Bucs-Jags Practice Notes, Nuggets & Happenings
August 16th, 2017
Yes, Joe patrolled the sidelines at Bucs-Jaguars practice yesterday furiously taking notes. The result? It’s Joe’s nearly world famous practice notes. Enjoy! Great dinner reading.
*The heat got cranked up early, and Joe’s not talking about the Jacksonville swelter. (No shade for media. C’mon.) Special teams period, Bucs vs. Jags, opened practice and special teams assistant coach Carlos Polk freaked out on the first snap. Finish!! A few plays later, special teams chief Nate Kaczor sarcastically expressed his disappointment in the effort. “We’re covering them, fellas, not a walk-through.”
*Adam Humphries drops a punt. Bucs recover.
*Good burst by Josh Huff on a kick return.
*Nick Folk with a good onside kick. It was recoverable but went out of bounds.
*Third-team Bucs cornerback Cody Riggs pounces on a Jags onside kick.
*What a pathetic crowd. Maybe 350 Jaguars fans. Maybe. A poorly attended Bucs open training camp practice has at least 1,500. A few loving shouts to Jameis. And Joe’s heart was warmed hearing some fan yell “America’s Quarterback. Yeah!”
*DROP! Bernard Reedy in receiver drills.
*Humphries flashes great hands and body control on a low throw.
*Whoa! Great extension by Mike Evans. He proved over and over and over during this practice that he’s he’s a cut above.
*Rare in NFL practice, a receiver gets a chance to repeat a drill because he messed up. Huff got that chance after getting his footwork coached up.
*CFL star receiver Derel Walker coached up to keep “accelerating” through his route.
*1-on-1 drills against the Jaguars kick off with Mike Evans making a sick, one-hand grab on a high throw in the left corner of the end zone. Fourth-year Jags corner Tyler Patmon is clowned.
*”Out of bounds, Jaboo,” Jags players yell at Jameis. Lots of “Jaboo” trash getting slung at The Franchise. Pass was complete to Chris Godwin, though. Great grab.
*DROP! Walker.
*Complete to Adam Humphries and a flag is thrown for pass interference. Video here. Jameis walks over to shout multiple thank yous to officials.
*Undrafted rookie Bobo Wilson draws a flag in the end zone, appears to let up and then has what looks like a drop. Jameis, like a loving, pleading big brother, tells Wilson he has to finish plays. Ignore the flags.
*11-on-11 starts. Doug Martin is stuffed running right. Looks like there’s going to be a lot of runs, and with no tackling to the ground, Joe is moving to a different field to watch the Bucs defense.
*Defensive linemen are going 1-on-1 vs. Jaguars O-linemen. Robert Ayers is handled. And former Buccaneers guard Patrick Omameh contains Gerald McCoy.
*Win for second year DE DaVonte Lambert. That draws love from D-line coach Jay Hayes.
*Two wins in two tries for Noah Spence. (Full video here.)
*Yes, DE George Johnson is still fighting for a job, and looking for his first sack since arriving on the Bucs roster to start the 2015 season. Hence the nickname “sackless.” Johnson beats Jags rookie Avery Gennesy.
*Lotta holding by the Bucs’ O-line. Donovan Smith and Demar Dotson are offenders.
*Fight!. Donovan Smith got under the skin of DE Yannick Ngakoue. Here’s the video. Joe Hawley comes in to enforce.
*Back to 11-on-11: Donovan Smith is beaten by Ngakoue and Jameis is sacked. But Jameis actually went down, yet there’s no hitting of QBs. No fight broke out, so it must have been just a harmless tangle of bodies.
*Gerald McCoy with a sack.
*Bucs CB Ryan Smith struggling mightily through the day. Full story here.
*If there was a wall around, Joe would have run into it head first. Ryan Fitzpatrick throws a simple dumpoff pass to Jacquizz Rodgers and it’s picked off. Ugly. Joe supposes Fitzpatrick didn’t see the linebacker.
*Holding Bucs. Joe’s notes on that are too messy. Sorry. Yes, Joe uses the ancient craft of handwriting through practice.
*DROP! Josh Huff. However, on the play, nobody was covering O.J. Howard. Total coverage bust by Jacksonville. But Fitzpatrick didn’t recognize it.
*Joe’s spending most of the day with the Bucs defense. Hey, Rex Ryan was there on the sidelines and was kind enough to give Joe some time. Ryan is stunned by the extreme struggles of Ryan Smith, and he is lamenting his first year not coaching in 30-something years. He and Mike Smith, on the same Ravens staff years ago, are clearly very tight.
*7-on-7 red zone and the Bucs’ defense is up and down. Touchdown Jags. Lavonte David falls. Receiver Shayne Wynn catches a pass in front of Chris Conte. Mike Smith yells, “Hey, are we going to cover anybody?”
*See Ryan Smith story linked above. Mike Smith barks at him, “C’mon, young Rook.” (Extra interesting since Smith is a second-year player.)
*Pass breakup by cornerback Robert McClain.
*Win for the first-team defense and now Mike Smith is happy.
*And now it’s time to FIGHT! (Full details on the back to back fights here.)
*Back to 11-on-11 and WR Allen Robinson beats Vernon Hargreaves very deep. Fun play to watch, just the wrong result.
*Mike Evans continues putting on a clinic. Chucky was there watching practice in the media area, and earlier Chucky shared his admiration of Evans with Joe.
*PICK! Another hot mess by Fitzpatrick, tipped pass thrown behind the target. Rough camp for Fitzpatrick continues.
*After practice, Jameis poses with one of his high school coaches.
*Major thanks to the Jaguars for opening the team dining area to media. Oh, what a spread. NFL players eat like kings, and so did Joe.
August 16th, 2017 at 6:26 pm
If Godwin doesnt play much these next 2 games (like last week)…
With no tape on Godwin yet, I think koetter is going to drop a welcome to the NFL surprise Godwin party on Miamis A$$
“I see things”
Kobe Faker
**Miami keying on Tampas new FA shiny new toy DJAX…
Bam! Godwin 100 yards 1 td
August 16th, 2017 at 6:27 pm
“*Holding Bucs. Joe’s notes on that are too messy. Sorry. Yes, Joe uses the ancient craft of handwriting through practice.”
What about the ancient journalism tradecraft of utilizing a dictaphone? There is likely already an app for that on your mobile and it will probably transcribe for you too. Leap headlong into the 21th century and don’t look back!
With music thumping through many practices, and media often nexts to Joe not interested in hearing Joe use a dictaphone, and given that Joe has an excellent homemade note-taking coding system, Joe’s going to stick with the pen and paper. –Joe
August 16th, 2017 at 6:37 pm
Call Colin…call him now!
August 16th, 2017 at 6:41 pm
If this was about football Kap would be Winston’s very capable backup. Cowardice is an American virtue these days
August 16th, 2017 at 7:01 pm
Joe it’s sounding more and more from your write-ups like Ryan Smith isn’t the answer as backup CB or future Brent Grimes replacement that I was hoping he’d be. Sounded late last year like he was making some really nice plays in practice when he transitioned back to CB from safety. Good thing we signed Robert McClain.
August 16th, 2017 at 7:02 pm
Joe, any update on Ryan Griffin’s injury?
August 16th, 2017 at 7:07 pm
If it is holding on the offense you don’t need notes. Take your pick. Smith, Dotson or Both. You really don’t need to look much past those two.
August 16th, 2017 at 7:12 pm
BigHogHaynes
it’s not going to happen bighog…. Kap’s puppet master does not like florida. i support a kap visit to tampa if he ever regains the ability to have and develop his own thoughts instead of that pathetic girlfriend of his. it’s said when a wealthy grown man is so whipped he can’t function. he needs sapp’s black book for an intervention of ho’s
August 16th, 2017 at 7:31 pm
Thank you Joe. Much enjoyed, dinnner and read!
August 16th, 2017 at 7:46 pm
Top ten greatest think tmax has ever said.
August 16th, 2017 at 7:49 pm
I was wondering why these notes read like yesterday’s practice notes; they are yesterday’s notes. Lesson learned: read carefully.
August 16th, 2017 at 8:22 pm
If we aren’t going to call Kaep, can we AT LEAST cut the Fitz and elevate Sefo Lifuau (or whatever) to 2nd string. I thought he looked a lot like a poor man’s Mariota on Saturday
August 16th, 2017 at 8:33 pm
Kobe Faker is samoan
Marc, that was a racist comment
#samoanlivesmatter
August 16th, 2017 at 9:39 pm
Smith with a holding, and then getting beat for a sack….but forget all that, and forget what the results are, Smith is good. Riiiiight.
August 16th, 2017 at 10:16 pm
Bucs should not have problems beating the Jags in exhibition. But you never know……
August 16th, 2017 at 10:27 pm
Hey Joe, just a little heads up that I haven’t seen elsewhere.
“HBO’s inside-the-locker-room series “Hard Knocks” is “another indicator of general NFL interest,” UBS believes, and live ratings for the premier episode were up 32% this year.”
If true the claims of lack of interest going into the Bucs being on the show are complete nonsense.
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/nfl-ratings-fall-season-ubs-report-192237837.html
If you already posted this rating nugget and I missed it then just change my username to D-Bag Rod Munch.
God bless.
August 16th, 2017 at 10:36 pm
Since last night’s HK I’m really rooting for McClain. That’s what’s great about the show. You pick up new faves like Joe Dirt and I’m rooting for McMahon to make it as well. He comes from a difficult background and seems to truly appreciate this opportunity. And what is it about Boise RB’s…first the “Muscle Hamster” and now we have a really rocked up McMahon. Their strength coach must be a wizard.
August 16th, 2017 at 10:54 pm
I understood you SPBF. I am rooting for Boullough a whole lot and the Mc Weapon hoplefully
August 16th, 2017 at 10:56 pm
Also………….We have over 35 players in the JOEBUCSFAN.COM Pickem League!!
Sign up………….http://games.espn.com/nfl-pigskin-pickem/2017/en/group?groupID=99276
August 17th, 2017 at 8:51 am
Hope Griffin can be ready by season opener. Fitz is hot garbage
August 17th, 2017 at 10:01 am
Joe(s), thanks for your notes! I was at the practices, too, and you deserve kudos for covering action when the teams were split up on various fields. On a side note, I noticed that the two teams practiced very differently. From my amateur perspective and based on a small sample size of two practices, the Bucs seemed looser and less structured. The offense, for example, often practiced their reps with helmets off and worked more on running plays and communication. The Jags’ practiced like a college (or even high school) team with a focus on drills (there were gassers at the end of practice!). They even practiced getting off and on the field for punts, kickoffs, and various situations. Is that Coughlin’s influence?
August 17th, 2017 at 12:18 pm
Ryan Smith is CLEARLY not the answer at this point. I’d put Elliott or McClain out there before Smith. Dude better wake up or he’ll be gone.
August 17th, 2017 at 2:31 pm
Im sure the boys down at McDill and all of the family there would just love Kap. Maybe he could engineer a sitdown outside Cent Com HQ. For some reason I dont see the Glazer boys coming within 100 miles of Colin and thank the lord they wont. In the words of an old Buffalo Bills GM “If Jameis goes down we are F*****d and we dont practice F******d!!” So does it really matter who our backup is? Fitz or…whoever is out there take your pick.
August 17th, 2017 at 3:15 pm
Fitzpatrick is truly horrible. I would rather have Sefo Liufau be the backup until Griffin returns. At least he’s an unknown.
Fitzpatrick has thrown multiple picks almost every practice!
August 17th, 2017 at 4:00 pm
Bonzai – Go watch Sefo Liufau’s college football “highlight” tape… the guy can’t throw the football. His “highlight” tape is so bad I have no idea how he got a camp invite, he looks like a college scrambler with no arm. You see a bit of this in Hard Knocks when Dirk yells at him to ‘throw’ the football, meaning rip it in there. Sefo Liufau in college did more of floating the ball into places – and as we know in the NFL that doesn’t work.
Fitz was fine in the game last week when playing with the 2nd teamers. When he was rushed back into the game with the 3rd and 4th string guys he was constantly under pressure and guys kept dropping the ball. I wouldn’t take much from the late gameplay as none of those guys will probably be on the team.
August 18th, 2017 at 4:27 pm
CautiousOptimism
Humility, common decency, and respect are actual virtues–none of which are displayed by your race-baiting hero. THAT is why he is unwanted by fans, owners, and players alike.