“There Are Certainly A Lot Of Things”
May 28th, 2013
Perhaps the greatest unknown about Greg Schiano is what caliber game coach he really is.
Is Schiano better than Mike Smith or Sean Payton, his primary competition?
Will Schiano’s mind win games for the Bucs?
The jury is very much still out on Schiano. It’s not like he was known as a big-game coach at Rutgers. And the Bucs had their share of collapses late last season. Their obsessive blitzing and conservative play calling came under fire, and the Bucs didn’t show up in New Orleans — in December against a division rival.
On the flip side, Joe was very encouraged by the Bucs performance in Atlanta to close the season. It was as if Schiano found a way to right a sinking ship in very difficult seas. That’s a mark of good coaching.
Interestingly, while speaking with Steve Duemig of WDAE-AM last week, Schiano said the first thing he did after the season was perform an extensive evaluation of himself. And Schiano humbly said, “There are certainly a lot of things” he needs to improve.
For Joe, Schiano’s improvement is the unspoken X-factor of 2013. In the NFC South, with an extraordinarily talented Bucs roster, the Bucs desperately need Schiano to prove he’s a one of the better head coaches in the NFL.
May 28th, 2013 at 2:23 pm
“An extraordinarily talented Bucs roster” I like that and agree. The coach will have his chance this year – and a very good one. I think he’ll do well this time.
May 28th, 2013 at 2:32 pm
Schiano is right in there are a lot of things he as a coach needs to improve on. The first thing that comes to mind when i think of Schiano in 2012 was the absolutely horrible clock management. THAT needs to get fixed.
May 28th, 2013 at 2:38 pm
extaordinarily talented bucs roster……….
Nope.
Correct thinking on Greg, as he hasnt proved a thing yet. Promising start though.
May 28th, 2013 at 2:41 pm
How does one objectively evaluate themself? Although it is encouraging to hear that Schiano acknowledges that he has room for improvement.
As they say “When sales are good, all else falls into place”…so, similarly….
A strong performance on game day from Freeman and our secondary can make any coach look like a genius.
May 28th, 2013 at 2:41 pm
No surprise as Schiano was an NFL rookie head coach. There is always something to learn no matter how many tears of experience you have.
This evaluation process sets a good example for both the players and organization alike. Last year’s exit interviews with the players says a lot. Ditto the Friday Captain’s meetings.
Getting better is not a notion but an embedded process at OBP.
May 28th, 2013 at 2:42 pm
Lol. All he had to do was completely change the culture here, game plan and coach on Sunday….
Now he can concentrate on gameplan and coaching.
Rome wasn’t built in a day or a coaches 1st season.
May 28th, 2013 at 3:08 pm
It is good to see that Schiano takes measure of himself and sees things that he needs to improve. He is a very strong-willed, opinionated, take charge, full speed ahead, kind of guy. All those attributes can be assets in moderation. It is always good to keep in mind the words of some wise man that said “A fool thinks himself wise to trust only on their own counsel”. Time will tell if Schiano adapts well and succeeds in the NFL.
May 28th, 2013 at 3:45 pm
Eric,
So you don’t think a roster with 9 Pro Bowlers, plus future Pro Bowlers in David and Barron, is a talented roster? Not to mention we have one of the best defensive players in football in Revis (with a trophy to back that up). Oh yeah, and everyone is either in their prime or headed into it. But to a negative Nancy like you, I guess there’s no talent. (and go ahead and insert your standard losing streak and last place finishes motto, even though the players are different.
May 28th, 2013 at 4:32 pm
There’s a significant difference between talented, very talented and extraordinarily talented. I see a very talented roster. “Extraordinarily” talented? That is yet to be seen. Here’s to seeing it. Go Bucs.
May 28th, 2013 at 4:59 pm
Joe says:
“On the flip side, Joe was very encouraged by the Bucs performance in Atlanta to close the season. It was as if Schiano found a way to right a sinking ship in very difficult seas. That’s a mark of good coaching.”
I don’t know if that is a good point, considering the Falcons were resting a bunch of players for the playoffs.
I personally believe Schiano bring to Tampa what I have long wanted…to be a dynasty.
May 28th, 2013 at 5:04 pm
@BuccanneerBonzai,
Exacrku what game were you watching? Go ahead and name me one starter that rested against us. Just one. I’ll be here all day. Actually, not even one starter was taken out, except for a couple due to injuries (most notably Abraham). But I’ll check back to see if perhaps I was in an alternate universe that day.
May 28th, 2013 at 5:19 pm
Hawaiian beat me to it– and he’s absolutely correct. The Falcons played everyone. Here’s the link to the game stats.
http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/2012123010/2012/REG17/buccaneers@falcons#menu=gameinfo&tab=analyze
Starters (including Ryan) played the whole game.
May 28th, 2013 at 6:38 pm
@hawaiian,
Didn’t that talented bunch lose five out of six to end the year a few months ago?
Nine pro bowlers plus two more? Eleven pro bowlers? Please man get on some meds.
You can look on any nfl roster and convince yourself that multiple players will be pro bowlers in the future.
The league if full of the best football players on the planet. The trick is beating the other super talented teams……which we have shown very little ability to do of late.
May 28th, 2013 at 7:24 pm
@Eric (aka Nancy),
Where to start?? First of all, I wasn’t aware that Revis, Goldson, Nicks, and Joseph were in Buccaneer uniforms during that losing streak last year. Perhaps my meds were kicking in??? And for an alleged lawyer and smart guy like yourself, it’s amazing you have no idea what the difference between having a talented team and a good team. There is playoff talent on this roster, without question. Revis, Goldson, McCoy, David, Barron, Martin, Jackson, Williams, Nicks, Penn, Joseph, etc. are all very good players. Care to argue they aren’t? Unfortunately that doesn’t mean we are a playoff team, but we absolutely have the talent to get there. I truly can’t believe you can actually argue that, but you never cease to amaze.
I ask you this: what would the great Nancy have done with this roster in the offseason? Are you not happy with additions like Revis and Goldson? What would have made you happy? Anything at all? I highly doubt it. I swear I sat next to you at the Cleveland game in 2010. This idiot was wearing a Brooks jersey, yet spent the entire game complaining about the team. Freeman sucks, this guy is awful, the coaching is terrible, etc. etc. When Ronde made his long INT, he sat quietly. When we grabbed the lead late in the game, he said nothing. The loser left before the game was even over, without cheering for the Bucs once. I would rather be the biggest homer in the world that be that kind of fan, because that type of fan is completely worthless.
May 28th, 2013 at 8:18 pm
@hawaiian,
That’s not Eric that’s Shaun King!
May 28th, 2013 at 8:45 pm
YES……Maybe this “Freeman Thing” is a merely frontloading Schiano’s Alibi of Josh for a Scape Goat! Where does Coaches Responsibility Stand for Team failure????
Back to Back 4 Interception Games in Wk 13 & 14 (50% of Freeman’s Season INTs) could be a reflection of late season Coaching or lack there of, as team desperately tried to get to 10 wins. Including a Curb Stomping by the Saints!
Yeah….BLAME FREEMAN. Any Team Below .500 Must have a Suspect QB RIGHT????????
May 28th, 2013 at 8:56 pm
@hawaiian,
Very clever nickname. Take you long to come up with it?
I recall having similar discussions with you when I opined that Raheem Morris was not a good head football coach. You vehemently disagreed. Similar vitriol.
Be a homer if you like, knock yourself out.
You may be right about the teams immense talent, no one knows till the games are played. If you think the Rutgers coach can lead us to the promise land enjoy yourself. I can’t see it. I also think our DC is highly suspect. So did Tom Coughlin.
May 28th, 2013 at 9:23 pm
@Nancy,
Why do you continue to talk about years past? Let it go. We are talking about right now. And for probably the 100th time, I was wrong about Raheem Morris. Sue me. You’ve never been wrong before? Get over yourself Nancy (didn’t take me long at all to come up with that BTW).
As for Schiano, you obviously have zero understanding of the landscape of college athletics, particularly college football. I, on the other hand, do. You can have Nick Saban coach Rutgers and they aren’t winning any championships. When was the last time any non-traditional powerhouse team won the championship? It doesn’t happen, because they don’t have the budget, facilities, or talent pool to choose from. They are fighting for the leftovers of the SEC, Big 10, Pac 12, etc. That’s a fact that you are obviously too stupid to comprehend. But go ahead and keep being your same old self, because it’s obviously what makes you happy.
And yes, I will be a homer. I love this team whether we go 0-16 or 16-0. If I’m going to spend my time following them, I’m going to support them. I just don’t understand why someone can be such a loser to spend years now spraying nothing but negativity. How that turns you on is beyond me.
May 28th, 2013 at 9:50 pm
@hawaiian,
Ok, I see the error in my ways, I’m a changed man now. Thank you for guiding me through it.
We obviously have 11 pro bowlers and the best coach in pro football. Super Bowl is a realistic possibility.
Go Bucs!!!!!!
May 28th, 2013 at 9:52 pm
Nice job putting words in my mouth that I never said. I’ve learned that people who either lack the intelligence for a conversation or have no facts to support their argument tend to do that.
May 28th, 2013 at 10:12 pm
Eric,
We have a good chance to make some noise.
We have Darrelle Revis, the best CB in the game, and one of the top 10 players in the game, when healthy.
We have a much better chance to make some noise this year, and I see GMC amping his game up too. Akeem Spence is much stronger uprgade to Roy Miller.
We have Da’Quan Bowers, if he is healthy, then he is a 10 sack guy. Adrian Clayborn and Steven Means should combine for 10-12 sacks on the other side.
We have Johnthan Banks and Eric Wrigt (at the appropriate price).
We get our pro bowl guards back.
The one question mark, Josh Freeman. If we get he 2010 Josh Freeman, then we got one helluva chance to make some noise in the playoffs.
May 28th, 2013 at 10:15 pm
Crazy to say it, but I see LaVonte David being a top 3 player on our team this year. David is a natural, and his play reminds me of double nickel.
May 28th, 2013 at 10:30 pm
@stevek,
Nancy doesn’t like to hear facts, unless they are negative towards the team. Shawn King even tweeted that Nancy is a hater.
May 28th, 2013 at 10:41 pm
And she’s going to have an aneurism when she sees you comparing him to #55.
May 29th, 2013 at 12:01 am
it gets overlooked because of the historically bad pass defense, but schiano’s several head-scratchers might be responsible for as many losses as our no-name secondary and freeman’s mental vacations. late-game clock management was a real problem for schiano in his first NFL season, and in-game adjustments were slow to come at times. i have no doubt schiano will be much better off after 16 games of self study, and this might be the most important upgrade nobody is talking about with this team
May 29th, 2013 at 6:02 am
Funny how people look at last seasons win/loss record and think the roster is weak. Forget that starting line-up of rookies, street free agents and journeymen. This years’ roster, barring injury, will have few upgrades from the one that walked off the field victoriously in Atlanta. Replace two journeyman guards with two Pro-Bowlers. Replace Center with significantly better player. Replace right defensive end with first round draft pick. Replace left defensive end with highly regarded player. Replace right CB with best CB in league. Replace left CB with high priced free agent. Replace nickel CB with highly regarded second round draft pick. Replace aging safety with Pro-Bowl player. Not to mention all of the players and coaches in the second year of a new system. This team has a chance to be much better and as Gomer Pyle would say, “Surprise Surprise”.
May 29th, 2013 at 7:09 am
Ah the sheep are bouncing around with the usual summer zeal. Easy to do with no games to be played. Takes awhile before they realize the meadow leads to the slaughter house come fall.
Enjoy!