Stat leader.

It appears the Bucs have a nice little foundation of good young players who will be the backbone of the defense for years. [read more]

Beast.

Bucs coach Todd Bowles is all about stopping the run. Like most defensive guys, he believes (and he’s right) that the best way to shut down offenses is to make them one-dimensional. [read more]

Baker Mayfield blending in.

Were the Bucs too buttoned up last year? Too stoic? Too detached from their international celebrity star quarterback? [read more]

Playmakers make plays.

What is the secret sauce of the Bucs’ win streak? Well, one popular NFL analyst believes it’s the Bucs letting their best player take over. [read more]

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Click above to shop now at Tampa’s first family of Ford, BillCurrieFord.com. Reach out to Ira’s friend and GM Sean Sullivan for a hearty JoeBucsFan discount, and remember their nationwide lifetime warranty on new vehicles at Bill Currie Ford.

It’s a Christmas Day edition of The Sage of Tampa Bay Sports following the Buccaneers’ stunning blowout win. Dive in! Plenty on the holiday buffet.

All the wisdom and fun of Ira and Joe is presented by Bill Currie Ford! Click play above or listen at Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts or Podbean.com, Stitcher, too, and more.

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Big Storm beer from Big Storm Brewing Co. is the official beer of the podcast. Try Florida’s best craft beer, especially Bromosa, their amazing tangerine IPA. Listening to Ira is fun, free and easy!

Last night after the Bucs beatdown of the Jags, Jacksonville quarterback Trevor Lawrence admitted the Bucs had a nasty pass rush that got to him and Jacksonville had no answers. [read more]

Todd Bowles is feeling it. He’s gone from NFL head coaching’s death row just weeks ago to a private room at Bern’s Steak House after a pardon by the football gods. [read more]

Crazy numbers.

On this gloomy Christmas Day in the Tampa Bay area, Bucs fans are so giddy, you’d think the Florida sunshine is filling each and every room in their homes. [read more]

Three snaps after a load of hype.

There’s a giant whiff of trickery still in the air over The Licht House and One Buc Palace. [read more]

Sure, Baker Mayfield has a Christmas wish for the Buccaneers to finish 10-7 and thrive offensively as long as they can.

But he’s also wishing for something else. [read more]

Bucs playcaller Dave Canales.

The Tampa Bay offense came out smoking yesterday, scoring on its first six possessions. (Joe doesn’t count the quick kneeldown before halftime.) [read more]

Gamewrecker.

So why are the Bucs balling out the way they have been in December? Antoine Winfield has a hunch. [read more]

Perfect fit?

Where would the Bucs be with Derek Carr at quarterback? Or Jimmy GQ? Or Andy Dalton? Or Sam Darnold? Or even Kyle Trask? [read more]

(Photo courtesy of Buccaneers.com.)

Welcome to Merry Victory Christmas Monday! You probably have presents to open and liquor to drink, so let’s get going so you can enjoy your holiday. Grab your hot chocolate or egg nog and let’s roll.   [read more]

Click on through to shop at BillCurrieFord.com. Bill Currie Ford GM Sean Sullivan is ready to help you PERSONALLY and give you the Ira Kaufman discount. Just ask! See their amazing O% financing offers right now.

BY IRA KAUFMAN

What a difference a day makes. December 10th to be exact.

That’s the day the Bucs rallied for a 29-25 victory in Atlanta. They haven’t been the same team since.

Just ask the reeling Jaguars, who were never competitive during Sunday’s 30-12 setback. That’s four consecutive losses for Jacksonville and four straight victories for Tampa Bay.

Had the Bucs lost to the Falcons that fateful afternoon, they would have dropped to 5-8, with seven losses in nine games. Todd Bowles would have been a dead man walking and Buc Nation would have turned their attention to a quarterback-rich draft. The Kyle Trask mob would have been howling for No. 2 to replace Baker Mayfield.

But that’s not what happened. Mayfield threw a game-winning TD pass to Cade Otton in Atlanta and the last two weeks has seen this offense and defense come together impressively. Suddenly, the Bucs have the look of a dangerous team. They can wrap up a third consecutive NFC South crown by sweeping the Saints next week and confidence couldn’t have been higher in the locker room after dismantling the Jaguars.

Talk about your changed narratives.

Buc Nation is warming up to Bowles, although it’s been a slow crawl. Mayfield has won over teammates, coaches and fans with his blue-collar approach and passion for the game. Three potential free agents — Mayfield, Mike Evans and Antonio Winfield Jr. — are making compelling cases to remain Buccaneers for 2024.

It could all come crashing down in the next two weeks, but that feels unlikely at the moment. Instead, it feels like this is a franchise that survived a midseason meltdown and came out stronger for the struggle. [read more]

Joe hopes everyone has a wonderful Christmas.

For Joe, Christmas comes every day because Joe gets to write about the Bucs every day. Without readers like you, this site doesn’t exist. It is no more complex than that.

So Joe hopes all fans, including Joe’s many haters, find under the Christmas tree what they wanted from Santa. Maybe a bottle or two, as well.

Now don’t try to polish off that bottle in one day!

Thanks to everyone for reading.

Among best in NFC.

Did anyone have this on their bingo card? [read more]