How many years before the Bucs are back to their 2008 level?

[JavaBuc]

Put the 2008 team in a round-robin against all the playoff teams from last year and we'd lose all those games.

Put aside the last 4 games of the year after Kiffin announced he was leaving.

Here are the results against the only NFC playoff teams they faced in 2008.

The Bucs dominated the Panthers and beat them 27-3.   
The Bucs dominated the Falcons in a 24-9 Buc victory.
The Bucs beat the Vikings 19-13.


Sure, after Kiffin announced he was leaving, the team went to hell.  But that team was more than competitive prior to then.

[ktownbuc47]

"Addition by Subtraction" - is that like taking medication to relieve a shoulder ache and getting a rash and anal leakage?

[JasonOfthetower]

Put the 2008 team in a round-robin against all the playoff teams from last year and we'd lose all those games.

Put aside the last 4 games of the year after Kiffin announced he was leaving.

Here are the results against the only NFC playoff teams they faced in 2008.

The Bucs dominated the Panthers and beat them 27-3.  
The Bucs dominated the Falcons in a 24-9 Buc victory.
The Bucs beat the Vikings 19-13.


Sure, after Kiffin announced he was leaving, the team went to hell.  But that team was more than competitive prior to then.

Before Kiffin announced his decision
Buccaneers offense clearly dominated by a very poor Bronco's defense. Broncos finished 8-8 No playoffs
Buccaneers offense clearly dominated by the Cowboys and allow the team to lose to Brad Johnson Dallas- No playoffs
Buccaneers offense no match for the Saints defense in the season opener- Saints out of the playoffs
Buccaneers offense waits until the 4th quarter to finally show up at KC against a 31st ranked defense
and for the kicker.. the one that ended the season, Gruden started Griese to lose at Atlanta in a must win game.
So yeah.. the Buccaneers defense set up the win against the Panthers and the Falcons and hell even against the Packers. Bucs offense did very little in those games. Goodbye to the offensive staff and goodbye to the majority of the defensive staff.

Your absolutely right, Paul. If the "Offensive Genius" could have squeezed out another measly touchdown against the Cowboys...or the Falcons (2nd time around) or the Donks, or the Saints (1st time around), the Bucs would have been in the playoffs...

Personally, I would have never said so at the time - but the Bucs not making the playoffs may be the best thing to happen to this franchise since the Super Bowl.

[cyberdude557]

The point is that you don't fire the guy that gets you 9 wins unless the guy you are hiring is going to get you at least 10 wins.

As it looks right now, we have downgraded our coaching staff and a number of positions on the team. I can't really figure out why I should be optimistic about that reality.

Rebuilding is a great word in the offseason...but trust me...if we get mowed down by every team that comes into Ray Jay, that stadium will start to empty out. Especially in these economic times, it isn't worth it to spend $80 on a ticket to watch a team with $40+ million in salary cap money just get plowed over by every team in the league. We went through enough of that bullcrap during the Culverhouse years.  You are going to find game tickets under people's windshield wipers like back in the old days because people can't get rid of them.

[dalbuc]

I can remember the old days prior to wyche coming here when people would say "I dont even care if we go 8-8, I just want to have a competitive team".    The 2008 team was 9-7 and competitive.   I have a feeling it will be a few years before we can say that about the Bucs again.

Put the 2008 team in a round-robin against all the playoff teams from last year and we'd lose all those games. I can't see a scenario where we'd be favored against any team from the post-season. That's what I mean about not really being competitive. To me there's a big difference between the team in 2008 and the team in 2001 team (both 9-7) in terms of how "competitive" they really were.

[JavaBuc]

I'm not concerned about "living up" to the standards of 2008 anytime soon.

I can remember the old days prior to wyche coming here when people would say "I'm sick of going 2-14 and being a laughing stock, I just want to have a competitive team".    The 2008 team was 9-7 and competitive.   I have a feeling it will be a few years before we can say that about the Bucs again.

[MiltonMack21]

Put the 2008 team in a round-robin against all the playoff teams from last year and we'd lose all those games.

Put aside the last 4 games of the year after Kiffin announced he was leaving.

Here are the results against the only NFC playoff teams they faced in 2008.

The Bucs dominated the Panthers and beat them 27-3.  
The Bucs dominated the Falcons in a 24-9 Buc victory.
The Bucs beat the Vikings 19-13.


Sure, after Kiffin announced he was leaving, the team went to hell.  But that team was more than competitive prior to then.

Before Kiffin announced his decision
Buccaneers offense clearly dominated by a very poor Bronco's defense. Broncos finished 8-8 No playoffs
Buccaneers offense clearly dominated by the Cowboys and allow the team to lose to Brad Johnson Dallas- No playoffs
Buccaneers offense no match for the Saints defense in the season opener- Saints out of the playoffs
Buccaneers offense waits until the 4th quarter to finally show up at KC against a 31st ranked defense
and for the kicker.. the one that ended the season, Gruden started Griese to lose at Atlanta in a must win game.
So yeah.. the Buccaneers defense set up the win against the Panthers and the Falcons and hell even against the Packers. Bucs offense did very little in those games. Goodbye to the offensive staff and goodbye to the majority of the defensive staff.

[JavaBuc]

I think most people agree this year is a throw away year where the team will struggle massively.   I wouldn't be surprised if the Bucs are the worst team in the NFL in 2009.

But given that 2009 will possibly be one of the worst seasons in Buc history, how long do you guys think it will take for the team to be competitive again and reach a record like the 2008 9-7 record?    I am guessing the Bucs will be below .500 for the next 5 years and competitive again in 2014.

[Bucsman90]

Are you serious? Why are you so negative? I know we have all new coachs and we changing the whole system going into a new era with the buccaneers, but why are you so negative on new outcomes? The bucs will be better next year then this year.

[Badabing]

agree buc joe.  But if we have the likes of Leftwich, McCown, Johnson, or Freeman competing at QB we almost certainly will have double digit losses.

QB is a huge deal and it seems they want to get younger there so we will take bumps in the road.  If McCown or any others can play as good as Garcia did for us the past 2 years, then I'd be surprised

Garcia was old, but if we can get similar play, as bad as you think it was, we should be alright....thing is...i doubt we get similar play or better play unless we land a Hasselbeck, Cassel, or McNabb who almost certainly will remain with their teams

[JC510]

Talent wasn't the problem. Inept coaching (defense included) and QB play was.

Both have been significantly upgraded.

[AlstottUpTheGut]

Under .500 for the next 5 years? We should've atleast been 11-5 last year (if it weren't for the collapse). This can't be serious.

We didn't allow a rushing TD and or a 100 yard rusher for so many weeks last season with the DTs we had. They were simply worn down and more quality depth is needed to compete at the home stretch of next year.

But then again, I can't really judge Raheem Morris yet. He hasn't coached a game yet.

That says it all right there. We've seen 7 yrs of Gruden mediocrity and a 57-55 record...  yet some don't even want to give our new HC an OTA before bashing him.

[bucjoe]

I will say again what I have said before...

The new administration is taking over a team with winning records in the last two years, with a defense who finished 9th in the entire NFL last year, despite collapsing in the last 4 games, giving up an average of 189 yards per game on the ground, and an offense that finished 14th with a qb who couldn't or wouldn't throw the ball to open receivers down the field, with SEVENTY MILLION dollars under the cap and a full slate of draft picks.

IMO, there is no reason NOT to contend for the Division Championship, despite our "brutal schedule", as the teams we will be competing with have to play essentially the same schedule.

Did I say we should WIN the Division?

NO!  I said we should CONTEND for the Division Championship.

If we don't why did we change HC and GMs?

[Biggs3535]

I think most people agree this year is a throw away year

I think last year was a throw away year. 

It would have been nice to know if we have anything in McCown, instead of confirming what we had in Garcia/Griese.