The Bucs have found a spark!

At least one Bucs player thinks this week will be extra intense.

Inside linebacker SirVocea Dennis is a key member of the flatlining Bucs defense and he’s feeling pretty good about his play and the prospects for the defense cleaning up their act in the final two games.

Speaking on the Buccaneers Radio Network last night, Dennis said he had one of his bet games against the Panthers, even though the loss was rought.

“When we get in [and] lose, you know, it’s a tough road ahead of us, but I just wanted to lock in a little bit more, read keys, play faster, obviously produce more, get a lot of production out there and just have fun, really,” Dennis said. 

As for the defense’s struggles, Deninis said it’s minor details becoming major gaffes.

“Honestly, [the Panthers] were in a plus area a lot; we just tried to hold ’em to three. That touchdown right before half kind of put us in a bad position,” Dennis said. “You wish those plays don’t happen, but it’s football. Those guys get paid, too. Those guys, you know, are in the same place you are. So it happens. It’s just over the past couple of weeks, it’s just been little plays like that where it’s just a little mishap and it turns into a big play. You know what I mean? And that’s the tale of the season or the tale of the defense this year. And it’s nothing to be mad about, but it’s also like, ‘Dang, if we just had that back.’ And it’s tough. It’s real tough.”

The Bucs have every reason to be optimisic, Dennis said, as their defensive woes are fixable, even this late in the season.

“For sure. Practice is really huge. These upcoming weeks, the communication, the meetings, everything is really huge,” Dennis said.

“I know it’s been huge, but it puts a little bit more pressure on it. It puts that fire underneath your butt, you know what I mean? So, yeah, it’s definitely something that we know we could clean up, that we will clean up, and that we just have to go out there and execute.”

Joe is all for optimism, but saying now that playoff fire under your butt is a factor is hard to stomach.

That should have been a thing after the Bucs allowed Buffalo trampled their defense for 44 points. The Bucs responded to that by allowing the Rams to put 31 first-half points on them in a critical NFC matchup in prime time.