The heck with the rest of it: Just win the division

Buccaneers running game finally reappears; missing since week 2.

The Bucs started out pretty strong in Germany Sunday. They, then, held on for dear life to outlast the Seahawks 21-16. This was an important win because the Bucs could have easily lost to a surprising Seattle squad who came into this game at 6-3. Three games over five hundred. The Bucs, on the other hand, were looking to get to five hundred with a win. Two weeks ago, I would have predicted a sure loss. Mike Evans appears to be back to respectability, no certain touchdown receptions dropped, and he made some tough grabs in this one. Evans wasn’t the only receiver making some nice grabs. Godwin, Miller, Otten, and Jones had some highlight footage receptions. Fournette and Rachaad White had some nice-looking runs. Fournette ran over one defender, and White shoved another to the ground on a physical 28-yard gain en route to his first one-hundred-yard game with 105 on 22 carries. It appears the Bucs have finally figured out that the best runner on the team has been sitting on the bench, just like when RoJo was here. White getting the 22 attempts against Fournette’s 14. Vaughn also had two carries, and Brady 6. I’m going to go out on a limb and say it’s been quite a while since this team last rushed 44 times in a game.

When has this ever happened before?

Quick, name the last time a 40-plus-year-old player caught a pass in the NFL. If you guessed Jerry Rice, you would be correct. There are two others, but they are quarterbacks. That being Brett Favre, and yep, our own Tom Brady. I’m speaking, of course, of the trick play the Bucs attempted. It ended up with Leonard Fournette throwing to a well-covered Brady. It was entertaining, and it was fun for about two seconds. Hopefully, we keep that play on the shelf until the NFL starts playing in Brazil or Bangladesh. Brady would have been the oldest had he found a way to bring that hopeless toss in for a completion. On the other side of the ball, there were times the Bucs’ defense looked very good. Joe Tryon had maybe his best game, and Devin White had a nice sack after unexpectedly losing his father this past week. As has become commonplace this season, the defense also had some lapses, mostly in the secondary.

Home-field advantage is probably not on the table.

Let’s not forget that even if our record looks bad at the end of this season, as long as we can win the NFC South, they can’t keep us out of the playoffs. While it would be sweet if we didn’t lose another game this season, that goal is probably unrealistic. The Bucs, with the win Sunday, have reclaimed sole possession of the NFC South lead. Their biggest threat, the Saints are cellar dwellers at 3-7. Even losing against the Saints in two weeks, chances are we still win the division. The Falcons are closest to us, but I don’t need to say that they have basically no chance of winning it. The Bucs won their first meeting, and I don’t feel like it’s a stretch to say we will win the second game as well. It’s been said many times, once you get into the playoffs it’s a new season, and anything can happen. That’s where my hopes lie for a great season. The team has shown signs of improvement these last two weeks. Let’s hope that continues. Go Bucs!!