5 Thoughts
- When you consider expectations, this might have been the most disappointing season in Bucs' history. The 2003 season, when the Bucs went from Super Bowl champs to 7-9, is the only thing close.
2. Think those put-Trask-in idiots will stay quiet for a while?
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3. Could the game plan be to leave the Cowboys laughing as they look at game film?
4. What two things do Steve Spurrier, Randy Hedburg, Jack Thompson, Bruce Gradkowski, Mike Glennon and Josh McCown have in common? 1. They all started for the Bucs and 2) They would shred this defense.
5. Good thing the NFL didn't go to an 18-game schedule. If they had, the Bucs could be a four-way tie next weekend.
5 Comments
(From head coach Todd Bowles)
(On how the Buccaneers and Cowboys have changed since their Week One meeting): "We [have] changed. We're a different team. I can't speak for them yet. I haven't [dived] into the film, getting in and watching them, but they're talented. Watched some highlights here and there – they've got talent all over the field. From our standpoint, I think we're mentally tougher. We're into the grind of the season, so to speak, and everybody kind of knows their roles have kind of panned out since Week One. We'll watch some tape and we'll get to work on them."
(On if the win over the Cowboys in Week One is their most complete game of the season): "I don't think so. We've had some wins. I don't think it was complete because we had some things go wrong in that game. It wasn't complete. I don't know if we've played a complete game yet."
(On what do the Cowboys do well: )"They have a swarming defense, we know that. They have ballhawks in the secondary, they can get to the passer as well. Micah [Parsons] is not the only one. Offensively, they're healthier on the offensive line. They can run the ball very well. Obviously, they've got talent on the outside and in the backfield and they have a great quarterback. Everything concerns you when you play the Cowboys. You've got to play a complete game."
(On Tom Brady showing resiliency): "Again, Tom is tough. He's been around for a long time. There's not a lot he hasn't seen or been through. I don't think every day of his career has been a great day. He's had some rough days here and there, but he works through them, he's resilient, he's very tough, he loves to play the football game. He's excited to play the game every week and he led us out of things. The team as a whole got out of a lot of things. There's a lot of guys that dealt with things every day that didn't get brought to the light. But as a whole, we hung together and came through it."
(On if it's good that a lot of people are counting the Buccaneers out): "Everybody has a lot of heart. You really can't worry about people counting you out. When you lose games, they're going to talk bad about you; when you win, they're going to talk good about you. That's part of it. Different guys get motivated over different things, so whatever can make you play on Sunday, that's what you try to do and play on Sunday. We know we've been in the foxhole since we got to training camp and we're going to continue to stay in that foxhole and we're going to fight our way out of it."
Game Balls
Offense: Chris Godwin got his 100 catches and he got his 1,000 yards. And, man, did the Bucs miss him when he left.
Defense: Antonie Winfield had 13 tackles. That's a lot more than a team wants its safeties to make.
Special teams: Jake Camarda averaged 40.6 yards on five punts, and put two of them inside the 20.
Grades
Quarterback: Tom Brady started hot, but he's the only quarterback Todd Bowles has stopped this year. The backups were terrible. Grade: D.
Running backs: The Bucs averaged 4.6 yards per carry, but none of them were memorable. Grade: C.
Offensive line: Nothing special, as usual. Grade: D.
Defensive line: The Bucs gave up five yards per carry. A lot of missed tackles. Grade: D.
Linebackers: Lavonte David and Devin White usually lead the Bucs. This time, David had just three tackles and White had two in limited time. Grade: C.
Secondary: No, that wasn't Patrick Mahomes back there. Grade: F.
Power Rankings
- Kansas City
2. San Francisco
3. Cincinnati
4. Philadelphia
5. Buffalo
Bottom 5
32. Chicago
31. Houston
30. Indianapolis
29. St. Louis
28. Denver
5 Most Disappointing teams
- L.A. Rams
2. Green Bay
3. Tampa Bay
4. Tennessee
5. Denver
5 Quarterbacks Who Beat the Bucs
Quarterback, team Entering Record Rating
- Mitch Trubisky. Steelers 0-0 142.4
2. Brock Purdy, 49ers 0-0 134.0
3. P.J. Walker, Panthers 0-2 126.5
4. Desmond Ridder, Falcons 1-2 108.2
4. Jacoby Brissett 3-7 88.9
Top 5 2023 Opponents
- San Francisco
2. Buffalo
3. Philadelphia
4. Minnesota
5. Green Bay
Most Beatable 2023 Opponents
- Chicago
2. Texas
3. Jacksonville
4. Indianapolis
5. Carolina
5 More Thoughts
- Dallas is a three-point favorite. Why so few? Did Jerry bore an oddsmaker or something?
2. When you take away the last-second miracles and the fast start, this was a Leeman Bennett year for the Bucs.
3. If Bruce Arians had coached this mess, would his name still be on the Ring of Honor?
4. The most popular offensive coordinator in Bucs' history? It's liable to be the next one. Funny how everyone said Brady was the O.C. when the Bucs were winning, but not now.
5. The Bucs were last in the league in rushing attempts, but every time they ran the ball, it seemed like a horrible idea.
NFL Stats
Passing Yards Brady 3
Rushing Yards Leonard Fournette 40
Receptions Chris Godwin 8
Tackles Lavonte David 24
Punting Jake Camarda 5
Running to Nowhere
Total Yardage Bucs 32
Attempts Bucs 32
Yards Per Carry Bucs 32
Touchdowns Bucs 32
20+ Yard Runs Bucs 32
Bucs Coaches With 8-Win Seasons
Tony Dungy 5
Jon Gruden 4
Bruce Arians 2
John McKay 2
Raheem Morris 1
Dirk Koetter 1
Todd Bowles 1