Buccaneers Observer

This is for all the marbles - the NFC South title, a playoff berth. While we wouldn't technically be out of the playoff running with a loss, our fate would no longer be in our hands. The Panthers are coming off a record-breaking win over the Lions, where they rushed for a franchise-record 320 yards. The team has gone from rebuild mode to playoff contender in the weeks since the Buccaneers last played them.  How bad do the Buccaneers want it? Mike Evans needs just 83 yards to get yet another 1,000-yard season. Can he and Brady figure things out? We also have to remedy the bad tackling from the first matchup. Luke Goedeke was a huge liability during that game, which will hopefully not be a factor with Nick Leverett starting at left guard. And while the Bucs are banged up, no one player is ruled out yet.

The Buccaneers defeated the mighty Arizona Cardinals in overtime on Christmas. The Bucs once again struggled on third downs, wide receiver connections, and tackling. Tom Brady didn't have the best game, throwing two interceptions. Nevertheless, we persevered and got the W.  This week the Buccaneers need a win against the Carolina Panthers to secure their playoff berth. A win would also serve as retribution for the Buccaneers earlier loss against their division opponent. A loss would not be fatal to the Bucs playoff chances, but in that case their playoff hopes would be out of their hands.

There's no other way to say it: The 49ers loss was a better team putting the beatdown on the Buccaneers. Our blocking is bad, the tackling not much better. Brady threw short, inaccurate passes. The playcalling involved way too many screens. Our receivers got no separation. The defense got no pressure. All-in-all, it felt like we showed up and that was it.   We have four more games until playoffs. While we're leading the division at the moment, the Carolina Panthers hold their destiny in their hands. Winning out would means the Bucs' playoff hopes are dashed. Do any Bucs fans think we have a good shot during the playoffs with the way this team is playing?   We host the Cincinnati Bengals tomorrow, who are still fighting for their division and are on a hot streak. They have a ton of weapons on both sides of the ball. We fear another performance like that against the 49ers.

The Buccaneers loss to the 3-7 Browns is a tough pill to swallow. The team played well, only to break down by the 4th quarter, giving the Browns the opportunity to tie the game and take us to overtime. By then, the momentum was in their favor and they came out victorious.   There is a plethora of targets to blame, including the coaches, players, management, injuries - take your pick. We're still over here scratching our heads. What in the world is going on??

We first delve into Raph's all-22 analysis of the Seattle Seahawks victory. Many of the Buccaneers' troubles through the early part of the season were rectified this game - the poor tackling, the dropped passes, the lack of physicality, uncalled penalties working in the Bucs' favor. The Seahawks didn't just lay there and take it by any stretch of the imagination. They played hard too, and Geno Smith played well. Field conditions in Munich were terrible.  The Buccaneers will face the 3-7 Browns coming off their bye week. Jacoby Brissett has led the team against some tough opponents, but their record speaks for itself. The Browns have some studs on defense, to be sure, although it is not translating into wins. The team has had to sign a center off the street as starting center Ethan Pocic heads to IR. Vita Vea, if he plays (dealing with a foot injury himself), could have a good game.

Ralph's knee jerk reaction to the Ravens game fell apart after review of the all-22. While everyone, including Ralph, piled on the defense and Devin White, the tape showed them fighting to the very end. The Ravens offense, and Lamar Jackson in particular, just bested us. But it was a fight.  The offense is a different story. It seems everyone is in a fog, and it starts from leadership. We hate to see Tom Brady in the fallout from his divorce - you can tell the man is in a fog and it's contagious. We need someone on the offense to step up and be a leader.  The Buccaneers face the Rams tomorrow. The Rams appear to be in a similar spot to the Bucs, coming to Tampa with a 3-4 record. Their woes include their offensive line, run game, and injury to Cooper Kupp. Is it a Super Bowl hangover? Both teams need to right the ship.

The Carolina Panthers are a dumpster fire and present the perfect opportunity for the Bucs to get the awful taste of the Steelers loss out of their mouths. Not only are the Panthers dealing with an interim coaching staff, they've jettisoned their best player RB Christian McCaffrey to the San Francisco 49ers. The most challenging part of this matchup for the Bucs will be the unanswered question: Will the Panthers be tanking their season, or will Steve Wilks and Co. be looking for redemption?

Ralph analyzed the game film of the Steelers loss, and it was worse than expected. The Buccaneers were plagued by miscommunication, miscues and overall poor performance by nearly everyone. There are a lot of issues that stood out on the all-22, and it remains to be seen whether the team will correct them.

What a disappointing loss. The Buccaneers should have taken this victory easily, but the Steelers, simply put, wanted it more. Bucs couldn't convert on short yardage situations, and on the other side of the ball couldn't get stops when needed. It was a game of inches where every play mattered. The boo birds are out in full force after having been retired for three years. They're blaming coaching, Tom Brady, offensive line play, the run game - you name it, they're blaming them. In truth, there's probably some blame to go around. The team lacks passion and drive, it feels like, and that's a problem not easily solved. Luckily it's only October, we're 3-3, the rest of the NFC isn't doing that great either and we're still in a good position for playoffs.