that's all
Ravens/Bengals on Sunday night.
Is ANYONE ELSE sick of watching the AFC North's Steelers, Ravens, etc.??
You’re just angry that the AFC North swept the Bucs this season.
Good lord. Hope Vikings win. Don’t want to travel to SF on short week if we magically beat cowpokes Monday
I would feel better if Dallas played well yesterday. Now that they played like shit, they will be embarrassed and pissed off all week long.
Unfortunately I think the last part is untrue now but this is from a review of the Cowboys defense, which was dominant until injury took out both of their starting CBs, I guess:
”It puts them at risk for bad matchups in the NFL playoffs, especially now that the pass rush is becoming far less effective at getting after the quarterback. Micah Parsons explained it well, pointing to opposing quarterbacks getting the ball out faster. Unfortunately for Dallas, Tom Brady is better than almost anyone at making quick throws and evading pressure and Tampa Bay boasts the receiving corps to attack the Cowboys’ secondary.”
Hope we get huge games from Godwin and our RBs and TEs
Ugh
“The Cowboys enter this contest as slim road favorites on the moneyline and spread on FanDuel Sportsbook's odds. This NFC Wild Card matchup also features an over/under of 45.5 with the under being favored at -115 odds.
Cowboys vs Buccaneers Prediction & Pick
In a Week 1 rematch, I fully expect the Cowboys to pull out a victory here. While they haven't looked perfect lately, the Cowboys have at least won 12 of 16 games since losing to the Buccaneers on Sept. 11, whereas the Buccaneers are 7-9 since then.
The Buccaneers have also only beaten one team with a winning record (Seattle Seahawks) at home this season. Part of that has to do with their having the sixth-worst home scoring margin (minus-1.5). Needless to say, the Bucs could be in trouble with the Cowboys averaging 24.6 points (No. 7) with a plus-4.0 margin (No. 5) on the road.
Although Tom Brady has made a career of stepping up when it matters the most, the Cowboys are the overall better team and shouldn't lose this favorable matchup.
Final Score Prediction: Cowboys: 24 | Buccaneers: 20”
Pretty good coverage of the Bucs last first team offense last week, albeit beginning with this DYSMAL intro:
"The Bucs have generally had success moving the ball on their opening drive of the game. Entering this game since their bye week, the Bucs have driven into scoring range on their opening drive six out of six times. Those six drives had yielded just 16 points though. Against New Orleans, Cincinnati, and Carolina the Tampa Bay offense stalled in plus territory, settling for field goals in each game.
Against the 49ers the offense stalled as well while kicker Ryan Succop missed his field goal attempt. And against Carolina, wide receiver Chris Godwin fumbled on the Panthers’ 29-yard line resulting in a turnover. The opening drive against the Browns in week 12 was the lone time the offense was able to finish the job with a touchdown."
Here is the link
https://www.pewterreport.com/bucs-offense-show-enough-progress-first-half/
couple highlights, this one discussing DRIVE 1 success (where its often been lacking):
"On second-and-10 Leftwich had the offense come out in gun and ran the ball, yielding four yards and setting up third-and-6 from the Atlanta 22. This is normally where the Bucs’ opening drive offense story ends. A missed third down conversion deep in the opponent’s territory resulting in three points and large helping of disappointment.
But the execution of the offense on this play overcame the obstacle (and then some). Despite immediate interior pressure from the Falcons blitz up the “A” gap, Brady was able to identify tight end Cade Otton coming across the middle on a dig route in single coverage with inside leverage. Brady delivered a low ball that allowed Otton to go to the ground to secure the catch with minimal contest from his trailing defender. First down in the red zone.
and this one highlighting the same kind of challenge, not met successfully on drive 2:
The offense followed up that play (a designed screen with PA) with a speed out to wide receiver Russell Gage that Brady threw high and behind him for an incompletion. On third and six Brady opted to try and hit Gage again on a slot fade that he overthrew for another incompletion. The play design allowed tight end Cameron Brate to come open underneath Gage on an out route where both Falcons defenders broke initially on Gage. . . . the third down call got Gage one-on-one plus had Brate open on the Ohio concept variant.
DRIVE 3, the fumble and the Bucs "extended running game (ie short passing because run game SUCKS:
"The second play was a bubble screen to Godwin that he fumbled after picking up about eight yards. The Bucs have built an entire offense this year around second and medium-to-long screen passes, and defenses have figured it out.
DRIVE 4 described like this:
Bucs’ Fourth Drive: A Long Drive With A Familiar Result
after some substantial running success, this:
"With the running game rolling Leftwich called Vaughn’s number from the shotgun again and Falcons defensive tackle Grady Jarrett blew the play up for a five-yard loss."
The Bucs would miss converting on fourth down after going for it due to a Luke Goedeke holding penalty on a well-executed otherwise pitch to Bernard. Faced with now fourth-and-11, Bowles wisely opted for the field goal.
FireLefty2022
This season will be graded as Pass/Fail based on this game. We won the division at 8-8 (not counting ATL game) and didn't beat any winning teams except Dallas on Week 1 and overachieving Seattle (9-8). If we lose this game, our season was clearly a Fail. If you go 11-6 and lose the first game, that's football. Still a good season. If you go 8-8 and lose the first game then you didn't do jack. Fail. If we win one game against Dallas, we can at least give the Bucs a "Pass". We haven't had the season we were expecting, but as the season went along we've been saying "Just make the playoffs and we have a chance." Well that's all it is, a chance, not a success. If we don't take advantage of that chance by winning at least one game then it was a flat out failure of a season.
20-17 Bucs
The Bucs need to pull out all the stops and play their best. F the predictable play calling, call plays not expected on downs and yardage. Get the right personnel on the field and play aggressive on offense. Get a lead and build on it. No mistakes. Go no huddle every so often to keep the Cowpukes D off balance. Play aggressive on defense, blitz when appropriate. Stop the run, make them one dimensional. Spy White on Prescott, keep him in the pocket. Go win the FN game! Win or go home!
FireLefty2022
First of all, it's 2023. But secondly what if the Bucs beat the Cowboys? Do you still fire Lefty?
Bucs need to come out firing. Play action early and often. Sprinkle in no-huddle. Lots of 10 and 11-personnel with Evans, Godwin, and Gage as your primary trio…and then rotate Jones and Miller on 4WR sets. Work the underneath slants and crossers and force them to bring up a safety. Take your shots with Evans downfield.
On defense, need Dean and Davis back and need them pressing.
Unfortunately, I expect them to run with the same game plan Week One, because “Hey…it worked in Week One, so why change it”.
Dallas - 28
Tampa - 17
Brady era in Tampa comes to an end.
The rebuild begins.
I don't think you can call it a rebuild when the 10 highest paid players not named Brady will be back: Godwin, Vea, Barrett, Smith, Evans, Davis, Jensen, David, Gage, Mason. D. White, Fournette, Wirfs, Succop, Tryon, Nunez-Roches, Hall, Gabbert, Winfield, Goedeke, Trask, R. White, Nunez-Roches, Hainsey, Vaughn, Wirfs, Otton, Camarda, McCollum, Kieft, Dean (franchise tag). All coming back.
Possibly losing: Brady, David, Hicks, Jones, Gholston, Brate, Rudolph, Bunting, Neal, Edwards, Nelson, but we may keep half of those.
So I'd say the turnover will be minimal. Same HC, same GM. You can't call 2023 a rebuild IMO.
