When Jon Gruden tells you he needs a week off, that should tell you all you need to know about the state of the Bucs at the moment. Still, the team is 5-4, in first place in its division and firmly in the playoff chase.

So where do the Bucs stand with the bye week approaching? Will the time off help get some injured contributors back on the field, or is the upcoming schedule (and hard-charging Saints) imposing to the point that it may not ultimately matter?

We need some help from other teams on the Saints schedule, and that is besides the fact that the Bucs must also win most of their remaining games.

Just what the Bucs needed to keep hope alive....And to keep them a couple points more favored on the betting line when they go to The ATL, heh

It will be interesting as to how the Atlanta vs. Carolina comes out. Atlanta should’ve won the first contestand would’ve had D’angelo Hall controlled himself better. Instead he gae up 67 penalty yards on Carolina’s game winning drive. Pull for Atlanta this week!

bucster79 - 04 November 2007 09:02 PM

We need some help from other teams on the Saints schedule, and that is besides the fact that the Bucs must also win most of their remaining games.

Okay, I’m confused, how are the Bucs in first place with the head to head tie breaker in hand in need of help from Saints’ opponents?

You’re either in control of your own destiny or you need help, the bucs control their own destiny.

The Ship is righted and we are in control of our own destiny. It’s a leg race from here. We win both Atlanta games and that will JUST about settle it. We could lose the other games (we wont) and we’ll still be in good position. We do need a win at New Orleans, but not if they lose another. In my eyes, the season is done. We won. Won the division. Won over the critics. Won more than last year. Won a playoff spot. Yes, we lost some games we could (but no one thought SHOULD) have won going into the season. We lost (or will lose) in the second (or first maybe) round of the playoffs, but we still had a success of a season. The WORST news, is that we have a low draft pick next year and we need some depth at a few key offensive positions.

Rowdie - 14 November 2007 03:30 PM

bucster79 - 04 November 2007 09:02 PM

We need some help from other teams on the Saints schedule, and that is besides the fact that the Bucs must also win most of their remaining games.

Okay, I’m confused, how are the Bucs in first place with the head to head tie breaker in hand in need of help from Saints’ opponents?

You’re either in control of your own destiny or you need help, the bucs control their own destiny.

In other words we can still lose the division to the Saints even with some of the tiebreakers we currently hold. I wrote my original piece BEFORE the Saints lost to the Rams. That one helped us -No denying that.

Undeniably, the Bucs are in much better shape this year than just about anyone expected.  However, the team is still one injury away (J. Garcia) from being out of it.  The whole NFC South has lost either their starting QB (ATL, CAR) or starting RB (TB, NO).  The Bucs adjusted the best so far, with a surprisingly deep bench at RB (who expected that E. Graham, third string, to be able to pick up the slack as well as he has so far?)

Yes, they should be favored with a relatively mundane schedule.  However, the Saints schedule is not any harder - just their defense is outright terrible at times.  Carolina’s schedule is a killer with all the above .500 teams they still play. 

I stand by my statement in an earlier stream - it is down to New Orleans and Tampa, with the edge to Tampa since it has a solid if not spectacular defense which is far better than New Orleans’ pourous defense.  I also still think 9-7 will likely win this division this year (as well as potentially the NFC West and AFC West which have nearly as many problems in key positions - except San Diego where its key problem is the coach it has).

Still lots of issues, but they’re done suffering the after effects of reaching for the SB. Still, it’d sure be nice to land a special guy or two in the draft. Getting some help from some of our divisional opponents having some rough times as well.