For loyal fans who get pumped up to see the Bucs win, this game was a total letdown. I was so frustrated when we had 4th and 6, down 8 points, and we decide to go for it with plenty of time left. We had an easy field goal that would have put us only down 5 points and then the Jeramy Stevens touchdown would have been the winning touchdown instead we go home losers.......

You need to get three points when you are down by 8 and you have plenty of time left…

A game likes this makes me wonder why I get all dressed up with Bucs gear, invite friends over, and have to see that......

Like it or not, these last two games have no impact on who the Bucs play in the playoffs.  It is the NY Giants, and the media in NY are looking forward to a first round victory.

No one is going to care if the Bucs are 11-5 or 9-7.  What everyone will care is if they win that first playoff game or not.  I will gladly give up these last two games for a guaranteed victory in January.  If it results in that, I could care less what Gruden does for the rest of December.  My two cents.

I have to disagree about throwing the next to last game. I could see resting the starters this weekend as a lower seeded playoff team but not BOTH of the last two games. It means a lot to fans, ownership, and even many of the players between being a double digit winner and a mere 9-7 playoff team.
Only one 9-7 playoff team has ever made it to the Superbowl- through luck mostly too. The LA Rams of the old NFC West in 1979.
I think that the Bucs on a very good day can beat Dallas or Green Bay in their own stadiums but first we need to get past the NY Giants. To do that we need momentum. That is not gained by losing 3 of the last four after the lucky win against the Saints.

Poor Chucky can’t win. All year long he has guys going down left and right (including LAST game). The biggest worry has been “Dont let Jeff get Hurt!”. Well, yes, Jeff is the main cog in this machine but what happens if Earnest Graham goes down? Joey Galloway? A linebacker? Corner? He sat the players with a guranteed home playoff game and it was the smart thing to do. We lost to the Niners, that sucks. LOL, I’d love to go into the posteason sporting an 11-5 record but hey, I’d also love to coast into the playoffs with all our starters intact. Smart move Chucky, if you played them and one went down, this week woulda been about Gruden NOT sitting players.

As stated before, I have no problem with Gruden resting starters......What I have a problem with is going for it on 4th and 6 down by 8 and not taking the easy 3 points. We had plenty of time left and if this game meant anything more people would be talking about how bad of a call that was....

As far as the playoffs go, The Bucs Defense is as good as it gets...... With a defense like that, they will always have a chance to win.

buccaneers1 - 26 December 2007 09:43 AM

As stated before, I have no problem with Gruden resting starters......What I have a problem with is going for it on 4th and 6 down by 8 and not taking the easy 3 points. We had plenty of time left and if this game meant anything more people would be talking about how bad of a call that was....

As far as the playoffs go, The Bucs Defense is as good as it gets...... With a defense like that, they will always have a chance to win.

Easy 3 points?  You may want to check out that statement - by my recollection your “easy 3” was at the 49ers 37 yard line.  If you add 10 yards for the post behind the end zone line, and another 7 yards to back up for the kick, that amounts to a 54 yard field goal.  Although close, the kicker is 0 for 2 this year over 50 yards, and only around 40% for over 40 yards.  His kicking has declined this year.  The odds were he would miss if attempted.  So, Gruden went for it.  That kick was no sure thing no matter how you measure it.  I still think he made the right decision there.

Yes, easy three points....You may want to double check your stats.......Or you can go to http://bucsscene.theledger.com/ and let me know if you still feel the same way....... Bucs were at the 25 yard line which makes it a 42 yard field goal.......... Yes, this should be easy for an NFL kicker… DO YOU AGREE NOW!!!!!!!!!

Again, Maybe I’m OK with it if it was 4th and 1 or 2 but Definitely not 4th and 6........

Curious if you are in agreement now that it was a bad call....Remember the weather was good and to my knowledge Matt Bryant was not hurt unless you know something I don’t…

Looking at it in a different way- not that Gruden was trying to lose, but maybe Gruden wanted to see how we could do on 4th down. Watching the Bucs on 4th downs is not as easy as say, a Patriots fan watching Brady at the helm on 4th down. Other than a few Alstott situations, it’s always a nailbiter. In the theme of looking ahead, he wanted to see what we could do on 4th. Maybe gain some more momentum, etc. That being said, an arguement could be made that maybe he should’ve tested Bryant’s leg and mettle there.  Once you are in the 40 + range, nothing is a ‘chip shot’. But yeah, just as a QB is expected to lead drives for touchdowns, a kicker is expected to produce from anywhere under 45 yards.

I don’t know. I’m not sure the divide is between loyal fans and bandwagon fans.  I’m thinking the divide is between fans who go with the “post season is already set” and “play every game to win” crowd.  I’m pretty much the former.

buccaneers1 - 26 December 2007 01:24 PM

Yes, easy three points....You may want to double check your stats.......Or you can go to http://bucsscene.theledger.com/ and let me know if you still feel the same way....... Bucs were at the 25 yard line which makes it a 42 yard field goal.......... Yes, this should be easy for an NFL kicker… DO YOU AGREE NOW!!!!!!!!!

Again, Maybe I’m OK with it if it was 4th and 1 or 2 but Definitely not 4th and 6........

Curious if you are in agreement now that it was a bad call....Remember the weather was good and to my knowledge Matt Bryant was not hurt unless you know something I don’t…

I checked, got the yardage wrong, sorry.  Still, over 40 yards is not a chip shot.  Bryant has not made all his kicks from that range, he is 5 of 6.  He is 0 for 3 at 50 or more.  Maybe Gruden should have kicked it, but I don’t think he is a bum for going for it.  For goodness sake, the guy won more games than he lost this year by going for it (New Orleans comes to mind).

I still believe that Gruden is smart for playing to have his players in the playoffs.  It would not bother me a minute if we watch McCown, Pittman, Spurlock, and other second and third stringers against Carolina.  As long as they win against the Giants, I could care less what happens with Carolina.  Momentum be damned if they win against the Giants, that is enough momentum for me - and probably enough for any NFL coach.