1- Bucs are not a good team. 2- A win is a win. Sometimes the lucky win is just what a team needs for momentum to get going in the right direction.
for what it's worth, I expected Tampa to be 8-8 / 9-7 before the season so....... decent team with some nice parts with something just not there (as we saw). They also have tough divisional games.
1 - with the enormous exceptions of head coach and quarterback, I think they're a better team position by position than the Patriots right now.
They have a couple elite playmakers in Martin and Jackson. Their D has talent at all 3 levels, but overall is probably only fringe top 10. Their QB play is obviously very inconsistent. They did, however, come off as very poorly coached and sloppy in week 1. I think 7-9 or 8-8 is their absolute ceiling, both of which may be hard to achieve in a really good division and a brutal conference. I'd say a rank of anywhere from 22 to 25 for them among all NFL teams is fair.
Ah yes, the typical dismissal by saying the opponent sucks. What can we say about your near loss to the Bills? The Patriots must suck barely winning and getting lucky against the powerhouse known as the Bills!
Realistically, we have several games against worse teams than TB. I count at least 5 (Buff twice, Oak, Tenn, Cle). And then you could argue where the Bucs stand against teams like Carolina and Miami. They are not a playoff team in the NFC though, not even close. There's at least a 50% chance they will finish last in their division. Finishing 10th or so in the NFC is probably their absolute ceiling.
Totally disagree. The Bucks are one of the best defensive teams in the league. Offensively they are a QB away from becoming top notch. They will play everyone tough while playing in a very difficult division. Conversely, the Pats are sustained by an extraordinary coach and a HOF QB. Beyond that, they are surrounded by average NFL talent at the rest of the positions. Without Brady the team is no better than Miami, Buffalo, the Jets, Cleveland and the rest of the middle of the AFC pack. They would hardly sniff the playoffs.
One of the best defensive teams in the league is a bit of a stretch. Let's see how they stack up against the Saints and Falcons offenses before making those proclamations. There's certainly talent there, but they have not shown themselves to be at that level in the past, so there's no reason to assume it based off holding our offense (somewhat) in check. It's a good win for us, but I don't see the need to talk up the Bucs. They are going to finish near the bottom of the NFC.
I highly doubt it. I was projecting them as WC contender before the season started, it's just not to save face for the Jets. #1 rushing D, plus a much better secondary, and a beast RB in Doug Martin. They can contend. Their secondary was abysmal last year and it was the biggest weakness on the team. Now it's a strength.
The TB defense by the end of the year will be amazing. They have a great front 7 and had a very weak secondary and they've added Revis and the all pro safety from the niners. TB probably has the best defensive personnel in the league and after they've fully jelled they should easily be a top 5 defense. On offense they have a decent offensive line and elite players at the key offensive positions - RB & WRs. Their TEs are a weakness and their QB is, at best, average. However, their defense will keep them in a lot of games. I think they're a team that should win 10 or more games and be in the playoffs, solely based on their talent. Will the coaching and QB be good enough? I don't know.
The Bucs are certainly a physical and bruising team. not too many left of those in the NFC (San Fran and Seattle obviously). They were a top team against the run last year, but terrible against the pass. With the offseason additions to the secondary, I'd be surprised if they aren't a top 10 D this year. They looked good to me week 1. Offensively, they have decent skill and a good Oline. They could really use Nicks back though. Problems are around QB, and i think suspect coaching. They are also in probably the toughest division in football. Add it all up, i see a maybe 8-8 or 9-7 team in contention for playoffs still in December. In other words, a decent football team. We were fortunate to take a W in our own house, in a very tightly fought game.
They're better than what the experts are now making them out to be. They have talent all over the place. Freeman stinks.
there is no way the Bucs are a playoff team IMO ... Either the Saints/Falcons win the division, the other grabbing a wildcard. Either the Seahawks/9ers win the division, the other getting the 2nd wildcard.
Hell is freezing over...I'm agreeing with a Miami fan...TWICE in one day! lol I think Tampa has an outside shot at a WC. But, the NFC is LOADED...you've got two, maybe 3 teams coming out of the West. Or...two coming out of the South...let's not forget possibly 2 out of the North...yeah...the NFC is stacked. Definitely a "down" year for the AFC.
Wild card slots are going to be tough to come by in the NFC this year. kind of like AFC a few years back, where the division winners were the Patriots, Colts, and the Steelers/Ravens taking 2 slots every year. Teams like the Bears, Lions, and Bucs may end up being pretty good but missing out. The NFC East winner will likely be the least talented team in the NFC playoffs..
