Lovie Watches Film, Dishes Out Praise
August 17th, 2014Today, Lovie Smith said there will be “no life sentence” for Mike Evans, and the head coach weighed in on various players.
Head coach Lovie Smith watched last night’s game film and emerged for media this afternoon at One Buc Palace.
Lovie had plenty to say about the offensive line and more.
Starting left tackle Anthony Collins got firm praise from Lovie; center Evan Dietrich-Smith was next. New starting right guard Patrick Omameh “played well his first time out,” Lovie said.
On the downside, Lovie said right tackle Demar Dotson wasn’t as good as he played in Jacksonville. Left guard Oneil Cousins wasn’t mentioned (gulp).
When pressed about the first-team offensive line, Lovie didn’t want to offer more detail because he won’t talk to his players until tomorrow. But Lovie wanted it known he had a good vibe — “I’m not frowning right now.” — and strongly implied there was no reason to break up the band on the O-line.
On Mike Evans’ fumble, Lovie said “we’re not going to give him a life sentence for having the ball in the wrong arm and fumbling.”
In addition to heaping lots of love on Gerald McCoy, Lovie added that “Michael Johnson was ok” and “Clinton McConald played well.”
Wide receiver Solomon Patton and defensive end Scott Solomon drew the head coach’s love, too.
Lovie also said he was disappointed with the play of many of his second-unit players but his glass almost always is half full.
August 17th, 2014 at 3:46 pm
I was camping. Anyone know where I can find a replay of the game online?
August 17th, 2014 at 3:54 pm
It’s airing 3am on NFL network. Set your dvr if you’re not a night owl.
August 17th, 2014 at 4:16 pm
Lovie will be lucky to win 3 games. Fired half way thru next season.
August 17th, 2014 at 4:26 pm
I am so complety disappointed…OK…so they are not “game planning”…that is supposed to make us feel better somehow. Not game planning tells me our OL is getting whipped man for man…. up and down the depth chart…so when the real game planning starts regular season…DC’s will be licking their chops “game planning around these “No Name Offensive Linemen”….uglier than last year….utterly bummed out
August 17th, 2014 at 4:36 pm
Willie.D Get outta here with that nonsense.
August 17th, 2014 at 4:38 pm
willie.D that is a very hurtful statement, to many people. Not to me, I just consider what the source might be. A different but still hurtful post was made by our peerless expert columnist, Joe, who observed “just a game that doesn’t count. Live and learn” I hope Joe didn’t pick up that notion in the locker room or a coachs’ meeting. When anyone starts thinking a certain game doesn’t count we have an incurable contagious disease resulting in failure. Be positive people!
August 17th, 2014 at 5:04 pm
Wow… Willie D… take it easy man… if u truly feel that way please list your reasons for such hate… True I have my own complaints about this new regime, like the offensive line mess going on right now… However, I think Lovie and Licht have done a lot of very good things as well…
I think Lovie is a solid HC with a proven track record of success in the NFL and the players love him… I believe Licht is going to be a solid GM and I love his theory of always seeking out value while building your roster rather than Dominik’s theory of paying 80% of your cap to 5 players…
August 17th, 2014 at 5:07 pm
Sometimes I wonder about some of the posters on this site…..are they really fans or just whining malcontents that don’t have anything better to do.
Sure, we have some problems to address….and all isn’t perfect…..but anyone who can’t look forward with optimism needs to find another team. Perhaps they already have one and just like showing up here to bitch and moan and spew negatism.
August 17th, 2014 at 5:11 pm
willie.D Says:
August 17th, 2014 at 4:16 pm
Yeah, OK. Is this a prediction or are you just feeling a little grumpy?
August 17th, 2014 at 5:12 pm
Tampabaybucfan Says:
August 17th, 2014 at 5:07 pm
They’re the latter. That’s pretty clear. Some people REALLY get off on b1tching and moaning.
August 17th, 2014 at 5:13 pm
Remember in the early days of the Bucs when they would go 4-0 in the preseason and win 5 games. Allow the new regime to do their job and then we can pass judgement
August 17th, 2014 at 5:19 pm
When things are going bad, clowns just come from everywhere! This is freaking preseason people!!! The roster isn’t set yet, and the playbook has barely even been opened. Hell, the players haven’t even had a full game yet! Relax, take a deep breath, and gain some perspective. Making a prediction from the first two preseason games is not only impossible, it’s plain stupid. It’s one thing to say “I don’t think we are going to be very good this year”, but I crack up at the people who state it as fact, as if they are some brilliant football mind. You’re an anonymous poster on a blog site! You have about as much football credentials as my 3 year old son.
One thing I found very interesting last night was the amount of stunts we ran. It seemed like every obvious passing down we ran one, and without much success. There was even one play where Clayborn dropped back into coverage! Was that possibly Lovie’s dedication to Schiano? Highly doubt that happens when the games start to count.
August 17th, 2014 at 5:23 pm
Hy..I’ve been here since day 1…walked into the first preseason game ever !…I’ve had season tickets all but 5 years…early 80’s starting a family..I bought back in with Ray Perkins…have them now……DC’s will be licking their chops “game planning around these “No Name Offensive Linemen”….uglier than last year….utterly bummed out
August 17th, 2014 at 5:28 pm
^^ Preseason. Try a little perspective dude. Winning is, at best, 3rd on the list of priorities in preseason games.
August 17th, 2014 at 5:30 pm
Here is how I see Lovie’s take on he team.
Defense
Not much to worry about, but really need to evaluate depth at every position during preseason. He wants to see guys play fast and use limited schemes. He is looking for mental mistakes with the limited play calling in early preseason games. If players can’t execute limited D play book, they have no chance to execute full playbook moving forward.
Offense
Invest in skill positions and go uptempo on O. The Oline will benefit from uptempo play calling and if drives are sustained…opposing Dline will get tired. Need to have OL players with very good cardio. 3d and 4th WRs need to be smart because in the uptempo O I assume we will see a lot of option routes. I think as the season starts we will see the pass open up the run more than the run opening up the pass.
Special Teams
Barth= no worries. Punting= slight worry. Returner must be found, but it is apparent this will be fixed next season, for now get some sure hands. Kick off special teams will obviously be a way backups can make team,B&O don’t be surprised when final roster comes out.
August 17th, 2014 at 5:31 pm
I came away from the game feeling better. As I’ve said, the only real worry I have is the O-line. And they showed signs of Life. Collins was much improved.Omameh looked like a real guard.
I don’t mean that every unit is great. I mean I believe every unit has the talent and depth to compete. Last year- numerous units were not competitive.
We were a very bad team. But our new staff has brought us a long way. We aren’t SuoerBowl bound, but now we can compete with anyone. That’s a huge improvement
As long as that line keeps improving. And cousins is a backup
August 17th, 2014 at 5:32 pm
B&O = but
August 17th, 2014 at 5:41 pm
OK…reality check….behind our “No Name Offensive Linemen”….none have palyed together as a unit…taking snaps are…………uglier than last year…
August 17th, 2014 at 5:42 pm
I felt better about last night…..especially with our 1s. I think we have some things to work on with our pass defense……looks like we didn’t get much pressure on third and long and they were open over the middle constantly.
On offense I didn’t like some of the playcalling….but that will probably change. I think we (again) ran way too much on 1st down.
August 17th, 2014 at 5:45 pm
All the cry babies shut up . First year of L&L. Can’t fix all positions in one year. Boo hoo fringe bucs fans.
August 17th, 2014 at 6:01 pm
For those saying to cool it and that these games dont matter, understand this. Football is still football whether its practice, pre-season, or regular season. If somebody looks sh!tty in practice and pre-season, the chances of them turning it around for games that matter isnt good.
I understand that the wins and losses this time of year dont matter, but technique and overall skill of any given player isnt going to change in the next. I havent had a chance to see the game yet, dvr is set to record it for me tonight, so I cant critique what happened yet, but just passing these games off as a generality as not counting is foolish. Thats what everybody said last year when the Patriots spanked us and it turned out to be a precursor to the way our whole season went.
August 17th, 2014 at 6:01 pm
Returner found: Solomon Patton
August 17th, 2014 at 6:03 pm
I also have been grumpy since watching the past two preseason games, this last one mostly. Besides McCoy’s great play, the TD after the turnover and a few other plays, the team seemed to struggle about everywhere else. The Bucs should have beat the Dolphins at home, no excuses imo. The RB’s were mostly stuffed for little gain. Pass D, what pass D? Glennon looked shaky and unsure, not with starters, but still. McCown, I have’nt seen enough to guess how effective he will be. I need to see better overall play. I don’t think they will come out on top of the Bills either. Sure, the team is trying to find itself and prepare for games that count. Go Bucs!
August 17th, 2014 at 6:04 pm
Joe was right! Manzie is looking decent! The way our o line is looking, we need a young mobile QB to avoid sacks. Johnny would have been the perfect answer. Oh well, maybe we take Brett Hundley in April.
August 17th, 2014 at 6:05 pm
BTW…I coined the phrase L&L…..gotbbucs…got it right…
August 17th, 2014 at 6:20 pm
^^ Yeah, no one else would’ve thought of L&L.
August 17th, 2014 at 6:42 pm
All I am saying is I used it first…here last week..then heard Big Dog use it on afternoon drive last week…
August 17th, 2014 at 6:58 pm
Buc Willie
August 17th, 2014 at 7:04 pm
@RastaMon – “L&L” has been used on this site by many posters for months…. Like starting 2 days after Jason Licht was hired.
August 17th, 2014 at 7:21 pm
trade/cut: glennon, clay, rainey, demps, page and some of the people that complain are from chicago. Seriously they still print articles about this man and he coaches Tampa Bay Bucs.
August 17th, 2014 at 7:21 pm
@ Orca
I think Al Gore coined “L&L” just after he invented the internet…..
August 17th, 2014 at 7:25 pm
I Think Al Gore coined “L&L” just after he invented the Internet!!!
August 17th, 2014 at 7:27 pm
Lovie praised the guys they spent huge money on?? Wow. Shock
August 17th, 2014 at 8:35 pm
@ Tampabaybucfan
ROTFLMAO!!!
Thanks. I needed a good laugh.
August 17th, 2014 at 9:30 pm
^^ Incidentally (not that facts are an obstacle), Al Gore never said he invented the internet… but let’s not let having a laugh at the expense of someone you disagree with be disrupted by facts.
August 17th, 2014 at 9:54 pm
Sorry you can’t see it ! But L&L can not judge talent. They have bungled the draft and refuse to make a move to upgrade O-line. I give them 6 wins
August 17th, 2014 at 10:47 pm
Trying not to overreact but don’t want to underreact, either. Last year, Freeman and the offense looked dreadful in the preseason and that’s exactly how they played when the regular season started. Just sayin’.
August 17th, 2014 at 11:07 pm
Rough crowd! Dudes and dudettes, it is called pre season, in other words, rehearsal. Let’s form opinions after 5 games in season? Ppppppppweeeeze!!!!!
August 18th, 2014 at 12:17 am
The Bucs played better last night but still a long way to go. Glennon seems to panic and has difficulty pulling the trigger in tight windows. He looked bad. Still it’s preseason but the Panthers, tonight in preseason look to be on another level. I’m still hoping for continual performance improvement but I have to taper my expectations a little. Watching the Bucs so far, they don’t look better than Schiano’s team did. They should be better but are missing a few key pieces. First and foremost they need real QB consistency and right now I don’t see it in either of the two. Still remaining hopeful but do far these free agents they paid highly for aren’t delivering the goods. If I had to make a prediction for the Season today, I’d say they look like a 5 or 6 win team, maybe 8 of they get lucky. It looks like this is going to take a while and I hope Lovie isn’t too Laid Back. Need some fire.
August 18th, 2014 at 12:40 am
Rastamon, BucRealist, etc….. Shut the F up. Assclowns like you guys are what make the comment section hard to read. #Getalife.
August 18th, 2014 at 12:42 am
Sorry, forgot you also a$$hole Louden with your $hitty grammar.
August 18th, 2014 at 1:37 am
Right on Big Mac Attack. The Bucs had the perfect chance to get a quality QB in the first round and blew it. Picking QBs is Licht’s Achilles heel! Study his failures before and you will see why he never stuck long with any NFL team. I think Lovie really wanted a QB with that pick with the way he studied the top QBs. I think Licht talked him out of it and pushed him to take Evans instead, which wasn’t needed because Wright has the same measureables, was a WR, and could have filled that position. Then Lovie had to make do hoping by praising the albatross he could turn him into a good QB, but you can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear.
Glennon crumbles under pressure and is no athlete and nobody can fix him–just as I have been warning. However, Lovie can fix his situation by promoting Kafka, cutting Glennon, and signing Tebo. I also warned about leaving Foster at MLB with his slow 3.75 speed and he can’t handle covering passes deep down the seam. Miami got most of their passing success right down the seam. Bingo! That can’t be fixed until Lovie puts a faster MLB in there. That is why they should have drafted Max Bullogh, an Urlacher clone. I think Lansanah can do it, though, but he should have been learning the position from the start. The Bucs also need to replace Cousins with Daniels who will continue to improve or trade for San Fran’s Guard. Preseason is vitally important to evaluate and put your very best players in your starting lineup and train your backups. Patton will be an outstanding returner for us and can play backup at slot behind Murphy too. We would not know that without him proving it in Preseason.
August 18th, 2014 at 6:31 am
Tim Wright put on notice! Hope he does better.
August 18th, 2014 at 6:33 am
RastaMon Says:
August 17th, 2014 at 6:42 pm
All I am saying is I used it first…here last week..then heard Big Dog use it on afternoon drive last week…
————————
I’ve been seeing this on here since February.
August 18th, 2014 at 6:45 am
Our second string does have a dramatic drop off. Hope we win three quarters of football on Saturday…
August 18th, 2014 at 7:07 am
You need a mobile QB with this inept protection. Not sure Glennon fits the mold.
August 18th, 2014 at 8:27 am
Uncle Albert,
You can now add Owlykat to your list of a$$clowns.
August 18th, 2014 at 9:47 am
Some of you guys are too crazy to take seriously. Haha Tebow
August 18th, 2014 at 10:27 am
Offense looks average to below average. Unless we bring in some guys I have some serious doubts on offense.
I think we gonna struggle.
The offense looks frantic, not in rhythm. Qb rarely looks in timing / control. The passing concepts don’t look very clever.
If this is all different, watered down, to hide what Tedford really has plans to do, that would be good. -though, a curious plan at best.
Hope we are heavy in evaluation lol
August 18th, 2014 at 10:49 am
to quite Robin Williams from good will hunting -willie d: “so tell us what you really think”