Less than a month ago everything was sunshine and rainbows in Tampa Bay (weather notwithstanding). Star QB Baker Mayfield had just signed a long-term contract extension, the team was looking healthy and the problems that cost them a fifth straight division title seemed like a distant memory.
But then they lost their season opener to the Cincinnati Bengals. And last week they were stunned at home by the Cleveland Browns, dropping them to 0-2.
It should be no surprise that the mood isn’t great for the Bucs right now.
That was the assessment of Bucs legend and Hall of Fame cornerback Ronde Barber, who recently said on his WFLA radio show that the team simply doesn’t look ready to compete right now. He suggested that the team has been treating these first few games almost like extensions of the preseason.
“Look, the mood is not great,” Barber said. ”There’s too many mistakes. There’s a lack of urgency, if you will, in my mind when I look at them going onto the field. There’s got to be a little bit of a sense of a defining characteristic of your team through Week 2. I don’t know what that is. It’s mistakes. It’s busts. It’s lack of execution.
“Week 2 can’t be the fifth preseason game. At some point you have to start hitting your stride. And it doesn’t feel like they’re in their stride right now on either side of the ball.”
Bad Time for Bowles
If the Buccaneers continue to struggle then head coach Todd Bowles can probably kiss his job goodbye. He’s already fairly unpopular among fans and only narrowly avoided getting axed after the team lost seven of their final nine games last year and missed the playoffs.
With so much money invested into Mayfield, Bowles will almost certainly be the sacrificial lamb.
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Sunday’s game against the Minnesota Vikings is now an absolute must-win for Bowles, Mayfield and the rest of the team. If they fall into an 0-3 hole their odds of rallying to make the playoffs effectively dies.
Tampa Bay has missed the playoffs 10 straight times in seasons where they’ve started 0-3 and never done so in a non-strike year.
