Soaking in the win.

4-2.  Raise your hand if you had the Bucs at 4-2 after 6 games?  Yea, my hand isn't up either.  Coming off the Buccaneer Apocalypse known as the 2009 season it was tough to get fired up and optimistic for the 2010 season.  We all kind of grumbled, sulked, pissed and moaned about the lack of direction and failure of a 2010 season before it even started.  We were convinced that this team just couldn't be good.  Even when we were trying to be optimistic, we couldn't see anything better than .500. 

 I'm not saying we'll get there, but we're on pace for an 11-5 season.  Or, if you want to be conservative, 10-6.

We've beaten some bad teams and lost to some good teams.  We can point to that all we want, but the more I look, the more mediocre the entire NFC looks.  No one seems to want to run away with the conference lead and with so many seemingly average teams, the Bucs have a chance to hold serve and rise to the upper third of the conference. 

Through 3 quarters, the game looked like a lost cause.  But then the 4th quarter started and the offense woke up.  As long as there are seconds left on the clock this team has a chance.  I'd prefer to put some games away early in the 3rd quarter, but I won't complain about a win, no matter how ugly.  It was a game we may not have deserved to win, but despite being our own worst enemy, we managed to pull out the win.  We're finding ways to win, and that's important.  It may not lead to a Super Bowl title this year, but hopefully at some point in the next 2-3 years, the Bucs will be faced with a similar scenario and they can look back and say "Hey, we did this as a young, inexperienced group, we can do it now."

I can't even call this a pleasant surprise.  It's more of an overwhelming shock.  We've taken advantage of what the schedule makers gave us and put ourselves firmly in the playoff race.  A West Coast win would go a long way in keeping us in the picture.  And then the showdown for the division lead at Atlanta will give us a better measure as to where we stand. 

But for now, soak in the 4-2.  Congrats to the team, from top to bottom.  Though not many people saw it, you're making believers out of those who did.