The Brutal NFC South
April 6th, 2026
Need more than NFC South titles.
When the Bucs boast they have been the beasts of the NFC South in this decade (but have done little else since the Super Bowl win), Joe can hear Bucs fans groan from Bartow to Venice.
NFL owners love winning divisions for obvious reasons. It’s an extra home game and all the rivers of revenue that come with it. NFL people, from coaches to suits, like to say winning a division is hard.
Joe doesn’t dispute that. But fans, rightly so, don’t care after maybe one division title.
For fans, a division title is not something to brag about. If a team can’t do anything but win a division, that’s not a humble brag for fans, it’s an embarrassment.
A division title is nothing more than a stepping stone for fans. If a team can’t do more, then fans believe there is something wrong.
At SI.com, Nicholas Selbe ranked each NFL division. He has the NFC South as the worst.
Joe agrees and also believes Selbe described the Bucs’ plight of many division titles but zero NFC championship appearances since 2020 to be spot-on.
The Buccaneers are talented, but they usually play down to the competition level of the teams in the weakest division in football, which might explain why the NFC South seems to constantly come down to the final weeks of the regular season.
The Bucs often play down to opponents. How often in the last four years have the Bucs blown out an opponent? Not nearly as much as they should have.
Too often, the Bucs play close games (6-6 in one-score games last year). And when you play close games, guess what? You keep the opponent in the game. And when you keep an opponent in the game, you are setting yourself up to lose.
Playing close games isn’t a quality brag. If anything, team leaders often should hang their heads in shame for allowing a lesser opponents in a game, or worse.
April 6th, 2026 at 7:47 am
“For fans, a division title is not something to brag about. If a team can’t do anything but win a division, that’s not a humble brag for fans, it’s an embarrassment.”
This is funny, because winning the division gets you a top 4 playoff seeding and a postseason home game. So talking as if it is meaningless says more about the folks downing it than it says anything about the guys on the field playing for it.
I do agree on the close games, you’ve got to be able to score and stop the other team from scoring. Trying to win games with long spells of nothing on offense, paired with equally inconsistent defense. You end up with 70% of your schedule being games decided by 7 or few points. Can’t win long term like that, and you damn sure can’t make THAT your identity as a team.
April 6th, 2026 at 7:47 am
Spot on post Joe. And yet – the Bucs keep. “coaches have done all we can do” Coach Bowles. SMH..still.
April 6th, 2026 at 8:10 am
Amen, Joe. Winning the NFC south (only) is NO reason for any coach to keep his job. It’s a garbage conference that should be an easy path to the playoffs and masks those coaches swimming naked.
April 6th, 2026 at 8:12 am
NFC East and AFC North–both won fewer games last year
April 6th, 2026 at 8:17 am
Have done little else in the last decade?
Super Bowl counts for nothing? Spoiled rotten
April 6th, 2026 at 8:50 am
Yawn
April 6th, 2026 at 8:57 am
In any other division the Bucs aint cutting it, but still they kept this [Easy man. That’s a bit over the top. — Joe] coach.
April 6th, 2026 at 8:57 am
Pretty sure Joe mentioned that in the second paragraph.
April 6th, 2026 at 8:58 am
Pretty sure Joe mentioned that too.
The Super Bowl was, now, a different time and a different coaching staff and mostly different players.
April 6th, 2026 at 9:01 am
hopefully, this team develops some sense of urgency!!!!
GO BUCS!!!!!
April 6th, 2026 at 9:17 am
Lovie 2.0 scared to loose mentality. It’s a Bucs life.
April 6th, 2026 at 9:19 am
King of Turds
April 6th, 2026 at 9:20 am
We lost almost all of our Super Bowl team which means there has been huge amounts of roster turnover in the past 5 years. The same thing just happened to Seattle- they lost a lot of players. Look for their defense to drop dramatically in rankings this year. With all the changes, it takes a bit to fully gel.
April 6th, 2026 at 9:44 am
Do you think Cowboy fans are satisfied with all of their Super Bowls being 30 years in the past? Are Buffalo fans happy with getting to the playoffs every year only to lose each time? Only mediocre people accept mediocrity.
April 6th, 2026 at 9:47 am
Winning the NFC South is no reason why a HC should keep his job
I totally agree with that
But at the same time, it’s not a reason for him to lose his job either
This team wasn’t expected to win no more than 4-5 games a year, after Brady
But they have been competing every season, even beating good teams
In my opinion, this team has been overachieving
April 6th, 2026 at 9:49 am
Warren Brooks Lynch … ‘I do agree on the close games, you’ve got to be able to score and stop the other team from scoring.’
Excellent point WBL, and in my mind it comes down to playing COMPLEMENTARY FOOTBALL. IF the offense manages to score and take the lead late, the defense has to hold that lead for the Bucs to win. To me that’s COMPLEMENTARY FOOTBALL. And yes, that includes Special Teams IMO.
Unfortunately, the Bucs haven’t been very good at playing complementary football these last couple of years. I’m sure a big part of the reason was injuries & substituting in a lot of players who weren’t nearly as talented as the starters. And yes, another big part of it was coaching, in trying to adapt to all the changes.
Still, I’m convinced now that this year SHOULD be better than last year was. The Offense AND the Defense AND the Special Teams seemed to take turns imploding. Each cost us wins at various times, and rarely seemed to be ‘in sync with each other’. Hoping for a much better year.
April 6th, 2026 at 9:52 am
But he has won the worst division in football three times and true fans know that means something 😂🤣 that’s why he is still here everyone is wrong but him idiots.
April 6th, 2026 at 10:28 am
Just took a more detailed look at the defensive staff changes, and I’m not exactly sure what to make of them.
Bucs have NINE coaches on the defensive staff if you include the DC, Todd Bowles. Every one of them EXCEPT the Defensive Quality Control Coach, Joey Fitzgerald, is in the FIRST YEAR at their current position (all but 2 have been here as assistant coaches for at least 3 years however). IOW … Todd’s changes involved mostly switching assistant coaches into different jobs on the defense. Only 2 are new to the Bucs: Marcus West (the new DLine coach) and Todd Bowles Jr (the new defensive assistant).
o George Edwards: he’s now in his first year as the Passing Game Coordinator (been here 3 yrs).
o Larry Foote: he’s now in his first year as the Run Game Coordinator & OLB Coach (been here 7 yrs).
o Mike Caldwell: He’s now in his first year as the ILB Coach (been here 4 yrs).
o Rashad Johnson: He’s now in his first year as the CB Coach (been here 5 yrs).
o Tim Atkins: He’s now in his first year as the Safeties Coach (been here 7 yrs).
o Marcus West: He’s now in his first year as the DLine Coach (this is his 1st year here; was Buffalo’s DLine coach last 2 yrs).
Looks like the entire defensive staff is essentially the same coaches but most have been reshuffled to coach different positions (and a couple moved up). It’ll be interesting to see how well that reshuffling works out this year.
April 6th, 2026 at 10:28 am
defense rules – what the hell is ” in sync with each other ” mean. all 3 facets have to do their job in order to have a chance to win. the coaches have to be in sync with each other developing players and preparing game plans. as far as complementary, you’re right. the offense is good, the defense & spec teams suck.
April 6th, 2026 at 10:41 am
Think the Bucs need a wholesale change to the defense and it’s not just the coaches. Base 4-3 with real DEs that can generate pressure on the QB with only a 4 man front. Heavy Weight players that are big, fast and strong. Not the OLBs that can’t even defeat one on one pass blocking. Every time Bowles dials up another Blitz package, he is leaving big gaps in the backfield and exposing the secondary. Don’t just change the coaches, change the defense and draft the right players. No more 240 pound OLB edge rushers that are also expected to drop back in pass coverage. Does not work.
April 6th, 2026 at 10:54 am
Ashhole ,When the team was healthy the first half of last season they were the best team in football with Bowles I might add.All you armchair HC’s/ GM’s, QBs,drunken philosophers wing eating champions, that can even coach a tailgate part cause their wife does it, you guys are delusional. Its all about the team that stays healthy that wins
April 6th, 2026 at 11:00 am
We fired everyone else and kept 🤡.
Don’t worry, there won’t be any division title in 2026.
Stay hungry, 🤡, eating copious calories is your secret skill. Coaching not so much.
April 6th, 2026 at 11:10 am
In the worst division in the NFL, Todd Bowles has two sub 500 seasons as the HC.
Even with the backdoor division titles he’s mustered one playoff win.
How is that acceptable to the Glazers? Are they happy with mediocrity?
This is all wasted time as long as Bozo is at the helm.
Thirty six and thirty six.
April 6th, 2026 at 11:14 am
I would rather win the division than not.
April 6th, 2026 at 11:15 am
Steve V. Says:
“When the team was healthy the first half of last season they were the best team in football with Bowles I might add”
100%
April 6th, 2026 at 11:34 am
Bru
Tal
🤡
April 6th, 2026 at 12:12 pm
i’m happy when they win the division after watching many years when they didnt. but still, it isnt the goal of the season but too many accolades or mulligans are handed out based on it.
the bucs absolutely play down level just enough to win games…. all the time. i blame the coaching staff across the board. it is a horrendous mentality for a pro team to have. the bucs dont just do it in a game, they’ll do it thinking “oh yea we can lose this game cause we’ll win that game and that game coming up” and then whoops 2nd place in the crud encrusted south….
its bad. it really is. bowles and his loserama attitude have to go. no i dont want schianometrics to return.
April 6th, 2026 at 12:27 pm
This isn’t the Jameis Winston years when the NFC South was the toughest division in football, when he was facing two future HOF QBs, and the other QB was the NFL MVP.
April 6th, 2026 at 1:15 pm
Rod Munch Says:
April 6th, 2026 at 12:27 pm
This isn’t the Jameis Winston years when the NFC South was the toughest division in football, when he was facing two future HOF QBs, and the other QB was the NFL MVP.
^^^^^^^^
Rod…Are you defending a QB that threw some INT’s? I thought you despised any QB who would have the audacity to turn the ball over…So it’s okay sometimes, if you like the guy?
April 6th, 2026 at 1:47 pm
Question to the Joe’s, are the Bucs going on the for sale market over the next few years??
April 6th, 2026 at 2:07 pm
We are groaning in Frostproof as well.
April 6th, 2026 at 2:28 pm
ARE Y’ALL KIDDING?
I LOVE WINNING THE NFCS
You have off-season bragging rights for 9 MONTHS!
Rubbing NOLA fans noses in it year after year was the best.
NFCS REALITY CHECK
Winning the Super Bowl in 2020 was great, but beating the Saints in the playoffs was BETTER!
April 6th, 2026 at 3:20 pm
5-12.
April 6th, 2026 at 4:27 pm
With a healthy Baker a good corner and an edge, we should be able to handle the NFC South and more. The coming draft will be good for the Bucs.
April 6th, 2026 at 4:37 pm
That’s the thing. Baker keeps them in close games due to his poor play most of the time, throughout the first 2 to 3-Quarters+ of ballgames. Outside of when Coen was here, of course. Lots of times, even with Coen, he’d look GREAT on the ‘scripted’ opening-drive, and then there would be an immediate lull that followed. It’s the reason for the high number of close games. He never plays well enough EARLY, in order to put teams away! It’s ALWAYS a struggle, no matter WHO we play. Everything is a constant slog. There are just very few times, where we can ‘run-it’ down their throats and protect a nice lead in the 4th-Quarter. It’s a team effort. THE ‘ultimate’ Team Sport. BUT, your franchise QB is the “LEADER.” Either, he WINS, or he DOESN’T. He has to play A LOT better. It’s all on his shoulders. And, not only his own career. But, the career and future of this current Bucs (good-ole “Buddy-Buddy”) regime.
April 6th, 2026 at 4:49 pm
Bucs fans groan from Bartow to Venice….In SoCal, Bucs fans from BarStow to Venice feel the same way! Go Bucs!! 13 – 4 this year!!! Am I delusional?
April 6th, 2026 at 5:02 pm
FIRE TODD BLOWS
5 wins max with this loser
April 6th, 2026 at 5:52 pm
@ NLK@boston Says: “defense rules – what the hell is ” in sync with each other ” mean.”
I believe it means having a TRUE LEADER. Like, when we had Tom Brady! I mean EVERYTHING CHANGED immediately, as soon as HE walked through that door. Even, the DEFENSE. They were ALL afraid to let HIM down. Noooo ONE wanted to be “that guy.” They all said exactly THIS on numerous occasions, when asked. And, you could really feel that, and see that, from miles away! He raised everyone’s level of play! They all looked up TO HIM. Especially, for a guy like DWhite. He really wanted to ‘impress’ Brady. And, he’s played his ass off FOR HIM. They all RESPECTED HIM. They were a TEAM. Entirely, Focused. And, held accountable to a ‘higher’ level. At THE ‘HIGHEST’ level possible, and nothing less. They gave it THEIR ALL, and they produced. He delivered them a Super Bowl TITLE. They were all “in sync.” It’s what a LEADER DOES.
April 6th, 2026 at 5:59 pm
Rod Munch Says: “This isn’t the Jameis Winston years when the NFC South was the toughest division in football, when he was facing two future HOF QBs, and the other QB was the NFL MVP.”
Yep. That NFC South was BRUTAL.
April 6th, 2026 at 6:38 pm
Critique of Baker’s performance in the last half of last season is appropriate. He struggled, period. He looked very much like he did in his injury-plagued season in Cleveland. What doesn’t make sense is to conclude a sum-performance on the basis of these seasons. I say this because we’ve all seen what he can do.
Grizz is history. I think that we can all expect a much more dynamic offensive attack from Zac Robinson. But — we can only hope that he doesn’t get muzzled by his head coach. Given the defensive deficiencies that we’ve been challenged to overcome, our offense should be required to go-for-throat for 60 minutes instead of turning conservative after taking the lead in games. That strategy is a death-knell to a team with questionable defense.
Turn the offense loose this year. It will inspire the defense to greater success.
April 6th, 2026 at 7:02 pm
Smoke Porterhouse Says:
Rod…Are you defending a QB that threw some INT’s? I thought you despised any QB who would have the audacity to turn the ball over…So it’s okay sometimes, if you like the guy?
———
Could you Baker Boi(s) possibly have lower IQs?
I’m literally the leading person on this site saying I don’t give two cares about INTs so long as you’re scoring points.
Also there’s a huge difference between throwing the worst INT I’ve ever seen in my entire life, vs the Falcons, with a big lead, in the 4th quarter (Winston literally never threw a 4th quarter INT in a loss when the team was up by 2 TDs) – vs throwing an INT 40 yards down in the field on 3rd and 13 when in the 2nd quarter and the defense has already given up 21 points on the first 3 drives.
BTW, here’s another fun fact, Baker and Winston have both lead the NFL in INTs the same number of times, once.
And, as I’ve pointed out before, from 2015-2019, Winston had the worst defense in the NFL, the worst kicking game in the NFL, while playing the hardest schedule. That’s not opinion, those are the actual statistics. Baker, meanwhile, is playing in a cupcake division, with one of the easier schedules, a great kicking game, and for all the whining about the defense, the defense the last 3 years has been 5th (2023), 17th (2024), and 20th (2025) in points against. It was literally a good defense, followed by two middling years – not the disaster the Baker Boi(s) claim as they blame everyone but Baker for every loss.
Baker needs to step it up, stop being so streaky, and win when it actually matters. He’s got this year to finally put it all together, he’ll see if he does, or if he once again gets ‘injured’ when he goes into his typical mid-year slump (or last year, the week 7-17 slump).
April 6th, 2026 at 7:08 pm
exBrowns02 – Fair enough. If he can produce for the entire season he’ll be locked up and be the Bucs QB for a long time. And I really hope that happens since I’m a Bucs fan, and I want the Bucs to win, and that isn’t going to happen if Baker plays poorly.
April 6th, 2026 at 7:37 pm
Winston had no defense? So why do people including Munchkin say Baker needs to score at least 30 or more to win. Must be because of that great Bowles defense. The one with the soft zone that keeps dropping pass rushers into coverage.
April 6th, 2026 at 8:06 pm
Look, in the past we would hibernate for a few weeks mis season, but play well to finish it. Last year we never did wake up from our nap.
Most of seasons we pept most of the free agents we wanted unless someone just opened the money spigots to steal a player or two. This year important players simply decided they were not going to come back at any price. I still have my hopes, but it’s hard for me believe we can turn this around with Bowlzo in charge. We shall see, I guess.
April 6th, 2026 at 9:21 pm
So Winston turned out to be a great QB after leaving the Bucs?
April 6th, 2026 at 11:30 pm
JohnQCitizen Says:
April 6th, 2026 at 9:21 pm
So Winston turned out to be a great QB after leaving the Bucs?
—————-
He went to the Saints, looked really good to start 2021, was 5-2, had a 69.8 QBR which is fantastic (for reference, Baker had a 58.4 rating in 2025) – then got injured in the game vs the Bucs. After that, he never looked the same. He had an ACL and MCL injury, and doesn’t’ seem to drive the ball the way he used to – although he’s also getting older so that could play a part as well.
April 6th, 2026 at 11:33 pm
DBS Says:
April 6th, 2026 at 7:37 pm
Winston had no defense? So why do people including Munchkin say Baker needs to score at least 30 or more to win.
————–
Because the defense hasn’t been good the last two seasons. But it’s not Winston-era bad. As stated above, since Baker’s been here, the Bucs defense has been 5th, 17th and 20th.
If you have a good offense, those defensive numbers are good enough to win in a garbage division.