Red Zone Opportunity For Tampa Bay
November 4th, 2025
No, this is not a post backhandedly begging for Buccaneers Ring of Honor general manager Jason Licht to trade for a receiver by today’s 4 p.m. NFL trade deadline — or for a right guard or more backfield insurance.
It’s about the red hot Patriots’ ice cold red-zone defense.
The Bucs host the Patriots on Sunday, which has Joe in full study mode of the team formerly known as the Belicheats.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, Mike Vrabel teams are always tough guys (yawn); this year’s Patriots are struggling with red zone defense in a big way.
Longtime New England beat writer Mike Reiss shared some of his notes after the Patriots beat the Falcons by one point on Sunday. One was about the home team’s horrid red zone defense.
Reading that, Joe immediately thought of the Bucs’ tall and allegedly dangerous red zone targets that the team does not use. Tight end Payne Durham comes to mind, along with the rest of the tight ends, a position group that doesn’t have a Bucs touchdown pass this season.
Joe would love to see this be the week the Bucs’ tight ends have a breakout game.
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November 4th, 2025 at 2:52 pm
Especially Devin Culp- who will run away from *any* linebacker in coverage.
Use him- seriously!
November 4th, 2025 at 2:59 pm
Would have been nice to have took a shot for Quinnen Williams
November 4th, 2025 at 3:02 pm
So you want the Bucs TEs in pass patterns and leave the blocking to Charlie Heck and the mystery man at RG? Yeah I’m glad Grizzard is running this offense instead of Joe. Otherwise Baker might have even more injuries to recover from.
November 4th, 2025 at 3:06 pm
Grizz will have had two weeks to prepare for this game. The offense’s performance against the Pats will provide a good indicator as to whether Grizz can handle the OC coordinator’s role.
November 4th, 2025 at 3:07 pm
2 TE sets and run the ball!!!!!!
Durham and Otton need to be on the field at the same time A LOT in this game!!!!
GO BUCS!!!!!
November 4th, 2025 at 3:18 pm
Please!!! Lets stop with the Jalen McMillan coming back. He IS NOT COMING BACK ANY TIME SOON. My guess he may NEVER come back. Sad that such a young very good player can have this kind of injury so early in his career but it happened. He is lucky to be walking much less play in the NFL again. Hope I am wrong but I believe that Bucs need to make future plans that don’t include
JMc for now at least. If I am wrong , great!!!
November 4th, 2025 at 3:19 pm
We definitely need better playcalling in the red zone and in scheming the running game open.
But we don’t really need to sign a WR by 4pm in my opinion.
Baker just needs to be more accurate. Our current WR’s have been getting open consistently and catching the ball when the throws are accurate.
Hopefully Bake is healed up enough now to be accurate again.
November 4th, 2025 at 3:22 pm
Tez Johnson will become that guy along side Ebuka, Godwin was not that great on his 2 games back so not a big miss
November 4th, 2025 at 3:29 pm
Garrett Green !
Is going to bust onto the scene!
November 4th, 2025 at 3:30 pm
This article made a reference to a trade. The ONLY article this afternoon about a trade of any kind involving the Bucs. I suppose we will HOPE Big 67, Bucky, Godwin, and all other members of this Mash unit will miraculously return to health and propel the Bucs to the Super Bowl. No, there’s nothing to see here.
November 4th, 2025 at 3:33 pm
At 3:30 PM Adam Schefter bolted off stage to find out about a trade. Darn, not about the Bucs. Go figure. Rumor has it JL is on vacation in the Maldives.
November 4th, 2025 at 3:40 pm
Howie Rosen has the Eagles poised for an NFC Championship and Super Bowl win. Jason Licht has the Bucs poised for ………………………………………………..(crickets)
November 4th, 2025 at 3:43 pm
Buccaneers are poised to finish 3rd in the divison
November 4th, 2025 at 3:55 pm
Down Under…we get it already 7-10.
November 4th, 2025 at 3:55 pm
Lots of moves being made…but we’re just standing by watching! Disappointing 😞
November 4th, 2025 at 3:59 pm
I’ve been saying this for a while. Internally the Bucs do not believe the are just 1 or 2 players away from a SB run this year. Not with the current injury situation. It just became too much to overcome. They will keep their picks, extend Baker, get healthy, and reset for for a strong run in 2026.
November 4th, 2025 at 4:00 pm
Patriots have the #1 rush defense in the NFL but are 18th in pass defense. Bucs are going to have to establish the passing game and try to loosen up the run game with some deep shots. On defense it’s the same ole story, get pressure on QB May. Not gonna be an easy task because May is playing very well. What looked like a good shot at a W at the beginning of the season when you went through the Bucs schedule is gonna be a tough game. Bucs better not come out flat after being the bye because Vrabel will have his team ready. This is a big game for Tampa. This 3 game stretch will go a long way in determining the Bucs seeding barring a collapse. A healthy bucs team is the better team but they are far from healthy.
As always Go Bucs!!!
November 4th, 2025 at 4:02 pm
It’s 4 pm est and I have not seen any trades by the Bucs…? . So I guess Jason gets to keep his 5th and 6th round picks. Yay!
November 4th, 2025 at 4:02 pm
Cowboys got Q. Williams and Logan Wilson! Wilson for a 7th! Come on JL…geeez!
November 4th, 2025 at 4:02 pm
Howie Rosen is the best GM in football period. He drafts tough players period. The Eagles don’t have the talent of many other teams but they play extremely hard whistle to whistle. I’m not a fan of them, I prefer they lose but you have to admire how physically dominant their defense is and how they convert on 3rd downs. Hurts scramble or a long pass to Brown or Smith. They are poised to go back to back. Bucs without their offensive line and Irwin are an offense that can’t out score a physical defense. Grizzard could make Mayfield’s life easier if he would just run Coen’s offense. 7 runs up the gut with White from 1 yard line was a felony for an NFL coordinator and if he keeps this playcalling up he will probably be fired in offseason.
November 4th, 2025 at 4:04 pm
If the Bucs don’t make the NFC Championship, Licht and Bowles should be fired.
No excuses. What complete clowns.
November 4th, 2025 at 4:05 pm
Ed, wipe yourself off when you’re done with Howie.
November 4th, 2025 at 4:06 pm
I like Grizz, but he’s got a lot to learn. One thing he needs to learn is how to use his TEs. It’s crazy Culp, and Durham don’t have a catch, and Otton doesn’t have a TD catch. Maybe instead of running 8 times into the teeth of the defense for a yard you throw one up to a big TE? I’d bet we’re the only team in the NFL without a TE catching a TD pass. What’s even more perplexing is we’re down 3 receivers.
November 4th, 2025 at 4:06 pm
Here comes another one and done showing in the playoffs, gonna be a real exciting 2nd half of the season 🙄
November 4th, 2025 at 4:09 pm
Ever wonder what the “Big Dog” Steve Duemig would say about the total abdication of the Bucs by Licht?
November 4th, 2025 at 4:17 pm
I shan’t argue with your conclusion Jose. I simply shan’t.
November 4th, 2025 at 4:24 pm
Yawn
November 4th, 2025 at 4:28 pm
With all the trading Roseman does he has many SB wins? Been to 2, won 1. How many trades are still with the team? We get healed up and we are as good as anyone in this league. Screamed about the Defense earlier and now they’re rounding into form. Praised Grizz earlier, now he’s an idiot? Yeah I get the whole 7 stuff’s from the 1, wasn’t happy about that either. It is frustrating not knowing who is how healthy and when they will return and some trades may help but no one knows what JL tried to pull off either. I leave it in the professionals hands and if they fall flat then so be it, don’t want it to happen but there are so many scenarios that could or could not work, no one has a crystal ball. We make a trade and he winds up getting injured, then what. There is that chance.
November 4th, 2025 at 4:33 pm
The impatience of our fan base is insane. The teams that just mortgaged their future will end up not winning a single playoff game this year. The Colts were exposed last weekend, and the cowboys aren’t going to magically become contenders with an overpriced DT. Glad we stood pat, if we heal up we have as good of a roster as anyone. And we have all 7 picks for next year. We draft well and will continue to draft well.
November 4th, 2025 at 4:42 pm
I know I thought we would beat a rookie qb @ home last year I playoffs.
I mean seriously look how long it took for Bucky to get reps we all saw it.
November 4th, 2025 at 4:44 pm
If we get healthy, if we get healthy Jesus.
November 4th, 2025 at 4:58 pm
“Tight end Payne Durham comes to mind, along with the rest of the tight ends, a position group that doesn’t have a Bucs touchdown pass this season.“
Been saying this for weeks, man has a catch radius like the wheel of fortune, but noooooooooo he’s a single target ALL SEASON, that’s on the QB AND the OC, because why wouldn’t Baker say “hey let’s get Payne involved”. Otton isn’t our only TE, but if you watched Bucs games you’d think he was.
Anyway, the Patriots stinking in the redzone lines up with us being 26th ranked in redzone scoring only getting the ball across the goal line on 50% of our trips. The GL runs against the Saints illustrate that and we’ve even turned the ball over down there. No bueno. Something is going to have to give against NE, it’s either we look better in the redzone than they have been or we play into their hands and make them look better in the redzone they have been.
November 4th, 2025 at 5:00 pm
“With all the trading Roseman does he has many SB wins? Been to 2, won 1.“
Been to 3 and won 2
November 4th, 2025 at 5:31 pm
Bucky Irving will improve the pass game, too. He was catching a lot of balls. I am not sure Grizzard knows how to best use Rachaad White yet, either. Hopefully they’re working on tweaks right now.
November 4th, 2025 at 5:55 pm
Hopefully, we never see another goal line route like the corner routes Egbuka and Shepherd ran. And, if we do, hopefully Baker launches it over the receiver’s head and into the upper deck rather than trying to throw it through a security door peep hole with a closed shutter.
Now, a 6’’4 – 6’5” TE showing run block and then bursting to the corner to high point the ball, that could be worth trying.
November 4th, 2025 at 6:04 pm
I agree with what PSL BOB said about Grizzard having had 2 weeks to prepare. We will see how creative he can be as an NFL OC. We will see how well he can adapt to using the people we have even more.
Go Bucs!!
November 4th, 2025 at 6:16 pm
I’m curious, how many in season trades has Jason Licht made since being GM? I remember the JPP trade which turned out fantastic but nothing else seems to come to mind. Of course I think I heard Licht say this, sometimes the best trade is the one you don’t make.
November 4th, 2025 at 6:19 pm
R-E-L-A-X and Go Bucs! Too much complaining and moaning. We’re 6-2, get a grip!