Dear Bucs,
Hope this finds you well and settled in the lovely city of Baltimore. Y’all have some serious business to attend to this afternoon and I’m sure you’re prepped, psyched and ready to go. That’s what I want to believe, anyway.
There’s lots of talk afoot about this team and its record being a smokescreen masking an average ball club, thanks to the losing records of opponents and that classic "strength of schedule" argument. And it’s true that your three losses came at the hands of teams with winning records. But y’all are a better team – both physically and mentally -- here in late November than you were earlier in the season when the Saints and Steelers came to town and ran roughshod all over you and the RayJay turf. I firmly believe that – and I suspect y’all do too.
Fact is, on any given Sunday (I know that’s a cliché, but work with me here) any team in the NFL can beat any other team in the NFL. Just ask those Saints about your meeting with them late last season. You’ve used this concept to your advantage this year and it’s paid off. I hesitate to say that today’s game against a tough Ravens team will be the make-or-break game of the season. That’s a lot of pressure and there’s more football to be played this year. But it is an important game – one that will test yet again what some call the "character" of this team. I hope you are ready to rise to the occasion.
By the way – how old is Ray Lewis anyway? Hasn’t he been in opposing offenses’ faces since Johnny Unitas was taking snaps? Seriously?
But I digress.
Today, y’all need to play your game on the field and in your head. Josh Freeman, I’m counting on you in particular, partly because you’re the starting QB for my fantasy team, The Ignorant Sluts, but mostly because you have emerged as the on-field leader for this squad. As you go, so does the team.
I’ll be watching this afternoon (hey, it’s an away game!) and expect to see y’all do what you do best – play never-say-die football.
Have a great game – and go Bucs!
Love, Janey