SR’s Fab 5 is a collection of reporting and analysis on the Bucs from yours truly, Pewter Report’s Scott Reynolds. Here are four things that caught my attention this week, plus some random tidbits in my Buc Shots section at the end. Enjoy!

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FAB 1. Bucs Wasting A Chance To Find Out About Trask

Welcome to 2023, where my SR’s Fab 5 columns will be a little skinnier – just like a New Year’s resolution. Hopefully you’ll enjoy SR’s Fab 5 columns that are quicker to read and packed with more opinion, insight, expert analysis and inside scoop than ever before.

The Bucs are wasting a golden opportunity by not starting Kyle Trask against the Falcons in Atlanta on Sunday.

I know the Bucs want to keep their foot on the gas and finish the 2022 regular season with a winning record – not to mention the momentum of a three-game winning streak. But this is a prime opportunity to take a glimpse into the post-Tom Brady future, which could be as soon as the 2023 season, and get a good look at the team’s second-round pick in 2021.

Bucs QB Kyle Trask and LT Josh Wells – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

We’ve seen Trask play the majority of preseason games. We’ve seen him get the No. 2 QB reps in training camp behind Blaine Gabbert when Brady took a 10-day hiatus this summer.

But what we haven’t seen is Trask receive pass protection from the likes of tackles Tristan Wirfs and Donovan Smith, nor have we seen him throw the ball to Mike Evans or Chris Godwin. Chances are, we may not even see that next August even if Brady doesn’t return to Tampa Bay, as the Bucs may try to acquire a veteran quarterback because they don’t know how Trask will fare as a starting-caliber QB.

So, why not use Sunday’s game at Atlanta to try to find out what Trask can and can’t do?

We already know that Trask looks mediocre surrounded by mediocre talent in the second halves of preseason games. He completed 29-of-55 passes (52.7%) for 312 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions as a rookie in his first preseason while being sacked five times. This past August, Trask completed 43-of-67 passes (64.2%) for 457 yards with one TD and a pair of picks while being sacked seven times.

Wouldn’t it be something if he threw a pair of touchdowns to Evans or Godwin and earned a win over the Falcons in his first real NFL start? The Bucs would have the chance to feel better about the QB position moving forward without Brady when that happens.

Conversely, if Trask looks awful in the starting lineup, then it might be a red flag to the team to start waving the white flag on the former Gators star by finding a capable veteran to lead the team in the interim post-Brady – and spending another draft pick on another developmental QB of the future.

Bucs QBs Kyle Trask, Tom Brady, Blaine Gabbert and Ryan Griffin – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

“Since he’s been here, every time I look out my window, he’s out there working on his own,” Bowles said of Trask on Wednesday. “He has the greatest resolve and toughness and inner strength almost than any person I’ve seen. A young guy coming out – he prepares every day.

“When his time comes, he’s going to be ready because I see him working at it every day. He has inner toughness, he has inner strength, and he has the drive and the will to win. If you put that together, given the opportunity, I think he’s going to take advantage of it.”

Bowles should give Trask the opportunity this Sunday to see if he’s going to take advantage of it by starting him and resting Brady.

But he won’t.

Instead, we might see Trask in the second half throwing to the likes of Scotty Miller and Deven Thompkins instead of Evans and Godwin and we’ll remain unsure about his true progress and potential.

FAB 2. Bowles Definitely Deserves To Return As Head Coach

I support Todd Bowles. I know some of you don’t, and we can agree to disagree about him staying on as the Bucs head coach.

But Bowles will definitely be back in 2023 after winning the NFC South in his first season. It doesn’t matter what happens this Sunday in Atlanta – whether or not the Bucs finish 8-9 or 9-8 this season – and it doesn’t matter how far the Bucs go in the playoffs.

Time will tell if Bowles can join the ranks of Tony Dungy, Jon Gruden and Bruce Arians, his predecessor and mentor, as an elite Bucs head coach or if he’ll be another Dirk Koetter. You’ll remember that Koetter started off his Bucs head coaching career with a favorable 9-7 record in 2016 before a pair of 5-11 records in the next two seasons doomed his tenure.

Bucs QB Tom Brady and HC Todd Bowles – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Aside from winning the division, the big reason why I support Bowles is because the players do – all of them. Despite spending most of the season with a sub-.500 record and an offense that’s been painful to watch nearly every week, the Bucs have stuck together and fought together. That’s a sign of good coaching.

“Yeah, he’s done a great job and [I’m] just enjoying my time with him,” Bucs quarterback Tom Brady said. “Obviously, I played against him for quite a while, too. He’s got great presence, great leadership. Yeah, he does a great job. I think there’s high expectations, he’s got a lot of experience and it’s been a lot of fun.

“We both love football so I think that’s a good place to start. We’re here to win games and be professional, and not getting too up or too down over the course of a long season.”

With a win against the Falcons on Sunday the Bucs have a chance to finish 5-1 in the division, which is something that not even Arians did in his three years as Tampa Bay’s head coach. That would match Jon Gruden’s 5-1 record in the NFC South during the Bucs’ 2005 season when his team went 11-5 and won the division.

In fact, Bowles and Gruden are the only two that have won the division in their first season as Bucs head coaches. Gruden won the division and a Super Bowl in 2002, going 4-2 in the NFC South.

Now, it hasn’t always gone according to plan. There have been some really frustrating losses this year as injuries and the roster turnover from the 2021 team that went 13-4 have left the 2022 Bucs less talented than most expected they would be.

But aside from winning the division, Bowles has accomplished some goals this season that Bucs fans really wanted to see – namely beating the Saints, which his team did twice, and the Rams, which ended losing streaks to both. After getting trampled for 173 yards on the ground in a 21-3 loss at Carolina in Week 7, Bowles’ defense rebounded and held the Panthers to just 74 yards on 22 carries (3.4 avg.) in the rematch.

This season has been an adjustment for sure with Bowles taking over for Arians so late in the offseason on March 30, which was two weeks after the start of free agency. Because he inherited Arians’ staff, I’d love to see Bowles get a shot to pick his own coaching staff like every other new hire gets to do.

Bucs HC Todd Bowles and OC Byron Leftwich – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

I expect there will be some changes, primarily to the offensive staff as the Bucs have struggled to run the ball at all – Tampa Bay ranks dead last 76.4 yards per game – and to score more than 18 points per game. I would bet that Bowles will be in search of a new offensive coordinator to replace Byron Leftwich immediately after the Bucs’ playoff run ends.

Impressively, Bowles has been a true head coach in every sense of the term, as he hasn’t blamed the offense for losses even though his defense has carried the Bucs through most of the season. He gets credit for getting his players to stick together and not point the finger with the defense pitted against the offense.

In the future, Bowles needs to stop making personnel moves too late, such as leaving struggling rookie left guard Luke Goedeke in the starting lineup too long and not cutting return man Jaelon Darden and replacing him with Deven Thompkins sooner. And Bowles’ pick at offensive coordinator in 2023 will be just as key to the Bucs’ success as whoever lines up under center – whether it’s Brady, Kyle Trask or someone new.

Also, if Bowles can learn from his game management mistakes this year – and it seems like he’s been a little more “no risk it, no biscuit” in recent weeks, which is encouraging – then I have faith that he can be a damn good head coach in Tampa Bay for some time.

Like Bowles, the Bucs haven’t wavered this season. With several comeback victories this season, the Bucs have proven to be quite resilient.

Just like their head coach.

FAB 3. Monken Would Be A Great Fit In Tampa Bay

If you’ve listened to me on the Pewter Report Podcasts, read my Bucs Monday Mailbag columns and previous SR’s Fab 5 columns, you know how fond I am of the idea of bringing Todd Monken back to Tampa Bay. Monken, who was a receivers coach with the Bucs in 2016-17 and the team’s offensive coordinator under Dirk Koetter in 2018, has spent the last three seasons at the University of Georgia.

While calling the plays, the Bulldogs are 36-3 under Monken since his arrival in 2020. That includes a national championship in 2021 and an SEC championship this season, as well as a chance to defend Georgia’s national title against TCU on Monday night.

Georgia OC Todd Monken – Photo by: USA Today

What I like about Monken – aside from his no-nonsense coaching style, his blunt quips and attacking style of play-calling – is how he’s functioned at Georgia working for a defensive-minded head coach in Kirby Smart. I believe Byron Leftwich will be fired after the end of the season, and Monken would be an ideal candidate to replace him.

All season long, Bowles has wanted to run the ball better, but Tampa Bay’s rushing attack ranks dead last in the NFL at 76.4 yards per game, which is pathetic. Georgia has been “RB U” for some time now, putting the likes of Todd Gurley (2015), Nick Chubb (2018), Sony Michel (2018), D’Andre Swift (2020), James Cook (2022) and Zamir White (2022) into the league in recent years.

So, Monken knew he had to run the ball in the SEC. But he opened up the offense by incorporating more passing on first downs (sound enticing?) and more play-action (sound good, Tom Brady?) to perfectly meld the passing game and the running game, which pleased Smart and has complemented Georgia’s dominant defense over the years.

“Believe me, when I’m thinking gameplan-wise, I’m thinking about how we can be explosive — and how we can run the ball and help us be explosive all fits together,” Monken was quoted in The Athletic. “You can’t control the game if you can’t run the ball comfortably. You can’t. You can’t control the game. You can have a bunch of statistics and make it look better and make you feel better. But if you can’t run the ball comfortably you can’t win the game. And that’s from a guy that likes to throw it. My whole background is wideouts and quarterbacks. So I do want to throw it, I enjoy throwing it.”

This year, Georgia’s offense ranks seventh nationally in yards per play after finishing fourth last year. That’s up from 46th in 2019 before Monken arrived. Monken has helped turn walk-on quarterback Stetson Bennett IV into a Heisman Trophy finalist. That’s a promising sign considering the Bucs might have to develop a young quarterback in 2023 or 2024 depending on Brady’s status.

Bucs offensive coordinator Todd Monken – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Monken, who is well regarded by the current Bucs’ brass, is making $2 million per year at Georgia, so the Glazers would have to pony up some money in order to lure him back to Tampa Bay. But the opportunity to coach Tom Brady – if the legendary QB decides to return for a fourth year in red and pewter – may be the best lure of all.

“You have to be careful. The grass isn’t always greener, and money isn’t everything,” Monken said. “Now, I value getting paid. Don’t get me wrong. I don’t do this for nothing, but the reality is you have to be careful because your happiness is in winning. It’s about winning. It’s the fight song in the locker room. That’s what it’s about.

“Anybody that says, ‘Hey, I’m at school A, and boy the city is great, I love it. It’s great for my family, and we’re 4-8, and I’m happy as hell.’ That’s not me. I’d rather be winning in Alaska than losing in San Diego.”

With Brady, the Bucs have won for the last three years – winning Super Bowl LV in 2020 and back-to-back NFC South titles over the past two years. Monken can bring the creativity and clutch play-calling that’s been missing this season to not just have the Bucs settling for division titles, but winning another Super Bowl.

FAB 4. Bucs Need To Be Rooting For The Eagles

Philadelphia has had two weeks to clinch the NFC East division title and the No. 1 overall seed in the NFC playoffs, but an injury to Pro Bowl quarterback Jalen Hurts has derailed the Eagles. A 40-34 loss at Dallas and a 20-10 loss to New Orleans – both with Gardner Minshew at QB – has opened the door for the Cowboys to win the division in Week 18.

So, why should Bucs fans care about the Cowboys and Eagles?

A win by Dallas (12-4) at Washington (7-8-1) and a loss by Philadelphia (13-3) to the New York Giants (9-6-1) would give the Cowboys the division title and send the Eagles to Tampa Bay for the Wild Card playoffs as the No. 5 seed. As I touched on in my 2-Point Conversion column earlier this week, the Bucs shouldn’t want that to happen. So, let me expand my point.

Eagles D-linemen Josh Sweat and Javon Hargrave – Photo by: USA Today

This is not the same Eagles team that the Bucs beat at Ray-Jay last year, 31-15. Hurts was sacked twice and threw two interceptions, while the Eagles’ rushing attack was held to 95 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries. This year, Hurts has thrown for 22 TDs and rushed for 13 – both career highs – while only throwing five interceptions.

More importantly, Philly’s defense has racked up an absurd 68 sacks this season. Four players have double-digit sacks, led by linebacker Haason Reddick’s 16. Starting defensive linemen Josh Sweat, Javon Hargrave and Brandon Graham all have 11 sacks. Fletcher Cox, the other starting defensive tackle, has seven sacks.

Tampa Bay’s offensive line, which has two banged-up tackles in Donovan Smith (foot) and Tristan Wirfs (ankle), should want no part of that pass rush. The fact that the Bucs can’t run the ball already makes them one-dimensional and plays into Philly’s hands.

Facing the Cowboys, whom the Bucs have beaten in both the 2021 and 2022 season openers, is much more palatable. Game-planning to stop Pro Bowlers Micah Parsons (13 sacks) and DeMarcus Lawrence (six sacks) appears easier than trying to stop five Eagles defenders that have accounted for 56 sacks between them.

And concentrating on slowing down CeeDee Lamb, Tony Pollard and Ezekiel Elliot should be less of a challenge than trying to stop the dual-threat Hurts, Miles Sanders, a 1,200-yard back, and a pair of 1,000-yard receivers in A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, who have 18 TDs between them.

Plus, Dallas has a history of choking in the playoffs and hasn’t been to the NFC Championship Game since 1995 despite 11 postseason appearances since then.

So, how ‘bout them Cowboys?

FAB 5. SR’s Buc Shots

• BRADY EXCELS IN COMEBACK VICTORIES: If you’re a Tom Brady fan and you’re not following Tom Brady Facts (@TB_Facts) on Twitter, you’re missing out. Here’s a great Brady stat for you.

• BRADY WINS 19TH DIVISION TITLE: Nobody’s done it better than Tom Brady. And chances are, no one will ever come close due to his sustained excellence and longevity.

• IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Bucs wide receiver Chris Godwin is nearing 1,000 yards and a Bucs receiving record, and Tampa Bay’s 2023 opponents are just about known heading into Week 18. Read those stories and more on PewterReport.com.

CELSIUS PEWTER REPORT TAILGATE PREGAME SHOW AT WALK-ONS

Bucs fans and Pewter Report fans can join the PR staff for a LIVE pregame show before each Bucs game – home and away – at Walk-Ons Sports Bistreaux. The CELSIUS Pewter Report Tailgate Show is presented by Age Rejuvenation. The next pre-game show at Walk-Ons will be for the Bucs at Falcons game on January 8 at 11:00 a.m. at the Wesley Chapel location, with Pewter GameDay beginning at 1:00 p.m. ET. Miller Lite pints are $3.99 and 22 oz pours are $5.49. Blue Moon pints are $5.00 and 22 oz pours are $7.00.

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THIS WEEK’S PEWTER REPORT PODCASTS

• BUCS-FALCONS PREVIEWS ON THE PEWTER REPORT PODCAST: The Pewter Report Podcast is energized by CELSIUS and broadcasts four live episodes each week. Next week’s schedule will feature PR Podcasts on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday as the Bucs end the 2022 regular season in Atlanta in a rematch against the Falcons.

The Bucs won their second division title in a row and Matt Matera and Scott Reynolds discuss it on a Victory Monday edition of the podcast.

On Wednesday Matera and Reynolds preview the Bucs vs. Falcons game and discuss which QBs should be playing.

On Thursday’s podcast, Matera and Adam Slivon discuss which Bucs will be playing in Week 18 in Atlanta.

Watch the Pewter Report Podcasts live on our PewterReportTV channel on YouTube.com and please subscribe (it’s free) and add your comments. We archive all Pewter Report Podcasts. So, you can watch the recorded episodes if you missed them live.

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