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Observations of the "I Spent the Second Half Setting Up Christmas Lights Outdoors, Whadda Miss" Bucs/Panthers Bashing 12/2/18 w/Poll


1) Oh, NOW we go on a winning streak! Just as we're in dire need of sliding UP the draft boards to get a better Left Tackle in the First Round, and now we're gonna be drafting somewhere between 12th and 21st with no chance for a franchise OT. /cries

1a) Okay, now that I've got THAT pessimistic tantrum out of the way... OMFG WE BEAT Carolina Panthers and made them flee the state in utter shame. The only other team looking worse right now is Green Bay... Wait, they lost to WHO?!?! Ahem, anyway.

1b) As I view the Panthers as our team's most evil rival - CLIFTON SMITH 2009 NEVER FORGET - beating them will always be the sweetest victory of the season. This one is sweeter than most because of two factors: Our offense played focused and our defense played intense.

For all the bad plays the Bucs *still* committed during the game, they kept avoiding the self-inflicted wounds of the bad performances earlier this year, and defensively got Carolina - especially Cam Newton - to inflict a lot of pain with poorly thrown INTs and coughing up multiple sacks. By game's end, you couldn't tell which team was coming in with 7 losses.

1c) Some of it may depend on Cam's physical condition - he seemed slower when it came to running or counting off his reads - but the Bucs' defense had its best game all year. Even WITH giving up a horrendous 50-yard run to Christian McCaffrey, they compensated by getting TFL on key drives, and playing far better on pass coverage to where Cam was throwing into areas with 2-3 Tampa defenders able to block the receivers or step in the way for interceptions. Or should I say FOUR INTERCEPTIONS, ZING.

2) With that said, the Player of the Game - and arguably Defensive Player of the Week candidate for the NFL - was Safety Andrew Adams, a midseason FA pickup from the Giants who stepped in for a wounded backfield and had the game of his life: Three INTs (the first since Talib in 2009) and three other passes defended.

2a) Alongside him was Javien Elliott, another bench guy called up to cover for our injured secondary who had his own INT and decent run-back to give the Bucs' O solid field position.

2b) Contributing to the backfield's big day was a solid DL pass rush all game long, with Jason Pierre-Paul adding another sack to his season, Vinny Curry making an appearance in the stat numbers, and the rest of the line getting pressure on Cam when it mattered.

2c) Lavonte David's season has been up and down, but today it was up with a great LB blitz for a sack and leading the team in tackles. Another LB, Kevin Minter - filling in for the wounded roster as well - opened the game with a brilliant LB Blitz up the middle for a sack, and making me think an LB Blitz in a 4-3 package could work now (not the all-out blitzes we have when 8 guys go all-in and the QB kills us with a dumpoff pass to an open slot receiver).

2d) Offensively, Jameis Winston had another good game where he avoided reckless throws 90 percent of the time, showing how a cool head can garner 2 TDs and ZERO INTs like we NEED. Granted, he got reckless a couple times in the First Half (and took sacks he shouldn't have), but the lack of turnovers is the sign of maturity the Bucs are looking for.

2e) Chris Godwin had a career day with 101 yards and 1 TD. Alongside Mike Evans, GOD-FOR-THE-WIN is developing into the #2 WR every team dreams of having.

2f) Adam Humphries is making a case for being the best slot receiver in the entire league.

2g) Cairo Santos is the Kicker Who Was Promised.

3) Where the Bucs are still showing troubling signs are at the Offensive Line. For all the FA additions, all the draft picks, all the effort to build up a line to protect the QB AND open running lanes... Tampa's OL is still a mess. Running backs can't find any lanes. Winston faced a lot of pressure and not a lot of time to throw the deep ball like he wanted.

3a) Making the situation worse is an offensive gameplan run by coaches who week-in-week-out call for the SAME RUN-UP-THE-MIDDLE playcall that every defense can stop for no gains. When I saw run plays that went off-tackle or at least behind an extra blocker Peyton Barber found room for 8-10 yards. Our running game is NOT going to improve until our coaches get better devising smarter running routes.

4) Statistics of the game. I KEEP TELLING YOU TURNOVERS MATTER. It takes away the opposing team's ability to score and grants you better opportunities in better field positions. Nearly every loss we've had was due to giving up 4-5 turnovers those games. Our wins have been with turnover ratios that favor US.

4a) Third Down efficiency: Bucs went 6-for-13, Panthers 3-for-8. This speaks to better ball control, time management, and long scoring drives.

4b) Red Zone offense: this has been our bane this year, but the Bucs did better this game going 3 TDs out of 5 visits... AND DAMN THE REFS IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN 4 TDS.

5) The one rant I have is over a terrible call by the game refs at the goal-line where Peyton Barber seemed to run into a pile, putting his hand over the goal-line but then seemed to fumble it into the end zone for a Touchback. Nearly everybody on the forums here was screaming it was a TD 'cause he crossed the plane, but I was actually arguing that Peyton was down at the end before he could reach across the line. Either way, IT SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN CALLED A FUMBLE. The Booth Review - since it involved a possible TD it was an automatic review - did not see enough to overturn the refs. IT WAS A BS MOVE. That might have cost the Bucs the game. BOO THE REFS. BOOOOOOOOO.

6) In other NFL news, SERIOUSLY THE PACKERS LOST TO ARIZONA?! THEY LOST TO ARIZONA?!?!?!

6a) Drew Brees is my Fantasy QB because yeah he's been that good and reliable and if he's going to be a nightmare for the Bucs I might as well start him all the other times (I have Deshaun Watson as my #2 QB). But... but what the hell happened against Dallas, Drew? WHAT THE HELL. WHY HAST THOU FORSAKEN MY FANTASY FOOTBALL TEAM, DREW?!?! /cries

6b) I still don't know if the Rams are gonna be good enough in the postseason against good teams to be a cinch for the Super Bowl.

6c) DAMMIT TENNESSEE YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE LOSING TO THE JETS.

6d) If there's any good news about the Bucs' draft position, a lot of the other bad teams actually won today, so I'm thinking we're not going to fall very far in the order.

6e) Don't look now, but Atlanta's fallen to 4-8 and are at the bottom of the NFC South. What the hell happened, Falcons, I had Carolina going 4-8 by now, not you.

7) In college football news DAMMIT GEORGIA YOU HAD ONE JOB.

7a) The playoff is now set with Alabama, Clemson, Notre Dame, and Oklahoma.

7b) I'd be mocking the whole playoff system with the fact that UCF remains UNBEATEN, but then again they almost LOST to a Memphis team for the American title, and so there is a question of actual talent here. Still, a more honest playoff system would BE BIGGER (eight teams: six large conferences (SEC, ACC, Big10, Big12, Pac12, AAC) plus two wild cards) to allow unbeaten (and still good) teams like Central Florida a shot at the trophy.

7c) South Florida has gotten an invite to the home Gasparilla Bowl vs. Marshall (CUSA). Sigh. I wanted to travel to Boca this year.

7d) Instead of a Peach Bowl invite, UCF gets a bigger Fiesta Bowl against LSU... another chance to show off against a decent SEC team. Wonder who got the Peach Bowl invite (ooh, Florida Gators vs. Michigan).

8) In pro hockey news: PLEASE TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING JUST WIN, GET THE STANLEY CUP! GO FIGHT WIN.

9) In pro baseball news: still waiting for an elite team of thieves to rip off Loria by the billions he stole from Florida and Miami so some of that money can go to a legitimate need of building a decent Ybor park for the Rays.

10) Next up: Bucs are AT HOME to play a bruised Saints team. I promise I am starting Deshaun Watson that week for my fantasy team.

Poll up! CAROLINA DOWN! YAAAASSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!

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