What are we saving our starters for? I’m watching the Chiefs and Saints with starters across the board. The best team in the NFL and the favorite to win the NFC South. We’re a team that has no expectations and we sit guys like they are already ready to hit week one running. The Saints Cam Jordan plays and we sit JTS??? Huh? Devin White is already not the best technical tackler, and we expect him to be on his game week one without game reps taking guys to the ground? So many examples.
Yes, we don’t want injuries, but it doesn’t matter if we’re not prepared to play good football when foot hits leather come Sunday, September 9th at 1:00 pm.
I personally don't understand the strategy. Many have speculated that Bowles was spooked by what he saw with the final regular season game from the backups aka lack of depth. It seems there must have been internal discussions at Bucs FO and coaching staff where they crunched numbers and determined that injuries derailed the last two seasons. On one hand I can agree to an extent. But on the other hand it is up to Licht to ensure the Bucs have the proper depth so injuries are not that impactful to the success of a season For example, nickel back has been a sore spot for a long time and the team knew the day would come where they would need to have an OT ready to step in opposite of Wirfs.
I would say that the team needs the veteran starters out there to set the tone and give the team a sense of urgency and fire because the Bucs looked very flat out there and that was the #1 criticism of the Bowles squad last year. Flat and unprepared.
Lets me add that I do not like the idea of JTS sitting because he needs to earn that status and I feel like he hasn't earned that right to be sitting like the rest of the "vets". But I think that may work against JTS as Diaby may pass him if he becomes too complacent.
Because we are the consensus SB favorite.
Godwin is good to get hurt a few games a season; let's not push it with him
Barrett and Jensen recovering from injuries
Wirfs is the only guy worth a damn on the offensive line
David and Evans know football like the back of their hand and are in game shape always
We spent a lot on our new DBs Davis and Dean who again have missed some time over the years
i mean i get it, but given our injury luck the last couple seasons, i also know why they would be cautious to play these guys in meaningless games
Godwin is good to get hurt a few games a season; let's not push it with him
Barrett and Jensen recovering from injuries
Wirfs is the only guy worth a damn on the offensive line
David and Evans know football like the back of their hand and are in game shape always
We spent a lot on our new DBs Davis and Dean who again have missed some time over the years
i mean i get it, but given our injury luck the last couple seasons, i also know why they would be cautious to play these guys in meaningless games
The other factor is that the backups need reps. They stunk it up last game of the season last year and this first pre season game showed they need more work. Britt looked better out there in pre season game 1. And the defense did tighten up in the second half of the pre season game against the Steelers because they looked very poor in the first half. It helped that Gholston was out there playing snaps and leading the way for the younger players.
Lots of good came with seeing Diaby, Gill, Ramirez, Watts and Nelson grinding out there. I think the Bucs will have a pass rush after all due to so much youth.
Every team sits their starters, depending on their player evaluations and other considerations. The Chiefs will sit their starters in the next game. The Bucs will play starters in game 3, as a dress rehearsal for Minn.
It's the mentality of the head coach. We saw it last year in games like the Browns where Bowles was afraid to go for a very short 4th down with the best sneak QB in the league. Playing it safe seems to be the mantra with our HC. It's the same thing that's going to happen with the QB job, where he'll go with the guy that has career numbers almost identical to Winston, instead of going with the guy that has already improved greatly with just a little time with the 1's and just needs game experience so he doesn't make mistakes like the pick he made this past Friday. This team needs work, and it would be good to mix 1's with 2's and 3's to maximize their learning out there and also to make a better read on the QB position. But Bowles is going to play it safe and it may very well cost him the job.
@bucharbour - you’re exactly right and that’s the answer I was waiting for. He coaches scared. And I understand the idea of the backups needing reps, but you better sure as heck be sure your starters are ready before anything else. We act like we’re a contender when really we’re a team that should just be looking to get better everyday.
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“Fifteen key Buccaneers, expected starters, got a rest day last night for Tampa Bay’s first preseason game. That included nearly the entire defense.
Look for it to happen again next Saturday against the New York Jets.”
They may end up playing more starters with only one Jets joint practice now being held. We'll see. I still think it's a loser mentality. You can't control injuries and playing scared of them just means less time for the starters to gel and be ready for the regular season, and a greater chance their bodies won't be ready for a full game, subsequently getting injured in the first game or two. During the Dungy and Gruden years we used to play the starters for a drive in the first game. About a half in the second. Then they would play into the third quarter for the third and not play at all in the fourth, which was usually the make or break game for the backups.
They may end up playing more starters with only one Jets joint practice now being held. We'll see. I still think it's a loser mentality. You can't control injuries and playing scared of them just means less time for the starters to gel and be ready for the regular season, and a greater chance their bodies won't be ready for a full game, subsequently getting injured in the first game or two. During the Dungy and Gruden years we used to play the starters for a drive in the first game. About a half in the second. Then they would play into the third quarter for the third and not play at all in the fourth, which was usually the make or break game for the backups.
The Jets will be playing their 3rd preseason (out of 4) so they may still be using the same scheme that the Dungy/Gruden years. The Jets may play their starters into the 3rd or 4th quarter. The Bucs have stated that they are going to start Trask at QB. Will the Bucs be playing most of their starters for at least a half? Maybe hold out the starters until Mayfield comes into the game in the 2nd or 3rd quarter? What do you think the Bucs plans are for the 2nd and 3rd preseason games?
I think that if the Bucs staff is satisfied with the work the starters do with the scrimmages that they will take a page out of the Patriots approach and rest the starters and give the reps to the 2nd and 3rd stringers.
I think there's a good chance Bowles is going to keep resting a lot of starters. And it will show that way the first couple of games. Now they did say the possibility of more starters getting reps is there since they aren't getting 2 joint practices in now, but we'll see. Considering the changes in starters, as well as the new offense, they need to get more reps than they're likely to get.
The Bucs leadership doesn’t think the team is as talented as some fans do
