Major issues to resolve.
Former Steelers safety Ryan Clark has made a second career for himself with strong takes and quiet apologies. He seems to embrace the philosophy of yell first, ask questions later.
As a result, Clark often steps in it and has a mess to clean up afterwards.
Well, Joe cannot disagree with a thing Clark said in a recent edition of “Last Take.” Clark called a spade a spade. Are the Bucs a playoff team? Clark seems to think so. Can they win in the playoffs? Clark all but said, hell no.
“This team, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, as they are playing right now, aren’t Super Bowl threats at all,” Clark said. “The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, when we go back throughout their schedule, you say, OK, Seattle was a quality win. We’ll say the San Francisco 49ers are a quality win.
“In the last two weeks, you played the leaders of the AFC East Division and the Patriots and the Bills — and the Bills game was actually close. Baker Mayfield did have an opportunity in the fourth quarter. A Bills team that can’t stop a nosebleed was able to get the football back to Josh Allen.
“Obviously, Josh Allen has one of those superhuman days, but if [the Bucs] don’t get people back healthy, if Todd Bowles defensively can’t figure out a way to stop the big play, this team can’t compete with the top of the NFC.”
Clark being a former Super Bowl-winning defensive back, was revolted by how the Bucs played such a matador defense against New England and Buffalo.
“It wasn’t just Drake Maye to Kyle Williams, Drake Maye to Stefon Diggs, Drake Maye to Mack Hollins. It was last week with Keon Coleman on the sideline, Josh Allen to every damn body.”
Clark noted there is just no way a defense like the Bucs put out on the field the past two weeks is going to slow down playoff teams.
“And so if they don’t figure out a way to stop people and give Baker Mayfield more help offensively, when you get some people back healthy, this team will be home early in the playoffs like we’ve seen them the last few years,” Clark said.
Joe doesn’t know how anyone who isn’t playing with pom-poms and wearing a skirt can come up with a formula where a team is struggling passing the ball and is downright a complete sieve on defense.
Since the bye, touchdowns scored against the Bucs defense have been from an average of 33 yards away from the end zone. That’s sickening.
The way the defense is playing, Joe isn’t convinced the Bucs can make the playoffs. It’s that bad.
"If Todd Bowles defensively can't figure out a way to stop the big play, this team can't compete with the top of the NFC." 👀@Realrclark25 on if the Tampa Bay Bucs are Super Bowl contenders pic.twitter.com/JOB101M74b
— First Take (@FirstTake) November 20, 2025