“We’ll Be Just Fine”
September 25th, 2026
Confident in o-line.
Joe knows for most NFL fans, it is a habitual reflex to throw rocks at a team’s offensive line.
Joe is convinced if a lineman doesn’t pancake a dude, a ton of fans believe he failed. Joe is nearly the opposite. Joe just wants an offensive lineman to get in the way. That’s all.
For an offensive line to be right, it must work as one, almost like one big human with five heads. And the longer linement play together, the better they get.
Yesterday, Joe asked guard Cody Mauch if since it’s been since January 2025 when the five starters were all healthy and played together, if they are almost relearning how to play next to each other.
Mauch wouldn’t go there. But he said, with each snap, the Bucs’ line will get better.
“Not necessarily,” Mauch answered Joe’s question about relearning everything.
“I think it’s early in the season. I think it just takes time of those in-game reps, probably, to get back on the same page with each other and whatnot.
“Practice reps are great and whatnot, but it’s a little different when the bullets are actually flying [in the regular season]. So, no, we’ll be just fine. It’s just we’ll pick it up this week.”
Two years ago, when the Bucs had one of the NFL’s best offenses, early in the season Joe talked to most of the guys on the offensive line for a long while. Joe was asking why lines need so long to gel when other positions can improve in a week or two.
Basically, Mauch said what he said above.
Two years ago you could see the line improve as the season wore on. Joe maintained then, and maintains now, that unit was a top-three line when the Bucs were bounced from the playoffs.
All is not dark for those who think the front line is having a grim season. Tristan Wirfs absolutely owned Jared Verse last week, so Wirfs is back to his old self. And, there’s a reason why Bucky Irving is averaging five yards a crack.
Follicly-challenged Billy Barnwell of BSPN notes the Bucs’ front line generates 3.2 yards before first contact for running backs. That’s the second-best in the NFL behind only Buffalo. Run blocking requires physicality. And the Bucs are doing something right there.
Joe tends to agree with Mauch, barring injuries. The line will be fine in time. But by then, will it be too late?
Ira Kaufman Talks Todd Bowles’ Future, A Questionable Personnel Decision, Two Bucs Strengths, And More
September 25th, 2026 at 7:07 am
Tick, tock. These guys have been together off, and now on since March. Enough with we need more time BS. Time was two weeks ago. Time to get your sh#t together. Stop talking about it, do it.
September 25th, 2026 at 7:12 am
Does it really matter? Now that Jameis Mayfield is going to be $65 million against the cap, will they be able to afford Mauch in the off season when he is due a new contract?
September 25th, 2026 at 7:15 am
This is why I ( most of us actually) have major beef with the HC/OC. Playsrs claim they need time to gel (for pass blocking, I guess), they are currently 2 best in the league in yd generation for run blocking, Baker seems very inaccurate/inconsistent/jittery to start the season…..so why don’t we run more. Run every play, until it’s stopped, find out your value in Gainwell, give tucker some reps so he’s ready when needed, and let Bucky be Bucky. And hopefully this OL gets it together in the meantime
September 25th, 2026 at 7:22 am
THEN RUN IT
September 25th, 2026 at 7:28 am
After the Saints and Falcons rise, we are not just fine. We are the worst in the worst division. Thanks Glazers.
September 25th, 2026 at 7:31 am
Relearning how to play together? Kind of a cop out. This isn’t basketball where years of playing together/cohesion/chemistry can outweigh talent, where that stuff is far more heavily weighted. Offensive lineman relies on the comms from the center, but everybody has their individual assignment. And while I’m beginning to think a lot of football fans are Jersey wearing losers – especially the loser face painters (your wives definitely cheat btw) I would say that most if not all deserve the benefit of the doubt in assuming we do not think offensive lineman need to PANCAKE people. Lmao cmon man. Now, I can’t determine if baker is simply holding on to the ball too long, our slow receivers don’t get open or what – but there are certain issues that have been pervasive which is the fact that Barton and Mauch and Goedeke has been god awful. Lower half of the league and the grades quite literally bear that out. I don’t want excuses, I want solutions
September 25th, 2026 at 7:37 am
Only one team in NFL history has made the playoffs after an 0-4 start.
The 92 Chargers…
Since 1999 there has been only 2 teams that have made the playoffs after a 0-3 start – 2018 Texans and the 2025 Texans.
Historically teams that start out 0-3 have a 2.5% chance of making the playoffs.
These guys better get their poop in a group real fast.
September 25th, 2026 at 7:48 am
Excuseaneers
September 25th, 2026 at 7:52 am
**Happy Feet QBs makes the best Offensive Line look bad**
A QB with good pocket awareness, quick release, makes any OLine look great
September 25th, 2026 at 7:58 am
Does anyone actually watch the games? Sober?
The interior of the Bucs line is collapsing on every play.
One play it’s Barton. One Play Mauch. One PlayBredesen.
Sometimes it two or all three of them.
The surprise is how bad Wirfs has played.
Only Goedeke is playing well enough to be an NFL Starter
The Oline is why the offense is such Garbage. Followed closely by the horrible play of our WRs and TEs.
Which is Exactly what I’ve said would happen since March.
Only Thing that wasn’t predictable was Wirf playing this badly, and Godwin quitting in the middle of plays. The videos of Godwin quitting are a real surprise
But, you can believe that we have a great OLine.
But the people telling you that, are the same people who said this was a playoff team, possible a Championship team!
Or You Can believe what I’ve been saying since last season.
Our Offensive and defensive line are horrible, and this team will be lucky to win 5 games.
It’s gonna be a loooong season.
September 25th, 2026 at 8:04 am
😆
Fine was always the answer I gave my parents when they asked how my grades were doing….
Barely made it out of high school
September 25th, 2026 at 8:08 am
Gonna be a
COMPLETELY DIFFERENT looking sideline next year!
Let’s get a head start
Fire Fraud Bowels and make
Jon Gruden the “temporary “ headcoach
Jason is or should be on the chopping block too !
Man … those Buccaneer paychecks on direct deposit every Tuesday must look
GREAT!
September 25th, 2026 at 8:17 am
Jameis Winston and his happy feet was sacked 47 times in 2019 with us
Tom Brady comes in behind the exact same offensive line in 2020.
With his excellent pocket awareness, quick release, he’s sacked.21 times
The QB makes a huge difference
September 25th, 2026 at 8:21 am
The reason practice is so different than the real games is because the Bucs offense practice against Bowles defense. They make everything seem easy. Then Week 1 comes and they play against real schemes and it take them a while to adjust to good defenses.
Mr Happy Feet panics like a rookie and when everything is perfect around our top paid QB, he stinks.
This team is 2-0 with average QB play.
Can’t wait to hear the excuses Sunday evening. “That’s a really good defense over there”. “We just have to communicate it better and I need to make better decisions”. ‘We are close’.
Wash rinse and repeat.
September 25th, 2026 at 8:23 am
Radio still going be the HC?
Then they won’t be alright
September 25th, 2026 at 8:23 am
So Bowles has had “hot starts” and that lead to 8-9, 9-8, 10-7, 8-9. Maybe a cold start leads to a better team but I’m not betting on the Bucs to do it. I hope they could do it but Bowles and Robinson didn’t have this team ready. Danny Smith had special teams ready. Even if they do get to playoffs, over 90% of us don’t want Bowles back. Bucs life.
September 25th, 2026 at 8:26 am
I don’t think Zac Robinson got this memo. Can someone please send it to him?
Btw, I think if Todd Bowles stays home on Sunday and lets his coaches run the show, the Bucs will play 100x better. Huh, just a thought.
September 25th, 2026 at 8:52 am
Let us not forget something: These guys are highly paid PROFESSIONALS and this is not their first rodeo. They have been playing football for many years and if they do not know what they need to do in their roles together then perhaps they shouldn’t be playing football at this level or maybe even not at all. Tell me I am wrong or what I am missing? Getting embarrassed in the home owner against the worst team in the league? COME ON MAN! 🙁
September 25th, 2026 at 8:53 am
You just saw the formula last night,Run the ball run, run,run! Everything else falls in line!
Please welcome the new Atlanta Falcons! AFC North team heading your way!
September 25th, 2026 at 8:57 am
Magoobe says:
Now that Jameis Mayfield is going to be $65 million against the cap, will they be able to afford Mauch in the off season when he is due a new contract?
We are going to see some Evans like defections this off season. But point well taken. It will take 2 to 3 years to climb out of the hole that Mr. ROH has dug.
September 25th, 2026 at 8:58 am
@Marine..Hows Robinson, all 200 lbs of him work out as your “bell cow back” ??
September 25th, 2026 at 9:05 am
Lol fine…
September 25th, 2026 at 9:08 am
Bowles is getting the five game losing streak out of the way to begin the season.
Then when asked why the play has been so bad he’ll defend it saying he thinks the play has been good.
He’s oblivious to reality. The scoreboard is irrelevant.
The Packers are going to have a field day against the Swiss cheese scheme.
0-17 coming
September 25th, 2026 at 9:10 am
We had defensive players break through the line last year but we had a bigger back to pick up the oncoming rusher. Our backs are to busy running to catch the outlet pass.
September 25th, 2026 at 9:13 am
The pack just got crushed by the new afc north in the nfc falcons…thats the formula…simple
September 25th, 2026 at 9:13 am
Lakeland: The Bucs added Wirfs in 2020. That’s about as far from “the exact same offer sive line”. Might as well say Winston to Brady was the exact same QB. lol
September 25th, 2026 at 9:22 am
I think they already look basically fine. But Mayfield had happy feet and holds the ball too long.
Which could be offensive design.
Time to hire an offensive coach
September 25th, 2026 at 9:35 am
If you watch the tape the offense is fine the defense Is lost BIGTIME
September 25th, 2026 at 9:49 am
Graham Barton is a terrible center.
31st Out of 32 NFL Centers: Ranked as the second-worst qualified center overall by Pro Football Focus since taking over the position.
32nd in Run Blocking: Graded dead last among all starting NFL centers in run-blocking efficiency with a 39.4 rating
September 25th, 2026 at 9:51 am
Bucs have run on slightly less than 40% of their offensive plays thru the first 2 games. IF the ‘Bucs’ front line generates 3.2 yards before first contact for running backs’ then for heaven’s sake RUN THE BALL MORE. That’s virtually a guaranteed 1st down every 3 downs.
September 25th, 2026 at 10:03 am
Ya think maybe the Bucs wished they’d had ole RWhite back for this one!? Bucky is gonna have his hands full. If they can’t rely on the run early, then they are SO SCREWED. They’ll have to put that one dude back there who never plays, to block on passing downs, if he’s still even on the team… Ko Keift maybe, or whatever in TF his name is. LoL. Has Tucker even had ONE carry yet!? Lmao.
September 25th, 2026 at 10:05 am
Are either one of them still on the team!? LoL
September 25th, 2026 at 10:11 am
Capt Tim … ‘Does anyone actually watch the games? Sober? The interior of the Bucs line is collapsing on every play.’
Their run blocking isn’t perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but it’s a LOT better than their pass blocking. Baker’s feet are moving looking for a way out even BEFORE the ball is snapped. He doesn’t trust his OLine IMO.
Baker’s been sacked 7 times in 2 games (shell-shocked?) and has fumbled TWICE on those sacks. He’s on-track for being sacked 60 times this season IF this continues. He’s also scrambled another 6 times plus run it an additional 3 times, getting tackled every time (might’ve slid once). And oh ya, he’s also taken another 11 QB hits (after passing the ball). When I add those up, that’s a total of Mayfield being hit 27 times on the 114 offensive plays we’ve logged. Very close to him getting whacked on 25% of our plays thus far. Anyone think he’ll last the season at THAT rate?
September 25th, 2026 at 10:15 am
BillyBob said:
If you watch the tape the offense is fine…
You just can’t make this stuff up. Hilarious.
September 25th, 2026 at 10:17 am
Licht will be extending Mauch and Yaya if he’s not fired.
BLOW
IT
UP
September 25th, 2026 at 10:25 am
@Lakeland, nice stats, interesting
September 25th, 2026 at 11:04 am
DR. The title of the article “We’ll be just fine” needed nothing else. Thanks to a front toothless, huge, fast, football loving good man. Did you read about Wirfs? Yikes!
OLine is great. You said oughta switch left guard and center the other day. I’ve been thinking trying that for a year, that might improve us a bit- or not much. Bredeson is a pro- Barton is all arrows up.
Stats are just that. Our offensive coordinator? How about 12-26 third down conversion rate? Elite company. Heck, we’ve turned it over 5 times! How’s he supposed to be averaging 30 points?
Our culprits are the defense and Baker Mayfield. As you pointed out the other day, our defense looks great and then a brain dead moment.
Baker opened the season pretty much losing that first game before it even started. He’s started in the league for 8 years. He’s averaged a turnover a game for 8 years, the Bengals were an outlier. Stats say Baker is the worst QB in the NFC South right now.
Stats also say Baker is one of 5 QBs in the league who has passed for 70% completion percentage. Stats say Baker will throw 8 interceptions this year. Gainwell dropped a third down pass and Hursts drop was on a third down or we’d have been 9-16 on third downs the other day. 7-16 ain’t bad.
This team is getting ready to explode. Just my opinion.
September 25th, 2026 at 11:21 am
The lack of urgency is embarrassing
GO BUCS!!!
September 25th, 2026 at 11:43 am
JustVisiting,
So they added a rookie RT, to replace a 10 year veteran RT
That’s makes it more interesting
September 25th, 2026 at 11:48 am
Run the ball then. Rinse and repeat. I know this is not the first comment suggesting same thing. However, it clearly cannot be emphasized enough.
Run the ball. Run it. Impose will on the ground. Rotate backs to keep Bucky fresh. Run Sean Tucker as a changeup – who cares if opposing D knows it is a run. If the one thing we can do well is run the ball – then don’t overthink it. Run it between the tackles. Run it outside. Run HB traps. Run draws. Run counters. Run it with Bucky. Run it with Gainwell. Run it with Sean Tucker. Hell, run it with Baker, WR’s, & Vita Vea too.
Once ground game is firmly established then, and only then, maybe consider play action.
PS: perhaps consider a slant route on that play action (read: not another effing screen).
September 25th, 2026 at 12:46 pm
Getting in the way certainly has value but when a lineman pancakes his foe, it psychologically has more effect.
September 25th, 2026 at 1:45 pm
It’s true that Barton is not very good.
We should have drafted the West Virginia center thé Steelers drafted in the 2nd round.
Why? Because he was also a state champion wrestler like Wirfs.
Barton was a LT. We tried to make him a Center. Goedeke was a RT, we tried to make him a LG. Mauch was a LT. We made him a RG.
Ali Marpet was a Pro Bowl LG. We made him a Center for 1 year.
Why does Licht try to get cute with offensive linemen and convert them to new positions.
Goedeke is great at RT. Sucked at LG.
Bredeson is better at center than Barton.
Time to make the switch!
September 25th, 2026 at 1:46 pm
Defense rules,
Yup- you are 100% correct.
Other than Barton( sucks all the time), the Oline isn’t bad a run blocking. They are HORRIBLE at pass blocking.
Unfortunately, Zack Robinson is a pass first Play caller.
We will never play to our strength.
If you coached little league baseball, and had a kid that sucked bad at Catcher- but was a great Shortstop.
Would you keep playing him at Catcher?
Center is like a catcher in Baseball. Most players hate playing the position.
How much longer will Licht/Bowles keep forcing Barton to play Center?
It’s gonna be a long season.
Vikings 27-10
September 25th, 2026 at 4:15 pm
Bowles has checked out and is collecting his last pay check. Its going to be a rough year, I just hope the Glazers have a plan.