“Their Floor For Me Is 9-8”
May 20th, 2026
Last summer, Joe slapped around The Czar of the Playbook, Emory Hunt, the CBS draft guru, college football broadcaster and NFL analyst, because he didn’t have the 2025 Buccaneers making the playoffs and instead predicted the Bears would be the NFC’s No. 2 seed.
Hunt is a friend of Joe, so there’s no need for an apology. It comes with the turf. Hunt was right and Joe was wrong.
Yesterday, Hunt again was making predictions for CBS Sports HQ and gave the Bucs a strong vote of confidence. “Their floor for me is 9-8,” Hunt said of Tampa Bay’s 2026 season.
The Bucs’ drafting of Georgia State receiver Ted Hurst in Round 3 has Hunt excited, and Hurst likes how the Bucs have what he believes is the best collection of veteran talent in the NFC South.
Throw in edge rusher Rueben Bain and nickel cornerback Keionte Scott, Hunt said, and the Bucs can win 10 games if they find better consistency.
Joe loves the enthusiasm.
There’s a divide at JoeBucsFan.com world headquarters. One Joe thinks the Bucs are a nine-win team. The other Joe is at seven wins. Sage of Tampa Bay Sports columnist Ira Kaufman also has the Bucs at nine wins, as does JoeBucsFan.com draft guru Sean Sullivan, as he explained in his recent Best In Class podcast.
All prognostications, of course, are subject to change before opening day.
May 20th, 2026 at 10:37 am
How does a Team with a Strong Offense with an improved Special Teams and Putrid Pass Rush that will be vastly improved that plays in the weakest Division in Football be expected to fare? Let’s say 10 Wins if the Defense really is improved with all these new faces. We still have Todd but maybe he will actually look like he knows what he’s doing if he has people that can actually Rush the Passer. Go Bucs!
May 20th, 2026 at 10:40 am
It all comes down to staying healthy, and winning close games.
May 20th, 2026 at 10:46 am
We win at least 11 games!!
May 20th, 2026 at 10:48 am
8 and 9 or 9 and 8 still just leaves you squeaking into the playoffs, maybe. Is this the expectation? The low bar approach seems to have taken hold at 1-Buc. Retaining Bowles proves it. This should be a make or break year, but with the lackluster effort to bring in a new leader, it seems that mediocrity is acceptable throughout the organization. Poor coaching, poor field quality, poor player ratings for the facilities and management make for continued poor results. Despite all the new year hopium, there is just not enough lipstick. Did we bring in enough new talent to get substantially better? Is it enough to remove the stench of last years failure and nose dive at the end of the year? It’s one giant maybe. Keep waving the pompoms. Maybe it will help.
May 20th, 2026 at 10:52 am
This is a 10-7 team looking at the schedule. If we underperform, we are a 7-10 team. If we gel quickly and over achieve, win a couple close games on Special Teams/Defense, we are a 12 win team. Regardless, if we don’t advance in the playoffs with at least 1 playoff win, Bowles needs to be fired.
May 20th, 2026 at 10:52 am
10 – 7 is my new consistent prediction after watching that Kyle Brandt video this morning.
Any fan base with some optimism wants 10 – 7… unless you’re the Rams or the Seahawks and you’re thinking that’s terrible. Only one team was 10 – 7 last year. Sooo funny.
May 20th, 2026 at 10:54 am
Might come down, not just to healthy starters but to coaching decisions.
Not another ….
….game like Buffalo.
…run the ball 40 times against Carolina cause it worked last year.
…3rd and 28.
And let’s hope YaYa got through to the powers that be about pattycake practices.
May 20th, 2026 at 10:57 am
Emory Hunt … ‘“Their floor for me is 9-8.”
OK, that’s acceptable, especially since he clarified that by saying the Bucs could win 10 games.
Also glad that you detailed the ‘divide at JoeBucsFan.com world headquarters’ Joe. Since the Bucs WILL get 10-11 wins this season, all of you are being too pessimistic, but hey that’s fine. Like you explained in your bottom line … ‘All prognostications, of course, are subject to change before opening day’.
May 20th, 2026 at 10:58 am
Don’t forget Todd Bowels is still head coach. 8-9 tops.
May 20th, 2026 at 11:08 am
That is Todd Bowels lifetime W/L average for his NFL head coaching career…
May 20th, 2026 at 11:08 am
They’re definitely a better team going into this season ,really looking forward to it all the division teams are better i,t makes for some really good football
May 20th, 2026 at 11:16 am
It’s all about injuries.
Stop settling a very low goal of winning the worst division in football.
Repeating the activities during the Bye is insanity. It ain’t workin so stop doing it.
May 20th, 2026 at 11:24 am
The Bucs have enough player talent but do they have enough coaching talent ?
May 20th, 2026 at 11:29 am
im at 12wins
but wouldnt be shocked if we only win 7
GO BUCS!!!!
May 20th, 2026 at 11:34 am
7 win team. Baker will lead the league in turnovers. Bucky will be injury plagued. Tristian Knee problems and a very inconsistent defense and special teams. Those two will lose up 5-6 games alone n baker will finish it off. #DOORnumberTWO
May 20th, 2026 at 11:39 am
You guys are talking about injuries…Didn’t Bowles have an easy training camp, easy practices and “walk throughs” to supposedly save the players from getting hurt? Is this one of the reasons the team was Charmin soft last year? Does Bowles plan on doing the same thing this year, and expect different results?
May 20th, 2026 at 11:49 am
9-8 is very generous
Especially with the choke job they pulled last season
May 20th, 2026 at 11:53 am
Well DR “drank” the hopeium so that’s something. Unfortunately I feel that other factors aren’t being taken Into account…
We lost last year. We lost a lot! And we lost the division. Most of those guys are still on the team.
But that’s not even it. It’s as if other teams just froze in time. We actually HAVE competition for the worst division in foozeball much less football!
I think we Have improved. Is it enough with the Same philosophy again this year? I doubt it. The competition has ESPECIALLY been figuring out Bowles very old concepts. Do you think Canales didn’t figure Bowles out? Sure we got Atlanta’s OC.. BUT we got their “throw away”. Will Robinson be serviceable? Sure. But but but but but…
IF, IF, IF all goes well we’re an 8/9 win team with a TON of potential under the RIGHT leadership. In “Reality” we have a lame duck as the leader of the team. I’m not sure what’s being missed within that statement but it is the reality.
Infact, it maybe more likely that “Somebody” was kept in order to chase the ONE item this team HAS NEVER HAD…… A franchise QB.
Drink all the hopeium you want but be honest. YOU DON’T KEEP A GUY THAT EVERYBODY QUIT ON BECAUSE HE’S THE GUY OF THE FUTURE! YOU KEEP HIM TO CONTINUE TO CRASH WITH…… “LAME DUCK”
May 20th, 2026 at 11:58 am
They have the talent to win 12-13 games…
May 20th, 2026 at 12:06 pm
I think unless there is a change from Morrison and McColumn the best they do is 6 wins. This is a passing league and we will be facing some good qbs. The Bucs will lose unless the secondary improves greatly. Hopefully Parrish and Scott come through, McColumn plays the bench and Morrison stays healthy and improves significantly and quickly. Pretty big gamble by the Bucs. I would say. However that appears to be the hand they are playing.
May 20th, 2026 at 12:56 pm
5-12.
May 20th, 2026 at 1:24 pm
im still at 7 to 8….hope im wrong and its 12 or more of course….just cant get my hopes up with Todd because i know he’ll be dropping pass rushers into coverage 50% of the time.
May 20th, 2026 at 1:32 pm
It’s funny, the same dopes that are predicting doom this season are likely the same ones that predicted in 2023. That’s when I said the Bucs were a 10 win team… and they won 10 games including the playoffs. I stated the same in 2024 and again, I was right. This is a good team when healthy. Crazy how quickly you forget their record at the halfway mark despite all the injuries they suffered. Evans and David were complete non-factors last season, the line was trash, Bucky was hurt, Godwin played sparingly, Baker got hurt, and we still nearly made the playoffs despite pretty much finding out what worse case scenario was as far as injuries… and we did this with a terrible rookie OC that was clearly not ready. And we nearly made the playoffs. Robinson isn’t great, though he may look like it this season, but just being competent will put this offense back to a top 10 unit. This is a playoff team.
May 20th, 2026 at 1:39 pm
This is a Super Bowl Ready(c) roster if I’ve ever seen one. And I have. Last year when I was told repeatedly before the season that it was Super Bowl Ready(c).
May 20th, 2026 at 2:07 pm
Licht and his staff nailed the draft IMO, and acquired some much-needed help in free agency as well. Two of the three coordinators were upgraded. This is a team that could win 11 games and make some noise in the playoffs. But if we have multiple injuries at positions where we lack depth, then we could easily miss the playoffs again.
I LOVE most of the draft picks the Bucs got, but some of them may need two or three years before we really see what we’ve got.
Attempting to predict the win total for this coming season is like predicting what the weather will be 3 weeks ago. 😉 That said, I’ll go with the optimistic voices in my head and say 10 wins. 😉
May 20th, 2026 at 2:08 pm
^^^^^^Attempting to predict the win total for this coming season is like predicting what the weather will be 3 weeks into the FUTURE.
May 20th, 2026 at 2:22 pm
No more than 9 or 8 and not in playoffs. Sorry we look good on paper but in reality we have a good coach but not a great coach. Still thinking about that 2nd year Brady was here with Rams game at Tampa just tied game up he was on a roll. Then had them backed up to their 10 yard line on 3rd and 10 and zero defense call when Cooper Kupp runs right by Winfield for an over the top pass with 39 seconds left then kick game winning field goal. Bowles can’t win big games even with Brady.lol
May 20th, 2026 at 2:32 pm
9-8 is the ceiling……
May 20th, 2026 at 2:45 pm
Defense Rules speaks the truth of it.
If the health of the Bucs is at or near NFL par, if Trotter can cover well enough to be in the top 40 ILBs, and if the Bucs starting outside CBs can place in the top 40 of 64+ starters, the Bucs should win 10+; 12 or 13 maybe, with some good luck.
May 20th, 2026 at 2:56 pm
So amusing when we become so unrealistic with optimism after each draft thinking we MUST BE the only team that improved themselves from prior year. Guess what? So did every other team. Whatever holes they had, they probably filled. Just like we believe we did. With the exception of flash free agency moves ( to get better, or possibly worse if you lost players), teams are usually about what they were the prior year. I would argue we lost in player movements this offseason , losing ME13, Dean, LVD while gaining??????
May 20th, 2026 at 3:05 pm
Looking over the schedule of NFC South, it is quite possible all 4 teams could finish the 1st quarter of the season with losing records…
That said, I can see where the NFC South could come down to whether Bucs are Panthers are playing better… Splitting the division games works out about right a lot of the time…
Panthers (with the better HC) win the division with 9 wins and the Bucs end with 7 wins!
May 20th, 2026 at 3:28 pm
the floor is 9 wins? Name the last game in 2 years that you felt confident we were going to win going in. We get embarrassed on prime time every freaking year.
May 20th, 2026 at 3:48 pm
Every part of the team has been improved except corner. We also now have depth that we didn’t have before. There’s no reason we can’t win 10 or 11
May 20th, 2026 at 3:56 pm
Y’ALL ARE SMOKING CRACK …
1. What did they add?
3 budget FAs and a few rookie rollplayers. Unless you’re All-World, Tristan Wirfs, rookies don’t do much Year 1. Baine is not all world.
2. What did they lose?
Mike Evans, LVD, and Dean. The #1 WR. The #1 Leader of the Defense. The #1 CB. That’s massive in the locker room and on the field!
3. What’s the Biggest Weakness?
The HC – Bowles is still there.
The OC – You hated Grizz?
Just wait. Zac Robinson is going to make Grizz look like a wiz.
2025 Bucs Total Points – 380
2025 Falcons Total Points – 351
351 with Bijon, Pitts, and London!!!!
4. Is there schedule easier or harder?
It’s SO MUCH HARDER. GB, DAL, CHI, DET, LAC, LAR, BAL – Half the schedule is made up of playoff teams. The NFCS is better, too.
Bucs get SMOKED in 2026: 5-12
That’s GREAT NEWS! No more Bowles.
May 20th, 2026 at 3:56 pm
Refreshing to hear from someone like Hunt how knows football, compared to the clowns and haters in here who think the Bucs are horrible. And that Koe that has the Bucs winning 7 games, please let him know I’ll gladly wager any amount thar this Bucs team wins more than 7 games.
May 20th, 2026 at 4:10 pm
Given the current look of the team “on paper”, I’m thinking 11-6, with a ceiling of more like 13-4. These estimates naturally include many assumptions that may not pan out, i.e., rookie and new veteran contributions, younger player continuing development, etc.
My most significant assumption is that Zac Robinson is going to scheme the offense very similar to the way that Liam Coen did — and — Todd Bowles is basically going to be hands-off the offense.
I think that overall, our largest liability on offense last year was Josh Grizzard. My only question pertaining to that is how much of Grizzard’s play calling later on during the season was overly influenced by Todd Bowles.
May 20th, 2026 at 4:17 pm
That might be their floor, but 9-8 is more like Todd’s ceiling.
May 20th, 2026 at 4:50 pm
For me 9-8 sounds about right. If the Buc’s get decent officiating and better defense and special teams play, perhaps 10-7 or 11-6 can be had. But only if their coaches coach way better and their players take minimal plays off!! Bring on September!!!