Now there are very few general managers who Joe expects before a season begins would be doom and gloom or even frank with the Fourth Estate about their chances of getting to the Super Bowl.
Even shot-callers with loaded rosters are restrained and don’t spout off how their team is going to kick tail and stomp out the competition.
Over the past few months, Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht has been warning folks not to count out the Bucs.
Outside the Tampa Bay area, folks notice the Bucs return a team that had an 8-10 record and worst running offense in the league last year.
How did the team repair it? The greatest quarterback of all time retired, the team didn’t do anything to restock the running backs room other than to sign two guys,
one of which ran for 240 yards last year and the other has a heart condition that shelved him all offseason until training camp.
Quarterback? The Bucs found one at the Goodwill store. That’s pretty much the Bucs analysis from folks outside Tampa. Licht, in so many words last week, cautioned naysayers.
Licht was asked why he has confidence in the 2023 Bucs just one week away from the Bucs open the season in Minneapolis — one week
“I just know I like the vibe that our team has right now, I like the energy and I like how far we’ve gotten in the offseason as a team,” Licht said.
“I can’t make any predictions – I just feel like our team has the DNA to want to compete against anybody.”
Well, Joe is leery of pulling any intel from worthless preseason games. But it appears the new Bucs offense under Dave Canales runs smooth and has a purpose.
For reasons unknown, last year’s offense under SpongeBob Leftwich rarely looked smooth. It looked as if each and every play was a massive effort, just to gain four or five yards.
This year’s offense, at least in preseason, seemed crisp and fluid. Joe boils it all down to the offense. The defense should be good, perhaps damn good if they can develop an edge rush.
The modern NFL is all about points. Can the Bucs with their run-heavy attack put enough points on the board to keep up with franchise quarterbacks who can light up their teams’ scoreboards?