It's tough to complain about a 3-0 start, but there’s always something to rant about. This is the weekly article (win or lose) that does it. As one of the biggest Buccaneers fan out there, I’m also a realist. While there’s plenty of goodwill to spread around, there are also concerns that need ranting about.
Early in the 4th quarter of yesterday's game, I started to relax, thinking we might finally put one away without the usual nail-biting finish. It seems the Bucs had the same thought. But hey, a win is a win, and a 3-0 start is definitely something to celebrate, especially given the injuries we've faced. However, I can't help but wonder if this season's start is built on solid ground or just a "house of mirrors."
With our 3-0 record, discussions about our ranking among the league's best teams are warranted. We’re one of only three undefeated teams in the NFC, with the Philadelphia Eagles coming to town this weekend. But how did we get here, and what might not hold up in the games ahead? If you're an optimist, you might want to stop reading now.
The three teams we've beaten have a combined record of 1-8. Each victory has been hard-fought, and while it’s great to pull out these wins—no games are easy in the NFL—it also reveals several issues we need to tackle.
Our special teams have been a disaster over these three games. In Week 1, we missed a field goal and an extra point. In Week 2, we missed another field goal, allowed a long punt return, suffered a blocked punt, and gave up too many kickoff return yards. In Week 3, we routinely started drives at our own 25-yard line or worse, while the Jets began at around the 35 or better after kickoffs. To make matters worse, we allowed a blocked field goal that turned into a touchdown! This is unacceptable at this level of football, and it could cost us games against stronger opponents. I can only imagine the tough Special Teams' meetings happening at One Buc Place this week.
Our defense has had its moments of dominance, but they haven’t faced offenses that would be confused with the "Greatest Show on Turf." The Jets, with Tyrod Taylor at the helm, posed no big-play threat. CJ Stroud of the Texans has shown that his few standout performances as a rookie may have been one-offs rather than the norm. And the Falcons just got shut out by the Panthers! We’re not up against the Ravens, Bills, Lions, or Rams here. And we still haven't seen much of a pass rush when we rush 4. That will hurt us against the offenses who have the personnel and know how to attack these zone blitzes.
Looking ahead, I’m genuinely concerned about our next four games. The NFL landscape can change in an instant; just yesterday, we were up 23-6 in the 4th quarter, thinking we were on cruise control to 3-0. Before we knew it, the Jets took the lead, and what could have been a decisive win almost turned into a loss, leaving us with a potential 2-1 record.
In the upcoming four weeks, we face the Eagles at home, the Seahawks away, the 49ers at home, and the Lions away—all tough opponents. We likely won’t have Mike Evans or Luke Goedeke for any of these games, meaning we’ll be relying on rookie Emeka Egbuka and, hopefully, a Chris Godwin Jr. who can get close to 100%. But that’s no guarantee. Will we get Tristan Wirfs back this week? If not, I can’t see how we keep the Eagles game competitive; their defensive line will feast on Baker Mayfield.
Our offensive line showed heart but struggled yesterday. We had too many holding penalties, and Quinnen Williams dominated the interior. I dread facing the Eagles with this same lineup. It feels reminiscent of what the Eagles dealt with against us last year when their top two receivers and All-Pro tackle were out, resulting in a struggling offense. We capitalized and won 33-16.
Yes, it’s just one game, but with this tough schedule and our injury issues, one game could quickly turn into four, leaving us with a 3-4 record. I love that we’re 3-0, but is it one of the shakiest 3-0 records you can recall? Okay, rant is over. Go Bucs!
Let’s hope we can clean things up and meet the challenges ahead!
Check out more Bucs news on BuccaneerBlitz.com.
i said in another thread, this had the makings of being one of our worst losses in franchise history
imagine the embarrassment on a day honoring our 50 year anniversary, up 23-6 against an inferior team; and we lose on a blocked field goal returned for a touchdown.
banged up facing the defending champs and we were staring .500 right in the face with tough stretch ahead after that - Seattle, San Fran, and Detroit.
Yesterday was unacceptable. I am happy as hell we won but no way it should have even gotten to that.
Honestly the Bucs need to steal 2-3 wins before their bye so they can be fully healed up and ready to go for the Patriots after their bye and make a run.
The 3-0 start gives the Bucs the cushion and 2 game lead in the division.
Realistically this defense hasn't played a complete game which means they can be better at run defense and pass defense. On offense, they are seemingly finding ways to score points and move the ball with a diverse skill set of players with Shep, Miller, Tez and Egbuka stepping up. And you still have Irving, White and Tucker as aces.
Getting Wirfs and Godwin back changes the complexion of the offense. Because Wirfs can block the perimeter and Godwin the slot can throw some of the best crackblocks. Eagles interior is very good defensively but their OLB and boundary CBs can be exploited.
I think issues with special teams can be hammered out because you are missing a lot of OL personnel that would normally be playing special teams in the first place.
But I think what really will change the complexion of this team is if the rookies continue their ascent. Those rookies like Egbuka, Roberts, Parrish and Tez. Just a feeling but these young players are going to continue to deliver big time for a team looking for answers with so many injuries.
i'd probably rank us as the 3rd best team in the conference right now
Tier 1
1.Eagles 3 wins were more impressive competition than ours - Dallas, KC, and LA (4-5) versus our combined 1-8 opponents. They are defending champs and will remain #1
2. Would also have to give Detroit the nod, no matter what happens tonight against Baltimore. Sure, they are just 1-1 and maybe even 1-2, but i am not going to throw out their recent years success so quickly.
Tier 2
3. We are 3-0 with a combined 6 points margin of victory and i think our history of being 4 time defending NFC South champs is what people have us rated in that second tier. If we beat the Eagles next week as 2.5 home underdogs, then crown us in that 1 tier along with what Pete Prisco and Nick Wright have been saying as their NFC Superbowl picks.
4. Greenbay laid an egg and is in our tier despite all this notion that they were in tier 1.
Tier 3
5. 49ers lost Nick Bosa for the year but i dont think we should let last year undo the previous 5 years of them being a superbowl contender. They, along with the NFC West, appear to have a very winnable schedule. Would not be surprised to see them with 12 wins but hard to judge them given backup QB in there
6. Rams are in this tier and were going to be in tier 2 if not for their collapse on Sunday. I dont get this notion that Stafford is clutch in the year 2025; he certainly appeared not to be clutch yesterday somehow not scoring after being up 26-7 in the third quarter.
7. Washington has a good chance to make playoffs but they played over their heads last year.
And there are your playoff teams folks
Tier 4 - These 2-1 teams are frauds - Vikings, Seattle, and Arizona
Honestly the Bucs need to steal 2-3 wins before their bye
No they don't.
They can go 1-4 over the next 5 weeks, and as long as that one win is against the Saints; we go into the bye week at .500, a 2-0 record in the division, and should be getting a lot of help back (big emphasis on the should). That would be a nice setup going into the easier side of the schedule.
Early in the 4th quarter of yesterday's game, I started to relax,
You forgot who our head coach was. Lol.
Same
We are 3-0 with a combined 6 points margin of victory
Interesting how thing the margins are in football.
If the defense doesnt quit in the 4th qtr and we dont give up a ince in a generation block/scoop/core most probably see a 29 to 9 win as "doing what the team is supposed to do win at home decisively" and the season as off to a good start. That might be masking the deficiencies though, so the reality is probably a more accurate depiction of the team right now, especially with the injuries.
The thing that would help this steam most THAT IS ALSO WITHIN REACH would be for the offense would be to match last year's early scoring. This would help them run some teams off the field
Offensively, I think we’ll start to get a little more efficient/consistent as Tristan is re-introduced to the o-line. I have to believe the playcalling has been very limited with the o-line injuries/re-positioning. Tristan may not have the reps/endurance/athleticism to be a full go at LT this week (hope I’m wrong), but if we could get him back at LT, that lets Barton go back to Center, Bredeson goes back to guard, which improves the interior & left side of the line, but the right side is still not where we need it to be - but that at least gives more protection to Baker’s blind side. I also think that we had success last year in the run game going behind Wirffs or Barton, which may give us a bit more flexibility in playcalling. It may be a bit too early to expect a win in this matchup - but I had us at 3-1 by now - I did not expect us to be able to defeat the Eagles at full strength. We do need to see if we can keep it close, but honestly, that’s a tall order.
Getting CG back for this game would be huge - kinda seems like we’ve been relying too much on our QB creating plays with his legs. Baker has either had to stop looking downfield- or he hasn’t had the confidence that the line will hold up - either way it may take time for him to trust that he can keep running through his progressions.
This feels more to me like a “get-right” game. Don’t get me wrong, a win would be unbelievable, I just think we have some things to rebuild, offensively. One of those things is trust.
Defensively, I felt it would be a progression to start getting better, some things are troubling, like the way the Jets changed their playcalling against us and started climbing back into the game, before the blocked FG, and we didn’t have an answer. Hoping a better offensive performance helps the defense “get-right” as well. Todd usually has Jalen Hurts figured out, but we’ll see…
Offensively, I think we’ll start to get a little more efficient/consistent as Tristan is re-introduced to the o-line. I have to believe the playcalling has been very limited with the o-line injuries/re-positioning. Tristan may not have the reps/endurance/athleticism to be a full go at LT this week (hope I’m wrong), but if we could get him back at LT, that lets Barton go back to Center, Bredeson goes back to guard, which improves the interior & left side of the line, but the right side is still not where we need it to be - but that at least gives more protection to Baker’s blind side. I also think that we had success last year in the run game going behind Wirffs or Barton, which may give us a bit more flexibility in playcalling. It may be a bit too early to expect a win in this matchup - but I had us at 3-1 by now - I did not expect us to be able to defeat the Eagles at full strength. We do need to see if we can keep it close, but honestly, that’s a tall order.
Getting CG back for this game would be huge - kinda seems like we’ve been relying too much on our QB creating plays with his legs. Baker has either had to stop looking downfield- or he hasn’t had the confidence that the line will hold up - either way it may take time for him to trust that he can keep running through his progressions.
This feels more to me like a “get-right” game. Don’t get me wrong, a win would be unbelievable, I just think we have some things to rebuild, offensively. One of those things is trust.
Defensively, I felt it would be a progression to start getting better, some things are troubling, like the way the Jets changed their playcalling against us and started climbing back into the game, before the blocked FG, and we didn’t have an answer. Hoping a better offensive performance helps the defense “get-right” as well. Todd usually has Jalen Hurts figured out, but we’ll see…
Even if Godwin isnt 100% out of the gate he will still be a huge addition. He's Bakers go to guy on 3rd down and a great security blanket. Cant wait to have him back on the field.
It will be interesting to see Egbuka in the WR1 role… can CG take some pressure off? Will they wait to bring Wirffs & CG back another week?Offensively, I think we’ll start to get a little more efficient/consistent as Tristan is re-introduced to the o-line. I have to believe the playcalling has been very limited with the o-line injuries/re-positioning. Tristan may not have the reps/endurance/athleticism to be a full go at LT this week (hope I’m wrong), but if we could get him back at LT, that lets Barton go back to Center, Bredeson goes back to guard, which improves the interior & left side of the line, but the right side is still not where we need it to be - but that at least gives more protection to Baker’s blind side. I also think that we had success last year in the run game going behind Wirffs or Barton, which may give us a bit more flexibility in playcalling. It may be a bit too early to expect a win in this matchup - but I had us at 3-1 by now - I did not expect us to be able to defeat the Eagles at full strength. We do need to see if we can keep it close, but honestly, that’s a tall order.
Getting CG back for this game would be huge - kinda seems like we’ve been relying too much on our QB creating plays with his legs. Baker has either had to stop looking downfield- or he hasn’t had the confidence that the line will hold up - either way it may take time for him to trust that he can keep running through his progressions.
This feels more to me like a “get-right” game. Don’t get me wrong, a win would be unbelievable, I just think we have some things to rebuild, offensively. One of those things is trust.
Defensively, I felt it would be a progression to start getting better, some things are troubling, like the way the Jets changed their playcalling against us and started climbing back into the game, before the blocked FG, and we didn’t have an answer. Hoping a better offensive performance helps the defense “get-right” as well. Todd usually has Jalen Hurts figured out, but we’ll see…
Even if Godwin isnt 100% out of the gate he will still be a huge addition. He's Bakers go to guy on 3rd down and a great security blanket. Cant wait to have him back on the field.
Will also be interesting to see what happens this week in practice.
I think we go 2-2 in our next 4.
5-2 with all these injuries? Pipe dream, but realistic. If we do we have a shot at the 1 seed. Even 1-3 and 4-3 not bad with our favorable late schedule.
Seattle could be one win the Bucs steal, because while the Seahawks are playing good football they haven't been challenged up to this point other than the 49ers so that is one. And the 49ers were hobbled on offense so even with the Bucs injuries on O they still have enough players to create mismatches against the Seahawks. Hawks like the Bucs are a good run stopping team and loaded with DB talent. But their offense relies on JSN just like the Bucs rely on Egbuka now. It will basically be a mirror matchup for the most part but I like White/Irving over Charbs/Walker jr because they are more consistent and more durable.
The 49ers is another one because their offense relies on their defense to force short fields and their defense is playing good football but their defense isn't going to be the same without Bosa.
That is 2 right there.
Eagles and Lions is an uphill battle given the Bucs injuries but neither team has run into the Bucs run defense up to this point. That might make both contest close and where the Eagles or Lions might prevail is beating the Bucs DBs over the top.
I'll be at that game. Seahawk fans are obnoxious so pray for me
