For weeks now the Bucs collectively have played like a lifeless force, a unit taking on the usual public persona of its head coach.
“We’re trying. We’re good. We just have to keep practicing like we do and we’ll snap out of it.”
It’s been a steaming pile. And the Bucs have not displayed the leadership capable of pulling the team out of its rut, or capable of forcing change because a crisis demands it.
Visibly, on and off the field, the team looks and sounds defeated. It’s a sad sight.
Joe is convinced Team Glazer and Buccaneers Ring of Honor general manager Jason Licht see the same thing. And it sure seems like they’ve resigned themselves to a mindset of, ‘well, it’s Todd Bowles’ team right now. We all have to sink or swim with how he’s handling things.”
If that’s the mindset, it’s weak as hell.
Licht should have had every player walk though his office for a 5 minute meeting this week. Ownership, too, was very capable of getting creative to inspire the team.
Will fans learn that anything out of the failing Bucs norm changed this week?
These power brokers at One Buc Palace love to talk about how they’ll do anything and everything imaginable to improve the team. Well, Joe would love to know what they did this week while an opportunity for a Super Bowl appearance hangs in the balance. And if Licht and Glazers think the Bucs have no shot to win four consecutive games, then they should fire Bowles now and tank Saturday’s game for a better draft pick. They shouldn’t be able to have it both ways.
Joe is frustrated along with most Bucs fans by what’s happened to this team.
So what might change Saturday?
Joe thinks it’s possible that contract-year players could rise up to snap the Bucs out of their funk. They might find a money incentive to turn them into hungry and rabid football players.
Logan Hall, Greg Gaines, Rachaad White, Cade Otton, Mike Evans, Michael Jordan, Dan Feeney and a bunch of special teams players are pending free agents after the season. That represents a lot of snaps in Saturday’s game.
(Joe is not including Haason Reddick and Lavonte David because Reddick was in a contract year last year with the Jets and was awful, and David is likely to retire.)
Joe also will add Baker Mayfield to the mix. While he has tens of millions guaranteed for 2026, Mayfield has no contract for 2027 and likely would love to extend his contract this summer. A spectacular finish to this season sure would go a long way toward helping him negotiate.
This is what it’s come to for the Bucs, hoping something other than professionalism, fans, love for the game and respect for coaches motivates players.