Can Bucs Earn A “Moral Victory” In Pittsburgh?
September 22nd, 2014
Lovie Smith friend and former mentor Tony Dungy shared an interesting philosophy last night during the Sunday Night Football broadcast on NBC.
Father Dungy was talking about the Broncos’ late comeback against the Seahawks yesterday that ended in an overtime loss for Denver. And Dungy explained that he believes in “moral victories” and Denver achieved one in the wake of its Super Bowl beating to Seattle in February.
That got Joe thinking, could the Bucs earn a moral victory in Pittsburgh on Sunday? Could hope emerge again even in a loss?
Frankly, Joe is not on board with Dungy’s thinking. No, there are no moral victories. This is the NFL. There is no NFL equivalent of a Division II college football team heading to Florida State and keeping the score close.
There also are no moral victories for impatient Bucs fans after the new regime told fans they had every right to be impatient.
After starting the 2011 season 4-2, the Bucs have since gone 11-34. Only a real win would feel good.
Joe sure hopes Lovie disagrees with Dungy on this one.
September 22nd, 2014 at 1:02 pm
WTF !……
September 22nd, 2014 at 1:05 pm
What, finish the game
September 22nd, 2014 at 1:05 pm
a “moral victory” would be lovie admitting he sucks and resigning. then he might be able to leave at least saying he did what was right for the team. thats a moral victory.
September 22nd, 2014 at 1:11 pm
11-34!! That’s 11 wins in 45 games… We’re approaching the Mendoza Line!
Trying hard not to overreact, but that’s just putrid.
September 22nd, 2014 at 1:12 pm
Keep walking Lovie….
September 22nd, 2014 at 1:13 pm
Games 1 and 2 were actually games that could have been won- ugly wins but still could have happened.
Game 3 should have at least looked better but instead was far worse, every facet of the game.
I haven’t a clue what to expect this week.
Hoping for a change in direction that at least looks positive.
This is a big game for everyone in the organization and I mean EVERYONE!
September 22nd, 2014 at 1:16 pm
at this point a victory would be not losing a player to IR
September 22nd, 2014 at 1:19 pm
1-3 is a moral victory. 0-4 is winless.
September 22nd, 2014 at 1:19 pm
Agreed Joe. This in the NFL. No such thing as moral victories. Even if there were…aren’t we all sick of hearing about “moral victories” year after year? Its time for some real victories.
September 22nd, 2014 at 1:20 pm
the playcalling on both sides of the ball is too predictable even in manning was the QB and the coaching and clock management is a joke,
we don’t stand a snowballs chance in hell.
if once and only once they would do the unexpected….
September 22nd, 2014 at 1:20 pm
Once the sting of a loss wears off, players can (I believe) take positives away from the performance. To me, that’s the definition of “moral victory.” But the fans can’t feel that. Joe’s right — the Bucs have been so horrid over the past couple of years, nothing will feel good to the fans other than a win.
I’m sure the Browns are taking away some positives despite 2 tough, close losses to division rivals.
As a fan, I just want the Bucs to be playing a meaningful game every week. Being eliminated in September takes most of the fun out of the football season.
September 22nd, 2014 at 1:23 pm
Moral victories? Really? This isn’t pop warner.
September 22nd, 2014 at 1:23 pm
I’ll keep watching as I have since 77′. Even if they do suck, I still love them. Three games in is not enough to raze the coaching staff.
September 22nd, 2014 at 1:28 pm
Rastamon
Thanks for the Internet beer yesterday. I’d rather some Appleton n Ting, if you know what I mean. Here you go brother, this is for our moral victory.
http://youtu.be/qRC4Vk6kisY
September 22nd, 2014 at 1:33 pm
Thats the problem with this team. SCOUTING AND PEOPLE THINKING THEY KNOW WHAT THE HELL THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT. Teams and scouts keep thinking that Heisman trophy winners and 1st rounders are the cream of the crop, when in fact a lot of the later picked players tend to do better. RG3 is going the route of Vick and ever who ever thought a second year QB would go to the super bowl and whip Peyton Manning ass?
September 22nd, 2014 at 1:43 pm
MoBay daze~~~~
September 22nd, 2014 at 1:44 pm
Unfortunately, we’re in the basement of the NFL with the likes of the Browns and Raiders now.
September 22nd, 2014 at 1:47 pm
The Browns are on the rise…lots of draft picks 2014…2- 1st’s in 2015…I have nothing personal against Lovie…and I am certain he is a FINE MAN…..just not as HC NFL 2014….
September 22nd, 2014 at 1:48 pm
weve been there since monte kiffen left patrick.
September 22nd, 2014 at 1:48 pm
It’s becoming clearer with each passing week (Loss) that No coach worth his salt would even think of coaching this team. Until the Glazers sell the team we’re not gonna see much better than what we have the last 5 seasons. We need to get used to the fact that we are going to continue to suck until they’re long gone.
September 22nd, 2014 at 1:53 pm
@ Patrick I think the Browns look a helluva lot better than the Bucs at this point. Wow I never thought I would say that!
September 22nd, 2014 at 1:55 pm
You know what they say….
Close only counts in horseshoes, hand grenades, and the NFL!
September 22nd, 2014 at 1:56 pm
I can’t fault the Glazers for trying and spending money. Addressing the Man U and tight fists 6 years ago….the WHOLE finacial world was collapsing …they were stung most certainly…they have tried every which way…”Chip Kelly’ left at the alter several times….they made a mistake not seaching this time for fear of coming up late and short…which was their previous expirence…..I still have the G’Boyz backs !
September 22nd, 2014 at 2:07 pm
Wonder what the new stadium in Los Angeles will look like…
September 22nd, 2014 at 2:08 pm
How ’bout a “moral loss”….that’s what I’d call going into Seattle last year 0-7 and taking them to overtime…..it was a loss, but not like the loss Thursday night…
So….a moral loss would be a confidence re-builder…..but still a loss.
September 22nd, 2014 at 2:12 pm
Do they factor moral victories in when determining divisional standings?
September 22nd, 2014 at 2:17 pm
Lmao moral victory???? It is truly a Bucs life.
September 22nd, 2014 at 2:17 pm
Patrick,
I wish we were as good as the Browns…
September 22nd, 2014 at 2:21 pm
Last I checked, nothing moral happens in Pittsburgh.
September 22nd, 2014 at 2:29 pm
Says the Tampa fan. Not sure if you’ve made a trip to south Tampa lately…or Ybor…. or plant city….. or St Pete…..
September 22nd, 2014 at 2:30 pm
Our football players don’t use foul language. Moral victory is ours!
September 22nd, 2014 at 2:33 pm
You guy’s better get used to it cause Lovie has a 5 year deal and he ain’t going no where anytime soon. He will take the Buc’s to the playoff’s within 3 years. Rome was not built in a day. Joe i have heard you say that a good coach builds a system around what he has. Can not think of one coach that has changed his defensive or offensive philosophy when he got to a new team to fit the players he had on the roster. They weed out what does not fit just like what Lovie is going to do. Take Phill Jackson, one of the greatest coaches ever. You think he was going to run anything different than the triangel offense. Don’t think so. I know the buc’s were Demoralized thur night, But all the negativity and short sightedness by Joe Buc’s fan is making me want to stop visiting the website that i come to every day for Bucs news.
September 22nd, 2014 at 2:35 pm
I watched a lot of “bad” teams play yesterday,including The Raiders and Browns. Both those teams look like they are playing a different game than the Bucs!They are leaps and bounds better than that disgraceful garbage I watched on Thursday!
September 22nd, 2014 at 2:44 pm
This is a results business. You either win or lose. There are no moral victories.
September 22nd, 2014 at 2:45 pm
We already won the moral victory when we skipped on Manziel and didn’t pick up Incognito
September 22nd, 2014 at 2:46 pm
Haha whatever, same story every year… we’re reaching for moral victories in week 3, next they’ll give out cowbells to get ppl in the seats.
September 22nd, 2014 at 2:46 pm
A moral victory would be ending the game with more points than our opponent.
September 22nd, 2014 at 3:02 pm
Bill Parcells springs to mind.
September 22nd, 2014 at 3:15 pm
I’ve been to each and will try my best to avoid Plant City unless I’m on I4 passing by.
I’m only speaking of their fans. They’re among the worst, like Philly, Jax, NY, Bos etc. I stand by my comment.
I’m a northern Hillsborough kind of guy, but what is so immoral about South Tampa? St Pete?
September 22nd, 2014 at 3:18 pm
Moral victory? LOL. In my son’t Tee Ball league, yes, there are moral victories. They don’t even keep score and honestly the kids are just happy to be out there. The NFL is an adult league in which we all know only winning matters. The reason fans aren’t showing up at Ray Jay? Because of this putrid product being sold to the fans. Every bad decision has been made by top management and coaches from the Dominic Era and so far with the Lovie/Licht Era. case in point: We are about 7 million under the cap and Devin Hester would have been happy to boost our return game but our genius Executives didn’t think he was worth it. Instead, we try the Merry-Go-Round back there with guys fumbling, bumbling, and embarrassing us. The only question left to be answered for this year and next is what pick between 1 and 10 we will have in the draft and will we finally draft one of the best QB’s entering the draft.
September 22nd, 2014 at 3:25 pm
Hester is more than a return too.. 3 mil peanuts..
September 22nd, 2014 at 3:26 pm
more than a return man^^
September 22nd, 2014 at 3:27 pm
I know this is off topic a little but whatever happened to the advantage of practicing all summer in the heat? Seems every new coach who comes in here and believes that at the beginning of every training camp fails to take full advantage of that old wives tale. Our guys have looked exhausted. Weed need a state of the art indoor practice facility to keep these guys fresh for the beginning of the season. All teams we faced including 2 at home looked fresher and had less injuries than us during those games. By the 3rd quarter I looked over at the bench and so many of our guys were cramping and getting I.V’s. At one time we had 9 guys being attended to by trainers for cramps, the opposing team 2. Lovie turned all our guys into raisins.
September 22nd, 2014 at 3:28 pm
Forget a moral victory, how bout the Bucs wear the red jerseys, seems like the white ones arent working…
September 22nd, 2014 at 3:36 pm
Hell, I’d take an immoral victory at this point.
September 22nd, 2014 at 3:46 pm
Bill Parcells?? Geez, might as well say Lombardi. Dinosaur days
Fire Lovie now is spot on.
Smith will have the players he wants, and be in the playoffs, in 3 years.
All of our crying won’t change anything- not should it.
The problem here, is that they misled us.
Just say it’s a massive rebuild. We watched them swap over half the players, all the coaches. Hell, they even fired the uniforms!
But they kept saying- “we’ll win now!!”
We aren’t stupid( most of us). We SAW it was a huge rebuild. We know what that means, and we would have been fine.
But they kept convincing us, somehow, that this 4-12 team was ready to explode into the playoffs.
Uh, no
Next time guys, just call it a rebuild. It’ll keep expectations down to reasonable levels
September 22nd, 2014 at 3:51 pm
FlboyinDallas-” I’ll take an immoral victory at this point!”
Lmao! Best idea yet.
Let’s go watch the game at “Thee Dollhouse”, or “The Mons” this weekend.
Finally, a way to take the Sting off a bitter BUC beatdown!!
It’s gonna be a looong season. Might as well look for that silver lining.
September 22nd, 2014 at 3:57 pm
🙂
September 22nd, 2014 at 4:05 pm
how about this, why don’t the glazers just sell the club, to some gizzillionair for a couple billion or whatever, and hand the reigns off to someone who actually want to win in the NFL. that way we could go thru coaching changes every 15 years or so like the rest of the professional teams in the league. that way we could have a lil bit of continuity and stability,and even produce a constant run in the playoffs and even a chance at a championship. i think that would make everyone in tampa happy and the glazers too!! hey joe next time you see them glazer boys why don’t you mention this to em.
September 22nd, 2014 at 4:13 pm
Only in the sense that maybe they game planned well enough to stay in the game longer than the 1st series. Say… if they’re within 3 going into the half, I’d say that was a moral victory.
September 22nd, 2014 at 4:16 pm
OF COURSE, there are moral victories. Everyone commenting here has noted that the Bucs have been getting steadily worse over their first three games. If you were a Raiders fan, wouldn’t you be at least a little excited to see your team (while losing), takes the Pats to the last few minutes before losing on a dropped and tipped interception at the five yard line.
I am not a big fan of Lovie’s to date, but one thing he says repeatedly is he hopes for steady IMPROVEMENT. If you are constantly heading in the right direction, even just a little bit, then how can you not eventually get to be BETTER! If you make minimum wage and set a goal to someday earn 100 grand a year, but only get to 80 grand after several years;….. are you a failure? So if Glennon and the offense put up 20 points, but we still lose 31 – 20, you all won’t think that is an improvement. Hell, I would just settle for not hiking the ball ten feet over his head or five feet short of where he is standing for a start in the right direction. I would also like to see some gang tackling like they actually enjoy playing the game of football.
tickrdr
September 22nd, 2014 at 7:23 pm
There are few moral victories, but Denver’s loss was one of them. They went to the hardest place to play and got as close to winning as you could.
Since any Super Bowl matchup would be at a neutral site, if they played Seattle again the same way, they should come out as champions. That’s a moral victory to me.
As for the Bucs there is no moral victory without a victory.
September 22nd, 2014 at 8:19 pm
Exactly right, no such animal as moral victory. Also right that not one single thing said by Bucs staff, management, coaches. media or bloggers can be relied upon for accuracy, fact or truth. It is the natural order of things, those who speak and write publicly to freak out fans who have done nothing to them.
September 22nd, 2014 at 10:34 pm
11-34???? Wow, I guess that puts the Bucs about where the Lions were in their 0-16 run and the Rams before Fischer where they went 6-42 over 3 seasons a few years back and ended up getting Bradford, Long and a couple of other first rounders as a result of their ineptitude on the field and ripping off the Deadskins in the RGIII trade…. But back to the Bucs; it Creamsicle time for sure! No such thing as a moral victory unless you happen to be the degenerate gambler who bets against the trens and choose Tampa not to get embarrassed and actually keep it withing 7.5 points vs Pittsburgh. Moral victories are just more BS posturing from a coaching staff that can’t get their team to win….
September 23rd, 2014 at 2:44 am
I simply cannot believe how completely and utterly fickle Bucs fans are. Everyone was singing Lovies praise when we hired him, but as soon as we start to face some difficulty, everyone is calling for his head. Literally asking for him to be fired after three losses in his first season. Yeah those losses hurt me just as much as anyone, and giving up 56 points is simply unacceptable, but look at the facts people. While the Cover 2 defense may appear to be simple on paper, it is an extremely complex/nuanced scheme to execute properly, and it certainly takes time to master. When Dungy first introduced the scheme way back in 1996, that team went 1-8 to start and finished the season 6-10, and we all know where they ended up. When Lovie Smith began his head coaching career in chicago, first 4 games 1-3, then went on a 9 game winning streak. Ron Rivera runs basically the same scheme as Lovie and began his tenure with the panthers at 6-10. Pete Carrol as we all know won the super just last year with a tweaked version of the Tampa 2, and started out his first season with 7-9. The Cover/Tampa 2 is NOT outdated, our players simply haven’t adjusted to it, I have no doubt that we will. Turn-arounds aren’t always instantaneous, so ignore Jason Licht, and have a little patience, and keep supporting your team.