Bucs coach Todd Bowles.
Joe always hears football people talk about how football begins after Thanksgiving. That’s when the wheat is separated from the chaff, the contenders from the pretenders.
Most coaches build their teams to hit overdrive when December comes around. That’s when playoff seeding and division winners are decided.
On the good side of this for the Bucs is whenever the Bucs lead at halftime, the Bucs are undefeated this season, 7-0. Flip the coin and tomorrow’s opponent, the slimy Saints, have only scored first in one game.
So if the Bucs have their ducks in a row, this shouldn’t be a difficult game for the Bucs if you believe in trends. But now here is the bad: Joe typed this week about being dubious that the Bucs can fix their defense in December.
By now, in December, your team’s identity is pretty established, for better or for worse. In December, if everyone is healthy, there’s no cavalry coming way past the trade deadline. Anyone worth a s(p)it is employed.
As Dirk Koetter once said of December football, “Our guys are our guys.”
Yes, Joe knows Calijah Kancey may or may not return to the team before the end of the season. Will he magically make the pass defense any better by himself?
Joe spoke about the following with the Sage of Tampa Bay sports, Ira Kaufman, on his podcast this week. Could Ira remember any team, barring stud players returning from an injury, that was able to fix a defense (or an offense) in December?
Former Bucs great Rondé Barber also has reservations.
Joe couldn’t think of a team. Neither could Ira.
So unless Joe sees the Bucs’ defense hold the slimy Saints to one score from the New Orleans offense, Joe believes the sieve of a Bucs pass is part of who the team is this year.
READ NEXT
“I’d Be Lying If I Said I’m Not Really Concerned”