Panic Meter
October 1st, 2026
The Bucs made the sign of the cross, held their breath, and rolled the dice.
And it came up snake eyes.
Over at Yahoo!, NFL columnist Frank Schwab has a regular in-season feature called “Panic Meter.” It’s for teams that hit a stretch that puts the team on the cusp of a season collapse.
The Bucs are featured this week.
The offense has been horrible and many thought it would be the Bucs’ strength. Then they lose their first three games — terrible if you hope to play meaningful football in January.
Then Baker Mayfield will miss a few games or more, and the entire community is in an uproar, demanding the head of KitKat-eating Bucs coach Todd Bowles on a silver platter — now!
Bowles, who has never been popular with Bucs fans, is nearly at a point he might not be able to leave One Buc Palace for a cup of coffee. Joe hasn’t seen Bucs fans this vocal since former Bucs commander Greg Schiano was around.
It’s obviously a very scary stretch coming up for the Buccaneers. … If Mayfield misses three games and the Bucs lose all three with Daniels (vs. Packers, at Cowboys, vs. Steelers), they’ll be 0-6 and 2-13 in their last 15. Bowles is already on the hot seat and an 0-6 start would be bad for him. It might also be bad for general manager Jason Licht, who put together the roster and didn’t have a better backup quarterback plan than an undrafted rookie who was good but far from great at Kansas.
As for Daniels, Joe spoke weeks ago to someone in personnel and the Bucs are excited about Daniels and believe he has a high ceiling. But they’re quick to point out he’s a project.
Joe was also told Daniels played so well in preseason, if the Bucs tried to hide him on the practice squad, too many would have plucked him off the practice squad roster.
Well, he’s a project no more. Out into the fire you go, son. Sink or swim.
Just like Joe is confident someone at One Buc Palace has buyer’s remorse over Mayfield’s contract, Joe is also guessing someone is having second thoughts about not bringing in a backup quarterback with experience.
And as former B1G commissioner Jim Delany once told an over-his-skis BSPN big-shot who tried to lowball Delany in TV rights negotiations, “Consider [the dice] rolled.”
October 1st, 2026 at 5:18 am
Got a hunch everyone’s Mama told them the same thing mine did when we made bad choices … ‘Well, you made your bed, now you get to lay in it’.
They chose the coaching staff and they chose the General Manager. Every player the Bucs have on the roster they CHOSE, whether they’re a draftee or a free agent signing.
I’m thinkin the Glazer boyz shoulda listned to their Mama.
October 1st, 2026 at 5:29 am
The panic started week 2 after the loss. Coen or even Canales wouldn’t have lost to the Browns and Vikings with this exact roster. Most NFL Coaches would be 2-1 coaching the Bucs. There is talent on this team, but rebuilding it doesn’t make sense to keep all the 30+ players around. It’s not panic trading players now, it’s common sense.
October 1st, 2026 at 6:05 am
Good lord can we go one article without someone mentioning a previous coach and or player?
October 1st, 2026 at 6:05 am
Not referring to you Joe, referring to comments
October 1st, 2026 at 6:13 am
Someone needs to take Daniel’s off to the side and tell him to relax, because there’s absolutely no pressure to win around here. None!
A 2-7 start can get you 165M for three years, and 2-10 lets you keep your job.
They hire head coaches with losing records, and extend them when they have a 10X better coach in their building.
If you’re a GM with a career losing record, not only do you get to keep your job, you get put in the prestigious Ring of Honor.
There was a time when things were different. Malcolm Glazer came from essentially nothing. As watch repairman who took over his father’s small business, he was able to save enough to buy real estate, and eventually the Buccaneers. He had few qualms about firing coaches, or even trading away draft picks to secure the one he wanted.
And like most self-made millionaires, his children were born with silver spoons. When Malcolm died some of those spoons became Buccaneers. Yes, the Glazer boys never knew what it was like to be poor, or even struggle to pay a bill. It’s a way of living life that is foreign to 99.99999% of those who live today. They have perspectives on life we will never understand.
They must be nice guys, however, or why would they keep rewarding mediocrity?
Other than Dick Koetter and Lovie Smith, they have fired nobody. Bruce Arians “retires,” and fan favorite players seek employment elsewhere. It’s a mess!
And without the luck of signing one guy, Tom Brady, the above records would be far worse.
Yes, come Sunday at 1 PM, young Mr. Daniels will get his first NFL start. We wish him well, but he will be under no obligation to win.
October 1st, 2026 at 6:14 am
What we see from the QB over the next 3 games can’t be much worse than what we’ve seen over the last 11 or 12 games. Let’s see what the young man can do.
October 1st, 2026 at 6:22 am
Glad I left Tampa Bay so I don’t have to smell the garbage wafting out of one Buc place although I do get a small whiff every now and then.
October 1st, 2026 at 6:26 am
The young man won’t be able to overcome the ineptitude of Bowles, and Licht. The deck is already stacked against him.
October 1st, 2026 at 6:32 am
We’re really going to end up watching Coen lift a Lombardi in Jacksonville while we enter another dark age aren’t we?
October 1st, 2026 at 6:44 am
He’s an undrafted rookie going in for his first start behind an offensive line that in inept at best. I wish him the best, but his chance of a win are almost zero……even with the current coaching staff behind him. Current injuries make it even worse.
October 1st, 2026 at 6:59 am
I’m sure Daniels can fumble or throw interceptions every bit as well as Baker did. I only hope he wasn’t paying attention when Baker was giving him clown lessons and screws up just enough to win a few games for us.
October 1st, 2026 at 7:02 am
“It’s obviously a very scary stretch coming up for the Buccaneers.”
Good coaching responds. Does anyone think the Texans will continue losing? But what the Bucs have is coaching that have proven they cannot right the pirate ship – last season, in order to win the NFCS and get into the playoffs, we lost to Miami, NO, etc. But the players supposedly LOVE Todd. But they don’t play better to save his job.
The Bucs do not have coaching that can adjust and fix what needs to be fixed and get the team rolling.
The coaches run a system, they don’t adjust to the player’s talents. That is the worst type of coaching.
Ruben Bain is a prime example. Coaching a proven talent at OLB to be a DB.
October 1st, 2026 at 7:03 am
Oh, and as far as wanting bowel’s head on a silver platter goes… You can just hand it to me on the end of an old stick if you like. I’m not fancy.
October 1st, 2026 at 7:08 am
Defense Rules,
Totally agree. The Glazers kept Licht and Bowles who drafted, traded, picked all these players, coaches and staff. Licht was doing his annual pre season “I love this team” talks and the hype train has crashed just as it left the station.
October 1st, 2026 at 7:35 am
Daniels cannot lose more games over the next 3 game stretch than Jameis Mayfield did. Maybe I should stop insulting Winston that way because he proved he can win a game in 2026, unlike the $55 million frat boy.
October 1st, 2026 at 7:37 am
The organization has slowly become the former Cleveland Browns. A total train wreck from top to bottom.
How can any serious organization retain a GM and coach so unimpressive. Extend contracts for bad or over the hill players. Make no plans for a future QB or even have a legitimate back up QB. Draft defensive players that don’t even fit their outdated defensive scheme. Let good coaches get away and bring in inexperienced ones. Bring in terrible free agents no one else wants, refuse to make trades and lie about talent with a straight face.
As fans we always want to hope next week we will turn things around and I hope we do. The long term future looks pretty bleak if somebody does not wake up at One Buc.
October 1st, 2026 at 7:41 am
Let’s hope Whitmer has more of Daniel’s ear than Robinson does, because we see the magic Robinson had with Penix and Cousins (excluding vs bucs)
October 1st, 2026 at 7:54 am
Benching, trading or cutting players does not require the end of the season. The same should apply for coaches. Robinson has a record at Atlanta of averaging about 20 points per game, plus he’s QBs did not look that good. Cousins is playing way better under different coaching. This offense has looked bad to awful in all six games he coached here. Odd are if he is running the offense this week the results.will be similar. We are way past speaking about the team’s issues with political correctness. The offense is and has been dragging the whole team down. Remove Bruce, put Gruden on ground micro managing the the offense practices and developing this week’s offensive game plan. Gruden has never had an offense this poorly prepared. It’s leadership time not panic time. Putting a head coach in as the OC sends a louder message to everyone. The top dogs own this mess.
October 1st, 2026 at 7:55 am
We HAVE a good roster. I’ve seen this team when you good trade a pack of cigs for an end zone seat, watched Doug Williams play with his broken jaw wired shut, diving over the goal line for the game-tying TD, only to have the kicker miss the extra point.
Team is under-performing, that is coaching/atmosphere and nothing else. Todd should be thankful he isn’t the Eagles coach, THOSE maniacs come to your HOUSE
October 1st, 2026 at 8:10 am
My opinion is that our Offensive line gets 80% of the blame, whether its the players out of football shape, coming off season ending injuries, O-line coach, scheme.
The run game sucks
Baker snaps and very rarely has a clean pocket, constantly scrambling.
I’m not a Bowles guy, i think some his DLine schemes suck, but last year’s collapse and this year thus far all falls on the O-Line. They need to figure it out.
This week im betting we get 5 sacks and Jordan Love doesn’t make it through the game. Their O line is actually worse than ours.
October 1st, 2026 at 8:40 am
Glazers shouldve never extended baker….
a playoff win 3 years ago didnt deserve a raise….
going 2-7 to end the season didnt deserve a raise….
folks say baker plays well with a “chip” on his shoulder…well he has an entire bag of Lays chips on his shoulder now….
GO BUCS!!!!!
October 1st, 2026 at 8:43 am
That meter was stuck on FIRE
At the end of 2024
Group think leadership from owners on down.
October 1st, 2026 at 8:44 am
JA Says is spot on! Ownership and front office are clueless. Glazers kids bought Man U and devoted their time and resources to that storied franchise and managed to ruin it. Bucs were always their afterthought and yet, the results are evident.
October 1st, 2026 at 9:06 am
Ya Nevah Know…
Maye led Patriots to SB last year and this year so far he sucks.
Will be interesting to see and hopefully fun to watch Daniels this week.
I think he’ll be ok, and if the D continues playing well and Special Teams don’t choke again, the Bucs may get a W!
October 1st, 2026 at 9:09 am
I agree to this analysis but I object to the word “panic,” which implies an impulsive reaction or overreaction to sudden events. This team has stunk for a while a now. 14 games or something? And maybe as far back as that awful loss to Washington in the playoff — or barely getting into the playoffs that year. We are not panicking. We’ve been slowly reaching a boil
October 1st, 2026 at 9:10 am
Zero panic. Todd is a genius. He’s just gotta coach it better! And the players they gotta play it better!
That’s guru level thought process folks.
October 1st, 2026 at 9:17 am
Here’s what the tape says: barely 6 feet tall, fumbles a lot, throws interceptions a lot, but call run and has a big arm…. Sounds just like Baker to me.. doing the same thing over and over but expecting different results? 🤔
October 1st, 2026 at 10:09 am
The last QB we drafted to develop was Trask who’s already out of the league. This team doesnt scout RB, DE or QB worth a damn.
October 1st, 2026 at 10:10 am
Just can’t stay away… yet.
Joe are people even mad right now? Everyone was at a fever pitch end of last season and mad the Bucs retained Bowles, hired a lame duck OC cast off from a division rival.
It was ludicrous.
Sure people aren’t happy now, but seems to me most of us saw this coming. Sure there was optimism for the start with new players, Bowles usually 2-0, easy enough runway of opponents to start the year.
75% of Bucs fans must be disappointed but not surprised. The anger doesn’t come from the record, it comes from owner/Licht stupidity. How could these guys not see what the majority of the fan base could? Absolutely ridiculous.
October 1st, 2026 at 10:12 am
There’s no panic, just realization.
Wasted season.
0-4
October 1st, 2026 at 10:38 am
the expectations for jalon are low for all the obvious reasons. his self confidence is high so anything can happen. nobody expected him to make a team never mind start so good on him, the right place at the right time….he seems like a guy who was been underestimated and keeps exceeding.
OC better have a different plan for sunday that he has shown so far pre season and regular season. robinson is pretty much totally useless and the bucs braintrust must have had a brain fart to have hired him.
October 1st, 2026 at 10:47 am
x
October 1st, 2026 at 11:21 am
So when the season is over & this team is at best a 3 wim team , who do y’all think will be the hire? I mean the front office group at 1Bucs Place picked this roster while worrying about a UDFA QB who they themselves call a project. W e are gonna have a top 3 pic probably & a roster with some talent on it if the right coach is hired, but the same people who 1) extended Bowels 2) paid Baker way too much before they had too 3) didn’t have the sense to pick up a backup QB with experience, let them make that all important #1 pick next spring with all the QB talent that is in this draft. Do y’all really trust them again. The owners care as much if not more about the soccer team than the Bucs. I don’t think I do, not again . They need to clean house but who will do the hiring & firing ? Oh ye, they overpaid a nose tackle who said TRADE ME & after 3 games doesn’t have a tackle to show for the bag of cash . I am serious, who will pick the next HC of this dumpster fire called pirate’s? I really don’t trust any of the decision makers at Buc, do you??
October 1st, 2026 at 11:31 am
So when the season is over & this team is at best a 3 wim team , who do y’all think will be the hire? I mean the front office group at 1Bucs Place picked this roster while worrying about a UDFA QB who they themselves call a project. W e are gonna have a top 3 pic probably & a roster with some talent on it if the right coach is hired, but the same people who 1) extended Bowels 2) paid Baker way too much before they had too 3) didn’t have the sense to pick up a backup QB with experience, let them make that all important #1 pick next spring with all the QB talent that is in this draft. Do y’all really trust them again. The owners care as much if not more about the soccer team than the Bucs. I don’t think I do, not again . They need to clean house but who will do the hiring & firing ? Oh ye, they overpaid a nose tackle who said TRADE ME & after 3 games doesn’t have a tackle to show for the bag of cash . I am serious, who will pick the next HC of this dumpster fire called pirate’s? I really don’t trust any of the decision makers at Buc, do you?? Oh yeah, I almost forgot the genius move at OC I mean did they hire this guy cause the birds beat them or what I mean Coach KIT KAT scapegoated Grizzard for this??!!
October 1st, 2026 at 11:46 am
We’ve wasted the last three season so there’s no panic or surprises. This is within expectations, we all know Todd Bowles ceiling is 10 wins, his floor is 4 it’s just no one ever talked about what it would look like when the bottom fell out.
October 1st, 2026 at 12:06 pm
If we lose the next 2 games Buc fans, It might be time for the Paper bag face mask. This kid Daniels better be able to run for his life come Sunday. He is going to have to. The Packers are gonna give him so many different looks he has not seen before. This could possibly be a Custers Last stand and massacre.