The Pick That Gave The Bucs Playoff Life
January 3rd, 2026
Pick saved Bucs?
Bucs coach Todd Bowles preaches takeaways so much that periodically, Joe thinks lousy Lovie Smith snuck through the hole in the fence near the Glazer Shed.
Lovie didn’t seem to give a damn about defense so long as a player was trying to knock the ball loose or get a pick. Tackling? Fuhgettaboutit.
Joe is weird because Joe believes in playing good, sound, fundamental defense first and once a team establishes that, then you focus on takeaways.
Bowles stresses takeaways, too. He’s just not obsessed fully with them as lousy Lovie was.
Tonight, it was a takeaway that the Bucs turned to points that may have saved the Bucs’ playoff lives.
Jacob Parrish jumped a route when Stinking Panthers midget quarterback Bryce Young tried to get to Tet McMillan. The Tet Offensive failed as Parrish hauled in the pass, returning it to the midfield with 1:51 left in the first half.
Inexplicably, Bucs coach Todd Bowles decided to drain the clock and play for a field goal. Madness! (Joe will have more on that Sunday morning.)
But the Bucs turned Young’s pick into three points thanks to a Chase McLaughlin 36-yard field goal, giving the Bucs a 13-7 lead.
The Bucs won 16-14.
Whew.
“They capitalized on some of our turnovers,” Carolina coach Dave Canales said.
Well, the Bucs capitalized on one. And it proved to win the game Saturday and keep the Bucs’ playoff hopes alive.
January 3rd, 2026 at 8:59 pm
Yep !
January 3rd, 2026 at 9:02 pm
The second TO was bigger than the pick. The Panthers were starting to pick the D apart and then the fumble. Bryce Young looked like Cam in the SB hesitating to jump on that football
January 3rd, 2026 at 9:03 pm
Way to hang in there Babyface! You will get better.
January 3rd, 2026 at 9:04 pm
Bad throw by young but at least he made the play. Parrish is going to have issues with bigger, taller recievers like McMillan. We need Dean back.
January 3rd, 2026 at 9:04 pm
lousy Lovie and irritable Bowel – Bucs sure suck at HC hires!
January 3rd, 2026 at 9:06 pm
Young corners played good loved seeing them play in your face instead of soft zone
January 3rd, 2026 at 9:06 pm
“Tet offensive”… nice. Got to be over 60, or a history buff to get that😊
January 3rd, 2026 at 9:08 pm
Takeaways > Sacks
And we played plenty zone tonight lol
January 3rd, 2026 at 9:15 pm
Tet offensive….nice Joe….it won’t escape a few here but it will likely escape most.
January 3rd, 2026 at 9:17 pm
I was thinking when I saw the defensive formation on the last play of the game, with al of the guys way back to cover the hail Mary – it pretty much looked like every other normal formation throughout the rest of the game. Seriously.
January 3rd, 2026 at 9:23 pm
Lovie is coaching HS football now!
January 3rd, 2026 at 9:30 pm
Our offense scored 16 points–wow how far we have fallen
January 3rd, 2026 at 9:35 pm
firethecannons Says:
January 3rd, 2026 at 9:30 pm
Our offense scored 16 points–wow how far we have fallen
I guess you didn’t notice the game was played in sometimes heavy rain? It’s not that easy for a wide open pass game under rainy conditions, especially with two third string offensive linemen starting tonight. Bake had some nice passes when he rolled out away from the pass rushers.
January 3rd, 2026 at 9:47 pm
IBS=Irritable Bowles Syndrome? Yeah that clock drain was mystifying, where was the clock manager on that end of half drive? Oh, Beer run.
January 3rd, 2026 at 9:51 pm
It’s incredible that the Bucs went to man, didn’t sit in zone, and good things happened. Yeah, you will sometimes get burned, but you’ll also make plays – like this for example.
January 3rd, 2026 at 9:59 pm
Fully agree with Joe. Let your defense play the game they’ve been taught all their lives: fundamental, sound, aggressive. Do that, the turnovers will come naturally.
But to design your D around relying on the other team to make mistakes? Foolish and unsustainable.
January 3rd, 2026 at 10:10 pm
……………..BSBS99999999999
January 3rd, 2026 at 10:32 pm
Rough day for the boys that Tet offensive!
Fire Bowels and his staff!
January 4th, 2026 at 11:27 am
” Stinking Panthers midget quarterback”
Is that really necessary?