They're Bucks fans. How's everybody doing on this Wednesday morning, Casey Phillips, you were senior writer and editor, Scott Smith. This is actually our normal time for Buccaneers in Satura Live. We had one yesterday and guess what, we're also going
to have one tomorrow. We're just making sure you guys have all of the Buccaneers content that you could possibly want going in this layoff game, making sure that everybody is all caught up, so as we give people a chance to start submitting some of the questions on the Facebook page. Um, we got a lot. Actually we can talk about even just that has happened since yesterday. First, let's go ahead and start with the Hall of Fame news. Yeah,
it's really really good news. Um, it's not surprising. It's still it's still a great accomplishment, but it's not surprising anymore that John Lynch has made it through to the finalist stage of the selection process in this case for the Class of for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. It's the eighth straight year that this has happened, and that in and of itself tells me that the voters on the selection committee do think he's a Hall of Fame caliber player. They wouldn't keep making him a finalist
and giving themselves a chance to put him in. But the even better news is that Rande Barber joined him. This is his fourth year of eligibility, and quite frankly, I've been surprised the last three years, especially the last couple. Maybe the first year wasn't a big surprise, but I've been surprised the last three years that he didn't make it through to the final stage. But now he has. So the Buccaneers have two of the fifteen finalists. And uh,
they're both very, very well deserving. We've obviously stated their cases many times here and in other places, but uh, you know, you got to make that step before you get all the way to the Hall of Fame. And this year, instead of voting on the day before the Super Bowl in the host city, which is the traditional way, they're going to hold a virtual meeting on January nineteenth, so we may find out even sooner than that. Yeah,
that is just such great news. They're both so deserving, and I mean, man, of all the years, the fact that it would be here in Tampa, it's like they've been deserving any year and We'd be happy for them to get in any year, but if it could happen this year, that would just be so h all. Yeah, Originally I thought twenty would be the perfect year for Randy Barber to go in. Uh you know, number twenty, his number, nobody else, nobody else wears that number anymore
for the Buccaneers. So, but now I agree with you, would be very fitting for one or both to get in. That would be incredible. Um, And Richard had asked, if you had to pick one who gets in Lynch or RANDI that's a really good question. And and I want to make sure that that it's understood that when I'm saying this, I'm not saying that one player is better or more deserving than the other. Just circumstantially, I feel
like this could be the year for John Lynch. And believe me, I understand that I've said that before on a couple other occasions. But you look at who The first thing you have to do is understand that it's a maximum of five of those fifteen, and you have to look at the first year candidates and guys that you know are probably gonna make it in the first year. So how many spots are they gonna keep take up. Well, Peyton Manning is obvious, clearly he'll get in the first year.
And I think there's a very good chance that Calvin Johnson and uh, I'm blinking on the other one right now, Oh, Charles Woodson will will also get in. They seem like first ballot types, so you've got two spots there. And and looking at all the other players that are eligible, like some Tory Holtz and Alan Fanicas and and and guys like that, um, he seems just as good of
a choice as any of them. So I do believe that the Hall of Fame committee takes opportunities to clear up log jams or to take care of a guy they've been trying again but just couldn't make them top five before when they have a chance. And so I'm thinking this could be John's chance. And yeah, I'd love to see Rodney go in, but he might have to wait a couple of years. Yeah, that's that's I I can understand that logic for sure. So hopefully, yeah, this is the year that at least one of them can
get in. All right, Well, we also had some exciting other award news, not quite Hall of Fame level, but still pretty exciting for UH kicker Ryan suck Up. Well, hey yeah, those awards along the way help you get in the Hall of Fame eventually, and the Buccaneers have had a lot of these specialty or I mean Player of the Week awards. This year, Ryan suck Up it
wanted for the second time. He had fourteen points, made all eight of his kicks, which was big because the Bucks offense was pretty much moving the ball at will. They scored on all five of their first half drives against Atlanta, but they were having a little trouble in the red zone, um, so they had to kick field goals and he made all of them, which allowed the Bucks to take that twenty three to ten halftime lead and then hold on and kind of pull away at
the end. So it's a great award for Ryan. It's actually the seventh time he's won it in his career, a couple of times with Casey and a couple of times with Tennessee. Uh. He is the first Bucaneer, however, to have won this the Special Teams Player of the Week award twice in one season, which I was surprised to find when I looked it up because I figured Martin Grammatica, who did win it multiple times, it's just never won it twice in one season. Wow, that's a
really interesting staff there. I love that will. Congratulations to Ryan and I know that Bucks fans have loved his consistency. I mean, it is really great to have that kind of confidence that your your kickers getting the Player of the Week award right before the playoffs. That it's a pretty thirty one and I think something like the last twenty six or something like that. So you're feeling very
good about m Yeah, that's great. And UM, finally, we just wanted to before we get to these questions, figure out what all we learned from some of the press conferences yesterday morning from the practice that happened. It was essentially a walk through, um, but what different players and coaches said that they gave us some insight into, especially
things like health, but just overall team things. Well, first to walk through, and that's a that's an important distinction because uh, and then the teams do this generally when they have an accelerated schedule. Since we have a Saturday game, you're practicing on Tuesday what you would normally do on Wednesday, and so on. But two days after the game, it's the last game, isn't a lot of time for players to recover. Sey generally don't do a full speed practice.
What they do is a walkthrough. So uh, most notably Mike Evans and Carlton Davis did take part in the walkthrough, which is a good sign, because a walkthrough is you line up how you're going to run the players you're choosing to use on Saturday, and then you walk through them. And if those guys are taking part in them, that means the club that's hoping has, you know, some optimism that they'll be out there. Otherwise they wouldn't bother to put them in the practice for what you're gonna do
on the game. However, the the actual injury report is based upon a full speed practice, so when you walk through, you have to estimate what would have happened if you've gone full speed. And the Bucks said that Carlton and Mike would not have practice, which isn't a setback or anything. Uh. It was always a target of Thursday for Mike. So it's not bad news. I think it's actually kind of good news, but it's it's not anything certain yet as
for the press conferences. I think the biggest, probably the best statement anybody made was Bruce arians saying, we don't think we're playing a seven and nine Washington team. We think we're playing a four and one Washington team because that's what they are under Alex Smith. And it's a good point. All right. Well, now let's get into some of these questions, uh, Jamir, I think is how you say it? Um said, how do you think Mentor will
do in the middle and place of Devon White? Well, based on this last game and the three games that he played in White's absence early last year, I think he'll do pretty good. I mean, we saw that he could do all of the things that you want that position to do in this defense. He can rush the pastor a little bit if you need him to. So that element of that blitz up the middle that White
has done so well this year is still there. I'm not gonna say there aren't any many linebackers inside linebackers that can blitz like Devin White, so let's not go that far. But he Mentor can also range around the field to make tackles on rushing plays and even covered pretty well down the field. So Um, He's a solid guy who knows the defense backward and forward. And uh has a ton of experience with Bruce Arians and played pretty well last week, so I think he can do
just fine. And Greg asked, Uh, do you think all Claire or Hudson will get activated this week or do you think they will want to use an O lineman to help in pass protection? Well, Um, I think they'll probably do well. Claire would be my guest. That's what they did last week. And obviously with this ferocious Washington line, I think you're gonna want your blocking tight end a little bit more. You could still use that um extra offensive lineman is a tight end. It's kind of six
of one have to isn't of another? Or you could you know, you might have some jumble packages where you're using both of them. So but again, as I said yesterday, even against a pass rush like this, you have to remember the head coach that's that's running things. And and Bruce Arians, even against tough pass rushes, doesn't like the max protect that much. He likes to put players out into routes. And Richard asked, are you concerned that it's a night game considering how those have gone for us
this year. Well, I mean I would be if I thought there was any particular reason for that little mini trend. I don't think there is. It doesn't there's really not much sense to it. Um. I think it was just coincidental that the Buccaneers kept playing their worst games in the evening. So no, it doesn't really concern me at all. John asked when will the Bucks fly to Washington and also do we think Rojo's carries will increase this week? Well? To start back, Well, okay, they'll fly up on Friday.
Of course, they always fly the day before. Um, I don't know the exact time and probably wouldn't give it out if I did. But um, as for Rojo's carries, it's it's all just how the game unfolds. Uh. You know, this is still a passing team, and Rogo looked great in the last game, and I know Bruce arians wants to use him and was certainly encouraged by how he played.
But we're gonna pass first for the most part in most games, and then see how the game develops, and and that usually is what indicates how many carries that your primary running back gets. So if the Bucks have a nice lead in the second half. Yeah, he'll get a lot more carries. I think. Um. Bruno had a question he's watching from Brazil, which is um. He said, we know that Devin White won't be able to play Saturday, but would he be able to play the next week
if we win? Yeah? Yeah, I think that's the presumption. In fact, Um, you know, Bruce arians wasn't thrilled. I think it was the way you put it that we drew a Saturday game instead of a Sunday game because he thought there might be a chance of White coming off that list. For all we know, he's ready to go right now. It's just the protocol says ten days. So um, yeah, he would be assuming that he is
healthy and ready. Um, there's nothing that would stop him from coming off that list in time for a second round game if the Buccaneers get past Washington, and Curtis asked, what are the odds of a Buccaneer home game in the playoffs? Well, they're not high, and they never are for any wild card team. And you'll know at least for the next round before the Buccaneers even play, because the Rams and and Seahawks will play on Saturday afternoon.
And if the Seahawks win, then the Buccaneers definitely won't have a home game in round two. They would go to either Green Bay if um New Orleans beat Chicago
or Seattle. If Chicago beats New Orleans, if the Rams win, then it remains a possibility because if the Rams and the Buccaneers win on Saturday, and then the Bears win on Sunday, then all three wild card teams won and as the highest wild card team, the lowest wild card team would would which would be Chicago, would go to Green Bay, and as the highest wild card team, we
would host the Rams. So yeah, it's possible. And then even if it doesn't happen this week, if at least one of the Rams or the Bears wins and the Bucks win this weekend, there remains of possibility for the m C Championship game in Tampa. But somebody's gonna have to knock off Green Bay for that dappen. Yes, that's true. Um, all right. We also had a question, do you see uh there being more quick slants to someone like a b because of going against this pass rush, so get
rid of the ball quickly. Um, well, I guess it depends on how well, we're holding up because we are rightfully talking about how good that Washington pass rushes and star studded with first round picks. But remember that we have a very good offensive line, and I think they're really hitting their stride as the season ended. I mean, if you watch this last game against Atlanta, I know it Land doesn't have the same defensive line, but they
have some talented defenders as well. Tom Brady had a lot of time to throw, a lot of time, and that allows you to look downfield. So I would think what you have is every play has a number of possibilities, right, so you have your chance to hit the ball downfield if you have time. Otherwise you get rid of it more quickly to somebody underneath. Um, I don't think you necessarily call more slants because you're terrified of their pass rush. Okay, well that's going to do for us on this edition
of Buccaneers Insider Live presented by Miller Lite. Thanks as always for joining us, and again we'll actually be back tomorrow morning to answer more of your questions and give even more updates from the practice that happens today. So we'll see you then.