Bucs Were Energized Against Carolina
January 3rd, 2026
Passion.
This was a different Bucs team on Saturday night.
The Bucs, since the bye, seemed like a far different club than with 6-2 record in November. Some guys looked like they were just going through the motions. It wasn’t a mirage.
Baker Mayfield unloaded on his teammates after the loss to New England, claiming they lacked a killer instinct.
Twice, Lavonte David unloaded on his teammates for, among other things, a lack of focus.
Twice, Bucs coach Todd Bowles tore into his team for not giving a “s(p)it.” His fiery postgame tirade after a loss to the Dixie Chicks may have been the first time several Bucs fans saw Bowles display any emotion.
The team that played with fire before the bye showed up tonight. Good thing, because if they lost, right now the Bucs would be booking hotels in Tulum for later in the week.
Now, those reservations are on hold for at least 24 hours. Maybe longer.
The Bucs showed energy. Baker Mayfield was into it. Cade Otton broke out his best game of the season. Antoine Winfield was flying out and celebrating Bryce Young’s incompletions. Lavonte David had a critical fumble recovery in the fourth quarter — no shock there for the old ballhawk.
All in all, the Bucs, for the first time maybe in two months, showed like they wanted to play football, winning football. Showed they wanted to be on an NFL field. Showed they cared.
And now, fingers crossed, the Bucs may have another home game next weekend.
January 3rd, 2026 at 8:25 pm
LOL !!!
January 3rd, 2026 at 8:26 pm
Joe, I’m very glad we won, but don’t get carried away. We played a terrible team. If we were playing any NFL team that could pass the ball, we get blown out with this terrible secondary, and no pass rush.
January 3rd, 2026 at 8:27 pm
And still came within a hair of blowing it.
January 3rd, 2026 at 8:29 pm
So you’re saying they could have played better all along?
January 3rd, 2026 at 8:29 pm
Yeah, the energy was definitely different. I hope whoever the coach is next year gets the team to understand championships are won each and every day. I still think too many Bucs half ass it because they’ve been told “real football starts in December”.
January 3rd, 2026 at 8:29 pm
Today is the first day in weeks where it *looked* like the Bucs were trying harder and wanted it more.
January 3rd, 2026 at 8:31 pm
Cades finished the past few seasons strong. Weird to me some fans want to get rid of him, for the same type of TE BA said he wouldn’t tolerate. You can’t block, you won’t catch nothing but the game from the sideline. Glazers would proudly not pay him top dollar to come back and be our blue collar guy.
January 3rd, 2026 at 8:33 pm
THAT was energized? Oh Boy…we are in BIGGG trouble.
January 3rd, 2026 at 8:34 pm
I want Mike McCarthy
January 3rd, 2026 at 8:36 pm
George R Says:
January 3rd, 2026 at 8:34 pm
I want Mike McCarthy
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Joe, I never call for people to be banned – but this comment is just brutal and uncalled for. To want to inflict that sort of pain and misery on Bucs fans… it just shouldn’t be allowed.
January 3rd, 2026 at 8:39 pm
Todd Bowles will win 11 games for us next season
We will have a strong off-season, bring in top free agents
And a great draft
January 3rd, 2026 at 8:42 pm
Okay, @Lakeland is delusional. What have you seen over the last four years that makes you think that’s possible?
January 3rd, 2026 at 8:47 pm
he GOAT was an old fart QB living a charmed life. All the Bucs needed to win that SB was a competent QB who didn’t turn the ball over. With Brady, they got a bunch of headaches. His salary cap hits, demanding Gronkowski out of retirement. Bucs didn’t need him, they had TEs. His marital problems and leaving the Bucs to go see his pal, Kraft, marry a trophy wife. Then one game he pulled a temper tantrum and walked off to the side line and slammed an iPad to the ground. Antonio Brown, seriously? How his LV team doing? My big bitch is I havenot seen a OC use this offense to its full potential. Grizzard throttled them. Neither Canales nor Coen did it either.
January 3rd, 2026 at 8:48 pm
They probably figured out that they were auditioning for new coaches next season. Or maybe their wives unloaded on them to keep those big salaries coming in
January 3rd, 2026 at 8:52 pm
For those of us who listen on Bucs radio network, a heartfelt Good Bye to you Gene. The very best game caller. When I get the chance to watch the game on the television, I turn off the sound, so I can hear a professional call the game over the radio. Thank you for all these decades. You will be missed.
January 3rd, 2026 at 8:56 pm
Who is,Mike Mccarthy? If anyone should be banned it is you rod.
January 3rd, 2026 at 8:59 pm
That was more energy than they’ve shown in weeks, but it was only slightly more energy than my grandma on her walker
January 3rd, 2026 at 9:07 pm
The Bucs calmly dominated the Panthers from the first drive on. The Panthers heir were never in a serious position to tie, much less lead, the Bucs. Their only points came as a result of an interception returned into the red zone and a Hail Mary tossed into the red zone. Otherwise, no threats. The Bucs defense and ball-control offense stifled the Carolinians. When the Bucs lose by 2 or 3 points, it’s called an embarrassment, a slaughter. When they win by 2, it’s treated like a bizarre lucky chance. In fact, they were unlucky with a blocked field goal and a number of ref’s calls. Almost all the stats tell of domination, beginning with time of possession and field position. The Panthers’ last. best chance began at their 3 yard line with only seconds remaining.
January 3rd, 2026 at 9:08 pm
Carolina got the yips. Canales folds under pressure. Yeah, the Bucs shown some pride but why did it take 2 months to get energized? Bowles is still accountable for the collapse, even if the Saints win tomorrow and Tampa gets to be an underdog to the 2nd place NFC West team and likely gets boat raced on national TV which is a Bowles’ trademark.
January 3rd, 2026 at 9:24 pm
@MoBucs
New age Buc ball.
Sorta like how we beat Carolina 9-0 to finish in 2023.
January 3rd, 2026 at 9:37 pm
So you’re saying there is a chance………
January 3rd, 2026 at 10:07 pm
Warren Brooks Lynch Says:
January 3rd, 2026 at 9:24 pm
@MoBucs
New age Buc ball.
Sorta like how we beat Carolina 9-0 to finish in 2023.
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And then the Bucs put a beatdown on the Eagles in the 1st round of the playoffs.
January 3rd, 2026 at 10:08 pm
VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVBSBSVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV
January 3rd, 2026 at 10:31 pm
Debbie Says:
January 3rd, 2026 at 8:52 pm
For those of us who listen on Bucs radio network, a heartfelt Good Bye to you Gene. The very best game caller. When I get the chance to watch the game on the television, I turn off the sound, so I can hear a professional call the game over the radio. Thank you for all these decades. You will be missed.
———-
I did the same for the first time in a while just to hear the legends last game (possibly as I’m sure he’d call the playoff game). Gene is a legend. Thank you Sir!
January 3rd, 2026 at 11:11 pm
I saw two VERY BAD teams today, is what I saw. It sure didn’t have me missing Canales running our offense and calling plays! Just HORRIBLE. The Bucs were just very very lucky. They looked terrible too, and would’ve gotten SMOKED by a halfway competent team. A STUPID game-plan by Carolina, against the midget DB’s of the Bucs.
January 3rd, 2026 at 11:25 pm
@ George R Says: “I want Mike McCarthy.”
THAT is who YOU would pick, if you had your choice!? Is he the only coach you know about then!? He would definitely be a desperation ‘savior’ type of pick at the very bottom of the list, along with Belichick.I could seriously think of a few dozen that I would “WANT” before ever getting to HIM. I mean, WHY would anyone ever WANT HIM, if he wasn’t the only coach that they knew of!? It sure doesn’t take a whole lot of ‘vision’ to WANT something a whole lot different than THAT. Geez.
January 3rd, 2026 at 11:37 pm
@ orlbucfan – NOTHING you ever say makes ANY amount of sense, or is based in REALITY. Hell, YOU don’t even WATCH the games. Not the Bucs. Not ANYONE. So, GET OUT. You just live inside of YOUR OWN little fantasy world. It’s nothing but PURE ignorance. YOU SAID, that the Broncos owners are getting sick and tired of Mr. Dirty or whatever, Sean Payton. And, you said good riddance to COHEN, that HE wasn’t any good anyway! YOU are nothing but a stupid, biased CLOWN. NEVER with a good or smart take, EVER. I mean, it’s a JOKE. You don’t have even the FIRST-clue, as to WTF you’re talking about. And, you have ZERO credibility, whatsoever. You are stuck inside of some very weird, adult Bucs Fantasyland. Period. End of Story.
January 3rd, 2026 at 11:44 pm
@ Mobucs – RIDICULOUS. Just absurd take. So, the Panthers weren’t “unlucky” with a ‘slip’ on very poor field conditions, on a STUPID ‘flea-flicker’ play-call!? PLEASE. The BUCS LOSE that game if not for that. 💯
January 3rd, 2026 at 11:46 pm
Shew. All the Delusional’s are coming out of the wood work tonight!
January 4th, 2026 at 4:37 am
Have to agree, Joe. Felt the energy vibe from the players, especially Baker, Otton, others. However, there were sprinkles of low times in-between.
George R – No to Mike McCarthy. Todd is still our coach, and Mike would not be the answer.
January 4th, 2026 at 5:49 am
Man wasn’t ish different. Please stop Joe . This was the same trash team full of dumb players. On all 3 sides of the ball. From Rookies to Vets entire team looked horrible. Just shows how much more worst the panthers are for not winning that game last night. No way Tampa should have won. I really pray the Falcons beat the saints . I do not want to see this team play anymore this season I really home that was the last game of the yr for Tampa this season.
January 4th, 2026 at 7:11 am
It sure would have been nice had the Bucs shown some energy last week, or against Atlanta, or New Orleans.
January 4th, 2026 at 9:28 am
The defense played well last night and I can’t tell you how annoyed I am by that. If they had bothered to play as hard as they did last night, in every game, we would definitely have won more games. Baker was right all along. This team, the defense in particular, has no killer instinct, and it plays well when it damn well wants to. Todd is obviously unable to motivate this team on a regular basis. And Jason is drafting players that want a paycheck but don’t necessarily want to play up to their potential every game to earn it. I want a team of players who want to win at any cost and who are willing to play their hardest EVERY GAME like Baker Mayfield does. Any player who isn’t willing to play their hardest EVERY game is not worthy of this team. And last night was PROOF that not every player on this team has played up to their potential on a weekly basis. That is a coaching issue!
January 4th, 2026 at 1:20 pm
As a real fan cause your not a real fan of your rooting for your team to lose im glad we won and the defense played how they should. With no pass rush any team can move the ball but the held them to 2 tds. One of the TDs baker spotted them with a terrible int again. Another Winston like play. Straight to the other team. I love baker but man he’s turning it over at an alarming rate right now.
January 4th, 2026 at 8:24 pm
Looking back on our past OC’S? I would say COHEN 1, AND A TIE BETWEEN CANALES AND GRIZZARD.FOR EFFICIENCY. PLEASE DONT EVEN THINK ABOUT A RETREAD LIKE MIKE
MCARTHY, WE NEED A GOOD FAIRLY YOUNG COACH TO TAKE THIS TEAM TO THE NEXT LEVEL.