“That’s A Vast Overreaction”
June 1st, 2026
Make the defense just OK.
It doesn’t matter how many macrobeers Joe slams of a product brewed in St. Louis, or how many glasses of Eagle Rare; the nightmares keep coming, night after night.
Quarterbacks being able to recite the opening monologue to “Patton” in the pocket and not get breathed on, linebackers that wave their arms at ballcarriers thinking that’s tackling, or the sorry if not uninspired pass coverage, the Bucs defense took months from Joe’s life last year.
If the Bucs offense lives up to the hype, it can win a boatload of games this fall. And for the Bucs to win, all they need is just an OK defense.
That’s the same line of thinking Pat Donovan and Aaron Jacobson seem to have. They explained in a recent airing of the WDAE-AM 620/WDAE-FM 95.7 weekday morning show they co-host, “The Pat and Aaron Show.”
A producer rattled off Bucs subjects and both had to judge whether the statement was an overreaction or an underreaction. One statement was the Bucs defense will have to carry the team to win in 2026.
Donovan didn’t hold back.
“That’s a vast overreaction,” Donovan said. “I am very optimistic about some of the things they did defensively this offseason.
“I think the defense can be better. We’ve talked about it, and we’re like, hey, the defense is going to get better, probably not a top 10 defense.
“You think this could be a top 10 offense? I do.”
Jacobson was of a similar mind.
“I just want them to be balanced,” Jacobson said. “I don’t need the defense to be All-Worldly.
“I just need them to be balanced and not as bad as they were at times last year.”
Joe *hopes* the defense is better, but the Bucs are banking on two rookies, maybe three, to lift the defense out of its ruts. Banking on rookies is dicey.
(OK, OK, the first time Bill Walsh and the 49ers won a Super Bowl in 1981 they did so with three rookies in the secondary, which included Ronnie Lott. If you need to go back 45 years to prove Joe wrong, you’re actually proving Joe right.)
The Bucs still have the same defensive coordinator and mostly the same defensive coaches (“new” cornerbacks Rashad Johnson was an assistant cornerbacks coach for the Bucs last season). Aside from rookies, it appears the Bucs have two new veteran starters.
While Joe *hopes* the defense is improved, Joe is very much taking a wait-and-see approach.
@patdonovanradio Who will perform better in 2026, the Bucs offense or defense? #Bucs #WeAreTheKrewe ♬ original sound – PatDonovanRadio
June 1st, 2026 at 12:09 am
The D has nowhere to go but up pretty much.
June 1st, 2026 at 12:29 am
Dude. I’ve been drinking too. But I’m pretty sure you are far, far more blitzed than I am.
June 1st, 2026 at 1:16 am
We didn’t draft Ronnie Lott.
We are counting on Rookies to Generate a pass rush.
Won’t happen.
We lost Gaines
We lost Lavonte
We lost Jameel Dean.
We got worse on defense. Next year we will be improved.
June 1st, 2026 at 1:20 am
We didn’t draft Ronnie Lott.
We are counting on Rookies to Generate a pass rush.
Won’t happen.
We lost Gainesj
We lost Lavonte
We lost Jameel Dean.
We got worse on defense. Next year we will be improved.
Hard to believe a team could lose Lavonte David and Mike Evans, and believe it improved.
June 1st, 2026 at 2:03 am
Joe, in this heat, you have to hydrate when you are downing your brews, or your brews will down you. And, you sound pretty downed.
The Bucs won the Brady Bowl with rookies Wirth and Winfield starting, rookies Ke’Shawn Vaughn, Tyler Johnson, and Khalil Davis playing regularly in the rotation, rookie Chapelle Russel playing frequently on special teams, and rookie Raymond Calais at least making it onto the active roster.
Compared to last year, Bain on defense should make the count one defensive starter because he is replacing Reddick who brought lots of pressure before he was injured.
But, does Trotter really count? Neither David nor Dennis made it into the top 64 last year – it is not like Trotter has to be better than a starting caliber ILB to be an improvement. If Trotter ends up as the #64 just adequate starter, he is still an upgrade from last year – though I still like Hill’s productivity better.
And, is Scott even going to be a starter? Best case is that Morrison and McCollum sparkle and shine at outside CB leaving Parrish and Scott to fight it out at NB with Scott as a rookie sharing playing time and gaining experience.
Now, if you are sandbagging your comments so as not to rile the Goddess Fortuna, I can understand that as it would be great to have her in the Bucs’ corner this season and postseason.
June 1st, 2026 at 2:10 am
What?
First I fully expect Parrish to win the outside corner job.
If Morrison wins it he deserves it.
Why do I expect Parrish?
Because you can’t keep Keionte Scott off the field.
Absolutely no way unless he is injured.
June 1st, 2026 at 2:55 am
Good offense plus bad defense equals bad team.
June 1st, 2026 at 4:14 am
Great offense plus good defense equals really good team.
June 1st, 2026 at 4:53 am
The offense will probably be good, if Bowles doesn’t “help” that side of the ball this year. The defense? Have a ever seen a DC whose system has been figured out and either can’t or won’t adjust? Think of Lovie Smith, Mike Smith, AND Todd Bowles. Maybe Bowles will get his head out of his hind end this year, but I’m not holding my breath waiting for that.
June 1st, 2026 at 5:47 am
‘Joe *hopes* the defense is better, but the Bucs are banking on two rookies, maybe three, to lift the defense out of its ruts. Banking on rookies is dicey.’
Nice to see that you’ve acknowledged the existence of the HOPE notion Joe. And why not? It’s only June 1st, and we’ve got over 3 months to go until our 1st game.
Even though they’re 1st & 2nd Rnd picks, I doubt that Bowles will ‘gift’ Bain & Trotter starting gigs. Bucs paid Muhammad $4 mil on his 1-yr contract, and he’ll be fighting hard for a decent share of the OLB def snaps (I’m sure he’d like a 2nd year here). And our 2nd yr ‘rookie’ Walker won’t go down without a fight either.
One guy no one mentions is ILB Christian Rozeboom. He started for the Rams in 2024 then the Panthers in 2025 & did reasonably well IMO (average of about 130 tackles per season & 76% pass completions allowed). I don’t think he’s a MLB, but Anzalone has been, and IF Trotter struggles in a starting role like SVD did, I’m convinced that Bowles won’t hesitate to sit him.
I think that rookies Scott & Capehart will get a reasonable share of def snaps this year also, depending upon our injury situation to a degree.
June 1st, 2026 at 6:30 am
Wait wait a minute
JOE WRITES BOWLES IS A DEFENSIVE GURU in one article
Now it’s IF THE OFFENSE PLAYS WELL defense can just play OK
WITH A DEFENSIVE GURU HEAD COACH WHY WOULD THE DEFENSIVE PLAY OK
WHY WOULD ANYONE EXCEPT OK????????
June 1st, 2026 at 6:35 am
3 defensive starters last year–Gaines, Lavante, Reddick, aren’t even in the NFL anymore, and a 4th–Voss, can be guaranteed to be a special teamer ONLY. Anzalone, Trotter, A’Shawn, and Bain are a YUGE upgrade from that
June 1st, 2026 at 6:35 am
We started the overhaul on D, a lot of new faces both vets and rookies. Still have hoes at CB. All need to learn the system and then come together as a unit. New leaders have to emerge and lead. Gonna take some time to see what we’ve got. And then adjust some more. Gonna take some time.
June 1st, 2026 at 6:36 am
As Defense Rules pointed out better than I did, the Bucs targeted improvement at every position on the defense, and they have more than one arrow in their quiver for every target.
Both the starting talent and the depth are improved pretty much across the board on defense. With Dean leaving at Corner Back, I can’t say that they are better than last year until we see how much difference an offseason makes with Morrison and McCollum, but they should at least be about as good which, with the general improvements elsewhere, should be enough.
The offense is more a matter of getting healthy and better play calling returning it to 2024 form plus a few additions like Gainwell and Hurst and Sharp and Skule vs losing Evans and White.
This should be a much better team this year capable of winning half? of last year’s 7 one possession losses. That should put the Bucs winning 11 to 12 games if they avoid major injuries this season, and making some post season noise if they stay healthy there.
Now, if the Glazers want to declare Christmas in June, they could plop down $8 million for ILB Bobby Wagner and $4 million for CB Rasul Douglas and I would be singing Hosannas and talking top one to three seeding in the NFC! I think that this team is that close to being really that special.
I have never racked up billions of dollars in wealth. And, I get that part of wealth accumulation is budget discipline. But, it seems like those two additions would be a smart hedge on their investment even if it pushes a bit against budget discipline.
June 1st, 2026 at 6:57 am
The 2022 Super Bowl Champion KC Chiefs started many rookies in their secondary such as Trent McDuffie, Bryan Cook, Joshua Williams , and Jaylen Watson.
June 1st, 2026 at 7:15 am
Bucs aren’t losing Lavonte this year. They lost him last season.
Bucs aren’t losing Dean this year. Licht all but cut him last year. He played for one of the most insulting contracts we’ve seen. And of course balled him in his contract year. (I believe Licht thought LAST year would be special and so sacrificed future “potential” for one season’s worth of top level performance).
Evans is a loss in the locker room. But on the field? 2024 was his swan song here. The team celebrated his last catch that season like they’d won the Super Bowl. It’s impossible to replace the player but it’s easy to replace the performance of ‘25.
Lost in the goatscrew that was last year is the remarkable start. With all the holes at LB and the secondary the team still beat Houston, Seattle and San Fran. And hung with Philly. Not shabby at all. Do that to start and stop Bowles’ mid-season swoon and you’ve got a chance.
June 1st, 2026 at 7:15 am
Bowles and Baker (except 1 out of 7 seasons) have been mediocre at best, just a FACT, expecting anything else is a fool’s errand
June 1st, 2026 at 7:33 am
If you drop a dead cat from high enough – it will bounce. Our defense is praying for a dead cat bounce. Little hope with our head coach/defensive genius. 2027 will be better!
June 1st, 2026 at 7:52 am
“While Joe *hopes* the defense is improved, Joe is very much taking a wait-and-see approach.”
Same and for both sides of the ball, because flatly seeing either “should” be improved is only by looking at the names is not really saying much. Feels like paper champ territory, and we all know that doesn’t matter in October & November when the good teams are separating themselves from the pack because their performing more consistently on a game-to-game basis.
Defensively I want to see two things once the pads come on, and that’s how well we can cancel out the run and if so, then what are our best 4-5 man combos on the front to disrupt opposing offenses. Which will 100% play a part on the gamble relying on youth on the back end.
June 1st, 2026 at 8:21 am
We will be better but not because we lost Mike and David. It was time for David to go because he was not able to motivate the team to give full effort. He even admitted to loafing. In fact, no one on the defense last year should wear a C on their jersey this year.
The team will be better because we have our Oline back healthy and because they brought players in who have some bad attitudes and not nice guys like LVD
June 1st, 2026 at 8:30 am
The Patriots made several changes to their starting lineup last year, including 3 or 4 rookies who contributed significantly to their team going to the Super Bowl.
Yes, they had a favorable schedule.. and yes they handled the Bucs at RayJay when the Bucs were coming off a Bye week and a 6-2 record.
June 1st, 2026 at 8:34 am
Those who say we “should “ be better on offense or defense are simply setting unrealistic expectations. And if those expectations are not met, they will have a meltdown over it.
That’s part of the problem with the Pom Pom squad. They don’t use their brain to look ahead to the future. Just the happy joy joy thoughts and feelings.
And the same folks will be losing their collective sh@t after Bowles scuttles the ship again in 2026. That’s why those of us who already know what will happen get so much hate.
You don’t have to be Nostradamus to predict the outcome of 2026. #DumpsreFire
June 1st, 2026 at 8:55 am
LOL That’s fair! 🙂
June 1st, 2026 at 8:57 am
Why not? Because its Tooth Fairy BS. Lazy man’s excuse. Instead of getting the job done or finding someone who can get the job done, you lay back and “hope” something gets fixed by itself.
Joe hopes someone else pays his taxes.
Joe hopes it doesn’t rain in the summer so he can go out on the boat.
Joe hopes he wins the lottery.
F’ hope!
June 1st, 2026 at 12:48 pm
The Bucs won a Super Bowl with Kenyatta Walker and that offense was smoking with Brad Johnson and Michael Pittman. We can do it.
June 1st, 2026 at 1:06 pm
Unlike the pom pom squad,wynchmob seams he can predict this season of dispare dulldrum,misery ,”dumpsterfire”Aww hell sounds like his life..so maybe he is nostradamis, dont worry man I feel ya! Everyone’s been there they have real good help available now smiles are contagious!