NFL.com: Bucs A Playoff Contender? Sell!
December 22nd, 2025
Losing trust.
It’s all over. Time to start prepping for the draft. Look at possible free agent targets. Study the roster on who should be launched.
That’s basically the word from Jeffri Chadiha of NFL.com. Chadiha went through all the teams still alive for a playoff berth. And when he came to the Bucs, losing back-to-back games to the slimy Saints and the Dixie Chicks proved to Chadiha that the Bucs have no business in the playoffs.
There was time back in the first month of the season when the Buccaneers were truly defying gravity. They kept losing all these players to injuries and still they found ways to win, often in dramatic fashion at the end of games. The irony is the more key players this team returns to the field, the worse they end up looking. The Bucs have a number of stars back in the lineup — including running back Bucky Irving and wide receivers Chris Godwin and Mike Evans — and they’re currently mired in a three-game losing streak. One of those losses can be explained away to Carolina being a solid team. The other two — to the Saints and Falcons — indicate that the Bucs can’t be trusted if they end up winning the South.
Joe sees Chadiha working here. On the “Ira Kaufman Podcast” last week, Joe picked the Stinking Panthers to win because Joe simply can no longer trust this Bucs defense. Kaufman picked them, too.
And when the head coach is also the defensive coordinator and his defense cannot be trusted, that’s a very bad sign.
December 22nd, 2025 at 9:04 am
I am still in Baker’s corner!
But there is an argument for getting a 5 year rookie QB
December 22nd, 2025 at 9:05 am
@SB~LV
I am with you 100%………
December 22nd, 2025 at 9:08 am
Bucs are now in the 16th draft slot
The best thing they can do for the future is improving their draft slot
This season is finished!
December 22nd, 2025 at 9:08 am
That offense stunk. The way it ended sums up this season perfectly. Just can not finish anything and we were blinded by the now clearly fluky start of season comebacks.
I can’t stand to watch another run up the middle on first down. It’s just sad at this point. Yet another missed sack leads to a broken play TD. 78 year old JPP is dropping into coverage.
Bowles has stayed committed to his ways and has taken us to his grave along with him. Grizzard started at the top of the mountain and has plummeted down over the course of the season.
I can’t bear to watch all of this talent just completely wasted. Such a sad end for Lavonte and Mike’s legendary Bucs careers. If this is the end for them in Tampa I hope they at least find a squad that will give them the chance they deserve to end it on a high note.
December 22nd, 2025 at 9:10 am
Defensive Coordinator forcing the Offense to run the ball because his D stinks?
Very sad times we’re living in! Not the way I’d like to have the season end. Throw the freaking ball 40 times at least we can attempt to outscore the opposition.
December 22nd, 2025 at 9:11 am
Bad defense, Baker Winston throwing 4th qtr int’s, penalties, bad refs. All that and we are one good play from winning all three of those games.. So that means a 6 game winning streak is on the way. Fingers crossed. Lovie Bowles will pull this out and shock the world. Fire over confident mistake prone clueless opposing qb loving Bowles! Immediately.
December 22nd, 2025 at 9:11 am
Baker just lost 100 million dollars- if he signed a new deal at the half way point he would easily get over 50 per year- Now I would be hesitant o to give him two years at his current salary
December 22nd, 2025 at 9:11 am
@SB 100% – but maybe not first rounder
I’m not out on Baker by any means. While he hasn’t been THE problem, but he certainly hasn’t been a solution.
Why not take a flyer on a Sawyer Robertson/John Mateer and let them learn an NFL system (hopefully Kubiak’s)
December 22nd, 2025 at 9:12 am
Embrace the suck, time for a rebuild, new GM, head coach and his entire staff exit stage left! Fortunately in today’s NFL, we have seen the rebuild doesn’t have to be long and protracted process, as always, go bucs!!!
December 22nd, 2025 at 9:13 am
Could you imagine how good this team could have been with all this talent. Todd shouldn’t been our HC waisted years huh huh
December 22nd, 2025 at 9:13 am
I like Baker I also like his replacement from the draft.
December 22nd, 2025 at 9:14 am
Bryce Young made plays and threw a great pass for a TD against the blitz.
Mayfield made Happy Feet plays and consistently bails against the blitz-either Mayfield or the receivers don’t know how to read a blitz or they’re not coached on how to adjust.
The offense is just as untrustworthy as the defense.
December 22nd, 2025 at 9:20 am
Just curious. Were we ranked #1 in espns power pole for 1 week this season?
December 22nd, 2025 at 9:21 am
SB~LV Says:
December 22nd, 2025 at 9:04 am
“I am still in Baker’s corner!
But there is an argument for getting a 5 year rookie QB”
Agreed.
December 22nd, 2025 at 9:22 am
@SB 💯 %%%%%
December 22nd, 2025 at 9:23 am
Grizzard is the problem on the offensive side of the ball. He is just in over his head. A failed experiment. It happens.
Even if the bowel movement is retained (NO! PLEASE NOOOOO!) Grizzard is gone.
December 22nd, 2025 at 9:23 am
Yes the offensive game plan hard to envision. We all get the defense is sooo bad. However, why not have the offense score as many points as they can?. I mean after all they get key players back but the offense gets worse? My My how does that happen? The defense is awful now the offense is following suit. Yes truly perplexing and now Baker is going backwards? All I can think of is the players have completely lost all confidence. I can not think of anything else.
Sadly it appears the ship is now without a rudder and is going around in a circle.
It appears nothing else can be done except change the coaching staff. The players are totally lost. Yesterday even Godeke played bad.
Players are freaked.
The Bucs are again the Yucks!!!
Help someone please
December 22nd, 2025 at 9:23 am
@Baker Bowl
You summed it up pretty good dude. I agree, we are wasting whatever talent this team has, and Bowles message has been drowned out. Unless we make a ridiculous trade, we are stuck with Baker, and most likely we will pay him what he really isn’t worth, but that’s what middle of the road QBs are doing to franchises, holding them hostage, because we have historically regressed at the QB position. That being said, we need to be looking to the future. Licht is incapable of drafting that future.
Sean Peyton showed some coins dropping Russell Wilson, forcing the franchise to eat his salary, and going with a rookie play caller he can mold. He’s done it all in the AFC. Baker is a stop gap, he will not win us a championship, no matter the Ocoordinator, and/or HC.
December 22nd, 2025 at 9:25 am
I want Bowels fired today. Don’t wait another 2 weeks. I’d rather have a reason for losing than not doing anything.
December 22nd, 2025 at 9:27 am
I’m willing to give Baker a little leeway. Turns out that having 2 practice squad caliber players at both your starting guard positions is a killer! Who knew?! We can’t handle the blitz and the one thing we definitely can’t have is consistant pressure up the middle on an undersized QB. The Grizzard experiment may be a bust. I can’t give Bowles a pass. The D has been a bottom feeder vs the pass for years and he is the D coordinator. To me the only way he stays is as HC only. Hire a real D coordinator (and special teams coach!!) and let him pick his staff. New system is required here for the D. Maybe Grizz gets a second chance to figure it out. Imagine if you will (Twilight Zone theme in the background) if we had canned Bowles last year and promoted Coen. Look at the Jags. That would be us now.
December 22nd, 2025 at 9:31 am
There’s an odd irony in how we gripe about our players getting fat contracts then suddenly losing focus when our coach has done exactly the same. Bowles just got an extension and its like he’s trying to force his way to a paid retirement at the expense of the Glaziers. This team looks like its lost faith in the system, leadership and even each other. Bowles let too many players get away with reoccurring mental errors, same for his coaches. There’s been ZERO accountability anywhere on the roster or staff. Everybody gets to keep their positions/jobs…..we handle everything privately vs making examples of folks publicly.
Bowles is like the substitute teacher for Arians. Just like students will consistently test the sub, the players have been doing the same. Once the players know you wont bench them out of self preservation for your own job, its over and that’s exactly what we are seeing. Bowles was too desperate to risk benching a key player out of fear it was cause him to lose and instead he lost the entire team and now the fanbase.
December 22nd, 2025 at 9:34 am
We need an article on coaching candidates ASAP! This season is done
December 22nd, 2025 at 9:37 am
I believe we have the talent on offense…when all are healthy. We have to remember we had players go to IR who have not returned (Cody). A late round pick to guard might be a good ideal..or free agency.
I believe our center, just like the rest of the offense, had a bad season…but that doesn’t mean he’s not good overall.
I believe Baker Mayfield is not a fluke..lthat he has MVP potential when ‘the stars are aligned’…but I also feel we need to draft someone that can truly compete with him.
If we end up with an old head coach when Bowles is replaced, we won’t be using a high pick on the QB position. Older coaches do not have time to wait for a QB to develop.
The simple fact is that we win divisions with a defensive HC…we win Superbowls with an offensive HC…if he is the right guy. So I’m for getting an offensive HC.
I believe Jason Licht needs to remain GM. No GM is going to come in here and do better…certainly not Ronde. Jason is the best we’ve had…and he built the team smartly. While it is trule we lack some defensive talent, that is because he needed to focus on offensive first. Anyone who expected a year of picks to fix the defense was deceiving themself. Let him find a young Bruce Arians.
The rest of the staff, excluding maybe the offensive line coaches, needs to go.
December 22nd, 2025 at 9:37 am
Correct. Grizz should be fired TODAY. Who’s up next?
Get a 5 year QB>
December 22nd, 2025 at 9:39 am
Aceofaerospace Says
“I want Bowels fired today. Don’t wait another 2 weeks. I’d rather have a reason for losing than not doing anything.”
It’s unlikely to happen. The Glazers like to give their foaches full seasons to make a case for themselves.
But…I expect him to be fired soon after the season ends…or after to Superbowl.
December 22nd, 2025 at 9:41 am
Head Coach Candidate #1: Matt Nagy
December 22nd, 2025 at 9:42 am
@Bonzai
Couldn’t have said it better myself.
I’m not sone with Baker yet, but he’s played himself out of a franchise QB contract as of right now.
Young, offensive coach, please. Or at least someone to bring an exciting OC with them (although that probably starts a new cycle of OC’s getting HC jobs)
Licht at GM is NOT the problem, drafted guys and signees’ TALENT have not been the issue imo.
December 22nd, 2025 at 9:42 am
Before we look to the roster, FA, and the draft, we need to find a competent GM. Licht is to close to these players. We need more than a coaching change.
December 22nd, 2025 at 9:43 am
I don’t know about youse guys but I was expecting Coach Bowles to proclaim yesterday at the presser — “I am Spartacus!”.
December 22nd, 2025 at 9:47 am
Bowles is not getting fired now or after the season …Not gonna happen no matter how much we want it.
December 22nd, 2025 at 9:47 am
Of course I want them in the playoffs. But then again, I don’t.
December 22nd, 2025 at 9:49 am
The comment section filled pretty fast. Guess nobody wants to work today. 😉
December 22nd, 2025 at 9:59 am
Licht’s Losers
Fire everyone from Jason on down. Start over.
December 22nd, 2025 at 10:02 am
Altmyer is a safe fifth rd qb prospect for one of Licht’s coveted late rd picks. But really, launch Licht, the architect of this roster n coaching staff. Licht can’t draft, DL, QB, ILB, HC, and now his sweet spot (OL) is a liability. Licht is only as good as the coach that leads him, so what purpose does he serve in the absence of Spytek??
December 22nd, 2025 at 10:02 am
Retaining bowles will put nothing but negativity into next season before it even starts. He lost the fans and the locker room.
December 22nd, 2025 at 10:04 am
Licht – Losing record
Bowles – losing record
Mayfield – losing record
You are what your record says you are…losers.
Brady is the only reason we won a SB and that was 5 freaking years ago. Half a decade.
Fire everyone.
December 22nd, 2025 at 10:09 am
new coach:Todd Monken
December 22nd, 2025 at 10:38 am
He’s not a good quarterback he’s a bridge quarterback and this is why he’s on his 4th team.
December 22nd, 2025 at 10:49 am
I remember way back when Malcolm Glazer almost, almost fired Sam Wyche on the sideline. Those were the good old days.
December 22nd, 2025 at 10:58 am
Joe … ‘Bucs have a number of stars back in the lineup — including running back Bucky Irving’.
Personally I think Bucky was one of the problems yesterday. He had 19 carries for only 71 yds … 3.7 YPC against a very average Run Defense. Bucky’s claim to fame last season was ‘breaking one for big yardage’, but I’m seeing very little of that this season. Yesterday his longest run was 12 yds; next longest was 6 yds then they went down from there. He ran it on EIGHT 1st downs for a total of 24 yds. Rachaad ran it on another FIVE 1st downs for a total of 45 yds (1 run being for 39 yds), Tuck ran it TWICE on 1st downs for 4 yds and McMillan ran it ONCE on an end-around for 1 yd. That’s terrible play-calling on 1st downs, and it often set us up in 3rd-and-long.
Bucs had FOUR explosive plays yesterday (over 20 yds) … and THREE of those were runs (Rachaad 39 yds, and TWO scrambles by Baker for 23 yds & 26 yds) PLUS ONE pass to Egbuka of 40 yds. Something’s bad wrong.
December 22nd, 2025 at 11:12 am
@DR
I do think Bucky doesn’t look as explosive as he did last year but you said it right there 8/19 runs on first down. So 42% of his runs were on downs that the defense knew EXACTLY what was going to happen.
The run on first every time was/is the problem. I think Bucky still has that explosive gear.
December 22nd, 2025 at 11:22 am
Baker has proven he can play. Hard to play as well when you’re running for your life. Grizzard over his skis for sure. Compare last year with competent OC, now he’s coaching in Jacksonville and Lawrence us starting to look like what everyone thought he would be. They stomped the #1 seed in their own house. Baker would be back to what he was last year with competent OC and HC.