Is this defense championship-worthy as currently constructed? Can it ever be consistently successful with an offense that puts it into this many terrible positions?

Answer: You’ve done a ton of research and those numbers appear to be reliable. We do know that before Saturday’s game against Houston, since Week 10, the Bucs had the eighth-best defense in the NFL. So after the game it would only be better.

I can’t say it if is championship-worthy, but it sure is looking like a playoff defense. How the Bucs were able to keep the Texans in check, particularly wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins and quarterback DeShaun Watson, was very impressive. Imagine if this defense had played that good earlier in the season? Tampa Bay could easily chalk up wins over New York, Tennessee, Seattle and maybe even Carolina in London. Cut Jameis Winston’s turnovers in half and we aren’t talking next year and the draft, we are talking how much playoff tickets are costing and would Tampa Bay have a home playoff game in the postseason.

Jason Pierre-Paul and Shaq Barrett – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

But those things didn’t happen, so now the discussion should turn to how many free agent defenders the Bucs will be able to retain for 2020. Re-signing outside linebacker Shaq Barrett is a must, and won’t be going anywhere. Next, I think the Buccaneers need to find as way to get outside linebacker Jason Pierre-Paul back, and also defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh. The one free agent Tampa Bay might be able to live without, depending on his salary demands, is outside linebacker Carl Nassib.

I tip my cap to defensive coordinator Todd Bowles, linebackers coach Larry Foote, secondary coach Kevin Ross and really all of the defensive assistants for the job they have done. Let’s not forget at one point this season the Bucs were 2-6 and on pace to give up the most passing yards in the last 100 years of NFL football. It has been a remarkable turnaround and something that should give the organization and the fans hope moving forward, depending on how many of the players are back in 2020.

Question: Should the Bucs just consider moving on from Jameis Winston? Everyone is trying to compare him to some great QBs but I just don’t see it when he makes some of the most boneheaded plays, plus a lot of baggage he has.

Answer: I got a little over emotional during our latest Pewter Nation Podcast following Saturday’s 23-20 loss to the Texans, basically saying it is time to just move on. I have defended Jameis Winston over the years, not because he as a Seminole, but because I thought he could still make some strides to improve his game. There are so many things Winston does well, evenly exceptionally well, at times. Very few quarterbacks would have had a lot of success playing with the defenses that the Bucs have rolled out prior to a few weeks ago, with little support in the run game.

Part of my optimism was that once the Bucs had just an average defense his carelessness with the football would decrease, as he wouldn’t feel the need to be the hero on every play. Clearly that isn’t the case. His gunslinger mentality is just in his DNA it appears.

Bucs QB Jameis Winston – Photo by: Getty Images

I watched the game against the Texans from Saturday again on Sunday, and those four interceptions were just inexcusable. The only thing that might have contributed to them is possibly the thumb injury. The passes didn’t seem to have the needed velocity on them to be successful. Perhaps he re-injured it this past week in practice, or last game. But compared to last week, they just didn’t appear to have the same zip as they did in Detroit. But even if that is the case, Winston should have known his limitations, especially with the wind being a factor on Saturday.

The first and last interceptions were just mind-boggling when watching the television broadcast. Both cornerbacks were sitting on those routes and daring Winston to throw them. And on both of them he never even looked off the corners. And now we are seeing linebackers baiting Winston to a degree by faking pressure and dropping back in the throwing lanes. Are the routes and play calling becoming too predictable? Is Winston just being reckless and greedy? I am not sure I have the answers.

But passing for 5,000 yards isn’t done accidentally. In fact, it has only been done by seven other quarterbacks in NFL history. And at least six of them are, or likely will be Hall of Famers.

After watching the game again, and calming down, the Buccaneers probably need to give Winston one last shot to lead this team into the playoffs in 2020 with the franchise tag. The options for a replacement are limited at this point, and as mentioned earlier, there are a lot of things Winston does really well. Carson Palmer threw 22 regular season interceptions in his first season in Bruce Arians’ offense, but never threw more than 14 in the next four seasons. Fingers crossed, Winston has the same rebound. If so, the Buccaneers can return to the playoffs for the first time since 2007.

Question: All this talk about “Will the Bucs bring Jameis back?” I know Winston has said he loves Tampa but why wouldn’t he test the market? Winston in Chicago, Los Angeles (Chargers) or New England (if retires retires/moves on) might have a better chance at winning and a fresh start. Everyone assumes it’s just the Bucs’ choice.

Answer: That is something I actually brought up on the Pewter Nation Podcast a few weeks ago, back when the team was really struggling. A fresh start in a fresh city might be something Jameis Winston would benefit from. He came to the NFL and the Buccaneers with a ton of baggage that was still fresh in people’s minds. If he were to go to another city, not all is forgotten, but it will have been five years in the past and not in the forefront of many fans’ minds.

I still don’t believe Winston wants to be anywhere other than Tampa Bay, but even if he did, the Bucs really hold all the leverage. By having the franchise tag available, if Tampa Bay wants to keep him, then Winston can either play under the tag or sit out a year. And I can’t imagine for a guy who loves to play football as much as Winston does, that holding out for a long-term deal by not reporting to camp under the franchise tag is an option.

At the end of the day it really is just the Buccaneers who hold all the cards. Winston had the opportunity to secure a long-term deal this season, something that Tampa Bay would have loved to have done, had he played better and didn’t commit the turnovers. The only thing that has held Winston back from getting a new contract is the turnover issue. Past transgressions, work ethic nor leadership are a sticking point in the organization’s minds. They love everything about Winston, except the interceptions. Now it is all about, can the Buccaneers win with a quarterback who turns the ball over at nearly double the NFL average or can he change his mentality, mindset and makeup?

Question: We know the running game needs to get better, and fans are looking at RT for the draft. How much does the RT play in the running game? I would think it’s more the center and guards unless running outside.

Answer: From a simple perspective, yes the interior linemen are in most cases more responsible for the rushing success between the tackles than on the edges. However, the tackle can and do often play a role in the success, or lack of, when it comes to running the football – particularly when a team is running zone blocking scheme.

And the tight ends and even the inside receivers have a role as well. In fact, a perfect example of that was on Saturday late in the game when the Bucs tried to covert a third-and-1 and Bucs receiver Ishmael Hyman was unable to seal the edge with a block and former Buc Vernon Hargreaves sliced through and dropped Tampa Bay’s running back for a loss. On the next play, Cam Brate let a pass slip through his hands on fourth-and-3 and the ball was turned over on downs to the Texans.

Bucs RT Demar Dotson – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Tackles are certainly key in pass protection, but do have responsibilities even when the offense is running inside. And if a team has a deficiency at tackle it actually limits the playbook for offensive coordinators.

Bucs head coach Bruce Arians talked about that specifically in Arizona last spring when asked about Demar Dotson and his age and health limiting what he is able to do physically as a run blocker. Arians said, and I am paraphrasing, we just won’t run specific plays in order to help out offensive linemen who don’t do certain things well.

As cliche as it sounds, it really does hold true, the offensive line is only as good as its’ weakest link.