Mike Evans: It’s Go Time
November 23rd, 2024Two years ago in Todd Bowles’ first season as Bucs head coach, Tampa Bay finished the regular season 3-4 in its final seven games.
That year, like this year, the bye week came after Week 10.
Unlike in 2022, the Bucs didn’t begin this year’s bye week flying back from Munich. Last year, also without an international game, the Bucs were 5-2 in the final seven games.
The way Joe looks at it, the Bucs cannot lose two more games and expect to make the playoffs.
Yesterday, Mike Evans said the second half of the season is what the Bucs train for all year.
“It’s something that we want to be good at, because the season has been unfortunate and unfortunate things happen in life and in football,” said Evans, who returns Sunday after blowing out his hamstring against the Crows.
“It’s a very brutal game and injuries are going to happen. We’re definitely trying to hit our stride right now.”
Can the Bucs bank on a repeat of last year? Joe isn’t sure.
The Bucs don’t have Chris Godwin and the Bucs are playing awful defense. The flip side is the schedule is softer than a wet sponge found off Tarpon Springs, and the running game is 10 times better.
First up tomorrow for the Bucs is one of the worst quarterbacks to start multiple games last year, Chief Illiniwek himself, third-string signal-caller Tommy Cutlets.
If the Bucs lose to the tanking Giants, Joe will be sure a shakeup of some sort is coming to One Buc Palace come late January.
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November 23rd, 2024 at 11:37 am
Joe: “If the Bucs lose to the tanking Giants, Joe will be sure a shakeup of some sort is coming to One Buc Palace come late January.”
It may be a “must-win” game for the coaches even more than the players.
November 23rd, 2024 at 11:47 am
And for the head coach, it’s Blow time. His namesake.
November 23rd, 2024 at 11:58 am
I mean, maybe if we trained for the first half.. the second half wouldn’t be so dire…
Just sayin’
November 23rd, 2024 at 11:59 am
When your team has to depend on beating tanking teams to make the playoffs you don’t have a playoff team period.
November 23rd, 2024 at 12:05 pm
BucsFanSince1996. If the players sense that their coach has 7 must win games ahead to keep his job then that bodes well for our chances. Yes the pieces just keep falling into place.
November 23rd, 2024 at 12:14 pm
You can say what you want about their QB. Make up names. But you also took for granted the dirty birds had a QB on 1 leg. He took this defense to the woodshed on 1 leg.
November 23rd, 2024 at 12:29 pm
I want to believe the Bucs can run the table (or at least win 5 or 6 out of the next 7), but I’m not so sure the teams the Bucs are facing aren’t looking at a 4-6 team (Bucs) and checking the “winnable game” box themselves? To the Bucs credit they have played well enough to have possibly won a few of the games they ended up losing if not for critical mistakes, but the adage “you are what your record says you are” applies to teams like Tampa and Cincinnati. I’m seeing a 7-10 or maybe 8-9 team in this year’s Bucs, BUT I would be ecstatic to see them prove me wrong and go on a 6-1 or 7-0 rip, win the NFC South and make a playoff run.
November 23rd, 2024 at 12:52 pm
DBS… good points I mean don’t forget about that rotten D.
November 23rd, 2024 at 1:10 pm
We should..Beat the Giants. SHOULD..But watch them score. Hopefully Baker and the Boyz are on and we outscore them.
November 23rd, 2024 at 1:13 pm
Bucs opponents have been 67-39 up until tomorrow. The hardest schedule in the NFL.
It will balance out with a very soft second half. Bucs could easily push for 10 wins and a wildcard birth.
November 23rd, 2024 at 1:49 pm
While JOE expects the Bucs to beat up on the swirling tanking giants I’m sure steeler fans thought the same thing against the browns and look what happened. Just saying this is the nfl and anything can happen on any given Sunday.
November 23rd, 2024 at 1:56 pm
I gotta listen on the radio and watch the replay later. At least Gene helps make it entertaining. GO BUCS!
November 23rd, 2024 at 2:16 pm
It’s up to Bucky Evans and Otten. Really if you focus on Evans and Otten outside of a few key catches no one really wants to step up to claim a starting receiver role so Bucs have to platoon them. Toilet Bowles still thinks Bucky is a situational back so yea with Bowles as head coach this game could go either way
November 23rd, 2024 at 2:56 pm
If Mike comes back i think we have a game. Besides Mike, keep throwing to Otton, Shepard and White. Passing game. We have one.
November 23rd, 2024 at 4:15 pm
“First up tomorrow for the Bucs is one of the worst quarterbacks to start multiple games last year, Chief Illiniwek himself, third-string signal-caller Tommy Cutlets”
He was 3-3 with 8 tds and 3 interceptions…far from the worst starter with multiple starts…am I missing something
November 23rd, 2024 at 4:19 pm
Stat muse has him having even better numbers
“Tommy DeVito had a passer rating of 93.6 with 913 yards, 7 touchdowns and 1 interception in 6 games as a starter in his rookie season in 2023
November 23rd, 2024 at 6:05 pm
Joe says…
First up tomorrow for the Bucs is one of the worst quarterbacks to start multiple games last year, Chief Illiniwek himself, third-string signal-caller Tommy Cutlets.
Look at the posts, Joe. You have been fact checked like a political debate. Perhaps you should reconsider your statement above
November 24th, 2024 at 3:55 am
Mike has it right in what he said, especially – “The second half of the season is what the Bucs train for all year.”
The time now is when it gets real. Go Bucs!