Ignore the score that you see because it’s a damn lie. It makes it look like the Buccaneers were almost equal to the Cowboys in skill. Because they weren’t.
The Bucs were outmatched against them all game long. Both Coen and Bowles deserve scrutiny as both did not do a good job for their respective sides of the ball. Bowles’ couldn’t stop Cooper Rush checking down in .5 seconds in the first half and Coen couldn’t figure out what play to call outside two minute drills.
Some Good
Let’s start with some good. Vita Vea made what should’ve been the play to save the game for the Bucs. He was a monster in the middle and made several key tackles to help the Bucs out. Thank God for that as no Buccaneer was interested in tackling. Wait, hold on, more positive still. Goedeke played lights out on the line and Bucky was practically carrying the offense on his back. Micah Parsons could barely sniff Mayfield in the pocket as he desperately hoped somebody would just get open.
And that’s it for good. I’m not missing anything else unlike these players on defense missing tackles. I legit thought Lavonte was going to retire at halftime. This was one of his worst performances in a game since the 49ers this year. He was missing tackles left and right and not playing coverage correctly. He was so bad I had to check to make sure it wasn’t Britt wearing his jersey. Dean and McCollum were also allergic to playing good coverage on WRs, because why not. And the pass rush was virtually non-existent, what else is new.
Buccaneers Offense Sputters
But the offense was something else. At least the defense was making stops in the second half. The offense proceeded to do fuck all with them. I kept begging for more screens to be called, but Coen forsook me for some past sin. Mayfield was taking terrible sacks again, but the o-line had one of the worst games I had ever seen from it.
Everybody except Goedeke, including Wirfs, was getting beat by a mediocre pass rush and no WR seemed able to get open. I had before blamed McMillan for the Baker TD as he didn’t fight for the ball, but it was also on Baker not putting the ball in front of him. But he still could’ve had it had he fought harder. Barton also looked like he was told he would be playing center ten minutes before the game started. If it wasn’t for the two minute drills, the offense would’ve produced virtually nothing.
—
The worst part about all of this is that it was against a team that is not very good. The Cowboys didn’t have their franchise QB nor their best WR for the second half, and still the offense and defense couldn’t keep up. Cooper Rush just took a twenty yard shot on play action and let Aubrey kick 70 yard FGs. It was an absolutely embarrassing effort from a team that had nothing to play for.
All the Cowboys had was pride because they aren’t making the playoffs. And still the Bucs could do nothing. Terrible, just absolutely terrible from a supposed SB contender to get whipped by a team without their best players outside Micah. Now they have to hope either the Commanders or Panthers beat the Falcons. This is of course assuming the Buccaneers win their own games.
Want more from Devin? Click here, then follow him on Twitter.
RANT SPORTS – As Super Bowl LIX Beckons, Football Fans Gravitate to Key Stats and Storylines
On February 9, 2025, the NFC and AFC Conference Champions will meet at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana, for Super Bowl LIX. Football fans have been piling into the action all season to make their picks and predictions for the winner.
As Super Bowl Sunday beckons, there will be a tsunami of interest in the many different forms of football betting. Last year, the Super Bowl set records for American wagering, with some $23 billion bet. This year, seeing the popularity of the big game, platforms are going all out to appeal to this mass of betting interest.
So, there are plenty of offers bouncing around and unique ways to bet on the outcomes of Super Bowl LIX. Keep reading to explore these novel options and discover some stats to keep in mind for the potential Super Bowl contenders this year.
A Diverse Landscape for Super Bowl Fans
Every year, betting lines light up with a whole range of quirky selections. For the Super Bowl, prop markets are always a point of interest – and not just for the player lines. The length of the national anthem, style of the halftime performer’s attire, and the color of the winning team’s Gatorade douse are all in the odds.
In daily fantasy sports betting, the lines can also see a bit more variation. With some platforms, you’ll be able to bundle in these once-a-year kind of props. Many will also offer boosts on certain players hitting or missing their under-over lines. Others are adapting the formula entirely for the big game.
At Sleeper, the emphasis is on collaborating with your squad to make top fantasy picks. You’ll all get to select the DFS player lines that you think will happen, bundle them into a picks list, and watch the stats move in real time. With the Super Bowl fast approaching, savvy DFS teams will be claiming a Sleeper promo for NFL betting like this.
With the offer, each player will get a $55 bonus cash offer after playing $5. So, naturally, many teams will open an account, make the $10 deposit, play $5 on an upcoming game of the NFL, NBA, or anything else, and then get their 11 $5 bonus wagers to use on the big game.
What to Keep in Mind for the Super Bowl
On the NFC side, coming into the Conference Championships, Jayden Daniels absolutely had the upper hand on the Eagles’ QB, who’d suffered a concussion and then a leg injury. However, the Philadelphia defense ranked as the best in the NFL by quite some margin, only allowing 278.4 yards on average. It was Philadelphia that romped to an easy 55-23 victory.
Over in AFC territory, the Super Bowl machine that are the Kansas City Chiefs might have a shot at history with the unheard-of three-peat, after their 32-29 win over the Bills. There’s also Travis Kelce’s shot at unseating one of Jerry Rice’s long-standing records. With just three receptions in the big game, Kelce would overtake Rice’s haul of 33 takes at the Super Bowl.
Super Bowl LIX promises to be a fascinating game, with a second matchup of these two teams in three years. That contest came down to the final seconds, but who will win this one?
The bigger question here is, where will fans be placing their bets for the colossal event?
RANT SPORTS – NASCAR likes to open with a short track exhibition
A week before heading to Daytona for the 2025 NASCAR season, they will kick off the year with an exhibition race on Saturday night under the lights. The event, known as The Cookout will take place at Bowman Gray Stadium, a NASCAR-sanctioned quarter-mile asphalt flat oval short track and a historic football stadium in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
The race, also known as The Clash, will mark the debut for several new drivers. Two of the top young talents making their NASCAR Cup Series debuts are Tim Brown for Rick Racing and Burt Myers for Team Amerivet.
This race also features the Front Row Motorsports debut for Noah Gragson and the return of Zane Smith that team. Additionally, Todd Gilliland will be driving the flagship No. 38 after three seasons in the No. 34. Furthermore, Josh Berry iin the iconic Wood Brothers No. 21 Ford.
Some familiar names with new and full season rides
AJ Allmendinger has returned to Kaulig Racing full-time, while Riley Herbst has joined 23XI Racing. Cole Custer is back now full time at the Haas Factory Team. Cody Ware is also time in the family-owned No. 51.
Ryan Preece is debuting for RFK Racing and Michael McDowell has moved to Spire Motorsports. Shane Van Gisbergen is racing full-time in Cup for Trackhouse Racing
Here is the full list of cars the teams
1 | Ross Chastain | Phil Surgen | Trackhouse Racing | Chevrolet
2 | Austin Cindric | Brian Wilson | Team Penske | Ford
3 | Austin Dillon | Richard Boswell | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet
4 | Noah Gragson | Drew Blickensderfer | Front Row Motorsports | Ford
24 | William Byron | Rudy Fugle | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet
34 | Todd Gilliland | Chris Lawson | Front Row Motorsports | Ford
35 | Riley Herbst | Davin Restivo | 23XI Racing | Toyota
38 | Zane Smith | Ryan Bergentry | Front Row Motorsports | Ford
41 | Cole Custer | Aaron Kramer | Haas Factory Team | Ford
42| John Hunter Nemechek | Travis Mack | Legacy Motor Club | Toyota
43| Erik Jones | Ben Beshore | Legacy Motor Club | Toyot
45 | Tyler Reddick | Billy Scott | 23XI Racing | Toyota
47| Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | Mike Kelley | HYAK Racing | Ford
48| Alex Bowman | Blake Harris | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet
50 | Burt Myers | Tony Eury Jr. | Team Amerivet | Chevrolet
51 | Justin Haley | Billy Plourde |Rick Ware Racing | Ford
54 | Ty Gibbs | Tyler Allen | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota
60 | Ryan Preece | Derrick Finley | RFK Racing | Ford
66 | Garrett Smithley | Carl Long | Garage 66 | Ford
71 | Michael McDowell | Travis Peterson | Spire Motorsports | Chevrolet
77 | Carson Hocevar | Luke Lambert | Spire Motorsports | Chevrolet
88 | Shane Van Gisbergen | Stephen Doran | Trackhouse Racing | Chevrolet
99 | Daniel Suarez | Matt Swiderski | Trackhouse Racing | Chevrolet
Where to watch and listen to the race
Practice and qualifying is set for 6:10 on FS1 and heat races are set for 8:30 on FS1. The last chance race is set for 6 p.m. on Sunday on FOX and the main event is scheduled for 8 on FOX.