Available Players For Final Worthless Preseason Game Speaks Volumes About Charlie Heck
August 23rd, 2025
Ready?
OK, Joe’s going to try to bring some sunshine into Bucs fans’ world on this gloomy, rainy Saturday morning.
Some are wringing their hands about how the Bucs’ offense will navigate the first few games of the season without All-Pro left tackle Tristan Wirfs.
As Bucs coach Todd Bowles said on Thursday, Wirfs will not go on the dreaded PUP list. That means, potentially, Wirfs may not miss four games. That’s hardly a certainty, but what was certain is Wirfs would have missed at least four games if he went on the PUP list because that is a league rule.
When Bowles declared that no Bucs starters will play in tonight’s Backup Bowl against the Bills, to Joe, that says a lot about Wirfs’ backup and the Bucs’ foreseeable starter at left tackle, Charlie Heck.
Let’s think about this for a second: If the Bucs felt Heck still needed work to hone his skills to play competently, surely they’d put him back on the field tonight. So Joe sees the Bucs at least having some level of confidence Heck is ready to go when the Bucs travel to Atlanta to face the Dixie Chicks to open the 2025 season.
That’s good news, right?
Yes, Heck has played with the first-team offense all through underwear football season and the entire summer. As a result, Joe believes Heck falls under the definition of “starter.” If Bowles puts Heck on the field tonight, then… nevermind.
#BeatAtlanta
August 23rd, 2025 at 11:28 am
JOE,
Don’t you think it is also possible that the recent rash of injuries has scared Bucs leadership? This could also just be them hiding in a hole until the regular season. I don’t expect to see any regular contributors play whatsoever.
August 23rd, 2025 at 11:30 am
Interesting to see some teams play their starters. Mahomes played into the second quarter I believe. Let’s hope there is no rust come opening day. I’ll take potential rust over a potential injury.
August 23rd, 2025 at 11:38 am
It’s the final evaluation for the back half of the roster. It’s kind of cool seeing how differently this 3-game preseason is approached on team to team basis.
There was more of a leaguewide structured way to do it when the 4th game was still in effect. Most established teams would do the dress rehearsal week 3 and then play their reserves in that final preseason game. The difference in how the roster is cut down now, compared to then also plays a part too.
So now it’s like you see more caution in the approach and who plays who is up to the specific team rather than all 32 having the same, more uniformed approach.
August 23rd, 2025 at 11:39 am
I believe Charlie Heck will be facing a lot of Leonard Floyd in their opener against the Falcons.
We’ll see how it go
August 23rd, 2025 at 11:44 am
Heck will be getting a lot of help starting in week 1, that is a fact.
August 23rd, 2025 at 11:53 am
Heck will not help in Atlanta .
August 23rd, 2025 at 11:53 am
Who goes in his absence if he gets hurt?
That’s why he’s not playing.
They need to help him by giving him a chip the first two weeks. Wirfs likely back week 3.
We can still go 2-0 the first two weeks. Gonna take some aggressive offensive game management by Todd.
August 23rd, 2025 at 11:56 am
Heck, can we give the man a break? Dude has big shoes to fill. He’s whom we have at left tackle for now. Maybe a few positive comments would beget good vibes, good karma? What I’ve noticed for weeks is Joe crying and crying over Wirfs injury while, at the same time, seemingly, relegating Heck to nearly an outcast, practice squad wannabe…. Will he make mistakes? Maybe, probably. I’m willing to put ca$h on it that Heck will be every bit as good (if not moreso) than Donovan Smith was his last year with the Buc’s…. I think most of us fans would take that level of play from a backup in this situation…. My money says that Charlie will do a better job than Smith would as the backup to Wirfs.
Thanks, go Bucs
August 23rd, 2025 at 12:03 pm
If one of the Joes could please get Bucs Coach or GM on record saying that Winfield is 100% healthy and ready for the season before the first game , I believe that would be great. I do not want to hear any garbage about Winfield dealing with injury to justify poor play.
August 23rd, 2025 at 1:06 pm
Bet the farm that the Falcons score a TD on their first possession in the opener, one of those patented 14 play 70 yard drives with 85% completion rate and perfect 3rd down co version percentage.
August 23rd, 2025 at 1:14 pm
I might sound out of the loop but “Dixie chicks” as in the falcons, what does that mean, where did it originate from? Curious if anyone could tell me I like that the joes always refer to them as that I just wish I knew why lol
August 23rd, 2025 at 1:18 pm
They can’t afford to NOT protect him. They are in dire straights in terms of talent at LT, so they have to keep him healthy until Wirfs returns. That and they probably just want to get more game experience for Chuckwuma.
August 23rd, 2025 at 1:18 pm
Mahomes went out and played three series yesterday vs the Bears starters, looked great, put up 17 points in those 3 series, and the home fans who are paying full price for the tickets went home happy.
But Baker… he’s to delicate to ask to play even a single snap in the preseason – that’s what Todd Bowles says.
August 23rd, 2025 at 1:38 pm
Chickamauga?
August 23rd, 2025 at 1:41 pm
Yes and no.
In general, after McMillan got hurt, Bowles decided to shut down the starters to get to the regular season without further injuries.
However, do very much believe if they felt Heck needed work, he’d be out there.
August 23rd, 2025 at 1:44 pm
It’s not that the Bucs think Heck is the next Lou Gehrig. It’s that if Heck gets hurt, Tez Johnson is next in line, now that he’s up to 160 lbs.
August 23rd, 2025 at 1:49 pm
Joe Says:
In general, after McMillan got hurt, Bowles decided to shut down the starters to get to the regular season without further injuries.
————
Yet if Bowles had played his starters, McMillan isn’t on the IR since Baker isn’t out there throwing hospital balls. Bowles, by being ‘safe’, got one of his starters in a neck brace and missing at least half the season.
August 23rd, 2025 at 2:20 pm
“Dixie Chicks” comes from a Little Feat song from the early1980’s”
“If you’ll be my Dixie Chicken,
I’ll be your Tennesee Lamb
And we can walk together down in Dixieland”
Alt-Rock. But it’s a perfect insult IMO.
August 23rd, 2025 at 2:23 pm
NFL are a bunch of scumbags charging season ticket holders full price for these worthless games. I have club seats, including parking it cost me right about $1000 for this game. I can’t even get anyone to take them off my hands for $150 total. F the establishment!,
August 23rd, 2025 at 2:31 pm
Dixie is the South/Atlanta, Georgia; Chicks is a weak take on Falcons. That’s where the Joes dreamt that one up. Possibly some Little Feat in there but Joes may not recall them.
August 23rd, 2025 at 2:42 pm
no they wouldnt put heck in under any circumstances. who would they get if he got hurt, a guy who played 40 snaps at left tackle?
August 23rd, 2025 at 3:05 pm
Dixie chicks are (were?) a very popular female country band
August 23rd, 2025 at 3:09 pm
Mauch was a LT.
Barton was a LT.
LT’s are some of the highest paid and highest drafted players for a reason!
I am not happy about rolling into a Super Bowl season with a RT (Heck) being forced to start at LT!
I’d rather cross-train Mauch or Barton at LT than roll the dice with Heck at LT.
I also think we shouid have signed Skule who was solid at LT but weak at RT.
I wonder how the freakish but raw West African UDFA is doing.
His ceiling is very high as a LT.
If Heck sucks, we need to have a plan B after Atlanta!
August 23rd, 2025 at 3:24 pm
Joe’s term was more direct but very much meant to be an insult.
August 23rd, 2025 at 3:25 pm
A-men.
August 23rd, 2025 at 5:02 pm
Lefty Says:
August 23rd, 2025 at 2:23 pm
NFL are a bunch of scumbags charging season ticket holders full price for these worthless games. I have club seats, including parking it cost me right about $1000 for this game. I can’t even get anyone to take them off my hands for $150 total. F the establishment!,
———
Chiefs fans were rocking last night, having a great time, seeing their starters go out and dominate the Bears starters.
The issue isn’t everyone in the NFL, it’s coaches like Bowles who get guys hurt by playing it safe.
August 23rd, 2025 at 5:30 pm
Whoz goin’ chickin Huntin’? Weez goin’ chicken Huntin’!
August 23rd, 2025 at 7:32 pm
So Charlie Heck walks into a bar and the bartender says “Hey bud, why the long face”…
August 25th, 2025 at 9:51 am
@ Obvious: “We can still go 2-0 the first two weeks. Gonna take some aggressive offensive game management by Todd.”
So you’re saying we can’t possibly go 2-0.