Goose Egg For Arrelious Benn
October 23rd, 2011
"Are we being our best selves, Olie?"
Joe admits it. The Bucs’ playcalling often throws Joe into fits of disbelief and rage. Sometimes Joe stands up and applauds, but more often than not Joe is completely flummoxed.
The Bucs have no identity on offense. It’s all over the place.
Thursday night on the Buccaneers Radio Network, Mark Dominik talked about how he wants to see the ball in Arrelious Benn’s hands, citing Benn’s ability and knack for explosive plays including the one called back against Indianapolis on Monday Night Football.
Today during the painful loss in England, Benn had one ball thrown his way and no receptions. And the Bucs tried to run that ugly end around play to him in the third quarter. (Joe hates that damn play.)
What gives?
Is Benn unable to get open? Joe wasn’t in England to see, but Joe doesn’t think that’s the primary issue.
It took the Bucs weeks this year to figure out that they could still throw slants to Mike Williams. Why not to Benn? Joe has to think that’s a better option that forcing the ball into Kellen Winslow unsuccessfully over and over.
Benn was a high second-round pick last year in what was considered the deepest draft in recent history. He’s talented. Bucs fans have seen him get open deep and run like an wild animal after the catch on shorter throws.
What’s it going to take to figure out how to use this guy’s talent?
October 23rd, 2011 at 6:06 pm
Joe i agree with you on that stupid end around play it never works and it probably never work this is just Greg Olsen trying to tell us fans that hes just not a boring play caller (which he is) hes trying to say he can call trick plays and is willing to experiment. Hes a horrible coach and has to go.
October 23rd, 2011 at 6:14 pm
Freemans footwork/throwing mechanics are erratic..haphazard and Dilferlike
October 23rd, 2011 at 6:18 pm
Joe- Its a game of inches and Freemans recievers including Benn have been dropping balls all season. The Bucs are among the league leaders in drops. Cant put that on QB or O-coordinator. Perfect example Briscoe wide open early tries to run before he catches and drops what would have probably been a first down if he catches it. Next play. Graham out for season.
Did you see Cutler’s recievers dropping balls in this game? Roy Williams had one drop. Other than that they were perfect and the Bears win.
Recievers have routinely dropped balls and Freeman has routinely missed open recievers.
IS IT OLLIE OR IS IT THE EXECUTION????
October 23rd, 2011 at 6:19 pm
What gives? LOL Being down to one (1) that’s one single (ONE) RB (a third string RB without any FB’s available either, a third string C, third string LG kind of sort of limits a QB’s chances to take his time.
This was an impossible situation and not helped at ALL by the Royal Glazerbaum’s insisting on playing this GD “home” game in LONDON in the first place.
That’s the problem Jos, no freaking running game available in a “home” game THOUSANDS of miles away!
Not Benn.
October 23rd, 2011 at 6:21 pm
How about we actually PA the Benn around. Get Mike Williams on a quick crossing pattern and get others to block downfield. PA off of something that the defense hs seen all the time on tape (although not effecive). Without any healthy legit rb on roster (Unless Spann pulls a Blount), the draw PA isn’t effecting anyone!!!
D actually learning how to gel and play hard (above average 2nd half). It’s time for the offense to stop losing the game!!!
Go Colts!!!
October 23rd, 2011 at 6:21 pm
Joe- wasn’t it just last year that people around the league were whispering Ollie’s name as one of the next head coaching candidates? Same coordinator. Same playbook. Too many dropped passes. Too many poorly thrown balls. Too much of Trusuck giving up the booty to every left defensive end in the league. Its not rocket science to anyone who understands what they are seeing.
October 23rd, 2011 at 6:22 pm
Joe here,
@Garv — Joe never wrote that Benn is the problem.
October 23rd, 2011 at 6:24 pm
I am tired of seeing 2 TE’s on 1st & 2nd downs, I am sick of the 2 yard passes to the TE off the playaction, SICK of K2 crying & then Josh forcing passes to him, he can’t BLOCK & he rounds off his routes!! Freeman needs to run more often, this offense NEEDS SPEED! If we have SPEED it’s NOT being used….
I said a few weeks ago that this reminds me of the Dungy regime, I got several stupid replies. What was the problem with the Dungy teams? THE OFFENSE!
I heard once on the Freeman show, that they teach him to throw the deep passes short of his WR’s? WHAT? REALLY? I know some people will say it’s b/c they don’t want him to overthrow the receiver. THATS just stupid….
October 23rd, 2011 at 6:25 pm
That endaround gadget to Benn is almost as bad as the quick wide receiver pass behind the line of scrimmage pass they throw to him. At least they didn’t do that one today.
Don’t get why they didn’t slam Lumpkin behind Davin Joseph to set up some playaction. And by the way Freeman is the worst playaction faker in the business. He rarely sells it well. Alex Van Pelt needs to step up.
October 23rd, 2011 at 6:26 pm
Does anyone know why freeman has been so bad in the redzone why cant they be friend like last year??????????
October 23rd, 2011 at 6:26 pm
Personally, I’m satisfied with the record the team has right now. I knew and said all along that they would struggle in the first half of the season and start turning it around in the second half…and I predicted the record by game 6 would be 3-3.
I said this and still predicted a 10-6 season.
Some things of great concern:
1) the injuries today
2) Josh Freeman. Bottom line, a great quarterback makes his WRs look good. Josh has that ability, but his decision making is off this year. It’s a good thing the defense is overacheiving in the first half of the season.
PS – Time to give Tiki a call!
October 23rd, 2011 at 6:29 pm
COMMENT:
Put Spurlock back returning kicks!
1) Our field position has sucked
2) his kick and punt returns spark the offense
3) The new guy is not getting it done
October 23rd, 2011 at 6:33 pm
@chargedcbh
You are looking at this all wrong. I would rather Freeman has his growing pains now when the rest of the team is, then to suddenly make mistakes in 2 years.
I have no doubt that Freeman will get things worked out. As he would himself say, blaming the WRs isn’t the thing to do…he needs to be accountable and he accepts that.
Josh will watch the tapes, put in the work and we’ll see him take huge steps forward again.
October 23rd, 2011 at 6:41 pm
Its funny but i was over on Windy city Gridiron the Bears Sb nation account and all the Bears Fans feel MIGHTY lucky to have escaped with that win. No crowing there. Those are some real fans. Those guys see the young talent we have and are quite frankly jealous. Its sad when fans of opposing teams have a higher regard for the team than hometown “fans”
October 23rd, 2011 at 6:46 pm
I hope they take this off week and work things out, i know monday the will have about 400 guys off the street working out at rb. I wish K2 would stop being a little baby and crying to freeman about how hes open and making Josh force the ball in there all the time. I also wish Josh would tell k2 to take his crying elsewhere and i’m about winning games, we see forceing the ball to you all the time has me hovering around completing 50% of my passes. K2 has been a cry baby his whole career and josh needs to set him straight, athough i know its not that easy.
October 23rd, 2011 at 6:50 pm
becklesheartruud- just went on that sight i agree with you i hate to even mention this game but remember that horrible day in san fran after that game i think we all had a reality check that wins in this league dont come easy and to never take a team lightly. And then look at last weekend we kill the saints were unbeaten in the division this week was great team building and this loss also good team building showing we never quit and almost won we have to keep our heads up and prepare for NO in the dome.
October 23rd, 2011 at 6:59 pm
Joe asked what it will take to get the ball into Benn’s hands….
A QB who doesn’t throw 4 INT’s in a game – that’s what!
October 23rd, 2011 at 7:29 pm
Hey PeterDUtcher, I agree BUT how many times will we see that same seam pass to the TE in the red zone get picked or almost picked this year? Is he or is Olsen learning from mistakes made this year?
October 23rd, 2011 at 7:45 pm
Funny you mention Benn. I was looking for him for most of the 2nd half and he wasn’t even on the field. When we went 4 wide it was Williams, Briscoe, Parker and K2. I think Benn may have been hurt on that end around play and never came back out. I’m still digging to see if I can find out what happened to him, but he wasn’t on the field the whole 4th qtr.
October 23rd, 2011 at 7:59 pm
Olsen is garbage for an OC…. He is so predictable, I understand that today was different due to injuries but the play calling is infuriating!!!
October 23rd, 2011 at 7:59 pm
Benn may develop into a more dangerous receiver than williams, who is really a possession type guy.
If they would throw to him that is.
October 23rd, 2011 at 8:04 pm
Eric, he wasn’t even on the field to throw to most of the 2nd half. That’s why Briscoe got the TD, he was playing in Benn’s spot. I agree that he has potential to be dangerous, but can’t be if he’s not on the field. Hope he’s ok though, coz he wasn’t out there.
Also, with Blount out, and Graham leaving the game early… the Bears Safeties were playing 20 yards deep. They had NO fear of ANY sort of run game at that point. The D-line didn’t even pay attention to whether Free handed it off or not, they were just getting after the QB and letting the LBs clean up Lumpkin. That makes it very difficult for ANY QB to have a good day and not throw 4 INTs. I still think we’d have been better off with Blount and Caddy and Graham than Lumpkin. At least then they still would have had to respect the run game.
October 23rd, 2011 at 8:13 pm
Why does Winslow block like a girl?
October 23rd, 2011 at 8:32 pm
well, this is starting to feel like the old bucs again. whenever the offense takes the field i just close my eyes and cross my fingers. im going to stay possitive but freeman has some real problems that have me questioning him. daunte culpepper?
October 23rd, 2011 at 8:34 pm
Olson has been the problem all year. He’s responsible for slow starts, he’s responsible for not using Blount more, he’s responsible for going to Benn. I’m over this guy. He only opens up offense when we’re down and can’t call a game that dominates another team. If we fall short look for a change here immediately..
October 23rd, 2011 at 8:47 pm
I agree tho. This K2 issue is really becoming an issue. You can tell when he is in Freeman’s ear and it never works out right.
I don’t think he is handling the fact there is more talented receivers on this team now.
I would much rather see Williams, Benn, Briscoe, and Parker on the field the have K2 in there for passing anymore.
October 23rd, 2011 at 9:08 pm
I heard bill cowhers available…
October 23rd, 2011 at 10:34 pm
Freeman is underachieving. If he struggles the whole year I would be first in line for manning. Free missed and has missed wide open receivers all year. Routine throws manning, brees, rodgers, rivers and the old freeman easily make behind a pretty good offense line. The problem starts with the guy who almost has twice many pics as touchdowns. Think about that.
October 23rd, 2011 at 11:04 pm
Joe here,
@BamBamBuc — Benn recovered the fourth quarter fumble by Urlacher that was overturned. He didn’t disappear after the end-around.
October 23rd, 2011 at 11:49 pm
Freeman’s play has been disappointing most the year. He is just barely over 1 1/2 years worth of games played, but still, he seems to be indecisive and dump off happy most the time. Then, when he does go for it, he is forcing the issue. In his defense, the WRs need to do a better job of getting separation.
When Foster and TJax are out of the game… WOW… what difference in the defense. McCoy’s absence is being felt too, regardless of what some people think. But… those are just excuses. The defense will get better against the run, they have shown they can and with some different LBs that are more Foster like will help with that.
The biggest thing I am starting to notice is the CBs. Barber seems very overmatched a lot this year and Talib is not as good as he thinks. Biggers is not bad, not great, but a decent second CB. I have defended Talib for a long time in his play but he needs to step it up and be great to justify sticking with him with his off field BS.
Right now it is looking like CB, LB, RB & WR w/speed are the 4 big areas to address in the draft next year (along with O-Line depth as always).
On the bright side, great timing on the bye weeks. Hopefully Blount, McCoy, Foster, TJax and Zuttah and/or Faine get healthy.
October 24th, 2011 at 12:15 am
Correct Joe, just watched the “highlight” of that play. That was first series of the 4th qtr. Seriously, I never saw him down the stretch. Possible he was injured on that play? The fumble recovery? I just can’t imagine why he wouldn’t even be on the field the majority of the 4th quarter if he wasn’t hurt. I’ll have the shortcut of the game from DirecTV later tonight and will be able to look more closely if he was in the game at all after that first series of the 4th quarter.
October 24th, 2011 at 7:31 am
Hey guys I know you don’t like links on this but at the sb nation bucs fan blog I started a petition for a real offensive coordinator. Included are the career coaching stats and ranks of one Greg Olson. In 2005 Ollie coached the Detroit Lions to 14.9 ppg (28th) and like 26th in total yardage. He was then hired by St. Louis as (OC), but Scott Linehan called the plays that year. This was the Rams last year being a top five offense. According to Wiki Olson began calling plays in 07. The Rams went from 4th or 5th in scoring under Linehan to 25th I believe. Olson was fired after his first year calling plays in St. Louis. He shouldn’t be the coordinator, he is a qb coach at best that got lucky the Bucs fired Jagodzinski. I actually bet Jags would do a better job in the development of Josh Freeman.
October 24th, 2011 at 8:13 am
Listen, I know we all love to play” the sky is falling” after every lose. And we love to play ” SuperBowl contender” after every win.the truth is very simple.
After all the injuries we sustained in that game, it’s just amazing we could stage a comeback. Honestly, I think we win, if it wasn’t for Talib’s meltdown at the end.
Winslow’s crying needs to stop. Our young WRs need to improve both their concentration, and their consistency.- but they will. They are still extremely young. They are suffering from the same problem that is haunting Josh Freeman- No offseason coaching. Everyone I talk to says that the most important off field developments happen between year one and two. Thanks to ” Go to Hell, Godell”, our young guys were deprived of this. It shows!
We need depth at RB. We need two new OLbers. We need depth/ talent at CB. Talib isn’t a great player, and his mental instability continue to hurt this team. But I’ve been saying these things since March. Sadly, everyone is starting to see it too.
I also was saying the O-Line was playing bad. Thank God, I was proven wrong about the O-line. While Trueblood had a couple problems yesterday, I think the line has played it’s best football. Even injuries don’t slow them down. Pat Morris has them playing far better than Pete ever did. Pat gets my unsung hero award!
Bottom line- still have a winning record, still in striking distance of first place. Still undefeated in the NFC South.
It’ll be alright.