Buccaneers in top five in the NFL in a very undesirable category
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers' turnaround in 2020 was something beyond fans' wildest dreams. Tom Brady's determined and poised mindset filtered through the locker room and helped lead the team to its second Super Bowl title. It was a welcome change from the undisciplined, mistake-filled brand of football that fans were unfortunately often accustomed to seeing […]
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers' turnaround in 2020 was something beyond fans' wildest dreams. Tom Brady's determined and poised mindset filtered through the locker room and helped lead the team to its second Super Bowl title. It was a welcome change from the undisciplined, mistake-filled brand of football that fans were unfortunately often accustomed to seeing over the previous lost decade-plus of football in Tampa.
Well, not everything totally changed, as it turned out.
Broncos reporter Benjamin Allbright provided a list ranking the teams with the most unsportsmanlike conduct penalties over the last five years, and the Buccaneers came in tied for fifth most.
The Buccaneers tied with the Cleveland Browns for fifth most in the NFL. Interestingly enough, the Bucs and Browns led the league in total amount forfeited by fine related to said penalties despite not being at the top. As Allbright notes, the Browns led by over $1 million because of the Myles Garrett – Mason Rudolph fight, where Garrett ripped off Rudolph's helmet and clubbed him with it. Dozens of players were fined, along with both franchises.
Not all unsportsmanlike conduct fouls are bad. To be clear, the Garrett-Rudolph donnybrook clearly was. Sometimes there can be a spark to be gained from it, even when the behavior is objectively bad. Sometimes you've got to stand up for your teammates or show the other side you won't be intimidated. It's a physical game and that's sometimes part of it.
Last season at New Orleans, the Bucs were deadlocked with the Saints at 3 in what had been a sloppy, ugly game. Mike Evans and Marshon Lattimore, who have scuffled over the years, got into it again, with Evans sending Lattimore flying to the turf.
Both Evans and Lattimore were ejected, but the Buccaneer offense quickly woke up, going on to score 17 points and secure a 20-10 win.
However, that's typically more the exception than the rule. Far more often it's between players chirping between plays and results in nothing more than a short walk in the wrong direction on the field. And with the Buccaneer offense likely to be less able to pile up the yards and points this year than they were in 2020 and 2021, giving away 15 yards is not something that will be as easily overcome in 2023.
So the Buccaneers will need to start controlling their emotions a little bit better if they're going to have their best chance at getting back to the playoffs this year.
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Featured image via Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports
