Someone Is Seeing The Light
May 25th, 2025
Ever since Tom Brady retired, so many folks in the national media have been blowing taps for the Bucs as a relevant franchise. It’s made Joe ill.
It’s like people can’t wait for the Bucs to suck. Every year it’s the same thing. Oh, Derek Carr will take over the NFC South. Oh, Kirk Cousins will lead the Dixie Chicks to the Super Bowl!
How did those brave and bold takes work out?
Now? It’s how Bryce Young will come into his own under the wise tutelage and foresight and professionalism of Dave Canales.
Same ol’ song and dance. Each and every year.
Well, friend of Ira, Judy Battista of NFL.com, has had enough of expecting the Bucs to implode. In typing a story of the most vulnerable defending division champions, Battista has the Bucs as the least-likely NFC division winner not to repeat in 2025.
Confession: Last May in this space, I listed the Bucs as the co-most vulnerable division champ. Every year, I make the mistake of thinking Tampa Bay is vulnerable just because the NFC South is so underwhelming. And every year for the past four, the Bucs have prevailed. Why might that change in 2025? Well, quarterback Michael Penix Jr. gave the Falcons a spark when he took over the job last season and he is the entrenched starter now. And Atlanta finally addressed its pass rush in the draft. Bryce Young looked greatly improved after his benching last season in Carolina and he has a pretty nice receiving corps now. The Saints are in for a post-Derek Carr reset, but the Falcons and Panthers could give the Bucs a real push in the division race. Still, Baker Mayfield is clearly the best quarterback of the group and he will have a stellar group of receivers. Continuity counts for plenty, and Tampa Bay has it. You don’t always have to be dominant to win your division, and the Bucs get the job done.
Well, here is the thing about the Dixie Chicks finally “fixing” their pass rush ills. That may happen next year.
Rarely do rookie edge rushers dominate. They are no longer going against children. They are facing grown-arse men. Big difference.
Oh sure, ever year a rookie beast will show up. You know, a guy with the last name “Bosa.” By far, however, the norm is rookie edge rushers have a learning curve before balling out in the NFL.
So if folks think the Dixie Chicks drafting edge rushers means they will compete now, slow down.
Joe would not be surprised if the Stinking Panthers pushed the Bucs this year. But on paper, Joe has no idea how folks think the Bucs won’t win the division.
May 25th, 2025 at 12:42 am
13 – 4 with a Top 3 offense and top 10 defense. 50+ Sacks and 15+ INTs. Book it. NFC Championship game at Least
May 25th, 2025 at 12:43 am
I agree about the Falcons rookie pass rush. The Falcons have Bijon or whatever his name is and he’s a beast. However they have many vulnerabilities against a big strong team like the Bucs. Why are the Florida Panthers kicking every teams tail in the Playoffs? They are Big and Fast and Tough. Paul Maurice, gotta respect him, pulled a Coop this year. You don’t need the best record, you need to peak at the end of the season and just make it to the show. Then kick the cr_p out of every team you you face. Jason Licht has finally built a team like this and it starts with Baker who thinks he’s a linebacker playing QB. I’ve already placed my bets on Tampa to win Division and Super Bowl.
May 25th, 2025 at 12:44 am
And Conference lol
May 25th, 2025 at 2:00 am
Yawn…..im not worried
May 25th, 2025 at 3:07 am
Welcome the NFL rook courtesy of Tristan and Luke. Falcons rookies are going to get rag dolled.
May 25th, 2025 at 4:11 am
The Bucs lost six games last year. Erase the injuries, and the Bucs May have only lost one of those games. Replay those games with the healthy and reloaded Bucs team this year. With have more quality depth in most of the positions that were weak last year; reasonably healthy, this year’s team would only reasonably be expected to loose the Broncos game
Besides the boost on offense and at DB, the Bucs also have their own rookie pass rush boost. Their draft credentials are not as impressive as those of the Falcons rookies. But, that counts for nada once NFL play begins.
Think about the fight the Bucs put up all last season despite crippling injuries on defense and offense.
– The Bucs lost to the Cowboys by 2 points – winnable last year and more winnable this year
– The Bucs lost to the 49ers by 3 points – winnable last year and more winnable this year.
– The Bucs lost to the Falcons by 5 points and 6 points – both games were winnable last year and are more winnable this year.
– The Bucs lost to the Ravens by 10 points – the Bucs were ahead 7-0 when Evans was injured and dropped a touchdown pass in the end zone. On the same drive, a Godwin TD was called back because of a holding penalty called against Wirth – what are the odds – on 4th and goal from the Ravens 5, the Bucs kicked a field goal. With the score 10-7 Bucs, with 2nd and goal from the Ravens 3, Mayfield’s pass to McMillan was intercepted. The game was winnable last year and is more winnable this year.
– The Bucs lost to the Broncos by 19 points – 14 of those points were surrendered in the first quarter when SirVocea Dennis and then KJ Britt were beaten to the right corner of the end zone on ugly plays. The game was winnable last year. The limited improvement at ILB leaves this game in doubt.
May 25th, 2025 at 5:01 am
Young could have a break-out year. All-in-All, I am not worried. Bucs have a great roster and coaches. Looking around the league, we have the proven talent.
May 25th, 2025 at 5:13 am
The division may be more competitive this year but that doesnt mean the bucs got worse. far far from it. some of these writers connect dots that they shouldnt.
May 25th, 2025 at 5:30 am
It’s funny to me now. Was not then. But these same so called journalists were poitive Brady was washed, had a weak arm and could never pull it off here in Tampa as I recall. What say we play the games and find out they are once again full of crap.
Go Bucs!
May 25th, 2025 at 5:55 am
Joe … ‘So if folks think the Dixie Chicks drafting edge rushers means they will compete for the division this season, slow down. History tells us that’s not likely to occur.’
I’m confident that the Bucs will repeat as NFC South champs, but it’ll probably only be by a game or 2 (like in recent years). Of the other 3 teams in our division though, only the Falcons concern me. They’ve taken an approach to ‘rebuilding’ that pretty much parallels the Bucs’ approach it appears to me.
Their offense ended the year on a high note with Michael Penix at the helm, even though they lost 2 of the last 3 games. After their BYE, Falcons had 6 games left. Kirk Cousins started the first 3 and they lost 2-out-of-3, averaging 16 PPG offensively and surrendering 23 PPG defensively.
Then Penix took over. Won the 1st one (34-7) against the Giants, but lost the next 2, both in Overtime, 30-24 against the Commanders & 44-38 against the Panthers. But even though they lost, their offense averaged 32 PPG, double what it had under Kirk Cousins. Admittedly their defense still sucked, allowing a slightly higher 27 PPG average. Small wonder that they’ve focused on fixing their defense. But it’ll likely take a year (maybe 2) for that to bear fruit.
May 25th, 2025 at 6:42 am
Penix will regress this year. Just saying…
May 25th, 2025 at 6:54 am
The Falcons and Panthers are very capable of beating the Bucs if they are taken lightly. Cousins was terrible last year — except when he played the Bucs.
It’s time for the Bucs to respect, yet dominate, the division teams. Going 4-2 for a third year in a row isn’t cutting it, especially with the young QB’s in the division. Sweeping the division, and finally winning some night games, and the Bucs can make a deep run.
May 25th, 2025 at 6:57 am
Barring an injury to Baker and or Bucky, the Bucs are top 3 NFC Offense and top 5 NFL Offense.
If we can improve our ILB holes along with better play from Dean specifically, we are set to go all the way.
May 25th, 2025 at 7:36 am
WestPhillyBucsFan… I like your thinking!!
With all the draft capital Atlanta used to draft their two edge rushers, would be beautiful if Walker outplayed them both
LOL
May 25th, 2025 at 7:39 am
” Then Penix took over. Won the 1st one (34-7) against the Giants, but lost the next 2, both in Overtime, 30-24 against the Commanders & 44-38 against the Panthers. But even though they lost, their offense averaged 32 PPG, double what it had under Kirk Cousins. Admittedly their defense still sucked, allowing a slightly higher 27 PPG average. Small wonder that they’ve focused on fixing their defense. But it’ll likely take a year (maybe 2) for that to bear fruit.”
38 against a historically woeful defense and 34 against a team that picked 2nd in the draft aren’t as impressive in context.
May 25th, 2025 at 7:42 am
Hard to imagine the Bucs putting up less than about 30 points per game most Sundays. That by itself will make this team hard to beat.
May 25th, 2025 at 7:55 am
Unsure about Penix yet this year. Could be a break-out year for him too. Sort have been wondering if Caleb Williams approving this season too. A lot of ifs.
Baker is a proven winner.
Lt. Dan – Absolutely right! Go Bucs!
May 25th, 2025 at 8:14 am
“Rarely do rookie edge rushers dominate. They are no longer going against children. They are facing grown-arse men. Big difference.” – Joe
I have to assume then that this will apply to our own rookies as well? I’m hoping we have that rookie beast. That would be amazing.
As to my own hopes for this year, the Bucs record has improved by one game each year in recent times under Bowles. Though injuries are a constant wildcard, I see no reason the trend cannot continue.
Bowles has turned the Bucs into a team that improves as a season progresses. Even if the Bucs start rough (I don’t expect that to be the case), that won’t mean they don’t make the playoffs. That is because there is no quit in the team. Arians installed that culture, and Bowles has maintained it.
So I think 11 wins is a reasonable hope.
That said, if Baker goes down, it could go either way.
May 25th, 2025 at 9:23 am
Not a good sign. Hide this from Baker. Just post the Bucs Suck ones. Reverse psychology works for Baker.
May 25th, 2025 at 9:31 am
Trice and Dorlus are going to be second year defenders for ATL