Phils Simms Expects Big Year From Bucs
July 9th, 2014
Phil Simms is already pimping the 2014 Bucs
You can tell former Super Bowl-winning quarterback Phil Simms played for Tuna Parcells. There isn’t a question he won’t answer and never will you get a BS answer.
Simms speaks straight from the heart (and head) and he doesn’t give a damn whether he makes friends with his comments or not. Like the time he outraged the Mike Glennon Mob this spring when he told a SiriusXM NFL Radio audience he would very much like to trade for Mike Glennon if he was a NFL general manager, but only as a backup.
Don’t be dismayed Bucs fans. Simms is in your corner. Appearing on CBS Sports Radio, which was co-hosted by Tiki Barber, Brandon Tierney and vodka-swilling Dana Jacobson, Simms believes NFL foes should be wary of Tampa Bay.
“The Tampa Bay Buccaneers probably interest me as much as anybody,” Simms said. “I think they have a chance. I think they’re pretty stacked – not to win the Super Bowl, but to be really good. It’ll be interesting. New coach down there. Greg Schiano had it turned. He had it turned physically. They just had to come together to get it done.”
“But I think they’re a team to look out for. I think there’s a lot of good players down there, and I think they could come out of nowhere.”
Has anyone noticed that one of the first pieces of evidence folks in the know use to claim the Bucs will contend for a playoff bid is Lovie Smith?
Forget anything else, like players learning a new offense or a new defense or that maybe too much is being banked on from untested rookies. Nevermind the obstacles. The Bucs have Lovie. Thus, the Bucs will be winners.
It’s a dangerous argument to make, if not a little naive. It just goes to show how much people in the inner circle of the NFL respect Lovie.
July 9th, 2014 at 8:20 am
The same Phil Simms who said Ryan Nassib would be under center in the pros? How’d that work out, so far?
July 9th, 2014 at 8:23 am
Joe
A good leader leads and treats people the way they should be treated including the good, the bad, and the….
You have said that you have seen a difference in the player’s attitudes so far and I think in 16 days, we will see it in training camp, and I can’t wait for the first game of any kind.
July 9th, 2014 at 8:25 am
“Greg Schiano had it turned. He had it turned physically. They just had to come together to get it done.”
So does this mean the end of the Schiano was mean and some players didn’t like him articles so we can move on to more can Lovie get over the hump in Tampa or will this be Chicago 2.0 articles?
July 9th, 2014 at 8:26 am
As someone recently said to me….
“when head coaches start making tackles, thats when I’ll give them credit for winning games” unnamed insider
July 9th, 2014 at 8:56 am
@Toes
“Greg Schiano had it turned. He had it turned physically. They just had to come together to get it done.”
Do you mean STUNTS?
@flmike
IMHO – “when head coaches start making Good Game Plans & Adjustments, thats when I’ll give them credit for winning games”
July 9th, 2014 at 8:58 am
Has anyone noticed that one of the first pieces of evidence folks in the know use to claim the Bucs will contend for a playoff bid is Lovie Smith?
_______________
If Lovie’s such an integral part, why in the hell did the Bears jettison him?
July 9th, 2014 at 8:59 am
@Toes
Quit being so butt hurt over one of the WORST coaches we have EVER had in BUCS history… Dude sucked…PERIOD…
His job wasn’t just to weed out the players who quit and whined… He signed a professional NFL Head Coaching contract to WIN.. He didn’t..
@Samcro
He is literally on his second year behind Eli Manning.. So what he was drafted in the 4th instead of the top 15 like most “Draft Experts” expected.. Doesn’t mean he can’t start for a NFL team still?
Lovie made the playoffs what 3 times in 9 years with the Bears? Don’t know why that would make people expect him to do wonders down here… I mean it’s not like he is “Belicheat”, Dungy(Colts)/Caldwell, Sean Payton, Mike Tomlin, or Andy Reid… Or the more recent Jim Harbaugh Pete Carroll…
What did all those teams have in common? A TRUE FRANCHISE QB(ours is in next years draft or McCown is the new Warner)!!
lol sorry I just had to
July 9th, 2014 at 9:10 am
/Joe taps his fingers on his desk while in deep thought
July 9th, 2014 at 9:16 am
It just says they know coaching makes a difference. Not to hard to understand.
July 9th, 2014 at 9:19 am
Lovie Smith has only had three losing seasons in nine years as head coach. He’s hardly a poor coach and he’s certainly the best we’ve had heard since Jon-boy was giving his walking papers.
Also, neither Jim Harbaugh or Pete Carroll have a “franchise qb”. They are good QBs who can make some plays here or there but no one with any sense would describe Kaepernik or Russell Wilson as “Franchise QBs”. Could they be some day? Maybe. But not right now. They won because of the team around them and the fact they didn’t screw things up.
July 9th, 2014 at 9:21 am
@Joe
/Joe taps his fingers on his desk while in deep thought
LMAO!!!!!
July 9th, 2014 at 9:23 am
Well, I think if we’re reviewing QB’s, Simms is probably better than listening to no one.
Bill Parcels seldom spoke from the heart, everything he said was thought about well before the interview/press conference – he game-planned interviews/press conferences like they were game-day preparations. He was all about the agenda – his agenda – and fashion a team that looked, acted, and played as one. His mastery of the press made him many enemies among them. He simply used them, mercilessly – and it was NOT admiration any reporter felt after Bill finished one of his (sometimes grueling, sometimes scathing) personal contacts. He had contempt for reporters. Fans loved Tuna, you media types, especially THIS media, would have hated their jobs while reporting on a winner (think Gruden, only more power, and lots more venom).
Lovie is only thought to do well, immediately, because of his defensive strategy and how it matches to the defensive talent – mostly already here. That is NOT a defense of Schiano, as it was assembled for THAT numbskull too…he just didn’t know how to utilize it.
Simms makes the only plausible case for ANY positive legacy of Schiano – he would have made for a great strength & conditioning coach in the NFL.
It is dangerous to put so much pressure on Lovie Smith – but it’s because the franchise made back-to-back mistakes. This fanbase was about to show how aptly named the team was – as we were at the point of mutiny.
Those of us who have been watching the Tampa-Two long enough to know it’s beginnings know – this defensive roster is absolutely stocked with the talent to ROCK Lovie’s system.
…and it’s SO obvious, even media types & Phil Simms know it.
July 9th, 2014 at 9:26 am
I think everyone here understands that sometimes the coaching, or voice, or just the atmosphere of a head coach can get stale after awhile. People question why the Bears got rid of Lovie if he was such a good coach… why did the Bucs get rid of Dungy? He was an excellent coach, but for all his positives he (in the words of Lynch and Sapp) failed to hold the offense accountable the same way he did the defense. That, and we had seemingly reached a ceiling with him as our coach. There was no animosity or anger, but a parting of the ways with both parties goingon to win super bowls separately.
Love is a proven good head coach (the best we’ve had since Gruden, who also got stale near the end), and reports are he has learned from his previous offensive errors. Lovie’s floor seems to be to average 9 wins… his ceiling hopefully is a super bowl victory. Let’s just enjoy the ride!
July 9th, 2014 at 9:28 am
Joe,
While you’re deep in thought, consider that the Bears may want him back if their defense performs the same way in 2014 that it did in 2013 without him. They were lucky to be 8-8 – Josh McCown lucky.
July 9th, 2014 at 9:30 am
Maybe. Parcells came from the Bobby Knight School of Media Relations (the two were roommates at Army when they were young coaches. Think about that for a moment. By the time Parcells took over the Giants, Knight already had a well-oiled bad boy reputation with the pen and mic club). No, Parcells didn’t like the Fourth Estate, unless he received a check. He may have been a d!ck, but like with Knight, you were often entertained and always had something to write about.
TRUST Joe, listening to a coach babble and mumble and drone and say nothing is far worse than getting jumped on by a coach.
July 9th, 2014 at 9:31 am
For the record, I don’t expect Lovie to turn water into wine, or walk on water. What I don’t expect from Lovie is that he’ll know how to build a team and a mentality of expecting to win. In a way, he was a victim of his own earlier success. The Bears, having gotten their ‘franchise QB’, expected to make deep playoff runs. After all, if Lovie could get to a SB with Rex, he certainly should be able to with Cutler. Unfortunately, Cutler isn’t a franchise QB. But when you pay the kind of price they did in trading for him, it’s not like you can ever admit it. Heads would roll, which they eventually did anyway.
July 9th, 2014 at 9:36 am
There are coaches in the Hall of Fame who were fired. Tom Landry springs to mind.
July 9th, 2014 at 9:54 am
If Lovie’s such an integral part, why in the hell did the Bears jettison him?
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I wonder if Colts fans thought the same thing of Dungy when the Bucs fired him…
July 9th, 2014 at 10:07 am
@Baz , NAILED IT !!!!!!! GO BUCS !!!!!!!
July 9th, 2014 at 10:11 am
Huh? Deep in thought on why Lovie got canned? It’s because Lovie hasn’t won anything.
He, just like his mentor Father Dungy, ignored one side of the ball.
July 9th, 2014 at 10:25 am
@jason
What good is a winning season if you can’t make the playoffs? I didn’t say Lovie wasn’t the best HC we have had since Gruden.. Just stating a fact that he only went to the playoffs I believe 3 times out of 9 seasons with the Bears.. Not going to get my optimism real high..
Your idea of a “Franchise QB” must clearly only consist of 4 QB’s then(Rodgers Brees Brady and Manning)..
I guess when you can bring your team to the playoffs two years in a row and win games for your team when you are a down a score late in the 4th and make your team better overall isn’t a “Franchise QB”… The 49ers and Seahawks all disagree with your amazing analysis of what a “Franchise QB” is then.. Every team has to make stops now and then or even the Manning’s Brady’s and Brees of the world wouldn’t win games.. But yes we should dismiss them because they have a better defense.. Makes sense
July 9th, 2014 at 10:26 am
To further the point at how misleading only ‘3 playoff appearances in 9 years’ commit really is: Two of the loosing season of 3 were 7 wins and one of the non playoff years was his last, 10 wins, his only real loosing season was his 1st with 5 wins.
July 9th, 2014 at 10:29 am
@ Phillip
“Quit being so butt hurt over one of the WORST coaches we have EVER had in BUCS history…”
For the record I am not ‘butt hurt’ by anything except maybe a bowl movement after a 12 pack and spicey Mexican cooking, but I am amazed that there are people who cannot or will not see that Schiano did more good for the Bucs than harm (and will argue to no end). We endured a 4-12 season…boo hoo. I’d rather deal with that and have a solid core of talent in place for the next coaching staff then have a smoke and mirrors 10-6 season sandwiched between epic futility and a team that had to be gutted of loafers and players with legal issues or substance abuse issues. I think most all of us can agree that Lovie is a far more experienced coach than either of his past two predecessors and a good hire based on where the team is right now.
July 9th, 2014 at 10:47 am
The Bucs not only have never had an exceptional QB, they also have never had an exceptional head coach. One of these days the odds would favor that happening, if I live long enough.
July 9th, 2014 at 11:32 am
I predict the Bucs will be 10-6
July 9th, 2014 at 11:58 am
Lovie is 81-63 with a Super Bowl on his resume. Players respect him and will play hard. Whyche got the groceries, Dungy made the meal, and Gruden got dessert. Schiano turned the culture to a point, and left some good players. And Lovie comes in now and puts him stamp on his team now. Bears fans can scream all they want, but I think Lovie did alot of self examination in the his layoff. i don’t see him being as conservative with this team. That is what excites me most about this year.
July 9th, 2014 at 12:23 pm
@Bucc —
I regard John MacKay and Tony Dungy as exceptional.
@TOTL and Philip —
Gruden was an exceptional game day/scheme coach — kind of the opposite of Schiano.
It is hard to appreciate the extent of the team’s disarray over the last ten years. Gruden was able to squeeze performance out of the talent on his roster, but he did poorly in selecting rookies. He also reached on a number of risky bets that turned up snake eyes (whether he could not control his selections — Talib — or just had poor luck — Williams) The cupboard was in poor shape by 2009.
Raheem was an interesting hire, but one that did not work out. He got a lot out of his players on gameday, but the scheme — and talent — was never sound. Who wants to see Brett Grimes holding down the safety slot again? And 2010 was a complete illusion — a defense so soft up the middle can string a series of lucky breaks together, but it can never be strong as a team. The great disappointment was that we were supposed to be building through the draft — a noble and reasonable goal. But the Bucs missed on most every choice for three straight years.
During Schiano’s term, the talent level improved and discipline was imposed. That was what he was hired to do. He was poor on game day, and no one can know whether Schiano picked the talent or if Dominik simply found the touch (I doubt it, but maybe). But the guts of the current roster came out of the last two drafts, plus three free agents (Jackson, Golson and the Revis of recent memory). I’m sorry Bennett walked, and I’m puzzled that the squad was we built from back-to-front, but the current defensive roster is impressive.
Glad Schiano is gone, but kudos to him for leaving the team better than he found it. Neither Morris nor Gruden (or Bennett or Perkins or Williams) can say that.
July 9th, 2014 at 12:55 pm
Bears jettison Lovie, Bears miss 2013 playoffs.
Bucs acquire Lovie, ??????????????.
Can’t wait.
July 9th, 2014 at 1:57 pm
Lovie is great. But without our elite-level talent, we wouldn’t be contenders. at least Simms also acknowledges our talent.
And I know I’m prob viewed as a semi-delusional eternal optimist, but I should actually be viewed in a similar light as Simms:
‘There isn’t a question he won’t answer and never will you get a BS answer.
Simms speaks straight from the heart (and head) and he doesn’t give a damn whether he makes friends with his comments or not.
July 9th, 2014 at 2:39 pm
I’m pretty sure everyone considers Wilson and Kaepernick as franchise QB’s. Wilson was voted in the top 20 players in the league by his peers. I’d say that’s franchise worthy. Smh
July 9th, 2014 at 2:51 pm
Leave it to some of you guys to take a positive piece on the Bucs and turn it into Schiano bashing!
Frankly, I’d rather listen to someone’s opinion who has probably forgotten more football than most of you could learn in a lifetime! Listen to his words. There’s hope on the horizon. Stop looking back, there’s nothing left.
July 9th, 2014 at 6:15 pm
I wonder if Phil thought his son would be a career back up, at best?
July 9th, 2014 at 6:17 pm
Which one?
July 9th, 2014 at 7:01 pm
Joe….Both maybe? Take your pick. I’d like to hear what Archie has to say, if I had a choice of who to listen to when evaluating young QB talent from former QB fathers .
July 10th, 2014 at 12:40 am
Except that lovey has been a winner everywhere he’s been. So there’s that.
July 10th, 2014 at 8:26 am
@Phillip, So I guess Trent Dilfer got the Ravens to the Super Bowl? I guess Brad Johnson should be in the Hall of Fame because he got the Bucs to the playoffs three years in a row and won a Super Bowl?
The mighty Colin Kaepernick had two more touchdown passes than Glennon last season. He broke 300 yds just twice and Glennon actually had a higher completion percentage. He was even worse in the playoffs, completing just 54% of his passes and posting a 77.4 QB rating.
Sure, he’s a “franchise QB”.
Wilson only had two games where he threw over 300 yds and in the playoffs didn’t throw for more than 215 yds in any game.
Sorry, my bar for Franchise QB is a little higher than game manager. Aaron Rodgers is a Franchise QB. Drew Brees is a Franchise QB. Brady, Manning, hell even Matthew Stafford, Phillip Rivers and Matt Ryan are Franchise QBs.
Those two guys aren’t. At least not yet.
July 10th, 2014 at 8:48 am
@Phillip, Lovie went 10-6 his last season, most years that gets you into the postseason. The Bears dumped him and promptly went 8-8. It was a pretty 8-8 because they had a bunch of highlight reel plays…but it was worse than what they had with Lovie.
As for Kaepernick. He only had two games in which he threw for more than 300 yds. He had only two more touchdown passes than Mike Glennon and he was abysmal in the playoffs. Heck, Glennon even had a better completion percentage.
Wilson also only had two games where he threw for over 300 yds and he didn’t throw for more than 215 yds in any game in the playoffs.
I’m sorry, if we’re crowning game managers, Brad Johnson should be in the Hall. He led the Bucs to three consecutive playoff appearances and a Super Bowl championship.
My Franchise QBs are guys like Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees. Manning, Brady, heck even Matthew Stafford, Phillip Rivers and Matt Ryan.
When guys like Case Keenum and Brandon Weeden average more yards than you, you’re not a Franchise QB.