Tuesday, 4 a.m.
5 Thoughts
- Yes, Todd Bowles will be back. I know a lot of fans won’t like that, but you don’t fire a guy who reaches the playoffs with as many injuries as Bowles has had. The headhunters will have to wait.
2. Jayden Daniels will win Rookie of the Year, because he’s a quarterback and has all the stats. But Bucky Irving has had a superb year, getting more than 1,000 yards from a dead running game.
3. Baker Mayfield deserves a raise.
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4. Isn’t it hard to believe the end zones are as far away from Liam Coen as they were from Byron Leftwich.
5. Yes, the Saints could spoil the Bucs party. All it takes is a little more zone coverage, a couple of turnovers and the most massive choke job in team history.
5 Comments
(From Todd Bowles’ day-after press conference)
(On being back in control of their own destiny after the Falcons lost: “[We’re] very fortunate. It was a good ballgame, went back and forth, but to have a chance to control our own destiny is all we can ask for so we have to go out and take it.”
(On how he thinks the team will respond to having one final opportunity to win the division): “They have to do the little things right. They shouldn’t respond any other way than they responded yesterday. We have to do the little things right. It’s a division opponent, we know it’s going to be a dog fight. We had to win one last year – last game of the season, it was 9-0. It was a dog fight with Carolina so we expect the same thing.”
(On having one of the most balanced offenses and why it’s so difficult to get to that point): “It’s hard. If you do something well, the other team is going to take it away. You know, they’re going to study you so they can take something away. You’re never going to be completely balanced. They’re going to take away what you do best or they’re going to at least slow it down or try to slow it down so you have to constantly be creative and do other things and that’s working out for us this year.”
(On what he can take from the first game against the Saints this season): “Just knowing it’s going to be a tough game. They have a lot of prideful guys over there. It was a tough game at half time the first time we played them, [we] kind of got away from them in the second half. We made some plays, we don’t expect it to be any different. We have to keep doing the little things right, we have to play every play and we have to try to make some plays to win this ball game.”
(On what he can say about TE Devin Culp and TE Payne Durham stepping up in Sunday’s game): “Payne has been tough, he just hasn’t had a chance to get the balls because Cade [Otton] has been getting them, but he’s been a good player for us. We thought he was going to be a very good player. Devin getting his first action, really, on that side of the ball this year, it was really very great to see him play some meaningful football and make some great catches and act like he’s been there before. He took advantage of his opportunities, he stayed in his notebook, he practiced. Coach [Justin] did a great job getting him ready and he took advantage of it.”
Game Balls
Offense: Yes, Mayfield was terrific. But this day belongs to Bucky Irving. Good of the Bucs to remember him.
Defense: Only one player had more than two tackles. So give it Ya Ya Darby, who had a sack,
Special teams: When did you see Joe Tryon-Shoyinka’s name here? But his punt block broke it open,
Grades
Quarterback: Mayfield’s grade of 153,0 was his high-mark of the year. Grade: A.
Running back: How can you not like Bucky Irving? Grade: A.
Receivers: Mike Evans needs 85 more yards to get to 1,000.Grade: A.
Offensive line: One sack allowed and 202 yards rushing, Grade: A.
Defensive line: The Panthers had 39 yards rushing. Grade: A.
Linebackers: Not as active as normal. Grade: C.
Defensive backs: How does a guy get deep when his team is behind by 20 with 50 seconds left in the half: Grade: D.
Power Rankings
- Detroit.
2. Buffalo.
3. Kansas City.
4. Philadelphia.
5. Minnesota.
==
13. Tampa Bay
3 Years, 3 Offenses
2022 2023 2024
Leftwich Canales Coen
TDs 31 37 56
Yards Passing 4746 4044 4714
Yards Rushing 1308 1509 2357
QB Rating 89.8 94.2 103.6
Rushing ave. 3.4 3.4 5.2
Bucs’ Rookie Running Backs
- Doug Martin, 2002 1,454 4. 6
2. Cadillac Williams, 2005 1,178 4.1
3. Bucky Irving , 2024 1,133. 5,5
4. Errict Rhett, 1994 1,011 3.6
5.. LeGarrette Blount, 2010 1,007 5.0
NFL Stats
Passing TDs Baker Mayfield 39. T-2
Rushing Yards Bucky Irving 1,033 11
Receiving Yards Mike Evans 915 34
Sacks Calijah Kancey 7.5 36
Field goals Chase McLaughlin 28 T-8