Worse Than Raheem?
December 26th, 2013
Bradenton Herald columnist Alan Dell threw a few punches to the gut of Greg Schiano this morning.
Dell not only calls for the swift firing of Schiano, he makes a case that Schiano is worse than the ol’ ball coach, Raheem Morris.
A case can be made that Schiano has done a worse job than Morris, with a lot more talent.
The Bucs have lost eight games by double digits. Morris lost eight games by double digits in his final season. They rank last in total offense (the first time since ’83).
Their high priced defense has allowed opponents to convert 73 of 191 third down attempts, which is similar to Morris’ last year (73-185) when the Bucs ranked 30th in total defense.
The defense has had troubles holding onto to fourth quarter leads.
Joe can’t dispute that data. As Joe pointed out previously, in Games 5-8 this season, the Bucs defense practically disappeared, allowing 30 points a game during that stretch when the Bucs offense was tolerable if not decent.
Dell delivers other arguments, as well.
Joe still wants to see what the Bucs bring against the Saints. Joe realizes most fans have made their decision on Schiano. But Sunday’s game is important.
Schiano said Monday this is his team’s “playoffs.” A win or a very strong showing against an elite Saints team on the road, a team with everything on the line, would say quite a bit about the Bucs and how far away they might be after winning four of their last seven games.
December 26th, 2013 at 12:17 pm
Unfortunately, I think if the results against the Saints look similar to the results of the most recent losses then Schiano is gone. If the Bucs are very competitive and it’s a super close game, or they in fact get a win, then I think it’s 50/50 or better that he returns. Personally my money is on a poor performance and yet another turnover in Bucs leadership and all the turmoil that brings. Which sucks.
December 26th, 2013 at 12:23 pm
One can only wonder how well Raheem would have done, with all this talent.
December 26th, 2013 at 12:27 pm
Raheem would have wasted the talent by hanging out with the boys in the bars…and continuing the country club atmosphere…but all of that is really irrelevant. The Bucs need to fix the ways and fast…not look back and wonder what if.
December 26th, 2013 at 12:47 pm
Please let me know the decision that “most” fans have made on Schiano and what data suggests this?
Joe didn’t write that he knows “the decision,” just that most fans have made one. That’s an important distinction. Scroll down and read fan comments after the “Fire Greg Schiano” and “Keep Greg Schiano” posts from Christmas day. You won’t see many folks on the fence. –Joe
December 26th, 2013 at 1:02 pm
Still can’t believe Morris was even hired as a head coach. While I don’t think Schiano is the answer here, Morris had other intangibles that made him worse.
December 26th, 2013 at 1:14 pm
I know one thing about Schiano and Morris. Schiano seems to develop the young talent better than Morris did. I don’t think that is debatable. I really can’t argue with most of Dell’s points though. Even though he didn’t win the Big East at all, Schiano did turn that program around. He lifted Rutgers out of the constant cellar they were in.
December 26th, 2013 at 1:17 pm
Personally, I like Greg Schiano and think he should be given another year. However, I care more about getting a true franchise QB, so if he has to get fired to make it happen, I’m all for it.
December 26th, 2013 at 1:19 pm
As to whether Schiano is better than Morris? I think he is much, much better. The stats may not prove it, but if you compare the teams personality between the two, you’ll have to agree.
Under Morris the team quit. Under Schiano they have never given up.
December 26th, 2013 at 1:35 pm
Comical listening to all these pundits…what talent on offense do the Bucs have? VJax is a “good” receiver, but lacks brakaway speed and drops too many. That’s why you NEVER hear his name mentioned with the elite WRs. The Bucs are on their 4th RB, don’t have a #2 or 3 receiver after Williams goes down. Their #1 & 2 TEs don’t even get on the field all year. Their pro bowler Nicks is N/A. And biggest of all, their franchise QB sleeps through practice (and games), sabotages the team and now have a 3rd rd Rookie running the helm. Yep….good luck Bill Walsh…I mean Schiano.
Defense? 2nd & 3rd corners stunk up the joint for 8 weeks. Golston has been a disaster (forget leadership). He can’t cover and is a pure head-hunter, no good for the current game. He and Barron are run stoppers, though Barron uses his brain and can cover slightly better. And desparately need an DE that can sack the QB (Gholston coming on but…).
So please with all this great talent crap…every NFL team has a handful of really good players. The Bucs have 18 guys on IR as well….NO WAY they could win 9-10 games with this
December 26th, 2013 at 1:44 pm
@Bill T………Ditto.
December 26th, 2013 at 1:46 pm
It amazes me that people still think Raheem was a worse coach than Schiano. Schiano got to pick his staff, Raheem didn’t. Raheem went through two coordinator changes and 3 QB changes in his first year as a head coach because of decisions MarK Dominik/glazers made, Schiano didn’t. Raheem was paid less than any head coach in the league at the time, Schiano was well paid. After Raheem’s 10-6 season, the rockstar then decided not to resign Barret Ruud and Cadillac Williams. These two players were not superstars by any means but helped contribute to that 10-6 season and once they were gone their replacements stunk up the place. Raheem also lost his offensive line coach who was doing an admirable job because he did not like what the OC was doing. They used another excuse but we know Greg Olsen wanted him gone. Raheem had less talent, less control, and less experience yet still in his first two years has a better record than Schiano yet he is the worse coach? Wow. Some of you have the unmitigated gall (In my Stephen A. Smith voice) to say he would have wasted the the talent when he did more than Schiano with less talent. We don’t know what Raheem would have done with this talent, but we can absolutely see for a fact that Schiano is wasting it. Don’t get me wrong I am no Raheem supporter but for people to sit up here and act like he was worse than Greg they must be smoking that happy grass!
December 26th, 2013 at 1:49 pm
Bill, NE can…and I find it funny that you say VJax is a “good” receiver. His numbers show otherwise on a team that has had trouble with QBs. I also find it funny you think Golson is bad. Most would disagree.
December 26th, 2013 at 1:50 pm
This
December 26th, 2013 at 1:53 pm
IMO I believe Michael Johnson DE (Bengals)will be a FA that the Bucs should go after. Also a top prority should be offensive linemen. Get rid of Nicks, Penn & Joseph. Way overpriced.
December 26th, 2013 at 1:55 pm
This coaches ran bad schemes, and did not put players in a place to make a play. I doudt they ever will. Even with the injuries Shiano has better players than Morris, yet he looks worse if you go by year tweo of the Morris era…and he looks the same for year three. If he is a great coach, why are they regressing under Shiano? We were all glad to see Morris go, why the love for shiano? Playing hard is all anyone has, so the play hard and get the same result? Saints players said the Bucs quit in that game last year, and that was Shiano as the coach. Besides, who cares if they do not quit if the result is the same? I guess everyone needs a trophy as well.
December 26th, 2013 at 2:00 pm
BTW…Well said. I am no Raheem supporter either, but he has not done a b etter job than Morris at this point.
December 26th, 2013 at 2:19 pm
I heard raheem used to like to bring white chics to one buc and run the train on them, from very credible sources.
December 26th, 2013 at 2:32 pm
when schiano gets fired (this offseason or whenever), he will leave the franchise in far better shape than his predecessor did. he has drafted good young players and taught them how to be good pros. he has signed high character high effort free agents who raise the standards of preparation rather than subvert them, and if he is as hard to deal with as people say, his parting gift would be that his successor will probably start his job with even more goodwill from the players just for the fact that he’s not schiano. he has built the program admirably, but he and his staff seem to be as bad on gameday as any group in the NFL in terms of playing mistake free football and adjusting to what is happening across 4 quarters. I’d put them up there with teams like detroit in terms of blowing opportunities presented to them on Sundays
December 26th, 2013 at 4:35 pm
This League is about wins, and 4-11 is nothing to be proud of. Schiano was brought in here to change the Culture. There was a losing Culture here then, and there is a losing Culture here now. The two coaches could not be any more different, but the results are the same
December 26th, 2013 at 4:49 pm
I would agree with what pick6 just a said. Schiano has helped to formed a group of player that you can be proud of for their character. (Eric wright was a questionable pick up though). But that really has nothing to do with winning football games. You can have 22 Tim tebows on the field but if you can’t coach them to win games then what the heck is the point? As the great Herm Edwards once said, “you play to win the game. You don’t play to just play it.”
December 26th, 2013 at 5:09 pm
Schiano, should leave the place in better shape,the Glazers spent lots of money on the team.They only spent money on a punter under coach Morris. Way to go coach Schiano, go to Penn State, any state as long as you leave Tampa and take those playstation offense’s plays with you.
December 26th, 2013 at 6:37 pm
Playstation offense? More like Nintendo’s Tecmo Superbowl offense. lol.
December 27th, 2013 at 12:16 am
Raheem had a 10-6 season record in his second season.
Schianos current record is 4-11 in his second season. So far i’d say raheem is way ahead in this race.
December 27th, 2013 at 7:34 am
Mc buc , Glennon has no ability to take a team down the field to win a game and has no idea how to avoid a sack. His out passes are always short v jax has saved his butt on many of those but can get all of them. He can’t throw a timing pass and is often confused by a d line stunt. That is why he takes so many sacks. He is also the worst statistical Qb in the league let alone his w-l ratio which is the only one that anyone cared about with Freeman.