Getty Jason Licht poked fun at Saints defensive end Cam Jordan's prior shot at the Buccaneers.
After the Tampa Bay Buccaneers clinched a third-straight NFC South division crown, general manager Jason Licht hopped on social media.
Licht playfully wanted to settle things with New Orleans Saints defensive end Cam Jordan, who took a shot at the Buccaneers last year. Jordan claimed the Buccaneers would “go back to being the Bucs” after Tom Brady‘s retirement in 2023 during an NFL Network interview.
“Yep, went back to being the Bucs! Champs again, ” Licht wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
Yep, went back to being the Bucs! Champs again.
Actually, the Buccaneers did better in the 2023 season than in 2022, Brady’s final run with the team. The 2022 Buccaneers stumbled into the playoffs at 8-9 before the Dallas Cowboys steamrolled them in the NFC Wild Card Round.
This season’s Buccaneers went 9-8 with Baker Mayfield at quarterback. Tampa Bay faces a sliding Philadelphia Eagles squad going into another Wild Card home game this time.
Todd Bowles Expects Tough Challenge With Philly
While the Eagles have lost five of the past six games after a 10-1 start, Bowles expects a stronger Eagles squad than in recent weeks. Philadelphia beat the Buccaneers in Tampa early in the season on “Monday Night Football”.
“I haven’t dove deep into them yet, but obviously they’re a talented team,” Bowles told reporters on Monday. “They’ve had some injuries over the past few weeks as well. Can’t really put a finger on it until I watch more film right now, but again, they still won double-digit games, they’re a very talented team, they went to the Super Bowl last year. They’re going to be a tough team to beat.”
Tampa Bay faced the Eagles in late September, a 25-11 defeat. The Eagles defense hasn’t looked like a team that gives up 11 points of late with more than 400 yards allowed in each of the past two games.
“I don’t think it compares at all,” Bowles said about the Eagles’ recent struggles. “It’s about the same, for the most part. It doesn’t compare because we played them so early in the year. We were still growing, I’m sure they were still growing. Playoff time is different because it’s one and done. Everybody’s nicked up, everybody’s hurt, it’s just a matter of who makes the most mistakes.”
‘Which Bucs Team Will Show Up?’
As Tampa Bay makes a fourth-straight playoff appearance, ESPN’s Jenna Laine posed the question concerning many Buccaneers fans.
“Which Bucs team will show up?,” Laine wrote.
Kings of the South 👑
“They’ve been wildly inconsistent this season between offensive coordinator Dave Canales’ growing pains and a defense that gives up big chunk plays but somehow remains stout in the red zone,” Laine continued. “The offense’s momentum came to a screeching halt in Week 17, and the Bucs were back to self-inflicted wounds with penalties, drops and fumbles. Plus, Mayfield is dealing with a rib injury that could affect his ability to throw.”
After an impressive four-game winning streak late in the season, the Buccaneers slipped up against the Saints in a 23-13 loss for Week 17. While Tampa Bay bounced back for a 9-0 win over the Carolina Panthers, it didn’t resemble the strong overall performance during the winning streak.