Home Cooking
May 16th, 2024
Things must change.
As Joe noted last night, this will be the first year the Bucs will have nine Tampa home games in a regular season.
In 2022, the Bucs had eight home games and their ninth was a “home” affair in Germany. Tom Brady guided Tampa Bay to a 4-4 record at The Licht House.
Not good enough.
Strong teams defend their home turf well. It’s a consistent axiom of NFL play.
That intrigues Joe because this year the Bucs will play three of their first four games at home (think hotter than hell) and six of their first 10 games before their Week 11 bye. That’s the NFL giving the Bucs a serious opportunity to engage in quality home cooking and prep for a stretch run beginning Thanksgiving week at the Giants.
The Bucs were only 4-4 last season at home in the regular season, plus their glorious thumping of the Eagles in the playoffs. Joe remembers the pain of that Dec. 31 beat down the Slimy Saints gave Tampa Bay — and the great story Derrick Brooks told about it after the game.
Establishing dominant home play will be extra critical this season.
May 16th, 2024 at 8:32 am
Go Bucs
May 16th, 2024 at 8:33 am
Home field just doesn’t mean as much as it once did. There are no toughest places to play, only toughest teams to play. Look at the Bucs in Green Bay for the NFC championship… this isn’t the 1960s with frozen fields and bus travel. Just a business trip.
May 16th, 2024 at 8:34 am
“That intrigues Joe because this year the Bucs will play three of their first four games at home (think hotter than hell).”
Like 2023 when we lost 3 of our first 4 home games?
Like 2022 when we lost 3 of our first 4 home games?
All this talk about how hot it is here in the late summer and early fall is rah-rah-cheerleading because it’s just as hot everywhere else. Plus, the vast, vast majority of NFL players hail from hot southern states!
May 16th, 2024 at 9:25 am
I think Vegas is now assuming 1.5 pts for home field advantage? @Doc shows some important history about the heat. Last year some visiting teams, at least the Bears, lost players because of the heat but the Bucs couldn’t capitalize. The last couple of years the Bucs were slow 1st Qtr starters and let teams stay in the game. Get the lead and improve the pass rush and the Bucs will eat in the heat.
May 16th, 2024 at 11:57 am
Can’t count on heat bothering a rookie QB. Especially if he played in the same heat in Sept 2023 and spent two years at AZ State with games played in temps well over 100.
Be happy that week two is on the road so Bucs don’t have to hear Jar Ed Goff from their own stands.
A good tesm will beat you at home, on the road, and in the parking lot.
May 16th, 2024 at 12:29 pm
Jim Bob – Our Bucs destroyed the Bears last year at home. I can’t wait to have Philly come in at 1pm dressed in dark green and the sun beating down on their sideline. Same goes for the Niners. It can be the end of November or even December, and still be brutal heat in Ray-Jay. For all those who say otherwise, obviously don’t go to many, or any games. Go Bucs
May 16th, 2024 at 1:45 pm
Joe, I am not sure who selects what uniforms we use at home on Sunday’s. If we play a night game, it doesn’t matter our color. But if it is a daytime kickoff we better be putting the visitors in their dark uniforms. Minnesota, the Raiders, those dirty birds and definitely the slimy Saints have to be wearing dark uni’s. And yes, we have to win at home consistently. We don’t dominate at home, very sporadically. Even with Tom under center, we still fell short many times. I’m not sure what the issue is but we need all the help we can get.
May 16th, 2024 at 1:53 pm
That’s all in people’s heads.
Going back to Lee Roy Selmon’s days the Bucs have traditionally worn white for home day games the first half of the season. It’s nothing new at all. And it rarely works unless — surprise! — the Bucs are the better team. 🙂
Fully remember when Raheem was in his first year with the Bucs as head coach. Bucs opened with Dallas. Rah was shooting his mouth off for months that he would have the Bucs ready to play in the 95 degree heat and that Dallas would wilt (maybe Rah wasn’t aware it often climbs above 100 in Texas on summer days). So Rah had the boys practicing in the middle of the afternoon each day to toughen them up so they could melt Dallas away.
Dallas came in wearing their dark uniforms and curb-stomped the Bucs.
Always hear how the Bucs will be able to take advantage of the Florida heat in September. It rarely happens. Generally the teams that melt away are terrible teams (Bears last few times they came to town).
May 16th, 2024 at 1:56 pm
Well, we’ve NEVER had a home field advantage in Tampa Bay… ever.
But maybe this year will be different lol?
May 16th, 2024 at 2:19 pm
View from 132 Says:
May 16th, 2024 at 8:33 am
Home field just doesn’t mean as much as it once did. There are no toughest places to play, only toughest teams to play. Look at the Bucs in Green Bay for the NFC championship… this isn’t the 1960s with frozen fields and bus travel. Just a business trip
Covid year, half crowd at best. Probably a different game if that crowd is rocking.
May 16th, 2024 at 2:23 pm
unbelievable Says:
May 16th, 2024 at 1:56 pm
Well, we’ve NEVER had a home field advantage in Tampa Bay… ever.
But maybe this year will be different lol
Have you been to any games? The place gets jumping, if the Bucs are doing good, don’t know of too many teams that suck on game day and the crowd is still loud and engaged, If the Bucs play well, they will come.
May 16th, 2024 at 4:27 pm
Baker gonna Bake. He and Coen have to know they’ll need 30ppg to compensate for Todd’s cover 3 bust defense.
LFG.
May 16th, 2024 at 4:30 pm
@Mike C – I used to go to Bucs games all the time when I still live in FL. The crowds were weak, whether we were winning or losing. Hardly anyone making any noise at all, almost everyone just sitting there being quiet with low energy.
Last Bucs game I went to was when we played the Chargers in San Diego back in 2017 or 2018, and there were a lot of Bucs fans in attendance, and I swear we were louder than I ever remember the crowd being at Ray Jay (The exception is during playoff games, where the crowd actually would get loud). But maybe that has changed in recent years? I haven’t been to Ray Jay since probably 2016.