November 15, 2025 • 30 mins
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers head into Week 11 coming off a frustrating loss to the New England Patriots, a game defined by explosive plays that flipped the momentum and exposed major issues on defense. Despite Baker Mayfield throwing for 273 yards and three touchdowns with no turnovers, Tampa Bay surrendered four massive scoring plays — runs and passes of 55 yards or more — that ultimately cost them the game. Young weapons like Emeka Egbuka and Tez Johnson stepped up, the run game looked alive, and the offense played well enough to win, but defensive breakdowns, communication lapses, missed tackles, and injuries on all three levels of the defense left the Bucs scrambling. With key contributors banged up and depth being tested, the Buccaneers suddenly find themselves trying to regroup while still holding onto first place in the NFC South. Now the focus shifts to a tough matchup against the Buffalo Bills, a team known for speed, physicality, and a hostile home environment that punishes mistakes. Tampa Bay enters this week needing a defensive reset, cleaner coaching execution, and clarity on injured starters before facing an AFC contender that can stretch the field just like New England did. The Bucs showed offensive growth, resilience, and flashes of potential, but the Bills matchup represents a critical moment — a gut-check opportunity to prove they can rebound, tighten the defense, and keep control of the division race. The next game could define the direction of Tampa Bay’s 2025 season and determine whether this loss becomes a turning point or the beginning of a slide.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:04):
On today's show, the injury riddled Bucks fall to the Patriots.
Do they have what it takes to take down the Bills?
I'll discuss next on this edition of the Box Report.
Let's get out and then then well, Hello, Endo, welcome
(00:51):
into this edition of the Box Report, part of the
Box Report podcast network. I'm so glad you decided to
join me today. My name is Dan Holmie. You can
find on Twitter. It's at Dan Caps two and eight.
You can find the show on Twitter, It's at Bucks Mincast.
And the best way that you can help grow this
show is to subscribe to the Bucks Report on YouTube,
(01:13):
like the videos and comment anything down below. So in
this edition of the Bucks Report, we talk about the
Bucks as they fell to the Patriots. And you would
swear that the season is over, that this team sucks,
that they should wave the white flag, that they should
hire a new coach. I've heard all of those things,
(01:36):
and last I checked, the Bucks are still in first
place in the NFC South. I'll talk about that a
bit later. I'll talk about the injuries that are surrounding
this team, and ultimately, do the Buccaneers have what it
takes to take down the Bills? But just to get
it going here, let's talk about the last game against
(01:58):
the Patriots and giving credit where credits do. That's a
pretty good Patriots team, right. I don't think that there's
any real as ifs or butts about it. But the Buccaneers,
you know, they thought valiantly. And one of the things
that's pretty apparent to me, and I think it's apparent
to you as well, and you know, the team knows
it is that Baker is not one hundred percent. The
(02:22):
Buccaneers play best when he can scramble, you know, if
there's not an open receiver that he will oftentimes run
for the first down. And what we've seen from him
this season is sometimes he doesn't dive, you know, he'll
just wait to take that impact. And that's kind of
really getting drawn into focus right now that you know
(02:42):
the team has played well this season minus some big
players talking Evans, Godwin, you know, Worths to start the season,
that they found a way to rally, you know, and
pretty much all their wide receivers just totally depleted, you know,
not next man up, the next next man up, and
(03:04):
the Buccaneers have found a way to win games. But
now that we don't see a Baker Mayfield that is
one hundred percent healthy. He's still in the game. Could
you imagine if he wasn't in there that when he
cannot scramble the way that he did earlier in the season.
That is getting really drawn into focus. And if you're
(03:24):
not too familiar about it, is that Baker is dealing
with multiple injuries, including a knee and oblique issue, but
is still playing through them. He has acknowledged that his
physical condition has impacted his speed and scrambling ability, though
he has stated that the bye week provided some relief.
The Buccaneers list him with these issues and it is
(03:46):
generally understood that he is managing his injuries for the
remainder of the season, so the impact on play. He
has admitted that the injuries have limited his ability to
scramble effectively, and his overall speed is not at its peak.
So that's the tough position, and that's the hard part
(04:07):
about having a quarterback on your team that has happy feet.
And to be clear here, I think that the Buccaneers
would not have won as many games had he not
done those things that he had done, So I'm not
trying to hold that against him. But the one thing
for me, that's really getting drawn into focus here is
the late game heroics that we saw to start the season.
(04:29):
And I asked Steve ver Snick when he was on
the show and we talked about the sustainability of that
that we're seeing that drawn into focus that in a
lot of ways, the Buccaneers got lucky to start the
season right that they found a way to rally and
win these games late. But they're running out of luck
in with Baker, not one hundred percent. That is where
(04:50):
it's getting difficult. But let's just talk about the game,
Like I said, what went wrong, And the biggest takeaway
is the Bucks lost not because they were matched, not
because the offense failed, but because the defense gave three
explosive touchdowns of fifty five yards or more. That's the game,
(05:11):
and those plays flipped everything. And when you're in a
tight matchup and your offense is actually keeping you in
it and then boom, seventy two yard touchdown, fifty five
yard run, sixty nine yard run, it's like, man, what
do we even do with that? And those are the
moments in the game that make the difference, because it's
(05:33):
not like the Bucks didn't score. The Bucks put up
twenty three points. Baker threw for two hundred and seventy
three yards and three touchdowns, no interceptions. That should be
a winning stat line, right. I mean if you looked
at it and you didn't look at the box score,
you just looked at who scored yardage, all of those things,
(05:54):
and you obscured the final score, you would assume that
the Buccaneers won. But the Patriots hit those huge chunk plays.
And that's the story the game, and that is ultimately
why the Bucks lost and what went wrong and why
did it go wrong? The offense did enough to win.
Backer was actually sharp. He gave you everything you could
(06:15):
have asked for. Three touchdowns, zero turnovers, almost three hundred yards.
He looked comfortable even behind a battered offense. Our rookie receivers, man,
they showed up, you know, a Buka again, the saving
grace of this team. The kid is looking like a
future wide receiver one in the waiting. Six catches, one
(06:35):
hundred and fifteen yards, A lot of those came in
big moments. And then talking about depth, depth upon depth,
tes Johnson touchdowns, some nice separation, another guy who's growing
every single week in the run game as well, you know,
one hundred and thirteen yards on a Patriots defense that
(06:56):
usually doesn't give anything on the ground. That's not nothing.
That's offense. We did our part, but defensively, the defense
gave up the game. You can't give up a fifty
seven plus percent of an opponent's total yards on four plays.
You just can't. Like I said, a fifty five yard
(07:18):
rushing touchdown, a fifty four yard a reception late in
the game, and that dagger, that sixty nine yard touchdown
run that sealed the deal. Those four plays were practically
New England's entire offense. And when Todd Bowles comes out
and says we didn't coach well enough, it starts with me.
(07:39):
I mean talking about a guy falling on the sword.
That the offense was there, but you know the defense
runs the rim as well, and I mean that tells
you everything you need to know. Accountability is good, but
those breakdowns in that game, they're on everybody, the coaching,
the tackling, the angles, the communication. And you know what
makes it even sting more, this is the first game
(08:01):
the Bucks lost all season without turning the ball over.
A Baker did the things that he should do, the
things that he's capable of doing in the position that
he's in, right that we know he's dinged up, like
I illustrated off the top of the show. They protected
the ball, they moved the ball, they executed in the
red zone, and still lost the bleep in game. So
(08:24):
the late game moment, and then man, you think you've
got another shot when Tyke Smith makes that diving interception
in the end zone. Incredible play, rookie saving the day.
Then Baker drives the team down to the Patriots twenty
seven yard line. Crowd's quiet, you feel the momentum shifting.
But fourth down comes, pressure hits, and the drive falls short.
(08:48):
Again the late game heroics. The end was going to
come at some point. Next possession, the Patriots take a
handoff sixty nine yards to the house. Game set done.
That's how fast that one turned over. The Buccaneers should
have won the game. Should is the operative word. Did
(09:09):
they do that? Of course no? So what now and
what's next? Fixing the defense has to be priority number one.
Those explosive plays, we can't sugarcoat it. They were breakdowns,
big ones and repeat ones. That's communication, that's discipline, tackling
and coaching and Todd Bowles knows it. He took the
(09:31):
heat publicly. Now the staff and the players got to
fix it privately. Keep building the offense. Look, the young
weapons showed promise. Kate Atton continues to be one of
Baker's most reliable targets. Eg Buka is coming into his own.
The run game showed signs of life and that's minus Bucky. Right.
If they stack the grow, this offense can absolutely take
(09:54):
the next step over the second half of the season.
But big picture in the NFC South like a top.
It's not doom and gloom. It's not like fire Todd
Bowles that the bottom's falling out, not yet anyway. They
still sit a top of the NFC South. That's the
good news, if there is good news. After giving up
three touchdowns, the Bucks are still in first place. The
(10:15):
division is still right there. Everything is still in front
of them. But momentum, yeah, that matters, and right now
we need to bounce back. Do the Buccaneers have what
it takes. That's the big question. Ultimately the ball is
in their court, all right. So coming up here after
the break, we'll talk about the injuries and we'll talk
(10:37):
about how the Buccaneer Buccaneers prepare for the Bills straight ahead.
All right, Welcome back into this edition of the Bucks
Report podcast network, also simulcast on the Bucks Minutecast podcast feed,
a part of the fans' first sports network. Again for
(11:00):
all of your Buccaneers news, check out the Bucks Report
dot Com. All right. In the second segment here, we're
talking about how the Buccaneers got into this position and
the injury picture and what it actually costs you. So
let's walk through this. It's not just names on a list.
It's how each absence forces a change in play calling, coverage, reads,
(11:24):
and the way the defense approaches you. And just to
talk about it, let's talk about the players. If you
don't know that are out. Brettison Godwin, Bucky Irving, Hassan Reddick,
and Marquis Watts all listed on bucks dot Com as
being out on Sunday, And then again, you got players
(11:46):
that aren't one hundred percent. I'm talking about Baker Mayfield
and it should really come as no surprise that the
Buccaneers are in the position that they're in now. Bucky
Irving being out is huge. He's not only a or
who can break a long one, he's a back who
creates mismatches in passing games. Without him, you don't just
(12:07):
lose to burse, you lose checkdowns and play action leverage.
And you know, Rashad White doing what he's done in
Tucker and all of this that you know we are getting,
you know, I guess I want to say surprising performances,
but not too surprising. That you know, I'm pleasantly surprised
with with what I've seen from from Tucker big picture
(12:29):
this season, and that Rashad White, you know, I don't
think is as we thought he was going to be,
but has shown some promise as well. And that you
know Bucky Irvin, you know, we saw him practice, you know,
obviously not good enough to play on Sunday, but is
edging closer to return. People were talking about that, you know,
(12:50):
he was kind of jumping around at practice that Hey
put this guy in. As we find out, it's more
of the shoulder area there that is the area of concern.
So I think that we want to do the right
thing and and wait for Bucky in particular to be
one hundred percent because we don't want an injury to
exacerbate it. Where he takes a couple of steps back
(13:10):
especially if we can have him back one hundred percent,
uh as we should knock on wood here that he
will be able to help this team later in the season.
And Chris Godwin being out trinks the field. Defenses don't
need to respect the underneath seems with the same intensity.
So Mike Evans gets double or bracketed more often, and rookies,
(13:31):
like a booka becomes the primary reads far earlier, uh
than they should. But you know, like when I talk
about who's in the game, and that's when when Evans
is back. Rather I'm just talking about, you know, big
picture here, how this team is going to perform that
it is a bit concerning that, you know, we're dealing
(13:51):
with a lot of injuries and how does this team
overcome and get back into the win column Because I
talk about Evans being back there when he's you know,
one hundred percent, you know, whenever, and I'm also talking
about you know, Godwin and these other players that it
is a difficult position for the Buccaneers to be in
when you're having to draw into depth and I'm talking
(14:13):
deep depth here, and you know, as far as Godwin
is concerned, it's almost like, you know, this team is
kind of just used to him not being here that
you know, he's in a lot of times. Most of
the time, it's not his fault that he's injured, right that.
You know, you see some dirty tackles this or that,
but at the end of the day, he hasn't been
there to help the team contribute. So that's why you've
(14:35):
seen guys like Abuca have to step up. And also
you know Johnson and Johnson that we've seen them step
up as well, and Kate Atten that. You know, this
team has had to shift. It has had to come
up with ways to try to win these games because
it has not been easy thus far. Bulls and the
(14:55):
staff are being careful with the players that are out,
and that's smart, but it also frustrating because we want
reinforcements soon. Guys practicing on a Wednesday does not mean
they're one hundred percent on Sunday. That's the balance the
team is trying to strike. If Evans and McMillan are
back in December again, kind of ball in the air.
(15:16):
You know, at first we thought that McMillan was going
to be back after the bye week. It would change
everything in a hurry. If those returns are delayed. The
team needs to find reliable options within or on the wire. Again,
I think that Light is going to have to go
out and make an acquisition. You know, certain positions are depleted,
(15:37):
and you know, I think it's kind of just a
wait and see approach, right that if you see Godwin, Evans, McMillan,
what position, you know, they're not going to be one
hundred percent right out of the gate. They've missed a
substantial amount of time of talking McMillan in particular, he's
been out for a long time. That what put you know,
how are these players going to look when they are
finally back to go and the emotional and taal cost
(16:00):
to the injuries, There is a mental edge that goes
with having your top players in the lineup. Confidence breeds
aggressive calls. Without it, conservative conservative calls come creeping in.
The offense becomes predictable, and predictability is death against a
good defense. And you know, like I said, given credit
where credits due, the Patriots are good. That may the
(16:23):
quarterback for them really really good that you know, there's
a bit of question mark in the Pulse Brady era
in New England that you know, it definitely was a
fall from grace for a bit there that but I
think that things are going well in New England. I
don't wish him the best, but just kind of observationally
here that that team seems to be back in good
(16:45):
form and we're hoping the Bucks, you know, can get
some of these players back. We hope that you know,
Baker Mayfield, you know, you know, what he said is
that he felt a bit better after the bye week.
We need to see him closer to one hundred percent.
And I know that's you know, outside of his control.
And as far as Baker's concerned, He's used to playing
(17:06):
through injuries and this is just another thing that he
might be injured far more than he's letting on. But
that's what's getting drawn into focus, is that the Buccaneers
were able to overcome wide receiver depth issues, running back
depth issues, some line issues. But you know, Baker Mayfield
even being diminished is a blow to this team, as
(17:29):
was evident. You know, I'm going to say in the
game against the Patriots, he did the right thing, no turnovers,
passed for some good yards there, but his mobility taking
some steps back. That has been a tough blow for
this team. And do they have what it takes to
overcome the bills. That is what I'll talk about straight ahead.
(17:53):
All right, Welcome back into this edition of the Bucks Report,
part of the Bucks Report podcast network. Again check them
out out Bucksreport dot com. This podcast also simulcast on
the Bucks Minutecast podcast feed, a part of the Fans'
first sports network. So, in the final segment of today's show,
kind of did the post mortem on the Buccaneers versus Patriots,
(18:18):
And the other thing of it is, is IM just
talking about the fans and it's it's funny how you
know that a loss, you know, to the Patriots, and
it's just a loss. When you subtract all the positives
that I talked about in the first segment of the show,
and how the Buccaneers did a lot of things right,
(18:39):
all of that is forgotten when you had a leaky
defense that that didn't hold up. That I don't want
to push the panic button. I don't want to even
talk about the panic button. I don't want to hear
any talk about bulls or this or that this team
is still in a good position. They found a way
to rally all season. Of course, like I said in
(18:59):
the second segment. Not having Baker one percent is not ideal,
of course, but it is what it is as the
Bucks prepare to take on the Bills. Now, the Bills
last I checked, are in second place. Many people kind
of had them penciled in as making a big push
for the Super Bowl. Still might, but I think that
(19:22):
they have taken some steps back. I'm saying that comparatively
where people kind of had them penciled in. So let's
talk about that in the final segment of today's show,
segment three, Why the game comes down to Baker versus Josh. Now,
Baker Mayfield has to outduel Josh Allen and I still
(19:42):
think one of the better qbs in the league. With
your run game limited it and receivers missing, Baker's matchup
performance is the fulcrum. The Bucks need him to be steadier, smarter,
and a cleaner version of himself. Baker can manage the pocket,
you know, and kind of just rely on the pocket.
(20:04):
Don't try to you know, as much as I hate
to say this, don't try to put the cape on
and be Superman and run the football and you know,
really take the TKO and just miss, you know, the
remainder of the season, try to be try to hang
out in the pocket a little bit more, wait for
the plays to develop, and throw the football away. You know,
like Brady used to say, you know, we can lose
(20:26):
a game or two, but if I'm out, well, you
know that's good. That could spell the end of the season.
And that's true for Baker as well, because when you
start to dive into Teddy Bridgewater football, or whoever the
case might be, that's when things can be difficult. So
take single shots when they're there and avoid forcing throws
into trouble. I know that historically interceptions have been an issue,
(20:50):
a bugaboo for Baker. He's kind of turned it around.
Has turned it around, and Tampa can keep this game close.
If Baker tries to do too much and he throws
a couple of turnovers, the Bills will turn those into
points quickly. That is Jameis Winston football. If you remember that,
if there's not a man open, I'm gonna kind of
(21:11):
close my eyes and chuck it down the field, and hey,
something's got to happen, right, I mean, it just has
to not the case. So how the Bucks can try
to slow Josh Allen down. You can completely You can't
completely take allan away, but you can do things to
make him uncomfortable. Mix in disguised pressures, spy him at times,
force him to throw on rhythm instead of throwing on improvisation,
(21:37):
and pressure him early and often with one on one
matchups on the edge. And do not give up explosive
plays over the top. That is easier said than done.
That's easy to say with me, you know, watching it
on my couch on any given Sunday, But it is
the only path to make this chess match instead of
a shootout that historically the Buccaneers have struggled again the
(22:00):
Bills right that. I don't think this is going to
be any easier now. Specific game planning for Baker what
he needs to do. Manage the clock, run when it
helps you, protect the ball, avoid hero plays in the
middle of the field. Use short passing to build rhythm.
When the deep shot opens, take it, but do not
(22:21):
force it. Protect the football in the red zone. Short
fields turn into points. Turnovers in your own territory are
the quickest ways to lose games and on play calls.
Be smart with pace, keep the Bills from getting into
a rhythm. Defensively, eat the clock. When you have the lead,
flip the script and be aggressive when the Bills look vulnerable, because,
(22:45):
like I say, you turn the football over, the game's
going to be over sooner than anyone thinks. You got
to play smart football to win this game. And you
know the Bills, you know, second place, that's still pretty good,
and they are a really good team, and they will
make you pay on any misqueue. And I know that
Baker's frustrated not being able to not being as mobile
(23:08):
as he is accustomed to. However, like I say, you
got to play smart ball here or they will make
you play. So matchups to watch on defense. Cole Bishop
is a guy to account for. The Bucks have to
scheme away his impact or at least be mindful of
the range over the middle. If Bishop is chewing up targets,
(23:28):
the Bucks need to move the ball to the other
areas and exploit matchups elsewhere. Another thing to watch out
here is Bucks handle Allen's rushing lanes. He is more
dangerous with legs cut off of scate planes. Force him
to make throws from clean pockets. Special teams and small
edges that matter in a game like this. A punt return,
(23:49):
a special teams penalty or a field goal can swing
or make or break this game. The Bucks must must
win hidden yardage battles, flip field pass, get one or
two explosive returns. Those tiny things build margin you need
when offense is limited. And you know, like I say,
the Buccaneers got off on the right foot against the Patriots,
(24:11):
and the offense was good, right, it was the defense.
So the defense needs to button it up. They need
to batten down the hatches and just kind of keep
doing what you did offensively. If Baker wins the duel,
what happens. If Baker plays patient, efficient and keeps turnovers
to a minimum, Tampa can absolutely win this. The Bills
(24:33):
have been turnover prone this year. Force one or two.
Let Baker short fields do the rest. That's the path
to upset. If he does not what we are looking at.
If Baker is off, if the line continues to fail
on early down, and if the run game cannot set
the tone, the Bucks will find themselves in a shootout
(24:53):
hole that has bad news. Against a team with Josh Allen,
turnovers become touchdowns. It's spirals quickly. Now the stakes and
the psychology weights. This is not just another Sunday. Both
teams sit near the top of their divisions. The result
effects playoff perception, seating, and team morel A loss would
(25:14):
make the next few weeks feel heavier. A win would
validate the Bucks ability to fight through adversity, and that's
the big thing. You know. They came off a nice
win over the Saints as was expected, they fell to
the Patriots and you know, just taking a look at
the other losses this season, there's not a lot right that,
(25:35):
you know, big picture, the Buccaneers have done some good things.
I'm thinking Lions Eagles in there where those were tougher games,
of course, but I think that the Buccaneers have showed resiliency.
You know, that's going to be the test right now
that you know, it was kind of like last year
they were kind of like full of themselves and then
(25:56):
the bottom fell out. That I agree, you know that
I think that if they lose this game, then I
think the bottom is really going to fall out. I
don't think the season is over again. They're still in
first place in the NFC South, but I think that
it would give them, you know, the swigger that they
need to go forward, because you know, it's not early
(26:17):
in the season anymore. You know, we're into November here,
and that if you take you know, you lose a
few games here, that it could spell the end of
your season. And that's the hard thing about the NFL. Right.
You take a look at baseball, you look at basketball,
you look at hockey, that their seasons are much longer
than the football season, so you can kind of afford
(26:39):
a losing streak here or there and still you know,
wind up on top for the NFL. For the Buccaneers,
they're sitting pretty now, but if they drop a game
two or three, well, that could change everything in a hurry, right,
And I think the luxury as a matter of fact,
I know the luxury for the boxes. They play in
(26:59):
the NFC South, which is big picture kind of horrible,
you know, if you want to compare it to you know,
around the league. You know that five hundred records don't
cut it. You know, five hundred record in the NFC South.
You know, that's one thing. So I think the Buccaneers
are in a good position. Again, I don't want to panic.
I think it's easy to panic, it's easy to dive
(27:20):
into the negative waters. But I think you know, when
you want to just take a look at the facts,
and the facts are there. In first place, they lost
a game that if you removed you know, you covered
your eyes and didn't look at the box of the
final score and just looked at the stats, you would
have thought that's a good game. The defense was not
so good. That needs to get cleaned up. I'm not
trying to sweep that under the rug. But Baker Mayfield
(27:43):
minus is you know, excellent mobility, not turning the ball over,
throwing for some touchdowns. There's a lot of positive. It's
just not going to be easy, nor should it be
right that. You know, you take a look at the
teams around the league and they're ready to high five
each other because they won a game. I got some
Vikings fans near me, and you know, they win one
(28:03):
game and you swear to God that they're ready to,
you know, order their super Bowl cake right that with
the Buccaneers and you know, the rest of the league,
they understand that, you know, you need to win these
big games. You need to get put through your paces.
If you want to win the above all end all,
and the Lord knows you want to the super Bowl,
you got to beat the best teams that are out there,
(28:24):
and you know, you take a look at it. The Bills,
they're the next one on the list. They must win
games like this against truly great opponents. And I would
have it no other way. You know, it's like stealing
a kid's lunch money. Great, you got some money, but
you stole it from a kid, right that. I want
this win to be valid that they went through their paces,
(28:45):
and they faced adversity, and they faced injury. So at
the end of the season, there's no one trying to
take anything away from them that yeah, oh well they
didn't have any injuries. Yep, they did. They didn't have
any setbacks, Yes they did. They found a way to
persevere and overcome. That is what truly great teams are
made of. You know, to be clear here, every team
(29:07):
has to go through this. But the Buccaneers, you know,
oftentimes Pan got a little bit of love to start
this season, have faced a little bit of adversity. I
guess not a tremendous amount. It'll all remain to be
seen what happens on Sunday. If they can win, great,
If not, definitely got to clean it up here. As
you know, we move along where these games have greater implications. Listen,
(29:30):
I want to thank you for joining me on this
edition of The Box Report. Again. The best way to
help grow this show is to subscribe to the Bucks
Report on YouTube. Subscribe like the videos, comment anything down below,
feed that algorithm mo mom. It loves comments, it likes likes,
it likes subscriptions. We'll try to get that bus Report
YouTube channel as big as we can, and of course,
(29:52):
for all of your Buccaneers news, check out the Bucks
Report dot com. All right, listen, I want to thank
you for wanting me on this edition and I'll talk
to you again next time
On today's show, the injury riddled Bucks fall to the Patriots.
Do they have what it takes to take down the Bills?
I'll discuss next on this edition of the Box Report.
Let's get out and then then well, Hello, Endo, welcome
(00:51):
into this edition of the Box Report, part of the
Box Report podcast network. I'm so glad you decided to
join me today. My name is Dan Holmie. You can
find on Twitter. It's at Dan Caps two and eight.
You can find the show on Twitter, It's at Bucks Mincast.
And the best way that you can help grow this
show is to subscribe to the Bucks Report on YouTube,
(01:13):
like the videos and comment anything down below. So in
this edition of the Bucks Report, we talk about the
Bucks as they fell to the Patriots. And you would
swear that the season is over, that this team sucks,
that they should wave the white flag, that they should
hire a new coach. I've heard all of those things,
(01:36):
and last I checked, the Bucks are still in first
place in the NFC South. I'll talk about that a
bit later. I'll talk about the injuries that are surrounding
this team, and ultimately, do the Buccaneers have what it
takes to take down the Bills? But just to get
it going here, let's talk about the last game against
(01:58):
the Patriots and giving credit where credits do. That's a
pretty good Patriots team, right. I don't think that there's
any real as ifs or butts about it. But the Buccaneers,
you know, they thought valiantly. And one of the things
that's pretty apparent to me, and I think it's apparent
to you as well, and you know, the team knows
it is that Baker is not one hundred percent. The
(02:22):
Buccaneers play best when he can scramble, you know, if
there's not an open receiver that he will oftentimes run
for the first down. And what we've seen from him
this season is sometimes he doesn't dive, you know, he'll
just wait to take that impact. And that's kind of
really getting drawn into focus right now that you know
(02:42):
the team has played well this season minus some big
players talking Evans, Godwin, you know, Worths to start the season,
that they found a way to rally, you know, and
pretty much all their wide receivers just totally depleted, you know,
not next man up, the next next man up, and
(03:04):
the Buccaneers have found a way to win games. But
now that we don't see a Baker Mayfield that is
one hundred percent healthy. He's still in the game. Could
you imagine if he wasn't in there that when he
cannot scramble the way that he did earlier in the season.
That is getting really drawn into focus. And if you're
(03:24):
not too familiar about it, is that Baker is dealing
with multiple injuries, including a knee and oblique issue, but
is still playing through them. He has acknowledged that his
physical condition has impacted his speed and scrambling ability, though
he has stated that the bye week provided some relief.
The Buccaneers list him with these issues and it is
(03:46):
generally understood that he is managing his injuries for the
remainder of the season, so the impact on play. He
has admitted that the injuries have limited his ability to
scramble effectively, and his overall speed is not at its peak.
So that's the tough position, and that's the hard part
(04:07):
about having a quarterback on your team that has happy feet.
And to be clear here, I think that the Buccaneers
would not have won as many games had he not
done those things that he had done, So I'm not
trying to hold that against him. But the one thing
for me, that's really getting drawn into focus here is
the late game heroics that we saw to start the season.
(04:29):
And I asked Steve ver Snick when he was on
the show and we talked about the sustainability of that
that we're seeing that drawn into focus that in a
lot of ways, the Buccaneers got lucky to start the
season right that they found a way to rally and
win these games late. But they're running out of luck
in with Baker, not one hundred percent. That is where
(04:50):
it's getting difficult. But let's just talk about the game,
Like I said, what went wrong, And the biggest takeaway
is the Bucks lost not because they were matched, not
because the offense failed, but because the defense gave three
explosive touchdowns of fifty five yards or more. That's the game,
(05:11):
and those plays flipped everything. And when you're in a
tight matchup and your offense is actually keeping you in
it and then boom, seventy two yard touchdown, fifty five
yard run, sixty nine yard run, it's like, man, what
do we even do with that? And those are the
moments in the game that make the difference, because it's
(05:33):
not like the Bucks didn't score. The Bucks put up
twenty three points. Baker threw for two hundred and seventy
three yards and three touchdowns, no interceptions. That should be
a winning stat line, right. I mean if you looked
at it and you didn't look at the box score,
you just looked at who scored yardage, all of those things,
(05:54):
and you obscured the final score, you would assume that
the Buccaneers won. But the Patriots hit those huge chunk plays.
And that's the story the game, and that is ultimately
why the Bucks lost and what went wrong and why
did it go wrong? The offense did enough to win.
Backer was actually sharp. He gave you everything you could
(06:15):
have asked for. Three touchdowns, zero turnovers, almost three hundred yards.
He looked comfortable even behind a battered offense. Our rookie receivers, man,
they showed up, you know, a Buka again, the saving
grace of this team. The kid is looking like a
future wide receiver one in the waiting. Six catches, one
(06:35):
hundred and fifteen yards, A lot of those came in
big moments. And then talking about depth, depth upon depth,
tes Johnson touchdowns, some nice separation, another guy who's growing
every single week in the run game as well, you know,
one hundred and thirteen yards on a Patriots defense that
(06:56):
usually doesn't give anything on the ground. That's not nothing.
That's offense. We did our part, but defensively, the defense
gave up the game. You can't give up a fifty
seven plus percent of an opponent's total yards on four plays.
You just can't. Like I said, a fifty five yard
(07:18):
rushing touchdown, a fifty four yard a reception late in
the game, and that dagger, that sixty nine yard touchdown
run that sealed the deal. Those four plays were practically
New England's entire offense. And when Todd Bowles comes out
and says we didn't coach well enough, it starts with me.
(07:39):
I mean talking about a guy falling on the sword.
That the offense was there, but you know the defense
runs the rim as well, and I mean that tells
you everything you need to know. Accountability is good, but
those breakdowns in that game, they're on everybody, the coaching,
the tackling, the angles, the communication. And you know what
makes it even sting more, this is the first game
(08:01):
the Bucks lost all season without turning the ball over.
A Baker did the things that he should do, the
things that he's capable of doing in the position that
he's in, right that we know he's dinged up, like
I illustrated off the top of the show. They protected
the ball, they moved the ball, they executed in the
red zone, and still lost the bleep in game. So
(08:24):
the late game moment, and then man, you think you've
got another shot when Tyke Smith makes that diving interception
in the end zone. Incredible play, rookie saving the day.
Then Baker drives the team down to the Patriots twenty
seven yard line. Crowd's quiet, you feel the momentum shifting.
But fourth down comes, pressure hits, and the drive falls short.
(08:48):
Again the late game heroics. The end was going to
come at some point. Next possession, the Patriots take a
handoff sixty nine yards to the house. Game set done.
That's how fast that one turned over. The Buccaneers should
have won the game. Should is the operative word. Did
(09:09):
they do that? Of course no? So what now and
what's next? Fixing the defense has to be priority number one.
Those explosive plays, we can't sugarcoat it. They were breakdowns,
big ones and repeat ones. That's communication, that's discipline, tackling
and coaching and Todd Bowles knows it. He took the
(09:31):
heat publicly. Now the staff and the players got to
fix it privately. Keep building the offense. Look, the young
weapons showed promise. Kate Atton continues to be one of
Baker's most reliable targets. Eg Buka is coming into his own.
The run game showed signs of life and that's minus Bucky. Right.
If they stack the grow, this offense can absolutely take
(09:54):
the next step over the second half of the season.
But big picture in the NFC South like a top.
It's not doom and gloom. It's not like fire Todd
Bowles that the bottom's falling out, not yet anyway. They
still sit a top of the NFC South. That's the
good news, if there is good news. After giving up
three touchdowns, the Bucks are still in first place. The
(10:15):
division is still right there. Everything is still in front
of them. But momentum, yeah, that matters, and right now
we need to bounce back. Do the Buccaneers have what
it takes. That's the big question. Ultimately the ball is
in their court, all right. So coming up here after
the break, we'll talk about the injuries and we'll talk
(10:37):
about how the Buccaneer Buccaneers prepare for the Bills straight ahead.
All right, Welcome back into this edition of the Bucks
Report podcast network, also simulcast on the Bucks Minutecast podcast feed,
a part of the fans' first sports network. Again for
(11:00):
all of your Buccaneers news, check out the Bucks Report
dot Com. All right. In the second segment here, we're
talking about how the Buccaneers got into this position and
the injury picture and what it actually costs you. So
let's walk through this. It's not just names on a list.
It's how each absence forces a change in play calling, coverage, reads,
(11:24):
and the way the defense approaches you. And just to
talk about it, let's talk about the players. If you
don't know that are out. Brettison Godwin, Bucky Irving, Hassan Reddick,
and Marquis Watts all listed on bucks dot Com as
being out on Sunday, And then again, you got players
(11:46):
that aren't one hundred percent. I'm talking about Baker Mayfield
and it should really come as no surprise that the
Buccaneers are in the position that they're in now. Bucky
Irving being out is huge. He's not only a or
who can break a long one, he's a back who
creates mismatches in passing games. Without him, you don't just
(12:07):
lose to burse, you lose checkdowns and play action leverage.
And you know, Rashad White doing what he's done in
Tucker and all of this that you know we are getting,
you know, I guess I want to say surprising performances,
but not too surprising. That you know, I'm pleasantly surprised
with with what I've seen from from Tucker big picture
(12:29):
this season, and that Rashad White, you know, I don't
think is as we thought he was going to be,
but has shown some promise as well. And that you
know Bucky Irvin, you know, we saw him practice, you know,
obviously not good enough to play on Sunday, but is
edging closer to return. People were talking about that, you know,
(12:50):
he was kind of jumping around at practice that Hey
put this guy in. As we find out, it's more
of the shoulder area there that is the area of concern.
So I think that we want to do the right
thing and and wait for Bucky in particular to be
one hundred percent because we don't want an injury to
exacerbate it. Where he takes a couple of steps back
(13:10):
especially if we can have him back one hundred percent,
uh as we should knock on wood here that he
will be able to help this team later in the season.
And Chris Godwin being out trinks the field. Defenses don't
need to respect the underneath seems with the same intensity.
So Mike Evans gets double or bracketed more often, and rookies,
(13:31):
like a booka becomes the primary reads far earlier, uh
than they should. But you know, like when I talk
about who's in the game, and that's when when Evans
is back. Rather I'm just talking about, you know, big
picture here, how this team is going to perform that
it is a bit concerning that, you know, we're dealing
(13:51):
with a lot of injuries and how does this team
overcome and get back into the win column Because I
talk about Evans being back there when he's you know,
one hundred percent, you know, whenever, and I'm also talking
about you know, Godwin and these other players that it
is a difficult position for the Buccaneers to be in
when you're having to draw into depth and I'm talking
(14:13):
deep depth here, and you know, as far as Godwin
is concerned, it's almost like, you know, this team is
kind of just used to him not being here that
you know, he's in a lot of times. Most of
the time, it's not his fault that he's injured, right that.
You know, you see some dirty tackles this or that,
but at the end of the day, he hasn't been
there to help the team contribute. So that's why you've
(14:35):
seen guys like Abuca have to step up. And also
you know Johnson and Johnson that we've seen them step
up as well, and Kate Atten that. You know, this
team has had to shift. It has had to come
up with ways to try to win these games because
it has not been easy thus far. Bulls and the
(14:55):
staff are being careful with the players that are out,
and that's smart, but it also frustrating because we want
reinforcements soon. Guys practicing on a Wednesday does not mean
they're one hundred percent on Sunday. That's the balance the
team is trying to strike. If Evans and McMillan are
back in December again, kind of ball in the air.
(15:16):
You know, at first we thought that McMillan was going
to be back after the bye week. It would change
everything in a hurry. If those returns are delayed. The
team needs to find reliable options within or on the wire. Again,
I think that Light is going to have to go
out and make an acquisition. You know, certain positions are depleted,
(15:37):
and you know, I think it's kind of just a
wait and see approach, right that if you see Godwin, Evans, McMillan,
what position, you know, they're not going to be one
hundred percent right out of the gate. They've missed a
substantial amount of time of talking McMillan in particular, he's
been out for a long time. That what put you know,
how are these players going to look when they are
finally back to go and the emotional and taal cost
(16:00):
to the injuries, There is a mental edge that goes
with having your top players in the lineup. Confidence breeds
aggressive calls. Without it, conservative conservative calls come creeping in.
The offense becomes predictable, and predictability is death against a
good defense. And you know, like I said, given credit
where credits due, the Patriots are good. That may the
(16:23):
quarterback for them really really good that you know, there's
a bit of question mark in the Pulse Brady era
in New England that you know, it definitely was a
fall from grace for a bit there that but I
think that things are going well in New England. I
don't wish him the best, but just kind of observationally
here that that team seems to be back in good
(16:45):
form and we're hoping the Bucks, you know, can get
some of these players back. We hope that you know,
Baker Mayfield, you know, you know, what he said is
that he felt a bit better after the bye week.
We need to see him closer to one hundred percent.
And I know that's you know, outside of his control.
And as far as Baker's concerned, He's used to playing
(17:06):
through injuries and this is just another thing that he
might be injured far more than he's letting on. But
that's what's getting drawn into focus, is that the Buccaneers
were able to overcome wide receiver depth issues, running back
depth issues, some line issues. But you know, Baker Mayfield
even being diminished is a blow to this team, as
(17:29):
was evident. You know, I'm going to say in the
game against the Patriots, he did the right thing, no turnovers,
passed for some good yards there, but his mobility taking
some steps back. That has been a tough blow for
this team. And do they have what it takes to
overcome the bills. That is what I'll talk about straight ahead.
(17:53):
All right, Welcome back into this edition of the Bucks Report,
part of the Bucks Report podcast network. Again check them
out out Bucksreport dot com. This podcast also simulcast on
the Bucks Minutecast podcast feed, a part of the Fans'
first sports network. So, in the final segment of today's show,
kind of did the post mortem on the Buccaneers versus Patriots,
(18:18):
And the other thing of it is, is IM just
talking about the fans and it's it's funny how you
know that a loss, you know, to the Patriots, and
it's just a loss. When you subtract all the positives
that I talked about in the first segment of the show,
and how the Buccaneers did a lot of things right,
(18:39):
all of that is forgotten when you had a leaky
defense that that didn't hold up. That I don't want
to push the panic button. I don't want to even
talk about the panic button. I don't want to hear
any talk about bulls or this or that this team
is still in a good position. They found a way
to rally all season. Of course, like I said in
(18:59):
the second segment. Not having Baker one percent is not ideal,
of course, but it is what it is as the
Bucks prepare to take on the Bills. Now, the Bills
last I checked, are in second place. Many people kind
of had them penciled in as making a big push
for the Super Bowl. Still might, but I think that
(19:22):
they have taken some steps back. I'm saying that comparatively
where people kind of had them penciled in. So let's
talk about that in the final segment of today's show,
segment three, Why the game comes down to Baker versus Josh. Now,
Baker Mayfield has to outduel Josh Allen and I still
(19:42):
think one of the better qbs in the league. With
your run game limited it and receivers missing, Baker's matchup
performance is the fulcrum. The Bucks need him to be steadier, smarter,
and a cleaner version of himself. Baker can manage the pocket,
you know, and kind of just rely on the pocket.
(20:04):
Don't try to you know, as much as I hate
to say this, don't try to put the cape on
and be Superman and run the football and you know,
really take the TKO and just miss, you know, the
remainder of the season, try to be try to hang
out in the pocket a little bit more, wait for
the plays to develop, and throw the football away. You know,
like Brady used to say, you know, we can lose
(20:26):
a game or two, but if I'm out, well, you
know that's good. That could spell the end of the season.
And that's true for Baker as well, because when you
start to dive into Teddy Bridgewater football, or whoever the
case might be, that's when things can be difficult. So
take single shots when they're there and avoid forcing throws
into trouble. I know that historically interceptions have been an issue,
(20:50):
a bugaboo for Baker. He's kind of turned it around.
Has turned it around, and Tampa can keep this game close.
If Baker tries to do too much and he throws
a couple of turnovers, the Bills will turn those into
points quickly. That is Jameis Winston football. If you remember that,
if there's not a man open, I'm gonna kind of
(21:11):
close my eyes and chuck it down the field, and hey,
something's got to happen, right, I mean, it just has
to not the case. So how the Bucks can try
to slow Josh Allen down. You can completely You can't
completely take allan away, but you can do things to
make him uncomfortable. Mix in disguised pressures, spy him at times,
force him to throw on rhythm instead of throwing on improvisation,
(21:37):
and pressure him early and often with one on one
matchups on the edge. And do not give up explosive
plays over the top. That is easier said than done.
That's easy to say with me, you know, watching it
on my couch on any given Sunday, But it is
the only path to make this chess match instead of
a shootout that historically the Buccaneers have struggled again the
(22:00):
Bills right that. I don't think this is going to
be any easier now. Specific game planning for Baker what
he needs to do. Manage the clock, run when it
helps you, protect the ball, avoid hero plays in the
middle of the field. Use short passing to build rhythm.
When the deep shot opens, take it, but do not
(22:21):
force it. Protect the football in the red zone. Short
fields turn into points. Turnovers in your own territory are
the quickest ways to lose games and on play calls.
Be smart with pace, keep the Bills from getting into
a rhythm. Defensively, eat the clock. When you have the lead,
flip the script and be aggressive when the Bills look vulnerable, because,
(22:45):
like I say, you turn the football over, the game's
going to be over sooner than anyone thinks. You got
to play smart football to win this game. And you
know the Bills, you know, second place, that's still pretty good,
and they are a really good team, and they will
make you pay on any misqueue. And I know that
Baker's frustrated not being able to not being as mobile
(23:08):
as he is accustomed to. However, like I say, you
got to play smart ball here or they will make
you play. So matchups to watch on defense. Cole Bishop
is a guy to account for. The Bucks have to
scheme away his impact or at least be mindful of
the range over the middle. If Bishop is chewing up targets,
(23:28):
the Bucks need to move the ball to the other
areas and exploit matchups elsewhere. Another thing to watch out
here is Bucks handle Allen's rushing lanes. He is more
dangerous with legs cut off of scate planes. Force him
to make throws from clean pockets. Special teams and small
edges that matter in a game like this. A punt return,
(23:49):
a special teams penalty or a field goal can swing
or make or break this game. The Bucks must must
win hidden yardage battles, flip field pass, get one or
two explosive returns. Those tiny things build margin you need
when offense is limited. And you know, like I say,
the Buccaneers got off on the right foot against the Patriots,
(24:11):
and the offense was good, right, it was the defense.
So the defense needs to button it up. They need
to batten down the hatches and just kind of keep
doing what you did offensively. If Baker wins the duel,
what happens. If Baker plays patient, efficient and keeps turnovers
to a minimum, Tampa can absolutely win this. The Bills
(24:33):
have been turnover prone this year. Force one or two.
Let Baker short fields do the rest. That's the path
to upset. If he does not what we are looking at.
If Baker is off, if the line continues to fail
on early down, and if the run game cannot set
the tone, the Bucks will find themselves in a shootout
(24:53):
hole that has bad news. Against a team with Josh Allen,
turnovers become touchdowns. It's spirals quickly. Now the stakes and
the psychology weights. This is not just another Sunday. Both
teams sit near the top of their divisions. The result
effects playoff perception, seating, and team morel A loss would
(25:14):
make the next few weeks feel heavier. A win would
validate the Bucks ability to fight through adversity, and that's
the big thing. You know. They came off a nice
win over the Saints as was expected, they fell to
the Patriots and you know, just taking a look at
the other losses this season, there's not a lot right that,
(25:35):
you know, big picture, the Buccaneers have done some good things.
I'm thinking Lions Eagles in there where those were tougher games,
of course, but I think that the Buccaneers have showed resiliency.
You know, that's going to be the test right now
that you know, it was kind of like last year
they were kind of like full of themselves and then
(25:56):
the bottom fell out. That I agree, you know that
I think that if they lose this game, then I
think the bottom is really going to fall out. I
don't think the season is over again. They're still in
first place in the NFC South, but I think that
it would give them, you know, the swigger that they
need to go forward, because you know, it's not early
(26:17):
in the season anymore. You know, we're into November here,
and that if you take you know, you lose a
few games here, that it could spell the end of
your season. And that's the hard thing about the NFL. Right.
You take a look at baseball, you look at basketball,
you look at hockey, that their seasons are much longer
than the football season, so you can kind of afford
(26:39):
a losing streak here or there and still you know,
wind up on top for the NFL. For the Buccaneers,
they're sitting pretty now, but if they drop a game
two or three, well, that could change everything in a hurry, right,
And I think the luxury as a matter of fact,
I know the luxury for the boxes. They play in
(26:59):
the NFC South, which is big picture kind of horrible,
you know, if you want to compare it to you know,
around the league. You know that five hundred records don't
cut it. You know, five hundred record in the NFC South.
You know, that's one thing. So I think the Buccaneers
are in a good position. Again, I don't want to panic.
I think it's easy to panic, it's easy to dive
(27:20):
into the negative waters. But I think you know, when
you want to just take a look at the facts,
and the facts are there. In first place, they lost
a game that if you removed you know, you covered
your eyes and didn't look at the box of the
final score and just looked at the stats, you would
have thought that's a good game. The defense was not
so good. That needs to get cleaned up. I'm not
trying to sweep that under the rug. But Baker Mayfield
(27:43):
minus is you know, excellent mobility, not turning the ball over,
throwing for some touchdowns. There's a lot of positive. It's
just not going to be easy, nor should it be
right that. You know, you take a look at the
teams around the league and they're ready to high five
each other because they won a game. I got some
Vikings fans near me, and you know, they win one
(28:03):
game and you swear to God that they're ready to,
you know, order their super Bowl cake right that with
the Buccaneers and you know, the rest of the league,
they understand that, you know, you need to win these
big games. You need to get put through your paces.
If you want to win the above all end all,
and the Lord knows you want to the super Bowl,
you got to beat the best teams that are out there,
(28:24):
and you know, you take a look at it. The Bills,
they're the next one on the list. They must win
games like this against truly great opponents. And I would
have it no other way. You know, it's like stealing
a kid's lunch money. Great, you got some money, but
you stole it from a kid, right that. I want
this win to be valid that they went through their paces,
(28:45):
and they faced adversity, and they faced injury. So at
the end of the season, there's no one trying to
take anything away from them that yeah, oh well they
didn't have any injuries. Yep, they did. They didn't have
any setbacks, Yes they did. They found a way to
persevere and overcome. That is what truly great teams are
made of. You know, to be clear here, every team
(29:07):
has to go through this. But the Buccaneers, you know,
oftentimes Pan got a little bit of love to start
this season, have faced a little bit of adversity. I
guess not a tremendous amount. It'll all remain to be
seen what happens on Sunday. If they can win, great,
If not, definitely got to clean it up here. As
you know, we move along where these games have greater implications. Listen,
(29:30):
I want to thank you for joining me on this
edition of The Box Report. Again. The best way to
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(29:52):
for all of your Buccaneers news, check out the Bucks
Report dot com. All right, listen, I want to thank
you for wanting me on this edition and I'll talk
to you again next time
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