Episode Transcript
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(00:08):
Believe it or not, this is episode seven, welcome back, Cleats off the Couch podcast.
We are talking about the Tampa Bay Buccaneers today.
Been working through one team from every division engine.
And we'll make our round back into the AFC after we finish out the NFC.
But this the first team out of the NFC South the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
(00:31):
I think a lot of us can look at the NFC South.
We can look at Tom Brady being back again.
What was the reason for him coming back out of retirement? Let's be real.
The NFC South, it is a division to be lost for the Buccaneers this year.
And the question is where will they end up with their overall total? Will they be able to come away with a home field advantage in the playoffs this year? I don't know.
(01:00):
Let's look at it.
Let's look at it.
So the Buccaneers I respect Tom Brady.
I don't necessarily like him.
Actually.
Just the other day on Twitch, I remember having a conversation with some people about and one of the upcoming episodes.
I guess we'll take a break after we get through one team from every division.
(01:22):
And we'll just talk for a minute about a theory that I have, not a theory, but an understanding that I have.
And I think more people need to think about and realize.
And that is this statement.
And I'm going to leave it at this statement.
So I hope it eats you up and brings you back for that episode when we talk about that.
(01:43):
And that is this.
There can be no such statement as a single person, a certain person in any sport being called the goat, the greatest of all time.
And I'll leave it at that.
I'll leave it at that.
We'll talk about it here in a couple of episodes.
But today the Buccaneers guys, I got to be honest with you.
(02:07):
The Buccaneers look to me like, I want to say, the top team, maybe number one team in the NFC as of record.
As of record because they're in the NFC South.
And we'll look through their schedule here in a second.
But last year they went 13 and 413 and four.
(02:31):
That's insane.
Here's an important stat.
They were seven and one at home.
So we got to keep that in mind when we go through the schedule this year to look at matchups that we think are going to be tight.
It could go either way.
If it's a home game for the Buccaneers, it's probably going the way of the Buccaneers away.
(02:53):
They were six and three, still really good.
But that is their weaker spot is the away games, but finished number one, obviously, 13 four.
How do you not finish number one in your division? So heading into this year, obviously, as of right now, no gronkowski back on the roster, right? You got Tom Brady.
(03:15):
They still have an elite offense in Chris Godwin mike Evans.
They got Russell Gauge at receiver.
Who are they going to have a tight end? Are they going to have they got to have what's his name? Yeah, you know what I'm talking about.
You guys know OJ.
Howard? Do they have OJ.
Howard or did he get sent out? Let's look here real quick.
(03:36):
I always have the computer up in front of me just so I can search this stuff real quick.
Oh, wait, OJ.
Howard is with the bills.
Dude, the Bills.
Oh, my goodness.
The bills.
I'm not sure who they're going to have at tight end, but offensive line is going to be set.
Tristan Worse back again, ryan Jensen and among others.
(03:59):
And on defense, they're going to be all right with Devin White and linebacker Carlton Davis.
Antoine Winfield.
I forgot.
Shack Mason at guard on offense.
But they have plenty, plenty going for them into this.
And obviously, we saw an interesting coaching change situation.
I don't think that's going to affect things really in a negative way.
(04:20):
They're going to let Reigns over to Tom Brady leading the offense in the Bill Belichick way.
And fight me on that statement if you want to, but I think the Buccaneers open up against the Cowboys in week one this year, which is going to be interesting.
(04:41):
They're going to be in at and t Stadium.
I've seen mixed thoughts on people like Dallas.
I've shared some already for me.
We haven't talked about them yet, but the Dallas Cowboys for me are overrated, and I think they'll do well.
Don't get me wrong.
They're a team that always is right around there at the wild card numbers at the NSE.
(05:02):
So they'll fight around for the top of the division at like ten wins.
So it's going to be interesting to see.
But I don't think the Buccaneers lose to the Cowboys.
And again, I said it last episode, I said it multiple times for Dallas at home, not as good as Dallas on the road.
Dallas loses.
Bucks start out want to know.
(05:24):
And then they travel to Caesar's Superdone against the New Orleans Saints.
And Brady has an issue against the Saints.
The Buccaneers, I think just historically, just bad between them and the Saints.
And so I'm going to give a split between the Buccaneers and the Saints.
I'm going to give the win to the Saints surprising early in the year.
(05:48):
The Saints aren't going to win a ton of games, but it's division football.
It's a completely different breed.
So the Saints get a win, one in one for the Buccaneers to start, and then at home against Green Bay, going to be a good game.
But they're at home.
And again, remember, that's the thing that really will dictate things, I think.
(06:09):
Tampa Bay wins at home over Green Bay going to be a good game.
It'll be a fun game to watch.
It's a Sunday afternoon game, but the Buccaneers win.
Go two in one.
And then week four, they are at home again to play the Chiefs.
I think they get a win there.
They end up three in one, and then they are home to play the Atlanta Falcons.
And it's interdiscivision play again.
(06:33):
But I'm going to give I think the Buccaneers could sweep the Falcons.
I'm not sure what that will look like.
I don't know.
What was it last year? Last year they beat the Falcons, and I think they swept they swept the Falcons.
So.
I mean, I have them sweeping the falcons again.
I think the Falcons have slightly improved, but it's the Bucks.
(06:56):
It's the current Bucks roster.
The Bucks get the wind there.
They're at home again.
So that's another deciding thing.
Maybe on the road, it might be a little more difficult when they're in Atlanta, but I think they sweep them.
So what is that? That's only one loss so far in week five.
So it's four and one.
And then they travel to Pittsburgh in what is now Akrashore Stadium.
(07:17):
What the heck? Hinds.
It will always hashtag forever.
Hines as a Pittsburgh Dealers fan anyway, they will travel there, and I think Pittsburgh's defense is going to play well if Pittsburgh's defense is able to play well around the edge and get pressure on Tom Brady, I think we're going to see a good game in Pittsburgh.
(07:42):
Overall, though, it's still the Bucks.
I don't want to I want to see a surprise here, but I'm going to give the win to the Buccaneers, putting them at five and one, and then they're going to travel to Carolina.
And, guys, I think Carolina is a different team with Baker Mayfield at quarterback.
I really do.
And so I'm going to give a split with the Carolina Panthers.
I'm going to give the win in bank of America Stadium to Carolina, and that's going to put them at five and two.
(08:07):
And then they are at home against Baltimore.
I think they lose one of these games.
It's the Rams and the Ravens, two of the top teams in the league.
It is in Raymond James Stadium.
So I don't think they win both, but they could.
(08:31):
I don't think they lose both, but I really do think they could.
Honestly.
I honestly do, man.
But I'm going to give the win to Baltimore because I think the NFC fight against La.
In season, I think Tampa Bay is going to get the win against L-A-I do, because that's a revenge game right from the playoffs this past year, if I remember correctly.
(08:56):
And so I'm going to give the win to Baltimore over Tampa Bay, a loss to the Rams, a win for Tampa Bay.
I'm saying things backwards.
I don't know why.
So we got five and three and then six and three against the Rams and then playing the Seahawks in Seattle.
(09:16):
I think Tampa Bay gets the win on the road.
Putting them at seven and three entering into their week eleven by.
Pretty good location for a buy week, if you ask me.
And then they travel to first Energy State into Play cleveland Again, this is a quarterback situation with the Sean.
I could see Cleveland getting a win at home over Tampa Bay if it's without Deshawn, Tampa Bay wins.
(09:39):
I think it's as simple as that.
I think it's as simple as that.
And so right now, I'm going off the idea of Deshawn not playing this season, suspended for the season.
I don't know what the most up to date thing is, and obviously a lot of these updates will talk as things changed throughout the suspension scene or whatever it may be, if anything at all, will update that on future episodes.
(10:05):
But I got a win for Tampa Bay.
As if DeShawn's not playing in Cleveland.
That's going to put them at seven, eight and three, and then they're going to play New Orleans at home, get the win to go nine and three.
They're going to travel to San Fran.
(10:26):
Now, this is one I've talked before.
San Fran is a Super Bowl caliber team.
If they stay healthy, and I think they're Super Bowl caliber, if they keep Jimmy G, that's where I think they're Super Bowl caliber, but they're probably going to trade them away.
If we're honest.
I think that will change things for them.
Right now, though, we're just going as is.
It's a lot of rumor mill right now.
There's been conversations with different the only teams that would look at them would be what, Seattle and the Saints, something like that.
(10:53):
Maybe now not the Saints because James so I don't know, maybe Seattle.
And would San Fran deal him in division like that? I don't know.
We'll see.
But with him in Levi's Stadium, I could see San Fran getting a win, and that I think is going to put that's 13 games we were at nine and three.
(11:14):
I'm going to put them at nine and four and then back home against the Bengals, I'm going to give them a come home win, a big win against Cincinnati, putting them at ten and four, and then traveling to Arizona at State Farm Stadium.
Listen, I've talked about it a bunch of times.
(11:36):
Arizona not great second half of the season.
So a win for Tampa Bay, putting them at eleven wins, and then back home, I had them split with Carolina.
They already won one, they already lost it.
They're going to win it here at home, which is going to put them at twelve wins, and then they play Atlanta Falcons, as my buddy who's the Carolina Panthers says, the dirty Birds in Mercedes Benz Stadium.
(12:03):
We could see maybe a surprise here's the situation to end this out here's a situation that I think could be funny to see.
If the Buccaneers are at twelve wins and so say the Rams are also around that or the packers or something like that.
(12:23):
I don't think the packers will be, but say the Rams are at twelve wins as well, and it's a must win to claim homefield advantage in that scenario.
I can see Atlanta just stealing life from the Buccaneers, and then the Buccaneers getting second seed and not getting home field advantage.
(12:46):
For the sake of this conversation, I'm going to give a win to Tampa Bay.
No, I'm going with this.
I'm trusting my gut here.
I'm going to go with a twelve win season by Tampa Bay.
Twelve and what is that? Twelve and five, I think, is what I have.
They went 13 and four last year.
Twelve and five this year.
I think the division has gotten a little bit better over this past year, over this off season in the NFC South.
(13:10):
And then the games that they play, they play the Bengals, they play the Niners, they play the Browns.
If they have the Sean, that's the important one.
They have the Rams, they have the Ravens, they will play the Steelers, and I think the Steelers will still be good.
They will still be a playoff caliber team.
(13:30):
Not Super Bowl caliber playoff caliber or entry playoff caliber.
We'll go with that.
They play the Chiefs, they play the packers, they play the Cowboys.
So the Buccaneers will have a solid schedule.
They will have a road that they have to fight into, but I still think even with that, they can end up with twelve wins.
I'm not going to put them at 13 with that there.
(13:53):
But being twelve and five is the prediction.
Puts me at an eleven to 13 game win swing.
What do you guys think? Let me know your thoughts and we will finish out the first team from every division in the NFL with the Seattle Sea hots in the next episode.
So I'll see you guys then in that one.
(14:15):
Bye.