Youngbuc

The Bucs' playoff hopes are growing dimmer with each passing week. On Sunday the Bucs dropped to 1-5 on the season after an overtime home loss to the Steelers. Based on the crowd you would have assumed this game took place in Pittsburgh. The Terrible Towels were waving in full force as the Bucs tried to pull off some overtime heroics to seal a win. They ultimately came up short.  A late Jalon Daniels interception into the hands of ex-Buc Jamel Dean set the Steelers up with great field position in the redzone. They would only come away with a field goal but it was enough to give the Steelers a 3 point lead late. Jalon Daniels was able to march the Bucs down the field into Chase McLaughlin's range where he nailed a long field goal to push the game into overtime. Perhaps the only player deserving of a contract extension this past off-season is Chase and he has yet to receive one. Sign the man to a long deal. He's a gem. Earlier in the game he even made a field goal...

Cellar dwellers no longer. The Bucs have climbed out of the basement of the power rankings after their upset win over the Dallas Cowboys  on Thursday night.  The Bucs are now ranked 23rd out of 32 teams. The Bucs climbed seven spots this week after securing a spot at 30 just one week ago. The ranking is still low but it looks like a dominant win during Primetime is helping to shift national perception. The Bucs went into the game against Dallas as 8.5-point underdogs. The Youngbuc thinks starting an undrafted rookie at quarterback had a lot to do with those bad odds. Jalon Daniels showed juice, however. He showed he can play well in the NFL and secure wins with Baker Mayfield sidelined. If the Bucs can win against a beatable Steelers team at home you can expect another bump in the power rankings next week. 

The Bucs are moving up the ranks of the NFC South. After week five, the Bucs are currently in 3rd place in the NFC South. They are tied with the Saints with each team owning a 1-4 record.  The Panthers had their bye week early this season and did not play this week. They currently own the top spot with a 2-2 record.   With the Bucs' first in-division game coming week seven against the Panthers, the Bucs can make up some serious ground in the standings if they can handle the Steelers at home next week. 

As time waned during the fourth quarter of the Buccaneers' 24-16 victory over the Cowboys, Todd Bowles decided to go for the killshot touchdown from the 1-yard line with the Bucs leading by two scores.  Many fans seem to have a problem with Bowles' sudden aggressiveness. Personally, the Youngbuc has zero problem with it. While a field goal would've theoretically put the game out of reach, Bowles showed confidence in his guys to get just one measly yard. Based on how the offense was running over the Cowboys all night and how well the defense was playing, forcing the Cowboys to go 99 yards seemed to be a no-brainer.  Unfortunately, the Bucs could not get that yard. Even more damning, the Cowboys proceeded to march down the length of the field and score a touchdown. That made the game unnervingly close towards the end.  Now, hindsight is always 20/20. Todd Bowles could've simply kicked a short field goal and secured a victory. But he went for an emphatic dagger...

The Youngbuc almost forgot how sweet a primetime victory tastes. Four straight single-score losses to start the season made this one even sweeter. The Bucs ground and pounded their way to a crucial win over the Cowboys and their high-octane offense. Though, not before making it interested at the end of the game by letting the Cowboys mount a comeback attempt.  Bucky’s Breaking Ball Bucky Irving had a career game in this one. He had a career-high 165 rushing yards on 21 carries with two total touchdowns (one on the ground, one through the air). That 72-yard scamper coming right out of the half completely broke Dallas's defense and gave this offense a pulse it hasn't had all year. The Bucs rushed for 241 total team yards and controlled the clock for nearly 40 minutes. Controlling the Chaos Jalon Daniels was masterful in his control of the offense, especially considering he is an undrafted rookie (19/25 for 189 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT). With the run game firing on all cylin...

Here is the final Injury report for the Bucs and Cowboys heading into their week 5 matchup tomorrow.  The youngbuc was concerned with Chase McLaughlin's sudden appearance on the injury report earlier this week but it looks like he is ready to go.  SirVocea Dennis, Baker Mayfield, Benjamin Morrison, and Antoine Winfield Jr. will all be out against the Cowboys.  Getting Bain back this week will hopefully help the defensive line put some pressure on Dak Prescott, though he has been ineffective up to this point. Perhaps his shoulder was bothering him more than previously thought. 

Bad news for national sentiment on this 2026 version of the Bucs.  The Bucs are now ranked 30th out of 32 teams. If you don't find that disheartening I don't know what to tell you. The Bucs are cellar dwellers as of now, keeping company with teams such as the Miami Dolphins, Los Angeles Chargers, and the Tennessee Titans.  With that being said, hope for a turnaround is not yet lost on the Youngbuc. The Bucs have yet to play an NFC South rival. If they find some way to string a few wins together things can turn around fast.  Todd Bowles has shown some ability in the past to deliver in high pressure moments. Let's see if he can this week against Dallas' high-powered offense.