Your Bucs on riding a 3 game-win streak where they marched into Atlanta to snatch the division and then into Lambeau to put on quite a show. I don't know about you but that sure does look like a corner up ahead. Let's turn it.
Last time we left QB for last, this time it's the start. Baker has been every bit the Baker he was signed here to be. You have the smarts, the moxy, the grit. He is settling in along with the rest of the offense and you are seeing the results. It may surprise you to hear I'm not going to pipe Baker as the answer at QB or anything here, at least not yet. What I will say is that if it turns out we have found ourselves a 4k yards 30 TD 10 INT QB with a penchant for heroics, and that's just in the first year... I don't know if I'm ready to throw that away for what, even with all the NFLs huge scouting departments and millions in sunk costs, still remains a 50/50 gambit. I am, however, a huge believer in hedging your bets and would still love to take a QB we love even if Baker wins a playoff game. Miss me with your misallocation of resource nonsense. Keep them both, see how it plays out, and hope one gives us a great playoff run.
Which... speaking of, is what we have brewing here. Okay, maybe not a great playoff run, but we're doing the two things I repeat are the most important part of the regular season very well right now. Not record, ranking, or stats. The only things that matter are making the playoffs and playing good ball in December. And we're on track for both. Now, again, not preaching SB, but I'm thinking it could be a fun run. We're actually healthy, for the most part, which is incredible. Our offensive line is really coming together and we've seen the improvements to both the run and pass games because of it. Rashaad White is what happens when agility is 99 but acceleration 70, it's like watching Luka Dončić with this strange agility that isn't particularly quick, but somehow still so effective. Anyways, it kills in the open field and his between-the-tackle runs are starting to level up as well. Chase Edmonds provides some hard running in relief snaps. Now that M1k3 Evans has his 1000 yard mark I feel the pressure is off a little bit. He's still the killer he's proven to be all year but now Godwin is also opening up. Even Otton has come up big for us.
Now on to the defense. For starters, Bucs are a god damn DB factory. Seriously. Zyon and Izien are just the latest in a long time of Bowles disciples who have really come up big for us. And we obviously have to talk about Antione Winfield Jr who has ascended to the next level of full blown defensive star. With that said let's pause to talk about Devin White. As a pre-draft White fan I was over the moon with his selection. Huge upside guy, RB to LB convert in need of coaching. Wrecked some of the top offenses in the league when it mattered most. And most of all in a system that can absolutely wreck with a high powered super star at the center. My hope was that he'd finally take that leap for the next level and play so damn well that he'd be so pricey we'd have to tag him and see if he can repeat it yet again. But he didn't even do that. His weaknesses have remained and he's pulled back on the plays that made him great. He was more Aldon Smith than Fred Warner and that happens. Maybe he goes to Talib/Lynch it somewhere else, and I hope he does. Wish him the best. But for right now I'd just really love to see him give us some of that January magic we know he's capable of. Some of those splash plays in key moments on his share of snaps. And if he can do that, oh boy, this defense can have a good run. Because it's pretty darn primed, it just really needs that one play-maker at the head of the spear.
Yaya could be that guy. It would be absolutely great if he was. He's really come along very well, so much so he's overtaken JTS in the starting role. That's fantastic. I know draft groupies have some weird fetish that a 3rd rounder should never overtake a 1st rounder. That JTS should be the one playing great and Yaya the one serving as a good relief, but I honestly couldn't care less about that nonsense. I like the rotation. I like the development. And KJ Britt is another example of that. People forget this defense has a curve and Britt is really coming into his own in his 3rd year. I can't wait until this draft class hits year 3. Kancey, Izien, Yaya, Dennis. Lavonte hasn't slowed down a bit and as far as I'm concerned has earned himself another deal right behind Evans. But that's for the offseason. Right now we're talking the Bucs being the leader of the NFC South with a less than critical game versus the AFC leading Jags in what should be another good test for playoff football. We're talking about the following week being a season clinching showdown against a team that keeps being touted as the one who will dethrone us in the division yet Bowles has owned since getting here. And we're talking about a good shot at hosting a playoff game and taking the next step toward what this franchise can be moving forward.
It isn't going to be easy. Cowboys and Eagles are both top teams that can play great ball. We'll need Bowles to bring his all on defense, but more importantly, we'll need the offense to keep the D off the field while still closing things out in the redzone if we're going to have a shot. And you know what, I think we can do it. I think we can run well, pass well, and play well. And these guys aren't waiting for next year or for a rebuild or for the future to arrive. These 53 guys are on this roster together right now, playing together right now, and they have a very rare and special invite to the post season dance and they are going to bring their best moves. And I'm here for it.
