Gruden......"Thank you to the Outback Bowl for letting me back into the stadium"

[Bucpride5]

How are you a fan of this team and not excited about the young nucleus of players here?

[Bucpride5]

The fact is, this team has performed beyond the expectations of the vast majority of fans, analysts, and prognosticators.

Agreed. But that bar wasn't set real high, was it? This is an average team, slightly above .500 thanks to an easy schedule. That does, as stated, "exceed expectations." What it doesn't do is turn us into a long-term contender. Can we maybe finish in the top half of our division once before we start handing out the achievement awards?

Easy Schedule? You know how silly that sounds? So I guess the saints & Falcons also had easy schedules since they played the same exact teams as the Bucs, only difference is the Saints played the Cowboys & Vikings both teams will finish with losing records and the Falcons played the same teams except for the Eagles & Packers both of those team will finish with winning records.

[Chief Joseph]

Easy Schedule? You know how silly that sounds?

How many teams on the schedule with winning records?

[Bucpride5]

Easy Schedule? You know how silly that sounds?

How many teams on the schedule with winning records?

Just as many as on the Saints schedule.

[Chief Joseph]

Easy Schedule? You know how silly that sounds?

How many teams on the schedule with winning records?

Just as many as on the Saints schedule.

And, in your mind, this somehow means the Bucs didn't have an easy schedule? It's called a rationalization, logic master.

[GameTime]

half of our games were against playoff teams.  and most of those against SB contenders, not just teams that snuck in the backdoor.  our schedule wasnt brutal, but is any schedule in the NFL a cakewalk?

[nubcake]

The fact is, this team has performed beyond the expectations of the vast majority of fans, analysts, and prognosticators.

Agreed. But that bar wasn't set real high, was it? This is an average team, slightly above .500 thanks to an easy schedule. That does, as stated, "exceed expectations." What it doesn't do is turn us into a long-term contender. Can we maybe finish in the top half of our division once before we start handing out the achievement awards?

So what would you suggest to "turn us into" a long-term contender then? What steps aren't being taken to set us in that direction?

[Bucpride5]

Easy Schedule? You know how silly that sounds?

How many teams on the schedule with winning records?

Just as many as on the Saints schedule.

And, in your mind, this somehow means the Bucs didn't have an easy schedule? It's called a rationalization, logic master.

Not saying they had a overly difficult schedule, point is it's silly to judge a schedule when you play basically the same teams as your Division Rivals. Minus 2 other NFC opponents. All NFL schedules are tough, it's not College where you can create your own schedule. Any Division that gets to play the NFC West is going to be perceived as having a easy schedule, since that is the weakest division in the NFL. But you still have to strap it up and play the games, in this modern era there is too much discussion of who is better on paper and not enough discussion on who is better on the field.

[michael89156]

This is a completey different team IMO.  Not much to get excited about if you go 9-7 or 10-6 with a bunch of over the hill vets and no franchise QB. Where is the future with that recipe?

But on the other hand if you go 9-7 or 10-6 with a bunch of rookies and undrafted free agents, and have a wonderful franchise QB in place already,  now your talking. Lots to be excited about there. I guess I look more long term than some. These young kids will grow more and more as they get more experience.  I am looking for big things next season, whatever happens this year is gravy IMO.

The "easy" schedule is irrevelent IMO.

[SepeBucs]

But on the other hand if you go 9-7 or 10-6 with a bunch of rookies and undrafted free agents, and have a wonderful franchise QB in place already,  now your talking. Lots to be excited about there. I guess I look more long term than some. These young kids will grow more and more as they get more experience.  I am looking for big things next season, whatever happens this year is gravy IMO.

Ding Ding Ding....We have a winner. Couldn't say it better myself.

[MiltonMack21]

The fact is, this team has performed beyond the expectations of the vast majority of fans, analysts, and prognosticators.

Agreed. But that bar wasn't set real high, was it? This is an average team, slightly above .500 thanks to an easy schedule. That does, as stated, "exceed expectations." What it doesn't do is turn us into a long-term contender. Can we maybe finish in the top half of our division once before we start handing out the achievement awards?

So what would you suggest to "turn us into" a long-term contender then? What steps aren't being taken to set us in that direction?

He doesn't have an answer. He is a strong Pro-Gruden anti-Morris guy. He has no real interest in the Bucs at this point. He is more of a MNF fan than a Bucs fan.

[Chief Joseph]

So what would you suggest to "turn us into" a long-term contender then? What steps aren't being taken to set us in that direction?

The same thing I've always said, it starts with run defense and a solid running game. The running game has shown a lot of improvement, thanks in large part to Blount, but this O-line isn't exactly one we can point at and say it makes us a perennial contender. And we are in the bottom third of the league in run defense. We're tied for thirtieth in sacks, and we're the easiest team in the league to run the ball up the middle against. We may have spent our top two picks on DTs, but the truth is our DL is hemorrhaging.

He doesn't have an answer. He is a strong Pro-Gruden anti-Morris guy. He has no real interest in the Bucs at this point. He is more of a MNF fan than a Bucs fan.

You, sir, are a hypocrite, and your father smelt of elderberries.

1-10 Morris is a 7. Not his fault he got hit with a rash of injuries and a couple of bad picks.

Chuck always used injuries as an excuse.

[jerseybucsfan]

You can't really say that certain categories are the only paths to success. Teams generally need one or two quality, if not star, RBs. Most need very good to great QBs. Most need good, if not great, lines. At least one, as many as three good CBs. Good to great LBs.
Basically a lot of good players. This overcomes matchup problems, different weather conditions, etc. And we're on our way to that.

[Hate]

Maybe you should just stick with potential, you haven't got the evidence for performance as of yet.

Have you not watched this current group play?

[MiltonMack21]

So what would you suggest to "turn us into" a long-term contender then? What steps aren't being taken to set us in that direction?

The same thing I've always said, it starts with run defense and a solid running game. The running game has shown a lot of improvement, thanks in large part to Blount, but this O-line isn't exactly one we can point at and say it makes us a perennial contender. And we are in the bottom third of the league in run defense. We're tied for thirtieth in sacks, and we're the easiest team in the league to run the ball up the middle against. We may have spent our top two picks on DTs, but the truth is our DL is hemorrhaging.

He doesn't have an answer. He is a strong Pro-Gruden anti-Morris guy. He has no real interest in the Bucs at this point. He is more of a MNF fan than a Bucs fan.

You, sir, are a hypocrite, and your father smelt of elderberries.

1-10 Morris is a 7. Not his fault he got hit with a rash of injuries and a couple of bad picks.

Chuck always used injuries as an excuse.

Chuck ALWAYS used the injury excuse... Raheem has never used it. You are a Gruden fan... I am a Bucs fan. Grudens picks with the exception of Talib and possibly Black have flamed out.