Blount Returns With A Punch
November 7th, 2011
Lost a bit in the Bucs’ third clunker in four games yesterday was the return of LeGarrette Blount.
He didn’t look at all like a guy coming off a knee injury. He was fresh. He was punishing. He even took the air like only he can. The grand unveiling of Blount as a busy third-down back never happened, something Joe can’t explain. (The Bucs of very old found ways to throw Mike Alstott the ball with some real estate ahead of him. Somebody needs to pull up that mid-90s film.)
Regardless, the Bucs even seemed willing to pound Blount at times, handing off to him three times to open their second series of the game, a sequence that saw Blount run for two first downs and 31 yards. On the next series he disappeard as the Bucs hung themselves with a 12-men-on-the-field penatly and pass interference calls on Arrellious Benn and Kellen Winslow.
Yeah, Joe knows Blount ran up the gut early in the third quarter and got up and slugged a Saints player in the helmet, prompting a personal foul and John Lynch to bring up Blount’s infamous college punch that kept him undrafted.
But Joe didn’t pay much attention to that. Given the endless stream of Bucs with stupid penalties, that 15-yard loss sort of fit right in to the Bucs’ course of play.
November 7th, 2011 at 10:09 am
They have to run more, but in order to do so they HAVE to get another RB who can help spell Blount.
The McCoy haters will be in full force since he is injured again… BUT, careful what you wish for, when he is not in there, the pass rush is almost non-existent.
Foster needs to get healthy, his sideline to sideline speed is lacking right now.
The WRs and playcalling are starting to be a main reason for the Bucs issues on offense.
The biggest issues remain penalties. They are killing themselves on both sides of the ball with penalties.
Whatever happened to Myron Lewis?
This team is 1-2 years away from being a true contender, BUT with every team but the Packers being inconsistent, anything can happen in the playoffs, and they still have a shot at them.
November 7th, 2011 at 10:22 am
The “punch” (shove in the face really) was inexcusable. Period. Especially for Blount.
But why in the hell did we only run him 13 times when he was tearing apart the Saints? Why is Lumpkin in over Blount on third downs? He is just flat out terrible.
I’m sick and tired of Blount being misused every damn game.
November 7th, 2011 at 10:23 am
Should’ve punched Olson for not letting him play AT ALL on 3rd down
November 7th, 2011 at 10:23 am
Dave, Myron Lewis looks like a bust.
November 7th, 2011 at 10:27 am
That Blount guy is awesome. He is the “bus” reincarnated.
Who used to coach that guy?
November 7th, 2011 at 10:44 am
Play calling is poor. We were hammering Blount early and on 4th and 1 everyone knew it was going to Blount. The perfect time to play action off him – but no, one more time and stuffed.
Running to set up the pass only works when you throw it further than 5 yards down field. When Raheem took over, the Bucs were going to have a vertical passing game. We have been anything but. We lack identity. There is no reason we can’t throw it down the field. Packers, Saints, Bill, PANTHERS to name a few teams have vertical elements in their game. With the exception of the Packers – you can’t tell me we don’t have a better collective group of WR’s and QB. (Yes Brees is better, but not their WR’s)
These teams all take shots down the field, many times, every game and have some success. We don’t even take shots down the field.
Tell me why Benn and his 4.4 speed and size isn’t used more?
Tell me why the LB’s whose last name isn’t Foster are afraid to play a physical game?
For all those that are going to call McCoy a bust, need to use another word. He IS a difference maker and has the ability to be what he was drafted to be. What can be said, now, is that he is injury prone. With McCoy out, Frank Okam needs to be the starter next to Price. Roy Miller is nothing more than an injury sub at best. Bowers at DT is like Phillips and LB – wrong. That’s not a knock on Bowers, his position in DE and it shows.
November 7th, 2011 at 10:44 am
Eric:
Chuck Knox… Lou Holtz?
November 7th, 2011 at 10:45 am
Rack up four more empty seats next season as I refuse to renew my season tkts again if the team stays with the build thru the draft only approach. We don’t have nearly enough play makers yet in Dom’s world we’ll just have to wait till the next draft. Screw him. When they are truly ready to compete I will reconsider but not next year. I’m certainly not afraid the seats will be gone.
November 7th, 2011 at 10:46 am
Blount is one of the keys to our success and our horrible OC continues to not run him. He was tearing up the Saints run D the first two possesions. Then he dissapeared. I officially hate Greg Olsen. Bum. Bum. Bum. I call more interesting plays on madden 12 than he does in the NFL! Why he he still on the payroll..it is now officially time for heads to roll within the coaching staff at One Buc Palace! SMH!
November 7th, 2011 at 10:47 am
No problem wih the punch. The Saints were dirty with late and cheap hits all game long. Watch the film. The refs choose to ignore things like a late hit to Frees back. I can understand where the players would take a matter into their own hands when the refs have choose to ignore that BS !!!
Also I’m glad they called it late but I have noticed that the Saints DBs get burned often then run down field to recover and never ever turn to play the ball. They did this all game and all season starting wih GB in week one. Last time I checked that was illegal, right? When are the refs gonna actually call this consistantly ?!!?
November 7th, 2011 at 10:47 am
You know, if Olsen doesn’t call a more aggressive vertical attack, I’m going to start calling for AVP to become coordinator.
November 7th, 2011 at 10:51 am
It took exactly 61 seconds for us to abandon the run, Greg Olsen must go. If he is the Offensive coordinator next season, then Raheem must go. I have given this offense 8 weeks, plus a bye to get it together, and they haven’t. It’s the same scenario every time, we must start faster, Olsen’s abandoning of the run after one set of downs is inexcusable. I have been a Morris backer since the day he was announced, but you gotta show me something, and by something I mean acting like an adult and admitting to your mistakes and acting to fix them, and as I see it these are the mistakes that need fixing:
1. Hire a new O coordinator, Olsen must go, he has no backbone to stay with a game plan, nor apparently the ability to come up with a winning game plan.
2. Hire a REAL Defensive Coordinator, Raheem, you cannot do both Brother, sorry, you just don’t have the ability to handle both jobs.
3. Draft 2 LBs and a corner, Ronde is on his last legs and everyone knows it. Black is a bust as is Hayes, I saw a lot of Hayward on the field yesterday, where was Watson?
4. Please dabble at least a little in FA, we need an Experienced RT, preferably someone who played with a left handed QB. (think about it, as the blindside protection for a lefty QB, you were probably a stud OT, which is what I want protecting Josh on both the left and right).
5. Center and LG, we have our starting center his name is Zuttah or even Larsen, both play the position better than Faine, what we need is a road-grading LG, draft one please.
6. Our WRs are not getting the coaching they need or something else isn’t working, b/c they have regressed, no separation, no fighting for balls, no nothing.
If I was the GM, I’m not but if I was, I’d give Raheem one more season, as the lockout probably has done the most damage to this team, but as anyone can see, the offense is regressing and that is no ones fault but the HC and the OC, same for the D. A HC’s job is to delegate and manage, Raheem’s lack of experience is glaring and the Bucs as a team and anas an organization are paying for his OJT (on the job training).
November 7th, 2011 at 10:52 am
until Blount becomes a 3rd down back, tha offense will be stuck in neutral.
November 7th, 2011 at 11:04 am
I agree with the play calling, but these players need to start taking responsibility as well. That Lumkin drop on the way to the end zone was simply embarrassing. Freeman put the ball exactly where it was supposed to be and for some reason Lumpkin got tangled up in his own feet. Also; going 3 & Out on the first series when you’ve had two weeks to prepare is unexceptable to say the least. What were they doing during the bye week anyway?
November 7th, 2011 at 11:22 am
PEACE OLLIE
November 7th, 2011 at 11:29 am
Hey Greg olson stop trying to outthink someone before you hurt yourself. Blount 13 carries 72 yards = not nearly enough touches. Blount needs the ball in his hands 20-25 times a game at the least. He’s a playmaker (And psst. taking him out every 3rd down is extremely predictable.) If I know its a pass or run play i sure as hell think their d coordinator does. Take benn out every third down= predictable. Why not take mike will out n have briscoe in his spot? Im a mike will fan but those are the guys that are giving us production right now. But o yea who can prdeict your unpredictable play calls of JJ wildcat on 3rd n 4. And the big play benn end around that usually net 30 – 40 yards. 🙂
November 7th, 2011 at 12:40 pm
Looks like yesterday was universally a turning point for every thinking person that was still holding on for this regime. This game should have been in hand, we were largely healthy and the coaching issues were glaring.
I’ve been finding ways around giving the Glazers of London a penny of my money until Greg Olson is sent packing, for starters. Thank you Ebay!
November 7th, 2011 at 12:49 pm
First of all, let’s stop calling it a “punch” or a “slug”; he reached up and pushed a guy in the facemask. Not smart, but nothing like he hauled back and hit the guy.
Second, this entire team seems to infected with the philosophy of can’t. Blount can’t do this, so he’s not in on third down. Receivers can’t do this yet, so there’s parts of the playbook we can’t run. The coaches seem so obsessed with reminding these players what they can’t do rather than developing them into being able to do it. It’s got to be getting into the players’ confidence levels. Freeman doesn’t look deep anymore because he’s been told his receivers can’t run those routes, so why bother? An attitude change is needed.
November 7th, 2011 at 3:01 pm
raheem made it pretty clear he was kinda out of the game for that one.
November 7th, 2011 at 8:33 pm
Why was Raheem all over Blount for his personal foul but nowhere to be seen when Winslow commits a second consecutive offensive pass interference on a key drive effectively killing it? Raheem needs to be even handed in his discipline and hold players like Talib and Winslow accountable too, I don’t care how man beers he has drank with them.
November 8th, 2011 at 8:32 am
Hey, at least you will never see Quincy Black throw a punch….