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BY IRA KAUFMAN

The final autopsy for the 2025 Buccaneers is in. It’s damning and it’s complicated.

The initial judgment is simple — two things can be true at the same time. This team was poorly coached and this roster was exposed. [read more]

Todd Bowles takes the title of team captain very seriously. [read more]

Edge rushers Yaya Diaby (right) and Chris Braswell.

Of the nine NFL teams remaining in the playoffs (Houston and Pittsburgh clash tonight) only four have a 2025 double-digit sack guy on their roster.

The 49ers ranked dead last in sacks this season with 20. They just beat the Eagles with a grand total of 1 quarterback hit.

[read more]

Bring Mike back.

The Bucs must have questions answered on offense before the Bucs can proceed worrying about personnel. [read more]

Two-time Super Bowl-winner Chris Long.

When a smart guy who has two Super Bowl rings to his name, one when playing for Bill Belicheat, talks football, Joe listens. [read more]

“Please play smarter, Baker.”

Kay Adams seems to love how Baker Mayfield plays football. All gas, no brakes. [read more]

Welcome to your Morning Cup of Joe, an eye-opener to help Joe’s readers ease into their busy workday with a few football links, wacky news and a pleasant distraction. [read more]

Virtual interview.

If the Bucs are looking to get sneaky production from the tight end position and maybe reestablish a rookie receiver, Zac Robinson may be the Bucs’ guy. [read more]

Shop so many spectacular offers now at Tampa’s first family of Ford dealerships. Visit Bill Currie Ford, which is celebrating 65 years of family-owned service to the Tampa community. And ask GM Sean Sullivan for the JoeBucsFan/Ira Kaufman Discount.

The remaining 2025 vehicles — and there aren’t many — must go.

Chris Godwin is “that man.”

He’s a cornerstone Buccaneer and is coming up on Year 10 in a Tampa Bay uniform.

Godwin knows he’s not like every player he’s been around. [read more]

The Joe typing here thinks it would be moronic to keep Todd Bowles as head coach and strip him of defensive playcalling duties at the same time.

The logic is simple. [read more]

Pros and cons.

Look, Joe has been hollering for a legitimate edge rusher since Father Time caught up with Jason Pierre-Paul and Bucs sacks king Shaq Barrett. [read more]

Wants dudes on defense.

Perhaps as an angry response to the Bucs’ front office’s “I Am That Man” push for good players who are great people, it seems Bucs fans want to add players on defense who are great players and borderline psychopaths. [read more]

One less team to worry about.

Joe senses there are a number of Bucs fans hoping for Mike McDaniel to fail. [read more]

The JoeBucsFan Show kicks fires away Sunday at 8 a.m. on WDAE radio, 95.3 FM and AM 620. Listen online to Tampa Bay’s all-sports powerhouse, or via the iHeart Radio app, or below.

Joe’s been back on the WDAE airwaves every weekend since February. Varying times.

Bucs GM Jason Licht.

Hard to believe, but in exactly two months, legal tampering begins to make way for the free agency dinner bell ringing March 13. [read more]

Flash poll posted at 7:58 p.m. Poll closed at 9:00 p.m. Prior Jason Licht confidence poll linked here.

Former Stanford coach David Shaw.

One of these days, someone is going to have to sit down and explain to Joe in detail what the appeal of David Shaw is. [read more]