Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Division: NFC South
2017 Record: 5-11 (4th in the NFC South)
Subreddit: Buccaneers, MikeGlennon

2017 Key Statistics

Category	2016 Ranking	2017 Ranking	Δ
DVOA Offense	19th	11th	+8
Total Offense	5,542 Yards	5,816 Yards	+274
Total Passing Yards	3,926 Yards	4,366 Yards	+440
Total Rushing Yards	1,616 Yards	1,450 Yards	-166
DVOA Defense	13th	32nd	-19
Total Defense Allowed	5,887 Yards	6,049 Yards	-174
Total Passing Yards Allowed	4,012 Yards	4,169 Yards	-157
Total Rushing Yards Allowed	1,875 Yards	1,880 Yards	-5
Total Sacks	38.0	22.0	-16.0
TurnoveTakeaway Differential	+2	-1	-3
Penalty Flags	102	104	+2
Player Arrests	1	1	0
Player Fines	$1.6M	$110K	-$1.49M

Introduction: There’s a Storm Coming, Master Wayne

When I wrote for this series one year ago, it was full of bright and bushy tailed optimism. There were many reasons to excited: we were coming off our first winning season since 2010. Jameis Winston was showing promise as a franchise QB. Our defense finished the 2016 strong and were going in a positive direction under Mike Smith. We had finally invested in skill position players to surround Jameis with more talent.
Though brimming with optimism, there were a couple of red flags I recognized, and it turns out, they weren’t only red flags, but Achilles heels:

Jameis’s decision-making and reduction of turnovers

He would wind up turning the ball over 18 times in 13 games (11 interceptions + 7 lost fumbles). Decision-making wound up being detrimental to the team in more ways than one.

the interior offensive line protecting him [Jameis]

Our starting QB’s were sacked 40 times last season. Sweezy and Pamphile (both no longer with the team) provided sub-par protection throughout the season, and while Marpet grew as a Center, the team bounced him back to Guard where he’s a more natural fit.

a secondary that may not be poised to stop the powerhouse QB’s of the NFC South

The team allowed a league-worst 4,169 passing yards. Vernon Hargreaves III didn’t progress as much as the team hoped in year two, and while Grimes continued to play serviceably, our Safety play from Conte continued to be a plague. Injuries exposed our sheer lack of depth, and once again, we proved our inability to answer the age old question: “How do you stop a slant route?”

a huge question mark around Doug Martin

At one point in the season, he was suspended by the team (in addition to serving out the remainder of his PED suspension) for violating team rules. He wound up with 406 yards on the season (2.9 YPC). He’s now an Oakland Raider.

the circus of our competition for the starting Kicker job (aka Dr. Roberto’s Wild Ride).

The Aguayo experiment ended in massive failure. Nick Folk beat him out for the job, only to do his best Aguayo impersonation. We replaced him with Patrick Murray, and now we’re replacing Murray with Catanzaro—our 6th starting Kicker in the last two seasons.
So are the expectations for the upcoming 2018 season? There’s a storm coming, Master Wayne, and I believe we are about to witness an end of Schiano/end of Raheem Morris level meltdown with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a regime change from top to bottom, and whatever promise we had last year is going to go full Hindenburg. Let’s talk about the landscape entering July:
The Jameis Winston Suspension: I’ve already opined with my thoughts on Winston, so I’ll do my best to take my bias out of this and look at it from an objective standpoint. There’s little argument that Jameis would have provided us the best chance to win, flaws and all. Winston’s three game suspension to start the season comes against the Saints, the Super Bowl Champion Eagles (I need a shower every time I type that), and the Pittsburgh Steelers—all of whom were playoff teams last year. While Fitzpatrick played decently during Jameis’s injury absence last year, these teams are simply too good from both an offensive and defensive standpoint. Starting the season 0-3 during Jameis’s suspension is a real possibility. So what happens next? Does the team rally behind his return? Does the negative momentum and bad morale continue into Week 4? Does a pissed off Jameis return with a chip on his shoulder and play the best football of his career? Or does he try too hard to put the team on his shoulders and continue with his propensity to turn the ball over? The suspension is the make or break point on the season. We’ll see how the team responds (or doesn’t).
Mike Smith is Still our Defensive Coordinator: The Buccaneers made a significant investment in free agency and via the draft to upgrade our pitiful defensive line that generated a league-low 22.0 sacks last year. We used our 1st round pick on Vita Vea, traded a 3rd and 4th for Jason Pierre-Paul, and signed Mitch Unrein, Vinny Curry, and Beau Allen. But when you have a Defensive Coordinator who tries to play a game of Checkers with the Chess pieces at his disposal, acquisitions that look good on paper may not translate to success on the field.
Smith has been running a variation of the Cover 3/Cover 4—a scheme that is predicated on the strength of the pass rush up front. Though injuries were aplenty last season, our defense was painfully predictable. Four man rushes were the norm; in fact, per Pro Football Focus (PFF), the Buccaneers only sent blitz packages on 18% of first downs, 19% of third downs. Quarterbacks looked relaxed enough to sit back, sip on a pina colada, and read the newspaper.
The Bucs don’t have an easy schedule, and with matchups against division rivals Cam Newton, Matt Ryan, and Drew Brees, as well as Ben Roethlisberger, Carson Wentz/Big Dick Nick, Eli Manning, and a bevy of other solid quarterbacks, one can’t help but have a foreboding feeling going into this season about Mike Smith’s gameplans.
Mike Smith is the type of Fortnite player who gathers a bunch of materials at the beginning of a match, hides in a Godbush, and then decides to go charge at a fully stacked fort at the end of a game with a grey burst assault rifle.
Linearity on Offense: Good NFL offenses thrive on unpredictability and innovation. And then, there’s the Bucs. If I were to describe our offense last year, I would call it “predictable linearity.” There was almost an “If A, then B, if B, than C” logic to our playcalling. If it was a first down, it would almost always be a handoff up the middle. If Jameis lined up behind center, it was almost always a run play. If he lined up in shotgun, it was always a pass play. When Charles Sims took the field, it was going to be a pass. You know that Geico commercial where the evil villain reveals in painstaking detail his plans, ruining the element of surprise? That’s our offense. It sucks, and even with the addition of Ronald Jones II and Ryan Jensen, I have no confidence things will get better.
All of this said, I predict the Buccaneers will finish 5-11 this year, last in the NFC South. Let’s talk about the offseason (both Free Agency and the Draft), what to expect, and looking at our team top to bottom.

Free Agency and Trade Acquisitions – New Faces in the Red & Pewter

Player	Deal	Analysis
Vinny Curry (DE)	3 Years, $27M ($10.5M Guaranteed)	This offseason, Jason Licht made a conscious attempt to overhaul our defensive line, and Curry was the first piece added to complete the (never-ending) puzzle. At 30 years old, Curry still has a few decent years left in him and should be an immediate starter at LE. It helps that he is a sufficient run defender as well, and should the team decide to move on from Willie Gholston, Curry will be able to step in and fulfill Gholston’s duties.
Ryan Jensen (Center)	4 years, $42M ($22M Guaranteed)	This acquisition tied with the Jason “Captain Hook” Pierre-Paul trade as my favorite move of the offseason, though it wasn’t without its downsides. Perhaps the greatest benefit of signing Jensen is that it will allow us to move Ali Marpet back to Guard where he’s a more natural fit and was showing All-Pro level potential before the team inexplicably bounced him inside. The ramifications of this deal, however, is that the Indianapolis Colts were the Bucs’ greatest competition to sign Jensen. By winning the Jensen sweepstakes, it made the Colts selecting Quentin Nelson at #6 overall a foregone conclusion. The Colts wound up with a player I coveted and who will be a generational Guard (I said the same of Chance Warmack. You can trust me). Nevertheless, OL was one of our many weaknesses heading into the offseason, and while our LT and RG situations are still glaring problems, Jensen at least provides an immediate upgrade.
Jason Pierre-Paul	Trade! Giants received Bucs 3rd and 4th Round Picks	Thank you Jesus. The Bucs had one of the most anemic pass rushes in 2017, generating a measly 22.0 sacks. The JPP trade made sense for both sides. Bucs snagged a 29-year-old DE still in his prime (with a potential out on his deal in 2019), and the Giants free $2.5M in cap while picking up an extra pick for a guy who wasn’t a good scheme fit for their new 3-4. A graduate of University of South Florida (USF), JPP returns to Tampa and will hopefully, maybe, probably, I pray to Glennon become our first 10+ sack pass rusher since Simeon Rice (I literally say this every time we get a new DE so I’ll be right, eventually).
Chandler Catanzaro (K)	3 years, $9.75M ($3.75M Guaranteed)	On the plus side, Chandler Catanzaro isn’t Roberto Aguayo or Nick Folk. On the downside, Jason Licht’s revolving door of Kicker strategy has come back to bite us in the ass. After the Folk debacle, the Bucs brought Patrick Murray who went 19/23 on FG’s last season (82.6%) and 21/22 on XP’s (95.5%). We let Murray become a Free Agent, replacing him with Catanzaro, who was 25/30 on FG’s (83.3%) and 100% on XP attempts. It’s a small upgrade over Murray, but was it really a necessary move? Will he be able to replicate his success in Tampa, or will our Kicker curse continues? Find out on this season’s Special Teams & Special Memes Twilight Zone.
Beau Allen (DT)	3 years, $15M ($7.25M Guaranteed)	There’s not a lot to dislike about this move. Allen is 26 years old, an adequate starter, and he’s going to do his job better than Chris Baker. Allen and Vita Vea will provide value on 1st and 2nd down and will be a valuable rotational player on the line—all at a reasonable price
Mitch Unrein (DT)	3 years, $10.5M ($4M Guaranteed)	Unrein may wind up being a surprise training camp cut, and this was a move I didn’t love, overall. Watching tape of Donovan Smith last year against the Bears, Smith not only neutralized Unrein throughout the game, but outright dominated him. And if Donovan Smith can shut you down, you need a come to Jesus moment. I don’t see a scenario where the Bucs keep McCoy, Vea, Allen, Tui’kolavatu, Ward, and Unrein, and if I were to guess, the last three games I named will be the odd men out.

2018 NFL Draft Review –

I came away from the last year’s draft with a bullish attitude, and I think you’re going to see some breakout players from that class (more on that below). My opinion is more bearish on our 2018 picks, and while we aggressively addressed some glaring needs on DL and DB, none of the picks wowed me like last year. I think this draft class will produce two quality starters in Vita Vea and Carlton Davis, and I’m on the fence about Ronald Jones II. More on that below:

Round/Pick	Player	Analysis
Round 1, #12 Overall	Tevita Tuliʻakiʻono Tuipulotu Mosese Vaʻhae Fehoko Faletau "Vita" Vea (DT – Washington)	After Quentin Nelson went off the board at #6 (Damn you, Colts), the Buccaneers found a trade partner with the Buffalo Bills and moved down five spots to #12 where we selected Vita Vea. I felt lukewarm about the pick at the time, wondering why we passed on Derwin James. After watching a few hours of tape on Vea, that feeling remains the same. Vea addresses a glaring area of need. Dating back to when Gerald McCoy was drafted in 2010, the Bucs have desperately searched for and failed to find a run stuffing complement. In effect, McCoy has been the only source of any disruption on the DL. Vea will most likely benefit playing in a rotation on 1st and 2nd downs. It’s a small cause for concern that Vea played 62% of Washington’s defensive snaps last season, given that he was presumably a centerpiece of their unit. Vea comes across on tape as an immovable object which will benefit the Bucs in run defense; however despite developing a reputation as a pass rusher, my takeaway watching Vea’s tape is his first step comes out slower than you’d like. His pad level is a tad high, and he tends to rely on driving with his arms more than his legs, but once he engages a blocker, good luck outmuscling him. I think the kind of value Vea adds won’t necessarily show up on the stat sheet. Look at this play, for instance. If you left him one on one with a blocker in college, he was going to stuff your run like a water buffalo. I think Vea projects to be an adequate starter in the pros who will be best utilized on obvious rushing downs. His pass rush and technique need work, but with proper coaching, he might become the disruptive phenom many believe he can be.
Round 2, #38 Overall	Ronald Jones II (RB – USC)	Ronald Jones is a blistering speed demon with home run potential. Once he gets into open field, good luck stopping that train. I happen to love his balance as well. Once he gets hit with initial contact, his low pad level and power often made him hard to bring down. The recurring problem I saw with Jones’ tape, however, was in his inability to let his blocks develop, and the lack of patience resulted in him running into the pile before his holes opened up. It doesn’t help that the Buccaneers OL hasn’t exactly been an opportunity creator for our run game, and that makes me worry about Jones’ transition to the NFL. Pass blocking is a huge area of work for Jones, and he’ll have to refine better technique than this play and this play, for instance. RB was a huge area of need for us with the decline of the Caged Muscular Rodent. Jones may never be Chris Johnson-type who he’s sometimes compared to, but projects to a decent pro back.
Round 2, #53 Overall	M.J. Stewart (CB – UNC)	There’s surprisingly little tape of Stewart out there on YouTube, so my analysis is pretty ill-informed. In four years, M.J. Stewart played all over UNC’s defense, flipping between CB and Safety and coming up as the 8th man in the box. Despite the versatility, Jason Licht has stated Stewart will be used “strictly” as a CB, and we need all the help we can get there. There’s two things that concern me in the limited amount I’ve seen from Stewart: 1. His lack of turnovers. In his final two years of school, he had 0 INT’s, though he did have 12 pass breakups in 2017. 2. Hip fluidity, or lack thereof. When he turns upfield, his break comes off slower than you’d like, and it allowed his receivers to separate Example 1 vs. Stanford.
Round 2, #63 Overall	Carlton “It’s Not Unusual to be Loved by Anyone” Davis (CB – Auburn)	I dug the pick, and while Davis may never project to more than an adequate starter in the pros, adequate is good enough. Davis is a big-bodied CB who played against top competition while at Auburn. Watching Davis’s tape, I came away with the following observations: He can get a little bit too handsy and I worry about flag potential, particularly early on in his career (Example vs. Georgia). He’s insanely strong and does a good job in press coverage of forcing his receiver outside. He’s a good tackler and does a well shedding blocks on run plays. Watching his game against Clemson, he seemed to get burned on a number of slant routes. So how’d he do against a fellow top NFL prospect in Calvin Ridley vs. Alabama? Pretty damn well. He held Ridley to 3 catches for 38 yards and had him blanketed the whole game. I liked this pick, more than the Stewart selection.
Round 3, #94 Overall	Alex Cappa (G – Humboldt State)	Cappa played LT while at Division II Humboldt State, but will likely start the season at RG pending some unforeseen disaster. It’s difficult to evaluate tape of small school prospects, because the local TV stations will send out potato quality cameras, and secondly, watching them play against guys well below their level is like watching Mike Tyson box a toddler. So obviously, Cappa was a man among boys, and from the limited potato tape I watched, he’s quick off the snap, uses his hands well, and has that mean streak you want from an OL. I really have no opinion on this pick. It’s a gamble, as any small school prospect is, but it paid off with Ali Marpet and hope it will with Cappa too.
Round 4, #117 Overall	Jordan Whitehead (S – Pitt)	He’s the cousin of Buccaneer Legend Darrelle Revis, so clearly, he’ll have the same level of success in the pros. It’s a risky pick given some of Whitehead’s off the field concerns that led to a three-game suspension, but investing a 4th rounder was the point in the draft where the risk and reward ratio were even. In man coverage, Whitehead looks like a ballhawk, and I was impressed with his closing speed. Play recognition certainly needs some work. Look at this play, for instance. It’s a play action fake which you see him start to shadow his receiver but then realize just a moment too late the RB is in the secondary. Nevertheless, after his LB’s failed to stop the run, look how insanely fast he is to run sideline to sideline to tackle the RB. Whitehead could also sometimes whiff tackles. Deficiencies aside, it wouldn’t shock me if this pick ends up being a steal.
Round 5, #144 Overall	Justin Watson (WR – UPenn)	We now have three Ivy League players on our roster entering training camp! I was a big fan of this pick, and while Watson may never see the light of day on the field contending for snaps with Evans, Jackson, and Godwin, he adds solid depth to our WR corps which has become a strength for our rather thin roster. In the limited amount of Watson I saw, I liked his route running and footwork. He won’t have an immediate impact but has the chance to get looks in the event of injury.
Round 6, #202 Overall	Jack Cichy (LB – Wisconsin)	If Jason Licht has excelled in one area (and it’s probably the only area) of defensive scouting, he’s succeeded in finding talent at LB. Between Kwon Alexander and Kendell Beckwith, Licht has built one of the strongest 4-3 LB corps in the league. Cichy will have an uphill battle to make the final roster and will have to beat out Devante Bond. Based on watching Cichy’s tape against Iowa, his instincts and play recognition looked solid. I just really don’t like the name Cichy. Just look at it. Cichy. Screw his name. I hope he legally changes it to Ochocinco.

Projected Starting Lineup & Analysis: Offense

QB- Jameis Winston (After Suspension): Last season, I was hoping to see a downward trend in turnovers. While his accuracy has crept up year-by-year, his turnovers are still downright stupid at times. Though Winston threw 11 INT’s last season, Football Outsiders speculated that Jameis had an additional 8 passes that should have been picks. These follies are not entirely his fault. Our OL was a complete mess last year, and despite the fact that we surrounded Jameis with more weapons, our offensive playcalling didn’t necessarily cater to Jameis’s strengths, instead forcing him to chuck a number of deep balls and higher risk throws that weren’t in his skillset. The Bucs would benefit from making greater use of two TE sets with Brate and Howard to capitalize on the shorter and medium routes. Bucs fans may not want to acknowledge this, but Jameis is playing for Koetter, Licht, and possibly his own job in the final 13 games of the season. The deeper a hole the Bucs get into this year, the more risky moves we’ll see from Jameis. It’s going to be an interesting ride. Probably Wrong Projected Stats: 3,113 yards, 64.1% completion percentage, 20 TD’s, 16 INT’s
WR1 – Mike Evans: Evans has turned out to be a great pick. In each of his four years in the league thus far, he’s eclipsed the 1,000+ yard mark. He earned himself a well-deserved monster extension this offseason that will keep him with the Bucs for an additional five years (he won’t even be 30 by the time the deal ends). Despite the favorable stats last year, 2017 was quite possibly Evans’ weakest season to date. He had a well-documented sideline blowup against the Saints that led to a warranted suspension. And that’s my biggest concern with Evans, going forward. He’s showing a tendency to let the league’s top DB’s get into his head, and the angrier he gets, the sloppier his game is. Nevertheless, he’s the most important piece on the Bucs offense, and it’s not even close. Probably Wrong Projected Stats: 84 receptions, 1,182 yards, 6 TD’s
WR2 – Desean Jackson: Desean Jackson played his first year in Tampa better than his 668 yards would indicate. I counted at least 5 or 6 deep balls where he had generated clear and significant separation from his defender, only to be overshot by Jameis. In all likelihood, this is Jackson’s final year in Tampa Bay. The Bucs will be able to cut him after this year with no ramifications to the cap. One player to look out for is Chris Godwin, who finished the 2017 season strongly and could be a legitimate threat to Jackson as our WR2. Probably Wrong Projected Stats: 56 receptions, 703 yards, 3 TD’s
RB – Ronald Jones II: See above analysis. Probably Wrong Projected Stats: 721 Rushing yards (3.8 YPC), 5 TD’s
TE – Cameron Brate (He Went to Harvard): Like Evans, Cameron Brate secured a monster extension this offseason. It’s been a good success story for him as a former UDFA who’s now among the league’s top paid TE’s. It’s a bit of a travesty that Brate and Howard weren’t on the field more together because of their potential for mismatch nightmares. Brate was on the field for 178 more pass plays than Howard, and while Howard obviously had a rookie adjustment into the pros, Koetter perhaps used him too conservatively. More Brate + More Howard = Recipe for Jameis Success, which is why I think we’ll continue using them separately. It’s a Bucs life. Probably Wrong Projected Stats: 56 receptions, 627 yards, 5 TD’s and Probably Wrong Projected Stats for Oterius Jabari Howard: 51 receptions, 587 yards 5 TD’s
LT – Donovan Smith: At this point, I’m firmly convinced that Donovan Smith is one of the league’s worst LT’s and has been a roadblock to Jameis’s success. Last year I wrote of Smith: “Against middling pass rushers, Smith has shown the ability to compete, but match him up against the league’s premier rushers, and he looks like a Kenyatta Walker throwback.” Not much has changed, and there’s nothing worse than watching him in blitz protection. He tends to go into a panic and allow blockers to go untouched to wallop Jameis. His play makes baby Jesus Glennon cry.
LG – Ali Marpet: I’m glad the Bucs came to their senses and put Marpet back at Guard, where he spent two years progressing very well before they inexplicably moved him to Center. Incidentally, Marpet did an AMA on Buccaneers this offseason that was downright awesome. He’s an absolute unit. Keep an eye on him.
C – Ryan Jensen: See above analysis
RG – Alex Cappa: See above analysis
RT – Demar Dotson: Dotson remains far and away our best OL and is one of the league’s underrated RT’s. At 32, he’s beginning to get into that “father time is undefeated” territory, and when the time comes that we part ways, our OL will be reduced to a pile of sad mush.

Projected Starting Lineup & Analysis: Defense

RE – Jason Pierre-Paul: See above analysis Probably Wrong Projected Stats: 11.5 Sacks
LE – Vinny Curry: See above analysis Probably Wrong Projected Stats: 5.0 Sacks*
DRT - Tevita Tuliʻakiʻono Tuipulotu Mosese Vaʻhae Fehoko Faletau "Vita" Vea: See above analysis Probably Wrong Projected Stats: 2.5 Sacks:*
DLT – Gerald McCoy: You know how the Cleveland Browns took a generational LT in Joe Thomas and failed to ever give him the winning team he deserved? That’s Gerald McCoy for us. It has been nothing short of infuriating to see a revolving door of coaches and incompetent defensive linemen around him while he continues to produce with consistency. McCoy just turned 30 this year, and at this point, he’s probably a longshot to make the Hall of Fame down the road, but he’s a lock for our Ring of Honor and will always be a fan favorite. I hope he gets the ring he deserves before his career is done—whether it’s with us or elsewhere. Probably Wrong Projected Stats: 6.5 Sacks.
WILL – Lavonte David: Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the most criminally underrated Linebacker in the game of football: Lavonte David. From my perspective, Lavonte took a huge step forward last year, his 6th season in the league. His instincts were spot on, and he seemed to always be penetrating the backfield before runs could develop, and he remained fluid in pass defense. Next to McCoy, he’s our most important player on defense, but you sons of bitches continue to ignore him because he’s a 4-3 LB who doesn’t get sacks. It’s your fault. Probably Wrong Projected Stats: 3 INTs, 4.5 Sacks
ILB – Kwon Alexander: Ladies and gentlemen, I give you one of the most overrated Linebackers in the game of football: Kwon Alexander. Despite missing four games with a hamstring injury, Kwon Alexander was selected to his first Pro Bowl last year. Kwon is what I would still call a work in progress. Physically, he’s one of the most gifted LB’s in the game: he’s fast, his acceleration to the ball is quicker than most, and he can deliver some of the most punishing hits. He’s got a lot of work to do on the instincts/play recognition front, and it represents his greatest weakness. Kwon’s getting better every year and still has sky-high potential. Since he’s in a contract-year, I’m expecting a huge one for him. Probably Wrong Projected Stats, 4 INT’s, 3.5 Sacks
SAM – Kendell Beckwith: Beckwith has had two rough offseasons in a row. He was drafted in the 3rd round last year and started training camp on the PUP list while he recovered from a torn ACL sustained in college. This offseason, he was involved in a car accident and fractured his ankle. There’s no public timeline on his recovery, though the expectation is he’ll miss most of the offseason. I was impressed by his rookie season and thought he did a good job stepping into a new position (he played ILB in college) and adding value from the get-go. Our LB corps is our greatest strength on defense right now, and Beckwith rounds out the unit nicely. Probably Wrong Projected Stats: 2.0 Sacks, 1 INT
RCB – Brent Grimes: Brent Grimes is straight up old at this point. In a week, he’ll be 35 years old, and while he continues to play decently, at a certain point “decent” is going to plummet to geriatric patient status. With our additions at CB in MJ Stewart and Carlton Davis, Grimes may wind up losing some snaps this season. It’s likely his last in Tampa Bay, and possibly the NFL. Probably Wrong Projected Stats: 1 INT
LCB – Carlton Davis: See above analysis. Probably Wrong Projected Stats: 2 INT’s
Nickel – Vernon Hargreaves III: After two seasons in the NFL, things are not trending well for Hargreaves, a former top 15 pick. Is all hope lost? Not at all. He had a four or five game stretch last season where we played him in the slot, and the improvement was noticeable, but that was a small sample size. Hargreaves has struggled to get the defense takeaways as well, with only one turnover in two years in the league. With the receiving threats in the NFC South, Hargreaves will have to have a huge year three to justify picking up his 5th year option. I’m not going to get my hopes up on this one. Probably Wrong Projected Stats: 0 INT
FS – Justin Evans: Of all the young players on the team, none excite me more than Justin Evans. He had a surprisingly good rookie season where he played with confidence, intercepted the Super Bowl loser Tom Brady, delivered big hits, and seemed to be all over the field. Evans must improve on his missed tackles. It was a problem going back to his time at Texas A&M, and it crept into his rookie season. Regardless, I think he’s going to be a really good Safety in this league. He’s our defensive player with the most upside right now, in my opinion. Keep an eye on him this year. Probably Wrong Projected Stats: 4 INT’s
SS – Chris Conte: [Sigh]. Chris Conte is one of the streakiest players on our team. Some weeks, he’ll get absolutely torched in the secondary, the next week he’ll make a clutch game-saving takeaway. He’s your definition of average, but average luckily comes at a bargain price. There’s not really a better alternative for us right now, and after the TJ Ward disaster, Conte will have to suffice. Probably Wrong Projected Stats: 2 INT’s

Training Camp Battles to Watch

Desean Jackson vs. Chris Godwin for the “Mike Evans’ Second Fiddle” Title Belt: As aforementioned, Jackson’s struggles on the stats sheet last year were caused more from Jameis’s inaccuracy on the deep ball than an actual decline in Jackson’s play. Godwin finished his rookie season with a spectacular TD catch to beat the Saints, and even prior to that point, he was beginning to develop a rapport with Jameis. I suspect Jackson will beat out Godwin as the starting WR2, but Godwin will transition into the starter by the end of the season. That will likely end in us cutting Jackson following the 2018 season, which would save the Bucs $10M in 2019.
Money in the Bank Match: Harvard Ryan versus not Harvard Ryan: The prevailing assumption is that Ryan Fitzpatrick will be the de facto starter during Jameis’s suspension. Not so fast. Despite landing on IR in the 2017 season, the Bucs front office was high enough on “Not Harvard Ryan” (Griffin) that they were willing to extend him one year. There were whispers that Not Harvard Ryan was actually ahead of Fitzpatrick in the battle for backup QB before his injury. I think Harvard Ryan will beat out Not Harvard Ryan this time, but don’t be surprised if the Bucs keep Harvard Ryan on a short leash.
Hell in a Cell Match: Brent Grimes vs. MJ Stewart vs. Vernon Hargreaves III vs. Carlton Davis for the “Julio Jones’ Supper” Title: We got a slobberknocker here, J.R.. What happens when you put Grandpa Grimes against a bunch of youthful DB’s gunning for his job? Well, you get some angry tweets from Miko Grimes (fun fact: Buccaneers actually has a rule dedicated to Miko-related threads. It just reads: “Nope.”) The four guys I named here will all make the roster, but it’s likely to put Javien Elliott, Ryan Smith, and Jude Achoo-Baromoomoo on the roster bubble.

Schedule Predictions

Week	Opponent	Prediction	Analysis
Week 1	@Saints	37-17 Saints (0-1)	Saints roster is as complete as it’s been since their Super Bowl win. I expect Brees to come out and have a typical big game at home, while our passing game will struggle against an improving Saints secondary.
Week 2	Eagles	30-20 Eagles (0-2)	I don’t see the Eagles getting a terrible Super Bowl hangover. At least, not at this point in the season. Too many good pieces on their team. I predict Nelson Agholor returns home to Tampa and has a monster game.
Week 3	Steelers	31-24 Steelers (0-3)	I’m expecting a shootout in this one that winds up a one-score game. Expect a 150+ yard game from Antonio Brown, because lord knows the only thing that’s going to stop him will be a giant meteor. There’s a joke to be had somewhere about Jameis playing Roethlisberger, but I can’t make that joke because Jameis will still be suspended at this point.
Week 4	@Bears	27-17 Bucs (1-3)	My own personal vendetta against Bitch Trubitchsky aside, I’m not as bought into the early hype train around him. In Jameis’s first game back from suspension, he’ll return to play a focused game and shred the Bears defense to put our first win on the board.
Week 5	Bye	5-0 Tampa Police (1-3)	HONK HONK!
Week 6	@Falcons	41-23 Falcons (1-4)	In our first game against the Falcons (who blew a 25-point lead in the Super Bowl), Julio Jones will do his usual dirty work on our secondary and put up another monster game. Fun fact: in 12 games against the Bucs, he’s averaged 7 catches for 118 yards per game. Until I see us stifle him once, I enter these matchups with the assumption bad things will happen.
Week 7	Browns	23-20 (OT) Browns (1-5)	Bucs have typically fared poorly against rookie QB’s in the past, and this may be the game that begins “the unraveling” in Tampa Bay. Expect an ugly game with a soul breaking outcome.
Week 8	@Bengals	21-16 Bengals (1-6)	I like the investments the Bengals have made in DB in the last couple of years, and Billy Price was a good pickup in Round 1. A lot of people are sleeping on the Bengals defense, but between their disruptive front 7, and an up and comer in William Jackson, I’m expecting this game to be one of those multi turnover head scratching games from Jameis.
Week 9	@Panthers	34-24 Bucs (2-6)	Panthers still have a solid defense, but their OL and receivers situation makes me think the Bucs stand a chance to wreak some havoc up front and make this a tough game for Cam. Series is typically split between the two teams.
Week 10	Redskins	21-17 Bucs (3-6)	I don’t really know what to think of the Cousins-less Redskins, but on paper this doesn’t look like a great roster. My best man and I have a tradition of attending the Redskins-Bucs game no matter the location and have lovingly referred to this game as “The Pooper Bowl.” It’s going to be one of the season’s uglier games. I think the Bucs will squeak out a win because Mike Evans has had a propensity to go HAM against the Skins.
Week 11	@Giants	41-30 Giants (3-7)	The Saquon Barkley hype is real, and OBJ is still a monster; not to mention, the Giants have a nasty defensive line. Expecting a shootout at the Meadowlands. I could see this going either way though. I don’t really trust Pat Shurmur as a head coach because he looks like Jim Zorn and a rabid Koala Bear had a baby.
Week 12	49ers	34-31 49ers (3-8)	I get that they’re named after the gold rush, but the name “49ers” is just stupid. It bothers me. Like the name Cichy. It’s gross. Anyhow, I like the identity Bucs God John Lynch is building with the 49ers, and while some of the free agent signings may have been above market value, they’re quickly building well on both the offensive and defensive fronts. I think this will be a shootout with the 49ers taking the lead in the 4th because that’s how we roll.
Week 13	Panthers	20-17 Bucs (4-8)	I like the chances of the Bucs to split the series here. I just want to say, as a Gators fan, I hate Cam Newton. I. Hate. Him. So. Much.
Week 14	Saints	21-13 Saints (4-9)	Expecting another defensive stifling game from the Saints defense. Bucs will respond with a few picks of our own, but Saints will hold the win in the end.
Week 15	@Ravens	24-21 Ravens (4-10)	I expect Lamar Jackson to be starting by this point. Hot take: I like him more than Josh Allen and Baker Mayfield in the long run, but Rosen’s my babe. Anyhow, I predict a monster game from Suggs and a lot of bad decisions from Jameis in this one.
Week 16	@Cowboys	27-21 Cowboys (4-11)	They’re going to hand off the ball to Zeke over and over again. I have no idea how the Cowboys are going to fare with their lack of receivers, but it doesn’t bode well for them. The Cowboys now have James Van Der Beek or whatever his name is on their roster. He sounds Dutch.
Week 17	Falcons	28-3 Bucs (5-11)	Falcons sit their starters in a meaningless Week 17 game where the Bucs rally for one final win. It won’t be enough. One day later, the Bucs go full red wedding on their coaching staff and management. I die inside.

Non-Buccaneer Predictions for the Season

1. Last year, I predicted we’d see a breakout year from Goff. This year, my guy is Patrick Mahomes, who I think will be one of the league’s most exciting QB’s for a long time. I’m all aboard the Mahomes canoe. If it tips, than you will too! Do you love Mahomes like I do? All aboard the Mahomes canoe!
2. MVP will go to Aaron Rodgers. DPOY will go to Joey Bosa (dark horse: Myles Garrett). OPOY will go to Drew Brees. OROY will go to…HOT TAKE! Nick Chubb. DROY will go to Roquan Smith. COTY will go to Frank Reich.
3. The NFC Championship game will be played between the St. Louis Rams and the Atlanta Falcons. The Falcons will win. The AFC Championship game will be played between the New England Patriots and the Kansas City Chiefs. The Patriots will win. The Super Bowl will feature an LI rematch, and Brady will win his final ring.
4. Ben Roethlisberger will retire after this year.
5. I love Jon Gruden. I love that man very much. But I think his return to the sidelines is one of the worst things that could have happened for the Raiders. I think the Raiders are an 8-win ceiling team this year with him coaching.
6. The teams I think that have the highest potential to land a top 5 pick, in no particular order: Bucs, Jets, Dolphins, Bills, Redskins. I guess the Browns too.
7. Coaches most likely to lose a job during or after this season: Koetter, Bowles, Jay Gruden, Hue Jackson, Marvin Lewis (it’s going to fucking happen one day), Vance Joseph, and dark horses: McCarthy, Harbaugh

Link to Hub Post

Link to Hub

Previously on Flora Sky: Hannah hit a hard wall when trying to defeat Voice Bane and Turzoro City Gym Leader; Wattson! She managed to rebuild her team, get a LOT of grinding in and not only took down one but TWO gyms before the day was out. Having dealt with the members of Team Aqua in Snowround City to free the Underground, we begin our day in gorgeous and tropical Charpos Island. With four badges now under our belt, let’s see what new adventures await…

• Having quite the full day before, Hannah begins where we left off in goofing off and exploring the beautiful landscapes of the island. While taking in the sights and fun of the beach, she runs into a Fisherman who gives her a Good Rod that Chat decides they want to use right away!
  
• We’ve apparently traveled a LOT farther than originally expected as while wading in the shallows, we discover Route W some ways to the east of the island and there seems to be potentially another island. We don’t explore very far into it to know how far this stretch of land goes as Hannah pulls out her PokeNav to call home… only to realize she never got Mom’s number nor does she know her home phone number after only being in the place for less than a day. She hangs up before pulling up the call list again and hesitates a moment on whether to call Wally or A.A. since it seems her trouble senses are tingling and ends up calling Caitlin instead. Caitlin may be a Normal type specialist, but we know she’s anything but normal herself. In actuality she tells us how the gym is to be reopened eventually like all the leaders do but I’d like to think story wise she gave us some actual foresight that Hannah needed to hurry back to town.
  
• It’s a good thing she did too because running up the first set of steps in Charpos City, Hannah finds Wally just as the peaceful town music switches into high gear. Wally notices Hannah’s presence and begs her to come see the commotion going down as now there is both an Aqua AND a Magma Grunt squaring off in front of the port entrance. Luckily they hadn’t noticed the kids yet, but Wally takes Hannah aside to explain to her how both Teams were pretty well known in the area and they caused trouble for Charpos all the time! The pair go quiet as they overhear the Magma Grunt shouting how this island is Magma territory and therefore no Aquas were allowed. The Aqua Grunt laughs and explains how everything on the sea should belong to Team Aqua and that includes the islands; starting with the harbor! Wally whispers how ever since these two groups started fighting over the island, Charpos hasn’t been the peaceful town it used to be. It may seem wrong, but he knows how strong Hannah is. Help him punish these fiends!
  
• Well, Hannah’s not gonna say no to giving these punks a beating and she and Wally run up to ambush the quarreling team members before they know what hit them. The Grunts are naturally in disbelief to be ganged up on by a couple of kids and a battle immediately gets underway. The Aqua Grunt certainly is no pushover as his Seadra’s Poison Point ends up being a pain to deal with as Prinplup and Shedinja find out the hard way. Still, with a bit of team work between those two before the poison took out Shedinja, Aga was able to have a close call in defeating it. Wally apparently took out the Magma Grunt while Hannah took care of the other, and the Magma very bitterly screams how this isn’t the last they’ll see of hiiii^iiiiiim and flees. Good job, Wally! As for the Aqua Grunt, laughable as that was to watch his rival get beaten down by such an obvious wimp, he’s actually NOT done and threatens Hannah that he’s still got more Pokemon to keep battling. Lucky for the kids, his PokeNav goes off with a call from one of the Admins saying all units were to report in. Guess he better hurry to the harbor then…. Once they’re both gone, Wally heaves a huge sigh of relief and says he and Hannah should head back to his house to rest up. Along the way back there, he explains that since Team Magma has been the one reigning control over the island, there’s been several building projects and activities lately that seems super suspicious to him. It’s a lot to ask, but he wonders if Hannah would be up for a little ~investigation~ into what exactly has been going on while he’s been away from home working for Prof. Birch. If she’s up for it, he’d like to meet her outside the Magma Building.
  
• Hannah heals up and heads for the beach to get in some fresh air and GET HYPE! before heading up to the gaudy and painfully obvious Magma Building. It’s a skyscraper of a lab compared to anything else in the area, painted red with a large M on the front to serve as their logo. Unfortunately, she had a feeling that as it appeared to be the Team Magma headquarters, no doubt she’d be dealing with Hank, Roy and Maxie once more. As so, she decides to start off being a little more cautious in her infiltration of the building, carefully staking out one of the workers and slipping on up to the teleporter. Ah… they have teleporters. That’ll make it hard to see what’s coming…
  
• Sure enough, Envy steps out of the first teleporter to find a guard waiting on the other side but he’s no match for the swift teamwork of Penguin and Aga who unfortunately gets burned by the Grunt’s Slugma. (What have you done, sir? Do you know what you’ve started?! D8 ) It wasn’t all bad though as Penguin evolved into Empoleon! 8O The man doesn’t seem too deterred by being beaten though and simply states that Roy has been working hard on researching Groudon and he firmly believes Team Magma will find it soon enough. Duly noted, Grunt, duly noted…
  
• Envy continues to make his way through the red checkered corridors, sneak attacking Grunts and picking up some more information as to what it is Team Magma is doing exactly. What we learn then: 1) Roy is doing research on Groudon for Maxie. That isn’t news since when we rescued Mr. Stone, the team leaders had been demanding he tell them any information he had on Groudon. 2) As to WHY they want Groudon, Envy learns from a Grunt that the Pokemon somehow has the ability to create more land, which Magma plans to use to give people more places to live. 3) A researcher tells him that Groudon is a legendary who is huge, heavy, and tough. 4) Another scientist warns him how even as much of a maze the building has already been, it only gets harder. Sure enough, heading up stairs reveals multiple Teleporters to choose from in going forward.
  
• Teleporters… storage rooms… Teleporters… storage rooms. Dang this place sure had a lot of teleporters leading into dead ends. Still, among all the crates of equipment and Pokefeed, Envy did find something interesting. TM46 Thief! How fitting XD He could also hear just on the other side of the wall a familiar voice… Dammit Wally! You were the one who said to meet out front!
  
• Many MANY trials with the teleporters later, Envy switches back to Hannah and runs up to where Wally is seen trying to peek around a corner into the next room. At least the kid is safe, but that likely means there’s trouble ahead. Wally is startled at first, but quickly whispers to her that the people just ahead are some of the big dogs of campus. Roy, Hannah can recognize just fine, but Wally explains that the woman he’s talking to is one of the Magma Admins named Courtney. They both hush up and listen in as Roy excitedly tells Courtney that he has at last found the means to awaken Groudon! There was a book he found at the Malias Library that told the legend of how a Red Orb could be used to capture the beast. AND! Their research at the Polar Forest was actually helpful since they saw a red light in the Deep Forest (now wait, is it in Polar Forest or Deep Forest or are those two connected somehow? Y’know what, never mind just listen) which he believes to be the Red Orb! Sounds like a bit of a stretch, but Courtney seems excited to hear it. She says how she’ll get ready to make an announcement to the team when- Uh oh! We've been spotted!
  
• Courtney is steamed to wonder just how much of that these two kids managed to overhear and decides to fight! Don’t worry, Wally! Hannah’s got you covered! Our new big buddy Empoleon does a pretty good job in tearing up her Golbat but succumbs to confusion and knocks himself out before doing anything to her Magcargo. We manage to switch in for Ninat without trouble and destroy it with Dragon Rage! Courtney gets even angrier and calls for backup when suddenly it seems help has arrived for the kids!
  
• It’s Sky! And he brought a friend! The woman demands Courtney leave… er… I think? Her language seems all kinds of butchered more so than we’ve seen from others. Courtney isn’t at all intimidated though and shrugs off the warning by saying they were done with this place anyway. Farewell then! The adults don't seem to pay this escape any heed and Sky introduces his friend as Cynthia; Champion of Flora! He asked Cynthia to help him expel the Magma from this…. IS THAT A POKENAV?! He immediately loses his train of thought and decides to register Hannah’s number. LUL Now what was he saying? Wally tells the pair what they overheard and Sky seems concerned for the Polar Forest. Cynthia admits that while it is nice to be meeting new friends, this isn’t the time or place and she and Sky need to get back to the Platepics City Research Center with this news. After she leaves, Wally brings up that maaaybe he and Hannah should head to Platepics City too. Sky just hopes next time they all meet, they’ll have more time to talk. With that, the group has all split up and Hannah does a little bit of exploring before heading outside.
  
• SURPRISE! Even though all the fuss and rustling is over, seems that Aqua Grunt from went and told his shipmates about the Magma scuffle he was in before Hannah and Wally showed up. Whatever the case, Archie comes charging up the steps with the Grunt, likely on his way to kick some Magma butt himself since they found the HQ, and stops when he sees Hannah. Strange to see her here, wasn’t she the brat who decided to kick them out of the Oceanic Museum? And now it seems she’s going after Team Magma as well…. What an odd child. He has learned her name though, so she ought to stay on her guard if she thinks she’s gonna go around making enemies with both sides. Perhaps she just doesn’t understand the reasons to the struggle.
  
• As the Grunt runs past her to inspect the fortress for information on the now empty hideout, Archie decides he’d rather talk to the girl. But for the moment he’s more curious of her than anything. WHY does she seem to hate both sides? Surely with them being such opposites she should agree with one or the other, right? And if she were to choose one, he would suggest she side with Team Aqua. They may be extreme in their beliefs, but Team Magma is extreme in their actions, leaving destruction in their wake as they claim to expand the seas. It is a threat to the Sea-loving Aqua to have the waters be choked out like that. …. …. …. The Grunt returns with the same information Hannah overheard: Team Magma is heading for the Polar Forest to seek out the Red Orb! (Though from a lore point, how terrible would it be if, after he explained how dangerous Magma actually is, she just told him herself?) With this new piece of information, Archie is determined that Team Magma needs to be stopped before they find that Legendary! He leaves Hannah with a word that if she planned to continue in her own sense of justice, just be careful, and keep an eye out for Team Magma. They are the real threat after all…
  
• More surprises, no sooner did they leave, we get a call from Mr. Stone who seems to somehow have the capabilities to teleport us via the PokeNav despite having just told us we could use the Teleport Service by the Pokemon Center. … Sure. Whatever. It’s potentially an emergency since he called to tell us everyone else from the Base Raid has already arrived.
  
• Well! Since we’re suddenly back in Platepics City, even if we weren’t ready and I’m sure Mr. April is still hanging out on the beach and wondering if Hannah planned to come back before the end of the week, guess we’ll just carry on as usual. Healing up, buying Poke Balls, playing with our bike and teasing the idea of just skipping town before heading to the tower. Hannah does eventually go to the Research Center where, just like her first visit here, upon entering she shifts over to Envy.
  
• Technology is amazing! As Envy makes his way through the maze of a tower, he finds out that the Research Center allows the public to come in to ask for help with their Pokemon and are responsible for making all kinds of devices to make things better for Trainers. After failing a pop quiz from an old man, he tries again with a different set of questions and earns himself an EXP SHARE! 8O He also finds a scientist who has finally crafted Flora’s very own Fossil Reviver and a man who says he plans on going into space. Huh, the company must be working on a rocket somewhere then…
  
• Upon reaching Mr. Stone’s office, or at least where we saved him last time, the room is… empty! However, the man in the green suit from last time isn’t blocking the stairs this time (perhaps it was to keep Magma from getting into the real treasure trove of the building) which Envy decides to explore. More. Floors. Egads this place is huge! At last we make it to Mr. Stone’s office where he has Prof. Birch and Cynthia at his desk in discussing the current issue when he notices Envy has arrived. Come quickly, lad, there’s some urgent news! He heard from Cynthia what they found out at the Magma Building and so it seems Envy has learned about Magma’s plans to awaken Groudon. While police had been keeping an eye on the Magma Building for some time but with the building empty now, there’s little point to that anymore. Now they have been seen in the Polar Forest! See, legend states that a long time ago, there was a great clash between the Titan of the Land and the Titan of the Sea and…
  
• He cuts himself off because while that may be important, we really don’t have time to be going over the old legends. What’s important NOW is going after Team Magma and stopping them before such old tales can come to life once again. Sky and Wally have already gone on ahead and Cynthia announces it’s high time she and Envy got over there as well. Professor Birch also takes that as time to leave and comes around the desk to greet Envy. It sure is nice to see the kid has grown up to be so strong and active in protecting their new homeland in such a short time and he asks that while they’re there, he should register Envy in his PokeNav since things are looking like they’re gonna be getting serious. With that, he explains that his part in the operation requires he head back to the lab and take some materials he got from Mr. Stone and get them ready. Good luck to Envy though in taking on this very hard task head on. Just know that he and everyone else will be there to support us. (Professor… ;o; ) After he leaves, Mr. Stone calls Envy over to give what little he can to help in this task. We received the Master Ball! 8O He wishes the young man the best of luck and also gives his support in how he believes Envy WILL be the one to save them. We get the EXP SHARE onto AirBnB and the Master Ball to Ninat for safekeeping before heading out.
  
• After making our way back through the Bee-bug Forest, Hannah takes a different turn this time and uses Air Cutter to head into a new branch of Route B she couldn’t before. There she gets jumped by Ninja Boy Takashi who warns her to always be alert of her surroundings else she find a world of pain. (Guess he knows where we’re off to, huh? XD ) Hannah gets in a huff as his Ninjask swiftly takes down AirBnB and she sends out Shedinja for a true ninja showdown! Takashi knows he cannot hurt her counterpart, but he takes advantage in knowing she can’t hold out forever either; spamming Double Team and Swords Dance in preparation for whoever will follow when Fury Swipes runs out! As much as Shedinja kept missing, as little damage as it was doing, Sheddy still managed to hold out and land a hit for victory! 8D But Takashi isn’t done yet and sends out a Koffing that spams Smokescreen until Shedinja can’t hit with (or use) Fury Swipes any more, rendering it useless. However, she switches over to Penguin and while he tries to cast a Smokescreen to protect himself, our Starter finishes him off with a Drill Peck no problem! Takashi has to concede defeat and tells her how surprisingly good she’s gotten, and allows her access to the Moon Stone he was guarding. Sweet! <3
  
• We head on into Small Town where Hannah makes her first priority... the PokeMart. Okay, but after that her first priority was to head over to the Pokemon Lab where she found A.A. managing the place while his dad is occupied with whatever it was Mr. Stone asked him to do. One of the assistants explains that Professor Birch is an expert on the habitats and distributions of Flora’s wild Pokemon. (Makes me wonder if he was called into all this cause he knows something about Groudon’s actual home…) Well since there’s not much else to find around here, Hannah heads back out and makes her way over to the Day Care where… it’s time to say goodbye to AirBnB. It’s unfortunate, but the Gligar was falling too far behind in levels and that last battle just seemed to prove he was out of his league with even somewhat friendly battles being too much. Take care, little one~! ;o;
  
• Of course, no trip to Small Town would be right without stopping by to see her mother. Hannah remembers well how she realized she had no way to call her the last time she needed some advice, and Mom is quite happy to see her drop in. Is that a PokeNav? REGISTER! But also, what has Hannah been up to all this time? Well… not to worry her, Hannah shows off the badges she’s earned which delights her mother to see. Doing the League Challenge, is she? Well here’s an Amulet Coin to help! 8D <3 Hannah takes a short rest in her fairly clean and mostly unused bed before setting out on the road again as Mom wishes us luck. ;o;
  
• Heading through Mt. Fullmoon, Hannah eventually makes it to the Polar Forest’s entrance where Sky trots over happy to see her arrive. However, he warns her that the forest is huge and filled with many dangers; not including the numerous Magma and Aqua that have started fighting in the deeper depths. For that, he has to test her strength before allowing her to pass. (Why not have Wally do this, sir? If you’re so strong, you should be dealing with the Teams. |D;; ) Unfortunately… he’s right. B L A C K O U T 8D;
  
• Okay, the second round was REALLY close but pfffhahahahahaha classic fail tppLUL
  
• It’s actually on round 5 (if I counted right?) that we finally make it past Sky thanks to Penguin just CRUSHING THIS FIGHT! >O Okay, to be more specific, we’d mostly been struggling to make a dent into Sky’s Hippowdon while it could basically one-shot most of our team while healing off the damage inflicted to keep the Colorblind Clan from being able to team up on it. THIS TIME, after our Empoleon knocked Vulpix aside with Bubblebeam and faced off against the Hippowdon, Sky had his hippo try to heal off the damage while Penguin did more damage than it could heal. Normal, except Sky for some reason totally blew it by using his one attack attempt on Crunch instead of Earthquake, which did little more than a dent to our Steel-ly warrior here. Sky tried to use a Hyper Potion, but Penguin did some massive damage (without a crit even, I’m not sure why that one did more than usual) and was able to finish it off on the next turn without a fight. Last up was Leafeon! Which went down to Drill Peck, but not without putting up a valiant effort with a Grasswhistle / Giga Drain combo to take Penguin down before he could wake up. Too bad, Sky, WE WIN! 8D <3 Sky is in honest shock and can only give a “wow” before telling Hannah how she really surprised him. BUT! Don’t forget to heal up before entering the forest!
  
• The game actually doesn’t give us a chance to do that though as the cutscene has Hannah enter anyway where we find A.A. just as surprised to see her here as she is of him. Didn’t she just see him back in town, how’d he get here? WHY is he here? Wasn’t he supposed to be watching the Lab? He says that his dad told him about Team Magma’s scheme. Also Cynthia and the others have moved deep into the forest already and they should really catch up. Without further explanation he takes off into the Polar Forest, leaving Hannah filled with suspicion and caution as she makes her way at her own pace. Something strange was definitely going on in these woods…
  
• We run into a Team Aqua Grunt who’s upset that Team Magma got here ahead of them, but interestingly, after the battle, he explains he thought Hannah was a Magma member who had come back. Come… back? Have they already left? We better hurry! Except after a few battles later, Hannah blacks out before getting to the heart of the Polar Forest. Envy decides he needs a bit of stress relief and goes to the Berry Master’s garden to both pick and plant before heading back into the fray. (Note, the transformation powers that be seem to be totally on the fritz during all this as our kid keeps changing nearly every time they interact with the garden XD Maybe it really is related to Shaymin after all)
  
• We head on into Puel City for… reasons??? And Hannah heads on into the Museum where she looks around for a while before meeting with the curator. He says he has a special exhibition hall he wants to fill with modern and vibrant paintings of Pokemon but for now it’s unfortunately blank. If Hannah should happen to find any such works, he’d like for her to show him. Okayyy?? Well this was a nice detour while the world is in danger. XD
  
• -SPIT TAKE!- OR PERHAPS I SPOKE TOO SOON! Seems Hannah (or someone in the chat) knows more than I do as in this hidden museum room is an Aqua Grunt she tries to hound for information on the current situation but he claims to know nothing other than the room he’s guarding is for Team Aqua only. They rent it, it’s legal, why she gotta be so rude?! (Lore-wise, part of me wants to say he actually does know something so all this wasn’t a total waste.)
  
• We eventually get back to the Polar Forest where Hannah makes her way deeper than before, so deep she found a quaint little cottage. The only one there seems to be an old woman who tells Hannah to sleep for a while. Upon waking though, the woman doesn’t seem to believe Hannah when she says she’s rested, and tells her to sleep longer. Hannah, having already had several pieces of weirdness happen in this forest already seems leery of the offer and flees. After getting passed the pair of grunts we passed out to before, Hannah gets surprised to find that there ARE still some Magma members around as she finds one that doesn’t want to attack her for some reason. Best not push her luck, she doesn’t talk to him and hurries on ahead.
  
• With some steady precautions (and monarchy mode) Hannah gets a Super Potion from Miss Tea that the Linoone picked up earlier and uses a Repel. Teaches Shedinja Air Cutter so we have less chance of finding herself in the same mess she was with Takashi, and gives Aga the EXP SHARE so she might start to catch up with the rest of the group. \o/
  
• We then run into a Grunt who’s worried about Hannah trying to find the Orb like everyone else is and puts up a fight to stop her from pursuing the matter any further. It seems like a good time to head back to the Old Lady’s Rest House before continuing onward. And boy was it good that we did because a few bends in the road later, Hannah ducks behind a tree as she spots Archie telling a few of the Aqua members to guard the pathway. No one is to follow him! She waits for the guards to take their posts before running up between them where she finds they aren’t mere grunts, one of them is an Admin!
  
• Aqua Admin Matt starts off with a Gyarados while Hannah started off with Penguin and Miss Tea, and they do okay despite the Grunt’s Golbat casting confusion on Penguin. However, Matt got lucky when, after using a Super Potion, the Grunt followed up with a Crit Bite attack to take out the Linoone! D8 Having just seen a Bite attack, sending out Shedinja was a bad idea, yes it was, and there he goes. As does Aga but at least Penguin was able to take out Gyarados before she got knocked out so we got some points (and a level)! Bringing out Ninat the Gabite, we get to see Golbat go down making it a two-on-one battle against Matt’s Cloyster. The pair of each take a free shot at the Cloyster before it gets a chance to attack! Victory! \ 8O / Matt scoffs that even though he lost, Archie’s WAY more powerful than he is. He’s not worried! Archie will make SURE Maxie won’t get anywhere NEAR Groudon! Somehow… Hannah’s not so sure about that and heads on through to the heart called Deep Forest.
  
• These woods are lovely dark and deep... But no really, they are. The Deep Forest is much darker than the Polar Forest was, and the paths are much more narrow. Fortunately after the roughing up just received, we run into Sky who, uh... Doesn’t seem very enthused to see us, but also notices how hurt we are and he heals up the team! And then disappears. …. Curiouser and curiouser. Ah well, better do as he says and keep going.
  
• As we come around a bend, Hannah finds the path starting to widen, a set of stairs… a pair of statues long since worn down but their swords aimed to form an archway looking almost menacing. This must be home to a Legend… Hannah takes a moment to take the Master Ball from Ninat and put it in the top of her bag so she may take no chances in capturing Groudon. Just ahead, she can see Maxie and some of his members are already on the scene, the leader gloating how at long last he can see his dream realized. Just beyond this boulder that blocks the shrine… Suddenly Sky and Wally leap out from the other side of the statues and charge forward, only to have the two Grunts come up to block them from reaching Maxie. Maxie uses a device to completely OBLITERATE the boulder, leaving nothing but faint glints of dust as the Red Orb suddenly appears! Hannah rushes forward just as he gleams about no one being able to stop him from touching the Orb! Maxie is angry, asking how HE was to be caught off guard! But no matter, if it’s a fight she wants, she better prepare for a world of pain! Penguin outright ANNIHILATES him! LUL Taking two attacks on his Golbat, Penguin gets lucky with a Crit to one-shot his Camerupt, and then struggles a bit with Magmar after getting burned but really was in no danger at all. EAT IT, MAXIE, EAT IT! gator
  
• -Ahem- Maxie is naturally angry, but tells Hannah how she still won’t stop him! She might not, but Archie arrives on the scene with a hearty laugh at how she doesn’t have to. See, that Red Orb? It’s not real. Maxie has NO idea what Archie is talking about, which the Aqua Leader points out there’s a lot of things he knows that Maxie doesn’t. Including that this forest may be a good place to hide the Red Orb, but THAT orb isn’t it. Watch! As Maxie turns around the Red Orb vanishes into thin air like an illusion leaving both Maxie and Hannah highly confused. Cynthia arrives on the scene with A.A. and is surprised to find both Team Leaders in the same place. She tries to use the opportunity to plead with them to stop seeking…. Just seeking in general I guess, before they ruin this land! Archie seems to feel for her a moment, but laughs off the idea because she really doesn’t need to beg for them to stop when there’s nothing here anyway. With that, he and Shelly will be on their way, which no one in the heroes’ ambush seems to mind. They came for Maxie anyway.
  
• The Magma Leader isn’t one to be take so lightly, as before anyone can capture him, the man pulls the same stunt as he and the others had done in the Research Center, casting down a FLASH and vanishing from the woods. Cynthia approaches the shrine, but there’s no trace of him… She looks to Hannah and gives her thanks at least for helping them. “Team Magma and Team Aqua should no longer be excessive after this trouble.” I assume that means there just shouldn’t be as many of them from here on. Just as Wally finishes praising Hannah for her strength in taking down Maxie and says how they should probably get back to the Research Center to tell Mr. Stone what happened, the shrine seems to activate as a SHINY Celebi appears! 8O It phases THROUGH the party before opening a portal which sucks everyone into some weird white space. Floating…. Falling…. Our host hears someone calling….. Calling…
  

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To Be Continued...