Quit Making Excuses!
December 23rd, 2010
Joe is starting to understand where his good friend Justin Pawlowski of WDAE-AM 620 is coming from.
It seems the Bucs coaching staff, after realizing the error in their ways and hearing the outcry from fans about why LeGarrette Blount was on the bench in a crucial drive that ended in a field goal are now on the offensive in another matter.
The same coaches are now saying they are concerned about Blount fumbling the ball, so writes Woody Cummings of the Tampa Tribune.
Williams didn’t do much to secure a victory, though. He ran twice for a total of 3 yards, leaving the Bucs with a third-and-7 they failed to convert before settling for a field goal with 1:39 to play.
“There’s just no margin of error for that,” Bucs running back coach Steve Logan said in defense of the decision to turn to Williams, who has lost just one fumble in his past 394 carries.
“We really take pride in being a zero turnover team here. We’re a plus-nine in that area right now and that’s one of the reasons we’ve had the success we’ve had so far this year.”
As Cummings rightly points out, numbers show Blount is not a risk to fumble the ball. He’s only put the ball on the ground twice, once was when the ball was punched out of his hands from behind.
So there is no merit to the premise that Blount is a fumbling risk.
December 23rd, 2010 at 12:04 pm
I agree you dont worry about Him fumbling when he is getting 7.3 yds per carry .. You just stress ball security on the sidelines
But Im not sure where the #2 fumbles comes from .. He has had about 4-5 fumbles this year. This is a fact .. Maybe 2 fumbles lost.
But still I keep running him
December 23rd, 2010 at 12:13 pm
“The same coaches are now saying they are concerned about Blount fumbling the ball,so writes Woody Cummings of the Tampa Tribune.”
I don’t get it? How is this new? We’ve been talking about this all week.
A little late to the party are we Mr. Cummings?
December 23rd, 2010 at 12:17 pm
Ride the hot back…Blount has been hot so give him the ball.
December 23rd, 2010 at 12:18 pm
Yeah, he’s put about 4 on the ground but two were recovered. Difference between playing to win and playing not to lose.
December 23rd, 2010 at 1:07 pm
one fumble was punched out by a guy he already ran over. The guy got up and was like, forget trying to tackle him I will punch a fumble from behind.
December 23rd, 2010 at 1:53 pm
Attention Steve Logan! You’re an idiot. Blount has fumbled twice this year!
December 23rd, 2010 at 2:08 pm
Patrick dont so be quick to call someone an idiot when you are wrong .. Who does that make look like an idiot ?
December 23rd, 2010 at 2:12 pm
had tha defense took care of business this convo doesn’t exist.
December 23rd, 2010 at 2:13 pm
Blount got yet another ROTW award…
December 23rd, 2010 at 2:25 pm
More accurately, if Winslow’s touchdown wasn’t waved off, this conversation may not exist.
December 23rd, 2010 at 2:43 pm
Not really… we have been talking about how Raheem is allergic to giving Blount the ball for weeks now. Same with the Washington game. He stopped handing the ball to Blount in the third freakin quarter. Its as if he’s trying to lose.
December 23rd, 2010 at 3:03 pm
I think they may have stated “fumbles” and “ball security” as major concerns – add that to previous concerns about picking up the blitz and following lead blocks deep, and an inability to pick up a critical first down on 3rd and 7…
There is no alternative to Blounts brute force – they keep trying to pretend Caddy and Graham are more dependable – I contend that it doesn’t matter if your power back hits the wrong holes or your change-of-pace back doesn’t have the power to move the pile. The end result is, you didn’t pick up the first down and you’re misusing your backs.
It seems to me that if you have a back that is good enough to get you down the field – you have to keep dancing with the one that brung ya’…
The more often you use Blount correctly – the more he will do things the correct way. You can’t teach a rookie what to do by running the WRONG back into a brick wall, especially when your opponents are stacking the line – let the powerback learn to be the power back.
I’m with Justin – enough with the excuses as to why you didn’t use Blount in the situations that call for him…you are on the ropes.
Sling it with Freeman, bash ’em with Blount, then let them try to catch Caddy at when they’re tired….
We have to approach the remaining games in a way that keeps OUR defense off the field. Limit the number of opportunities OR throttle down and make the opponents fear your offense.
We will NOT finish strong if we try to play a ball-control, let the defense stop them at the end of the game.
Spread the ball around, throw deep, smash-mouth offense, sprinkle some end-arounds with Rejus Benn – make them pay everytime they tackle us!
It is the ONLY hope we have to make the playoffs…
December 23rd, 2010 at 3:25 pm
The excuses NOT to use Blount prove that these clowns don’t have the aptitude to COACH up a player.
Coach the damn guy already!
December 23rd, 2010 at 4:09 pm
Blount for being a rookie who was not with our team any of training camp or ota’s. Blount looks to be well coached heading towards 1000 yards bonus be damned…
I am like most fans here we lost the game because we again have the ball at or 3 yards of the 1 yard-line we tried to score with each of our backs, and the young line did not get any push, it hurt we will practice it again and we go back out and try it, next week.
Bad option in my opinion not to have Blount out on the last drive, I did like the using of their TO’s but would have rather gotten a first down as well. Then we might have scored not just used their TO’s. We get the Winslow TD then the use or lack of use of Blount would not be noticed.
December 23rd, 2010 at 4:32 pm
caddy doesnt fumble because caddy goes down on first contact
fumbles happen when guys fight for extra yards and when a guy gets as many yards after contact as blount a couple fumbles dont matter
December 23rd, 2010 at 4:55 pm
@git. I 100% agree with that assessment about caddy.
December 23rd, 2010 at 5:02 pm
Blount Kept Tampa in this game. Sugar Coat it all you want, removing him with the game on the line for Tampa was not a good coaching decision.
December 23rd, 2010 at 5:15 pm
were 2 predictable at running tha ball. With Blount in, were more likely 2 run tha ball, allowing tha defense 2 put 8 or 9 in tha box. If its play action tha defense knows Blounts not catching tha ball, thus allowing his defender 2 help elsewhere. If Caddys back there were more likely 2 pass or run Shotgun draws, allowing opposing defenses 2 audible 2 pass coverage. Once Blount learns 2 pick up blitzes and catch it’ll be murder she wrote, along with Huggy bear as a change of pace speed back. Man I can’t wait 4 2011
December 23rd, 2010 at 5:24 pm
the stench of jon grudens offense is all over this team right now. i really was pulling for olsen earlly in the season but he’s wearing thin on me now. either run the ball down peoples throats or leave the damn ball in freemans hands.
December 23rd, 2010 at 5:31 pm
running the ball with blount only 15 times against the lions is almost criminal. of course the lions would load the box against blount but they do that against every team and they still get steam rolled. its inexcusable as an o-coordinator.
December 24th, 2010 at 12:02 am
If my memory is correct, wasn’t Blount’s 2nd fumble when he was damn near knocked out by a big hit? Yep, I guess he’s prone to fumble. Good call dumbasses!
December 24th, 2010 at 11:01 am
Gitlvr is 100% right.