Joe’s a big Jamel Dean fan.

The second-year cornerback keeps growing and growing. He’ll have his hiccups, like he did Sunday in Vegas, but Dean attacks his mistakes and is fiercely determined to fix them. [read more]

Out Monday night.

It’s the Giants. [read more]

Odd couple, but it works.

Remember this summer when those who covered or monitored the Belicheats would wring their hands wondering how park-violating, home-invading, NFLPA-ignoring, down-forgetting Bucs quarterback Tom Brady would work with Bucco Bruce Arians? [read more]

“You know Carr, I think your brother is onto something. Maybe that old coot Arians will buy me a drink at Hooters at the Super Bowl? The Hooters Girls dig my m@#$%^*ing ring, you know?”

Yes, the Super Bowl will be played at the Den of Depression in 2021. With social distancing, of course. [read more]

Hall of Fame tight end Tony Gonzalez admits he wrote off one key Buccaneer and was skeptical of another. [read more]

Secret to Bucs’ success.

Yes, the Bucs are in a playoff race. Joe feels it. Or maybe Joe’s thinking of creepy Patriots owner Bob Kraft’s visits to Asian strip mall boutiques in Jupiter. [read more]

It’s been 20 years since the ferocious Bucs defense of 2000 crushed quarterbacks for 55 sacks, an eye-popping total that further cemented the Glory Days defense as a force of its generation.

But guess how many sacks the Bucs are on pace for this season? [read more]

Joe eagerly awaited this glorious time, when Bucs fans could step out of the football-fan hell Jason Licht and Mark Dominik artfully crafted for 11 seasons with a little help from Team Glazer, who used to dance on the league salary floor before big spending became mandatory. [read more]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. The Bucs are 5-2, not 10-2. Lot of strong teams remain on the schedule. Still, Joe’s having fun playoff and scoreboard watching. [read more]

Yes, Joe is playoff watching and scoreboard watching. Joe may be rusty because it’s been so damn long since Joe has done it. [read more]

Joe wrote many, many times over the summer that if Tom Brady could simply get the Bucs scoring another two points per game, then the Bucs would be assured a playoff berth and fans would be doing backflips on Redington Beach.

Why? History says so. [read more]

Click through to shop now at BillCurrieFord.com. Family-owned Bill Currie Ford has been a Tampa treasure for generations, one mile north of Raymond James Stadium. Hustle up on those October specials!

BY IRA KAUFMAN

The Bucs face critical decisions in the offseason regarding key defensive players.

Lavonte David, Shaq Barrett and Ndamukong Suh are unsigned past the 2020 season, but the No. 1 contract priority rests on the other side of the football.

Chris Godwin must be retained at all costs. [read more]

Bucs coach Bucco Bruce Arians.

[UPDATE: 1:03 p.m.] The Bucs are wasting little time trying to get mercurial receiver Antonio Brown acclimated. [read more]

Bucs WR Mike Evans.

As Joe has stated many times, Bucs star receiver Mike Evans is everything you’d want in a teammate. [read more]

Bucs WR Antonio Brown.

Here is a timeline list Joe cobbled together of all of the stunts new Bucs receiver Antonio Brown has found himself entangled with dating back over the last two years.

So when people ask Joe why he’s not fond of the Brown signing, perhaps this helps enlighten readers to understand Joe’s reservations of the Bucs getting into bed with the talented yet mercurial Brown, just as the team seems to have turned the corner and is a legit Super Bowl contender. [read more]

Peyton Manning seems to know who carries a giant and powerful stick at One Buc Palace. [read more]

Very cool stuff happened yesterday that many fans gave little attention. [read more]

Arm growing stronger?

Yesterday Joe wrote about the right arm of park-violating, home-invading, NFLPA-ignoring, down-forgetting Bucs quarterback Tom Brady looking nothing like a middle-aged man’s wing. [read more]

Timing.

Some NFL teams have a guy up in the coaches’ booth who monitors the clock for the head coach and decides when timeouts should be used or when to spike a ball to kill the clock. [read more]

(Photo courtesy of Buccaneers.com.)

Another massive Victory Monday is here. This is becoming a regular pattern. Joe can get used to this even though it is foreign as can be. Off to the analysis! [read more]

Playing time growing.

A week ago against the Packers, Mike Edwards damn near had a pick-six against the great Aaron Rodgers. [read more]

Click through to shop now at BillCurrieFord.com. Family-owned Bill Currie Ford has been a Tampa treasure for generations, one mile north of Raymond James Stadium. Hustle up on those October specials!

BY IRA KAUFMAN

By one key metric, you could make a credible argument that the Bucs have been the most dominant team in the NFL this season.

No, they’re not unbeaten, but the Bucs have outscored opponents 222-142 in fashioning a 5-2 record. That plus-80 mark in point differential is tops in the league.

Quite a rebound from that bitter setback at Soldier Field two weeks ago. Tampa Bay followed up a majestic final three quarters against Green Bay with a very solid win on the road against a Raiders team coming off a bye week and a confidence-boosting victory at Kansas City.

Jon Gruden wanted this win in the worst way and the Raiders hung in until a turnover and the relentless pressure exerted by Tom Brady proved decisive.

Since that shaky opening quarter vs. Green Bay, the Bucs own an 83-20 scoring advantage. The Packers are very good, the Raiders aren’t bad and the Bucs just might be outstanding.

It’s all coming together for this woebegone franchise. Antonio Brown is on his way, but at this point, the Bucs don’t need much outside help in ending that 12-year playoff drought. They’ve been the talk of the league since Brady arrived and they still generate more than their share of national attention.

Here’s how an all-in franchise cashed out in Las Vegas: [read more]

Late February has arrived early at One Buc Palace.

The misdirection smoke now seen swirling usually is the kind reserved for pre-draft chatter when NFL executives and coaches lie regularly. [read more]