Elite Sports Talk Ep. 2: NBA & NHL Conference Finals, Finals Forecasts, and NFL Playoff Sleepers

 Elite Sports Talk: Episode #2 Recap - Playoff Dominance and Offseason Predictions

What's going on sports fans? This is a written recap drawing from the latest Elite Sports Talk, episode #2. We covered a lot of ground, from the NBA and NHL conference finals to looking ahead at potential NFL sleeper teams.

NBA Playoffs: Thunder Strike, Timberwolves Falter

The NBA conference finals are still in full swing, and the Oklahoma City Thunder continue to prove why they are a team to reckon with. Their defensive prowess has been on full display throughout the season and postseason. Last night, they dominated the Minnesota Timberwolves, starting to pull away within the first 3-4 minutes of the game.

The Timberwolves really struggled, largely due to turnovers. Players like Julius Randall, Ant-Man (Anthony Edwards), and Nas Reed combined for 12 turnovers alone. The plus-minus numbers paint a clear picture of the game's flow, with Timberwolves players like Julius Randall (-28), McDaniels (-16), Gobert (-7), Conley (-22), and Ant Edwards (-29) all deeply in the minus. Ant Edwards scored 19 points with six boards and two assists, but as mentioned in the podcast, that's just "not going to get it done" against OKC's defense. The Timberwolves committed 21 turnovers in total, leading to 18 points for OKC.

On the other side, the Thunder saw everyone in the plus, including Dort (+24), Shay (+23), Hartenstein (+11), Jaylen Williams (+25), and Chet Holmgren (+21). Five Thunder players scored in double digits, including Isaiah Joe off the bench with 11 points. The "unsung hero" for OKC, as analysts have been discussing, is Alex Caruso, who made pivotal defensive plays and constantly got steals.

Despite the tough loss, Anthony Edwards expressed determination in the post-game press conference, stating, "I'm going to work my butt off this summer. And nobody's going to work harder than me this summer". While he has the skillset of an elite player and is a potential future face of the NBA, he was held below 20 points in three of the five games against OKC, including 19 in the closeout game, shooting 7 of 18 overall and 1 of 7 from three. The Timberwolves were outscored by 29 points in the 39 minutes Edwards was on the court. Edwards himself acknowledged, "they were the better team. They punched us in the face. They won the game. They won the series". The Timberwolves trailed significantly, including 26-9 after the first quarter and even by 39 points at one point.

Looking ahead for the Timberwolves, the possibility of a "craziest NBA offseason" includes pondering where Kevin Durant might land. Given his past connection with Ant Edwards (who considers KD his idol) on Team USA, there's speculation about whether Minnesota could acquire him, which would significantly impact the rest of the roster.

Potential NBA Finals Matchup: OKC's Defense vs. Indiana's Offense?

With OKC looking dominant, the question turns to their potential Finals opponent. The Indiana Pacers look like the likely candidate. While OKC boasts a far superior defense, Indiana has an amazing offense led by Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam.

Haliburton has been incredible, getting better game by game and proving early-season doubters wrong. He recently had a historic performance with 32 points, 12 rebounds, 15 assists, and four steals with zero turnovers, becoming the first player ever with a 30+ point, 10+ rebound, 15+ assist, 0 turnover game. Pascal Siakam, acquired in a trade that was a "great move" for the Pacers, also had a fantastic game with 30 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, a steal, and a block. Other key Pacers players mentioned include Aaron Nesmith, Miles Turner, and Andrew Nembhard.

The Pacers' offense is very good, and they currently hold the best record throughout the playoffs at 11-3, compared to OKC's 12-4 record. While OKC has been dominant at home (8-1), the Pacers have performed well both home (5-2) and on the road (6-1), actually being slightly better on the road.

For the current Pacers-Knicks series, while New York is down 3-1, they still have home court advantage, although their playoff home record (3-5) is worse than their road record. Despite this, the Pacers look "unstoppable", and while the Knicks might win game 5 to extend the series, the Pacers are expected to close it out soon after.

Should it be an Indiana vs. OKC Finals, the series is projected to be a good one, likely going six or even seven games. It's a fascinating matchup between OKC's stifling defense and Indiana's potent offense. Haliburton is expected to maintain his high level of play, even if his scoring is slightly lower, focusing on doing "everything". Pascal Siakam could be a major X-factor for Indiana, similar to how Alex Caruso has been for OKC.

NHL Playoffs: Panthers Advance, Oilers on the Brink

In the NHL, the Florida Panthers have unfortunately ended the season for the Carolina Hurricanes. While Carolina won one game in the series (a 3-0 shutout), they continued a streak of poor performance in the conference finals, with 15 straight losses before game five. The Panthers swept them two seasons ago, the Bruins swept them in 2019, and the Penguins swept them in 2009. Florida is described as having an "allstar roster". Key Panthers performers in the closeout game included Alexander Barkov (2 assists), Sam Bennett (a goal and an assist), Matthew Tkachuk (a goal and an assist), Carter Verhaeghe (a goal), and Sergei Bobrovsky (23 saves).

The other NHL series features a closeout game tonight for the Edmonton Oilers against the Dallas Stars. Edmonton won the last game 4-1. Dallas has a strong home record in the playoffs at 7-2, while Edmonton is 5-3 on the road. Edmonton currently boasts the best overall playoff record at 11-4.

An interesting stat: both the Oilers and Stars are 3-0 in overtime this postseason. If tonight's game goes to OT, it could be one of the best games of the playoffs.

The Oilers, like the Panthers, also boast an "allstar type of a roster" with players like McDavid and others. A fascinating stat shared was that Cory Perry has played more playoff games (230) than several entire NHL franchises (Penguins, Lightning, Bruins, Sharks) since the year 2000 Perry has been in five Stanley Cup Finals, winning only one with Anaheim but losing four in the last five seasons with Dallas, Montreal, Tampa Bay, and Edmonton.

Key Oilers players mentioned include Leon Draisaitl (a goal and an assist), Adam Henrique (a goal), Kapanen (a goal), Connor McDavid (two assists), Cory Perry (a goal and an assist), and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (two assists). Goalie Stuart Skinner had 29 saves in the last game, allowing only one goal. Skinner has a strong playoff record against the Stars at 7-3.

While Dallas has been good at home, their only two home losses this postseason were in Game 1 against Colorado and Game 3 against the Oilers. The prediction is for Edmonton to win tonight and advance to the Stanley Cup Finals.

NFL Sleepers for the Upcoming Season

Switching gears to the NFL, let's talk about some potential sleeper teams for the upcoming season.

Last year, the Denver Broncos were a sleeper pick, and they exceeded expectations, partly due to the potential seen in Bo Nix and the coaching of Sean Payton.

This year, the Arizona Cardinals are highlighted as the primary sleeper team. Despite recent subpar performance, the impact of their new head coach (formerly the Eagles' defensive coordinator) is evident in turning the team around. While defense is their biggest current issue, they are actively addressing it. Positives include a stretch where the offensive line didn't give up a sack for several weeks, ranking as one of the best O-lines last year. They have key offensive weapons like James Conner, Marvin Harrison Jr. (who developed great chemistry with Kyler Murray), and Trey McBride, considered a top 3-5 tight end in the league. Other players like Michael Wilson and an improved special teams unit are also mentioned. On defense, Budda Baker continues to play at an elite, All-Pro level. The prediction is for the Cardinals to make the postseason and finish second in their division behind the Los Angeles Rams.

Other potential NFC sleepers mentioned include the Dallas Cowboys, although winning the division might be a stretch. The defense is expected to be strong with the return of key injured starters like Diggs, Bland, their defensive tackle, Micah Parsons, and Overshown. They won seven games last year even after Dak Prescott got hurt. The Atlanta Falcons are also mentioned, as they had the best division record last year and arguably should have won their division.

In the AFC, potential sleepers are harder to pinpoint. The Miami Dolphins could be a possibility if Tua Tagovailoa stays healthy. The New York Jets are also mentioned. The podcast expresses belief that Justin Fields is a very talented quarterback, both as a passer and with his versatility, despite some skepticism from others. With players like Breece Hall and Garrett Wilson, the Jets have potential, though only time will tell.

The Indianapolis Colts are another potential AFC sleeper, but there's significant uncertainty about their quarterback situation. Bringing in Daniel Jones is viewed as a "wildly mistaken" move, citing his limited passing touchdowns in his career. While defense wins championships, the Colts' defense isn't elite yet. Scoring will be key, and unless Jonathan Taylor and Daniel Jones running the ball can account for 4-5 touchdowns per game, it's hard to see them competing like a playoff level team. The possibility of bringing back a veteran like Robert Griffin III (RG3) as a backup or potential starter is discussed as an alternative approach to quarterback development or competition. Other quarterback options like Kenny Pickett from the Browns or Jameis Winston from the Giants are briefly considered, but less enthusiastically.

Wrapping Up

It's an exciting time in the sports world with the NBA and NHL playoffs heating up. We also got a sneak peek at some potential NFL teams to watch. Make sure to tune into the playoff games tonight!

Stay tuned for future episodes of Elite Sports Talk - there might even be a surprise guest! You can find the podcast on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon, and iHeart Radio, with content coming soon to YouTube and the blog site. Please subscribe, comment, and like – it's all great stuff for the diehard fans!

QB APY SALARY- Elite Sports Talk episode 1 audio

 

Player	Pos.	Team	Total Value	APY ▾	Total	Avg.	% Guaranteed	P/O RECORD	SB RECORD
	QB				Guaranteed	Guarantee/Year
DAK	1	Cowboys	$240,000,000	$60,000,000	$129,000,000	$32,250,000	53.80%	(2-5)	n/a
J. LOVE	2	Packers	$220,000,000	$55,000,000	$100,800,000	$25,200,000	45.80%	(1-2)	n/a
J. BURROW	3	Bengals	$275,000,000	$55,000,000	$146,510,000	$29,302,000	53.30%	(5-2)	(0-1)
J. ALLEN	4	Bills	$330,000,000	$55,000,000	$147,000,000	$24,500,000	44.50%	(7-6)	n/a
LAWRENCE	5	Jaguars	$275,000,000	$55,000,000	$142,000,000	$28,400,000	51.60%	(1-1)	n/a
TUA	6	Dolphins	$212,400,000	$53,100,000	$93,171,000	$23,292,750	43.90%	(0-1)	n/a
J. GOFF	7	Lions	$212,000,000	$53,000,000	$113,611,832	$28,402,958	53.60%	(5-5)	(0-1)
PURDY	8	49ers	$265,000,000	$53,000,000	$100,000,000	$20,000,000	37.70%	(4-2)	(0-1)
J. HERBERT	9	Chargers	$262,500,000	$52,500,000	$133,738,375	$26,747,675	50.90%	(0-2)	n/a
L. JACKSON	10	Ravens	$260,000,000	$52,000,000	$135,000,000	$27,000,000	51.90%	(3-5)	n/a
J. HURTS	11	Eagles	$255,000,000	$51,000,000	$110,000,000	$22,000,000	43.10%	(6-3)	(1-1)
K. MURRAY	12	Cardinals	$230,500,000	$46,100,000	$103,300,000	$20,660,000	44.80%	(0-1)	n/a
D. WATSON	13	Browns	$230,000,000	$46,000,000	$230,000,000	$46,000,000	100.00%	(1-2)	n/a
MAHOMES	14	Chiefs	$450,000,000	$45,000,000	$63,081,905	$6,308,191	14.00%	(17-4)	(3-2)
K. COUSINS	15	Falcons	$180,000,000	$45,000,000	$90,000,000	$22,500,000	50.00%	(1-4)	n/a
STAFFORD	16	Rams	$80,000,000	$40,000,000	$40,000,000	$20,000,000	50.00%	(5-5)	(1-0)
G. SMITH	17	Raiders	$75,000,000	$37,500,000	$58,500,000	$29,250,000	78.00%	(0-1)	n/a
D. CARR	18	Saints	$150,000,000	$37,500,000	$60,000,000	$15,000,000	40.00%	(0-1)	n/a
DARNOLD	19	Seahawks	$100,500,000	$33,500,000	$37,500,000	$12,500,000	37.30%	(0-1) 2*	n/a
BAKER	20	Buccaneers	$100,000,000	$33,333,333	$40,000,000	$13,333,333	40.00%	(2-3)	n/a
J. FIELDS	21	Jets	$40,000,000	$20,000,000	$30,000,000	$15,000,000	75.00%	n/a	n/a
D. JONES	22	Colts	$14,000,000	$14,000,000	$13,150,000	$13,150,000	93.90%	(1-1)	n/a
CAM WARD	23	Titans	$48,839,604	$12,209,901	$48,839,604	$12,209,901	100.00%	ROOKIE	n/a
RUSS W.	24	Giants	$10,500,000	$10,500,000	$10,000,000	$10,000,000	95.20%	(9-8)	(1-1)
CALEB W.	25	Bears	$39,486,058	$9,871,515	$39,486,058	$9,871,515	100.00%	n/a	n/a
B. YOUNG	26	Panthers	$37,955,074	$9,488,769	$37,955,074	$9,488,769	100.00%	n/a	n/a
J. DANIELS	27	Commanders	$37,746,650	$9,436,663	$37,746,650	$9,436,663	100.00%	(2-1)	n/a
D. MAYE	28	Patriots	$36,639,764	$9,159,941	$36,639,764	$9,159,941	100.00%	n/a	n/a
STROUD	29	Texans	$36,279,246	$9,069,812	$36,279,246	$9,069,812	100.00%	(2-2)	n/a
A.R.	30	Colts	$33,994,030	$8,498,508	$33,994,030	$8,498,508	100.00%	n/a	n/a

2024 NFL RECORDS IF EVERY ONE SCORE GAME WAS REVERSED

PITTSBURGH STEELERS QB-1 SITUATION

Today marks a the start of a new NFL season and with that being said the Steelers now enter the new league year without a starting quarterback on their roster. Earlier today, they brought back a familiar face, Mason Rudolph, who agreed to terms on a two-year, $8 million deal. That’s all fine and dandy, but the reality of the situation is they still need a starter under center. Trust and believe, it will not be Rudolph! All the talk regarding the Steelers' next signal caller is circulating the NFL media by the hour, and it’s clear that everyone is saying it will come down to the likes of either Aaron Rodgers or Russell Wilson. I, like most, can make an argument for either passer to be the Steelers’ guy going forward. However, they are not the only two available quarterbacks that fit Arthur Smith’s system. There is a plethora of other options for them to choose from if they miss out on Rodgers and don’t re-sign Wilson.

I will start with the guy who is probably the most familiar with the scheme that Arthur Smith and the Steelers run: recently released from the Raiders, Desmond Ridder. Ridder was originally drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in 2022 when Smith was their head coach. As their starter for over two seasons, he went 8-9, threw for 3,544 yards, 14 TDs, 12 INTs, completed 64% of his passes, and had a passer rating of 84.1. Those are not exactly the greatest of numbers, though they also aren’t terrible either. It was only 17 games, but the bottom line here is that he is currently a free agent and is arguably the most experienced QB within Arthur’s offense. Plus, Ridder never had the pleasure of playing with a wideout as experienced as D.K. Metcalf. I think this would realistically be the Steelers’ best option outside of Russell Wilson or Aaron Rodgers, and I think they should be in the mindset of "what-ifs" so that you don’t wind up potentially going into the 2025 season with either Mason Rudolph or Skylar Thompson as your starting option.

The second quarterback on my list that could possibly fill the Steelers' void at QB (if they don’t sign Rodgers or Wilson) would be Trey Lance. Hear me out, I realize that Lance doesn’t have a whole lot of playing experience, which is why if they were to sign him, you don’t waste any time. If it came to this, you would start developing him quickly, see where he is with his progression from Dallas, then pick up from there. He isn’t going to be a complete game changer, but you can’t say he wouldn’t be one of, if not the most, intriguing options. He clearly has loads of upside, but he will need to gain that next level of confidence and fine-tune his mechanics. He has the talent to take off and make defenders miss with his quickness and speed when needed and is a great fit for what Smith wants their offense to look like. Plus, they would save loads of cap space to add another skilled position like J.K. Dobbins, Cam Akers, Nick Chubb, or maybe another receiver such as Stefon Diggs or Cooper Kupp.

My third quarterback option for Pittsburgh may leave many scratching their heads. This last guy hasn’t yet started a single game and is currently the number three QB on the New England Patriots. He is under contract, which would obviously require the Steelers to trade for the said player: Joe Milton III, who spent three years at Michigan prior to transferring to Tennessee, where the incredibly gifted quarterback passed for 4,159 yards (4,664 scrimmage yards), 32 TDs (39 total), with only 5 INTs. The Tennessee alumnus has proven elite arm strength with deep-ball potential, possesses great mobility, athleticism, and has immensely high upside. He can certainly develop into a strong starter in this league given his accuracy and decision-making improvements over time. Milton would probably give the Steelers the best option in the long term, but would more than likely also command more coaching time and development in the short term.

When it comes to the main two guys that have been linked to the Steelers this offseason, Rodgers and Wilson, I think that Rodgers could be a very good option as their starter, but I also believe that he is going to command more cap space and could possibly have a lower floor than Russell at this point in his career. Yes, Aaron still had good numbers last season, even though he didn’t look 100% healthy and was playing like somewhat of a shell of himself at times. Clearly, the signing of wideout D.K. Metcalf makes their offense a bit more attractive; however, they did have a relatively bad O-line last year (PFF ranked Pit O-line #21), ranked 12th in rushing, allowed the 9th most sacks in the league (49), and haven’t yet replaced their two starting running backs from last season (Najee Harris signed a 1-year deal with LAC & Jaylen Warren is a restricted free agent). I should also note that Pittsburgh lost their starting left tackle to the Titans, which could also prove problematic for an aging, less mobile passer like Rodgers. Lastly, even though there are some similarities in the Steelers' offense and what Rodgers likes to play in, the fact of the matter is that he would need to take some time to adapt to fully thrive in that scheme. With a 40-plus-year-old man and a woeful offensive line, I don’t know that would be the equivalent of a good mix.

The final player is none other than Russell Wilson. Last season was up and down for Wilson. He started very well, which is why they never pivoted back to Justin Fields, though he was also playing well. I feel the belief was that Fields limited the ceiling of what their offense could be, while with Russ at the helm, they were putting up more points per game. Obviously, they didn’t exactly light the league on fire, and they ended up in the playoffs; however, they went one and done. The Steelers finished the season on quite the downward spiral, losing 5 straight games. Wilson only threw 16 touchdowns last season while putting up just 2,482 passing yards. Those are porous numbers for a seasoned vet like Wilson. The one good thing you could say is that he limited his mistakes, turning the ball over seven times and only tossing 5 interceptions. You also can’t blame him for all their failures last year. George Pickens didn’t play up to par several times throughout their season and he was Russ’ number one target. They also left a lot to be desired in the run game, and as I previously mentioned, the offensive line allowed the ninth most sacks leaguewide.

If you asked me who I believe is the better QB, I would say Rodgers, but the real question here is who is the best fit for this team with the player personnel, scheme, and everything else regarding the franchise in its current state? To answer that, I would simply say, it’s Russell Wilson, no question! The man already has great chemistry with Metcalf from their years together in Seattle. He also started to gain some kind of traction with Pickens, Calvin Austin, Pat Freiermuth, and knows the playbook. It may not be the best situation for the fans of Steel City, but in terms of the best available options plus their placement in the draft, let’s be real and come to the realization that Russell Wilson gives them the best possible chance to win. Regardless of who they wind up having as the starter next season, the Pittsburgh Steelers will not be Super Bowl contenders because they are just not there yet, and any of the guys they choose to install into their system will not be able to bring them there in one season.

WASHINGTON MARCH-ING TOWARDS NFC’S TOP TEAM

 

 I’m sure everyone’s heard that Washington and San Francisco have struck a deal. This is huge for both parties, as the 49ers will now be moving forward without one of their key offensive pieces who has been their primary option on offense, outside of Christian McCaffrey. San Francisco walks away from this trade gaining more cap space, as Samuel was due to make $21.7 million this season, plus an additional 5th-round pick. The Commanders seem to be swinging for the fences this offseason. Can you blame them? They were extremely close to representing the NFC and returning to the Super Bowl for the first time in over thirty years (their last appearance was in 1992).

https://youtube.com/shorts/nTy8lgpz-Fs?si=KLUyY5WDosfn56vI

The Commanders' new wide receiver duo should be considered a top-10 tandem in the league. Terry McLaurin is coming off arguably his best season as a pro. He’s been given the nickname "Scary Terry" and for good reason—he just cleared 1,000 yards for the 5th consecutive season while also nearly doubling his best touchdown output of any individual season. Rookie passer Jayden Daniels took a quick liking to his number-one receiver, and though it seemed that their rapport started a little slow, they had one of the strongest connections in the league by the end of the season. The only knock on this Washington offense is the inability to find a secondary reliable option for Daniels when McLaurin is locked down in coverage, like the way their rival, the Eagles' secondary, took him out of the equation. That is the exact reason why this trade will prove to be pivotal in those situations.

This trade cannot go through until the new league year begins on March 12th, but as soon as Deebo gets to the East Coast, you’d better believe that Daniels, McLaurin, Samuel, and Kliff Kingsbury will get to work! Samuel brings versatility to this offense by being able to line up out of the backfield as another option at running back. Kliff has a very intriguing offense, and now with multiple utility players like Austin Ekeler along with Deebo, this should leave opposing defenses somewhat alarmed. Can you imagine seeing Washington’s offense with Samuel, Robinson Jr., and Ekeler all in the backfield (on select plays)? Yeah, try and figure that out as a defense.

A lot has been said that this isn’t that big of a deal and that Deebo Samuel hasn’t been that productive. Firstly, let's remind those individuals that last season, Brandon Aiyuk was injured, Kittle missed a couple of games, Christian McCaffrey missed all but four games, and backup running back Jordan Mason even missed time. All those players suffering injuries would certainly help teams lock in on the best player on the field and double-team Samuel. Another thing that could’ve contributed to the ineffectiveness of the ex-49ers wideout is the fact that their tackle Trent Williams missed six games with an injury himself, giving way for defensive lines to key in on the Niners' backup left tackle to take down quarterback Brock Purdy from his blindside before Deebo could even get open. Given all that they went through last season, I would’ve been very surprised if he had an All-Pro type of season. Quite frankly, though Deebo hasn’t had 1,000 receiving yards nor 70 or more receptions since 2021, he’s had 35 total TDs (tied for 5th among wideouts) and 4,557 combined scrimmage yards (9th among wideouts). You can say that he isn’t a top-10 number-one receiver in this league, but you cannot deny how versatile a player he is and the dynamic he can bring to any offense.

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS HISTORY

                        The Tampa Bay Buccaneers became an NFL franchise in 1974 as an expansion team and became the league’s 27^th franchise. It was late in 1974 when a Philadelphia construction executive, Tom McCloskey, was awarded the Tampa Bay Bucs, however soon after he turned down the ownership opportunity.  McCloskey served as chair of the Liberty Bowl before it left its site in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  Tom was also the founder of the Philadelphia Atoms, the North American Soccer Club, he built Veteran’s Stadium and was known for much more.  When he attempted to purchase the Philadelphia Eagles franchise, he was outbid and was awarded the Tampa Bay Bucs.  After McCloskey couldn’t come to terms with the NFL at that point, he was replaced by Hugh Culverhouse as the expansion team’s owner.

BUCCANEERS OWNERSHIP 1974-1994:

                        Hugh Franklin Culverhouse Sr. took over as the Buccaneers owner after McCloskey had some financial issues and couldn’t get the deal done with the NFL as this expansion team’s owner.  Culverhouse, who took ownership of the team two years before the Bucs took the field was a successful Jacksonville tax attorney before he became an NFL franchise owner.  Upon taking Ownership of this new expansion team Hugh looked around the NFL and NCAA to find himself a possible fit to be the Head Coach for his newly acquired team.  He seemed to find a perfect fit as he hired Coach John McKay.  McKay was a four-time National Champion and the previous Head Coach of the USC program in Southern California. 

                         Tampa Bay’s first Head Coach, John McKay was ultimately viewed as the guy who would bring his prior success as a college coach for USC to the state of Florida for this new NFL team.  Owner Hugh Culverhouse thought that Tampa’s Head Coach McKay was the guy who would put these Buccaneers on the map and hopefully show the rest of the other twenty-six NFL teams that Tampa Bay was here and for real.  Though unfortunately for Culverhouse this was not the case, not even close.  During Tampa Bay Bucs' first three seasons, they were appalling, a laughingstock, and just plain hard to watch.  In the Buccaneers’ first three years as an NFL team, they only won 7 out of 44 games, on top of losing every game in their first season.  It wasn’t until after their initial twenty-six-game losing streak that Tampa Bay would finally win a game.  They would go on to post consecutive wins to end their second season.  Unfortunately for the Bucs, it wouldn’t be until Tampa Bay’s fourth season in the league that they would finish a season .500 or better, when they did achieve this feat for the first time, they ended up winning their division with a record of 10-6.

 

NEW OWNERSHIP 1995-CURRENT DAY:

               Upon the end of the Bucs 20^th NFL season the Glazer family who currently owns the Tampa Bay Buccaneers had originally purchased this Florida-based franchise for 192 million dollars in 1995.  At the time of the purchase, Malcolm Glazer bought the team for the highest price ever paid for a sports franchise.  The end of the 1995 NFL season would also mark the end of Head Coach Sam Wyche’s era for the Bucs.  Tampa then hired Tony Dungy to replace Wyche as their new Head Coach and boy was that a good move, as Tampa Bay went 54-42 under Dungy.  They also had a record of .500 or better in 5 of 6 seasons, made the playoffs in 4 out of 5 seasons, and saw post-season play in all of Dungy’s last three seasons.

            Sometimes in life, we can spend a long time attempting to build something great, something special that can be so rewarding after all the long hours spent working out the kinks that you can just sit back and enjoy the sweet taste of success.  However, sometimes you may spend all this time to build the same thing, although did not get enough time to completely work through everything and because of this, you may end up on the outside looking in at someone else completing what you had started to build.  This was the unfortunate reality for Tampa Bay’s Head Coach Tony Dungy.  He had brought the Buccaneers to the playoffs three consecutive years though they had never got any further than the NFC Conference Championship Game.  So, after six seasons, Tampa’s organization decided to go in another direction, bringing in a new Head Coach to succeed Dungy’s lack of Championship success.  In Gruden’s first season, he took Tampa all the way while Tony could only watch as the Buccaneers won their first Lombardi Trophy.  During Gruden’s tenure, the Bucs only made the playoffs two more times in his seven seasons as their coach, losing both times in the Wild Card Round.

 

            After Gruden led them to a Super Bowl win in 2002 along with his last season where the Bucs went 9-7, they hadn’t been a .500 team or better for about a decade. They did go 10-6 under Raheem Morris in 2010 but missed the playoffs due to a tiebreaker to the Super Bowl-winning Green Bay Packers.  Head Coach Dirk Koetter also had one decent season in 2016 as the team finished 9-7 but still no postseason.  In 2020 the unthinkable happened.  Tom Brady decided to part with Head Coach Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots.  Tom then signed with the Tampa Bay Bucs, his old teammate and friend, tight end Rob Gronkowski came out of retirement to join, and Tom influenced the Bucs to sign running back Leonard Fournette.  Tampa Bay went on to win Super Bowl LV.  The Bucs were favored to make another Super Bowl run with arguably the best quarterback in NFL history, however, it didn’t go down that way.  Tampa did make the playoffs the following year but lost in the Divisional Round to the eventual Super Bowl Champs, the Los Angeles Rams.  The following year the Buccaneers were merely a shell of themselves finishing the season 8-9 and though they did make the playoffs, becoming only the fifth sub .500 team to make the playoffs since the merger they lost to the Dallas Cowboys at home in the Wild Card Round.