Before the Tenn game the Bucs were 100-1 to win the Super Bowl. After the Tenn game the Bucs went to 300-1. Only Jacksonville at 500-1 has longer odds.Clearly, at present, Vegas thinks very little of the Bucs.For me it is a deep disappointment.When I first saw Mariota in college, I was attracted by the quickness of the offense and the quick decisions that Mariota made. I hoped that the Bucs would draft Mariota. Much of the media and many coaches and former coaches said that Mariota's approach would not transfer well to the NFL. So in time I became satisfied with Winston.2 or 3 days before the draft, Gruden and Hate and I joined a small group that switched, at the last moment, from Winston to Mariota based solely on performance.I have no idea what the future brings for Mariota and Winston. I did, however, watch Mariota's first TD pass over and over, both at regular speed and slow motion. The ball is in the running back's stomach and then the ball is in the air. There is no wind up but just a quick flick of the wrist by Mariota and the ball is perfectly placed.Pass rush is a big part of the defense. When Payton was in his prime and when Brady is at his best, the ball is away, generally, before the pass rush can have any impact. This is what I hoped for with the Bucs, instead of the old style QB dropping back and looking for the open man, which allows the pass rush to have impact.In general, DL men are just better athletes than OL men. The QB getting the ball out quickly negates that advantage. At this point it is clear that the Bucs chose old style football over the new exciting style, exemplified by Payton and Brady, by choosing Winston over Mariota.I would have been very happy to see this new style, which counters the pass rush develop for the Bucs. Whatever its limitations, it does have the success of Payton and Brady on its side. It would have been easier, for me, to live with those limitations, than what we have now.
