“Shooting To Kill”
September 8th, 2025
New Bucs dynamic duo.
The hype is real.
Folks outside the Tampa Bay area were seriously not buying the hype seeping out of One Buc Palace that rookie receiver Emeka Egbuka was making play after play in training camp.
They weren’t buying Mike Evans’ hype saying Egbuka will become one of the top receivers in the game. They weren’t buying that Baker Mayfield didn’t “front” NFL fans when he said Egbuka can play every receiver position and make every catch.
Egbuka went out there in Atlanta yesterday in the Dixie Chicks’ bird cage and in his first NFL game caught two touchdowns passes, including the score that won the game.
Joe already shared how Mike Evans told Joe that Egbuka was barking for the ball in the huddle on his second touchdown catch of the day. Evans noted most rookies aren’t chomping at the bit like that in crunch time.
But Egbuka isn’t most rookies.
After the game, Todd Bowles and Mayfield said they had no desire to play for overtime. Egbuka, talking with Albert Breer after the game, was a little more emphatic about that than Bowles and Mayfield.
“We weren’t going for a field goal—we are shooting to kill,” Egbuka told me, as he was leaving the stadium. “We’re playing for the touchdown.
“We ran that play a few times, but we didn’t have the right look, whether it was pressure or getting the ball out fast. So opposite hash on this one, Baker and I looked at each other in the huddle and … ”
They knew what would happen next, in large part because Mayfield isn’t treating Egbuka like he’s a rookie. And that’s because he doesn’t play like one.
Joe is friggin’ fired up. Joe saw every day in practice what the Bucs were talking about. Joe wrote about it but secretly Joe didn’t want to document how well Ebuka was playing — didn’t want to jinx the kid.
But yeah, Egbuka is the real deal. And Joe is damn glad he’s on the roster.
So who is the fool now, fool?
(Yes, Joe knows the video below is “Shoot to Thrill,” not shoot to kill. Still, that win yesterday and Egbuka’s lights-out play has Joe in an AC/DC mood this morning.)
AC/DC
“Shoot to Thrill”
Live at Donington pic.twitter.com/6Fgd40YytV
— Marco Scollo (@MarSco1979) September 3, 2025
September 8th, 2025 at 12:15 pm
Yup, just need to get the OL sorted out until Wirfs returns and the offense will be fine.
September 8th, 2025 at 12:19 pm
I agree the draft day decision on EE was a great one. Maybe the fans will start making EE noises after his receptions. Knowing they will probably have a superstar receiver when Evans retires is a good feeling. But my passing game impression is that Baker threw two or three passes that are usually interceptions. He won’t get away with that often enough to get to double digit wins. He knows that so maybe he’ll take an occasional sack or throw toward the first row of seats instead of taking so many risks.
September 8th, 2025 at 12:31 pm
BANG BANG!!!!!!
GO BUCS
September 8th, 2025 at 12:31 pm
Hell yes, Joe.
And while you’re at it, keep stomping on Walter Football’s neck.
September 8th, 2025 at 12:35 pm
Buka! We should have drafted who?
Go Bucs!
September 8th, 2025 at 12:38 pm
Where is Jeff this morning?
September 8th, 2025 at 12:43 pm
But will the national critic admit hey were wrong or talk about regression like they do with BB Baker.
September 8th, 2025 at 12:43 pm
Where was Kacey yesterday? He doesn’t even show up in the game stats.
September 8th, 2025 at 1:04 pm
This is going to free up Evans and the rest of the offense so much. Love the aggressive approach to that drive. Putting this kind of stuff on film puts big time pressure on DCs who would have otherwise just doubled Mike and played the run.
September 8th, 2025 at 1:07 pm
Add Chris and JMac and get Otton right, then look out!
September 8th, 2025 at 1:41 pm
Dew Says:
September 8th, 2025 at 12:43 pm
Where was Kancey yesterday? He doesn’t even show up in the game stats…..
I only saw him when Penix was dragging him over the goal line for a TD.
Not much of the next Big Thing that Prickly Pete was yammering about
September 8th, 2025 at 1:47 pm
Tampabaybucfan..I asked that same question about that punk last night.
September 8th, 2025 at 2:07 pm
The one great thing I saw Evans do yesterday is in this picture. He picks up the ball EE drops and gives it to him to remember as his 1st NFL touchdown. Mike is a class act all the way.
September 8th, 2025 at 2:17 pm
EARLY TAKE ON THE NFCS SOUTH
1. NOLA will lose their first 4 games (AZ, 49ers, SEA, BUF). They’ll mail it in for picks.
2. CAR looked terrible. They could lose to anyone but NOLA.
3. ATL starts TB, MIN, CAR, WAS, BUF, 49ers. They may be 1-5 to start the year.
Tampa may have a commanding lead in the NFCS after 6-8 games. This team always finishes strong so I’m liking this year already.
September 8th, 2025 at 3:11 pm
Light-skinned assassins.
September 8th, 2025 at 3:33 pm
Our #1 pick from last year moves from center to left tackle, on short notice, and plays a darn good game! When’s the last time any center moved to left tackle, especially a second year guy? Fantastic game by Barton!
September 8th, 2025 at 4:32 pm
@Joes
Way to go guys! The perfect band to blow up Victory Monday! Angus and the boys!
Imagine how we all felt that first quarter! Then that “shot that killed”! What a turn of emotions!!!!
We should all SAVOR this victory Monday!!! 1-0 alone atop the Division with a road win against the #1 rival! And it looks as if the Bucs escaped with their health intact almost as important as the W itself.
September 8th, 2025 at 4:46 pm
can EE be the difference between 7 points and 3? in the past this may have been field goals. the kids is a vacuum! great patience and touch by baker on the pass also! psyched for the texans game!!
September 8th, 2025 at 5:38 pm
Just waiting for the Halloween Terror Trio: EE2, CG14, and ME13. Not long now. Yeah, Bucs!
September 8th, 2025 at 5:43 pm
JimBobBuc, Barton did play left tackle in college, so probably not as big a shift for him as someone who had never played the position. I agree it was quite the gamble though, given there was only a couple of practices with snaps in the position. Heck must be rubbish
September 8th, 2025 at 5:48 pm
Folks outside the Tampa Bay area were seriously not buying the hype seeping out of One Buc Palace that rookie receiver Emeka Egbuka was making play after play in training camp.
———–
I’m sure there were some, but seemingly the overwhelming opinion was the Bucs got even richer at a position where they were already stacked. Double E was widely seen as the most pro-ready player in the draft, and pretty much everyone thought he’d be a stud – only limited by being third on the depth chart as they assumed Godwin was back.
Anywho, he had a good debut, and if Bowles had played Baker in the preseason, and in turn Baker was more accurate, Double E, and in particular Evans, would have had an even bigger day. But now that the rust is gone (hopefully), I expect Baker to start putting up some big numbers, which will mean a lot more catches and yards for e2 (which TDs will obviously go down, I doubt he ends up with 34 of them – but hey, I’d love to be wrong).
September 8th, 2025 at 8:58 pm
Can you imaginr week 13 if all the Oline is healthy, Baker, Bucky, EE2, ME13 , Godwin and McMillian all on the field!
September 8th, 2025 at 9:21 pm
Ryan Smith Says
“Can you imaginr week 13 if all the Oline is healthy, Baker, Bucky, EE2, ME13 , Godwin and McMillian all on the field!”
If Godwin is back before the trade deadline, I suspect he won’t be a Buc much longer.
September 8th, 2025 at 11:52 pm
Godwin may be WR3, when he comes back initially until at full speed, but we’re not trading him. You don’t give away your strength. God bless Chris Godwin!
September 9th, 2025 at 4:15 am
Chris will be back around Halloween, Mac around Thanksgiving.
If the team avoids any major rash of key injuries, this may be the hottest team in the league throughout December.
The window very much begins this year, and Emeka is a very big reason why.
@mj – yes, Mek is the difference between 7 and 3. Imagine about 7-8 weeks from now, when instead of Ryan Miller and Shep out there running routes behind Mike and Mek, you see Godwin and Mac instead lmao. Good luck covering that, especially with the Bucky/White/Tucker all being dual purpose backs out of the backfield.