Defense Holds Arizona To Second-Lowest Point Total Of 2025
November 30th, 2025
Joe knows too many fans are going to cry and whine about how the Bucs didn’t win by enough points and how the Cardinals moved the ball too easily on Tampa Bay.
Both of those things are true.
A horrendous Chris Godwin drop in the end zone on third down cost the Bucs four points today. Another third-down drop by Emeka Egbuka probably cost the Bucs at least a field goal.
That’s football.
The Cardinals scored 17 points and were snuffed out cleanly deep in their own territory while attempting a game-winning drive. Yes, the Bucs defense won the game.
Those 17 points Arizona scored? That was their second-lowest point total of the season. You’d have to go back to September to find a game in which Arizona scored less than 20 points. The 49ers held them to 15 points in a 16-15 win by San Francisco.
So fans won’t find this Joe barking about the Bucs defense tonight. It made progress. It accomplished what only one other team did this season.
It’s something.
November 30th, 2025 at 5:00 pm
Cry and whine???? Go F yourself kiss ass journalist just to be on their good side. Grow a pair and go do your job.
What kind of response is that? Joe is a fan. Joe does not care about being on the Bucs’ good side. The team can strip Joe’s credentials tomorrow and this site would probably be more popular, certainly at least as popular. Joe learned a long time ago that no matter what Joe writes, fans, other media and the team will be annoyed. It’s liberating, actually. Joe is a free man in a free space. –Joe
November 30th, 2025 at 5:00 pm
Bowles for life!!!
November 30th, 2025 at 5:00 pm
D made the stop when needed…….pass defense and pass rush still impotent.
What bothers me is our Offense……inconsistent….continually throwing the ball behind the sticks….poor pass protection and Baker missed some throws.
November 30th, 2025 at 5:01 pm
I caught just the bonus coverage out here in the west, saw the Bucs offense punt and then the defense make a strong stand to end Arizona’s chance. For those four plays they looked good to me. If only the Rams had been able to win this would’ve been an even better outcome, but I’m happy with the win. Go Bucs!
November 30th, 2025 at 5:02 pm
Soooooooooo Happy we won!!! But why do we run screens with no blockers???
Now back to the defensive conversation…..
November 30th, 2025 at 5:04 pm
Crying and whining are a specialty for Tb Buc fans
November 30th, 2025 at 5:04 pm
Ok let’s see how they do against playoff teams… oh wait, we got SMOKED by the last 3 playoff teams we played
Barely beat the 3 win cardinals, congrats
November 30th, 2025 at 5:06 pm
Cards lost SEVEN games by a combined 19 points
November 30th, 2025 at 5:09 pm
That’s right get em Joe. Man they just keep crying and whining. It’s all Bowles fault. Fire Bowles.
November 30th, 2025 at 5:10 pm
Dean and Reddick make the D better.
If M Harrison Jr had been healthy, McCollum would’ve been in trouble again- he lets the receivers get behind him- recipe for disaster
November 30th, 2025 at 5:12 pm
The Rams gave up 31 points to Carolina today. That’s the same amount of points the Bucs gave up to the Rams last week. If you use Bucs fans’ logic, the Rams are garbage and should fire McVay immediately.
November 30th, 2025 at 5:16 pm
Make my decision next week. Today was not enough. However, I’ll take the win!!!
November 30th, 2025 at 5:19 pm
Bucs doing what the Bucs do. Lose to the good teams slide by the bad ones. Carolina did what we couldn’t do, beat the Rams. The season, the division is riding on the two games against Carolina. Might come down to the last game of the season.
November 30th, 2025 at 5:19 pm
We are an average team maybe slight above average team when Mike and Calijah comes back. Griz calls the game more like Mike Mcdaniel than Coen did , frustrates the fans. Todd may need some one like Kacy Rodgers back or maybe someone better than him, not sure Charlie is the answer.
November 30th, 2025 at 5:21 pm
I don’t think the defense played well at all. So many missed tackles. Got lucky they turned it over twice after driving and missed a chip shot fg.
November 30th, 2025 at 5:23 pm
so the panthers can beat the rams but the bucs cant beat the rams (actually got smoked by them) then the bucs will not win the south because they wont be able to beat the panthers.
November 30th, 2025 at 5:25 pm
Joe should block Cybersecurity_intern’s IP address. That comment was completely uncalled for.
As for the Cardinals, if you didn’t think this was going to be a close game then you haven’t watched them at all. They pass the ball a lot, especially with Brisset starting. Holding the Cards to 17 is a good feat.
The offensive play calling on the other hand…
November 30th, 2025 at 5:25 pm
Man… I can’t sing any praises for Dennis or Zyon again.
How awful were those guys being 2nd and 3rd in on that Cards player and both missing the tackle behind the sticks. Embarrassing. Zyon was getting roasted again. Gotta bench this dude. Show me Bryce Hall. Can’t be worse.
November 30th, 2025 at 5:26 pm
I am sure will change but you can make huge money >>>>
Bucs are favored 3.5 and 7 points in both games also favored 7.5 next weeks game.
November 30th, 2025 at 5:30 pm
Fire Bowles!
November 30th, 2025 at 5:30 pm
Well said, Joe!
November 30th, 2025 at 5:32 pm
D-Rome Says:
November 30th, 2025 at 5:25 pm
“Joe should block Cybersecurity_intern’s IP address. That comment was completely uncalled for.”
Agreed. Block Anthem too. Not a single positive post since he’s been here.
November 30th, 2025 at 5:34 pm
I was almost impressed today. I actually saw Bucs secondary in the TV grabs of a number of Card receptions! Baby Steps but steps no the less. For a Defensive Guru, Todd has me totally confused. Doesn’t he like contested catches ? Progress is progress and I loved getting the W! I’m with you Joe re Cybersecurity comment Joe. I moved here in 1999 and have found you extremely fair in your dissection of all things Buc. Keep up the good work partner. PS: Bowles Is far from a Defensive Guru!
November 30th, 2025 at 5:35 pm
Panthers have to play 49ers and Seahawks this year. Teams we beat.
They won by 3 today. In the rain. Rams were leading in the 4th.
Cant just assume they will beat us. And what kind of Bucs fan thinks like this?
November 30th, 2025 at 5:39 pm
It is a lot of somethings. So happy we won.
I wasn’t happy with the refs. Still think we got cheated out of another TD. In the end we won. Defense and offense did well.
November 30th, 2025 at 5:53 pm
Joe way too nice to that a__hole, cybersecurity intern–whats his beef? I appreciated the defense holding them on the last drive–well done! Cardinals are a good team, they just need a few more pieces and learn how to win. They play hard.
November 30th, 2025 at 6:04 pm
Again, the same dipsticks complaining about not winning big enough today are the same idiots who thought winning the week 6 ESPN Power Poll was a huge accomplishment. They’re morons, crybabies and very low IQ individuals prone to huge emotional swings.
November 30th, 2025 at 6:09 pm
As other posters have pointed out, the Cardinals are not as bad as their record indicates.
Our season is definitely not over as skill players returning to the lineup need time to regain their normal rhythms and hopefully return to pre-injury form. If we’re trending up on offense, it should be clear when the Aints come to town. If continuing offensive improvement isn’t apparent next Sunday, the outlook on the games against the Falcons, Dolphins and Panthers(!) will be much dimmer.
As far as our defense goes, the Bowles defensive strategy is — and will always be — a head scratcher. Bowles simply calls conservative pass protections until the red zone is threatened. This strategy gives up way too many yards and leaves the defense out on the field too long. Brissett passing for 300 yds and AZ only being forced to punt twice? That’s why we lose against quality teams when we don’t have an offense on the field that can generate 30 points per game.
The Buc’s have the tools to get back to a 30-point offense. Let’s see if Grizzard is learning enough to do his job well enough to get us to the playoffs. Otherwise, he’s one and done.
Go Bucs!!
November 30th, 2025 at 6:12 pm
Bucs were lucky to get out of this game with a W. Let’s see how we do with these last 5 games. We’ll probably be favored in four of them. Maybe not in Charlotte.
I’m not impressed with this win today, but am thankful it was a win.
November 30th, 2025 at 6:20 pm
Sorry this is a terrible take. 2 lucky turnovers, an easy missed field goal and a 4th down stop or cards woulda scored 30