If history tells us anything, it’s that the post season is already upon us in Tampa Bay. The Buccaneers haven’t made the playoffs after a 1-3 start since 1982. It’s worth noting that the ’82 season was reduced to just nine games, after a players strike postponed the start of the regular season, by close to two months. One could say that if a full season had been played we wouldn’t have even made it to that wildcard game. We lost the game to the Dallas Cowboys, 30-17.
With the Buccaneers already facing late season-type-injuries and adversities, it’s important that they start treating every game like a conference playoff. The ‘next man up’ mentality must be instilled in those replacing injured starters, and the coaches must do their best to get the best out of those players.