Tampa Bay Buccaneers

[ThreeLions]

Ok fellow MMO'ers whom watch the NFL, what do you think my team needs to get out of this H----------oooorrid funk we are?
Last year we got a 10 - 6, that to me was fantastic, but this season since the London game (Which I was at), has gone far from downhill,
It has been a suicidal plunge into bad plays, lackluster performances, and a constantly beaten morale.

Anyone have any thoughts on them at the moment? What do you recon we need? (Be kind and serious if you can)

[conscript]

They very much over achieved last year. I think this year is worse than expected, but I don't think the Bucs were ever better than a 7-9 team this season. They have been crushed by injury and terrible performance this year. Blount hasn't looked like the same guy. Same for Johnson. I just don't think that team is that good. THey played the AFC South and the NFC North this year. The AFCS has one good team, one potential playoff team, and two terrible teams one that stomped the Bucs thanks to massive collapse in that game. The NFC North had three playoff teams as of three weeks ago before the Bears were decimated by injury. Record: 2-6. Last year they played the laughably bad NFC West and the two team deep AFC North. Record: 6-2 losing of course to the two good AFC North teams.

They skated by last year on one of the easiest schedules in football. They beat Cleveland(5), Cinncy (4), Carolina twice (2), St Louis (7), Arizona (5), San Fran (6), Seattle (7), Washington (6), and New Orleans (11). Combined record of teams they beat: 53-91 They beat ONE team with a winning record and that was in a throw away game for the Saints who were locked into their slot and couldn't win the division that week. They were blown out or thoroughly dominated by every good team they played except they kept it closes against Atlanta. The Bucs were never a good team, they just played a schedule that everyone would love to play. No one should have been overly hypnotized by last year's results. They weren't a good team. Sure you should expect more than they are giving now, but they were never going to be more than the third best team, now fourth, in the NFC South. The Saints and Falcons are much, much better than them.

What went wrong though, well everything. Johnson dominated poor competition and was able to squeeze out tight wins in 4th quarter situations. He was last year's Tebow. They haven't had the luxury of those situations this year because the defense has been, excuse my language, fucking terrible. They have given up around 130 more points this year than last year and that is with another game against Atlanta to play. They will probably end up giving up 150-160 more points this year than last. Those extra 10 points completely eliminate any shot of those Josh Johnson comebacks. Their offense is certainly worse, probably end up about 70 points short of last season, but their defensive regression is what has really hurt the team badly.

[Robbyjawz]

Honestly, as with Conscript there I wasn't expecting the same out of the Bucs. They had a relatively easy schedule last season minus the Steelers and Ravens. They are a young team who overachieved the hell out of themselves.
You do need to fix your defense somehow because meltdowns don't help you out at all, the teams that can succeed despite things going against them are typically ones like Baltimore and Pitt who despite possibly the two worst offensive coordinators in the NFL still win games because of ironclad defenses. If you build a team around defense or a completely all pro QB see: Aaron Rodgers then you can deal with things, but right now your team is way too young to deal with that sort of stuff, or all the expectations that were heaped onto them this season.

[vindicatorx]

They need to go back in time and never had gotten rid of Tony Dungy.

[wigglewag]

All you talk about Conscript is how terrible they are and you can't even get the quarterbacks name right. This season was definitely a disappointment but I don't fault Freeman or any of the players for that matter. The problem is with the Owners, GM and coaching staff. The Glazers care more about their soccer franchise Manchester United and refuse to spend money in free agency to bring veteran players to the team to teach these young kids. The players don't wanna play for Raheem, he can't discipline them and they just flat out don't show up for him. Not to mention the OC, when you underutilize a talent like Blount and call 5 yard dumpoff plays down 30-0, i mean cmon man!! So we will be replacing the coaching staff since they already announced Raheem is getting fired and hopefully we pick up a CB, RB and some other explosive players in the draft and free agency. It can only go up from here brother!

[ThreeLions]

They very much over achieved last year. I think this year is worse than expected, but I don't think the Bucs were ever better than a 7-9 team this season. They have been crushed by injury and terrible performance this year. Blount hasn't looked like the same guy. Same for Johnson. I just don't think that team is that good. THey played the AFC South and the NFC North this year. The AFCS has one good team, one potential playoff team, and two terrible teams one that stomped the Bucs thanks to massive collapse in that game. The NFC North had three playoff teams as of three weeks ago before the Bears were decimated by injury. Record: 2-6. Last year they played the laughably bad NFC West and the two team deep AFC North. Record: 6-2 losing of course to the two good AFC North teams.

They skated by last year on one of the easiest schedules in football. They beat Cleveland(5), Cinncy (4), Carolina twice (2), St Louis (7), Arizona (5), San Fran (6), Seattle (7), Washington (6), and New Orleans (11). Combined record of teams they beat: 53-91 They beat ONE team with a winning record and that was in a throw away game for the Saints who were locked into their slot and couldn't win the division that week. They were blown out or thoroughly dominated by every good team they played except they kept it closes against Atlanta. The Bucs were never a good team, they just played a schedule that everyone would love to play. No one should have been overly hypnotized by last year's results. They weren't a good team. Sure you should expect more than they are giving now, but they were never going to be more than the third best team, now fourth, in the NFC South. The Saints and Falcons are much, much better than them.

What went wrong though, well everything. Johnson dominated poor competition and was able to squeeze out tight wins in 4th quarter situations. He was last year's Tebow. They haven't had the luxury of those situations this year because the defense has been, excuse my language, fucking terrible. They have given up around 130 more points this year than last year and that is with another game against Atlanta to play. They will probably end up giving up 150-160 more points this year than last. Those extra 10 points completely eliminate any shot of those Josh Johnson comebacks. Their offense is certainly worse, probably end up about 70 points short of last season, but their defensive regression is what has really hurt the team badly.

This pretty much is a great way to describe.
The glaziers have not put much money into the team these last few years, all we have to rely on is young players we draft, we cannot seem to afford a veteran coach or player, we still have Ronde Barber, but thats one guy, he cannot carry the entire team.

I just hope something changes, and yes, Dungy set up that insane defence that won us the superbowl, needless to say not only with Grudens knowledge of Raiders tactics that year.

I am just frustrated with the lackluster, last year was great, we had nothing but made SOMETHING out of it, we could have even made the play-offs, but at the moment, they are not good enough, in experience and togetherness.

Thank you for your reply's guys, I appreciate them highly! Any other views?

[Northern Goblin]

-The Glazers care more about their soccer franchise Manchester United and refuse to spend money in free agency to bring veteran players to the team to teach these young kids.

Think you'll find the same story at United, they drain money from the club, not pump it in.

[conscript]

All you talk about Conscript is how terrible they are and you can't even get the quarterbacks name right.

ROFTL. I did epicly screw that up.

[jesterbee3]

You guys need to get back Chuckie, within 3 years he'll have you back in the playoffs!