Let’s start this off by thinking back to the good old days when we flipped on the television and heard those infamous words, “Tom Brady is going to be a Tampa Bay Buccaneer.” We all rejoiced because the time had come to hoist that Lombardi in Tampa, once again, or at least that was the expectation. Sorry to say those days may be over for us in Tampa.

Brady has made his living by having strenuous offseasons where he is throwing with his receivers. He has always worked in the offseason, especially when it comes to new receivers. This offseason was different, though. Brady revealed that he was retiring and never put in the time with his receivers, which included Julio Jones and Russell Gage. The Buccaneers would also lose Rob Gronkowski, yet Brady wasn’t there to work with the newly drafted Cade Otton. It was a weird offseason that left most of us wondering what this year’s Buccaneers would look like. Well, it hasn’t been good!

Is it the play calling? Is it the cohesion of new and former players? Is it Brady or Leftwich? It is clear that something is wrong when the Buccaneers take the field on Sundays, Thursdays, and Mondays. Brady has always been a dink-and-dunk guy. He will check the ball down the field and take whatever the defense gives him. He loves to use the play-action pass, but that was also when he had guys he could trust would be in the right place at the right time (cough, cough, Rob Gronkowski). To me, it looks like Leftwich has a game plan that the players are not fully committing, too. I don’t know why they don’t buy into his play calling, but Brady and Leftwich do not see the game the same way. This doesn’t make a ton of sense, with both being quarterbacks.

Let’s not act like cohesion doesn’t play a factor in this season, as well. Cappa, Jensen, and Marpet, all being lost due to retirement, free agency, and injury has been an absolute killer. They supplemented the offensive line when they traded for former New England Patriots: Shaq Mason, but it just hasn’t been enough. Donovan Smith went from a top-10 left tackle to almost the worst in the NFL overnight. The new receivers haven’t been consistent with route running and making catches for Brady. We are entering Week 13, and Tom Brady is still trying to lure Gronkowski out of retirement. That tells me everything I need to know about the current roster. The men on this team need to begin trusting each other because the playcalling isn’t changing any time soon. Our defense has kept the Buccaneers in nearly every game, but the offense continues to sputter. The time is NOW to figure it out.

This team is again suspect in the defensive backfield.

It seems like we have come full circle regarding the defensive backfield. After all the draft picks and effort put into bringing that unit up to respectability, It seems like we have regressed to that unit being a handicap again. Yes, I know Nick Chubb busted the century mark, but it was Nick Chubb. Don’t know too many defenses that are able to keep that guy in check. Had the Bucs’ defense been able to keep it at that and force the Browns into being one-dimensional, they would have won. No matter what the opinions are. It is our defensive backfield that is to blame, at least in part, for a good number of the losses. Certainly, the offense has had its struggles, but the defense has now switched places with the offense in becoming the side of the ball that must control games. They are apparently not able to step up and lead the way. At times, they look as good as they ever have. Devin White has raised his game to another level, as many of the defenders have done. As a combined group, they just don’t seem able to overcome their mistakes and take over games like they once could. The defensive backs are a big part of that failure. Carlton Davis III has been suspect in many of the losses, he doesn’t seem to be the same player he was in 2020. Falling to the ground on the play that got the Browns and Chubb into a position to win the game was very upsetting. It may have been unavoidable; it’s hard to tell the video angle on the play wasn’t the best. Regardless, Davis has to find a way to avoid that happening in overtime, in a must-stop situation. These players make millions, so they must play better, or the losses will continue.

Just win the division, baby!

I’ve been propped up all season with the knowledge that if the Bucs win a very easy South Division, they are in the post-season. At 5-6, the Bucs are still in first place in the South. The old saying that once into the post-season, it’s a new day still holds true. If you play the same as you did in the regular season, that statement is null and void. The Bucs have to find a way to get better to prep for the post-season. If they go into the playoffs playing the way they have so far this season, expecting different results is the definition of insanity. If I had the answers to the Bucs’ woes, I’d probably be coaching. All I know is that consistency has been unobtainable this season on both sides of the ball and continues to send us to more Ls than Ws. So far, this has been a tough season to stomach. From the feeling that most of us had when Brady announced he was coming back to the feeling that most of us have today has been a long fall. Maybe not as bad of a fall as Carlton Davis had today against the Browns, but a fall all the same. Still a long way to go until the playoffs; I hope the Bucs can return to winning more games than they lose. Nobody wants to see an asterisk by our name for winning the division with a losing record. Go Bucs!

Tristan Wirfs suffered a leg injury yesterday that has Bucs Fans ready to throw in the towel. The injury looked pretty gnarly and gave good reason to believe that it could have been pretty severe, leading some folks to begin saying that Wirfs was done for the season. Reports came out of Cleveland Sunday afternoon that Wirfs was seen walking pretty well, though limping, around the locker room and then seen leaving the locker room with a boot on. Reports also appeared that his initial X-ray had been negative for any type of break. It was reported that Wirfs was to have an MRI Monday morning which seemed to have discovered some ligament damage, but the star RT hopes he is only to miss 3-4 weeks.

According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler: “Bucs RT Tristan Wirfs is expected to miss multiple weeks with his ankle/foot injury, per source. There’s some ligament damage, but he should be able to avoid surgery barring second opinion revealing more. Wirfs is hoping it’s a 3-4 week injury.”

If Wirfs is to miss 3-4 weeks, it is going to be a tough go for the Buccaneers’ offensive line. The Bucs do have some capable backups in Josh Wells and even Luke Goedeke, who played Tackle in college. Goedeke was drafted to play left guard but could find himself back at the Tackle position when he is healthy. Nick Leveretter seems to be a swiss army knife of sorts, and if Goedeke is healthy and returned to the Left Guard spot, he could find himself filling in at Right Tackle. Brandon Walton, in my opinion, would be the front-runner to fill in for Wirfs in his absence, and I’d expect practice squad Tackles Justin Skule and Dylan Cook to have their shot at being activated as well.

Hopefully, Wirfs heals up quickly and can get back out there as fast as possible. For many, Wirfs’ injury, marks the end of the Buccaneers’ season and the team’s chance for the Playoff, but as long as Tampa can stay at the top of the division, the team has plenty of opportunity to make the Playoffs and by then, have a lot of guys return for a run at the trophy.

TIME TO GO FOR THREE IN A ROW!

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-5) are traveling north, way north, to play the Cleveland Browns (3-7) on Sunday. The Bucs won two straight before heading into their Week 11 bye. The Browns have lost two straight since coming out of their Week 9 bye. Two different streaks for two very different teams. The Buccaneers offense is dependent upon their passing game. The Browns offense is dependent upon their running game. The Buccaneers run defense is ranked 16th, while the Browns pass defense is ranked 15th. Which one of them steps up?

The story for this game could end up being the weather. The forecast for Sunday in Cleveland is a high of 56 with 100% chance of rain and winds between 15-25 mph. High winds and rain mixed with wet, muddy field conditions is not a good combination for the Bucs passing offense. However, it’s right up the Browns alley. It’ll be interesting to see if Tampa Bay can overcome the elements and come out of Cleveland with their third straight win.

CLEVELAND BROWNS

The Browns are 3-7 after losing two straight following their Week 9 bye. With their eventual starting quarterback Deshaun Watson serving the final game of his 11-game suspension this week, the Browns will once again be going with NFL journeyman Jacoby Brissett at quarterback. In 10 games this season, he’s totaled 2,398 yards, 11 touchdowns and 5 interceptions while completing 64% of his passes. They will no doubt be leaning on running back Nick Chubb and their 5th ranked rushing attack averaging 150+ yards per game to control this game. However, they are ranked 4th in total offense averaging 378 total yards and 24 points per game.

The Browns defense is ranked 19th allowing 350 total yards and 27 points per game. Only one team, the Detroit Lions (28.2) is allowing more points per game than Cleveland right now. They’ve given up 30+ points in five of their ten games this season. The Browns are ranked 29th in turnover differential with a -6 in that category. That means two things. They turn it over too much on offense (14) and they don’t force enough turnovers on defense (8).

PLAYERS TO WATCH

OFFENSE : RB Nick Chubb

I went with the obvious choice here. He’s the main focal point of a team that has the 5th ranked rushing offense in the NFL. The Bucs have to stop him and force Jacoby Brissett to beat them through the air if they want to win this game.

DEFENSE : DE Myles Garrett

I know, it’s another obvious pick by me, but it’s the truth. He’s the best passrusher on their team. If the Bucs can stop him from being a gamewrecker, then it gives their offense a better chance to get things going.

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS

The Bucs are 5-5 coming out of their Week 11 bye and we’re about to find out if that bye was a good thing or a bad thing. The bye week could’ve been good for the Bucs giving them an extra week to rest some of the veterans and get some of the injured guys healthy. On the other hand, it came at a bad time right in the middle of a 2-game win streak and possibly slowed down any momentum the team might have had going. Sunday’s game against the Browns will answer that question.

Tampa Bay’s prolific offense from the last two years is gone. What was once a top five offense scoring 30 points per game is now ranked 17th averaging just 340 total yards and 18 points per game. They may be 5th in passing offense averaging 270 yards per game, but their rushing attack is dead last ranked 32nd averaging just 70 yards per game.

Their defense is getting back on track after not showing up for a few weeks. They are now 8th allowing just 310 total yards and 18 points per game. Believe it or not, their pass defense has been better and more consistent than their run defense this season giving up just 193 passing yards per game. The Run D that has been in the top five since Todd Bowles took over is currently ranked 16th allowing 117 yards per game. However, those numbers would be much better had they not allowed 189 yards to the Chiefs in Week 4, 151 yards to the Falcons in Week 5, 173 yards to the Panthers in Week 7 and 231 yards to the Ravens in Week 8. Other than that lapse in defense during a stretch where they lost three straight and five of six games, the defense has played pretty well.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

OFFENSE : RB Rachaad White

With Leonard Fournette “doubtful” for this game, rookie running back Rachaad White will likely get his second career start on Sunday. All he did in his first career start was rush for the first 100-yard game of his career. He has a chance for another one going up against the Browns 24th ranked run defense allowing 135 yards per game on the ground.

DEFENSE : DT Logan Hall

With Vita Vea battling a foot injury and possibly being on a snap count on Sunday, Hall could have an opportunity to play more snaps. I really want to see this kid come alive in these last 7 games. No question he’s got the talent and the athleticism, he just needs more plays.

KEY MATCHUPS

1. Mike Evans vs Martin Emerson Jr.

Browns starting cornerback Greg Newsome is officially “out” for this game, which means Emerson will be thrust into a starting role where he’ll be asked to cover one of the best receivers in football. It’s not a fair fight. If Tom Brady has enough time to throw it and the weather isn’t too bad, it could be a big game for him and his receivers.

2. Bucs D-line vs Nick Chubb

The Bucs have to stop the run in this game. The Browns have the 5th ranked rushing offense in the NFL averaging 151 yards per game. Chubb is a big part of that totaling 923 yards and 11 touchdowns while averaging 5.3 yards per carry. The Bucs defense, on the other hand, has allowed an average of just 53 rushing yards per game over their last two games.

3. Tristan Wirfs vs Myles Garrett

Wirfs might be the best right tackle in the NFL right now having gone 354 passblocking snaps without giving up a QB pressure. Garrett is one of the most elite passrushers in the game and has 8.5 sacks in 10 games this season. It should be fun to watch these two battle on Sunday.

INJURY REPORTS

Buccaneers

The Buccaneers have ruled “OUT” two players with their final injury report, including guard Luke Goedeke (foot) and receiver Russell Gage (hamstring). The only other player is running back Leonard Fournette (hip) who is listed as “DOUBTFUL“, but has now been downgraded to officially “OUT” for this game.. Vita Vea (foot) is listed as “QUESTIONABLE” on the report, but he’s back practicing and should play on Sunday. With Fournette now out, the Bucs have activated Giovanni Bernard to the 53-man roster so he will be available as well.

Browns

As long as the Browns final injury report is, they only have one player ruled “OUT” for the game in cornerback Greg Newsome (concussion).

KEYS TO THE GAME

1. Control the line of scrimmage!

Establish the run to setup the play action pass on offense and stop the run on defense. That all starts up front in the trenches. It might be rainy and windy too, so that could make the run game even more of an emphasis. Run the football and you control the clock. Control the clock and you have a better chance of controlling the game.

2. Do your job!

No more, no less. Just do your job and trust that the guys beside you will do their’s as well. That’s it.

3. Get the offense going!

This offense has to get rolling. They’ve only scored more than 22 points one time this season and that was against the Chiefs. For a team that averaged about 30 points per game over the last two years, that’s crazy.

ODDS & ENDS

Bucs -3.5/Browns +3.5 & the Over/Under is 42.5 points

WHEN & WHERE

Date : Sunday, November 27

Kickoff : 1pm ET

Where : FirstEnergy Stadium

TV : FOX       Radio : 98 Rock/97.9 FM

WEATHER FORECAST

Around 50 degrees and windy with a 100% chance of rain

SCORE PREDICTION

The Bucs are hot and the Browns are not. Both of these teams have streaks going. The Bucs would like to keep both of them going. The Browns would prefer to put an end to both. Something has to give here. I think the Bucs keep things rolling in the right direction with their third straight win.

Bucs  23  Browns  13

THE WRAP UP

This game will be a test. Don’t let the Browns 3-7 record fool you into thinking this will be an easy win for the surging Bucs. Four of their seven losses have been by 3 points or less, so they could just as easily be 7-3 and tied with the Baltimore Ravens for first place in the AFC North right now. There are plenty of things the Bucs need to overcome to win this game. A top 5 rushing attack. Inclement weather. Poor field conditions. Traveling on the road. Coming off of a bye. The hostile environment of “The Dawg Pound“. It won’t be easy. But it is possible. So now that you know everything you need to know about the Bucs Week 12 matchup this Sunday, there’s only one thing left to say.

CLEVELAND BROWNS, YOUR ASS IS ON THE CLOCK!

WELL, IT COULD’VE BEEN WORSE!

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been one of the more disappointing teams in the NFL so far this season. They entered 2022 as the odds on favorite to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl and started the season in promising fashion with convincing road wins against the Cowboys and Saints.

That’s when the wheels started coming off.

The Bucs proceeded to lose five of their next six games on their way to a 3-5 record, including three at home and two against two of the worst teams in the league. The offense couldn’t score on anyone. The defense couldn’t stop anyone. And the Bucs couldn’t beat anyone, but themselves.

After that fifth loss, which was at home against the Ravens, Lavonte David stepped up as the veteran leader that he is and called for a “PLAYERS ONLY” meeting. Since that meeting, the Bucs are 2-0 and back to .500 at 5-5 for the season with wins over the Rams and Seahawks. I don’t know what was said in that meeting and probably never will, but apparently it was exactly what the team needed to hear. The defense has played on a different level in those two games and the offense is starting to get things rolling as well. They still haven’t played up to their full potential for a full game yet, but at least they are headed in the right direction now. With that being said, here is my GOOD, BAD & UGLY from the first 10 games of 2022, as well as a few other insights from the season so far.

THE GOOD

The Defense

Despite the lapses between Weeks 4-8, the Buccaneers defense is still one of the best in the league statistically. They are ranked 6th in scoring defense allowing just 18 points per game. They are 7th in total defense allowing just 310 total yards per game. They are 6th in passing defense (193 yards per game) and 15th in rushing defense (117 yards per game). They are 8th in sacks (32) and 10th in third down percentage (38%). They have now dropped down to 14th in turnover differential (+1) after going five straight game without forcing one. That was their longest streak since 2008, which they finally ended against the Seahawks with Devin White’s strip sack and Anthony Nelson’s fumble recovery.

Despite dealing with multiple injuries at safety, the Bucs secondary has handled their business for most of the season. Carlton Davis III and Jamel Dean have been locking down the outside, while the combination of Antoine Winfield Jr, Mike Edwards and Keanu Neal have been patrolling the middle of the field. That unit is playing well and will be even better as soon as Logan Ryan can come back.

Their run defense has had it’s moments this season, but they’ve come around over the past couple of weeks. A big reason for that could be the return of Akiem Hicks to the interior defensive line after he missed six straight games with a foot injury. Since he’s been back in the lineup, the Bucs have only given up 68 rushing yards to the Rams and 39 rushing yards to the Seahawks.

Another big reason for the defense’s return to domination is Devin White’s play. He started the season with two great games against the Cowboys and Saints earning NFC Defensive Player of the Month for September. After that, his play fell off considerably going all the way through Week 8’s loss to the Ravens where he was heavily criticized for his lack of effort on some plays. He responded to those critics with two of his best games of the year in Weeks 9 and 10.

If this defense can get healthy and stay healthy, they will help this team finish this season strong. The Bucs are 4-1 this season when the defense has held their opponents to 18 points or less, with the one loss being 14-12 to the Packers. If the offense can continue to improve each week, and the defense can continue to shutdown opposing offenses, the Bucs could end up being one of those teams nobody wants to see in the playoffs.

The Special Teams

The Buccaneers special teams has been lights out all season long. From rookie punter Jake Camarda to veteran kicker Ryan Succop to young kick returner Jaelon Darden, this unit has helped the Bucs win games when their offense wasn’t getting their job done. Succop has now made 22 of his 25 field goals (2 misses, 1 blocked) and all 13 extra points. Darden has averaged 21 yards per kickoff return and ranks in the top ten in the league with 10.6 yards per punt return. And the rookie Camarda has been impressive to say the least. He’s punted 46 times with zero blocked. He’s put 16 inside the 20-yard line with just 6 touchbacks. He’s forced 13 fair catches and allowed just a 8 yards per attempt in 15 returns. He’s averaging 49 yards per punt and his longest punt of the season of 74 yards tied a franchise record. He’s been a nice weapon to have, which is not something most teams can say about their punter.

THE BAD

The Losing Streak

In one stretch of the first 10 games, the Bucs lost three straight and five of six games between Weeks 3 and 8. During that streak, the Buccaneers were one of the worst third down AND redzone teams in the league and they owned the worst rushing offense in NFL history.

The Bucs defense wasn’t much better during that span, allowing nearly 150 rushing yards and 20+ points four of the six games. Luckily, the Bucs were able to right the ship against the Rams to end that streak and get a second straight win against the Seahawks in Germany. Now they’ll be looking to extend their new streak to 3 games on the road in Week 12 against the Browns.

Injuries

“Next man up“. That’s the players and coaches politically correct way to say injuries aren’t an excuse for losing. But let’s be realistic. If that “next man up” was good enough to be a starter, they would be a starter. It’s not so much an excuse as it is a fact. When a team has a starting player get injured and the next guy on the depth chart is suddenly thrown into the starting lineup, there’s going to be a drop off in play. It’s inevitable.

For the Bucs, it wasn’t just injuries. They lost their All-Pro left guard Ali Marpet to “retirement“. They lost their starting right guard Alex Cappa to free agency. Then came to injuries to Pro Bowl center Ryan Jensen and Marpet’s replacement Aaron Stinnie. They had to replace their entire interior o-line before the first snap of the regular season. That is a huge hole to climb out of. When you add the fact that the “next men up” to replace them were a second year center who’d never taken a regular season snap and a rookie left guard who played right tackle in college, that hole becomes a crater.

The o-line was just the beginning. The Bucs have had a string of injuries at wide receiver and in the secondary as well. After free agency, they were supposed to have the best and deepest receiver group in the league. Unfortunately, I don’t think that group has played a single game together this season. Chris Godwin got hurt again. Julio Jones was out for five of the ten games with a knee injury. And Russell Gage has been battling a hamstring all season. If this bunch can ever get healthy and stay that way, then maybe this offense would take off. It just hasn’t happened yet.

THE UGLY

The Offense

Oh how the mighty have fallen. What was once a top five offense under Bruce Arians has turned into the epitome of mediocrity. They are now ranked 17th in total yards per game (341 yds), 27th in points (18 pts per game), 5th in passing yards (270 yds per game) and 32nd in rushing yards (71 yds per game). They are 20th in third down percentage (39%) and 28th in redzone percentage (46%), which is nearly 20% lower than where they were last year. Oh and did I mention that they also lead the NFL in drops too. They are averaging a league worst 3.1 yards per rushing attempt, which is flirting with the worst average in NFL history. They are also 28th in touchdowns averaging less than 2 per game.

“Ugly” isn’t even the word for it.

However, there has been some positives over the last two games. Even though they didn’t score a lot of points against the Rams, they were able to score when it really counted at the end of the game. Against Seattle, they were 10 of 15 on third down and scored touchdowns on three of their four trips into the redzone with the fourth being the final drive of the game where they took a knee at the Seahawks 20-yard line. It’s something to build on. Now that they have their left guard situation fixed with Nick Leverett and their receivers are getting healthy on the bye week, hopefully this offense will start producing like we thought they would before the season began.

INJURY UPDATES

LG Luke Goedeke

After missing the last three games with a foot injury, he is now back practicing with the team and could be available to play versus the Browns on Sunday. Todd Bowles has yet to announce whether Goedeke will return to the starting left guard spot or if Nick Leverett will remain there for the rest of the season. He claims he’s waiting until Goedeke is “100% healthy” to make a decision, but if he wants to keep his job then he’d better stick with Leverett.

RB Giovanni Bernard

He was just designated to return from IR, meaning he may begin practicing with the team and be promoted to the active roster as soon as he’s 100% healthy. With the emergence of Rachaad White as the Bucs third down back, I’m not sure there’s much of a role for Bernard at this point, but it’s nice to have the added depth in the backfield.

C Ryan Jensen

From what I’ve heard, he’s getting better each week. That means he probably doesn’t need surgery and that there’s a slight chance he could make a return at some point this season. I wouldn’t expect him back anytime soon, but it wouldn’t surprise me if he’s back for the playoffs.

S Logan Ryan

He suffered a foot injury during the Bucs Week 4 game against the Chiefs. He missed the next two games before he was placed on short-term IR. He is now eligible to return from IR, but there’s been no word on his status or when he could be designated to return.

OLB Shaq Barrett

Unfortunately, he’s done for this season with a torn achilles. The normal prognosis for his injury is 6-7 months. That puts him out until at least April, but he should be good to go for training camp.

G Aaron Stinnie

He was injured during the Bucs preseason game with the Tennessee Titans and has been on IR ever since. He tore his ACL and his MCL, which means he’s done for the year and won’t make a return until next season.

LB KJ Britt

He suffered an ankle injury in the game against the Panthers and was placed on IR soon after. Sunday will be his fourth game on IR and he will be eligible to return after that whenever he’s healthy enough. That would be a much welcomed addition as thin as the Bucs are at inside linebacker.

STAT LEADERS

PASSING : Tom Brady – 282 for 427/66% comp/2,805 yards/12 TD’s/2 INT’s

RUSHING : Leonard Fournette – 135 carries/462 yards/3.4 ypc/3 TD’s

RECEIVING : Mike Evans – 49 catches/76 targets/671 yards/3 TD’s

TACKLES : Devin White – 76

TACKLES FOR LOSS : Devin White – 8

SACKS : Vita Vea – 6.5

PASSES DEFENSED : Jamel Dean – 6

INTERCEPTIONS : Jamel Dean – 2

FORCED FUMBLES : Devin White – 2

 

UNDERACHIEVERS

OFFENSE : QB Tom Brady

Yeah, I said it. It’s not all his fault, but he is partially to blame. Sure, his o-line isn’t what it was last year, his receivers drop balls at an alarming rate and he has no run game to lean on, but he is Tom Brady. He just hasn’t played like it this season. At this point last year, he had nearly 30 touchdown passes. This year he’s got just 12 of them. He’s overthrown guys. He’s underthrown guys. He’s missed wide open guys. He’s made bad reads. He just hasn’t been that same player. Yeah, he’s had flashes here and there. He’s made some throws that remind us that he is in fact “the GOAT“. But the consistency hasn’t been there. Is all his off-the-field stuff to blame? Maybe. Going through a divorce is mentally and emotionally taxing, especially when kids are involved. Hopefully, now that it’s done and over with, he can concentrate on football again. Afterall, he is 2-0 since his divorce was finalized.

DEFENSE : LB Devin White

He may be leading the Bucs in tackles, tackles for loss and forced fumbles, but he’s struggled with “leading” the Bucs this season. After a strong start to his season being named the NFC Defensive Player of the Month for September, his play fell of in a big way. He was playing out of position, missing assignments and missing tackles. In fact, he had one of the league’s highest missed tackle rates at one point this season. It all came to a head during their home loss to the Ravens when White was caught jogging on a few plays. When that happened, he started to get criticized by the media and the fans for playing lazy football. He responded to his critics by having two of his best games of the season against the Rams and Seahawks. Hopefully, that fire inside him continues to burn and he keeps playing like one of the best inside linebackers in the game.

THE DRAFT PICKS

RD.2 : DT Logan Hall

Technically, he could’ve been the Bucs first round pick but they gambled with trading back and selected him in the beginning of the second round. In any case, he’s been a slight disappointment as far as I’m concerned. I thought he would’ve made more of an impact than he has so far, especially against the run. He’s only totaled 8 tackles this season in 10 games, but he does have 2 sacks and 4 tackles for loss. I’m not saying he’s a “bust“, but I’d like to see more from him in these last 7 games.

RD.2 : LG Luke Goedeke

I think we all know where I stand with this one. It’s too early to say he was a bad draft pick, but it was too early to thrust him into the starting lineup. He played right tackle in college. Not only that, but he played right tackle at Central Michigan, which is a smaller Division-1 school. Not only was he tasked with making the jump from college football to the NFL, but he was asked to play a whole different position. It just wasn’t fair to him. He could still end up being a pretty good offensive lineman, but he’s not ready to be a starter yet.

RD.3 : RB Rachaad White

He has really been coming on as of late. So much so, in fact, that he was named the starter for the Bucs game against the Seahawks. A big part of that was the uncertainty surrounding Leonard Fournette’s passport situation, but still he did start. And he responded with his first career 100-yard rushing game. He’s the second leading rusher on the team with 60 carries for 222 yards, averaging 3.7 yards per carry which is slightly ahead of Fournette’s 3.4 yards per carry. He also added 20 catches for 135 yards. What’s even more impressive is that he’s third on the team in yards after catch (135) trailing only Fournette (358) and Chris Godwin (232).

RD.4 : TE Cade Otton

With injuries to either Cam Brate and Kyle Rudolph for most of the season, Otton has taken a hold of the Bucs starting tight end role and he may never give it up. He now has 26 catches for 281 yards, averaging just over 10 yards per catch. Not only that, but he’s 5th on the team in yards after catch. There’s no doubt that this offense misses Rob Gronkowski in every way possible. But Otton is certainly trying to ease some of that pain with his play on the field.

RD.4 : P Jake Camarda

He might be the Bucs best rookie so far this season. He has the Bucs ranked 7th in gross yards per punt (49.0) and 5th in net yards per punt (43.8). In the last 3 games, he’s averaged 53.4 yards with a long of 66, 59.5 yards with a long of 74 and 61.0 yards with a long of 63 yards. That 74-yard punt against the Rams tied a Bucs franchise record. That 59.5 yards per punt in that same game was the highest average by a punter with at least five punts in any game this season. Add in the fact that he has 4 tackles on special teams and not only do the Bucs have themselves a helluva punter, but they have a pretty good football player as well.

Tampa Bay caught criticism from some experts for taking Camarda when “The Punt God” Matt Araiza was still on the board in the draft. Turns out it was a pretty good decision. While Camarda has been one of the best punters in football, Araiza was released by the Buffalo Bills after he was accused of gang-raping a 17-year old female with two other men at San Diego State University in 2021. Whether the Bucs knew about this situation before the draft or not, they made a wise decision going with Camarda.

RD.5 : CB Zyon McCollum

The Bucs fifth round pick has probably exceeded expectations at this point of the season. He hasn’t played bad on defense when he has been in at cornerback. It’s a big adjustment for most players. It’s often said that the hardest position to make the jump from college to the NFL is corner. Maybe that’s true. But where he’s excelled has been at his gunner position on special teams where he’s one of the Bucs leading tacklers. He could eventually play his way on to a more consistent role on defense, but for now he’s right where the Bucs need him to be.

RD.6 : TE Ko Kieft

He might have been my favorite draft pick and he’s definitely one of my favorite players on the team. Kieft is just a football player. Period. He may only have 4 catches for 52 yards this season, but his versatility and blocking ability has led to him playing a big role in the Bucs offense.

RD.7 : OLB Andre Anthony

The Bucs final pick of the 2022 NFL Draft is their only draft pick not on the roster still. Anthony was waived at the end of training camp and was never re-signed. He is currently on the Chicago Bears practice squad.

BIG BUCS OF THE SEASON

OFFENSE – K Ryan Succop

With so many weapons to pick from on offense, it’s a shame that I have to resort to choosing the kicker as the Bucs Offensive Player of the Year so far. But he’s the only one that has consistently performed his job at a high level for all 10 games. He has made 22 of 25 field goals and all 13 of his extra points. Both of his misses were from 50+ yards with the other being blocked. Tampa Bay went into training camp with two kickers and they could have chose the younger, cheaper option in Jose Borregales. They went with the veteran Succop and that choice is paying off.

DEFENSE – DT Vita Vea

Whether it’s been the addition of Akiem Hicks on that defensive front or simply him just progressing as a player, Vea is having his best year as a professional. He now has 6 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks, both career-highs and his 26 tackles is just 9 tackles short of his career-high with 7 games left. There’s no doubt that playing beside Hicks helps, but it shows how much of a game-wrecker Vea can be when he’s not being double and triple teamed every snap.

BAD BUCS OF THE SEASON

OFFENSE – WR Julio Jones

It’s not that he’s been bad. He just hasn’t been available. When the Bucs signed him in free agency this offseason, some people were asking “Why?“. Why sign a guy that old that’s had so many injury issues over the last few years? The Bucs answer was that Jones was 100% healthy and ready to go. That turned out to be not so true.

Jones played Week 1 in Dallas, but eventually left the game with a knee injury. He then missed the next 2 games with what they were calling a partially torn PCL in his knee. He played Week 4 against the Chiefs, but then he missed the next 3 games with that same knee injury. He has now played in their last 3 games with no apparent setbacks with his knee. He’s played in just 5 games out of ten, totaling just 11 catches on 21 targets for 178 yards and 2 touchdowns. Hopefully, this bye week has allowed his knee to heal more and it won’t be such an issue moving forward. If he can stay healthy, it would go a long way towards helping this offense play up to it’s full potential.

DEFENSE – DT Logan Hall

He hasn’t been “bad“, but I was expecting more from him as the Buccaneers first pick of this year’s draft. With just 8 tackles, 2 sacks and 4 tackles for loss, he’s slightly underachieving for a first round draft pick. Then again, he’s not a starter. He’s a rotational guy right now. That happens when you play behind guys like Akiem Hicks, Vita Vea and Will Gholston. I’m not labeling him a “bust” because he’s not. He has the ability to be a good football player. But I would like to see more from him in these last 7 games.

BUCS PLAYERS TO WATCH

OFFENSE – RB Rachaad White

He showed everyone what he could do when given the opportunity to start in Week 10 against the Seahawks. I expect to see more of an even split of snaps between him and Leonard Fournette for the remainder of the season. I’ve been impressed by the rookie so far and I’m excited to see how he plays with more opportunities over the next 7 games.

DEFENSE – OLB Joe Tryon-Shoyinka

He’s had a decent 2022 season so far, but I want more from him. With Shaq Barrett out for the remainder of the season, it’s time for the second year pass rusher to step his game up. He’s totaled 22 tackles and 5 tackles for loss this season and his 3.5 sacks is good enough for 3rd on the team, but I need more. The team needs more. And I think he’ll give it to us.

REMAINING SCHEDULE

WEEK 12 : @ Cleveland Browns

 

WEEK 13 : vs New Orleans Saints

 

WEEK 14 : @ San Francisco 49ers

 

WEEK 15 : vs Cincinnati Bengals

 

WEEK 16 : @ Arizona Cardinals

 

WEEK 17 : vs Carolina Panthers

 

WEEK 18 : @ Atlanta Falcons

 

THE WRAP UP

The Bucs are 5-5 through their first 10 games of this season. It sucks. But it’s the record they’ve earned with their play so far. They’ve owned it. They’ve accepted responsibility for it. Now it’s time to do something about it. When we look back on this season, I think we’ll be able to say that the final game-winning drive against the Rams was the turning point. That was the moment in this season where this team decided they were done playing losing football. When they decided they were done being losers. In the Buccaneers latest episode of “The Current“, there’s a clip from that game where Chris Godwin is heard telling Tom Brady and Mike Evans that “This is the drive. This is where we turn things around!“. Evans responds by asking “For this game?” and Godwin replies “For this game AND this season!“.

I think he’s right.

The Buccaneers played like a different team against the Seahawks in Munich. They played more like how we all expected them to this season from the start. And it all started with that final drive against the Rams. Germany was the next step. Now it’s time to build off of that and continue to get better every week. That step of the process begins this Sunday in Cleveland.

THE LOOK AHEAD

The 5-5 Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be looking to extend their current winning streak to three games when they travel to Cleveland to take on the 3-7 Browns this Sunday. Luckily for the Bucs, this will be Deshaun Watson’s final game of his 11-game suspension so the Browns will still have Jacoby Brissett at quarterback. They’ve got their own streak going on having lost two straight and six of their last seven. However, don’t let their record fool you. Four of their seven losses have been by 3 points or less, so they could easily be 7-3 and tied with Baltimore for first place in the AFC North. This isn’t a “gimme win” by any means and the Bucs have proved there are no such games on multiple occasions this season. This will be a test for Tampa Bay. It’s a test of where they are mentally and where they are headed for the rest of this season. A win gets back the momentum they had before the bye week and helps them build steam moving towards a playoff push. A loss could take the wind out of their sails. We’ll just have to wait and see which Buccaneers team shows up on Sunday.

Until then, as always…GO BUCS!!!

 

I know there have been a lot of conflicting reports lately about the status of Buccaneers’ Center Ryan Jensen. There has been a false sense of hope given to many fans that he was expected to return by Week 9 or 10. Well, that came and went, didn’t it? Everyone has a source it seems. My source is actually a pretty good one and a really good friend! There are reports that the Bucs do not expect him back anytime soon, and they shouldn’t. The mystery surrounding what his injury is, his progression, and when he may return has been a bit odd. But this isn’t any normal injury.

Although I may not disclose the actual injury at this time, I can tell you that it was severe. Multiple tears in his knee, along with other damage, will likely keep the veteran out for the remainder of the 2022 season. This is the REAL EXPECTATION. If he comes back sooner than next season, it will be a miracle. His doctor believed surgery was not necessary to repair ligaments as it could have had the possibility of the veteran missing a lot more time or not healing correctly. You definitely want him to heal the best that he can. You saw him early on walking around without a cast, and at times, without a brace, which will allow his knee to heal naturally, which is what you want to have to happen with your veteran center.

As of now, the word is he is continuing to heal very well, but there is no update as to whether or not he has entered intense rehabilitation yet. So as far as him coming back sooner than expected, I can’t say. From what I know of the injury, I certainly would not count on it, even for the playoffs.

Once the gruesome details of his injury emerge, all will be put into perspective, and no matter when his return happens, one thing will be known for sure; Ryan Jensen is a beast and will have overcome one hell of an injury. I wish I could tell you more about the severity of his injury, but you will have to wait. Trust me, it was very bad.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been struggling on offense this season; miscues, personal lives, and non-execution of plays have been the main culprit for the below-expected performance so far. Saying that the run game hasn’t established itself in the way the team hoped for this offseason would be an understatement. After reviewing play-calling trends from the 2021 season, new Head Coach Todd Bowles began to transition the offense from throwing the football being plan A and plan A1. A solid offensive line, a resurgent Leonard Fournette, and promising rookie Rashad White would see the Buccaneers become a run-first team. The theory of dominating on the ground and leaving opposing teams vulnerable to Brady’s surgical passing was sound; however, the team has been throwing more than they have wanted to. (The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are 2nd in the NFL behind the Cardinals,  445, in pass attempts with 428)

When you have the G.O.A.T. on your team, you would think that you would want to throw the ball as much as possible, putting on an ariel show and piling on a whole lot of points. Contrary to this logic, the G.O.A.T. even said it himself; “we’d love to throw the ball less and control the game and run the ball and play great defense and get turnovers, and don’t turn it over and score in the red area.” So far, the Bucs are 27th in the league on rushing attempts and dead last for rushing yards with just 707 through 10 games.

Leonard Fournette has run the ball 135 times for 465 yards and 3 touchdowns, with rookie running back Rachaad White contributing 60 carries for 222 yards and 1 touchdown. It seems that the rookie running back is showing a lot of promise and even has fans calling for his name to start over the struggling veteran Leonard Fournette. White had the first 100-yard game of his NFL career in Munich, Germany versus the Seattle Seahawks.

Following that break-out performance, White became the talk of the town. Fans instantly began searching for a nickname and demanding that he is awarded the start for the foreseeable future. But what is Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles thinking? He is thinking “smart money” and will ride with the hot hand.

“Well, you saw what he can bring. He’s very athletic, he gives us a lot – ‘Lenny’ [Fournette] gives us a lot as well. Depending on who gets hot at a certain time, we’ll ride that hand. Right now, we need everybody back there – ‘Sneak’ [Ke’Shawn Vaughn] included, with Gio coming back. We’ve got guys [that] if they get in the game and they get going pretty [well], we’ll probably leave them in there.”

Coach Bowles’s concept of running with whoever is hot at any particular time may not sit well with fans who want to see the rookie get the permanent start, but it does make the most sense. Anyone can get hot at any time, and names in any kind of order on a depth chart for the position are meaningless. As long as White gets hot, White will get the rock, and I think that is what fans will see as the season ticks on.

The word on the street is that Rob Gronkowski is contemplating coming out of retirement again to make another comeback to play in the NFL. As we already know, Gronk said during this past offseason that if he were to ever play football again, he would only play for the Buccaneers. He also stated that he was done with football for good.

The rumor of his return has been thrown around a lot already this season, and that got many Bucs fans’ hopes up. Nothing is set in stone yet, but this time the rumor may have some substantial legs to it. Tom Brady has been in Gronk’s ear a lot this season, and it’s going to be hard for him to say no to Brady.

Rob Gronkowski has been hitting the gym and staying in shape, and he’s even been spotted doing football-related drills, so if need be, Gronk is staying in the sort of shape that he needs to be in if he decides he’s ready to play football again. Gronk would not have to play a full season, which would cut down on the chances of him getting hurt again. The Bucs’ remaining schedule also allows them the chance to go on a big winning streak and potentially make another playoff run. The status of the Bucs’ record would be a big part of his decision-making; if he is still contemplating a return.

If he comes back, Gronk would start out in more of a blocking tight end role because he is better at that than any of the Bucs’ current tight ends, and then he would start to run routes again and be that big safety net target for Tom Brady. Don’t count on it happening, fellow Bucs fans, but there is more of a chance than ever before that it could happen. Keep an eye out for more to this story that may be coming out soon!

FirstEnergy Stadium – According to Fox 8, someone scaled the fence at the Browns stadium, hopped into a golf cart, and proceeded to drive around the team’s field. Tire marks defaced half of the playing field, but it seems the damage was only superficial.

The Browns released a statement to FOX 8 ensuring that the damage to the field will be repaired by Sunday and will not affect the game between the Browns and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers: “We are aware of the incident that occurred early Tuesday morning at FirstEnergy Stadium and has provided the Cleveland Division of Police with all relevant information. Based on our internal evaluation, there was some superficial damage to the playing field that our grounds maintenance team is currently working to repair. We take great pride in the strong reviews and reputation of our stadium’s playing surface, have been in touch with the NFL on the matter, and are confident after repair our field will be ready for Sunday’s game vs. the Tampa Buccaneers.”

The Buccaneers are on a two-game winning streak after finally getting their feet back on the ground at home against the Los Angeles Rams three weeks ago and then; running all over the Seattle Seahawks in Munich Germany just two weeks ago. The Bucs come out of the Bye Week 5-5 and will face a 3-7 Cleveland Browns who feature one of the best runningbacks in the league in Nick Chubb. The Pewter Pirate’s run defense will face one of their toughest tasks this season in stopping Chubb, who is closing in on 1,000- yards and has 11 touchdowns.

Tampa has the league’s 7th-ranked run defense going up against the league’s 5th-ranked rushing offense, so the battle will need to be won in the trenches. With the return of Akeim Hicks, the Bucs’ run defense could be back on track and quickly move up in the rankings from the top 7 to the top 5. Following the contest in Cleveland, the Bucs will return home to face the New Orleans Saints, who hover toward the bottom of the division. 

Few players are more synonymous with The Buccaneers than Ronde Barber; few plays are more recognizable than Barber running coast to coast to shut down the Vet. 

How to encapsulate a great career? I could sit and write essays on his character and his work ethic. Describing his highlights and achievements would turn this article into an epic novel.

Hailing from Roanoke, Virginia Ronde is the older twin of his brother Tiki Barber. The Barber brothers would play football together through to the University of Virginia. This is where Ronde caught the eye of Buccaneers’ scouts. Attending the NFL combine Ronde Barber didn’t put up eye-catching stats at all, being undersized at 5’9″ and running a 4.68 40-yard dash.

Barber was selected in the 3rd round of the 1997 NFL draft by the Buccaneers, fortunately in an era where draft picks are given a chance to develop before being thrust into action. In that rookie season, Ronde Barber would record 4 tackles, appearing in just one game. Today’s fans, I must note, would be calling Barber a bust!

In 1998 Ronde would receive his chance, appearing in all 16 games and starting in 9. Recording 3 sacks, 2 interceptions, and 2 forced fumbles, Barber was showing glimpses of the playmaker he would be. This is where his interception streak started as number 20 would record an interception in every season for the next decade only missing a year in 2009.

1999 was the start of Ronde Barber being the established starter and the main man at CB for a Buccaneers defense that was being respected as one of the best the NFL had ever seen. Notable for 1999 was after week 11 (Barber did not start in week 10 against Kansas City) Ronde would go on a streak of starts totaling 224 consecutive starts (including playoffs) that would not end until retirement in 2012.

During those first three years, Ronde didn’t look like a star, didn’t look like a player that would hold or share many Team and NFL records. He looked like a solid if not great CB. From 2000 to 2012 Barber would repay the faith and patience shown by the organization.

In 2000 Barber would post a sack number many defensive ends would be proud of at 5.5 and recorded his first pick 6, against former Buccaneers QB Vinny Testaverde in addition to starting all 16 games for the first time in his career.

2001 saw 20 cement his reputation as a fan favorite and received national recognition, attending his first Pro Bowl. But it was 2002 that confirmed Barber as a team legend, intercepting Eagles QB Donovan McNabb in the NFC championship game and running nearly the full length of the field to confirm Tampa Bay’s place in Super Bowl XXXVII. Those that witnessed the play will attest to the silence that fell over the crowd at the Vet.

Video Courtesy of BucPower

Barber would continue starting all 16 games a year until his retirement in 2012. As Father Time caught up with Ronde, he would change positions to account for losing a step of pace, using his knowledge of football and instincts to be in the right place at the right time. Ronde Barber wasn’t ever a player carried by his reputation, constantly contributing to the team. Recording a stat in every category a non-offensive player can make, Barber eventually retired from football with nothing left to achieve.

When Ronde Barber eventually hung up his cleats, he did so as one of the greatest to play the game. 

Barber still holds the NFL record as the only player to record more than 25 sacks and more than 45 interceptions over his career, as well as team records including;

• Most interceptions in a single season: 10 (2001)
• Most interceptions in a career: 47
• 2nd-most fumble recoveries in a career: 12
• Most non-offensive touchdowns in a career: 14
• Most starts in a career (any position): 232 (1997–2012)
• Most games played in a career (any position): 241 (1997–2012)
• Most sacks by a defensive back in a career: 28
• Most interceptions in a game: 3 (tied)

This will be the sixth-time Ronde Barber has been a semi-finalist for the Hall of Fame and that is a crying shame as he should already have his bronze in Canton.