Zuttah Was No “Leap Of Faith”
August 20th, 2012
When the Bucs last had a great offense, the second half of the 2010 season, Jeremy Zuttah was the starting center for eight games, filling in for injured Jeff Faine.
And last season, Zuttah moved over from guard to make his only start of the season at center when the Bucs punished the Saints behind Earnest Graham rushing for 109 yards and Josh Freeman throwing for 303. It was the Bucs’ last win.
So considering Zuttah’s unique versatility over four seasons and his success at center, the Bucs paid Zuttah this offseason and locked him up as their starting center for typical starting-center money. But ESPN.com NFC South blogger Pat Yaskinskas thinks the Bucs took a huge gamble on Zuttah.
Yasinskas seemed spooked by Zuttah’s rough game Friday.
Jeremy Zuttah, center, Buccaneers. The team made a big leap of faith when it signed Zuttah to a large contract, shifted him to center and ushered Jeff Faine out the door. Coach Greg Schiano had Zuttah at Rutgers and has faith in him. But that faith will be tested quickly if Zuttah doesn’t play better than he did Friday night against the Titans. Zuttah was fine in the opener and a young guy at a new position should show improvement every week.
Joe finds Yasinskas’ take to be way off base.
Zuttah earned his contract like most players do, by proving himself at the position, and by proving durable and hard-working. Yeah, Zuttah wasn’t sharp on Friday, but neither was anyone else on the Bucs’ O-line.
August 20th, 2012 at 10:15 am
Does anyone take what Yasinskas says seriously?
August 20th, 2012 at 10:18 am
Like Faine was better, his phone ringing off the hook and all by a plethora of teams. He plays for who again?
Pat is off base. Zuttah has earned his money.
August 20th, 2012 at 10:30 am
I think this guy watches Bucs games from a strip club. He is drunk staring at a huge pair, every once in a while glances up at the game and thinks he understands the Bucs. And the game Derrick Ward had that Great game against the Dolphins, they must have been a huge pair.
August 20th, 2012 at 10:34 am
Pat y is in his own world. This site and pats site are the only ones I really keep up with but I only read his for info. I don’t really pay much attention to his opinion. He’s a cam and drew junkie and seems a bit off base with everything else.
Your site is way better Joe.
August 20th, 2012 at 10:37 am
Another filler piece from Yasinskas. If you didnt watch the Bucs you would think Zuttah had never started a game and we gave him a big contract because Schiano knows him from Rutgers.
Joe, please dont link any more nonsense from this guy.
August 20th, 2012 at 11:29 am
I don’t see what’s so off-base about the comments. The guy played his way into a big contract and more responsibilities. He had an AWFUL game on Friday – the second since being handed the contract. PY said that the team’s patience will be tested if he keeps playing like he did.
He didn’t say BENCH HIM.
He didn’t say TRADE HIM.
He didn’t say CUT HIM.
What? Zuttah is the first guy to slack off after being given a boatload of cash? Is that unfathomable?
I watched the game from Friday… Zuttah looked AWFUL. I’d be concerned too. I was having Kenyatta Walker flashbacks.
August 20th, 2012 at 11:51 am
lol@ the Zuttah haterz…one bad preseason game..srsly?
August 20th, 2012 at 11:52 am
[Miquel: This is outrageous. A player’s religious beliefs have zero business on this site. In fact, you are again spreading guesswork if not misinformation. Pretty over the top, and not in a good way. — Joe]
August 20th, 2012 at 12:08 pm
Good News…Blount at Practice…
August 20th, 2012 at 12:17 pm
Pat is a pure bandwagoner which is why he’s good at his job. When players and teams do good, he’s their biggest fan. When things go south, he starts cracking jokes at their expense. Just last year, he had Freeman knocking on the door of Bree’s greatness. Now he’s the fourth best quarterback in the division only because there are 4 teams.
August 20th, 2012 at 12:24 pm
thanks for the update jfgobucs. great to hear.
August 20th, 2012 at 12:33 pm
Pat Yastinkass is a true hack in every sense of the word. Rarely has any original content, screws up quotes, misrepresents quotes by omitting chunks of them entirely in exchange of his opinion and how he “feels” what the quote should mean, doesn’t understand the concept of spelling and grammar checking, he tries his hardest to create drama from any little thing he can think of, is factually inaccurate and consistently late with posting information.
There is no good in reading his filth. It only prolongs that problem that is he.
August 20th, 2012 at 12:39 pm
Maybe it wasn’t “a big leap of faith” to resign Zuttah and annoint him the starter at center. But the guy did have 8 penalites last year, tops on the team, and he has to improve. I recall he had a holding penalty on Friday night that negated a 12-yard run, so PY’s not as off base as being made out to be, aside from maybe the grandiouse language being used.
Just because Zuttah has a healthy amount of starts, doesn’t mean he played the position at a high level. He certainly wasnt the cause for our offensive explosion in 2010, nor does his experience relieve him from being on the hot seat if he has poor performance this year. By that logic, we could all be singing Trueblood’s praises as well, and I think we all know fans’ opinion of him.
After all, everyone had a clean slate to start the year didn’t they? I would have to imagine that street runs two-ways, and that if penalties keep getting racked up, that would not bode well for Zuttah.