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I'm sure Keith, you'll find some flaws into this as you always do for what they need to do and why they're still two clicks away from where you want them to be. But just overall for the team and the three in one start. Actually, this is what I thought their record would be at this point. But I thought that they would beat Denver and they would lose to Detroit. So, but basically I thought they'd be three in one at this point. So, but the thing is, I think when you look at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and I know there's a ton of Baker make feel love out there, but really Baker is a better Ryan Fitzpatrick or more athletic Ryan Fitzpatrick. Because when things go well, he is really good. When things go bad, he is really bad. So, right now, I mean, obviously he had a great day. Well, he's had probably three great days and then one horrendous day. But I still don't think Baker is okay, good, but he's not what I would consider great. I mean, Evans is obviously one of the big keys and he's not the Mike Evans of old. He doesn't seem to be as productive. Maybe he's as productive, but he just doesn't seem as dominant, I guess it's the word that I would use. Godwin is still Godwin. I mean, I still think the catch he made in that game was the most important catch. I don't even know how the helicopter was over the middle. The guy was all over him and Baker zipped that friggin ball. Brady was like, you know, only Godwin has hands like that. By the way, I thought Brady did a really good job. And I really thought it was funny how he was complementing Bruce Arians since he didn't. So then obviously they lost Macmillan and they lost Palmer. But I was incredibly impressed with Shirley Shepard or Shepard. I mean, I thought, I mean, you could see the difference in him versus those other two, the way he ran routes, the way he set people up. I mean, to me, that was the biggest surprise in the game, how good he was. I also, they had said all week that they were going to get bucky urban, urban more touches and those were pretty even, actually their stats are almost identical, if not identical, with white. And so I think that's going to happen the rest of the year. Something about Irving, he's really, he's a little spark plug. I was pretty impressed with him. So that's pretty much the offensive. Well, the offensive line is still, the middle of the offensive line is still their weakness. And I don't know if they're ever going to be able to run the ball. I think Cone, who's their offensive coordinator after last week's debacle, really came up with a very, very good game plan this way. It looked almost like at the beginning of the game, I thought it was Tom Brady-ish, where every pass was coming out in less than two seconds, where I guess if you can't run the ball, that's about the only thing you can do. So I thought that was really good. Now, here is the biggie. The biggie for everybody who's listening to this is if you want to know if you should start your players versus the Bucks, if Vida Vaya is not playing, start everyone. Because what he is, he is the heart and soul, the dominant force. I mean, he just makes everybody better on defense. And I remember when he got drafted, I mean, you were talking. And even though you're not a defensive side of the ball, Guy, you said, "Oh, I like that pick." And I said, "I really like that pick." So that was obviously a great pick for them. The Levante David is amazing. I mean, I think he's a Hall of Famer, but it obviously is hard to become a Hall of Famer when you're not in New York and LA. Bed Online is the world's most trusted betting platform and your number one source for everything football. Bed Online has every stat, every matchup, and even live odds and spreads to bed on during the games. Think you know your stuff? Get in for our $200,000 mega contest and pick five games against the spread every week for your chance to win prizes and a share of $200,000. When the game's over, head on over to our online casino and get in on a game of Blackjack or poker, or unwind with one of our over 150 slot games. Head to the website today to get in on the action. Bed Online, the game starts here. So Baker Mayfield, to start there, it's interesting because I do a couple of different things that kind of looks at, you know, it's raw production, but it also looks at intrinsically. Is his profile supporting what we're currently seeing, and especially for his small sample sizes that works really well, and he's actually got more turnover-worthy plays than big-time throws, and he has a lot. In terms of his touchdown ratio, it's very high. So that basically does not align, and that leads to a guy looking like he's overcooked. You know, someone that is producing like on a fantasy lens or NFL, you know, counting stats, it looks better than he's intrinsically playing. So that was one thing I noticed after four weeks now, and then the other part is you kind of mentioned, you know, you can kind of tell pretty early on what he looks like, you know, and I think in the first couple of drives, he's not the type that if he starts out poorly, he's going to just pour it on and have some massive comeback, whether it's the matchup or the pressure, how comfortable he is that day, you know, if he's got the lucky underwear on, like whatever it takes, like it just seems like you can tell early if Tampa Bay is going to be clicking. And we've had that three out of four weeks where we've had positive signs right away, and it's turned into an overall good game. Right, and no, I forgot, Oton is really getting more involved in the offense. So, I mean, maybe not in the end zone as much, but he is, he is finding Oton a lot. So, I mean, he's doing a good job of distributing to a lot of different guys. I do, I do think their offensive coordinator is their new offensive coordinator is pretty good. So, but, you know, this is the first time he's ever called plays, so I got a feeling that it may even get better for Baker as the year goes on as long as the defenses aren't a lot tougher. I mean, the next few weeks are going to be really telltale signs because he's got Atlanta and he's got New Orleans back to back. Yeah, Atlanta, New Orleans, then Ravens, and then also Atlanta again, you got the Chiefs, the 49ers. I mean, so when you kind of mentioned, hey, three and one, it's a nice start. Let's pat you on the head. In terms of divisional matchups, and then you look at those really high level non-divisional matchups, I mean, we're going to learn more in the next six weeks than we learned in the first four is kind of what we're saying, which is if they can get to, I mean, what would you say, you know, if they can be six and four, you know, out of the opening, you know, by the end of the opening 10, I think that would be considered a success. And yet that'd be 500 ball from this point to then. But I said that if, and I should caveat that now, I should say, if, if I thought the bucks could be nine, have nine wins, if Baker stays healthy and Evans stays healthy, and but wait until that Baltimore game, if, because I don't think if Vida V is not in the game for that, Derek Henry will run for 2000 yards in that. They'll throw the ball 15 times again, because all they want to do is run. So and that's not what you wanted as an opposing defense. You want Lamar, drop him back on third and seven and take your chances. So that's exactly right. But the problem is they don't have on defense. They just don't have anybody to be able to push the, push the, the offensive line into the face of, you know, they're making a big deal of, of, I mean, I obviously, AJ Brown and Devonta Smith not being there is a big issue. But, you know, pushing the pocket into Hertz's face, nobody, no quarterback like said, even Brady didn't like that. So look at that. Looking at the backfield, you kind of mentioned that, you know, Bucky Irving, he's been rising of note. Rashad White, have you been generally like through his career arc so far? Have you been a fan of his? Have you been one that has said maybe he's a placeholder and they need to get someone more dynamic? Where has your lens been on White being the clear cut starter for a while now versus does he offer enough to say that you actually like that and they shouldn't have sought out competition for him in the, in the big picture sense? No, I think they had to. I think his, I think his, his stats last year were deceiving compared to what he really, what he really produced. I did, I thought he was going to regress this year anyway. And, but I thought getting, I knew they had to get a running back. I knew they had to get, you know, and, I mean, there were a lot of good running backs in this, in this draft that, that still would have filled the bill. And so, and, but the other thing is, I really do like Tucker, who's the number three running back. And so even if one of them goes down, I think, I think they're, they still have decent running backs. The only problem is they can't run up the middle because the, the, the, the two guards are so weak and the center is brand new. So it's always going to have to be, you know, screen passes and, and run, and runs and stuff like that in order to get them really involved. But I got a feeling that going to be more dynamic later on, where the back actually, I don't want to say is a James White type of back, but something. And I think, I think, I think White could be a James White type of back. I think he's got good hands and everything that is. I just don't, he kind of, he's the opposite of Bucky Henry, where Bucky Henry gets you yards after contact. Richard White does not do that. Yeah, you kind of mentioned the offensive line, you know, so far, when you consider a three-in-one team, they're middle of the road. When you look at their last blocking and run blocking grades, they've allowed the fourth most sacks. But what I've noticed is it just seems like they really do well, Chris Gladwin being back in the slot and, and being healthy and vibrant, obviously, but also Bucky Irving in the screen game and, you know, both wide running backs in general, I think they've done a really good job of blending the dropback pass game with the quick game, where you can, you can really keep the offensive line from being truly isolated and having to win, you know, all five guys winning on a particular pass drop, because if you keep mixing up the screen game and keep the defenders always kind of thinking they might need to move back or pursue to the outside for those, for those quick screens, then again, I think they've done a good job protecting them. And I almost wonder without that conceptual approach, I mean, I think these numbers would be far worse in terms of they might be first or second in sacks allowed, you know, and they might be far more poor, you know, in those grades, just because they've really been helped out quite a bit like that. Yeah, one thing I think Baker is doing better this year than he did last year, last year, it was get the ball to Evans. That was it. I mean, just get the ball to Evans. This year, he's spreading it around a lot more. And so, and so I mean, I guess it's bad for fantasy in a way, but for Baker, and then for some reason, Baker does a good job of somehow getting out of the pocket when it looks like I feel like it's one of those surfers, you know, that where the wave is over their head and you don't see them, and then then they pop out, you know, so he seems to, you know, he runs at the right time, it seems like he doesn't he doesn't run stupid. Yeah, the only thing he does do stupid is he thinks he's, I think he thinks he's Marshall Lynch or something like that, because sometimes he takes a little bit too much of a hit. And God forbid, we have to see what we don't even know what what Trask is, because nobody's seen him. I don't even, I mean, they don't even show him on the sideline with a clip. Career backup. Yeah, he's yet to play meaningful action in a regular season game. Yeah, so they kind of have switched roles. You know, Mike Evans was the go-to guy last year. Godwin, you know, is more of the go-to option. This year, they're still both performing and an above average clip. You mentioned KDOT in getting more volume, you know, or just being more involved. Like I highlighted, the last two weeks I've highlighted something, which is he's out there running a ton of routes. Like he rarely leaves the field. So he has that, you know, solid starter kind of moniker, but he really, I mean, there's a guy, I can't, I think it was a guy that played for Buffalo in Miami a few years ago, but he just ran a ton of routes. You know, he did the, and he just never really had big plays. And Otan is that he can, if it's third and five, he'll get you six. If it's second and 17, he'll get you six. Like he just strikes me as that guy that like, dynamicism is not part of his game. He's solid, but I just don't ever think like playmaker when he's out there or when they target him. And again, I don't think he's needed in that capacity because he's a third, fourth, fifth option in this offense. But I do think, we kind of talked about it, I think back in the draft process, right? That if there's an opportunity to find a more dynamic, I'd end I had mentioned Jeheem Bell as someone that could develop. He ended up lasting far into day three. They didn't go for him. I still have pain Durham, but he might be more of the same with Kate Otan. Like that might be Spiderman pointed at Spiderman. But I mean, so they did not address that. We'll get to wide receiver three, three plus in a minute, but, but Kate Otan is not like a real dynamic upside option, but he's a nice placeholder for now. Well, I think there is well, first of all, if I said that Baker is a better Ryan Fitzpatrick, okay, Otan is a better Durham, okay, is, you know, he's a he's a guy. But I think they have a guy who if he if he can learn how to if he can run routes and he can catch was their seventh round draft pick, Kulp, who run, I mean, he runs a four four seven or a big guy. And I just remember back now, I'm going to take you back before even you may be even born. But the Bucks had a guy by the name of Jimmy Giles. Yeah, and and he used to be one of these that used to go down the field and just draw attention away. So you could do the shorter stuff and everything like this. So I don't know if he somehow I got a feeling that he's going to be if I let me be this way, if I had a dynasty team, yeah, I think I would want to get him on the cheap because I think he could turn into something later on. Okay, yeah, I mean, he's certainly one of those, you know, strong athletes, he's undersized. So how much weight is he going to put on? Or maybe they'll just use him. You remember Tim Wright, like years ago, he was that a wide receiver that converted him. He had one nice season as a as basically a hybrid player. So I wonder if Devin Kulp might be being groomed in that capacity, he didn't have a drop issue in college. So we'll see. He faded, like you said, seventh round, but developmentally, you know, no pressure on him to play. He played a little bit in the preseason, obviously. 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So they didn't really need much Shepherd made a couple pop plays. It's not like they needed that in the win this week. But what have your thoughts been on McMillan, you know, for a guy that, you know, came in didn't, you know, had some expectation out of that Washington program and immediately he's already playing like he's averaging 29 routes per game. He's not like I said, not needed for anything, but he's out there and you just kind of feel like in one on one situations he can make a play, which is far more than we had from the wide receiver three a year ago. Well, actually that's that's who I had had the books pegged to actually draft in round three. But but I also didn't know that Troy Franklin was going to drop to that point. Now I would have taken Troy Franklin over McMillan, but I think McMillan runs really nice routes. And and if you can get open, I think Baker can find you. So I so I think he's I think he was clearly when he got drafted, he was clearly the answer for number three. And then the question is can he be the number two if if they don't resign God when next year or if in two years when Evans is no longer there, I don't think he is a number a true I don't think he's a number one wide receiver, but I think he could be a number two. Yeah, looking back, I mean, they played Trey Palmer so much a year ago, 27 routes per game. He got a lot of opportunities to have that job. And then they come right back this off season and basically go over the top of him with Jim and the millen. And now McMillan's getting that same treatment, you know, the clear cut number three guy. We don't see a lot of rotations here outside of injury. And I just go back to stilling Shepherd. He had so many injuries with the Giants. He bounced around a little bit. He's like 30 years old and it doesn't feel like he's been in the NFL that long. But again, I mean, having a veteran like that down your depth chart and it just shows hey, two injuries, your next man up and all of a sudden you're seeing a good route share in a game against the Eagles. So and they're going to need, you know, all those guys, depending on who's healthy over the next month and a half, like you mentioned. Yeah, well, not only that, but Shepherd was actually cut and then put on the practice squad. Okay. So the, so the thing is, is that he was pretty far down the depth chart. But but obviously it really, I think it helps to have a veteran presence like that, you know, especially when you're dealing with the younger, the younger guys around and stuff like that. So, but if you were looking, if you were looking at trade, you know, trade angles, you know, I think it's a month from now or so for Tampa Bay to possibly bolster, or you already mentioned Devon Culp and maybe a little Sean Tucker as guys that, you know, if they see it more opportunities later in the season, those are guys to watch out for. But is there any sort of developmental or kind of roster changes with younger players or down the depth chart guys playing a little more that you're kind of just secretly rooting for that you think have some some talent that that they just need more opportunities? Well, the Johnson kid is exciting, even though he was an undrafted free agent. But, but I really never see him doing anything. I think the key is if white gets injured, bucky earrings, resealing is going to increase a lot. And then Sean Tucker's is going to, because I'm not even sure they have a fourth running back, at least I can't think of one. I mean, I, I mean, maybe Chief Edmonds is sitting around somewhere. But I think that the, I think the way that they're going to be using the running backs, I think, I think that I think in your contest thing that you did, I, I drafted Sean Tucker because he's the third back. And somebody's going to get injured eventually. So yeah, there's just a, there's just a spring and a dynamicism to bucky earrings movement that Rashad White is more of a smooth, like he's almost closer to a leveon bell. When you look at just, he's very pragmatic in his movement. He's not overly explosive. And then you see bucky Irving break a couple ankles, you know, and like completely reverse the field with two cuts that, I mean, Rashad White can't touch some of those plays that, that Irving has. The one thing that I would wonder is how much of a market share they would give Irving just because he's a sub size back. And I don't know if you want to give him more than say like 15 touches in a week. And Rashad White has had, has sustained a bigger workload. And so Irving might work best when he's in like a 60 40 split at most, you know, in his favor, just to kind of keep him pressure and keep him more dynamic as opposed to, you know, he has to play a whole drive, you know, he has to play 15 of these 18 snaps, those types of, that type of volume that can really wear a guy down. Yeah, I can see bucky Irving actually becoming the number one. And then using white as a third down back where you, because he's a bet, he's a better pass catcher than bucky Irving is. And so he could get if so it's, that's like having another wide receiver almost. And but I like, I like, I like, I like bucky Irving, because he does, like you said, break ankles, he, he is tough, tough little guy. Yeah, that's one thing I was wondering about when I was doing some analysis early this week was, you know, we saw this close to a 50 50 split this week, you know, in terms of routes and in terms of carries. And I wonder, we rarely see the backfield get turned over where the number two just turns into the number one without an injury or something exterior happening. Just oh, this guy's better, we're going to go with that guy now. Like, we rarely see that in the NFL. People talk about it, you know, they want Tony Pollard to go over Zico Elliott for like two years in Dallas and, but it just rarely actually occurs. But it feels like, you know, Rashad White was a volume king and he wasn't necessarily like playing great, especially as a runner. So I do wonder, like you mentioned, does Rashad White turn into a receiving centric back where that's his strength and bucky Irving, just being more of a slashing dynamic runner, if he actually gets the preference of the rushing side where I think Tampa, it needs to improve in that area, you know, that that they need to run the ball probably better than they have. And the times we've seen them in the opening month run the ball better has been bucky Irving back there, not Rashad White. So I think it's a pretty easy, it's pretty easy conclusion to make after watching the first four games. You know, even Tucker is a better between the tackles runner than then White is. Wow, shot fired. Well, I mean, I'm not saying that he's taking his job, but the thing is that I just I can see because they used the last year, well, they obviously they're going to have to do a lot of screens and and White seemed like if you touch him, he falls down. So that's the reason why I think that you that's the reason why I think Godwin was used so much in the screen game. And he's actually better not to give the ball to because he's such an incredible blocker that if you have a bucky Henry get Irving getting the ball and then you have a Godwin who's blocking now all of a sudden, but you didn't have anybody blocking in front of Godwin. And so, you know, no matter how good Godwin was, he's, I mean, six guys on you, you're not going to be able to go any. Yeah, it's such an underrated aspect is when you have receivers that are blockers, you know, and Godwin and Evans block really well and and they take pride in that. And that really helps like you mentioned the screen game for one or the other of them, you know, mostly Godwin and then also for for running backs getting out into space. I kind of glossed over the last question is what's on your wish list? Like if you could, you know, within reason, is there someone like a veteran that's out there maybe on a languishing NFL team that you think would really be a good addition for a soft spot for Tampa Bay's roster, someone on the the trade beat or someone that could be available by the deadline for Tampa Bay to increase their chances? Well, the number one thing they would have to get a left guard. If they could get a good left guard, you know, then all of a sudden they may be able to run the ball because I think I think Barton is going to get better and better as it goes on. The same mock is getting better. I, you know, the he, I see I see I see flashes of being decent. But I see some I see some bonehead moves out of him, but then but you know, you get you got a journeyman as on your as your left guard. He wasn't he wasn't even going to beat out the guy who got injured. You know, he was he was really meant to be the swing guy between guard and center. And and now he's starting. And so now I I'd like him as a swing man. I just don't but I think that if they could get a real good left left guard, I think because then you got worth on one side, Barton and him. And I think you could really you could really run on that side of the on the side of the line. That would be that would be the thing that I would really want to get. Todd Bowles, I don't care on defense except for V to be. Todd Bowles is amazing at the the the bullet screen schemes he has and everything. He seems to take trash players or low level players and really get a lot out of them. So on the defensive side, I don't I don't think they need a a really good player, but I really believe unless of course Rita Vader goes down, then they need to get somebody who can push the pocket, but you're not you're not going to get that. So but I do think they could probably get a left maybe a left guard from a team that's maybe out of it or something like that. I don't know. Excellent. Yeah, absolutely. It's been an exciting opening month. Like you mentioned, you know, let's let's see where they are after about 10 games and we'll have a really good litmus test playing the Falcons twice and getting some heavy hitters on this schedule for Tampa Bay. Thanks so much for coming on sharing your time and talents. Keith Howard, I am Chad Parsons talking about Tampa Bay here heat check after the opening month, three and one start and all things offensive defense for them. Until next time never settle, refuse to be average and keep building those. Then go. All right, Phil, we're recording now. So it's live. Go ahead. Pick on me the way that you want to. Did I say that? I would say that to my son and I mean, come on, man, just go. This isn't CBS. All right. Be quiet for a few seconds. Why would people want to listen to the Sims complete podcast? Well, a couple of things. One, if you like to see sons pick on their father, this might be the place. If you want to see a place where the father just kicks the out of his son, this will be the place. What do you like about it, Matt? Ditto. Father, son, dynamic duo talking about the game of football that we love and share and appreciate together and, you know, hey, it's an extension of what we did, right? Growing up, I was able to watch my father play football, then obviously watch him as a broadcaster. And then he taught me the game of football and share the wisdom that he learned throughout his playing career. And, you know, hey, sometimes we're full of it. And sometimes we're, we actually know a thing or two. Well, we do do a lot of research. At least I do. You, you little spotty, but you know, you're you hang in there. It's fun. I love doing this and it's been awesome. Sims complete. Check us out wherever your podcasts are available on the Believe Network. Appreciate it. See you. If you like the show, please take a moment to rate, review, and subscribe. It really does help the show to grow. Thank you for listening. [BLANK_AUDIO]
