Looking For Something More
August 25th, 2026
Playoff wins would be nice.
Joe fully understands how, for a fan base, the thoughts of a division title not only grow stale but aggravating.
In 2026, winning the NFC South landfill is nothing more than saying you’re the best of a bunch of bad teams. As a famous TV curmudgeon famously said a long time ago, “Whoop-tee-do.”
For owners, suits, coaches and maybe even some players, Joe knows a division title means something more. Especially for owners because that guarantees a home game and all the revenue that comes with it.
And for their employees, a happy boss is a happy work life.
A division title for fans is nothing more than a stepping stone to bigger and better things. A division title, after a while, starts to morph into failure.
For Raymond Summerlin of Sharp Football Analysis, he wonders if the Bucs really are anything more than the best of a few bad teams.
The Bucs will hope for better from a healthy Baker Mayfield, and they are likely the best team in the NFC South. The question is: Can they be more than that?
As many times as the Bucs have been in the playoffs, the Bucs have won just one playoff game since KitKat-eating Bucs coach Todd Bowles took over. Even if the Bucs win the division this season but get bounced right away, again, Joe wonders if Team Glazer will start running out of patience?
Remember, the Bucs once had a beloved coach who guided the team out of the dark ages to become an annual playoff team. But even then, with a popular coach, Team Glazer eventually ran out of patience after too many one-and-dones.
August 25th, 2026 at 9:01 am
In our head coach!
August 25th, 2026 at 9:04 am
The line on the opener has ballooned to Bengals -4.5.
August 25th, 2026 at 9:05 am
Wining the division is not what’s aggravating. What’s aggravating is the fashion in which they won it in previous seasons. The reason is, the teams in the division suck and if we can barely beat them most fans realize it’ll be a one and done in the playoffs.
With the roster the Bucs have had over the past several seasons they should have had the division locked up with 2-3 games left. Hopefully things will be different this season.
August 25th, 2026 at 9:07 am
Sooo… winning a division title isn’t stale.
Winning a division title in the NFC Dumpster Fire Division while only barely going .500 and then getting run in the first round of the playoffs? That’s a different story.
Incredibly Average Todd Bowles is… incredibly average. It’s like the guy is allergic to a winning record. It’s also like he’s allergic to a losing record. Every year there’s a hot start, then a collapse back to .500 or worse. Now THAT… that’s stale. Incredibly, incredibly stale.
August 25th, 2026 at 9:10 am
Normally I would agree with you on this Joe. But not with Bowles.
The Glazers have embraced the culture of losing and they seem to enjoy it.
After 2024 they should have moved on to Coen. He was in the building.
Instead they doubled down and extended his contract to try and save face.
Now they have egg on their collective faces after the disastrous 2025 campaign.
Todd has proven the ability to survive no matter how low this team goes.
I’m just biding my time. But have zero faith in the front office anymore.
August 25th, 2026 at 9:17 am
Winning the division on the last game while crossing your fingers a division rival beats another one so you squeak by is not a good thing. Bowles isn’t the guy to get to the Super Bowl as he struggles as HC and DC.
August 25th, 2026 at 9:22 am
Todd Blows reached his ceiling, 10 wins, he’s NEVER going to win more than that in a season.
Clock management, relying on a poor pass defense for key stops, not being aggressive and failing to let players play to their strengths
He should be retired right now and Coen should be the coach
August 25th, 2026 at 9:29 am
Big year for Baker and Bowles. No matter which side of the fence you’re on (or maybe your on the fence), the truth will come out after this season.
I give Baker a pass for last year considering the oline was a complete mess and didn’t start a single game together. There were also injuries to Godwin, Evans and JMac. Not excuses, just facts.
But this is a prove year for both the HC and QB.
If they can stay relatively healthy, I think this team wins 10 games.
August 25th, 2026 at 9:32 am
If we win the division but have 150 Million in salary and draft picks in the training room we will be one and done. If we happen to be hot and barely injured, we can do much better than that.
August 25th, 2026 at 9:37 am
Ain’t stale for me, if that’s our floor I’m with it because that means we’re guaranteed a postseason berth and as a Buc fan I’ll NEVER get tired of postseason berths. Kiddin me? I’m old enough to remember every year between 2007-2020 we didn’t make the playoffs.
The fact it’s been 1 season since 2020 that we haven’t made the postseason, but after our first SB we went to the playoffs a grand total of 2 times in 16 years was terrible. These new Buc fans don’t know pain, just like Jed York didn’t know he could’ve brought his own escort service instead of getting caught trying to get his knob polished in a trailer park in middle America.
August 25th, 2026 at 9:39 am
I will give Bowles a pass for one reason. You can only coach up players so far. Yes last year well the last 2 years the defense has been horrible. However, the personnel on the defense has not been good. Does Bowles have a hand in that absolutely. However, Licht also has a big hand in that. Simply put the defense needs much better players, which absent the secondary they now have. I think Bowles needs to be judged on this year.
The Bucs had no reason to fire Bowles and hire Coen as the Bucs had a great year that year. They did offer him an offer of being one of the top paid offensive cordinators in the league, which Coen initially accepted then declined to become a head coach.
August 25th, 2026 at 9:55 am
I have been as critical as anyone with Bowles and coaching staff. As a Bucs lifer, I certainly remember FAR worse times. Having said that, I have no faith in this regime to do much of anything outside of what we have already seen. Same old movie to unfold in 2026. This is a 7, 8, (maybe) 9 win team. Talented on offense. Lots of new pieces on defense. I will believe the pass rush when I see it. And our cornerbacks are bottom 1/4 of the NFL at best. Dont even get me started on the Bowles scheme. Cincy is licking their chops.
August 25th, 2026 at 10:03 am
lets sweep the division!!!!!
this team is talent enough to do that and win 11games…lets get there
GO BUCS!!!!!
August 25th, 2026 at 10:06 am
How many times have the Browns said “It’s the coach?,” The Bills? The Chargers? “The Bengals? The Vikings? Arizona? Carolina? Detroit? It takes having a lot of good players and a lot of luck to get to the Super Bowl to win it.