Putting the Buccaneers’ Ugly Victories Into Perspective

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As a Tampa Bay Buccaneers fan for over 30 years, I’m used to seeing the worst the team had to offer and then some. I also got to enjoy the euphoria that was the Tony Dungy and Jon Gruden eras where the franchise simply didn’t have to settle for being mediocre anymore.

The team has heavily regressed with the four head coaches since and currently on the fifth with Bruce Arians. Monday’s 25-23 victory against the New York Giants evoked many familiar frustrations of yesteryear. How can such a super-team struggle so mightly against such an inferior one-win team?

It’s Real Life, Not Fantasy

First of all, I will say it if no one else will, but screw Madden and fantasy football for this mindset. If things were so automatic as the culture obsessed with metrics, then there would be no point playing the games. There are so many fans who expect the checklist of thresholds video games have spoiled us into like 300-yard passing yards, 100-yard running and receiving games from star players done weekly. Sorry, real life doesn’t always afford us these luxuries no matter how many times you can do it in the videogame.

Struggling Teams Are Always Trap Games

When you’re a desperate team like the Giants, you’re going to go deeper into your bag of tricks to win. There are things the Bucs probably didn’t expect to see. The game film can only do so much and those clawing their way back to relevance throwing the kitchen sink at you. The Giants almost toppled the Bucs. What do teams that belong in contention do? Win by any means (legally) necessary. Winners like Tom Brady find ways to come out on top all the time. Cherrypick all the games you want, how many of them are masterpieces?

Enjoy It Buccaneers Fans

Be proud the Bucs are 6-2 because you never know when it will happen again. I doubt anyone like the 43-year old Brady will ever come this way again. I will also bet you the superstars on THIS team like Leonard Fournette or Antonio Brown don’t care if they get their stats padded as long as they can hoist the Lombardi Trophy for the first time in their lives in the end. The New Orleans Saints won’t care what you did in New York and neither should you.

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