Lavonte David opens up.

Lavonte David had a giant lawn and leaf bag at his locker today, carefully taking shirts and jerseys off hangars and placing them in the bag. [read more]

Will Gholston

Joe talked to a couple of guys who have gone through a combined 21 seasons of Buccaneers wars about the totality of this season: Lavonte David and Will Gholston. [read more]

Bucs OLB Shaq Barrett.

Bucs sacks king Shaq Barrett suffered an ugly season-ending injury against Baltimore for a guy turning 30. He has a target date to return. [read more]

Zero interest in a rebuild.

More than a couple of Bucs fans want the team to tank in 2023 (and play Kyle Trask?) so the Bucs can begin a rebuild, presumably with quarterback Caleb Williams or Drake Maye. [read more]

What an ugly way to end a season. What an embarrassment. So let’s get this out of the way on this depressing Tuesday morning. [read more]

“Byron, I’ll text Bill Belicheat and tell him you’re on the market.”

Joe expects the Bucs will show failed offensive coordinator the Byron Leftwich the proper respect and fire him today. That would give Leftwich a shot to land a new job during the NFL’s peak hiring season. [read more]

Todd Bowles’ defense Monday night sure seemed like the character “Sgt. Schultz” in the 1960s campy sitcom “Hogan’s Heroes.” [read more]

Blunt words for Bucs defense.

Cowboys electric wide receiver CeeDee Lamb didn’t exactly torch the Bucs Monday night. He didn’t need to. [read more]

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BY IRA KAUFMAN

It ended with a whimper. The season, and perhaps an era.

The 2022 Bucs bowed out passively and decisively Monday evening, run over 31-14 by America’s Team  as a national TV audience witnessed a public beatdown. It was the only game of the wild-card round that wasn’t competitive, at least for a long stretch, and the extent of the drubbing gives the Glazers much to think about in the next few weeks.

Give the Cowboys credit — except for kicker Brett Maher they played a terrific game. They rolled up 26 first downs and each of their first four TD drives covered at least 80 yards. The Bucs were guilty of busted coverages, poor tackling and not nearly enough pressure against Dak Prescott, who nervously started 0-for-3 and then completed 25 of his final 30 pass attempts.

The other side of the ball was equally depressing for Buc Nation. In throwing a career-high 66 passes, Tom Brady played poorly, averaging only 5.3 yards per pass attempt. The run game, used sparingly, provided little help.

Brady thanked the local media after the game in what some are interpreting as a signal he has thrown his final pass as a Buccaneer. What we know for a fact is the Cowboys are headed for San Francisco and Brady is headed to his family and support team as he contemplates retirement.

Should Brady desire to play next fall, he might look at Tampa Bay’s 8-10 record and decide this team isn’t good enough to compete for a championship next season.

Ownership could think likewise. It was that kind of night.

Here’s how Big D made the Bucs look small: [read more]

Bucs Pro Bowl center Ryan Jensen led an acronym festival last night at his locker in the somber Buccaneers locker room.

Finally, explained what happened to his knee when he crumbled to the ground in late July. [read more]

The end?

At least if Monday was Cam Brate’s final game with the Bucs, his last catch was a touchdown. [read more]

“No, Mr. Glazer, you can’t draft coaches.”

Cue the draft lunatics! Their season has begun!

With the Bucs’ brutal playoff loss to Dallas last night, Tampa Bay now officially sits with the 19th pick in the 2023 NFL Draft by virtue of them having the worst record among the losers on wild card weekend.

The last time the Bucs owned the 19th pick they selected O.J. Howard in 2017.

Edge rusher? Quarterback? Defensive tackle? Joe’s not ready to dive in.

Explains why Bucs defense was soft.

So Joe knew few Bucs would be in the talking mood after such a disgraceful display of football in front of a national television audience. [read more]

Tristan Wirfs

Inside the solemn Buccaneers postgame locker room, Joe noticed a sheet of paper in the lockers of two players, it was titled “Fast and Confident.” [read more]

Todd Bowles

Joe is stunned Todd Bowles’ defense got its ass handed to it tonight.

That’s the strength of the team and the strength of the head coach. [read more]

Unprepared defense.

Joe was convinced first-year Bucs coach Todd Bowles was safe to return next season. [read more]