the Bucs at 5-12 last year.
May 16th, 2024 at 6:11 am
Kingsbury is saying that QB Jayden Daniels is impressive. Is this spin or reality? That is our first game and he already sounds like C.J. Stroud. We need to win that game first and not allow Daniels to look like QB rookie of the year. The Bucs can do this. Look at our roster, it is awesome! We also have new offensive coordinator Coen. He can help make it happen too. Go Bucs!!
May 16th, 2024 at 6:36 am
Bad news for you Joe, Todd Bowles teams don’t ever start 3-1. Ummmmm, the Bucs were 3-1 last season. –Joe The last two years it’s always been 2-2, why should this year be any different. Do we think Bowles is going to actually learn how to time manage?
May 16th, 2024 at 6:45 am
You beat who they put in front of you, or you don’t. It’s just that simple.
************************************************************
That’s the bottom line. One game at a time. Nothing else exists except the team you’re playing this week. That better be their mindset.
May 16th, 2024 at 7:20 am
@Jason Anthony Sturgess from your mouth to God’s ears bro…
I’d like to see Bowles record vs rookie QBs, either as a head coach or def coordinator. You’d think he’d be difficult with his blitz packages to take down rookie QBs, but I can’t tell you the number of times I remember thinking we got this game because this kid we’re facing at QB is a rookie and Bowles is just going to light him up and yet we manage to make the rookie QB shine. CJ Stroud, Justin Herbert, even Mac Jones had a respectable game on Brady’s coming home party. Lets hope you’re right.
May 16th, 2024 at 4:18 pm
Todd made Taylor’s Heineken look like John Fargin Elway. His five dimensional chaos theory is genius in concept but nobody knows what they’re supposed to do play in and play out. CJ Stroud, 500+ yards. Really, Todd – stop with the genius and let your athletes play to their strengths. It’s ok to be called “effective” instead of genius.