Five Things
November 10th, 2025
Emeka Egbuka came to play Sunday.
OK, rotten Sunday. Gloomy, depressing. Just like the Bucs offense. And here comes the polar vortex. Is that a sign of things to come? Grab your coffee and let’s go.
Quit Using Injuries As A Crutch
Joe wants to give Bucs offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard a pass. Injuries are a female dog.
But looking around the league yesterday, Joe saw lesser teams with lesser talents perform just as well if not better than the Bucs offense.
Joe doesn’t want to hear any more about how the offense is handicapped without Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Bucky Irving. Losing those guys would hurt any team, but your offensive coordinator is supposed to find ways to put players in positions to make plays, no matter their name recognition, Q-rating or resume.
The Dolphins scored 30 points on Buffalo yesterday. You telling Joe Miami didn’t have injuries? Mike McDaniel found a way to put points on the board.
The Jets scored 27 yesterday. The Jets! Aside from Garrett Wilson, name two of their receivers. Quick!
The slimy Saints had a rookie quarterback making his second start. They put up 17 on a solid team — and won.
The Commandos scored 22 points with that godawful runaround quarterback Marcus Mariota of all people behind center! Please!
Somehow, the aforementioned teams and coordinators found ways to put points on the board (or win games) about as much as the Bucs did, with less talent than the Bucs offense had yesterday.
Don’t tell Joe all of these teams are loaded on offense with Pro Bowlers and future Hall of Famers?
Grizzard has had how many weeks to craft an offense without Evans and Godwin and Bucky? This just in: It’s a fair bet none of those three will be available next week in Buffalo and maybe not in Los Angeles in two weeks.
Gee, a nationally-televised primetime game against a Sean McVay offense. That will be fun.
Throw Past The Sticks, Please
It’s a pet peeve of Joe’s to see quarterbacks checking down to receivers on third downs short of the sticks. What exactly are you trying to accomplish?
So Joe was going nuts yesterday watching Bucs offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard having receivers run short routes when the Bucs, on third downs, needed anywhere from 8-12 yards.
Have the Bucs really dismissed the importance of punting that much that they can waste third downs in order to move forward two or three yards? Really?
It was bad when former Bucs commander Greg Schiano was doing that with Mike Glennon and it was bad yesterday when Grizzard was setting Baker Mayfield up to fail.
Fourth-and-three down one score with the ball on the New England-27 and you call a screen pass that loses three yards? Really?
An offense may get away with that crapola if their opponent is fundamentally bankrupt. That’s not Mike Vrabel’s defense. They are sound and they tackle.
Sacks And Almost-Sacks (Pressures)
Joe actually read someone on Twitter rave about the Bucs’ pass rush, crowing that on one Drake Maye pass play, the Bucs had a “great pressure.”
Yes, really. Someone had the unmitigated gall to refer to a pressure as “great.” You know, one of those almost-sacks that some stat nerds pant over like they mean something. This just in: They don’t.
Let’s roll up onto the sidewalk and take a look at how Drake Maye did under this “great” pressure: Maye threw for 270 yards, two touchdowns and averaged a whopping 16.9 yards per completion.
Yup, pressure really screwed this kid up.
A “great pressure” is only slightly better than a great toothache. As always, good quarterbacks are not significantly affected by pressures. Good quarterbacks, on the other hand, are very much affected by sacks.
Oh, sacks you ask? How did the Bucs do there? Well, Maye entered the game second in the league in sacks taken (second to Cam Ward of Tennessee). He had taken an average of 3.7 sacks a game.
Bucs coach Todd Bowles’ defense, famous in all corners of the globe for racking up several dozens of sacks each season from edge rushers, had a grand total of one sack of Maye.
Pathetic! That came from tackle Elijah Roberts.
That monster edge rush of the Bucs that puts fear into every quarterback who steps on the field against the Bucs? Zero sacks.
Are you really surprised? Joe sure isn’t.
Props To Emeka Egbuka
What a difference a rested and healthy (?) Emeka Egbuka is. The Bucs need Egbuka for the next few weeks to play like a No. 1 receiver if the Bucs are to win the NFC South and position themselves for a run through the playoffs.
However, Joe has been uncomfortable banking on a rookie to lead a team’s aerial attack. But Emeka put his claim in as the No. 1 receiver, at least until the dust settles and injured dudes heal up.
Egbuka had a touchdown and 115 yards receiving on 6 catches for just under 20 yards a catch. Egbuka is on pace for 10 touchdowns and 1,200 yards receiving.
Boy, this Bucs offense would be so screwed without Egbuka. Thank goodness Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht was playing chess while other NFL general managers were playing checkers.
Shuffling Off To Buffalo
This grim three-game stretch grew darker for the Bucs, as yesterday the plunging Dolphins scored 30 points (!) on Buffalo in an upset over the Bills in South Florida.
Joe is willing to bet the Bucs’ offense had more talent on the field yesterday than squirrely Mike McDaniel’s outfit.
In this Joe’s mind, this is setting up like the Detroit game. When the Bucs lost to Detroit before crushing the slimy Saints, the prior week the Lions got shellacked by the Chiefs. The Lions were downright angry and were waiting for the Bucs to walk into their den. And they pounded the Bucs.
The Bucs are catching the Bills at the very wrong time. And Bills head coach Sean McDermott is an underrated defensive coach despite his horrid run defense.
Memo to the Bucs: Mike Evans and Chris Godwin are unlikely to walk through that door this week. So plan accordingly. And no more using their absence as a crutch. Win with the hand that’s dealt. Other teams can and do.
November 10th, 2025 at 5:30 am
I am going to Buffalo, the last season at Orchad Park, hopefully we can close it out in style. Buffalo’s WR don’t scare me nor does it’s defense but if we tackle and pursue like we did against NE the younger Cook brother will shred us.
Again, I have no idea how we can block the Rams or even touch Stafford in two weeks. Scary 3 game stretch for sure.
November 10th, 2025 at 5:41 am
It’s not the talent or lack there of it’s the coaching Joe. Wanna bet this season under Bowles will be like every other season. Get lucky and win a division title in a crappy division for the last couple years then lose fast in the playoffs.Same story same coaches mistakes.
November 10th, 2025 at 5:47 am
When do the Bucs get angry and pound the snot out of their opponent? These post bye week losses are pathetic
November 10th, 2025 at 5:53 am
The loss yesterday is exactly the type of garbage we have seen from a Bowles’ coached team for large chunks of every season. Bowles is getting stubborn again too, he kept putting Morrison in the game and then Jamel Dean is on the sidelines as the rookie gets burned. Bowles’ D allowed 5 or so explosive plays, pathetic. The O put up 3 TDs and a field goal, they could run the ball but ended up playing catch up. The 4th down failures were an issue too. Bad day for the Bucs.
November 10th, 2025 at 5:59 am
To your point, and don’t forget Joe that the Patriots had a top receiver and running back out with injuries as well as in-game injuries that they overcame. That was a winnable game which is the most frustrating part about it. If not for last-second self restraint, I would have lost a TV over this.
November 10th, 2025 at 6:04 am
The Jets aren’t the best example – they were playing the Browns and their offense scored only 1 of those TDs.
The overall point holds, though. The offense needs to be better, regardless of all the injuries. Jordan whiffing to end that 2nd last drive was the icing on the poop cake of bad play and plays.
November 10th, 2025 at 6:14 am
the play calling is pathetic… lol at those who started whispering about a todd bowles coaching tree. what foolish nonsense.
November 10th, 2025 at 6:20 am
Wanting to get Morrison snaps over Dean is starting to make the staff & FO look stupid at this point. Deans’ having a pro bowl worthy season, and to rookie has looked OK(that’s it & at times) before getting his boots smoked yesterday
November 10th, 2025 at 6:32 am
Give Morrison snaps when we are a head in the game not when we struggleing that’s why I keep saying this coaching staff has to go they have no clue what they are doing.
November 10th, 2025 at 6:33 am
So Jason Licht you are standing pat with your hand and betting this team does not need 1 or 2 more quality players to win the Super Bowl????????
How is that going for you Jason Licht???????????
November 10th, 2025 at 6:34 am
They have won with backups before.
They lost yesterday because NE was more intense.
The Bucs could not get to the QB and could not cover the WRs. And they gave up two long runs because the Bucs LBs sucked.
And that includes David. Yes, he’s had a great career. But he also can be called out.
Bowles has to get them ready to beat Buffalo. I don’t want to hear how hard it is to win on the road. NE just did it.
Stop whining Bucs and get tougher.
Everyone has injuries.
November 10th, 2025 at 6:40 am
1) Maye completed passes under pressure, Baker did not.
2) The Defense is always out of position.
3) Receivers are always in the same area.
4) Bucs generally play lethargic.
5) The punter f’ng sucks, especially since he was hyped all off season.
The Bucs have the talent, they’ve beat good teams and still can. They’re just not making the plays when the opportunity is there like they were at the beginning of the year. Sometimes the players have to make the plays, Diggs wasn’t open at the end of the half, he just made the play to put up 7 for his team. Bucs need someone to step up and make the tough plays
November 10th, 2025 at 6:45 am
Spot on!
November 10th, 2025 at 6:48 am
At least Griz wont be a head coach somewhere else next year.
November 10th, 2025 at 6:48 am
Get an Aussie punter
November 10th, 2025 at 7:13 am
It was prescient of Jason Licht to not only draft Emeka but also Tez. Tex hasn’t contributed a whole lot, but he gives defenses pause to beware of his speed. 2 WRs in this past draft when we were “stacked in the WR room”.
November 10th, 2025 at 7:15 am
No one is using injuries as a crutch. Jason Licht did nothing to help this team, common sense says you get help with as many out of season and injured players this team has. The eagles, Seahawks, colts and others went out and traded for players. Jason did nothing. After the bye those same players are still out. That tells me one thing they aren’t serious about winning. What does that tell the fans?
November 10th, 2025 at 7:17 am
Honestly we need to draft Jeremiah Smith if we can this year. Move on from Godwin and Evans whio knows. Buy a lb and edge in free agency. Or trade up for bain of miami
November 10th, 2025 at 7:18 am
McCollum gets an F for this game- probably the worst of his career
November 10th, 2025 at 7:24 am
When do the excuses stop and people start believing what they’re seeing?
We have a sufficiently talented team but good coaching beats talent when good talent is isn’t coached.
The Bucs are poorly coached and far too often poorly prepared.
November 10th, 2025 at 8:08 am
2 weeks to prepare for a huge game and this team showed nothing but confusion and lethargy. Absolutely pathetic job by Bowles and his staff. Every one of them failed miserably.
This team is weak physically and mentally.
November 10th, 2025 at 8:20 am
A critical element has been missing from the Bucs offense for the last 3 games. And that is Baker not scrambling for first downs, or really not scrambling at all. I am thinking that Baker is not feeling healthy enough to do so, and perhaps the coaching staff is also instructing him not to, so that he can stay on the field.
November 10th, 2025 at 8:26 am
Joe’s turning on the team. Name a different team with at least 5 of it 11 players on offense not playing? This is why the team is in a slide. Tell me i am wrong JOE.