Yarcho’s Pick Six: Buccaneers Completely Dominate In Statement Win

Well, wasn’t that something? A lot of people after the week five loss to Chicago were saying the season was over. That Aaron Rodgers and the Packers were going to completely trounce this Buccaneers team.

So, how’d that work out?

I’ll tell you how - by the Buccaneers scoring 38 unanswered points, 28 of which came in the second quarter. It was one of the most impressive performances in recent memory from the Buccaneers and if there was a better one, I certainly can’t think of it.

Let’s do our best Jamel Dean impression and Pick Six.

Six Topics Suitable For Conversation

1.) Please don’t take Todd Bowles. After a completely flawless game plan, there’s already speculation that the Bucs’ defensive coordinator should be at the top of the list for Head Coach candidates this upcoming off-season. This can’t happen. The Buccaneers have to find a way to keep him in Tampa. Whether that’s some sort of guarantee that when Bruce Arians leaves that Bowles will become head coach or what, I honestly don’t know. What I do know is that the Buccaneers absolutely can not let him walk out that door.

2.) Devin White and Lavonte David. Once again, it’s the most dominant linebacking duo in the National Football League taking one of the best running backs in the league completely out of the game. They were the top two players for the Bucs in terms of total tackles, Lavonte had 1.5 sacks, White had three tackles for loss. This duo is next level elite - and they’re only getting better.

3.) Gronk looking like Gronk. Rob Gronkowski has caught some criticism for his play through the first five games. He was looking slow, he was looking like a guy who hadn’t played in a year, etc. Well, on Sunday, the Tom Brady-Rob Gronkowski connection was back in full force. Not only was Gronk the team’s leading receiver but he also scored his first touchdown as a member of the Buccaneers. This is looking more like what we expected to see - and it’ll only get better moving forward.

4.) Ronald Jones is that man. Three straight 100-yard rushing games for RoJo and he gets into the end zone twice. People love to whine and cry about running the football and they throw fancy analytics out there - but I keep going back to results. The top eight rushing teams in the NFL last season made the playoffs. None in the bottom eight did. You have to run the ball in this league and RoJo is doing that as well as anyone right now. Oh, and for those that scream about how the Bucs always run it on first down? They’ve actually thrown on first-and-ten more often than they’ve run and there are twenty-two teams in the NFL that run on first-and-ten more often than the Buccaneers. So, yeah...

5.) Jason Licht making moves. Within hours of the Buccaneers completely dismantling the Packers, the Bucs’ GM made a roster move. He sent a 2022 sixth round pick to the Jets in exchange for nose tackle Steve McLendon, who played under Todd Bowles when he was the head coach. This gives the Bucs some much needed size in the middle of their defensive line to rotate with Rakeem Nunez-Roches - and let’s be honest, he has to be thrilled to get away from Adam Gase.

6.) No Penalties. Man, how great was that? For a team that consistently leads the league -or is near the top of the list - in penalties, the Bucs had exactly zero penalties accepted against them on Sunday. Now, there was one for roughing the passer on Ndamukong Suh, but it was off-set by an intentional grounding call against Rodgers. Brady had plenty to say against his mistake filled offensive line on Thursday night so against the Packers, they were flawless. No penalties, no sacks allowed. When the team is playing like that, no one in the NFC has a chance to beat them.

Six Numbers To Consider

1 - Career wins by Aaron Rodgers inside Raymond James Stadium

37 - Years since the Buccaneers went penalty free in a game (Dec. 1983)

679 - Days since Gronk scored his last touchdown

28 - Points scored by the Bucs in the second quarter, the most by a team in one quarter this season

3 - Career pick sixes thrown by Aaron Rodgers

4 - Bucs running backs have ever had three consecutive 100-yard games (RoJo, Doug Martin, James Wilder, and Cadillac Williams)

Six Best Tweets

Six Best Things About Being A Tampa Sports Fan Right Now

6.) Nikita Kucherov is for sure still wandering around drunk somewhere

5.) Jon Cooper might bring the Stanley Cup into your favorite dive bar

4.) Randy Arozarena is just a rookie

3.) The Buccaneers are in first place in the NFC South after beating the previously undefeated Green Bay Packers

2.) The Rays are in the World Series

1.) Stanley got a tan

Six Super Bowl Bets

1.) Kansas City Chiefs - Still the scariest team in football

2.) Seattle Seahawks - Yeah, their defense is trash - but Russ finds a way

3.) Pittsburgh Steelers - Chase Claypool is that dude

4.) Baltimore Ravens - Can beat any team not from Kansas City

5.) Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Play like that and they’re unstoppable

6.) Green Bay Packers - Don’t let this game fool you - they’re legit

Six Final Words

Go Bucs. Go Bolts. Rays Up.