Buccaneers Observer

About last episode... we explain.  

The New Orleans game was nothing short of amazing. The defense was the difference in the game on the Bucs side. But Ralph is on the fence as to whether the Buccaneers beat the Saints, or the Saints lost this game. Drew Brees was not himself, and the Buccaneers were able to capitalize. The offensive line was playing mean, with Jensen seeking out LB Alex Anzalone throughout the game.  

The Packers game will be the game to watch this weekend. With the reemergence of Vita Vea, the Buccaneers have a good chance at upsetting the Packers in Lambeau. The defense has to have an answer for RPOs, which the Packers have favored as of late (a difference from the Week 6 team that got curbstomped). The Bucs couldn't stop RPOs against the Chiefs. However, the Packers rely on their run game, a weapon which does not stand a chance against the Buccaneers defense, especially with Vita back. The Buccaneers offense will continue to protect Brady this game and thrive in the run game.

Annihilation. Embarrassment. Demoralization. We did it, ya'll! Sent those Saints home and it was GLORIOUS.

The Washington Football, to its credit, played well overall. The offensive line all but neutralized our pass rush. Tom Brady played a phenomenal game, and had Chris Godwin not dropped five passes, the game might night have been as close as it was. To beat the Saints this weekend, the Bucs have to minimize turnovers. The team is not the same team that faced the Saints in Week 9, so we believe this matchup will be more of a shootout (as long as the refs don't help them as they did during the season).

The offensive line down right manhandled the Washington defensive line, despite allowing three sacks. Chase Young learned a valuable lesson this week about shit talk. LB Kevin Minter played well in Devin White's absence. Devin White was activated from the Covid list this week, while Minter heads onto the list. The game, while overall a win for the Buccaneers, did come at a cost: the Bucs lost RG Alex Cappa to an ankle fracture. Cappa is done for the remainder of the year, with Aaron Stinnie set to take his place. The Buccaneers will face a tough opponent this week that they know well - the New Orleans Saints.

The offensive line played nasty against the Atlanta Falcons last week, which makes us optimistic for this weekend's matchup against Washington's defensive line. While their defense is ranked high among NFL defenses, the stats are deceptive as they've played the bottom of the league this season, beating only one winning team.

The Buccaneers score 40+ points in back-to-back games for the first time since 2007, culminating in an 11-5 season and playoff berth. The Atlanta Falcons didn't stand a chance even after the Buccaneers lost Mike Evans, with Antonio Brown and Chris Godwin both racking up 130+ yards and two touchdowns a piece. The defense allowed 27 points, but overall had a solid performance. Sean Murphy-Bunting in particular had a great game.   

We're in Washington Football Team country, although we haven't seen a jersey in public in at least five years. If they're anything like WFT fans on Twitter, they'll be out in-force until about 9:00 p.m. Saturday when they sneak off to the sports bar bathroom to change their jerseys. BUCS ARE GOING TO THE PLAYOFFS.

The 'rona has hit One Buc Place as Devin White tests positive and Shaq Barrett and Steve McLendon are identified as close contacts. Shaq Barrett has reportedly tested negative but will have to be away from the team for five days per league rules. Social media posts by both Shaq Barrett's wife and Devin White indicate both expect to be back in time for wildcard weekend.   

The Detroit Lions film analysis was entertaining to say the least. The Lions, while not necessarily a bad team, did not take losing well and got in their share of cheap shots as the game got away from them. Lavonte David appears to have gotten his mojo back, while JPP once again played a phenomenal game.  

Looking forward to Sunday - the Falcons will play their last game as a team as many of their studs, including Matt Ryan, possibly Julio Jones, Alex Mack, as well as their coaching staff, will likely be gone next year. Raheem Morris hopes to return, interviewing for the head coaching gig Friday.

With our curbstomping victory over the Detroit Lions, THE BUCCANEERS HAVE SECURED A PLAYOFF BERTH FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 2007. The Buccaneers benefitted from the early injury to Lions quarterback Matt Stafford, but the victory was all but assured the way the Buccaneers offense was playing. They got off to a fast start, scoring a touchdown on their first two possessions. Mike Evans came in arms reach of his seventh 1,000-yard season. The Buccaneers defense held the Lions to no offensive touchdown, the only score coming on special teams with a punt return by Agnew.

The defensive line is holding it down again for the defense, while the linebackers are a concern. In particular, Lavonte David is not playing like himself, which is of great concern on a personal level for us. The receivers had five dropped passes, but Tom Brady is playing lights-out regardless. We talk JPP going to the Pro Bowl while the rest of the team gets snubbed. The Detroit Lions are coming up Saturday. The team has struggled with its coaching staff, first with the mid-season departure of Head Coach Matt Patricia and now with a large portion of the coaching staff being placed on the Covid list. The Lions will make do on Saturday with coaches on the staff taking over playcalling duties. The affected coaches are still participating in meetings with the team via Zoom. The Lions defense is like swiss cheese, although they did have some good plays against the Tennessee Titans in Week 15. Matt Stafford is a huge threat, with an arm capable of long bombs. Their run game is average, led by D'Andre Swift, who reminds Molly of Peyton Barber. In the end, we think the Bucs will have it and will secure a playoff berth with their victory.

The defensive line held it down for the Buccaneers defense, clocking up a total of six sacks (although it should have been more) and 12 quarterback hits. Antoine Winfield Jr. topped the leaderboard with 12 tackles. The Vikings dominated time of possession, having the ball for almost 40 minutes to the Buccaneers 20. Despite the disparity, the Buccaneers matched the Vikings in yardage and dominated the score. Dan Bailey deserves a game ball from the Buccaneers for his three missed field goals and one missed extra point.