A long look at the Bucs yesterday, today, and what to expect tomorrow and beyond.

And so it is. The Bucs won the Chase for Jameis. It is both depressing and thrilling. Joe has mixed emotions but at the end of the day, someone did the right thing. Joe honestly never imagined living to experience this.

Did Lovie tank the game? It’s a bit of a stretch. That may be the most damning comment one could ever lodge at a coach — throwing a game. That is the sports world’s version of the Scarlet Letter. [read more]

Ok, you can stop celebrating the No. 1 overall pick. It’s time to get serious about finding the guy who will coach that pick.

That’s the new Bucs offensive coordinator, a guy the Bucs should have started their hot pursuit of last night. [read more]

Joe hopped on the field yesterday with Ch. 10 sportscaster/reporter Chris Fischer to wrap up the Bucs loss before the WTSP-TV cameras.

Oniel Cousins, soon a free agent, isn’t losing sleep over his immediate NFL future.

The Bucs finished the season at a very Leeman Bennett-like 2-14 (that’s who the coach was the last time the Bucs were so putrid). Hell, even good teams make changes to the roster after a season.

So, you can bet your Jameis Winston jersey when you are the worst team in the NFL, changes are afoot. [read more]

Only two games on the following season’s schedule are affected when a team finishes in last place, as the Bucs have officially done for the past four seasons.

Ouch! [read more]

Lavonte David was not a happy guy in the Bucs’ locker room. [read more]

Lovie Smith said OLB Danny Lansanah violated a team rule and was benched.

A series or two into the game, in the area of the press box of the Den of Depression where Joe sits, a stir began among the pen and mic club.

Folks began looking around, murmuring. The whispers grew louder and pretty soon it was loud questioning. [read more]

Gerald McCoy loves to talk to the media. McCoy even does a “Dini’s Den” video feature on Buccaneers.com, and McCoy reminded Bucs fans the other day that “the camera loves me.”

But McCoy didn’t want to talk today. [read more]

Lovie Smith said the Bucs never threw the game to secure the Chase for Jameis.

Although it sure smelled like someone upstairs pulled an Al Davis and picked up the Batphone and ordered top-shelf starters to sit, Lovie Smith maintained he tried to win the game today.

In his postgame, not postseason news conference, Lovie was pressed about why certain stud players were standing on the sidelines watching Drew Brees engineer a 13-point, fourth-quarter comeback that secured the Bucs win in the Chase for Jameis. [read more]

Bucs WR Taverras King

It was the drop heard ’round Tampa Bay.

It was the juggle for the future — for the quarterback of the future. [read more]

Mason Foster again discussed his uncertain future after the Bucs’ loss today.

Joe will be upfront: He’s a fan of Mason Foster. The Bucs’ middle linebacker, two years ago, had a chance to eat pineapple and play in the Pro Bowl.

But in that season, Foster sort of slipped in the final games, just like the Bucs did. Sadly, Foster never recaptured that level of play. [read more]

Mike Evans said it was not his decision to sit the entire second half, despite being “gassed.”

Just like when the Bucs enjoyed addition by subtraction letting passive safety Mark Barron run off to the Lambs, the Bucs’ loss today is the biggest win of the season.

It means the Bucs have, if they so choose, won the Chase for Jameis. [read more]

Josh McCown was Bruce Gradkowski bad this season.

Go look at the numbers. Go watch the game film. [read more]

By securing the top pick in the draft, the Bucs will avoid the likes of Matt Leinart.

You want to know why Joe was all but on his knees that the Saints would rally from 13 down so the Bucs could have the first overall pick in the draft? Take a look at the names below.

With the No. 1 pick, it is the Bucs who get to choose their quarterback of the future. They do not have to settle for second banana. [read more]

Joe’s ecstatic about today’s loss. It was necessary but bittersweet.

In their last 100 games, the Bucs are 30-70. [read more]

It’s official.

The Bucs’ offense adopted the fetal position in the second half today and lost. Joe wonders if Team Glazer picked up the red phone at halftime. [read more]

While preparing for today’s game, Tampa Bay coaches preached to players that next season already started and their performance should reflect that.

And this was the result.

Maybe that’s great. Maybe that’s god awful. [read more]