Still a wasted, meaningless season?

[Pirate Life]

No season is wasted or meaningless. Daunting odds going into this one all things considered though. Really only cared if Mike would continue his streak. Everything else has been delicious gravy.

Even if we lose next week, I’m content. Proved a lot of doubters wrong, Same Ol’ Bucs has a new connotation now.

[Ken]

I'll be honest, I entered the season expecting to suffer. I've followed the team since 1996, and so I've suffered through at least a dozen horrific seasons. This had all the trappings of one of those disaster years. But maybe... just maybe... this franchise isn't a loser anymore. Hope this season helps us bury the Yucks forever.

[Grahamburn]

It's rhetorical.

@Doctor has endured constant ridicule and yet continued to be a positive voice throughout the year for this team amidst stark negativity here.

People ridicule me?

Anyway, it's more trying to drive home the very real fact that there are many ways to win in this league that isn't the savior route that so many of us spent the last two decades starving for. Driving home that the games still need to be played and anything can happen any given Sunday. And that, yes, a QB can come from anywhere.

This is a good staff and a good front office. If they choose to stick together good things can happen. That's my lap.

Were you numb to everyone attacking you after every positive thread or post?!

[IronDog]

People ridicule me?

Anyway, it's more trying to drive home the very real fact that there are many ways to win in this league that isn't the savior route that so many of us spent the last two decades starving for. Driving home that the games still need to be played and anything can happen any given Sunday. And that, yes, a QB can come from anywhere.

This is a good staff and a good front office. If they choose to stick together good things can happen. That's my lap.

Were you numb to everyone attacking you after every positive thread or post?!

At some point, all the negative crap builds up a protective barrier to the noise. Keep doing you, Doc.

[kaimaru]

It was expected that the Bucs would beat the Eagles. No one saw Green Bay beating Dallas coming.

I did.

Dak lays an egg every year in the playoffs and Love can get hot, so I agree with you

[mdb1958]

I did.

Dak lays an egg every year in the playoffs and Love can get hot, so I agree with you

I also just picked all visiting teams to win the divisional round. Chose???

[Jonny]

You ready to sign him?

Personally, no. HOWEVER, I realize I'm in the vast minority on that take, and there is a 99% chance we do sign him and I've accepted that.

He still does way too much wild shit for me as well. But I've been spoiled by Brady and been dreading the prospect of being stuck with another Winston for a few years. I'm not sure if my skepticism of Baker being a good near-long term answer is warranted.

[acmillis]

Personally, no. HOWEVER, I realize I'm in the vast minority on that take, and there is a 99% chance we do sign him and I've accepted that.

He still does way too much wild shit for me as well. But I've been spoiled by Brady and been dreading the prospect of being stuck with another Winston for a few years. I'm not sure if my skepticism of Baker being a good near-long term answer is warranted.

I think it is. He had one TERRIBLE throw yesterday that shoulda been an int. On a third down, he took a terrible sack where he had the TE WIDE open in the flat for an easy conversion. On a good day, he will have to head scratchers. On a bad day, he will have 5+. The inconsistency is maddening.

[kaimaru]

He still does way too much wild shit for me as well. But I've been spoiled by Brady and been dreading the prospect of being stuck with another Winston for a few years. I'm not sure if my skepticism of Baker being a good near-long term answer is warranted.

On a third down, he took a terrible sack where he had the TE WIDE open in the flat for an easy conversion.

We complained even when Tom Brady didn't see someone open, or he never looked to the other side of the field. It happens with every quarterback every game. Pointing it out is just to have something to nitpick about. How about this, the first or second drive where AWJ easily swatted the pass down? That would have been a pick 6 if he tried to catch it and not just bat it down. We can do this for everyone on the field

[CantonJester]

This thread is too early. It's obviously not meaningless because it's all about winning. But wasted implies a look into the future we're just not there to see.

[CantonJester]

So yeah, I'm the one guy who voted 'Yes'.

[Grahamburn]

So yeah, I'm the one guy who voted 'Yes'.

Oof.

[kaimaru]

So yeah, I'm the one guy who voted 'Yes'.

I fire you as the resident jester. You failed to entertain the court

[CannonFire]

So yeah, I'm the one guy who voted 'Yes'.

I'm the other one.

In my opinion, any season that doesn't result in a positive direction from the prior season, is a meaningless season. Now that I think about it, I should have voted "No". Though, it's because I think this season did more harm than good. I think it causes regression. Baker Mayfield is NOT a franchise QB. All this year did was guarantee another season of Mayfield and a likelihood of a worse 2024 than a 2023. This season made our franchise worse than the previous season and made it harder to become a true contender again.

[Grahamburn]

So yeah, I'm the one guy who voted 'Yes'.

I'm the other one.

In my opinion, any season that doesn't result in a positive direction from the prior season, is a meaningless season. Now that I think about it, I should have voted "No". Though, it's because I think this season did more harm than good. I think it causes regression. Baker Mayfield is NOT a franchise QB. All this year did was guarantee another season of Mayfield and a likelihood of a worse 2024 than a 2023. This season made our franchise worse than the previous season and made it harder to become a true contender again.

The Bears have the #1 pick. Please go root for them.

[Buc2]

Yeah...I can't keep looking at a half full glass and calling it half empty. I'm very much encouraged by how things turned out this season. I'm not going to get into all the reasons I feel this way because others have well documented it all. But, as a long-time Bucs fan (1976 to present), I think I have learned and seen enough to have a good feel for when things are going the wrong way vs the right way.

It was doom and gloom after last season and for good reason. Brady looked human and retired. We brought in a QB that had not had much success anywhere he'd played to that point. We were down on our coaches. Hell, we were down on most everything. But when you can make shit smell flowers, which is what this team, coaches, and front office did when all was said and done this season, all while being financially up against the wall, well...yeah. I'm optimistic for 2024. And I can confidently say this was not a wasted and/or meaningless season.

[Grahamburn]

I put in a proxy "yes" vote for @MJW

[Bootz]

So yeah, I'm the one guy who voted 'Yes'.

I'm the other one.

In my opinion, any season that doesn't result in a positive direction from the prior season, is a meaningless season. Now that I think about it, I should have voted "No". Though, it's because I think this season did more harm than good. I think it causes regression. Baker Mayfield is NOT a franchise QB. All this year did was guarantee another season of Mayfield and a likelihood of a worse 2024 than a 2023. This season made our franchise worse than the previous season and made it harder to become a true contender again.

So we're pretty much better across the board than 2022. Closer to the Superbowl. And it's regression??

Where do yall find these people?!?!?!

[Grahamburn]

6-2 in the playoffs with a Super Bowl win in the last 4 seasons with two different QBs and two different head coaches. The Licht/Arians/Bowles regime should be applauded and I assure you we're the envy of a whole lot of other franchises around the league.

I don't understand how you could be a fan of this team and not be ecstatic about what has been accomplished.

[Bootz]

6-2 in the playoffs with a Super Bowl win in the last 4 seasons with two different QBs and two different head coaches. The Licht/Arians/Bowles regime should be applauded and I assure you we're the envy of a whole lot of other franchises around the league.

I don't understand how you could be a fan of this team and not be ecstatic about what has been accomplished.

Because we didn’t 3-peat with Brady like the.....Like the old.....No...Like the Lakers in the 80s?

[Terry Tate]

6-2 in the playoffs with a Super Bowl win in the last 4 seasons with two different QBs and two different head coaches. The Licht/Arians/Bowles regime should be applauded and I assure you we're the envy of a whole lot of other franchises around the league.

I don't understand how you could be a fan of this team and not be ecstatic about what has been accomplished.

Because we didn’t 3-peat with Brady like the.....Like the old.....No...Like the Lakers in the 80s?

The fact that we didn't even make the Super Bowl that second year shows two things. One, winning it all takes some luck. We got hit hard with the injury bug that year and it bled us a bit. Two, the Refs will always hose us against the Rams. Von Miller hit Brady directly in the face, helmet to helmet, and the refs flagged Brady.

[Cheb]

We are three wins away from hosting a third Lombardi trophy, and are objectively in the top 25% of NFL teams given we are in the Elite Eight.

Of course this is a positive season.

[Central_Buc]

So yeah, I'm the one guy who voted 'Yes'.

I'm the other one.

In my opinion, any season that doesn't result in a positive direction from the prior season, is a meaningless season. Now that I think about it, I should have voted "No". Though, it's because I think this season did more harm than good. I think it causes regression. Baker Mayfield is NOT a franchise QB. All this year did was guarantee another season of Mayfield and a likelihood of a worse 2024 than a 2023. This season made our franchise worse than the previous season and made it harder to become a true contender again.

Out to lunch. Lol

[IronDog]

We are three wins away from hosting a third Lombardi trophy, and are objectively in the top 25% of NFL teams given we are in the Elite Eight.

Of course this is a positive season.

Agreed. Crimony, some of you would bitch if we hung you with a new rope. We made it thru the season and took the weak-assed NFC South. Who really gives a flying fuck if we barely made it? The team did enough to get there without over-extending themselves into injury-failure. Then, when it counted, we basically shut down the team expected to win it all after starting 10-1. So now we are in the "elite-8", as Cheb called it. I'd be willing to bet that concept was beyond rational, and even irrational contemplation by all those "experts" {ex is a has-been, spurt is a drip under pressure) paid millions to predict the future of the sport and those in it. Less the $$$, I include most on this board, myself included, in that group.

Good grief, celebrate that par!, get excited for that birdie. Everyone was expecting double-/triple-bogeys.

[CannonFire]

I'm the other one.

In my opinion, any season that doesn't result in a positive direction from the prior season, is a meaningless season. Now that I think about it, I should have voted "No". Though, it's because I think this season did more harm than good. I think it causes regression. Baker Mayfield is NOT a franchise QB. All this year did was guarantee another season of Mayfield and a likelihood of a worse 2024 than a 2023. This season made our franchise worse than the previous season and made it harder to become a true contender again.

The Bears have the #1 pick. Please go root for them.

Sounds like you should... they're not trying to win either. They seem to be happy with just settling with mediocrity too.

[CannonFire]

I'm the other one.

In my opinion, any season that doesn't result in a positive direction from the prior season, is a meaningless season. Now that I think about it, I should have voted "No". Though, it's because I think this season did more harm than good. I think it causes regression. Baker Mayfield is NOT a franchise QB. All this year did was guarantee another season of Mayfield and a likelihood of a worse 2024 than a 2023. This season made our franchise worse than the previous season and made it harder to become a true contender again.

So we're pretty much better across the board than 2022. Closer to the Superbowl. And it's regression??

Where do yall find these people?!?!?!

Funny, I could say the same about you. This year's team won 9 games, not 8 (like last year), because we had the division clinched and punted Week 18 last year. Had we had the division clinched in Week 17 this year, we'd have finished 8-9 this year too. We only won a playoff game this year because our opponent quit on their coach a month ago.

Honestly, I can't believe we have fans that are more delusional than the Eagles fans I live with up here. If someone told me that Eagles fans were more realistic about their team than Bucs fans about theirs, I'd have said those people were nuts... yet, here we are.

I should be used to your kind of rhetoric though. I heard it when I had a similar message during the Freeman and Winston years. I can't believe you guys still cling on to a polished turd and think it's gold.

[Doctor]

Because we didn’t 3-peat with Brady like the.....Like the old.....No...Like the Lakers in the 80s?

The fact that we didn't even make the Super Bowl that second year shows two things. One, winning it all takes some luck. We got hit hard with the injury bug that year and it bled us a bit. Two, the Refs will always hose us against the Rams. Von Miller hit Brady directly in the face, helmet to helmet, and the refs flagged Brady.

Luck plays such an insane part in the post season.

How many calls have screwed over the Vikings or Saints or other teams over the years? There's a whole genre of videos dedicated to how the tuck rule changed history.
Injuries. How often have we heard the chiefs didn't have their OTs? People who think we were so close to a repeat SB seem to forget/dismiss we had just lost Wirfs. Huge reason our statue QB was getting hit in the mouth.
And then just plain dumb luck, ball bounces and ricochet, or the clear pylon shot being blocked so you can't see the correct call. A black out.

That's all part of the journey of every season.

[Doctor]

So we're pretty much better across the board than 2022. Closer to the Superbowl. And it's regression??

Where do yall find these people?!?!?!

Funny, I could say the same about you. This year's team won 9 games, not 8 (like last year), because we had the division clinched and punted Week 18 last year. Had we had the division clinched in Week 17 this year, we'd have finished 8-9 this year too. We only won a playoff game this year because our opponent quit on their coach a month ago.

Honestly, I can't believe we have fans that are more delusional than the Eagles fans I live with up here. If someone told me that Eagles fans were more realistic about their team than Bucs fans about theirs, I'd have said those people were nuts... yet, here we are.

I should be used to your kind of rhetoric though. I heard it when I had a similar message during the Freeman and Winston years. I can't believe you guys still cling on to a polished turd and think it's gold.

Dudes honestly going to be out here next week telling us that OBP lucked into the NFCCG and everyone should be replaced with Jim Harbaugh.

[mdb1958]

Got to get Goff, Love, and Mahomes!

[CannonFire]

Funny, I could say the same about you. This year's team won 9 games, not 8 (like last year), because we had the division clinched and punted Week 18 last year. Had we had the division clinched in Week 17 this year, we'd have finished 8-9 this year too. We only won a playoff game this year because our opponent quit on their coach a month ago.

Honestly, I can't believe we have fans that are more delusional than the Eagles fans I live with up here. If someone told me that Eagles fans were more realistic about their team than Bucs fans about theirs, I'd have said those people were nuts... yet, here we are.

I should be used to your kind of rhetoric though. I heard it when I had a similar message during the Freeman and Winston years. I can't believe you guys still cling on to a polished turd and think it's gold.

Dudes honestly going to be out here next week telling us that OBP lucked into the NFCCG and everyone should be replaced with Jim Harbaugh.

No, we just need a real QB.

[kaimaru]

@Doctor I guess that if we make it to the NFCCG that we are as good as the 49ers and don't need a QB to get there, we just need one to get over the hump to win a Super Bowl. This would be a well constructed future 12 to 13 wins a season with Mayfield, but could you imagine a good or even great QB? You should be excited about that!

[mdb1958]

@Doctor I guess that if we make it to the NFCCG that we are as good as the 49ers and don't need a QB to get there, we just need one to get over the hump to win a Super Bowl. This would be a well constructed future 12 to 13 wins a season with Mayfield, but could you imagine a good or even great QB? You should be excited about that!

I'm thinking teams would refuse future draft picks from us and I'm guessing that will produce more crying.

[Central_Buc]

So we're pretty much better across the board than 2022. Closer to the Superbowl. And it's regression??

Where do yall find these people?!?!?!

Honestly, I can't believe we have fans that are more delusional than the Eagles fans I live with up here. If someone told me that Eagles fans were more realistic about their team than Bucs fans about theirs, I'd have said those people were nuts... yet, here we are.

What's delusional is you expecting a first year QB in this town and a first year OC along with the cap constraints that came expecting more..

There is nothing delusional about enjoying the moment and being fired up about this weekend.

Maybe you should follow the Eagles then. Enjoy Jalen Hurts because this is the last youll see of him.. What's he getting paid??? LOL

[Buccabeer]

The Bucs overachieved by most people's standards, with Brady it was always going to be SuperBowl or Bust. This is one thing I can't wait to see in Atlanta if they hire BB. If he doesn't win a SB in year 1, he's a failure, Brady is still the reason he had success, and that fan base will lose their minds because they still aren't over the Brady comeback in the SB.

The only thing you have to wonder is where do we go from here? I mean, do you see us getting to the next level with Baker and Bowles? Both have their moments, but do you think we'll put up a season like the 49ers, Eagles, Cowboys, Dolphins, or Ravens during the regular season? I don't see it, but I am also ok being the Team that can win any given Sunday. The Lions, Packers, Rams, Browns, Bengals, and Texans are teams that come to mind in that category.

[Cheb]

The Bucs overachieved by most people's standards, with Brady it was always going to be SuperBowl or Bust. This is one thing I can't wait to see in Atlanta if they hire BB. If he doesn't win a SB in year 1, he's a failure, Brady is still the reason he had success, and that fan base will lose their minds because they still aren't over the Brady comeback in the SB.

The only thing you have to wonder is where do we go from here? I mean, do you see us getting to the next level with Baker and Bowles? Both have their moments, but do you think we'll put up a season like the 49ers, Eagles, Cowboys, Dolphins, or Ravens during the regular season? I don't see it, but I am also ok being the Team that can win any given Sunday. The Lions, Packers, Rams, Browns, Bengals, and Texans are teams that come to mind in that category.

Three of those five teams lost in the first round of the playoffs. We beat one of them.
So long as your regular season is good enough to get to the postseason, the rest of it doesn't matter. Hell, we were a Wildcard team during the Brady Superbowl and had to go on the road three times before hosting the Chiefs in Tampa and taking the victory.

"Do you see us getting to the next level with Baker and Bowles?" My brother in Christ, we are at the next level RIGHT NOW. They already brought us here. We are one of the best eight teams in football, two wins away from playing for a Lombardi and three wins away from winning it.