A Buccaneers win in Week 6 should go a long way with fans

When the Buccaneers fell to the Cardinals in Week 2 of the 2016 season, it left a bad taste in the mouths of their fans which was all too familiar.

By the end of 2016, the Buccaneers squad which received a pretty thorough butt-kicking courtesy of Carson Palmer and his three passing touchdowns, was not the same team.

Not by a long shot.

For one, quarterback Jameis Winston had thrown four interceptions and just one touchdown in Arizona, but threw 20 TDs compared to 12 interceptions following this game.

The same Bucs team went on to lose two more before securing seven wins in their next 11 games. This led to a late playoff push which nearly saw Winston lead his team to the post-season in just his second year.

Must Read: Second Quarter Predictions

Then came the off-season. And it seemed this team just couldn’t lose.

Signing DeSean Jackson and Chris Baker from the Washington Redskins were mini-coups which almost assuredly put this team in playoff contention from a fan standpoint.

Drafting O.J. Howard was an amazingly unthought of possibility when the draft clock went live in Philadelphia.

The move of Ali Marpet to center was going to give the Buccaneers a duo which could eventually rival Peyton Manning and Jeff Saturday, so some thought.

Everything was trending north for the Bucs.

So how is it then, this team is 2-2 entering a road game against a team which easily handled them just a year ago?

The simple answer is, the small things. Football is a game of inches, and those inches the Bucs haven’t gotten, have killed them.

Whether it be missed passes, field goals, penalties which brought back big plays or being a fingertip away from a pass broken up. These small things, have combined to bring in two big losses.

Not big in the grand scheme of things, mind you, but big in disappointment and big in the hearts of the fans.

As we stand today, the Bucs are just two games out of first place in the NFC South and a game played behind the leading Carolina Panthers. So really, they’re one game behind.

They’ve outscored their opponents, and are part of the only division where every team is currently outscoring their opponents across the board.

More from The Pewter Plank

• Devin White posts cryptic message to Lavonte David on Twitter
• ESPN predicts surprising outcome to Devin White trade saga
• Updated Buccaneers depth chart after signing two players from rookie minicamp
• Todd Bowles sends clear message about Baker Mayfield’s role with Bucs
• The Athletic is wrong about Bucs one ‘must-watch’ game in 2023

In fact, in only half of the NFL, the Bucs have more losses than the current division leader. So, what is there for fans to be so upset about?

Well, I believe and I may be wrong, it has more to do with how these losses came versus the fact they lost at all.

I don’t believe anyone in the fan base expected an undefeated season, even though we all hope for it, secretly.

Simply put, Winston is supposed to take his leap this year. In some ways he has. In his rookie season, he had seven interceptions by the end of the fourth game. Last year, he had eight. 2017, he has three. Granted, they all came in one game.

In the first quarter of each of his last two years, Winston has had at least one four interception game. Not so this season. Small victories.

Still though, it’s consistency. Missing what seem to be simple throws, and his inability to connect deep yet with Jackson who was brought in to give Winston the deep ball ability he’s been missing in his first two years.

It doesn’t stop there. Secondary issues have been a problem, and for fans seeing Vernon Hargreaves getting targeted so often, and with so much success is striking a nerve.

Kicking issues. Let’s not even get into kicking issues.

Finally, confusing coaching decisions. Whether it be clock management, play calling or both, fans just haven’t been on the same page with Dirk Koetter during his tenure.

A lot of this can be fixed in Week 6 though. With a win.

It can’t be just any win though. There are some key things which need to happen which can begin to quell some of the concerns building up.

I believe part of fan anger coming out currently is legitimately a defensive mechanism in case the ugliness which occurred in Arizona in 2016, happens again in 2017. As a fan, in some ways, it’s easier to say I told you so than to admit we were wrong.

So, if Winston can come out and make smart throws, getting his fourth game of the season without an interception.

If Hargreaves can at least not get beaten for a score. Heck, even just a critical score. I mean, if the Bucs are up two scores with less than a minute and he gives up a touchdown in prevent, then I don’t think fans will dig in too deeply.

Oh, and if the coach can avoid some head scratching play calls. Hint: don’t runs sweeps or outside pitches, they don’t work.

If all of these can happen, and result in a win leaving the desert, then I think healing can begin.

Next: Bucs Bringing Back Murray

Let’s be honest here for a minute. At the end of the day, I don’t know how much the fans actually impact the play on the field from a motivational stand point. To get to this level of competition, NFL players have to be self-starters for the most part I’d assume.

There’s a playing advantage to home fans of course, but the Buccaneers haven’t had that advantage in quite some time now. That’s a whole other conversation.

So, do the players actually care what the fans think of their individual play? I don’t really think so, but I live in the Twitter-sphere with you all. I see what you write on Facebook and on The Pewter Plank’s site. I want to cheer with you, and want to keep the faith with you. Unfortunately, for some, it’s hard to keep the faith these days.

For these reasons, I want the Buccaneers to bring back two wins from their road trip, and it all starts with Arizona.

Either way, I’ll be here with the rest of our writers and Co-Expert James Yarcho, bringing you the best content we can about our beloved Bucs team. Hopefully, you will be too.

Find my Facebook page, Twitter, or simply shoot an email over to walkingtheplankpodcast@gmail.com to give your predictions and tell me where I’m wrong. Oh, and don’t forget why as well.