The Countdown: Worst 20 Buccaneers Of The Past 10 Years — No. 8
July 18th, 2014
Endless Top-Whatever lists across the Internet got Joe thinking of the Tampa Bay drought since their Super Bowl glory. Not a playoff victory since! And that motivated Joe to rank the 20 worst Buccaneers of the past 10 years.
Serious deliberations went into this at JoeBucsFan.com world headquarters.
Beers bottles were thrown. Game film came out. Arguments ensued. Chants of Sabby from wild interns were quieted by Joe.
In the end, primary consideration was given to expectations combined with on-field performance. Off-field behavior was a factor, and players were not punished for injuries.
No. 8 — defensive coordinator Edell Shepherd (2003-2005)
Newer Bucs fans might not understand this selection, but if you were watching the second-to-last Bucs playoff game, you’ll get it.
Joe can’t handle wide receivers who can’t squeeze the football. And Edell Shepherd’s fourth-quarter drop in the end zone of a Chris Simms bomb, one of the prettiest passes you’ll ever see that would have tied the Bucs-Redskins playoff game in January 2006, was easily one of the worst drops in team history.
Joe can still feel the heartbreak and the rage. You can re-live it via the video below.
Shepherd was undrafted and didn’t come with high expectations, but he’s responsible for sleepless nights for hundreds of thousands of Bucs fans. Chucky bounced Shepherd from the Bucs immediately. He caught a few balls for the Texans the next season and wasn’t heard from again.
No. 9 — Jerramy Stevens No. 10 — Jim Bates No. 11 — Gaines Adams No. 12 — Keydrick Vincent No. 13 — Dre Moore No. 14 — Kevin Ogletree No. 15 – Sean Mahan No. 16 — Da’Quan Bowers No. 17 — Daniel Te’o-Nesheim No. 18 — Kyle Moore No. 19 – Jeremy Trueblood No. 20 – Michael ClaytonThe Countdown: Worst 20 Buccaneers Of The Past 10 Years will run once or twice daily until No. 1 is revealed on Thursday, July 24.
July 18th, 2014 at 3:04 pm
Meh – This is supposed to be the Worst 20 Bucs, not the Worst 20 Buc plays.
July 18th, 2014 at 3:08 pm
Dont get this list at all. Should be renamed the most irrelevant Bucs over the past 10 years
July 18th, 2014 at 3:09 pm
Pretty impressive that a defensive coordinator got in the game at all
July 18th, 2014 at 3:13 pm
I still think he had possession with both knees down before his elbow hit, the ball was not squirting like the announcer says. That said, you have to keep possession, which he does not do once his elbow hit. Incomplete. =(
July 18th, 2014 at 3:25 pm
Was a beautiful pass can’t believe he dropped it 🙁
July 18th, 2014 at 3:35 pm
Top 10?
I don’t blame your interns……
July 18th, 2014 at 3:37 pm
Joe, you know you’ve delivered a good list when people bitch about it. Keep on truckin’
July 18th, 2014 at 3:45 pm
Oooof. I remembered the play, but the video is sooooo much worse. Still can’t believe Joe isn’t putting Kenyatta Walker on this list….
July 18th, 2014 at 3:50 pm
Was at that game. So furious afterward because i feel we would have won the next game and who knows from there.
July 18th, 2014 at 3:51 pm
@Joe: What are you having your interns do Joe? Do your laundry like in Kramerica Industries?
July 18th, 2014 at 3:52 pm
No. 8 — defensive coordinator Edell Shepherd (2003-2005)
________________________
Who can blame Edell for dropping that ball knowing that he was also shouldering the responsibilities of defensive coordinator? It’s not easy being a playing coach in the NFL!
July 18th, 2014 at 3:54 pm
I don’t blame him for the drop. Putting a defensive coordinator in a pressure situation like that outside his comfort zone is a bad idea. I mean, Kiffin would’ve hauled it in, but too late for what ifs.
July 18th, 2014 at 3:56 pm
Am I remembering this correctly, he caught the pass previously but there was some sort of penalty?
July 18th, 2014 at 4:00 pm
What?!!! Garbage. There is no way you can include Shepherd instead of the great Kregg Lumpkin with a straight face. Booooo….
July 18th, 2014 at 4:10 pm
That team had no business in the playoffs anyway. I don’t blame it on Shepherd. This list is getting comically stupid.
July 18th, 2014 at 4:22 pm
Joe
I think this article somehow is mixed up with several of the people.
First he was not a Defensive Coordinator.
Second if Chucky bounced Shepherd from the Bucs immediately as you stated, he would have been gone in 2003.
Third if he belongs on your list, he ranks below a number of those already on it yet.
July 18th, 2014 at 4:27 pm
I was at that game. Our D was smothering, one of the best D playoff performances of all time. Our O?… typical, but had he caught that pass I believe we would have won the game.
July 18th, 2014 at 4:33 pm
OB, I think he was on our 05 roster
July 18th, 2014 at 4:47 pm
I still feel actual pain and anxiety when I see that play. Thanks for bringing back my PTSD. May he rot forever for his drop.
July 18th, 2014 at 4:49 pm
The only thing worse than that was having Sean Taylor spitting all over our players during the game. I do not miss that thug. May he rest in peace.
July 18th, 2014 at 4:59 pm
huh?
I thought that you couldn’t top the embarrassing Johnny Manziel pleading that went on earlier this year… not for a while at least. But you did! This whole “player countdown” thing you are doing is an even greater embarrassment to your football IQ, joebucsfan (or lack there of).
This list coupled with the Manziel tantrums should put to bed any optimism that anyone in the sports world had for you… Joe, your football opinion has been rendered worthless. Please turn in your press pass. This is no longer an NFL respected media outlet.
Hope the interns can find jobs after you let them go…
July 18th, 2014 at 5:00 pm
terrible
I thought that you couldn’t top the embarrassing Johnny Manziel pleading that went on earlier this year… not for a while at least. But you did! This whole “player countdown” thing you are doing is an even greater embarrassment to your football IQ, joebucsfan (or lack there of).
This list coupled with the Manziel tantrums should put to bed any optimism that anyone in the sports world had for you… Joe, your football opinion has been rendered worthless. Please turn in your press pass. This is no longer an NFL respected media outlet.
Hope the interns can find jobs after you let them go…
July 18th, 2014 at 5:02 pm
You lost me on this one, Joe.
Edell ahead of Stevens? For a TD drop in a playoff game he didn’t lose all on his own? He belongs on the list but more at 18-20.
I remember how disappointed I was after that game but thinking we would head into 2006 with hope and promise. Boy, was I wrong.
July 18th, 2014 at 5:02 pm
I remember that game. Or at least my wall does, where it got a hole after the tv remote got chucked at it.
July 18th, 2014 at 5:27 pm
Oh, the pain…the pain…
July 18th, 2014 at 5:34 pm
Joe, Please correct the typo.
Also,
I would like rescind my earlier post of including Chris
Simms in the top 10.
He was far from great, but not a top 10 or even
top 20 worst Buccaneer. My apologies to the Simms
family.
July 18th, 2014 at 5:36 pm
Optimism Joe might turn boring? Good!
Respected NFL types beg to differ.
July 18th, 2014 at 5:38 pm
Odd. Within the past 24 hours, Joe has spoken with two NFL types and a former NFL starter who are loving the countdown. Maybe you should lighten up, Francis.
July 18th, 2014 at 6:01 pm
I’ve liked the list so far until this pick. You said it yourself, Shepard had no expectations to be a good player. I could’ve seen him at #20 but 8 is way to high.
July 18th, 2014 at 6:31 pm
Too high Joe. Bucs were asking too much of the guy trying to make a play like that in a playoff game. The entire offense stunk on that night. Shep got open, couldn’t finish the job. Rodgers got lucky with a last gasp swipe at the ball.
Sheperd was a no name WR who would make an occasional play. Sheperd deserves to be on the list for that awful swing of emotions he put us through, but around #20 seemed more deserving
July 18th, 2014 at 7:11 pm
My issue with your list is the omission of Luke Stocker my team traded up to get him he is more disappointing than Bowers to me because we knew Bowers was damaged goods Luke was suppose to be a sleeper!
July 18th, 2014 at 7:14 pm
The idea of the list was brilliant. The contents, eh… not so much imo. But don’t fret Joe, you can still redeem yourself, there are plenty of worthy candidates left to choose from. The ones at the top should be layups.
Curious to see if you’re going to give the rock star his rightful place on this list or not.
July 18th, 2014 at 7:49 pm
Joe, I’m enjoying the list even though its tough to watch. It’s fun is a depressing sort of way. Its like that awful train wreck, you hate to look at it but some force draws you to it some how. Thanks for keeping us entertained during this slow news cycle.
July 18th, 2014 at 9:15 pm
Joe, you have INTERNS?!?!?! :^)
July 18th, 2014 at 9:19 pm
So many controversial plays have changed so many games outcomes. Sucks it happens every year…
July 18th, 2014 at 9:22 pm
Thank you, Seany!
July 18th, 2014 at 11:15 pm
That drop was just as good as him being the DC for the Redskins.
July 19th, 2014 at 12:05 am
What is an “NFL type”?
July 19th, 2014 at 12:13 am
Not to be confused with a CFL type.
July 19th, 2014 at 6:05 am
BTW, Bucs should’ve won the game regardless of Shepherd. Simeon Rice’s sack fumble recovered by Barber was initially called an incomplete pass, then changed to only a sack because the whistle had blown, the recovering Redskins player, Marcus Washington I think, was clearly down on Sean Taylor’s TD, and Chris Simms clearly recovered a LaVarr Arrington fumble after his INT but it was ruled down on the field and not subject to replay.
Just like with Bert Emanuel and his non-catch, the NFL rules were changed shortly after this game to allow recoveries (Barber’s and Simms’) even after the whistle blew.
July 19th, 2014 at 6:08 am
Were forgetting that EARLIER in the year, he DID catch a beautiful pass from Simms that DID (with conversion) WIN the game, so, much like Pewter Reports Doug Williams BS, top lists are definitely a call for fodder!!
Its a nice Idea though Joe.
July 19th, 2014 at 8:34 am
Joe- please use your powers of description to explain what an NFL type is?
League or team executive. –Joe
July 19th, 2014 at 9:05 am
The list just jumped the Shark Tank
July 19th, 2014 at 11:12 am
Hey Joe it’s the first time I’ve seen that video I was live at the game and was so pissed I never wanted to see that video ever because I thought It was a bad call but now I think I wasted a lot of years being pissed about that call damn you Shepherd!
July 19th, 2014 at 11:18 am
Defensive coordinator?
July 19th, 2014 at 12:59 pm
What ever happened to “one knee equals two feet” and “the ground can’t cause the fumble”? Agree though that he still should have squeezed it!
Controlling the ball “through the catch”, absolutely defies logic when considering that on a run play the ball only has to “break the plane” and the instant it does, it’s a touchdown. Can never reconcile these dichotomies.
Still tough to watch!
July 19th, 2014 at 10:29 pm
The difference (RB/WR) is that the RB has possession/control of the ball when he gets to the endzone (otherwise it’s a fumble). The WR is getting the ball while in the endzone, and therefore must establish possession/control before it can be called a ‘catch’.
July 24th, 2014 at 7:11 pm
This one HURTS. It hurts to this day! Too bad he didn’t repeat himself from earlier in the season:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uh2ZcxcLPD4