Bold Prediction:
Bowles will be fired at the bye week with the Buccaneers sporting a 1-win record for the season. Robinson will be promoted to interim coach. His audition will fail and the Buccaneers fire Licht at season's end.
Not really sure if this will happen. I would bet against it personally, but you guys wanted BOLD.
Bold Prediction:
Bowles will be fired at the bye week with the Buccaneers sporting a 1-win record for the season. Robinson will be promoted to interim coach. His audition will fail and the Buccaneers fire Licht at season's end.
Not really sure if this will happen. I would bet against it personally, but you guys wanted BOLD.
I mean that actually is pretty believable
the only reason it's bold is because the Glazers will likely keep Bowles the whole year with 4-6 wins. If they respect him enough to keep him with a historic collapse in the franchise 50 year anniversary, i think anything short of Bowles beating his wife and he is safe for 2026 season.
The Eagles just had had to publicly shame Hurts to get him to hopefully run the called plays. The Bucs just lost Evans. The Bucs are limiting void years where they can (restructuring only if needed) and now have limited dead cap, especially relative to the Eagles.
The difference between Tampa and Philly is the Bucs have a QB. Philly is in the unique situation where they are successful despite the QB position holding them hostage. Hurts is good at times but his ego seems to be getting in the way and he's too glib to recognize his limitations. Hurts is a top half of the league talent with something in his head holding him back and the Eagles won't make another run because of it.
I personally think John Harbaugh is a tired weak and uninteresting story but, the Giants are getting better and who is going to stop that Cowboys offense. The Redskins may be the bottom dweller there for a while. Way too old a team.
Interesting, i would think most NFL fans, non-Buc Fans would rank Hurts ahead of Baker but likely both in the same "tier"
dont get me wrong, i am with you in spirit (blinded by Baker 2024 season) but 2025 season suggest otherwise
Hurts - 25 passing TDs, 6 INTs, 3224 yards, 64.8% completion percentage, 8 rushing TDs
Baker - 26 Passing TDs, 11 INTs, 3693 yards, 63.2% completion percentage, 1 rushing TD
to me they are both in the 15th-20th range with both capable of being top 10 QBs...but insane to suggest Baker is better than Hurts given the facts.
One of the previous posts mentions Hurts' ego. I agree his big head is holding him back from being a better QB and a better teammate. Some of the interviews I've seen just make him very unlikeable. He should be more humble after the coaching staff works him over before this season.
Lavonte David said recently that their defensive game plan against the Eagles was to make Hurts beat them ie to see whether he was capable of diagnosing the defense etc.
Either way though, a QB deliberately playing outside the offense is nuts. We are not talking about a broken play and improvising when things break down. We are talking about refusing to throw to Brown etc.
Lavonte David said recently that their defensive game plan against the Eagles was to make Hurts beat them ie to see whether he was capable of diagnosing the defense etc.
Either way though, a QB deliberately playing outside the offense is nuts. We are not talking about a broken play and improvising when things break down. We are talking about refusing to throw to Brown etc.
i am not saying i like Hurts or that he is a good QB just saying to say Baker is better than him after what transpired in 2025 is a bit homeristic.
I live in Eagle country and after they won the Superbowl it was insufferable of them saying he was a top 5 QB and better than Baker after Hurts threw 18 TDs and Baker had 40+. I said they were both top 10 given one just won a Superbowl and one was on fire.
after this year, neither of them are in the top 10, and to me....it was always clear that the eagles talented roster carried hurts...accredited to their GM.
I think we can compete with anyone and lose to anyone... That's part of being 500
exactly.
so much will depend on health and how early games go (momentum). They could be 5 wins or 10
The key word is compete not win... I fully expect us to win 1-2 we should lose then lose 3-4 games we should win... On the path to 8-9 or 9-8.
If Baker can will us to two extra wins that's the variable or conversely he throws a late pick like he did vs the falcons and we lose.
It's the curse of being 500. We didn't really blow anyone out last year except for maybe 2 games and even then it was still ugly.
its hard to describe but the Bucs were 3 different teams last year
through the first 6, at 5-1; beating the eventual superbowl champs in their house, the 49ers, comeback wins, winning prime time road games, fighting against the depending champs despite a slow start. That team could win the Super Bowl. We haven’t see that team at all in the Bowles HC tenure, maybe glimpses in 2024 when offense was dominate
we then went 1-4 in the next 5 games. This is what I would like to reflect as the team we’ve been under Bowles. Beat who we should beat, lose to the teams we shouldn’t.
Two duds in prime time against Detroit and LAR; an uninspiring win against NO; then losses to better teams in Buffalo and New England. This was par for course and somewhat expected
but the real kicker was what we haven’t seen before was the 2-4 finish favored in final 6 games. In years past, this is where Bucs finished season strong
well last year, we had 2 uninspiring wins against ARZ and CAR, lost to two teams who fired their head coach in MIA and ATL, and then NO and CAR.
one would hope we are not the 2-4 team, but it’s also hard to fathom we are the 5-1 team hence we are likely that 1-4 team against superior opponents
with AFC North and NFC north on schedule as well as DAL, LAR, and LAC; really having a hard time seeing this team top 6 wins if that’s the case
I think we can compete with anyone and lose to anyone... That's part of being 500
exactly.
so much will depend on health and how early games go (momentum). They could be 5 wins or 10
The key word is compete not win... I fully expect us to win 1-2 we should lose then lose 3-4 games we should win... On the path to 8-9 or 9-8.
If Baker can will us to two extra wins that's the variable or conversely he throws a late pick like he did vs the falcons and we lose.
It's the curse of being 500. We didn't really blow anyone out last year except for maybe 2 games and even then it was still ugly.
its hard to describe but the Bucs were 3 different teams last year
through the first 6, at 5-1; beating the eventual superbowl champs in their house, the 49ers, comeback wins, winning prime time road games, fighting against the depending champs despite a slow start. That team could win the Super Bowl. We haven’t see that team at all in the Bowles HC tenure, maybe glimpses in 2024 when offense was dominate
we then went 1-4 in the next 5 games. This is what I would like to reflect as the team we’ve been under Bowles. Beat who we should beat, lose to the teams we shouldn’t.
Two duds in prime time against Detroit and LAR; an uninspiring win against NO; then losses to better teams in Buffalo and New England. This was par for course and somewhat expected
but the real kicker was what we haven’t seen before was the 2-4 finish favored in final 6 games. In years past, this is where Bucs finished season strong
well last year, we had 2 uninspiring wins against ARZ and CAR, lost to two teams who fired their head coach in MIA and ATL, and then NO and CAR.
one would hope we are not the 2-4 team, but it’s also hard to fathom we are the 5-1 team hence we are likely that 1-4 team against superior opponents
with AFC North and NFC north on schedule as well as DAL, LAR, and LAC; really having a hard time seeing this team top 6 wins if that’s the case
Our decline directly coincided with Baker's injury. He was carrying us early. That's why you jumping ship on him feels profoundly hysterical... Once he got hurt he couldn't extend drives with his legs.
That exposed Grizz.
Which exposed Bowles.
Which exposed the team.
Too much of our success came from Baker backyard football
No body wants me to eat crow more than myself on Baker
Id love to see him return to 2024 levels and get that 5 year, $250m deal next offseason
That happens and we are going to watch some exciting Bucs football
I’ll just believe it when I see it. To me, he played closer to what he’s been in his career than 2024 super star; so yeah you can have faith it was the injury and I hope you’re right. But I’m just a bit snake bitten by this franchise as of late
Interesting, i would think most NFL fans, non-Buc Fans would rank Hurts ahead of Baker but likely both in the same "tier"
I don't know about "tiers". But I will say, Baker appears to be more open to the entirety of offensive football. Lots of reporting that Hurts has been ignoring instruction from their OC.
Baker is more coachable and has an ass ton more TDs thrown in his career.
If drafting all QBs today, Baker would be drafted ahead of Hurts. Baker has thrown the 2nd most TDs thrown over the past three seasons. 5 more than Stafford in that timeframe.
Interesting, i would think most NFL fans, non-Buc Fans would rank Hurts ahead of Baker but likely both in the same "tier"
I don't know about "tiers". But I will say, Baker appears to be more open to the entirety of offensive football. Lots of reporting that Hurts has been ignoring instruction from their OC.
Baker is more coachable and has an ass ton more TDs thrown in his career.
If drafting all QBs today, Baker would be drafted ahead of Hurts. Baker has thrown the 2nd most TDs thrown over the past three seasons. 5 more than Stafford in that timeframe.
Top 5 (likely undisputable ) - Allen, Mahomes, Jackson, Burrow, Stafford
You then have the following 6-18 which on any given Sunday can be on any given order
6. Herbert
7. Prescott
8. Maye
9. Goff
10. Darnold
11. Stroud
12. Hurts
13. Love
14.Lawrence
15. Caleb Williams
16. Purdy
17. Mayfield
18. Bo Nix
--------------------------
i would think most, given body of work, more than just 1 phenomenal season would rank Herbert, Goff, and Prescott ahead of Mayfield.
You then have QBs who have either made a Superbowl, or won one, some times multiple appearances to championship games in Maye, Darnold, Hurts, and Purdy.
You then have #1 overall pick with Liam Coen in Trevor Lawrence. Dude is getting the Coen bounce as you saw second half of last year. Same goes for Caleb with Ben Johnson.
i think i'd take Baker over Bo Nix, Jordan Love, and CJ Stroud so let's rank him at 15 to open the season.
where would you rank him?
You then have #1 overall pick with Liam Coen in Trevor Lawrence. Dude is getting the Coen bounce as you saw second half of last year. Same goes for Caleb with Ben Johnson.
You'd be hard pressed to intentionally write a more internally inconsistent post lol. Kidding but just lay it out.
you treat Mayfield 2024 as an outlier and 2025 as more like the norm but acknowledge that two QBs, Lawrence and Johnson, are impacted positively by their OC? Wouldn't that suggest that Mayfield is similarly impacted by OCs? Coen in 2024 versus Grizzard in 2025?
How does Mayfield almost single handily win games early in 2025 as the worst in that mid tier group? lol. In another thread you seem to acknowledge he was injured but said he should have sit himself? Why? Because he was injured. So injured and Grizzard versus Coen and healthy but 2025 is who Mayfield is?
Wut, wut?
You then have #1 overall pick with Liam Coen in Trevor Lawrence. Dude is getting the Coen bounce as you saw second half of last year. Same goes for Caleb with Ben Johnson.
You'd be hard pressed to intentionally write a more internally inconsistent post lol. Kidding but just lay it out.
you treat Mayfield 2024 as an outlier and 2025 as more like the norm but acknowledge that two QBs, Lawrence and Johnson, are impacted positively by their OC? Wouldn't that suggest that Mayfield is similarly impacted by OCs? Coen in 2024 versus Grizzard in 2025?
How does Mayfield almost single handily win games early in 2025 as the worst in that mid tier group? lol. In another thread you seem to acknowledge he was injured but said he should have sit himself? Why? Because he was injured. So injured and Grizzard versus Coen and healthy but 2025 is who Mayfield is?
Wut, wut?
what you are missing is we dont have Coen anymore. We also dont have Ben Johnson
are we going to suggest Zac Robinson is of the same mold? let's hope so
You then have #1 overall pick with Liam Coen in Trevor Lawrence. Dude is getting the Coen bounce as you saw second half of last year. Same goes for Caleb with Ben Johnson.
You'd be hard pressed to intentionally write a more internally inconsistent post lol. Kidding but just lay it out.
you treat Mayfield 2024 as an outlier and 2025 as more like the norm but acknowledge that two QBs, Lawrence and Johnson, are impacted positively by their OC? Wouldn't that suggest that Mayfield is similarly impacted by OCs? Coen in 2024 versus Grizzard in 2025?
How does Mayfield almost single handily win games early in 2025 as the worst in that mid tier group? lol. In another thread you seem to acknowledge he was injured but said he should have sit himself? Why? Because he was injured. So injured and Grizzard versus Coen and healthy but 2025 is who Mayfield is?
Wut, wut?
what you are missing is we dont have Coen anymore. We also dont have Ben Johnson
are we going to suggest Zac Robinson is of the same mold? let's hope so
what you are missing is that we didn't have Coen last year and Mayfiekd was clearly injured in the second half of last year .... and Mayfield did okay with CANALES
Can Robinson match Canales?
the bigger point is that the #1 thing that determined the Bucs fate in 2024 and 2025 will be the same in 2026 and that is health of the players. If we have a healthy season for the oline and a running game then Mayfield, in a contract year no less, should be at least 2023? Maybe closer to 2024? Not second half if 2025 lol
You then have #1 overall pick with Liam Coen in Trevor Lawrence. Dude is getting the Coen bounce as you saw second half of last year. Same goes for Caleb with Ben Johnson.
You'd be hard pressed to intentionally write a more internally inconsistent post lol. Kidding but just lay it out.
you treat Mayfield 2024 as an outlier and 2025 as more like the norm but acknowledge that two QBs, Lawrence and Johnson, are impacted positively by their OC? Wouldn't that suggest that Mayfield is similarly impacted by OCs? Coen in 2024 versus Grizzard in 2025?
How does Mayfield almost single handily win games early in 2025 as the worst in that mid tier group? lol. In another thread you seem to acknowledge he was injured but said he should have sit himself? Why? Because he was injured. So injured and Grizzard versus Coen and healthy but 2025 is who Mayfield is?
Wut, wut?
what you are missing is we dont have Coen anymore. We also dont have Ben Johnson
are we going to suggest Zac Robinson is of the same mold? let's hope so
what you are missing is that we didn't have Coen last year and Mayfiekd was clearly injured in the second half of last year .... and Mayfield did okay with CANALES
Can Robinson match Canales?
the bigger point is that the #1 thing that determined the Bucs fate in 2024 and 2025 will be the same in 2026 and that is health of the players. If we have a healthy season for the oline and a running game then Mayfield, in a contract year no less, should be at least 2023? Maybe closer to 2024? Not second half if 2025 lol
Mayfield was above-average in 2023....not great
we were smitten by him because sans Brady, we have not had above average in quite some time. First non Brady playoff win since Brad Johnson hoisting the Lombardy in the 2002 season.
if was on a 1 year, 4M prove it deal, put up top 10 Qbs numbers but solidified himself in the top 15 of QB talks
Baker was an absolute animal in 2024 with Coen. I look at how Lawrence played second half of last year and i see a correlation. Lawrence arguably finished year as a top 10 QB
Baker was such a stud in 2024, you wonder why Evans wouldnt want to pad his stats with him at QB
In 2025, i think we can agree, numbers were closer to 2023. Through his elite part of last year, Bucs were 6-2 and he had 13 touchdowns to 2 INTs...not exactly on pace for his 40+ touchdowns. Good to see him protecting the football but not on pace to be top tier guy
so my argument is not that Baker is as shit as his second half 2025, but more he is closer to that then he is the 2024 guy.
My question to you, is that Baker will get banged up as does any QB during an NFL season; if he doesnt top 30+ TDs in a 17 game season in 2026, was the 2024 year a fluke?