Tuesday, 4 a.m.
5 Thoughts
- A day after having so many flaws exposed (yes, some are because of injuries), you appreciate how fortunate the Bucs are to be 6-3. The comeback, the near-failure against a miserable Jets team. the fog against the Saints. Maybe it's time to cool the talk on the Super Bowl.
2. Sure, it would have been nice to see the Bucs bring in a player or two at the deadline. But isn't it silly to whine about it if you don't know what other teams were asking in return?
3. We all knew that Bucky Irving hurt his foot way back in September. But did anyone else realize he stepped on a land mine?
4. So would you feel better about the potential outcome of the Bills game if they had hung up 50 on the Dolphins?
5. The loss would have been much more comforting if the Patriots were still coached by grumpy Bill Belichick, right?
5 Comments
(From Todd Bowles' Tuesday press conference)
(On his assessment of guards Dan Feeney and Mike Jordan against the Patriots and whether they would remain the starters moving forward): “They had some good plays. I mean, they had some plays you'd like to have back where they gave a little bit of penetration, but they fought and they battled in there and that's all you can ask of them. They’ve both been in the league for a while right now. So, we’ve got to get some continuity there and they’ve got to get some practice reps in and they'll be better.”
(On whether backup tackles could be moved to guard, or if he will stick with the combination of Dan Feeney, Mike Jordan and Luke Haggard that have started games at guard already this season): “We'll stick with the three right now.”
(On QB Baker Mayfield’s postgame comments about accountability and lacking a killer instinct): “We encourage our players to have accountability. I don't think we had any killer instinct yesterday. I thought we played like we had a Bye Week from an energy standpoint. We have it when we get rolling. It's good for him to speak up and say those things. He's one of our captains, as well as Vita [Vea], ‘Tae’ (Lavonte David), [Antoine] Winfield Jr., Mike [Evans], and all those guys. So, guys listen when they speak. They listen when they speak, and accountability is making sure the guy next to you is doing their job. He’s one of the guys that advocates that. He's the lead example on offense. Lavonte [David] is the leader on defense that way, and we’ve got to follow suit.”
(On the difference between a good team and a great one and where the Bucs stand): "The difference between a good and a great team is preparation on a daily basis. I don’t think we’re great. We prepare. Most of the time, we’re very good. It’s just one or two guys that have a blank or a [mental error] here or there that costs everybody else, and it’s a different guy each time, and we’ve got to get that fixed.”
(On QB Baker Mayfield’s health status and whether injuries limit his effectiveness): “No. I think in the middle of the season right now, everybody is playing with something. Everybody is playing with something. So, we just have to make sure we keep him upright and don’t get him hit as much. I thought he came out and had a good week of practice. He looked better than he did before the Bye Week. All of our guys are playing with something. If you’re at 75%, you’re at 100%. If you’re at 50%, you’re functional. So, he’s functional.”
Game Balls
Offense: Tight end Cade Otton played closer to his ceiling than any player on the Bucs' team.
Defense: Are you kidding me? No winner.
Special teams: Fans haven't forgiven him for a blocked punt, but Riley Dixon averaged 49.5 yards on five punts.
Grades
Quarterback: Baker Mayfield's stats are better than his play. He threw three touchdown passes and no picks, and his rating was 106.1. But where was the sizzle? Grade: B-.
Running back: Sean Tucker was the first back to run for 50 yards agains the Patriots. On the other hand, are we going to brag about a 53-yard game. Grade: D.
Offensive line: Practice squad guards did the Bucs in. Grade: D.
Wide receiver: Emeka Egbuka makes you forget he's a rookie. Grade: B.
Defensive line: Decent pressure has to have the occasional sack. Grade: D.
Secondary: For most of the day, the Bucs were playing chase. It was hard to determine who was worse: Benjamin “Toast” Morrison, Zyon “Toast” McCollum, Jamel “Toast” Dean, Antonio “Toast” Winfield Jr. or Tykee “Toast” Smith. Grade: F.
Special teams: The punting was decent. Grade: B.
Power Rankings
- Indianapolis
2. Detroit
3. Philadelphia
4. L.A. Rams
5. New England
---
12. Tampa Bay
Bottom 5
32. Tennessee
31. Cleveland
30. N.Y. Giants
29. N.Y. Jets
28. Las Vegas
NFL Coaches Hot Seat
(After Brian Daboll's firing)
1. Mike McDaniel, Miami
2. Kevin Stefanski, Cleveland
3. Pete Carroll, Raiders
4. Jonathan Gannon, Cardinals
5. Zac Taylor, Bengals
5 NFL Stars
- Drake Maye, Patriots
2. Jonathan Taylor, Colts
3. Davis Mills, Texans
4. Matthew Stafford, Rams
5. Treveyon Henderson, Patriots
5 Flops
- Aaron Rodgers, Pittsburgh
2. Trevor Lawrence, Jags
3. Justin Fields, Jets
4. Bryce Young, Panthers
5. Christian McCaffery, 49ers
Rookie Receivers
Tetairoa McMillan 46 618 2
Emeka Egbuka 40 677 6
Travis Hunter 28 298 1
Elich Ayomanor 26 323 2
Mathew Golden 23 262 0
Baker Stats
Passing Yards 2192 9
Touchdowns 16 11
Interceptions * 2 t-11
Rating * 99.2 11
Rushing 158 16
- Minimum 100 attempts
NFL Stats
Rushing yards Rachaad White 325 33
Receiving yards Emeka Egbaku 677 9
Tackles Lavonte David 66 32
Field goals Chase McLaughlin 18 t-5
Punting Riley Dixon 40.7 25
Bucs QB TD passes
- Jameis Winston 121
2. Tom Brady 108
3. Baker Mayfield 85
4. Josh Freeman 80
5. Vinny Testaverde 77