“We Didn’t Do Enough”
September 16th, 2026
Bucs needed more.
Joe’s got locker room notes after the Bucs lost to the Bengals.
Now Joe isn’t buying the theory that because the Bucs didn’t play enough snaps in worthless preseason games it hurt the team — how the hell did the Bucs ever win a Super Bowl in 2020 without any of these atrocities being forced upon innocent Americans?
Did the Bengals have seven worthless preseason games that Joe isn’t aware of?
Cornerback Zyon McCollum made a point to Joe that sort of makes sense. The Bucs had six new starters on defense with one playing a new position: A’Shawn Robinson, Alex Anzalone, Josiah Trotter, Rueben Bain and Keionte Scott were all new starters that were not on the roster last year.
Jacob Parrish did start at nickel last year and Sunday he started at outside corner, where he made a few starts last season.
McCollum told Joe there is a difference between worthless preseason games and the games that count.
“First time playing a real type of football with the bullets flying with some new teammates,” McCollum told Joe. “We will continue to build that cohesion.”
Practice is not worthless preseason and worthless preseason is not the regular season. While the Bucs defense got a lot of snaps in practice with their new starting defense, it’s a whole different thing knowing how your teammate on the other side of the line will play and not knowing what Joe Burrow and Co. will be doing.
“It was a one-score game where we didn’t play up to our standards,” McCollum told Joe, not really acknowledging how the offense played Santa Claus with the football. “It lets us know we have something here.”
McCollum didn’t want to hear from anyone about work or effort.
“It doesn’t matter how hard we play,” McCollum said. “If we lose, we didn’t do enough.”
Joe heard that from more than one player. The defense, though it played well enough to win, didn’t do enough. If the offense is sputtering, the defense needs to take measures to help teammates.
September 16th, 2026 at 7:06 am
it wasnt a one score game, he’s high. anyone who thinks that was a one score game wasnt watching it. the bucs were behind, playing slow like they had no sense of the clock or urgency. they got beat and were not prepared. doesnt mean it was terrible but it wasnt as close as zzzzzyon or others keep narrating.
September 16th, 2026 at 7:24 am
It was a one score game. The rest of your premise is correct. Slow , sloppy, disappointing. But it was a one score game.
September 16th, 2026 at 7:26 am
Agreed. The Bucs weren’t prepared. We need to find out why. I think I know.
September 16th, 2026 at 7:29 am
The problem was not that the Bucs did not do enough. The problem was that Baker did too much. i’ve always said that Baker is an above average solid game manager but when he tries to be an elite QB he stinks. Yeah, he can carry a team once in awhile but eventually he loses games with turnovers and injury. He’s not Mahomes or Allen, yet the Bucs paid him like he is. It’s the Bucs fault that they expect too much from Baker.
September 16th, 2026 at 7:32 am
Jimmy. It was, IN FACT a one score game. 1 more score would have won us the game. That is what 1 score game means, get it?
September 16th, 2026 at 7:34 am
a one score game means its close. put away your calculator.
September 16th, 2026 at 7:37 am
They played up to the standard of the last half of last season! Really, the same old same old from the past three or four seasons…defensive wise! Same tired defensive scheme that seems to confuse our guys…but not the opponents! When the Browns beat us on Sunday, maybe the Glazier’s will make a BOLD move…but I doubt it!
September 16th, 2026 at 7:45 am
Jimmy a the game was close if we get a stop on there final drive we would have got the ball with around 1:20 on the clock to score a touchdown to win the game. The boneheaded off sides penalty on 3rd and 6 cost us getting off the field. And talk about close if mayfield doesn’t fumble at the 2 yards line there’s takeaway 3 more points where we would have been down only a field goal. So yes with 4 turnovers we still had a chance to win the game against a good team. Not a lot of teams would have kept that game as close as we did. We will be fine
September 16th, 2026 at 7:50 am
Yo Joe. What happens to Bowles if we lose this week? The team is over his Erkle like messaging.
September 16th, 2026 at 7:51 am
UGotrobbed, excellent! The only team the Bucs defense confuses is the Bucs!!
September 16th, 2026 at 7:54 am
One score plus the Bengals ran out the clock in scoring range.
September 16th, 2026 at 7:55 am
“We didn’t do enough.” Ya think?
September 16th, 2026 at 8:30 am
BAKER DIDNT DO ENOUGH!!!!!!
GO BUCS!!!!!
September 16th, 2026 at 8:30 am
As per usual, I was disappointed and pissed after the game. But Monday morning when I put things into perspective, I was actually encouraged. “Bucs playing a game on the road against what is most likely a playoff team. Helmet communication issues which did affect things on offense. Four..count ’em, FOUR! turnovers. New players all over the defense. And at he end of the day…the Bucs were in a position to actually win the game.” It’s only one game. Let’s Go!!
September 16th, 2026 at 8:35 am
Lt. Dan speaks my mind!
September 16th, 2026 at 8:36 am
Let’s take out frustrations on Cleveland.
September 16th, 2026 at 8:47 am
Excuses,excuses and more excuses.
September 16th, 2026 at 8:54 am
It’s yet another Bucs “mystery” why the pass rush has been so anemic for so long, particularly on third downs. Is it technique, scheme, injuries, lack of vision, lack of chemistry, or something else, or all of the above? In the Bengals game, Fox sometimes showed the ‘sky cam’ view. To my (admittedly) untrained eye, I saw defensive linemen who could not disengage from offensive linemen or linebackers and defensive linemen running INTO their own teammates already engaged with opposing blockers instead of shooting gaps. On the other hand, you can’t necessarily blame the defensive line when in other plays the Bengals were scheming three step drops and the Bucs secondary was playing ten yards off the line of scrimmage. It seems like the coaches take enormous risks with scheme rather than emphasize fundamentally sound football. Of course, it’s only one game and way too early to panic, but it just seems that last year’s problems are spilling over into this year. Let’s hope (bad word, I know!) that the players can turn it around next week against the Browns. Go Bucs!
September 16th, 2026 at 8:56 am
Math is hard for Jimmy
September 16th, 2026 at 8:58 am
Yes, McCollum makes a good point about the six new starters on the Bucs defense, but the announcers kept emphasizing the EIGHT new starters on defense for the Bengals. It’s got to be something else.
September 16th, 2026 at 9:00 am
Baker lost the game. But I’m with Lt. Dan.
LFG!!!!!!
September 16th, 2026 at 9:10 am
It was a close game! The fumbles create the illusion that it wasn’t. Take away the fumbles and we are 1–0.
If the Bengals are not gifted short field position from turnovers is a 37-17 Bucs win.
Remember we shot down their receivers. We had no problem moving the ball.
Baker doesn’t know how to handle his balls when running with it. smh lol
September 16th, 2026 at 9:10 am
It must be Wednesday because the bright side from Sunday is shining and optimism is growing. Even in a loss who thought we would be feeling this good about:
All of our corners
Ted Hurst
Trotter
EE – I know he didn’t light it up, but I feel a lot better about the toe
Bucky – See my EE comment
Zac Robinson play calling – Master class, no. But it was enough to have legitimate hope vs prayers
It is way to early to be doom and gloom. If you choose to live life miserable that’s on you. For me, I will be there bright and early Sunday in my Baker Mayfield socks.
LFG!!!
September 16th, 2026 at 9:18 am
We know you didn’t do enough Zyon, and how could you do more when you were down 14-3 only allowing 37 yards of offense. You guys scored on defense, and even that wasn’t enough.
Btw, we’ve had 13 games since 2019 where our defense has scored a TD.
That year alone we had 5 of those games and went 3-2.
Since then, from 2020 to 2025 we were 7-0 in games we scored a defensive TDs. 4-0 in such games since 2023.
September 16th, 2026 at 9:19 am
We know you didn’t do enough Zyon, kind of hard to ask you to do anything but hold on after going down 14-3 having only allowed Cincy 37 yards of offense.
September 16th, 2026 at 9:23 am
Was a one score game.
Got within 6 points with 3 minutes left but of course radios defense couldn’t hold. Two plays they were in fg range
September 16th, 2026 at 9:27 am
For starters, secure the damn football. College players do a better job securing the football. BM looked like a rookie making bone head decisions out there. Why is he not sliding before getting hit after a run. Why is he running around like an idiot with the ball in one hand? It was like watching him in that video trying to run from the cops. That same idiot kid is still in there, so you have to question his decision making.
September 16th, 2026 at 10:11 am
Not only was it a one score game, two of Baker’s fumbles turned into a 14 point swing
The first fumble end in a scope and score for 7 and on Baker’s second we were going in for 7.
Their kicker also made two FGs of 55 and 58 yards
So the game was close and one the Bucs essentially gave to Cincy with those fumbles.
All that being said, my biggest takeaway aside from the fumbles was the “stars” not showing up
Vita, whom I said should have been traded, looked disinterested and happy to get his new contract.
Baker, who didn’t need to get a new deal, continues to lack an enternal clock and ball security.
AW Jr, hasn’t made an impact in 2 years since signing his contract.
Anzalone, looked washed up and happily ready to retire in sunny Florida.
Zac Robinson, whom many thought would be an upgrade from Grizzard, didn’t look to have a offense teams will fear.
Both the oline and dline got manhandled..very concerning.
Big week for all the above and the HC.
Not only do they need a win, they need a dominant performance on both sides of the ball and they need to be more physical in the trenches.
September 16th, 2026 at 10:21 am
It was not the DBs who screwed the pooch Joe. Or to be fare the defense as a whole. We let yet another TE roam around like he owned us. Looking for Anzelone to have better game this week.
The real problem was not Zak’s offense either. It was Baker’s blunders. Love Baker but he has to be more disciplined and get the ball out. Even if it means …dirting it and losing the down. Putting your defense in the situation we saw Sunday equals losing games.
Basically Spotting the other team 18 points? Nah, you won’t win many of those.
Go Bucs!
September 16th, 2026 at 11:34 am
Jacksonville exposed the poor preparation and ineffective practice