“It’s Like An Option Offense… “
October 25th, 2011
Former Bucs quarterback Shaun King believes the Bucs passing attack is no more potent than an option team throwing to a fullback.
The warm numb of alcohol could only last so long.
Monday when Bucs fans began to slowly shake off the cobwebs of a hangover, brought on in a desperate yet futile attempt to wash away the memories of an ugly loss to the Bears Sunday, Bucs fans grew angrier by the moment.
Angry about how the Bucs offense has sputtered worse than a 1989 Cavalier. Angry with silly personal fouls. Angry that a second-round draft pick of a wide receiver is thrown at just once and isn’t even on the field for much of the fourth quarter when his big-play abilities are needed most. Angry at teammates griping at quarterback Josh Freeman. Angry that a team yet again sleep walks through much of the game until a light bulb flashes over their head that, yes, there is a game in progress and it’s the fourth quarter.
But what fueled the angst of most Bucs fans has been the stunning regression of Freeman. His four interceptions Sunday gave many Bucs fans disturbing acid flashbacks to the notorious Trent Dilfer wearing a Terry Bradshaw facemask circa 1974.
But count former Bucs quarterback Shaun King as one of the fortune tellers.
King, one of just three quarterbacks in franchise history to lead the Bucs to an NFC championship game, now a co-host with Toby David on the “too Jewish” (Blazing Saddles reference) sounding “King David Show” heard on WQYK-AM 1010, spoke Monday that he saw this coming, but maybe not this bad.
King, before the season, expected the Bucs to take a step back and forecast a 7-9 record for the 2011 season and began talking about the loss to the Bears.
“I could see this coming before the season, I tried to tell you people,” King said. “The offense just doesn’t have a dynamic weapon.”
King went on to rail how impotent the Bucs passing attack has become.
“Look, 5.2 yards a pass is like an option offense that throws to the fullback all the time!”
The problem with that is Tommie Frazier and Tom Rathman aren’t walking through the front door of One Buc Palace any time soon. Nor should they be.
The answers to the Bucs ills lies not in the living room of Clinton Portis or Tiki Barber or Larry Johnson (yes, Joe’s actually received e-mails and Twitter messages from fans of the mind that Portis would solve the Bucs’ ills). No, the answer to the Bucs offensive problems is within the very walls of One Buc Palace itself right now.
Clearly, quite a few cogs of the offense are not on the same page for reasons unknown, both players and coaching staff alike. It’s high time they start reading from that very same page. The Saints wait in less than two weeks. That should be plenty of time to weed out what is wrong.
Otherwise, this team has bigger problems than Josh Freeman forcing passes to Kellen Winslow.
October 25th, 2011 at 9:34 am
I like Olsen, but he’s part of the problem it would appear. He’s calling (or being told to call) a retro offense, dink and dunk, off the run game.
I call bullsh!t. Last year we took more shots down field in 1 game than we have all of this year (ok, a little dramatic). I think we DO have the weapons, at least enough so that we should be trying to hit longer plays. As is, if we fail on the 1 (maybe 2) long attempts in a game, you won’t see it again – defenses know this because it’s our “tendency” on film.
Weapons or not, if you’re always trying to hit long plays, the defense has to respect the percentage of attempts. We have no run game right now, spread it out, light it up.
October 25th, 2011 at 9:36 am
Step one starts with freeman since he’s suppose to be the leader of this team. Shave your face cut your hair and act and dress like a professional. I’m sick of him and Raheem saying they take the blame but then make excuses in the press conferences. Raheem saying it takes the blame for aquibs actions and these other knuckle heads is rediculous… It’s time for Raheem to man up and start holding these guys accountable and stop acting like freeman is a celebrity
October 25th, 2011 at 9:54 am
Joe, the basic problems are the head coach is the DC and there is either no head coach or DC, you can’t do both, especially during the games, lack of discipline, no punishment for stupidity on the field, and a lack of leadership.
The basic strong points are they can play when they want, youth and learning, and the will to win.
Ask the two DL coaches what is going on, ask the same of the LB, and DB coaches. Howcome the QB coach is not on the same spit, along with both the TE and WR coaches and lastly what does the OL coach have to say. The head coach can’t kick the DC in the rear and tell him to get with it because he is not double jointed. Who is giving the OC guidence and leadership on what to do, I say no one.
Lastly, figure out who are the stupid players and get rid of them now, bring on either free agents and/or the practice squad because “Ignorance can be corrected, stupidity is forever.”
Joe your thoughts?
October 25th, 2011 at 10:01 am
You can not be an effective offense with no running game. During the bears game chicago dropped thier linebackers on every play to clog up the middle routes and we never adjusted hence 4 pick.
October 25th, 2011 at 10:02 am
OB:
Believe it or not, the Bucs have a winning record at this moment. So now is not a time for a wholesale implosion of the team.
That written, there are two veteran starters (Joe’s not naming names) that are doing their best to ensure their names are not on the Bucs roster in 2012.
October 25th, 2011 at 10:04 am
I’m so tired of freaking Shaun King. He’s so annoying all he has to say is negative about this team. And would we he of said if we came back and won (which we almost did)? We would of been 5-2, but we still are 4-3 were not done by any stretch of the imagination. He was probably one of the “experts” last year that had us going 3-13. God knows shaun king has had a string of bad games before. Matter of fact after that one NFC championship game he must of been on a career regression because I remember him going from starter to permanent clipboard holder. So I guess regression is something he’s sort of an expert on. I guarantee you Freeman will not regress that much sometimes you have to get worse before you get better. lockout has hurt him and having the youngest squad in the league around you doesn’t help much either. This is Free’s third season in your third season Shaun you couldn’t hold his jockstrap so stop hating!!!
October 25th, 2011 at 10:07 am
d clark:
Joe can testify under oath that Joe himself was sitting at a table with Shaun King, Anwar Richardson, eye-RAH Kaufman, Joe Henderson, among others, last year before the Bucs first home game when King said the Bucs would win nine games.
Of course he was wrong.
The Bucs won 10.
October 25th, 2011 at 10:11 am
Can’t argue with this article. Pretty much hit the nail on the head.
“That written, there are two veteran starters (Joe’s not naming names) that are doing their best to ensure their names are not on the Bucs roster in 2012.”
I am wondering who you are insinuating here. Winlsow and Talib with attitudes? Trueblood and Faine with plain horrific play? I’d say based on level of play and dollar amount alone that Faine, Trueblood and Winslow are expendable. But I still have faith Winslow will shut his mouth and play.
October 25th, 2011 at 10:22 am
Joe said:
“King, one of just three quarterbacks in franchise history to lead the Bucs to an NFC championship game”
Lead? No. He is one of 3 qbs in Bucs history to PLAY in an NFC championship game. If anyone can rail about an impotent passing attack, King is definitely the expert.
October 25th, 2011 at 10:35 am
King won in spite of Les Steckel and Mike Shula. Give the man a break about his passing attack.
Though having said that, Olsen makes me pine for either of those guys this year. Last year I thought the man had the midas touch and was brilliant. If anything we should be talking about his regression.
If an average “ham and egger” like myself can sit in front of the TV and predict with almost 100% accuracy what our playcalls are going to be on each play, I GUARANTEE YOU so can NFL Defenses. And you know what? It sure looks like they do know on each play.
October 25th, 2011 at 10:39 am
Leighroy:
You forgot Clod Christiansen!
October 25th, 2011 at 10:47 am
Mike Shula is doing a heck of a job with Cam Newton.
October 25th, 2011 at 10:56 am
Look..we had NO running attack..none. One back, thats it…Graham and Lorig was injured. 1 third-string running back in a lone back set. Yet, we are freaking out b/c Freeman wasnt throwing the ball downfield or the play calling sucked. Well, what plays would you call against a cover 2 when they can actually drop all their LBs b/c we cant run? I agree Freeman has lost some accuracy but we dont see what he sees down field. If no one is open b/c we cant run the ball, then there you go.
We are 4-3…most of us thought we would go 9-7 or 10-6. We are on pace. We are 2-0 in the division and we just played a game missing 8 of our starters and a back up running back…..relax
October 25th, 2011 at 11:15 am
@Eric is that really Shula? He didn’t seem to do much of anything for David Garrard, Luke McCown, Todd Bouman, Trent Edwards, Cleo Lemon, Quinn Gray…… Newton is leaps and bounds beyond the play of those guys so it is hard for me to think that all of a sudden Mike Shula is that good.
October 25th, 2011 at 11:16 am
I’d say it is far more Dirk Koetter than Shula.
October 25th, 2011 at 11:16 am
For Jacksonville I meant.
October 25th, 2011 at 11:28 am
@Muaha Deeb,
I don’t know, but he is the QB coach.
Stands to reason if the QB plays well he is doing something right. And, incredibly, without those helpful OTA’s.
Not a big Shula fan, but I thought the Glazers made a mistake firing him while the staff was at the Pro bowl. I don’t think Tony appreciated that at all.
October 25th, 2011 at 12:49 pm
Benn is more of the problem than the solution right now. Dude just can’t get open unless someone blows a coverage. It is killing the offense. Every team is keying on the end around and screens to Benn, and the Bucs have no other way to get him the ball.
Freeman still has a real hard time going from that 2nd to 3rd read. This is limiting him, as his progression is 1) Stare down K2 or Mike Williams, 2) go to check down back, 3) wait for the sack. With Benn being a no go on every play, it is making it really easy for defenses to read.
Freeman needs to run. He needs to cause some broken coverages by breaking contain himself. They took shots last year because Freeman extended plays, broke out of the pocket, then found guys downfield. He pressured teams to cover the receivers and give up the big run. He forced other teams to make decisions they don’t want to.
Everyone says the Bucs need a dynamic playmaker. Well they have one sitting on the bench right now, they just have to find a way to use him. That’s why Olsen gets paid the big bucks.
October 25th, 2011 at 3:04 pm
Dollars to donuts Joe means Quincy Black and Aqib Talib. Joe is an astute assessor of talent.
Lots of intelligent people expected the Bucs to have a little backside this year. Not because of the reasons King is now spouting, but for more reasonable and logical reasons
1) First and foremost- no offseason with coaches. I predicted it in March, so did many people far wiser than I( that doesn’t take much, by the way) most experts agree that the most important coaching takes place between year one and two- that’s when teams adjust to talented first year players. The players have to adjust their game to stay ahead. Our guys we denied that important coaching- thanks Godell!!
2) while I now agree with the Ruud decision, and am impressed with Foster, this fact remains. A team this young cannot lose the leadership and experience of Barrett Ruud and Cadillac Williams, without a price to be payed.
I also add in there that we did nothing to strengthen a weak secondary, weak OLbers, or add depth to RB. All three were things I was bellyaching about last spring.
We are still a very talented young team. A good offseason will fix most of what ails us.
Raheem is going to let his friendship with Talib and black cost us games. It already has. He needs to keep business separate, or it’s gonna hurt a career on the rise!
A good offseason if coaching, a couple new CBs and OLBs, depth at RB, and we are back in the hunt for a SuperBowl.
We are gonna be alright- no worries.