Lavonte David Talks “Hard Times” And “Flashbacks”
February 18th, 2026
(A May 2019 photo)
What happened last season to cause the Bucs’ implosion?
It’s a painful subject.
How did the Bucs lose to the Saints, Panthers, Falcons and Dolphins in consecutive weeks? In December!
Joe remains in disbelief but largely has moved on.
Lavonte David has moved on, as well, but he described the pain of that stretch during his recent visit to the Caps Off podcast.
He elaborated on his quote that the Bucs “sh*t the bed” after starting 6-2.
“I’ve been through hard times like that before, but with the talented team that we had, it’s kind of like very, very difficult,” David said.
The Bucs’ captain and linebacker legend blamed “injuries, lot of plug-and-play guys, lot of people not really kind of like getting their feel and stuff like that,” among other things.
The pain was so bad, David said, it brought him back to his dark days of Bucs history after being drafted in 2012.
“It was tough. It was hard, just having flashbacks to the past [years of The Lost Decade]; I kind of thought those days was over,” David said of last season’s losing stretch. “I still think they are over, but it was just a tough, tough year, for sure.”
February 18th, 2026 at 4:33 pm
To hear some fans talk, you’d think the 2025 team was worse than the ones under Lovie Smith’s leadership during the lost decade. I remember those days. It was really difficult being a Bucs fan back then.
February 18th, 2026 at 4:45 pm
I have about heard enough of the lavonte David cry me a river show
February 18th, 2026 at 4:50 pm
blamed “injuries, lot of plug-and-play guys, lot of people not really kind of like getting their feel and stuff like that,”. That’s where coaching matters the most!! Pretty obvious if you look across the league at the teams with the most injuries and who was able to adapt and who wasn’t.
February 18th, 2026 at 4:51 pm
Wearing my Lavonte David jersey until he returns
February 18th, 2026 at 5:03 pm
How did the Bucs lose to the Saints, Panthers, Falcons and Dolphins in consecutive weeks?
Answer: Todd Bowles and his trash Swiss cheese defense
But in their infinite wisdom, the Glazer kids decided to run it back after one of the most epic collapses in Bucs history.
Gruden was fired for less. And he actually won an SB as HC.
But who needs titles when you have “culture”.
February 18th, 2026 at 5:08 pm
Get him out along with Bowles. 2 Has Beens.
February 18th, 2026 at 5:09 pm
His time is up.
February 18th, 2026 at 5:12 pm
Blah blah blah…
Remove all the stink from OneBuc…blow it up
February 18th, 2026 at 5:18 pm
#54 is our leader and we need him back
But must draft an ILB next to him in Rd 1 or 2
February 18th, 2026 at 5:30 pm
Sonny Styles at #15. He takes LVD’s job and LVD can take SVDs job for a season if he stays.
February 18th, 2026 at 5:31 pm
It was certainly not Todd Bowles’s fault. A head coach is not responsible for a compete and utter collapse. It’s everyone else’s fault.
February 18th, 2026 at 5:33 pm
Gotta agree with some of the comments – enough of Lavonte boo-booing.
Maybe cupcake practices and walkthroughs had a lot to do with the plug and play guys…. You play like you practice and losing 7 of the last 9 tells many fans a lot about how little the defense practiced during the week.
February 18th, 2026 at 5:37 pm
Hard times? 2008 – 2020 were hard times. And its looking like we’re headed
That direction currently. If Mike leaves and godwin goes down with another
Injury next year itd a 5 win season and since so many draft busts in the last
years with no solid free agent pick ups or trades it could be another lost decade.
Hope im wrong.