Gerald McCoy Beginning To Feel The Heat
October 18th, 2010
Joe could smell this coming, and it’s not a good thing.
Fairly or unfairly, Bucs first round draft pick Gerald McCoy will always be compared to manbeast Ndamukong Suh. Both played in the Big XII Conference. Both were the jewels of the defensive tackle position. It seemed evenly split, depending on who one spoke with, who would be the better defensive tackle.
Suh is off to a hot start in his rookie season, which for a defensive tackle is about as rare as snowfall in Miami. GMC has not had as much success. Yet.
Joe has heard rumblings from various local sports radio hosts that GMC will never be Suh’s equal. Now that is beginning to creep into the local papers.
Joe Henderson, the local sports voice of reason, has penned a column in the Tampa Tribune about the problems GMC has had in racking up tackles much less sacks. GMC has had few of the former and none of the latter.
This Joe could just smell this column coming after the awful loss to the Saints Sunday.
“I am so worried about playing the thing the right way instead of just making the play, it’s slowing me down,” he said. “I’ve just got to get out of it.”
None of this is what the Bucs had in mind when they made the defensive tackle from Oklahoma their top selection in April. “When the defense isn’t playing well, it’s my fault. That’s just how I feel,” he said.
“I’ve been in the film room early, I’ve stayed late. I don’t know what it is but I’m going to keep working. I just have to fix it.”
Joe can only suggest people be patient. Suh may just be freak of nature that comes along once every 20 years. Rarely do defensive tackles have an impact as rookies. Warren Sapp didn’t. And last year one of the best rookie defensive tackles was Roy Miller of the Bucs, and his impact was minimal at best.
Let GMC breathe. Let him learn. Please, stay off his back.
October 18th, 2010 at 7:37 am
Suh has DL help also, its not the only reason, but our 10 sack man is garbage (I guess practice matters), the LDE is non-existant and Miller well is not doing anything good. Our DL is a jocke as a unit starting with Stylez, we need to stop blaming te young guys we kept him (didnt go after great freaking available FA) this offseason because he was supposed to have earned a shot at starting just to find out that the guy doesnt want to practice or be a leader. What a joke man.
October 18th, 2010 at 7:41 am
“Let GMC breathe. Let him learn. Please, stay off his back.”
Amen, Joe.
October 18th, 2010 at 7:54 am
McCoy is just a rookie… the problem is Raheem Morris and his defensive scheme. Steve White every single week points out the flaws and I attribute it to coaching, not young players. Those d line techniques aren’t inherent, the young lineman aren’t born with those techniques to beat NFL caliber olinemen. Its the coaching. In fact, in the NFL the talent among the players are so close that 9 times out of 10 the coaching is usually the blame across the board. And if these guys aren’t even executing the basic concepts on defense while continually being out of position, the coaching has failed miserably.
If the Buccaneers want to win again in the NFL, the owners will go get some real coaches. Plain and Simple.
The fairytale is over, the NFL bell has sounded. Reality check for the organization.
October 18th, 2010 at 7:54 am
Too early to judge McCoy. But it was Rah and Dom who set the expectations sky high.
But, is it to much to expect our defensive coordinator not to have the 32nd ranked rush defense two years in a row? Well on our way to achieving that feat along with dead last in sacks.
October 18th, 2010 at 7:55 am
Yea Joe is right! besides Tampa would never complain about a young guys development. I mean look at all the time they gave to the late Gaines Adams
October 18th, 2010 at 8:14 am
There are some simple choices:
1. The Scheme isn’t working – see Jim Bates fiasco
2. The Scheme doesn’t fit the players – see #1
3. The Scheme is fine but players aren’t working
Someone please explain to me how moving McCoy from DT to DE and back is helping him to improve his game??????
I’m patient as long as I see improvement. Not seeing it right now.
October 18th, 2010 at 8:28 am
Jim Bates, if his name gets mentioned one more time, the guy should sue the Bucs for slander.
Raheem Morris should not be given anymore excuses. Unless this is the kind of Buccaneer team everyone wants?
When the Glaziers are ready to win again, they’ll go get a real coach and put an end to this silly experiment once and for all.
Just as the Glaziers are cutting back and saving money, so are the fans. What’s good for the goose is good for the gander.
October 18th, 2010 at 8:50 am
McCoy and Price and Miller will be fine…….with time. It’s going to take a while for these guys to learn TECHNIQUE.
Rookie D linemen usually get tossed around by experienced O linemen because of TECHNIQUE- happens all over the leauge.
Most teams don’t start rookies at D tackle, Roy Miller is only in his second year (and in his first year in this scheme playing at 305lbs).
Other than Stylez, our D ends are young too.
I would imagine that “undersized” D tackles would have to rely on TECHNIQUE even more because of the disadvantage in size/strength…so if that is the case, than it might take a while before these guys figure it out.
Sapp (the best 3 technique tackle to ever play the game) hardly showed any signs of dominance until his 2nd season…..3rd season is when he started ruining the line of scrimmage for offenses. It’s going to take some time and they are going to have some games like this one where they just get shoved around all day.
PLEASE stop comparing ANYONE to Warren Sapp….. He was the ABSOLUTE BEST at his position for like 7 or 8 years in the NFL, that doesn’t happen very often.
If you must make comparisons, Price is WAY MORE similar to Sapp than McCoy is. Gerald McCoy is more like a Kevin Williams @6’4″….longer arms, ect. Price is very compact like Sapp was, kinda like a bowling ball.
Give it time…….no amount of complaining by the “so called fans” is going to teach these guys proper technique and how to ACTUALLY USE IT DURING A GAME…..
Time=experience.
October 18th, 2010 at 9:04 am
It will come for him, he’s feeling the pressure. It will make him better. It’s not fair to compare him to Suh at this point. The sh!tty Lions have a much better cast around Suh. We need DE’s that can rush and sack, ours can’t do either. Seriously.
October 18th, 2010 at 9:08 am
I can think of a few things to say, but Drew Brees broke my jaw yesterday, crushed my skull and stepped on my pinkie toe. It was ugly. One game = one loss, no more. Bubbye Cadi, it was nice knowing you.
October 18th, 2010 at 9:08 am
Growing pains . . . expected . . . accepted . . . stay the course . . . keep working hard Gerald . . . GO BUCS!
October 18th, 2010 at 9:20 am
What is Suh doing that’s so GREAT? People NEVER look at the Big Picture… McCoy has come close to some sacks and I’ve seen him pushed around like a rag doll. It’s all part of the process, I think he’s thinking way too much. This might come from him being put all over the line. Die Hard is totally right, it’s growing pains, expect it, accept it and relax!
October 18th, 2010 at 9:34 am
Everyone relax……………….outscored 69-19 last two home games.
158 yards rushing by an undrafted rookie from Division II named Ivory, 10.5 average.
Absolutely nothing to be concerned about. Rah has us firmly on our way to the dynasty and never below 10 wins regular seasons and lasting Super Bowl Contenders.
Total humiliation at CITS is all part of the plan.
Bwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
October 18th, 2010 at 9:46 am
Wow the Bucs lose 2 games to 2 of the top teams in the NFL and the sky is falling… I agree the defense needs work but saying Raheem needs to go is ridiculous….
October 18th, 2010 at 9:51 am
No, rediculous was hiring him to begin with.
October 18th, 2010 at 9:51 am
Please stay off his back?? Seriously? Huh? Sorry, when you are drafted #3 overall you are expected to contribute right away! Guys who take time to develop are taken in the 5th round, which is why they don’t make the money of a #3 overall pick.
October 18th, 2010 at 9:56 am
No you are not!
Just about every person who has any NFL experience stated how McCoy would struggle as a rookie. Defensive tackles rarely shine as rookies. Pat Kirwan and Gil Brandt have documented this in detail in recent months both on NFL.com and NFL Radio.
Joe knows someone will bring up Suh. Please also note who is playing alongside Suh to take heat off of him. Hint: It’s someone slightly better than Roy Miller and Brian Price.
October 18th, 2010 at 9:59 am
Losing and getting alley-beaten are two different things big007hed.
October 18th, 2010 at 10:00 am
Can you imagine the total meltdown if a team played like that coached by Shula, Parcells, Cowher, etc.
Those guys heads would have caught on fire – shredded by an undrafted rookie. Quit halfway through the first quarter.
Rah just says oh we didn’t tackle well today and play the run, need to go back to the labratory.
Absolute joke.
October 18th, 2010 at 10:02 am
Eric and Buc You hit the nail on the head, IMHO. Total humiliation at Tampa Stadium!
The other 2 draft picks (Bradford and Suh) have made an immediate impact, GMC has not.
Steve White says it is coaching, and that GMC will be just fine.
WHY did the Glazers do this to us, stick us with an unproven coach and front office ?
OK, so we weren’t supposed to beat the Saints and Steelers, but could we at least be competitive ?
October 18th, 2010 at 10:09 am
Eric and Buc You hit the nail on the head, IMHO. Total humiliation at Tampa Stadium!
The other 2 draft picks (Bradford and Suh) have made an immediate impact, GMC has not.
Steve White says it is coaching, and that GMC will be just fine.
I am not about to second guess Steve White
WHY did the Glazers do this to us, stick us with an unproven coach ?
OK, so we weren’t supposed to beat the Saints and Steelers, but could we at least be competitive ?
October 18th, 2010 at 10:26 am
I agree that coaching is a major part of the equation. Raheem basically played cover 2 and rushed 4 guys all day, with the Quincy stand up deal sprinkled in the mix. To me it is something like pulling the goalie in hockey after he gets peppered with about 5 goals. I know blitzing Brees can get you burned, but look at what the alternative netted us. At some point(late 1’st 1/4) Raheem should have called some zone blitzes, and creative blitzes mixed with the rush games. I say this becasue the front 4 could not get pressure against 6 blockers on every play. It was like throwing them to the wolves over and over again, to the point of humiliation. I saw it as Raheem’s worst coaching performance to date, including last year. I mean is Todd Wash doing anything to develop these guys? Why does every topp ranked defense(exception Giants) blitz all the time from different places, mixing up who goes and who stays. We don’t do any of that, and when we do blitz, you can see who is coming usually from a mile away. I’m not hating here, but Letting your players get totally humiliated over and over without sending reinforcements is extremely futile and amateurish. Raheem needs to really pull it together, and also stop covering for Talib. In Hockey, you play the man on defense. If Aqib would play the man better, he would get more plays on the ball. Aqib looked lethargic to me and that is the best way I can put it. I don’t want to call out all the players here, because we have seen them perform well together this year, but the coaches have to do a better job.
October 18th, 2010 at 10:32 am
I still like the work ethic of this very young team. Josh is emerging as an awesome leader, and I believe GMC will put in the work, as much as it takes, to earn his stripes.
October 18th, 2010 at 10:51 am
Warren Sapp’s rookie year 16 games 27 tackles 3 sacks not exactly hall of fame numbers and he turned out to be pretty good.
October 18th, 2010 at 1:00 pm
I can’t believe at some of you trying to put that on Raheem, the DL coach yes, but not the HC. On the first TD pass it was Talib fault he seemed to think for a second he had help on top by the time he realized he didn’t it was too late. TD #2 was Grimms fault for looking at the QB for too long and reacted to his assignement late. If you take those two major mistakes and I believe they both came on 3rd down, the outcome of the game could’ve been different. We play a cover 2 defense with a bunch of new guys most of them still trying to learn the system and you want the HC to put in a more complicated blitzing system for one game and somehow that would’ve beenn a better option, give me a break. We need to do something with our DL, that’s the big problem good teams can put pressure with only 4 and we’re not doing that at all. Its time to make major changes to the DE, they should start Bennet instead of White and find a better option for the other DE. I wish we could try out Merriman as a DE, he can still put pressure, but he lost too many steps on coverage to play OLB.
October 18th, 2010 at 4:11 pm
I understand Rah is in talks with Goodell about changing the rules to allow the Bucs an extra defensive player on the field.
Maybe another linebacker next to Ruud. So while Ruud runs into the pile of lineman and running back blows by him. The extra linebacker can tackle him. Hopefully not from behind 20yds down field.
I hope the Bucs can get Bruce Carter in the draft next year.
October 18th, 2010 at 4:34 pm
Two plays could have changed the outcome of this game?
are you kidding me???????????????????
October 18th, 2010 at 6:33 pm
To Eric
If we had stopped them on those two plays we would’ve been looking at a 6-0 deficit going into halftime (that’s if their K would’ve made the kick) if you don’t think that’s a big difference the only thing I can tell you is to be careful because your hatred is making you go insane.
October 18th, 2010 at 8:10 pm
TO mtm. we tried that sunday with 12 men on the field but had to call a time out..
October 18th, 2010 at 8:19 pm
Sorry guys but I agree with the initial scouting report on McCoy. Not strong enough to man the middle in the NFL. He is getting pushed regularly off the ball and with ease. He does not get low enough and with him being 6’4″ he is easy to handle for these 320;b lineman. I think I would retrain him at the end position. He is very athletic and fast although he may need to drop a few lbs.
I think I would trade for a middle line backer. someone in the league must have a 2nd or 4th stringer better than Ruud. Maybe since you are not going to use Graham as a halfback, trade him for that linebacker and we will throw in Ruud for good measure………..
On Ruud’s behalf, he is one of the best at bringing someone down from behind but that because he is always in that position.
October 18th, 2010 at 10:18 pm
passthebuc – you have been watching the same pooring tackling and bad angles as I have. Pathetic.