I think Badabing is right in that the Bucs are sort of a .500 team, so they could get hot or fall flat. Last season they fell flat in the middle and then got really hot at the end.
I think Badabing is right in that the Bucs are sort of a .500 team, so they could get hot or fall flat. Last season they fell flat in the middle and then got really hot at the end.
listen, i would love to be wrong and thought for sure i was after that impressive Detroit lions road win with no right tackle and injured defense
we had no business losing that Denver game and we got our asses kicked. The team comes up flat when people start to believe in them, look at the Saints home game last year where we won like 4 in a row and came out like shit. After our 3-1 start last year, "Baker has found a home", he starts doing interviews and then they lose 6 out of 7.
I know everyone mentions our studs on defense but it's clear to me, not having Luke out there has killed our offense the last 2 weeks. How many drives derailed by sacks. I see us struggling to win another game without him out there as there is no viable back-up at this point. The Bucs should have been looking for a better OT after the Detroit win.
But you are right, Bucs win this week, that would be 2-0 against toss up games and 1-1 against games we should have won. That would put us back in the drivers seat to win the division but that Denver game was an ugly reminder of what this team is capable of....and it's not good.
We kinda have that .500 roster right now. Additionally, while some of our starters are elite, we did not bring in an edge rusher and the one corner we brought in, Bryce Hall, was mid/sneaky, before his leg began to bend the wrong direction last week.
Also, there’s no book on Nix yet, Payton hasn’t been babying him, just throwing him into live fire and letting Nix work it out. Rookies seemingly always scramble us, especially when our horses aren’t in the game.
Baker just needs to get better on 3rd down. The last couple weeks have not been good. Don’t know if teams are giving up the middle of the field on 3rd where Baker isn’t (or can’t) seeing it? Added to it - most pressure has been from the same spot as last year - right up the middle. It’s more than just Goedeke, the iOL on that Mauch side was pretty bad. So, I’m not sure just getting Luke back is going to get us that much better overnight?
Concerned, but not overly so - Buc defense will be getting some starters back & offense will scheme something up for Baker on 3rd. Seems like Denver did what Detroit started - putting us in longer 3rd downs and not only stepping up rush pressure over a weakness on Luke’s replacement - but against Denver, also sealing off Baker’s typical escape routes that had previously allowed him to look like a wizard getting out of the pocket to extend plays.
Will probably be more interesting than it should be as the Bucs work through this during the teeth of our schedule.
Regardless of where we pick, EDGE, iOL, and CB needs to be MAJORLY addressed.
We kinda have that .500 roster right now.
the injuries definitely highlight the thin roster, but to be fair our roster was not that great heading into the season and that is ONE reason that the "10 wins and playoffs" group is so thrown by the first loss. Its the UNDERSTANDABLE fan roller coaster (and some non-fan trolls lol)
Easily we are weak in the trenches so . .
PASS RUSH - We really did nothing to help the pass rush - most people know that a rookie almost NEVER has a huge impact on pass rush in the first year so in most cases a draft pick is only going to go so far
OLINE - we made one big move (Barton) but that takes a while even for a great prospect and then back it up with journeyman
Injure any of those guys, let alone TWO key inside guys , and it falls apart. BUT, you could add to that:
OC - we took the ROOKIE play caller who the QB wanted. That might work out, but its not like we grabbed some stellar Ben Johnson vet
we did some good things too, but not really to offset FUNDAMENTAL weakness this year.
and we still might make the playoffs!
I could add that we are still lacking a good TE. Maybe Otton will catch fire, but his blocking . . wow
Anyway, one thing we still have is two great receivers and apparently one of them is a surprise to Coen
""I think I probably underestimated maybe some of the nuances of just being able to get open and the quick-twitch that [Godwin] does show and display at times," said Coen. "And I think he's just feeling a lot better this year. I think he's healthier, he's feeling better, he's feeling more balanced, and all the other stuff has proven to be true, everything else I'd heard about him."
