What Did I Get Wrong About The Buccaneers?

Obviously the Buccaneers’ season is not over, metaphorically or literally. However, we are mostly through the season, so I think it is fair to say the things I get wrong when predicting this team’s season. For obvious reasons, I will not be including players that got injured (namely David Walker) for the simple fact that no one could predict that with any accuracy.

There are certainly things I did get right. Being skeptical about Haason Reddick was probably the biggest one, but plenty I got wrong. So, let’s review.

While I wasn’t exactly the most vocal supporter of extending Zyon McCollum, I was mostly positive thinking he would progress. Well, right now, that is looking like a gigantic whiff. At best, he is inconsistent. I am not saying he can never be good, but his complete regression was a complete shock. I wasn’t expecting prime Champ Bailey, but I also didn’t think we would be getting Vernon Hargreaves.

The other thing I said was about Todd Bowles and the NFC South. That was me swinging for the fences only for my bat to come back around to hit me in the crotch. I said that Bowles was easily the best coach in the division. *loud buzzer noise*. He is at best the second worst coach (Raheem Morris being worse). Saints and Panthers fans should be happy with their head coaches, especially the saints. That leads to the next thing I got wrong. I really didn’t think Tyler Shough would make the Saints all that much better. Which means that I am as good as evaluating QBs as the NY Jets. Shough has made the Saints into a far better team. And he has done it with pretty middling weapons.

I also didn’t anticipate the Panthers putting up a spirited fight for the division. Well, kinda. The biggest thing is that Bryce Young has been clutch, especially against good teams. The Panthers rushing attack has also been pretty damn good, which I think is a credit to their o-line and hitting on Rico Dowdle. While the defense hasn’t been anything special, it does just enough.

Oh, and speaking of the Panthers. I was flat-out wrong about Tetairoa McMillan and Emeka Egbuka. I made the bold claim that Emeka was a better prospect than McMillan and would be better than McMillan. Well I would make for a piss-poor GM. McMillan has been money for the Panthers and was a pretty perfect pairing for Bryce Young. Maybe Egbuka looks better with the WR corps not in the hospital, but McMillan is far and away the better WR at the moment.