Derrick Brooks Says “They’re Playing Too Tense”
September 17th, 2014
“Get these guys to loosen up, Lovie.”
Mr. Derrick Brooks, Double-Nickel, No. 55, Hall of Famer, Buccaneers Ring of Honor member, didn’t love what he saw Sunday from his beloved Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Brooks knows how a winning football team carries itself.
And he didn’t see that against the Rams.
“Just go play,” Brooks said of what he wants too see tomorrow night in Atlanta. “They’re playing too tense. That’s what I felt on Sunday. It felt like if it didn’t go our way, the eggs were going to crack.”
Brooks also wagged a finger at Josh McCown for repeating the same bad mistakes.
“The type of turnover that Josh has had, you can’t do that. You can’t have three turnovers that look the same,” referring to McCown’s three sloppy interceptions over the past two games.
Brooks seemed in disbelieve that McCown would be “throwing across your body” against St. Louis in the red zone.
Joe was glad to hear Brooks call it straight to the dean of Tampa Bay sports radio, Steve Duemig, on WDAE-AM 620 this afternoon. The Bucs have looked tight as a drum. There’s little rhythm to anything they’ve been doing — in any phase of the game. In what was unthinkable a few weeks ago, run blocking might be the team strength right now.
Now Joe’s not suggesting Lovie Smith should go all Joe Maddon and bring a talking bird into the Bucs locker room or have the team dress up in Revenge of the Nerds outfits, like Maddon did with the Rays. But Lovie’s got to find a way to get his team to relax in one of the NFL’s toughest environments.
September 17th, 2014 at 5:24 pm
Just bring Raheem back as the Assistant to the Head Coach in charge of Party.
September 17th, 2014 at 5:25 pm
Sounds like he blamed everybody but flip flop wearin, no cussing Lovie!
September 17th, 2014 at 5:36 pm
I remember the Olines strength was supposed to be pass blocking.
September 17th, 2014 at 5:40 pm
Joe, If that is all that is wrong! Then they just need to call Winslow, or J Stevens, or T Jackson to go to the team hotel with their old backpacks too the team hotel like the old days!!!
September 17th, 2014 at 5:43 pm
Hes right
Mellow out
September 17th, 2014 at 6:05 pm
I wonder what Josh Freeman is up to? Probably snoozing…lol
Maybe Jeff Garcia can come outta retirement. Or what about Trent Dilfer? He knows the game pretty well. We could always call up Vinnie Testerverde…he could add to his franchise records. I called Doug Williams, but he didn’t answer the call…six times in a row now and his answering machine sings the Redskins fight song.
September 17th, 2014 at 6:13 pm
If their playing to tense there’s only a few ways to cure that. Time, Win big, get turnovers, put up big offensive numbers. How we don’t find out tomorrow that our special teams sucks by letting Hester run wild
September 17th, 2014 at 6:41 pm
Joe, I’m not dense, I know advertising is what supports this site, and your site is always one of my first ports of call for Bucs news. And I know ads are what buys you a brewski or two, and frankly I feel you’re owed it in light of the tireless work you do to provide us with Bucs content. But most of the time I visit on an Apple device. If your site continues to take me out of my browser and into the App Store I will stop visiting. I understand your revenue is driven by ads, and I understand, accept and even endorse that while I remain within my browser. You should get what’s owed to you. But I fear if you continue to drag users out of their iOS browser they will eventually stop visiting your site. No one wants that. Not you, nor Bucs fans.
Sincerely, a Bucs fan, and a JoeBucsFan.
September 17th, 2014 at 6:43 pm
I thought our Bucs players were out there having fun under the sun with their new HC, I’ve seen multiple reports from right here detailing how intense, reserved, and ambiguous Lavonte David has been so lose and calm and smiling because everybody’s loving Lovie and his program…SO WHICH IS IT ALREADY????????!!!!!!!!!!!!
September 17th, 2014 at 6:51 pm
“It felt like if it didn’t go our way, the eggs were going to crack.”
This is the gospel of Bucs ball right now
September 17th, 2014 at 7:05 pm
It’s the new uniforms. I bet if we had a Pewter and Red game, we would win.
I really, really hate the new ones. And the colors on the numbers seemed to be running in the last game, unless that red was field paint (its possible I guess).
Charcoal, Orange and Red. Someone should be fired for that one.
If only they had kept the old colors at least.
September 17th, 2014 at 7:06 pm
Coach needs to “crack some eggs” during halftime and make the team refuse to lose.
September 17th, 2014 at 7:15 pm
Good to mention “what was unthinkable three weeks ago” regarding the offensive line. Things can change fast in the NFL. We may be talking three weeks from now about how Josh has “emerged” as a leader of a rebounding team. Then again…
So true what Brooks said. I felt this in both games. Carolina and St. Louis felt they had nothing to lose. Not sure we can score at the pace of the Falcons, but I expect to see a loose team because nobody expects them to even be in the game.
September 17th, 2014 at 7:56 pm
BucFanForever Says:
September 17th, 2014 at 5:24 pm
Just bring Raheem back as the Assistant to the Head Coach in charge of Party.
_____________________________________
BOOOMP PA BA BOOOMM BOOMP …….yeah….c’mon c’mon….
September 17th, 2014 at 8:03 pm
It sucks about the letdown after the hype but we need to fan-up
and be somewhat patient. Dungy lost his first 5 games.
Derrick Brooks was the voice of reason in the sea of preseason hype.
He said there’s got to be learning curve with the defense.
September 17th, 2014 at 8:18 pm
“He said there’s got to be learning curve with the defense.”
Unless of course the defense is outdated. Even then it requires players with great skill at different positions in order for it to run smooth. See Monte Kiffin in Dallas for reference.
September 17th, 2014 at 8:51 pm
So with a relaxed coach they play too tense and serious. And with Schiano, who was tense and serious – they were too undisciplined. Sure. Makes perfect sense.
SMH
September 17th, 2014 at 8:54 pm
See , Monte Killin at USC, see Rod Marineland at Detroit. Yeah, it’ll work here, if somehow we have a fountain of youth and can bring back Sapp, Rice, Barber, Brooks, Lynch. Funny, how the cover two doesn’t work when you don’t have hall of famers playing it.
September 17th, 2014 at 8:56 pm
Lovie is his boy. He isn’t going to put any of the fault on him. So yeah, too tense. Loosen up Bucs so we can win games!
September 17th, 2014 at 8:56 pm
A zone defense in today’s pass happy NFL, relying on front four pressure, no blitzing.We will continue to get picked apart, week after week.
September 17th, 2014 at 8:58 pm
See , Monte Killin at USC, see Rod Marinelli
at Detroit. Yeah, it’ll work here, if somehow we have a fountain of youth and can bring back Sapp, Rice, Barber, Brooks, Lynch. Funny, how the cover two doesn’t work when you don’t have hall of famers playing it.
September 17th, 2014 at 9:40 pm
Cover 2 is not gonna work with the pathetic d-line were trotting out there, I assure you. QB just has all day to pick apart the soft zone.
September 17th, 2014 at 11:04 pm
They are to tense, it almost seems like they’re pressing a little bit instead of letting things happen naturally. The best way for them to loosen up is to get a win under their belts. I dont know what the outcome will be vs Atlanta, but I think it will be surprisingly close.
September 17th, 2014 at 11:11 pm
Nice article. Go Bucs!
September 18th, 2014 at 12:11 am
Joe was right. Manziel was the perfect pick.
September 18th, 2014 at 12:45 am
Ehh.. “The dean of Tampa sports radio” gives me chills. Exactly what Soap Box Steve thinks too