Spilling out into the airwaves
"“If you are a Bucs fan and you are rooting for your team to lose, if you are rooting to get the coach fired while you’re 7-5 with everything in front of you with all of these home games, go away. Go away!” Rives urged. “I will hold the door. Leave. The rest of us want to enjoy meaningful football in December and the chance to be in the playoffs. If you want to talk about next year now, go away. There’s opportunity here to be in the playoffs and do damage.”
no right or wrong
more fans disagree with Rives then agree? I think so
I mean I don’t think anyone on this message board is rooting for Bucs to lose
sure some are sick or Bowles (call in 3 seasons ago lol) but ultimately I’m sure they prefer Bucs winning and in playoffs
the Bucs franchise is not one like Baltimore Philadelphia or KC where playoffs are usually a forgone conclusion each year and have the luxury of “ahh fuck the playoffs”
sure we’ve gad a good run in the Brady and post Brady era but it’s been a rather shit franchise sans 1997-2002 so yeah don’t think there’s one buc fan rooting for Bucs to lose
don’t think there’s one buc fan rooting for Bucs to lose
Yes I agree that part is over the top.
There are definitely a lot of anti-Bowles fans but I think that's just the way things go. There were plenty of anti Dungy and anti Gruden fans. Some of them the same people lol
I was more focused on the perspective. Being in the playoffs every year while rebuilding is good versus limping into the playoffs only to be knocked out first round
The Bucs have decades of failure but I am not sure that many teams are more successful than the Bucs post all-in Super Bowl. Maybe? I've posted a few examples, but could be wrong.
How could anyone be talking about next year??
So many think they have a good idea of what it takes coaching wise to get us over the top.
Our team is damn good when healthy and Bowles is a solid coach.
Cry away though.
The idea of firing Bowles is so the team can reach its potential and ultimately win more games. Nobody is hoping to lose.
Lets see what happens. Bowles calling card, what gave him some street cred, was his ability to hold the team together through the hard times and come out the other side with the team more cohesive because of it. Now here we are again. We had the losing streak and now it's time for the team to man up and pick themselves up and go on a winning streak.
Bowles is not a "hot seat" coach, but what happens the rest of the season could break him - if it seems like the team is not playing hard for him anymore. Look if lack of talent is the problem that's on Licht. If the team isn't playing sound footbal that's on Bowles.
Look if lack of talent is the problem that's on Licht.
That's mostly true, but Bowles certainly has say on what players are drafted and paid in FA. Licht is ultimately the decision maker, but they collaborate on that stuff.
I mean to me the offense has really set the tone in many of our losses - Philadelphia, Detroit, Los Angeles
Would chalk New England loss to the defense (for the 3 big TDs they've given up) and Buffalo to coaching decisions honestly despite the 44 points
What will be interesting is if guys like Mike Tomlin, John Harbaugh, and Bill Belichick being available this off-season, do the Bucs do a surprise move for a big name?
really, we need an offensive guy to be our head coach so none of those guys fit the bill but would be enticing to say the least, particularly if a playoff miss or first round exit
I mean to me the offense has really set the tone in many of our losses - Philadelphia, Detroit, Los Angeles
Philly was up 14-0 in the first quarter
Detroit was up 7-0 in the first quarter
LA was up was up 14-0 in the first quarter
The defense had their share of "setting the tone" in each of those games.
I mean to me the offense has really set the tone in many of our losses - Philadelphia, Detroit, Los Angeles
Philly was up 14-0 in the first quarter
Detroit was up 7-0 in the first quarter
LA was up was up 14-0 in the first quarter
The defense had their share of "setting the tone" in each of those games.
7 points in Philly was special teams, 7 points in LA was the offense
who got the ball first in Philly and LA and did absolutely nothing with it?
Detroit got the ball first and bunched it down our throats and the offense proceeded with 3 and out, 3 and out, 4 and out, 6 and out, 3 and out, a fumble, and an INT until the defense set up the offense with a free 3 points off of an INT.
while the defense had it's fair share particularly in the LA game, hard to fault them for these losses given how inept the offense was.
7 points in Philly was special teams, 7 points in LA was the offense
who got the ball first in Philly and LA and did absolutely nothing with it?
The offense. The offense hasn't been good, I'm not saying they have.
But if the offense is expected to score the first time they have the ball, can the defense be expected to get a stop the first time the opposing team has the ball? That would seem fair, no? The defense didn't stop the Eagles until the second quarter and the Rams until the third quarter.
The idea of firing Bowles is so the team can reach its potential and ultimately win more games. Nobody is hoping to lose.
yes I agree but i also dont know that is what Rives was really getting at. I think what he was trying to say is that many fans are almost unhappily going through playoff chase December football because in their eyes the Bucs are already a "failure" or most likely a "failure."
He's commenting about the the "lets just blow it all up" mentality at 7-5, leading the division.
Here's one way to illustrate Rives point. We just got crushed by the Rams, so lets put the Red Board FILTER over the actual Rams post-Super Bowl. They just crushed us in 2025 so lets look at the rife to here. This is the Yellow and Blue board lol, but with the general approach seen here and that Rives is discussing
2021! Our Rams win the Super Bowl!! Awesome!
The following season (2022) every one on the "Yellow and Blue Board" wants to fire McVay because the 12-5 SB Champs go 5-12.
The next season (2023) they "still suck because they are the SB champs and cant even win their division." And in 2023 they had to win a bunch at the end. I think they were 3-6 at the bye, so if McVay wasnt fired the season prior he'd be fired mid-season on the Yellow and Blue Board.
The following season (2024) would also be a "failure" before it started to some unless they were at least 11-6, one game better. They only matched their prior record though and won the division, but they'd be "underperforming" to much of the board and even more so when they lost their divisional playoff match. The goodwill that the HC had is all but gone . .
Etc etc etc
Now, add in that McVay was a black HC who took over from the 2021 SB coach . . well then it probably gets ugly on the Y/B board and maybe you even have a regular poster post as "Dave" to say McVay was a DEI hire by woke owners.
:-)
RIVES POINT --
EVERY SEASON is different so overcoming substantial injuries (an EXCUSE! on the Red Board) to put it all together (hopefully) in December and make the playoffs would be SUCCESS even if they were 10-6 and had a first round playoff loss.
It would be a success because the 2025 season is not about the 2023 and 2024 seasons, its about this season. (Rives point)
Here though the 2025 season IS about the 2024 and 2023 and 2022 season because its really about Bowles, to many. The same people who wanted him fired AFTER 2022 were here BEFORE the 2023 and 2024 season setting their argument for "Bowles the failure (anything less than 9 wins) BEFORE the season even started lol. And then again in 2025. Grizz isn't Grizz the new OC with a lot of injuries, he's "Coen's replacement," a metric by which he is immediately a failure especially with injuries being an excuse.
That is Rives point, I think. Missing the ride, so to speak. MEANINGFUL DECEMBER FOOTBALL missed by some because its not about beating the Saints, if we win its about HOW we beat them
7 points in Philly was special teams, 7 points in LA was the offense
who got the ball first in Philly and LA and did absolutely nothing with it?
The offense. The offense hasn't been good, I'm not saying they have.
But if the offense is expected to score the first time they have the ball, can the defense be expected to get a stop the first time the opposing team has the ball? That would seem fair, no? The defense didn't stop the Eagles until the second quarter and the Rams until the third quarter.
when the defense is always out there with no time to rest because offense doesn't even hold the ball past the commercial break, does that play a factor?
defense by no means has been great but you need to put up 30 to win in this league against top teams
the offense put up 6 points against the Eagles until the defense absolutely shut down the defending champs in second half. Offense then gifted Eagles a free touchdown off a Bucky fumble and Baker INT in redzone all but sealed the fate
Don't even get me started on Detroit or LA. Wont win many games putting up less than 10 points
The defense absolutely stunk against the Patriots with those long td plays but again the offense put up what...16 points prior to a garbage time TD....we will call it 17 since the go for 2 braindead analytics play can not be held against them.
and Buffalo...good lord by the box score one would suggest defense but special teams screwed the pooch, and offense not being able to capitalize off an INT with just 7 yards was "THE GAME". Questionable coaching decisions in the game as well for "go for 2" and punting on 4th and 2 cost them as well
Bucs offense ranks 21st compared to 3rd last year; the defense ranks 22nd compared to 18th last year.
dont get me wrong, defense hasn't been great, but judging by the eye ball test, the offense was dogshit in 4 out of 5 losses. You wont win many games not putting up 28 points unless you are playing shit teams.
when the defense is always out there with no time to rest because offense doesn't even hold the ball past the commercial break, does that play a factor?
Not in the first and second quarter, no it doesn't play a factor. They are allowed to get off of the field after three downs too. They don't have to give up long scoring drives out of the gate.
Now can I get an answer to this question:
If the offense is expected to score the first time they have the ball, can the defense be expected to get a stop the first time the opposing team has the ball? That would seem fair, no?
when the defense is always out there with no time to rest because offense doesn't even hold the ball past the commercial break, does that play a factor?
Not in the first and second quarter, no it doesn't play a factor. They are allowed to get off of the field after three downs too. They don't have to give up long scoring drives out of the gate.
Now can I get an answer to this question:
If the offense is expected to score the first time they have the ball, can the defense be expected to get a stop the first time the opposing team has the ball? That would seem fair, no?
one would think...but also, dont offenses scrip like the first 15 plays?
i tend to notice the Bucs defense typically settles down after the first drive blitz.
i tend to think 28 points is magic number in terms of good offense
Would argue our defense has won us more games than the offense this year.
we won 5 games due to defense
23-20
20-19
23-3
20-17
29-27 (included a defensive touchdown, so 22)
the defense has stepped up in those games
offense stepped up in 38-35 and 30-19 wins
defense was ass in LAR, BUF, and NE games. Offense was ass in 2 out of those 3.
so as much as our defense is shit, they tend to step up with an offense that can't reach 28 points.
