A Quick Note For The Bucs’ Critics
October 6th, 2025
So the Bucs are 4-1, their best start to a season since 2005.
Still, there are grouchy Buccaneers fans frolicking in the negative end of the pool and inviting other fans to dive in.
Joe wants to advise these sour folks that the Eagles and Bills lost yesterday and, as a result, there are no undefeated teams in the NFL.
That means Tampa Bay co-owns the best record in the league, despite a mountain of injuries. The Bucs are tied with the 49ers, Lions, Eagles, Bills and Colts with a 4-1 record. So if you are in the grumpy barn, please get over it. At least for this week.
Yesterday’s thrilling “W” in Seattle broke a team streak of seven consecutive losses without Mike Evans. The Bucs offense was great enough to overcome Seattle scoring 28 second-half points against an invisible Bucs defense fueled by a sad kickoff coverage unit.
The Bucs are a strong team, a strong young team. Yeah, they’ve got warts and wounds, but they’re playing good football. And if you just winced because Joe wrote “playing good football,” then Joe would ask you to look at the standings and exhale.
October 6th, 2025 at 6:47 am
Joe,
Couldn’t agree more. Remarkable effort yesterday particularly with the endless injuries. Keep the good word coming, Joe(s).
October 6th, 2025 at 6:58 am
This is not last years team. We are more resilient. Baker is creating a Super Bowl mindset. We can play anyone although we have plenty of injuries. We can only stop ourselves.
Let’s Go!!!!!
October 6th, 2025 at 6:58 am
You are what your record says you are.
October 6th, 2025 at 6:59 am
Thank goodness for Logan Hall’s head and a defender that can catch a ball! Naturally it was the great Lavonte David who came through. I previously commented that I hoped the Bucs could win one of this tough trifecta (Seahawks, 49ers, Lions) — but now I want more! What a shoot-out. And lets not forget 3-for-3 Chase.
October 6th, 2025 at 6:59 am
The Bucs were playing good football last season too and then Washington came and we didnt see their Punter all game.
Giving up 35 is not good football. Making one play on Defense in 3 quarters is not good football.
Defense needs to be better. Not only in play but in philosophy too. We cant continue to play this soft and this passive. We have seen this play and it does not end well.
Play better Defense
Go Bucs
October 6th, 2025 at 7:00 am
I don’t think we had any new injuries?
October 6th, 2025 at 7:03 am
We are still heading in the right direction. We got the will and heart.
Let’s keep chopping that wood. It doesn’t have to be pretty.
Just win Baby!!!!!!!
October 6th, 2025 at 7:25 am
The Doom and Gloomers are a rowdy bunch. Don’t worry fella’s, I’m sure we will lose another game at some point. Hang in there.
October 6th, 2025 at 7:28 am
Great win for us! This team is so beat up, and they still come together and find a to win! That’s the sign of a great team! Get healthy and make it a legendary season! Proud of this team! Go Bucs!
October 6th, 2025 at 7:33 am
Thank you Joe and Colonel Angus!
October 6th, 2025 at 7:36 am
The Bucs are the best team in football when healthy. They are top 5 when they are not fully healthy. Bucs can beat anyone, anytime.
October 6th, 2025 at 7:37 am
This is the type of defense that Bowles is known for. Last year Bowels was carried by Baker, Coen and the offense. This year he’s carried by Baker, Egbuka and a first year OC. Two good quarters of play against the Eagles. Yesterday 6.1 ypc. and Darnold throws for 4 TD’s. Same trash defense from the same trash coach. That is what he’s always been. Why would anyone expect anything different.
October 6th, 2025 at 7:38 am
We were 4-1 in 2021 also
October 6th, 2025 at 7:42 am
Shut up, Durango. Stats are for losers.
October 6th, 2025 at 7:46 am
What Mort said.
October 6th, 2025 at 7:48 am
If they get close to being healthy, watch out.
October 6th, 2025 at 7:50 am
A few things.
– We critique because we care. We know this team is capable.
– The Bucs are doing what they have to do to stack wins despite injuries and fluctuating play. The difference between 4-1 and 1-4 is closer than most people acknowledge (this applies to every team, not just the Bucs).
– Playing that loose in defense and winning is predicated on turnovers. They haven’t been getting many of them, up until today. They could have easily had four turnovers (the pick that was called back for pass interference and the pick-6 that went in and out of Diaby’s hands).
– The Bucs needed to win at least one, if not two, of these three games.
A 4-1 record is fantastic and I think some scrappy wins are going to benefit this team late in the season. Bring on the 9ers!
October 6th, 2025 at 7:54 am
Bucs is a better team than this. If Coach cant be a winner puts a half a** def and a decent special team show, we win the game by two scores.
October 6th, 2025 at 7:54 am
The Bowels apologists want to attack me because they can’t attack the facts. Sorry kids. He sucks. He’s always sucked.
October 6th, 2025 at 8:02 am
These Bucs are the polar opposite of the Brooks / Sapp / Lynch teams that had to win games by scores like 9-7. Great offense and putrid defense this season.
October 6th, 2025 at 8:06 am
@Durango 95 Bro, it doesn’t matter what you think. His players love him.
October 6th, 2025 at 8:08 am
I remember a time when all me wanted were wins. Now the whiners are looking for style points and an AP ranking. A trash coach that has his team 4-1? I call Bull Spit.
October 6th, 2025 at 8:08 am
Thank you Bucs for the 4-1 record. Lets keep going !!!! Bucs defense eapecially the front 4 can’t get any disruptions to the opposing QB and the pass rushers are nowhere to be found. These things need to be fixed ASAP… come on Bowles, you are a Defensive Genuis… do your thing !!!!
October 6th, 2025 at 8:10 am
The future is bright ,,, I was dreading the day when Big Mike and Godwin retire , was hoping to squeeze a few more years (and they still might ) but I’m pretty satisfied with what we have going forward year from now , EE, JMac, Tez, Cade , Bucky and (hopefully ) White ,, not bad at all
October 6th, 2025 at 8:11 am
Bucsnbeers Says:
October 6th, 2025 at 8:06 am
@Durango 95 Bro, it doesn’t matter what you think. His players love him.
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I agree with that 100%.
Unfortunately his defense is still trash.
October 6th, 2025 at 8:14 am
Daniel Z, don’t forget the near long distance pick 6 Zyon could have had just before the end of the half.
I’m not going to freak out over a one-time shootout victory. It happens. Now, if they give up more than 23 next week I’ve got issues with that.
October 6th, 2025 at 8:27 am
Hard for me to really assess the defense with starters out. (Yes, we do need an edge rusher.) But the offense certainly flipped the script from the days when the defense was dominant and the offense struggled.
This team may not be the most talented team in the NFL, but they are 4-1 because they never give up.
October 6th, 2025 at 8:28 am
No Calijah K part of the reason they’re not generating a pass rush from the edge.
October 6th, 2025 at 8:28 am
Todd Bowles and the bucs are 4-1 and I love it. Lets go get another win!
October 6th, 2025 at 8:28 am
its a good thing the team isnt like whiny fans who think any criticism isnt constructive and has to be shut down. they wouldnt bother looking at their weak spots and try to improve.
or anyone doing anything really. take what you have. dont bother trying to improve anything. sit and stew with status quo. and if you dont know what that means, dont bother looking it up. just sit there in ignorance.
October 6th, 2025 at 8:30 am
I don’t see how acknowledging that the defense and special teams were atrocious deserves a long winded lecture on how to be a better fan. Nonsense. The Bucs were awful in two of the three phases of the game (sans Chase McGloughlin) and the depleted offense was superb. Grizzard might be the best football coach on this team and the best player on the field might have been Egbuka, both of whom are rookies in their role.
Fans have a right to complain about bad football when it is so obvious and disappointing.
October 6th, 2025 at 8:31 am
In the picture accompanying this story. Look at Shep’s face. The dude is a baller.
October 6th, 2025 at 8:31 am
the defense is trash?
the defense came up with the INT to win the game!!!
BUCS were robbed of another INT by the refs….SEA was 3-1…we went into there house and slap them in the mouth!!!!
bowles is making clowns like @durango eat crow once again!!!!!
4-1!!!!
GO BUCS!!!!
October 6th, 2025 at 8:34 am
wow!!!!
4-1 is “bad football”…lol…
obviously, these clowns dont know GOOD football….
didnt know we were expected to go 17-0 this year lol….
didnt know we were supposed to be 17-0 in week5 lol…
4-1!!!
GO BUCS!!!!!
October 6th, 2025 at 8:34 am
It’s a week to week league. Last week the Eagles had negative yards in the second half and instead of applauding the D, these same idiots say “the eagles let off”. The Bucs are 4 and f’ing 1. Some of yall need to put the video games down and understand this is the real world not some AI make believe BS. Nothing is going to be perfect, believe it or not the other teams want to win too.
October 6th, 2025 at 8:36 am
Call us negative if you want but we desire more than being competitive and celebrating winning the league’s worst division like it was the Super Bowl.
With this talent the team shouldn’t be in tclose games against lesser teams.
Its been 3 years of mediocrity and early playoff failure.
Who can be satisfied with that?
October 6th, 2025 at 8:38 am
Give some kudos out to the offensive line.
They played better as a unit. H and H are getting it together.
October 6th, 2025 at 8:44 am
813, the pessimists are getting your ire again. It seems. I get it. Without context, reading Durango’s posts, you’d think we lost the game. His glass isn’t half empty, it’s completely empty. The day after a great win, adding to our impressive record, tied in the NFL as the best record in the entire league, and some fans can only point out the obvious. Clearly the defense was terrible yesterday. Just as clearly they ended up making a play that led to the victory. Two things can be true. And then you can choose to celebrate the victory or you can choose to b!tch about it. Wins are hard in this league. I prefer to celebrate when we are actually victorious. There will be plenty of time for the other.
October 6th, 2025 at 8:45 am
The west coast win validates Bucs playing well on offense. As usual they need 30 plus points a game to keep it close enough to win at the last minute. If they whup Sissieco at home all the better.
October 6th, 2025 at 8:51 am
With this talent the team shouldn’t be in tclose games against lesser teams.
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which lesser team are you talking about?…lol….
SEA was 3-1!!!!
you clowns want us to play 17 undefeated teams and win each game 56-0 lol…
4-1!!!
GO BUCS!!!
October 6th, 2025 at 8:52 am
4-1 is AMAZING!!!
Mainly due to Baker and the offense
I keep asking what does Todd Blows do here to make this team better? Pass Defense healthy or injured is just downright pathetic
October 6th, 2025 at 8:54 am
STEVE007
you’re right lol…
i shouldnt even let them get to me and 2 things can be true…
but damn, you’d think we were a healthy 0-5 team with some of these comments lol
4-1
GO BUCS!!!!
October 6th, 2025 at 8:56 am
Yes 4-1 is amazing!!!!!!!!!!! if we all are happy with mediocrity, the goal is to win the superbowl. If the goal is to get into the playoffs we are more than good, we are golden, we made it guys this is the dream.
October 6th, 2025 at 9:04 am
Been
Hope you’re right. CG14 looked gimpy at the end.
October 6th, 2025 at 9:10 am
Glad to see the Bucs offense coming into its own. Grizzard was fantastic for nearly all his play calling.
Run game will hopefully come around but has not been the same this year and not sure if it is injuries at the line or different scheme with Coen gone. But Jags run game looks revived.
Defense looked off. Makes you realize how important the CB in Bowles defense and no Dean or Morrison forced him to play more conservatively and less blitzing… Hopefully they are back soon.
Time to re-evaluate how they are getting pressure from the line and edge. Diaby, Braswell, Reddick, Nelson were names I never heard on broadcast except for a touchdown pick going through Diabys hands that would have changed the game at the time. Has Reddick really regressed or is the scheme not allowing to get pressure.
October 6th, 2025 at 9:12 am
You can’t argue with success. Just win, baby!!
October 6th, 2025 at 9:32 am
not excusing the defensive performance, and it needs to get lots better. didn’t see the game but after watching the highlights, I’ll back off the defense a bit. Darnold made some very impressive throws into very tight windows. sometimes you have to tip your hat to the opponent
October 6th, 2025 at 9:35 am
A win is a win. A conference win is a more important win! Go Bucs!! One game at a time! Next up…San Francisco!! Get it done!!
October 6th, 2025 at 9:46 am
Look up dvoa on the internet. It is the most predictive and advanced statistical measure for assessing team performance. Seattle was ranked as far and away the best team in the NFL as of the first four games. That offense is exceptional and hats off to the quarterback who has made a lot of teams look bad the last 2 years.
October 6th, 2025 at 10:04 am
Lots of zone, with predictable results. I don’t think he trusted Kindle Vitor and Parrish to be playing man
October 6th, 2025 at 10:07 am
Im not complaining about 4-1 but I want the Bucs to get another RING. Got Married since the last one the Bucs got and I know how much that RING means lol.. Different entirely lmao but Super Bowl or BUST!!
October 6th, 2025 at 10:41 am
Nothing stops the Bowles haters
October 6th, 2025 at 10:49 am
Those aren’t fans Joe and nothing will EVER make them happy. Enjoy the ride & Go Bucs!
October 6th, 2025 at 11:20 am
813BUCBOI Says:
October 6th, 2025 at 8:31 am
the defense is trash?
the defense came up with the INT to win the game!!!
Yeah, they caught the ball after it glanced off a helmet. Pure luck. This defense is apparently getting worse. I have never seen a Buc game where the defense was as bad as yesterday. Do I like 4-1? Of course I do. But, there are better teams than Seattle out there. If the defense cannot improve we are not going to the SB.
October 6th, 2025 at 11:25 am
On a more positive note, I think Baker’s last two years are the best we have had EVER! Brady was good one year and great the SB year. Baker has been great for the last two years. Do you think Brady could/would have run for those critical 1st downs? I’ll take Baker.
October 6th, 2025 at 11:34 am
Seattle has a top 5-10 offense in the NFL. I didn’t like Bowles’s game plan on defense but we won the game and our defense came up with more critical splash plays than theirs. IMHO, we didn’t steal a game, but instead the better team won! Go Bucs!!!
October 6th, 2025 at 11:37 am
A fraudulent defenseless coordinator got bailed out by Baker again. Sad.
October 6th, 2025 at 11:38 am
I don’t take anything for granted with this team. Been a fan for a long time. But, I sure would like to see them play another NFC Championship in Tampa. And win it this time. Go Bucs!!
October 6th, 2025 at 12:14 pm
Teams are starting off not as strong as historical teams of the past due to the truncated practices and preseason so we are not seeing the best football early. I believe it is the same reason why teams are seeing rashes of injuries, players are simply not in football shape come football season.
Also, we are winning without Mike because of the prescience of Jason Licht and Todd Bowles by drafting the best rookie receiver we’ve ever seen in Emeka Egbuka.
October 6th, 2025 at 12:18 pm
Colonel Angus – so true!
Hell I am sure they will be behind in an upcoming game at which point all the doomers will be ecstatic.
October 6th, 2025 at 12:19 pm
Bucs have to improve the defense on this team. As much as I like the job Licht has done in drafts. He has failed to draft very good pass rushers. In order to go deep in the playoffs you need a PASS RUSH. Remember how good Bucs offense was last year? When they faced Washington in the playoffs they couldn’t get stops. I don’t think the Commanders even punted the whole game. Bucs need to trade for a stud pass rusher to go deep in playoffs.
October 6th, 2025 at 12:20 pm
I can’t even stand to read the GameDay thread anymore. They aren’t fans. Period. Watch an entertaining back and forth offensive game, and spend the entire time complaining that it isn’t a boring defensive shutout.
Sure, defense wins games. It’s important. Everyone knows that. Well, guess what? The defense didn’t quit on the team, or the coach. The frankly crappy defence came up with THE game winning play to redeem themselves.
Enjoy the win, ffs. It really isn’t that hard to enjoy this team.
October 6th, 2025 at 1:09 pm
Keep shaming the annoying fans that can’t enjoy anything good the Bucs do! More of this Joe! Shootouts are fun. We won a shootout. That was the most exciting game of the year! How are y’all not pumped!?
October 6th, 2025 at 1:12 pm
Trolls are gonna troll Joe. And frankly you’ve encouraged them. Encouraged? There’s about 185,000 users here a month, many of those coming many times a week. The grumpy crowd is inevitable and always loud. Joe isn’t encouraging anyone. –Joe
This is where you come when you get tired of feeling good about the Bucs, a win, etc
October 6th, 2025 at 2:16 pm
But, there are better teams than Seattle out there.
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LIKE WHO?….philly who is 4-1…buffalo whos 4-1…indy whos 4-1…lol…
did you forget the refs called another INT back by a good call…or was that “luck” too lol…LVD was in the perfect spot…he wouldve picked it off regardless
GO BUCS!!!!!
October 6th, 2025 at 3:36 pm
Not sure what others are seeing but the defense stinks, we probably can’t sustain playing and winning shoot outs much longer. It seems like the defense is always one step away or behind making a play, and some of the attempted tackles were bad. We need a real defensive coordinator and a new scheme because this one certainly isn’t working. Being 4-1 is awesome, but we could easily be 2-3
October 6th, 2025 at 3:50 pm
What a game, Baker, EE, Tez, Rachaad, Hall’s helmet, and Chase! Offensive juggernaut.
That said, our D has issues, no pressure from the front four, one play on our five-yard line dropping Reddick into coverage, and his guy blew past him to score a TD. Neither he nor any lineman can stay with a back, WR, or TE. Crazy. We got him to sack and pressure the QB, for Pete’s sake, let him do that. Special team’s coverage is atrocious. With our offense, we can go far if we stay healthy, but we won’t make it to the Super Bowl unless we clean that up. Go Bucs!!
October 6th, 2025 at 4:02 pm
I hear you bro. Lots of us do. 😔
Enjoy the win, ffs. It really isn’t that hard to enjoy this team.
October 6th, 2025 at 4:39 pm
If this was the NFC championship, certain people would whine that the defense gave up
35
October 6th, 2025 at 7:23 pm
can we please be less predictable on defense? when you come up with a plan and decide you are not gonna blitz much, you still have to blitz enough to keep the QB nervous. how does bowles not understand this? he has games where he almost always blitzes and games where he almost never blitzes, but shouldn’t it be like the offense balancing runs and passes? to me this seems really obvious, but then again I’m naturally sneaky. Bowles is naturally wholesome.
October 6th, 2025 at 7:48 pm
This Bucs team sure is fun.
Great Win!
Wow, how many curses have we beaten this year already?
Some people are just going to complain no matter what. It is actually a small percentage of the fans that just have so many problems in their lives they don’t know how or what to do for any kind of happiness. So they whine , b!ctch & moan because they get whined , b!tched & moaned at in their lives. Joe should be compensated for the therapeutic forum he provides for the less fortunate.
Thankfully it is just a small percentage of those unfortunate people that cry out loud but they do cry loud so it seems like more than it really is.
Personally I have just been able to scroll past most of the misfits posts most of the time. Even when they use different screen names the spew is recognizable and one can just move past it. No reason to let it ruin one’s day.
People with a true & valid point are easier to understand even if I have a different opinion.
Now about opinions, here’s mine.
Over the last 2 games against 2 very good well coached opponents the Bucs offense & the defense have played 2 good halves of football. Unfortunately neither of those halves were in the same game.
We all like the offense but it’s the defense that most are complaining about so that’s my focus here.
So out of the last 8 quarters of play the Bucs defense has played 4 quarters very well allowing only 7 points scored total. Thats elite.
Out of the other 4 quarters played the defense gave up 17 points in 2 quarters (below avg) and 28 points in the remaining 2 quarters which was ugly. It’s not coincidence that the ugliest 2 quarters Bucs were missing key defenders in the secondary against what has been a top 5 touchdown passing QB the last 2 seasons. Yes Darnold is that good (at least in the regular season). Missing DBs changed the defensive game plan. Less blitzing meant less pressure period. Bucs do not have a consistent pass rush from the edge. Everyone knows that it’s been that way since JPP & Barret were let go years ago. So a good QB got hit and made some big plays against us.
Yes that’s what happened. Thank goodness the offense rise to the occasion. Keep in mind if the Bucs offense had not been scoring so much on Seattle then they wouldn’t have scored so much on us. Seattle would have called a different game and there would not have been as many points scored. That’s what happens when you get in a shootout especially in today’s NFL.
My point being yesterday the Bucs offense saved the defense yes. Offense made a lot more plays than the defense to get the win. Kinda like the Defense has been making a lot more plays than offense in all of the other games this year.
I want the defense to be better just like every other BUC fan and the defense has been better so far this year. I would argue the defense has been the strongest unit by far this year. The defense has been the only unit that keep us in games so Baker could create just enough for a last minute score to win.
Kinda like L David did yesterday create just enough for a critical stop so the offense could win it .
Go BUCS
October 6th, 2025 at 7:49 pm
There are times bowles plays to loose . Instead of getting there when the ball does for a hit , they wait playing off till they catch the ball then go for the tackle and still miss sometimes. Plays not to lose at times instead of keeping his foot on the gas .and that damn prevent yesterday that cost us points and soft zone garbage . Something has to change !
October 6th, 2025 at 8:12 pm
I’m stoked for the Bucs! Every game has been a nailbiter and as a fan I love watching the whole team gut it out. The team is unified, you don’t hear a bunch of contention leaking out in interviews and podcasts. If Bowles was an incompetent disaster of a coach, players would be diving for the door, you would hear it all over the media- but you don’t. There’s plenty of other teams in the NFL to root for- go bring your expertise to some other lucky team if you don’t like this one, misery guts.
October 6th, 2025 at 10:42 pm
False fans are the ones who accept a plate with a pile of dung on it and act like it’s chocolate lava cake.
Real fans see a train wreck on defense and special teams, and the one person in charge of fixing the defects and improving performance, can’t. Or won’t.
Real fans want to see improved performance on defense. Real fans demand it.
The snowflake brigade is a sad bunch of nimwits.