Smash the Panic Button: Bucs 0–2 Reality Check

Scott Reynolds of the Pewter Report said it best: “Now is not the time to press the panic button…It’s time to smash it.”

The Bucs dropped to 0–2 after a 19–23 loss to the Deshaun Watson–led Cleveland Browns. The Browns were considered possibly the worst team in the league going into this game, and even though they won, that outlook does not really change. What does change is our perception of the Buccaneers. It is not an overreaction to say the Bucs are a bottom-five team in the league right now.

Before this season began there was a ton of optimism for this Bucs roster for the following reasons:

• The entire O-line is healthy again, and the last time they were healthy they were top three in the league
• On paper this should be the best D-line since the Brady Super Bowl team, with solid depth
• Bucky Irving is healthy and we are pairing him with a $14 million Kenneth Gainwell
• The inside LB group should be solid with a promising rookie and a proven vet (Trotter and Anzalone)
• We replaced a totally inexperienced OC with someone who has some experience
• Baker Mayfield is an upper-echelon QB (according to some, not all Bucs fans)
• The safety group is a strength between Tykee Smith and Antoine Winfield

While it has only been two games, the Pirate Desk is going to say that almost none of those things are true. The only relief right now is that the expectations of this being a good team have been totally removed, which in theory will make the losses less disappointing and more expected. Let’s continue the doom and gloom and highlight some of what is wrong right now.

For some inexplicable reason the O-line is struggling. This is far from the main issue of the team right now, because the O-line played solid enough to win both games, but the struggle is still catching us off guard. More film review is needed before calling out individual names accurately, but we clearly see too many moments of Baker in distress, and even All-Pro Tristan Wirfs is losing some reps, a sight we have hardly ever seen in his career. At first glance it appears Bredeson is struggling, but again, more review is needed. What we can say confidently is that this is not the dominant group it once was, at least not right now.

Perhaps the most upsetting thing is admitting that this D-line just kinda sucks, which is also a bit shocking with Vea and Kancey both healthy. Hate to go full pessimistic here, but Rueben Bain does not look good. Yes, he is a rookie and this is only his second game, but there is not a huge learning curve when the objective is simply to beat the man opposite you and get to the QB. Were the short-arms critics correct? Personally, on film Akheem Mesidor looked like the better pass rusher of the two Miami edge rushers, and there were already concerns about Bain. Not so much arm length, but on film he was a slow rusher who won with power and bend, both of which can get neutralized to a much greater degree in the NFL against bigger, stronger tackles. It is still early, but the concern is real with what Bain is showing. The Bucs need to get David Walker more involved.

On the other side is YaYa Diaby, and we are getting the same story from him. “This should be the year he takes the leap into being a premier edge player” is always the story, and it never materializes. YaYa looks good but not great, which is totally fine if you check your expectations. You are not going to get 10-plus sacks from YaYa, so it is time to stop dreaming that it happens.

Lavonte David hung up the gloves this offseason and retired as a Buc legend. Anzalone was the big free-agent acquisition meant to replace David and hold down the middle for a couple years, possibly even as an upgrade from a coverage standpoint. This has been the biggest whiff Jason Licht has made in an FA signing since he signed Anthony Collins from the Bengals to be the starting LT. Anzalone is actively hurting this defense and playing some of the worst football you will see from a starting NFL linebacker. The Bucs have fielded some bad LBs in the past. None of them look as bad as Anzalone does right now. He was a big signing and he is a team captain. Unfortunately, he needs to get benched ASAP.

Another sad thing to admit for Bucs fans, and most of them are not ready for this: the Bucs receiving core is incredibly bland. The expectations on Emeka Egbuka were always set way too high. The Bucs drafted him at pick 19 in 2025, but a couple things matter there. 2025 was a very weak first-round draft class, and part of what pushed Emeka into the top 20 was how solid he is outside of pure physical talent. Emeka played four seasons at Ohio State and is their all-time receptions leader. Work ethic, knowledge of the game, IQ, maturity, consistency, and a lack of off-field or diva issues all boosted his draft stock. It was not ability alone that had him as a mid-to-late first-round grade.

Keep in mind the Bucs themselves probably were not thinking “future No. 1 WR” when they picked him. They did not expect to lose Evans this offseason. They knew they were near the end of the Evans–Godwin era, but they expected that duo to stick around a few more years, at least Evans. Anointing Egbuka as a premier No. 1 after the unexpected loss of Mike Evans may have been wishful thinking.

Baker Mayfield literally said he was insulted by the Bucs’ two-year, $50 million-a-year deal a couple months ago. We are officially insulted by the Bucs for signing Baker to a three-year deal. In Week 1 Baker lost the Bucs the game with his three fumbles. This week he could not connect on deep passes to open receivers downfield and even threw an interception from a totally clean pocket. Baker is at his best when he is Cowboy Baker, running around acting like Tim Tebow. The problem is Cowboy Baker has proven unsustainable for his body, which inevitably leads to bad Baker. Right now he is simply inaccurate. That can change, and if it does the whole offense may change. As of now things are not looking good for him, and the huge contract looks like a giant mistake. Signing him to that deal before this season played out was a mistake regardless of how these first two weeks looked. We can save the deeper Jason Licht talk for another article.

To be fair to the new OC, it is hard to get a good grade when the QB is not connecting on the shots you dial up. Schematically they looked fine, but the execution does not. Beyond that, the play calls are very bland right now. This is the most throws behind the line of scrimmage we can remember seeing from the Bucs in a long time. Not getting a good vibe out of the new OC.

• Antoine Winfield. Remember when we made him the highest-paid safety in the NFL? Easy to forget he is even on the roster right now.
• Kenneth Gainwell. Has not looked like he is worth $14 million. We are paying him to rest Bucky at this point, not to make explosive plays.
• Cade Otton. Does this look like a $10 million-a-year TE to anyone?

Next week the Bucs face the Vikings, and we are already at the “now or never” point of the season.