Bucs defensive tackle Calijah Kancey does a backflop after he crosses the goal line on a scoop-and-score touchdown on Sunday. (Photo courtesy of Buccaneers.com.)

Welcome to Victory Monday! The first one of the year! Remember, the only other win before yesterday came on Thursday night. So there was no Victory Monday. Until today. Grab your Todd Bowles coffee mug and make sure to fill it up. Going to be fun!

Playoff Race

We’ve seen the Bucs win the NFC South landfill with a losing record, 8-9. Who is to say the Bucs cannot do it again?

After yesterday’s curb-stomping of Carolina, “this Joe” has the thought of Bucs’ playoff games dancing in his head!

The Bucs are one game out in the win column from first place in the NFC South landfill. The Stinking Panthers are 3-3. The Dixie Chicks are 3-4. The Bucs and slimy Saints are 2-5.

The Bucs host the Dixie Chicks on Sunday. A win over Atlanta would put the Bucs in a tie for second place with nine games left.

It’s crazy but true: The Bucs are very much in the thick of a division race with a 2-5 record. Who woulda thunk it?

There are 10 games left. The way Joe looks at it, ***if*** yesterday at Carolina was not a fluke and that was the real Bucs, Joe doesn’t think it is nuts for the Bucs to go 6-4 the rest of the way.

That would give the Bucs an 8-9 record. Again, the Bucs have proven under KitKat-eating Bucs coach Todd Bowles that can be enough to win the NFC South landfill.

Stranger things have happened.

Props To Zac Robinson

Joe has been really tough on first-year Bucs offensive coordinator Zac Robinson. And for good reason, Joe believes. Until yesterday, the offense was horrific through for six games. Maybe the worst Bucs offense Joe has seen.

Joe isn’t sure what happened specifically yesterday. But Joe does know Robinson had a come-to-Jesus meeting with his offense Monday. Robinson described it as “tough.” Baker Mayfield said words were spoken and it needed to happen.

Joe doesn’t know if the arse-chewing (where Robinson said he scolded the Bucs offense for a lack of attention to the small details) directly resulted in yesterday’s impressive ground-and-pound assault.

But why did Robinson wait so long? It was almost too late.

Now on the FOX broadcast, “Moose” Johnston suggested Robinson had changed or tinkered with the blocking schemes for Sunday. That could have been why the run game looked so fantastic.

Regardless, Joe has to give Robinson props. You helped your offense earn a win. Now keep it up. And please do not delay if you have to verbally crack heads to get players to play right.

Sack Machine

Look out now, but the Bucs are coming after opposing quarterbacks. And no, it’s not IRS agents posing as Bucs defenders.

Five sacks (!) yesterday matches last week’s total of five sacks (in a loss). That’s 10 sacks in the last two games.

Who let the dogs out?

Even Todd Bowles is liking it. When YaYa Diaby got his first sack of the season, FOX cameras cut to Bowles on the Bucs sideline giving YaYa a low-five. And this is a man who has been very public in his disdain for sacks.

The Bucs are now on pace for 39 sacks this season. They had 37 sacks last season and 46 sacks in the 2024 season, after 48 in 2023.

Has Bowles changed his tune on sacks not meaning much and not leading to turnovers and wins? Joe sure hopes so!

Calijah Kancey’s Backflop

Joe nearly had a heart attack yesterday. And no, it wasn’t because the Bucs were making tremendous defensive plays right and left in the win over the Stinking Panthers.

It happened when Bucs defensive tackle Calijah Kancey did what Joe called a backflop.

Kancey scooped up a Bryce Young fumble when he was sacked by Al-Quadin Muhammad. As soon as Kancey crossed the goal line, he attempted a frontflip, perhaps influenced by Tez Johnson’s many successful ones in the end zone.

Instead, Joe called Kancey’s move a backflop. You know, like a bellyflop, Kancey landed on the turf square on his back and didn’t stick the landing like Johnson does every time.

Kancey, you may recall, has had difficulty staying healthy and staying on the field. When he landed square on his back after the touchdown, Joe thought for sure Kancey got hurt. Joe nearly fell out of his chair.

If anyone remembers a bellyflop, those things are painful. But doing that on your back on the concrete underneath the turf of Bank of America Stadium, Joe cannot imagine how much that must have hurt.

If Joe hears today Kancey is visiting a chiropractor, it wouldn’t shocking. That was a nasty fall.

So Joe has fingers crossed to not see Kancey on the injury report Wednesday with a sore back of some sort.

Todd Bowles’ Job Security

Joe thought the following before yesterday’s blowout victory and the thought was sent into overdriv after the Bucs won:

Tons of Bucs fans want KitKat-eating Bucs coach Todd Bowles gone. Right now. Today. Bowles seems to be the least popular Bucs coach since Joe launched this here corner of the interwebs back in August 2008. The offense, up until yesterday, was grotesque.

However, the Bucs defense under Bowles has quietly been playing very strong ball of late. Too good for some Bucs fans.

That got Joe thinking, perhaps Team Glazer would use the clear defensive progress as a rationale for bringing Bowles back in 2027. Team Glazer might say, ‘all we need is a good offensive coordinator and the team would be set.’ Why get rid of a coach who has crafted a good defense this year, Team Glazer could rationalize.

After the Bucs completely throttled the Stinking Panthers 43-13 yesterday, it’s not crazy today to think Team Glazer may want to run it back with Bowles again in 2027.

Calijah Kancey with the scoop and score 🗣️

TBvsCAR on FOX/FOX One
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— NFL (@NFL) October 25, 2026