Eight Pro Bowlers, No Answers
October 13th, 2013
Once upon a time, Raheem Morris, Josh Freeman and double-digit rookie contributors led the low-payroll Bucs to a 10-win season.
Now, the Bucs have a huge coaching staff, a fat payroll, and eight Pro Bowlers 30 years old and younger, and the team is 0-5 and sinking.
Joe asked players from that 2010 team what’s the difference around the Bucs now, versus during the glory year under Raheem. Nobody had a good answer.
“I don’t think there’s a difference. I really don’t think there’s a difference,” Gerald McCoy said. “I can’t pinpoint it. I’d be a liar to tell you I could. I can’t right now. I don’t know. I was a rookie then. I wasn’t a leader. I was in a completely different position. I was behind the scenes looking up. Now, I’m one of the leaders trying to patrol everything.
“I’m confused, too. We have eight [Pro Bowlers]. I don’t know. I just get paid to play.”
Joe asked Donald Penn, and Penn was at a loss.
“I can’t pinpoint it for you. I’m sorry. I really can’t. I’m out there playing my ass off. I know my teammates are out there playing their ass off. You know, we’re just not coming up victorious right now and it really sucks. Some things didn’t fall our way. We hurt ourselves a lot today with penalties. We haven’t really don’t that that much as an offense. Today we did. I mean it”s tough right now. I’m not going to lie to you. It’s tough, man. Like you said, there’s a lot of talent on this team and we’re 0-5 right now. It hurts. I went out there and played my butt off. And I know everybody else did. To lose again, it’s really hard.”
New Bucs running back Brian Leonard, who went to the playoffs three times with the Bengals, said he sees a team playing extremely hard but not executing.
As for the postgame message Greg Schiano delivered to his team, Penn gave the impression that it was a tough one.
“Coach did what a coach is supposed to do at this point,” Penn said of Schiano’s postgame speech.
Joe’s got no answers, either. Sadly, it seems the Bucs might have to endure another overhaul to find success.
October 13th, 2013 at 5:40 pm
8 Pro Bowlers….JBF, I give you a big WHAH!
October 13th, 2013 at 5:45 pm
umm the way they re playing this year try no pro bowls. listen every year is different. the team will never go above 500 as long as Dom is the GM.
October 13th, 2013 at 5:54 pm
Former Pro Bowlers is more like it. Revis is clearly not his old self. Nicks can’t get healthy. Davin Joseph is a sad shell of a player. Penn is washed up. Goldson was never all that good and got in on team reputation. McCoy is invisible too often. Martin and VJax are having up and down years.
Really, the talent on this team is average to below average. Not 0-5 bad, though. That’s coaching. The lack of talent is all the GM.
October 13th, 2013 at 5:56 pm
My answer is:
11-5
October 13th, 2013 at 6:01 pm
Can’t count to eight, huh Morgan?
Do a little research.
October 13th, 2013 at 6:18 pm
We’ll fail to make the proper adjustments in the 2nd half every game.
October 13th, 2013 at 6:27 pm
Too much money tied up in offensive line and safeties that keep making mistakes. Both DeSean Jackson touchdowns there was no safety help. Goldson and Barron cashing big checks but not making plays. At the end of the game the Oline was getting killed, Mike Glennon never had a clean pocket, his quick release helps. The offensive line isn’t doing its job, neither is the safety position. Great game by VJax and Tim Wright. Glennon was sharp but he isn’t getting enough cushion in the pocket. Jonathon Banks was terrible. He missed that tackle on Riley Cooper, that was a big backbreaker. I think that Nicks and Joseph have to be cut loose, you can’t pay that much money to a bad offensive line. Goldson hasn’t made much impact either. Those 3 players are eating up salaries that could go to other free agents that will help this team. Vincent Jackson has been a good free agent acquisition the other ones no.
October 13th, 2013 at 6:38 pm
The coaching staff never makes second half adjustments that result in a win. Perhaps it is time for ownership to make an adjustment for the second half of the season by dumping the coaching staff.
Changing quarterbacks really worked well. Schiano is 1 & 10 in the last 11 games. Time for a ‘performance driven’ decision. Time for Schino to go!
October 13th, 2013 at 7:14 pm
Can we have competition in the Coaching area??? Remember he LOVES it
October 13th, 2013 at 8:06 pm
of the eight pro bowlers mccoy is the only one playing like one. Jackson sometimes does.
Nicks doesnt play much. Joseph aint playing like one. Revis is obviously not the same, Martin’s production way down, Penn playing lousy.
Not sure who the other two are but they arent distinguishing themselves at a pro bowl level that is for sure.
Im thinkng it is not at all unusual for a team to have eight former pro bowlers on their roster. The 08 team had that many I think. Doesnt really mean much.
October 13th, 2013 at 10:35 pm
The coordinators aren’t putting the players in the right places. Especially on offense, where they’ve modeled a system around that of the only other 0-fer out there.
And on defense, on 2 touchdowns today we had our safeties covering… each other. Revis looking back at was it Barron? That said it all. I’ve never seen a defense where so often players will be in the middle of nowhere with no role in the play whatsoever. It’s like they don’t know they can use all 11 players or something.
To have special teams and turnovers giving good field posiiton and only get 20 points, and that’s your high for the season? They have to ditch the O/C. I think that’s their only move, because the Glazers hand-picked Schiano and will allow themselves every chance to be proven right.
But it wouldn’t be the first time (Dungy) that the Glazers have laid down the law to the h/c to fire a coordinator. I see that as their only move.
Lovie Smith ought to be looking on zillow for tampa homes, cause it may just be a matter of time now.
October 14th, 2013 at 12:47 am
BTW the 2008 team had 11 pro bowl players on the roster.