Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow
December 21st, 2015
Man, how quickly things change. Largely on the shoulders of America’s Quarterback, Bucs signal-caller Jameis Winston, Tampa Bay rallied from a putrid start of the season to get into playoff contention. Then, splat!
Now, the Bucs are playing just like they were playing earlier in the season. Wide receivers running through the secondary like a Kentucky horse put out to stud. Dumber than dumb penalties. Just undisciplined football.
One would think a team should improve as a season progresses, player smarter, not dumber. But the Bucs are a dumb football team. The amount of penalties (NFL-leading 134) demonstrate this. It is a good thing Lovie won six games and has handled Jameis perfectly in his transition to the NFL. Otherwise, well, you know.
Spinning on Penalties
The excuse Lovie pushes that the Bucs lead the league in dumb penalties because of youth doesn’t pass Joe’s smell test. Seriously?
Joe would like to know when any football organization from Pop Warner to the NFL actually teaches players to do the dumb things the Bucs do. That’s not youth, that’s having one’s head firmly up his arse. Big difference.
Draft Time
The loss to the rotten Rams makes it time to begin looking forward. But, it was refreshing that we haven’t begun draft talk until just before Christmas.
Usually, the draft talk in recent years began before Columbus Day.
Speaking of the draft, highly-touted and (alleged) pothead/defensive tackle Robert Nkemdiche of Ole Miss declared for the draft just hours after he fell out of a fourth-floor window in New Orleans and was pinched for having a bunch of pot on him.
The Bucs don’t need a defensive tackle (but do need a defensive lineman), but with this news, expect Nkemdiche to plummet in the draft. Could the Bucs be interested?
Free Agency
Joe has written previously to expect the Bucs to be active in free agency because they have loads of cap space. (Problem is, do you trust Lovie to do the shopping?) It seems the Bills and stud defensive end Mario Williams are at wits end because Williams has b!tched and moaned incessantly about Capt. Lou Albano and his 34 defense.
Williams is a natural 43 defensive end. The Bucs need a defensive end and have money to play with. Florida doesn’t have a state income tax and it sure as hell isn’t Upstate New York. Hhhmmm?
Thankfully
When is the last time in December you didn’t have to sweat on a keyboard wondering when the Bucs will get a quarterback? It’s not even a though any more, thank God!
All hail Jameis!
NFL Thoughts:
Jets: There are three teams tied in a race for two wild card sports in the AFC. The Jets are the worst of the three. They had to huff and puff and struggled just to get past the schlock of an offense the Cowboys have, led by the immortal Kellen Moore. Good thing the Jets have a staunch defense, led by a guy Lovie wanted no part of: Darrelle Revis.
Chiefs: The second of three teams fighting for an AFC slot in the postseason. They are on an absolute roll and unlike the Jets, have an offense. Tyvon Branch’s 73-yard fumble return was key Sunday in Baltimore.
Steelers: The third of three teams tied in a race for two wild cards, the Steelers at one point trailed Denver 27-10 and ran the table in the second half. Just an awesome display of offense and even more important, a defense which rose to the occasion when Ben Roethlisberger threw a horrible pick late in the game deep in Steelers territory. Joe isn’t sure which team is hotter, the Chiefs or the Steelers.
Texans: The immortal Alfred Blue (remember him, Bucs fans?) ran for 107 yards to lead an upset of the Colts. Houston now leads the AFC South with two games remaining.
Dixie Chicks: Atlanta may have saved Dan Quinn’s job by beating up on the lowly Jags on the road. Matty Ice threw for 246 yards and a touchdown.
Vikings: The Norsemen stay in the hunt for a division title by humbling the Bears. Teddy Bridgewater threw for four touchdowns.
Patriots: Tom Brady yada… yada… yada… brittle Marcus Mariota coach killer…
Stinking Panthers: Yes, Cam Newton sewed up his MVP race. With just over a minute left, Newton drives the Stinking Panthers down the field for a game-winning field goal and the unbeaten streak remains intact.
Redskins: Kirk Cousin went wild. He threw for 319 yards and four touchdowns against Buffalo to keep a foothold on first place in the NFC East.
Packers: Aaron Rodgers had a pedestrian day in Oakland with 204 yards and a touchdown but the Pack locks up a playoff berth.
Seahawks: Seattle clobbered Cleveland largely thanks to Russell Wilson. Wilson became the first quarterback with three or more touchdown passes and no picks in five consecutive games.
Chargers: In what may be the final NFL game in San Diego, Philip Rivers threw for three touchdowns and 311 yards to pummel the Dolphins.
Bengals: The Andy Dalton-less Bengals won in San Francisco thanks to running back Jeremy Hill’s two touchdown catches.
Cardinals: Arizona dismantled the Eagles in every way possible. Of course, it helps to throw at Eagles corner E.J. Biggers.
Random Thoughts
* How messed up is it that Nkemdiche fell out of a fourth-story window loaded with pot? Dude is lucky he is still alive. No Sugar Bowl for you! Joe fully expects this guy to drop in the draft. If you are dumb enough to almost fall to your death at a party, pockets full of weed, then you are dumb enough to do other things. The Bucs have enough young problem children on the team already as far as immaturity. Is this Nkemdiche smart enough like Jameis to learn to grow up once he gets into the NFL?
* Joe will write more about this in the coming days. This Mario Williams saga in Buffalo is intriguing as hell. Dude apparently is fed up with Capt. Lou Albano and wants out of Buffalo bad. Williams is due an insane amount of money ($14 million with bonuses per Rotoworld.com) for 2016 for a guy that had only four sacks. Throw in the fact Williams has become a pain in the arse for Albano, it’s easy to believe he will be cut. Since his second year in the NFL, not counting an injury-shortened season in 2011, Williams has had no less than 8.5 sacks until this season, when forced into a 34 scheme. From 2012-14 Williams had double-digit sacks including 14 in 2014. As painfully desperate as the Bucs are for help at defensive end – remember they flirted with dirtbag Greg Hardy – Joe has to believe if available, the Bucs would be players for Williams.
* Even if the Bucs would sign Williams, that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t draft a defensive end high in the draft. Williams will be 31 in a few weeks, clearly closer to the end of his NFL days than the beginning.
* Of course the Bucs need to draft and sign a boatload of secondary help. People rag on Hey Jude for getting basted like a holiday ham, but there is a reason the dude was an undrafted free agent. What do you expect, Darrelle Revis? Oh, wait…
* As for Doug Martin, Joe would be shocked if he is not in a Bucs uniform next season. Remember, the Bucs have the franchise tag hammer to use. And they could use it again after the 2016 season, provided Martin has another solid season. By all accounts, the Bucs are giddy with how Martin has performed this season playing for Dirk Koetter and with Jameis. Let’s say the Bucs do use the franchise tag twice on Martin, after the 2017 season, Martin will be 29. We all know what happens to 99 percent of running backs when they reach 30 (those not named “Adrian Peterson.”) Joe not only expects Martin to return in 2016, but if he has another good season, return in 2017.
* So Michael Bennett, who the Bucs let walk for no good reason, now has 9.5 sacks for the Seahawks. Doesn’t this make you want to punch somebody?
* Will Grier transferring from Florida? First he Pearl Harbors the season for the Gators now he tells them to urinate up a rope. Something stinks here.
* When did Jeff Driskel become Dan Marino? Was it that for Gators cheerleader who raised his game?
* Sorry folks, there is no such thing as too many bowls games. Come eight weeks, and we will be begging to watch football games with two losing teams playing each other.
* Cardinals manager Mike Matheny is not b!tching publically about overrated Jason Heyward leaving the Cardinals because Heyward thinks the Redbirds are due for a downturn in fortunes. So what? No need to get all bent out of shape. He left. He’s gone. Move forward.
December 21st, 2015 at 8:40 am
Joe, After looking at the picture you’ve posted above, I am still scratching my head as to why no flags were thrown for roughing the passer on Thursday. Says it all in the photo, one going low, one going high, balls already out…smh.
December 21st, 2015 at 8:46 am
It appears Lovie is about to be the only coach from the new coaching hires of 2014 to not be fired or to have made the playoffs by the end of year two. Perfectly sums Lovie up, totally, hopelessly, mediocre. Bill O’Brien is a great coach by the way, really wish we would have scooped him up instead of Lovie. He’s had nothing but crap at QB but will produce two winning seasons anyway.
December 21st, 2015 at 9:10 am
I dont understand this fire Lovie stuff…all he has done is change the culture of this team in only 2 years…the oline has drastically improved, now we have a franchise qb, line backers have improved, our receiver crew is better but still needs work,…..next season our IR returns should help plus add in draftees, we in essence have a fresh team ready to contend!
I for one am excited for the future…as Gruden said in his superbowl speech…break out those shades, the future is bright!
December 21st, 2015 at 9:28 am
Hmmm????? Get Williams signed NOW!
December 21st, 2015 at 9:40 am
Louis
The culture of this team is changing for the better. But, I think you are giving Lovie too much credit. The one I see giving the great speeches and firing players up is Winston
December 21st, 2015 at 10:00 am
@Raymond Jameis
I agree completely.
Something is rotten as f**k in Denmark with the way NFL zebras call penalties. They appear to be extremely biased, inconsistent and borderline dishonest. Howard would venture to say that it may be part of the war against Winston.
December 21st, 2015 at 10:02 am
Cut ASJ!!!
Do it today!!!
Send a message to the other ass-clowns on the team.
December 21st, 2015 at 10:31 am
The culture is changing!? 2-14 and at best 8-8, at worst 6-10. That’s still losing…no different than before. The only thing that changed is most of us got high on the whiff of playoff aspirations in the air a few weeks ago…but much like Rah’s 10-6 season it was just smoke. As Denny Green would say “they are who we thought they were!” About the only positives I can take away from 2015 are (1) Jameis has acted the part of #1 pick and hopefully has a very bright future with the Bucs, (2) Koetter was a very good hire, and (3) Doug Martin showed he was no one year wonder. In fact if not for those three things I could actually say this team is no really further ahead than it was last year.
December 21st, 2015 at 10:42 am
@Sick of Lovie … “I think you are giving Lovie too much credit.”
Agree but also disagree. Credit for the OLine improving ‘dramatically’ (that in itself may be a bit too dramatic?) probably goes to Koetter and Warhop (and perhaps having higher quality players this year?). Lovie should get some credit for letting Koetter and Bajakian bring Jameis’ along at a nice clip this year, but I doubt Lovie had nearly as much involvement as those two did. Also, Bucs lucked into getting Kwon as their MLB (a 4th rounder who played OLB at LSU starting at MLB in the NFL as a rookie?). Far as the rest of the defense goes … nah, I’ll stop there.
Nonetheless, Lovie is about in the middle of the pack far as HCs go. He’s put together a pretty good coaching staff in my opinion (although I’m not enamored with the performance of our secondary coaches) and he seems to relate well to his players. Although Lovie’s too conservative for my liking, that’s always easy to say after the fact (if we were 14-0 right now no one including me would complain). He and Licht have done an average job (big picture) from a personnel selection perspective. Put it all together and I see an average HC who’ll get average results UNLESS others under him (players and coaches) really rise to the occasion. Stranger things have happened in the NFL.
December 21st, 2015 at 11:03 am
I’m reading a book on leadership by Bill Walsh. He talks about the overwhelming culture change with San Francisco going 2-14 in 1979, 6-10 in 1980 and 13-3 and winning the Superbowl in 1981. He drafted well and it took three years to get his players.
Jimmy Johnson took over an old Cowboys team in 1989 and totally cleaned house. it took him 4 solid drafts (aided by the Herschel Walker trade) to get to the Superbowl.
Is Lovie either of these guys? Not even close. But the NFL has become far more of a GM and coordinators league than it was 20 years ago. This team has a GM who has put together 1 solid draft and 1 outstanding draft.
This team has an OC who for the most part has done a terrific job.
The DC? There are 3 good football players and hot garbage, so who knows? On the one hand, the cover-2 was predicated on re-routing receivers, keeping the play in front of you and pounding the hell out of the receivers when they catch the ball. In 2015-2016, rerouting a WR is usually a defensive holding flag and god forbid someone gets hit because that’s now a flag too.
We need to hope if Jason Garrett gets blown out in Dallas, you can bet Rod Marinelli comes here as the DC. Even stubborn Lovie will listen to Marinelli. The 4-3 that Marinelli employs in Dallas is not markedly different than what they do in Seattle… only with better talent.
With Jameis, one more good draft to be playoff competitive, two more good drafts from being championship competitive.
December 21st, 2015 at 11:13 am
Did you guys see Ravens half time Hail Mary TD? Lovie doesnt even call a time out!
December 21st, 2015 at 11:18 am
Pawel Says:
December 21st, 2015 at 11:13 am
Did you guys see Ravens half time Hail Mary TD? Lovie doesnt even call a time out!
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What makes this even worse is their season is over and they’re fighting for points at the end of a half, and the Bucs had a meaningful game and totally gave up against St. Louis.
December 21st, 2015 at 11:35 am
Real weed doesn’t make you fall out of windows. Maybe spice. Or anything other than weed.
December 21st, 2015 at 11:52 am
Maybe he was tripping on acid and fell out the window. That makes more sense.
December 21st, 2015 at 12:13 pm
What teams with winning records have the Ducks beaten with Love as coach? That’s right, 0! He is O’fer in 2 seasons. Pathetic.
December 21st, 2015 at 12:14 pm
^^ Acid possibly. Or PCP.
December 21st, 2015 at 1:22 pm
If you re-watch that game, pay attention in the 4th quarter everytime a buc player goes out of bounds and the clock is running when it shouldn’t be. I counted 4 or 5 times. It trimmed like 2 minutes off the clock and no one is talking about it. But I find it super odd and fishy
December 21st, 2015 at 1:52 pm
Wes Says:
December 21st, 2015 at 1:22 pm
If you re-watch that game, pay attention in the 4th quarter everytime a buc player goes out of bounds and the clock is running when it shouldn’t be. I counted 4 or 5 times. It trimmed like 2 minutes off the clock and no one is talking about it. But I find it super odd and fishy
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The clock should always be running when a player goes out of bounds in the 4th quarter, until the 5 minutes remaining mark. Then it stops every OB situation
Game would simply be too absurdly long if they stopped the clock after every single OB situation. I’m also pretty sure there was a clock dick up that benefited the Bucs around 6 minutes left. Clock stopped when it shouldn’t have.
December 21st, 2015 at 6:46 pm
Joe – Why would the Bucs use a franchise tag 2 years in a row on Doug Martin (at a cost of $23M) when they can sign him to a 3 year deal for well less than that??? Makes no sense unless he doesn’t want to stay and they want to force him to stay (which is not the case).
December 21st, 2015 at 8:57 pm
Go all in for DE Mario Williams. That way we can go with a shutdown CB in the first round of the draft. Going to need a Safety in FA as well. Should be an interesting off-season with the draft and FA in 2016.
December 21st, 2015 at 10:23 pm
Martin Simms Winston evans plus asj/brate at te has me thinking we have a decent young o.. Need another we ideally in fa.
O-line I need to see another year to believe. I’d add an o-line guy in draft..
Defense looks weak to me. Is use my first 3 draft picks in d. Also maybe 2 free agents. Solid players on d: McDonald gmc lvd Kwon jack. After that everyone seems average at best? Need a good de cb safety bad