OT: Official 2021 Tompa Bay Gronkaneers Thread

[Tunescribe]

He's probably one of the fans who cried to the mods to have Brady discussions moved to a sub-forum and now, after one of Brady's few losses, has decided to show up here to take some cheap shots.

"Cheap" shots? That's a cheap shot in itself! Any "shots" I take are thoroughly researched. And GTFO with this crying to the mods nonsense you insufferable grump.

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

It should be a fun second half of the year.

The Patriots have a soft schedule upcoming and might be able to run off a handful of wins. It would be awesome if the Bills-Bucs game has double implications and a Bucs win would give the Patriots a real chance for the division.

Mac is rounding into form. It’s strange because I felt his stats overrated him before, and now I feel his stats have fallen down but his level of play has gone up. He’s throwing some nice passes downfield. Would be awesome if the Patriots could find an alpha on offense, but I think that ship has sailed, unfortunately.

On defense, the Patriots are solid. That’s the area where I think coaching does matter a lot with Bill…his defenses are almost alwaya greater than the sum of their parts. I don’t think many teams can throw on them if they can’t establish the run. I had them winning 11 games before the season, and while they started really slowly, I think 10-11 isn’t out of the question. Their second half schedule looks much easier than first glance, while teams like Dallas and New Orleans were a lot tougher than expected.

The Bucs will be fine. They're either getting the #1 seed or they’re winning 13/14 games and will hopefully get a first round pretender in that case. #2 seed still has some importance for round 2 HFA. I just thought they needed to win all the games where they had no business losing, and they’ve done that. They were fortunate to escape Dallas and New England and even has some late game scares against Atlanta and Philadelphia. Play a bunch of close games, you’re going to lose some.

Just hope the consequences for rushing back Gronk don’t extend to the postseason. But they should have Gronk, Brown, Davis, Murphy-Bunting, and Sherman coming back. Most teams can’t list that many impact players likely to return.

Despite the loss, I think Brady has positioned himself nicely in the MVP race, especially since he’ll get to play Allen head to head. I can’t see a scenario where Brady throws 50+ TDs, the team wins 14 games, and he doesn’t win it. And I’d love to see him get to 56. Even though it’s a long shot, it’s the first time he’ll get the benefit of warm weather down the stretch.

Should be a great 2021 season...can’t ask for much more as a fan.

 

[amfootball]

Despite the loss, I think Brady has positioned himself nicely in the MVP race, especially since he’ll get to play Allen head to head. I can’t see a scenario where Brady throws 50+ TDs, the team wins 14 games, and he doesn’t win it. And I’d love to see him get to 56. Even though it’s a long shot, it’s the first time he’ll get the benefit of warm weather down the stretch.

Honestly, IMO this is the story of the season. If Brady can get to 50 for the second time in his career, 14 years after the first time, it will be a total mind blow. In a way, the sucky defense is helping him reach that total. My hope is he stays on fire and the Bucs round into form in Dec like last year with the Panters twice and the Jete to end the season.

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

It was a penalty but it was weak. I prefer crews that won't call ANY of that kind of stuff because there are no crews that will call ALL of the weak stuff. Just like you said... they cant be consistent when making ticky calls because there would be too many and they miss big holds and call small game changing nonsense. It's best to call almost nothing but the hardcore stuff. Some crews do a better job of that and then some crews throw flags every 4 plays and then decide to not call anything in the 4th and it keeps games close.

I don’t know what it is with Clete Blakeman. He isn’t anti-Brady and doesn’t have a special team or anything, but it seems there’s often some one-sidedness in any given game. Maybe it’s home crowd stuff. Or maybe he’s just betting on the games (joking, kind of.)

Anyway, the Bucs certainly didn’t get many calls, but I’ve seen so many teams melt down like this against the Saints the last few years. I think their players and coaches are good at getting into players heads.

The roughing the passer call on Winfield’s INT is going to get called 100% of the time. Why hit the QB? Honestly. You’re frustrated, I get it, but pushing the QB after the pass? Automatic penalty. So stupid. Late in the game, an encroachment penalty on a 3rd and 5 that would have potentially ended the game with a punt.

The Bucs made too many mental errors and out themselves in a situation where they had to be perfect to overcome them, and they weren’t.

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

Yeah I’m legit frightened. He was back on the sidelines fine which is good I guess. But it being his back I worry he’s gonna get news that he really just shouldn’t play any longer.

****ing pisses me off. A chunk of his injury history in his career is due to rushing him back, and it’s believed that’s one reason for his animosity with the Patriots. Not saying the Bucs pushed him to return, and this may have been his decision too.

This team has two competent tight ends in Brate and Howard and a zillion skill players. Sure, we’d all like to see him play, and it’s an importsnt gsme, but here’s the downside. Now you may have a much bigger problem and lost the game regardless. Had the bye citing up followed by some easy wins.

 

[amfootball]

****ing pisses me off. A chunk of his injury history in his career is due to rushing him back, and it’s believed that’s one reason for his animosity with the Patriots. Not saying the Bucs pushed him to return, and this may have been his decision too.

This team has two competent tight ends in Brate and Howard and a zillion skill players. Sure, we’d all like to see him play, and it’s an importsnt gsme, but here’s the downside. Now you may have a much bigger problem and lost the game regardless. Had the bye citing up followed by some easy wins.

Arians said he was begging to get into the game. Really stupid to play him. That being said, if Brady threw that ball to his outside shoulder it is an easy TD.

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

What's with this infatuation with coaches? Sean Payton won 1 SB in his entire career and that was aided by a PEDton Manning pick 6 to end the game. It's about the players, not the coaches. Always has been and always will be.

As you know, I’m completely with you, as we discussed with the QB rankings the QB is 95% and the coach is 5%.

However, the Saints have built an outlier system with the use of athletic linemen, screen passes, and short crossers. There’s a reason why Brees was the lowest in the league among recognized QBs in air yards/attempt, often by a wide margin, and yet putting up passer ratings over 110.

I’d argue the difference between Belichick and Payton from 2010-19 is largely due to the QB play down the stretch. In the postseason, teams create more tailored gameplans and made Brees beat them over the top. He couldn’t. Brady won so many postseason games where he needed to go balls to the wall; I don’t remember Brees winning any.

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

The Giants, Broncos, and now Saints

There’s football explanations for these struggles, but no football explanation for @ Dolphins.

 

[amfootball]

There’s football explanations for these struggles, but no football explanation for @ Dolphins.

My fear is that game is going to ruin our season.

 

[gobesmug]

oldest coach to ever win a SB and two time coach of the year. He’s probably making the hall of fame lol

Moronic Boob coaches win Super Bowls. It happens when you have great QB play unless you think guys like Mike Tomlin, Mike McCarthy, Pete Carrol, Tony Dungy, Doug Peterson, and John Harbaugh are actually good.

Since 2000 Id argue only 4 good/great coaches won a Super Bowl. Belichick, Coughlin, Peyton, and Fat Andy. They didn’t win all 21 Super Bowls between them.

Both Mike Tomlin and John Harbaugh are good coaches.

Tomlin has never had a losing season. Going 8-8 is his worse. He also has played in a division against the Ravens, John Harbaugh, who are always difficult.

Pete Carroll is also a winning coach. He did better in NE with Bledsoe at QB than Bill did. That's not a knock against Bill just a fact to show Pete is good.

Tony Dungy also built the Bucs into a strong team that Gruden used to win a Superbowl with.

I'm not saying they are as a good as Bill but they were/are good coaches that I would take over the likes of Lovie Smith, Bill O Brian, Josh McDaniels, Rex Ryan, Mangini, Romeo Crenel, or any other Belichick coordinator.

For the 2000s Belichick was definitely the best followed by Coughlin. Coughlin made the Jags a perennial deep playoff team and then made the Giants a 2 Superbowl winning team with Eli

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

I don’t want an overuse of replay, but I think they should allow challenges for helmet to helmet, and for hitting the QB’s helmet. Since the rules aren’t based merely on intent or “head hunting” and require actual helmet contact, it seems those should be reviewable. It’s really annoying to see 15 yard penalties awarded because the refs mistakenly thought contact was made; I don’t see how it’s any different than reviewing if a ball touched a player or if a guy stepped out of bounds. I saw numerous plays like this in the Bucs, Patriots, and other games yesterday. And I think it’s a crappy cop-out for broadcasters to say “well, I guess you have to call that because it was close and you ere on the side of safety” or whatever.

 

[amfootball]

I don’t want an overuse of replay, but I think they should allow challenges for helmet to helmet, and for hitting the QB’s helmet. Since the rules aren’t based merely on intent or “head hunting” and require actual helmet contact, it seems those should be reviewable. It’s really annoying to see 15 yard penalties awarded because the refs mistakenly thought contact was made; I don’t see how it’s any different than reviewing if a ball touched a player or if a guy stepped out of bounds. I saw numerous plays like this in the Bucs, Patriots, and other games yesterday. And I think it’s a crappy cop-out for broadcasters to say “well, I guess you have to call that because it was close and you ere on the side of safety” or whatever.

Not only that but Gholston's helmet was being ripped off. I am not sure even saw when he came down and touched Siemian. He looked disoriented to me.

 

[SHOWTIME15]

My fear is that game is going to ruin our season.

The Pats?

 

[VectorPrime]

Rams traded for Von Miller. God freaking dam.nit. Any chance he’s washed it’s not like I’ve seen many Broncos games lately.

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

Rams traded for Von Miller. God freaking dam.nit. Any chance he’s washed it’s not like I’ve seen many Broncos games lately.

I like their aggressiveness. Go all-in while you can.

 

[Tottie]

Rams traded for Von Miller. God freaking dam.nit. Any chance he’s washed it’s not like I’ve seen many Broncos games lately.

AND Denver paying his salary. Holy **** what a move.

 

[Guts]

I like their aggressiveness. Go all-in while you can.

I still think they're too top heavy. One significant injury and they're toast. They don't have the depth Tampa has.

 

[VectorPrime]

There is such an unbelievable world of difference between the Rams winning their division and likely being the 1 seed with two home games and coming right behind the Cardinals and only being a wild card needing to play 3 road games. They already lost half of the head to head tie breaker with Arizona and their next matchup is in Phoenix.

 

[amfootball]

Oh how I love the Rams!

 

[jal]

Pyrrhic victory for the Saints yesterday - losing their starting QB with no real options behind him.

Bucs are in a good spot - they moved the ball at will in the second half against a top 3 pass D (averaged 7.3 yards per play!) and they are getting their starting corners plus Antonio Brown back after the bye. They need to focus on getting their penalty situation under control, which this loss plus a bye to stew over it should help with. If Brady can keep it up I don't see how he doesn't win the MVP - age 44 and leading the NFL in passing yards and touchdowns while being top 3 in passer rating (ignoring injured players like Russell Wilson and Tyrod Taylor). NFC will come down to Bucs vs. Rams in the end - I trust the offense to make enough plays, the winner will be determined on whether the Bucs can get their D by playoff time to perform back at the level of the 2020 playoffs.

The Pats are really rounding into form with the defense making really timely plays and the offense starting to show some explosiveness (key being "some"). I think they have a great shot to make the playoffs and frankly the AFC is wide-open. I do expect the ultimate SB favorite to come out of the NFC (either Bucs or Rams).