Respect Check Coming On Wednesday
May 13th, 2024
Two members of Team Glazer, the Buccaneers’ ownership group.
Led by receipt-keeping Buccaneers Ring of Honor general manager Jason Licht, the Bucs are feeding on the lack of respect the team is getting nationally.
And Joe doesn’t think the Bucs are exaggerating the regular disses coming their way from oddsmakers and analysts and media decision-makers.
As many Bucs fans realize, Joe monitors the Bucs 24-7 on the national stage. And it’s downright stunning how much Bucs chatter has disappeared from SiriusXM NFL Radio and other media, apparently replaced by Falcons talk.
Man, is it only Joe that realizes Drake London was a fantasy- and real-football disappoinment last year with 905 yards and 2 touchdowns? Talented player, but c’mon!
The 2024 NFL schedule will be released on Wednesday (hallelujah!) and Joe is very curious to see what the TV networks think of the Bucs.
Last year, Tampa Bay got two prime time games at home against Philadelphia on Monday Night Football and at Buffalo on Thursday Night Football, the Jamel Dean game. Notice how the games were early in the season — Weeks 3 and 8, respectively — because the TV networks didn’t believe the Bucs would be contenders late in the year.
Joe thinks anything less than three prime time games for the Bucs this season would be a disgrace that adds another oak log in Licht’s fire pit.
Is it possible for a 10-win team just a couple of plays from the NFC title game, a team returning its best players and Pro Bowl quarterback, to get only two prime time games?
Bucs fans will find out on Wednesday.
May 13th, 2024 at 8:00 am
The Bucs have an abysmal record against teams above .500. Additionally, they seem to sh!t the bed in almost every regular season prime time game. This even goes back to the Brady era. If you want respect beat the top teams and show up when everyone is watching.
May 13th, 2024 at 8:13 am
We will see…..we are playing several teams the networks like to air…
Cowboys, Lions, Chiefs, 49rs……so, getting a prime time game may be because of them, not us.
May 13th, 2024 at 8:29 am
Media and Sportsbooks have not been throwing Flowers but maybe the NFL will throw the Bucs a Bone. Theoretically the Bucs could start the season against teams currently ranked by the same media at 25,26,27,28,29, and 32.
Can you just imagine the where Joe’s will go with that one. 6-0. Super Bowl Baby.
Will stretch that one as far as the one timeout/two plays from Conference Championship and the Pro Bowl Alternate that had fortunate circumstances.
As far as the Falcons go. London will benefit greatly from the upgrade(s) behind center. I make that plural because should any QB miss a couple games due to injury having a winning back up could mean the difference in a highly contested division.
May 13th, 2024 at 8:31 am
I’m officially hoping for zero. Some of us have to work early in the morning. It sucks primetime is based on the California market.
May 13th, 2024 at 8:32 am
Joe,
You should have heard the drool fest for the falcons yesterday on SirusXM. The guy tried to put the dixie chicks in all intriguing matchups for week 1.
May 13th, 2024 at 8:40 am
There has been many changes this year and it will be interesting how the network and the NFL have put these together. Similar to what Tampabaybucfan said, we all know the Chiefs, Lions, 49ers, and Cowboys will be prime time and we may be there. The Falcons are on my mind too as a solid prime game. I am trying to be optimistic.
May 13th, 2024 at 8:47 am
Jp09 Says:
May 13th, 2024 at 8:00 am
The Bucs have an abysmal record against teams above .500. Additionally, they seem to sh!t the bed in almost every regular season prime time game. This even goes back to the Brady era.
In 2021 with Brady, the Bucs were 6 and 3 against teams with winning records.
The next two years, the Bucs finished a combined .500. Like every other .500 team in existence, they finished with a winning record against the below .500 teams and a losing record against the above .500 teams.
May 13th, 2024 at 8:56 am
I can see the NFL showcasing Cousins and the “Super Bowl Bound Falcons” playing the Bucs early in the season, probably in Atlanta to ensure the Falcons win.
May 13th, 2024 at 8:58 am
Cmon joe, how is the national media supposta consider us a contender when we don’t know what the basic offensive line looks like? Competition here. Competition there. How about we get someone with an eye for football and talent and makes determinations based on strengths and weaknesses as to where any player will be placed. Ground these guys mentally into their expected role from the get go and stop with the floating around, sticking pinky ties in the water to see if its just right. Someone make some damned decisions. Let’s go coach!
May 13th, 2024 at 9:02 am
And if Atlanta isnt a concern at this stage, you haven’t been paying attention. It’s no longer about about just cousins doing cousins things. They have made good moves on both sides of the ball including having a spectacular backup QB. They know what they are aiming for.
May 13th, 2024 at 9:21 am
Absolutely agree JimBobBuc. Thinking the same thing.
May 13th, 2024 at 9:27 am
Bucs are a good story-they will get 3.
May 13th, 2024 at 10:09 am
I’m going to cancel Sirius. I am not paying to listen to crap about the Falcons. lol. In all reality, I hope the league ignores the Bucs and doesn’t give them anything more than the required minimum as far as Monday or Thursday night games. No talk whatsoever about the Bucs. This will give Jason and the players all the bulletin board material they need.
May 13th, 2024 at 10:28 am
At least we don’t have to play in Nigeria this year.
May 13th, 2024 at 10:29 am
Pretty soon we will have games in Iraq.
May 13th, 2024 at 12:37 pm
The Bucs literally had the most snaps played by rookies last year (according to their social media) so people on here don’t understand how much of an improvement this team can make this year. Sure, their record against teams with a winning record isn’t great but to be able to win a playoff game, yet alone make the playoffs is incredible with how young the roster is/was.
May 13th, 2024 at 1:34 pm
I would be surprised if it was more than two
May 13th, 2024 at 4:57 pm
Bowles has his worst games on prime time. Don’t get your hopes up Joe.
May 13th, 2024 at 6:53 pm
I stopped caring about the Bucs getting “respect” and prime time games a long time ago… Want to know why?
1. This franchise has never been respected, outside of maybe 2 years with Tom Brady. And quite frankly, we seem to do better when being disrespected, vs when guys get too high off their own press clippings due to a single regular season win.
2. We also seem to mostly suck in prime time games. Why do we want more of that?
May 13th, 2024 at 7:49 pm
The TV schedule is not a matter of “respect”. It’s a matter of ratings. It’s a matter of what teams will draw the most eyeballs.
I’m sure a LOT of league and team officials know the Bucs will be dangerous this year, but that doesn’t mean they’ll have much of a national profile. I’ll be shocked if they have more than two prime time games, including the mandatory Thursday nighter.
May 15th, 2024 at 5:53 am
All of the National media folks have agendas Joe. It taints everything they do.
It is no longer a fact based profession (if you want to call it a profession) If you want to succeed at it you follow the party line. See all the heads (pun intended) rolling in the last 2 years at the four letter? Most of what they put out is BS at it’s finest.
Go Bucs!