Todd Bowles’ teams have started 2-0 in each of the past four seasons. Last season it was 3-0.

It’s been a stunning display of readiness for Week 1. But what about after that?

Joe can’t pinpoint why the Bucs have an annual swoon. Have the Bucs been ready for the rigors of a long season?

Hall of Fame Bucs cornerback Rondé Barber was on SiriusXM NFL Radio this week talking about how softer practicing has changed the game.

Maybe things will change this season, but the Bucs rarely if ever tackle to the ground in training camp and players are not fighting for every blade of grass as a matter of policy. That’s not unique to Tampa Bay, though practice intensity varies across the league.

“Live reps matter, like live tackling matters. You don’t get that really in [training camp] anymore,” Barber said. “Most of the time they’ll have pads on and a lot of walkthroughs and whatnot right now. But like, knowing how to hit, get hit and go to the ground, it’s a learned act. Like it’s not something you can just do.

“In football, you can’t, you cannot, I’m telling you, you cannot just turn a switch and say, ‘Now I’m in tackle mode.’ Like, it, like it takes reps, it takes practice, it takes like, you know, time on task, to like get the feel for what it’s like to hit different people and get hit. I think we’re losing a little bit of that. It’s not disappointing; it just kind of is what it is. But I think that the cumulative effect on the game, I don’t think that it’s necessarily positive.

Ira Kaufman, the venerable JoeBucsFan.com columnist, said this week that he believes Bowles will have tougher practices this summer, in part, because he’s feeling the win-now pressure as it relates to his job.

That was an intriguing take in light of the Bucs pursuing tougher-minded players and more physical guys this offseason.

Barber said joint practices — the Bucs are planning two each with the Jets and Jaguars this summer — can make a signficant impact.

“I love joint practices,” Barber said. “I mean, put it this way, I never got to play [much against] Dan Marino, but I joint practiced with that dude a bunch when I was a young player, and it was awesome. I think it creates some natural competition. There’s a certain feel that you get against another team that you don’t get seeing the same guy every day. I think it’s great. … And I think it only helps.”

Joe loves the joint practices. The vibe is productive and guys visibly work harder. Everything feels more like gameday of a team that cares.

Avoiding the midseason nosedive, aka playing consistent football, should be a top priority for Bowles and friends this season. That’s a great thing to figure out in Year 5 of a regime.