It was nice to get a short break from the losing, but yesterday brought us back to reality, didn't it? There is plenty of venting to do, so let the venting begin.R.I.P. Bucs: Return of the Lovi1. Never underestimate the power of denial. Case in point: We get a win in Washington and all of the sudden all is well in Tampa again and the Bucs are in the NFC South division race. Pewter Report even did a write up saying that Lovie Smith may not be crazy saying the Bucs aren't out of it after all. Well, Chicago sure did sour that enthusiasm, didn't it? What do you know - more bad QB play, more bad offensive line play and more bad coaching en route to finding the same ways to lose. All this after hearing all week how the Bucs players want to win this one for Lovie. Damn, the last time I heard that about a Bucs HC was when we tanked it in a playoff game in Philly that got Dungy fired. I don't care if this team technically is alive for a playoff spot. I'm still searching for its pulse. 2. Everyone is talking about Odell Beckham Jr.'s miraculous one-handed catch in New York last night. It was a spectacular catch. But you know what was more impressive? The Dallas Cowboys offensive line. Yeah, say what you want about Jerry Jones as a GM and Owner, but dude has assembled a monster of an offensive line in the Big D. And the Cowboys, particularly Tony Romo and the running backs, are reaping the benefits of it. The Dallas O-line gave Romo all day to throw last night, and he threw for 4 TD's. And oh yeah, the Cowboys are winning, too. It's not a coincidence. Yes, we need a QB in the worst way, but if Lovie and Licht don't revamp this O-line I'm afraid we can expect more mediocrity on offense. 3. I hear some of you crying that the refs cost us the game in Chicago. Come on, man! Sure, there might be some bad calls. Every team gets them on Sundays. But don't blame bad calls -- blame the bad Bucs. Because we are bad. Really bad.4. The NFC South is a complete joke. The first place team might have only 4 wins by the end of tonight. Even if the Saints win, they will have a losing record atop the South. This bad division and its winner is going to keep a good team out of the playoffs, like possibly Dallas, Philly, San Fran or Seattle. Mark my words; that will prompt the NFL to revamp the format of the playoffs to where division winners don't automatically get in the playoffs. 5. So we play the Bengals on Sunday. Think Marvin Lewis has this game marked on the calendar? Remember when Rich McKay tried to hire Lewis after Dungy was fired in Tampa? The Glazers denied him and went on to trade for Jon Gruden. Yes, we got our Super Bowl, so it was the right move. But isn't it interesting that Lewis still is the HC of Cincinnati (been since 2002), and the Bucs have had four head coaches since 2009? 6. Speaking of Jon Gruden, his regular season record with us was 57-55. He got us 3 division titles and a Lombardi Trophy. Our record since Gruden was our HC is 30-61. The Glazers claimed they relied heavily on fan feedback before firing Gruden. So quick fan poll: if you had it to do all over again, would you fire Jon Gruden after the 2008 season? 7. Not letting the Glazers off the hook for this mess. Never have and never will. The Bucs record since the Glazer boys started investing in Manchester United in 2003 is 75-112. 8. I'm assuming that the Bucs are so bad that they're going to lose not only games, but the top pick in this draft, which will leave us without Marcus Marriota. The more I watch Jameis Winston this season the less impressed I am with him and Florida St. Sorry, but barely getting by scrub teams doesn't convince me you're a great QB, not to mention the baggage you'd come to Tampa with. Because we need so much help (offensive line, pass rushers, running backs, wide receivers, tight ends - hell, you can even add punter to that list, etc.), I'm wondering if we don't take a pass rusher or offensive tackle with the first pick and then work on trying to get a QB like Brett Hundley from UCLA (he looked pretty sharp against USC and has had a strong college career). I'd still like to see the Bucs try to make a move for Johnny Manziel and then draft a QB or sign a veteran in free agency. If we're going to lose let's at least lose with some swagger and a QB that's entertaining to watch. 9. Mike Evans has been very impressive. But I wonder how effective he's going to be if and when Vincent Jackson is gone. The Bucs have to get another competent WR as a starter. Otherwise, teams are just going to take away Evans and dare others to beat us, which they can't. 10. We are bottom feeders (worst records in NFL since 2009)1. Jacksonville: 27-642. St. Louis: 28-62-13. Tampa Bay: 30-614. Cleveland: 30-615. Oakland: 30-616. Washington: 31-60Last thought: Some of you guys are arguing whether McCown or Glennon is the better QB or which one gives us a better chance to win. This is the equivalent of arguing whether a solid feces or diarrhea has a more potent odor. Does it matter? They both freaking stink!
