With the Falcons in the NFC Championship game...

[The Anti-Java]

Falcons are good. They deserve to be there, to be where they are. I have always said, "Better lucky than good."

They are lucky. Flat out.

But they are good as well. Their wideouts are flat out animals. White is one of the toughest WRs in the league. Jones is just a freak. Good team.

Wouldn't surprise me to see them win the Superbowl. Would upset me, for gambling reasons, but not surprise me.

I think the Niners give them a pretty good beatdown.  Kap runs for 100 plus.

[DonkeyHunter]

The Falcons are a perennial playoff team since hiring Mike Smith.    Smith made the playoffs his first season after the team was horrible the year before.    Schiano didn't sniff the playoffs with more talent than Smith had his first season.   then again, the Falcons do have a franchise QB...

Then Gruden did a lousy job not beating them!
If Smith is better than Schiano and early Smith beat Gruden, it doesn't say much about Gruden.
Or........You are wrong.

This...

[jerseybucsfan]

Don't get me wrong. Gruden did a lot of great things. But my TOP obligation as a fan is to stick up for our current coach, not a guy two coaches ago or three coaches ago. This isn't disloyalty but practicality. He is the only one who can win now.
And you don't poop where you eat.

[The Anti-Java]

It got me to thinking, how far is this Bucs team from being in that same position? I am really down having to watch those clowns win.

Not that far IMO.  We will see a lot of new faces next fall.  Especially on defense.  Barron, Lavonte, and Dougie all will have a year under their belt.

It really depends on #5 though.  How he goes....is how the team goes.  If he didn't crash and burn at the end of last season, the Bucs could have got a wildcard IMO.

But its going to be tough, when you get to the big dance, you will have to deal with the likes of the Niners, Seattle, Falcons, who should be right up there for another few years. They all have young franchise QB's.,

[chace1986]

It got me to thinking, how far is this Bucs team from being in that same position? I am really down having to watch those clowns win.

Not that far IMO.  We will see a lot of new faces next fall.  Especially on defense.  Barron, Lavonte, and Dougie all will have a year under their belt.

It really depends on #5 though.  How he goes....is how the team goes.  If he didn't crash and burn at the end of last season, the Bucs could have got a wildcard IMO.

But its going to be tough, when you get to the big dance, you will have to deal with the likes of the Niners, Seattle, Falcons, who should be right up there for another few years. They all have young franchise QB's.,

+1

[JavaRay]

The Falcons are a perennial playoff team since hiring Mike Smith.    Smith made the playoffs his first season after the team was horrible the year before.    Schiano didn't sniff the playoffs with more talent than Smith had his first season.   then again, the Falcons do have a franchise QB...

Then Gruden did a lousy job not beating them!
If Smith is better than Schiano and early Smith beat Gruden, it doesn't say much about Gruden.
Or........You are wrong.

Considering Smith's first year was Gruden's last year and Gruden DID beat the Falcons that year and was winning the division easily until Kiffin made his announcement, I'd say Gruden did a good job.  Kiffin did a lousy job.

The bottom line is that Matty Ice is way better than Joshy Lice.

[The Anti-Java]

It got me to thinking, how far is this Bucs team from being in that same position? I am really down having to watch those clowns win.

Not that far IMO.  We will see a lot of new faces next fall.  Especially on defense.  Barron, Lavonte, and Dougie all will have a year under their belt.

It really depends on #5 though.  How he goes....is how the team goes.  If he didn't crash and burn at the end of last season, the Bucs could have got a wildcard IMO.

But its going to be tough, when you get to the big dance, you will have to deal with the likes of the Niners, Seattle, Falcons, who should be right up there for another few years. They all have young franchise QB's.,

+1

Was going to add the Cowboys in there, but Romo is not getting any younger, and I think they are fading as a playoff contender.

[chace1986]

It got me to thinking, how far is this Bucs team from being in that same position? I am really down having to watch those clowns win.

Not that far IMO.  We will see a lot of new faces next fall.  Especially on defense.  Barron, Lavonte, and Dougie all will have a year under their belt.

It really depends on #5 though.  How he goes....is how the team goes.  If he didn't crash and burn at the end of last season, the Bucs could have got a wildcard IMO.

But its going to be tough, when you get to the big dance, you will have to deal with the likes of the Niners, Seattle, Falcons, who should be right up there for another few years. They all have young franchise QB's.,

+1

Was going to add the Cowboys in there, but Romo is not getting any younger, and I think they are fading as a playoff contender.

They are going to have to draft extremely well to even have a shot at competing. They have several positions to fill this their transition to the Tampa 2 and have very little $ to compete for FAs.

They are in cap hell for sure with $17.2mil going to Romo, $16.3mil to Carr, $12.2 going to Ware, $9mil going to Free, $8.3mil going to Austin, $8mil going to Witten, and $7mil going to Ratliff. That $78 million committed to 7 players.

Interesting thing I found about Romo's contract. When he signed it, there was a clause put in that stated if he remained with the team through 2013, then the years of 2014-2016 are completely voidable. So this could very well be looked at as a contract year for Romo...cause those last 3 years ring in at a little over $16mil a year.

[DonkeyHunter]

The Falcons are a perennial playoff team since hiring Mike Smith.    Smith made the playoffs his first season after the team was horrible the year before.    Schiano didn't sniff the playoffs with more talent than Smith had his first season.   then again, the Falcons do have a franchise QB...

Then Gruden did a lousy job not beating them!
If Smith is better than Schiano and early Smith beat Gruden, it doesn't say much about Gruden.
Or........You are wrong.

Considering Smith's first year was Gruden's last year and Gruden DID beat the Falcons that year and was winning the division easily until Kiffin made his announcement, I'd say Gruden did a good job.  Kiffin did a lousy job.

The bottom line is that Matty Ice is way better than Joshy Lice.

Kiffin did a lousy job? You shouldn't diss the guy that got your golden boy his ring troll.

[jerseybucsfan]

Actually the Raiders went further in 2001 than the Bucs, Donkey. So it's more apropos to say Gruden got Kiffin the ring.