Lovie Needs “His Guys”
September 27th, 2014
Lovie Smith substantially turned over the Tampa Bay roster since arriving in January. Just on offense alone, the turnover was Chucky-like.
The Bucs opened the season with seven new starters on offense. Yet the offense — or lack of an offense — has been truly offensive. But in some circles, despite all the new blood, there is a belief that Lovie still needs “his guys.”
One person who subscribes to this theory is former Bucs wide receiver and now BSPN talking head Keyshawn Johnson.
When not battling Justin Beiber, Keyshawn talks football whenever he can and recently talked to Booger McFarland and Steve White of WHFS-FM 98.7.
“I don’t know how talented the Bucs truly are,” Keyshawn said. “They got a couple pieces but for the most part, how talented is that roster? I think that’s where you start at because Lovie Smith just didn’t forget how to coach overnight.
“Once he gets his guys in there, the talent he wants to runs his system both offensively and defensively, then I think the Bucs will be right back on track.”
But what and who are Lovie’s guys on offense? Weren’t most of the pieces on offense acquired to run Jeff Tedford’s offense? And what exactly is Lovie’s offense?
As an aside, one of the funniest comments Joe has ever seen from a reader came from the notorious “Thomas 2.2,” who once said of former Bucs commander Greg Schiano’s early boot camp ways, “They have to work the Rah out of them.”
That is essentially what Keyshawn told Booger and White when he said, “Unfortunately, they still have the personality of the former head coach in [Greg] Schiano.”
September 27th, 2014 at 11:10 am
Lovie’s offense is like bigfoot, loch ness monster, or the yeti. It’s a myth.
September 27th, 2014 at 11:21 am
So what happened to the “Coach Schiano has crazy schemes that won’t work in the NFL.” So much for the roster is talented and that Logue just needs to coach them up.
September 27th, 2014 at 11:22 am
His guys??? Who the heck are fletcher, verner, johnson, McDonald, wright, Collins, smith, Mankins, McCown, Simms, ASJ, Evans, Murphy, Patton, draft picks, cousins, kicker, etc, etc, etc…national media and former Bucs don’t know what’s going on. They just throw a blanket statement out and think that’s good tv or radio. Lovie and his assistant licht, had picks, cash and cap space to get “his guys” and they did. Trouble is “his guys” aren’t very good.
September 27th, 2014 at 11:23 am
Lovie’s shills have a plethora of excuses!
September 27th, 2014 at 11:32 am
I might buy this if we hadn’t actually made the team worse talent-wise during the offseason.
September 27th, 2014 at 11:33 am
This was actually one thing that I’ve wondered about for the past 4 years or so because until now the Bucs had unproven coaches. Now they have a guy that’s had success in the league in several different places and we’re still seeing the same results which also makes me wonder about the talent on the team.
September 27th, 2014 at 11:33 am
so much for turning over the roster and being worse than shiano…
what a maroon
September 27th, 2014 at 11:36 am
bucs suc
September 27th, 2014 at 11:42 am
@The Buc Realist
I agree with your point that most of us pointed the finger at Schiano and his crazy schemes last year but the truth is Schiano was an unproven coach with mostly unproven talent so the first step in cleaning house is to start at the top and work your way down. Schiano’s biggest problem and what ultimately got him kicked out the door so fast was he couldn’t relate to the NFL players and there were too many chaotic off-field soap operas going on that he didn’t do a good job managing. That along with a 4-12 record will lead to a lot of finger pointing within the team and with him being unproven I’m sure the players had their doubts about him too.
September 27th, 2014 at 11:46 am
It must really hurt all these former Buccaneers turned analyst dudes to just admit that Lovie might not be that good a head coach anymore, and so far Schiano better than Smith as a Buccaneers head coach. Obviously Lovie still has a chance to change all that, but so far he looks circa 2011 Raheem bad at the helm of this ship.
September 27th, 2014 at 11:48 am
Based on the players brought in by Lovie and his hand-selected GM, well…..
just remember:
Hope is your worst enemy in the marketplace!
September 27th, 2014 at 12:08 pm
I was all in Lovie being hired i thought he was the best coach available …but when he went after McCown like Aaron Rodgers had just hit the market and named him the starter ….i felt sick ….i had no problem with him not liking Glennon but he should of went after a QB in the draft or looked for a better FA than McCown i would of took Shaub, Cassell or anybody over McCown …After 3 games McCown led the lg in Ints and Turnovers ..
September 27th, 2014 at 12:10 pm
This team quit on Schiano before last season started. Goldson got 8 mill from Shiano and Dom. Then proceeded to spread his dismay of Schiano. Pay me 6 mill a year more than i’m worth. I’d just shut my mouth.Talk about the definition of cancer in the lockeroom.
The national media and society in general. Disliked Schiano for his victory formation play. I like Schiano. He’s a mans coach. 30 years ago NO player would question the coach. Today player is soft mentally. Keep your feelings to yourself. Shut your pie hole. Strap on a lid and go play football. You know what’s coming next……players going on IR (depression).
September 27th, 2014 at 12:28 pm
Change of coaches. Change of scheme. Change of players. Change of uniforms. It won’t come together overnight. I like the Glazers’ willingness to do what it takes, and I think Lovie is a very good coach. Tony didn’t turn it around over night. Patience. We’ve had a slew of injuries and an OC on the mend. You can’t go into a chess match with half your pieces gone and expect to dominate. Give it time and enjoy the journey.
September 27th, 2014 at 12:30 pm
At least with Shiano they had a personality. This team looks as lost as smith does while he’s gazing at the replay board.
September 27th, 2014 at 12:40 pm
Lovie and Licht largest flaw.
Lost too much time getting the final roster together
New coaches-new system-new players
With all this new stuff they knew was going to be the situation, they also new it was going to take some additional prep/learning time as part of implementing it all. This was a large learning curve for everyone.
This actually went backwards.
The “team” lost several weeks of preparatory time due to the constant shuffling/aquisitions/trades of players and then add injuries to it all.
end result was the season started and neither the def or off was ready for real games or in any kind of control of the schemes.
The players actually played pretty good for no more time then they had to learn all this and play with the guy next to them but still the team was not prepared or ready. Somebody blew the timing of all this.
I expect the next few weeks to show much more improvement as the schemes and roles of each player become more familiar to them.
Especially after the bye week.
I just have the feeling if the lineup had been set when training camp started then the players would be much more familiar with their roles and assignments.
I think the record could easily be 2-1 had they been ready.
September 27th, 2014 at 12:54 pm
I think this Sunday will be the day, I think the team has enough pride and professionalism to play hard enough to win this Sunday. I say we win Sunday at PITT!
September 27th, 2014 at 1:15 pm
After 5 years of absolutely dreadful drafts in which we have retained what, three starters, does anyone with a sane rational mind think we were going to have a playoff team this year of for that matter, a winning record.
Give me a break.
I don’t know where the idiocy began and ended during the last five years but the Bucs drafts have been simply awful. They weren’t that much better under Chucky, either.
Something needs to be done in that area or this team will continue to flounder.
September 27th, 2014 at 1:19 pm
BTW, what, or who, is a Jeff Tedford.
One thing Joe has right is Dick LeBeau is probably going to give our lollipop licking rattler amused OC a case of diaper diarrhea on Sunday.
September 27th, 2014 at 1:19 pm
the lineup has been in flux because they made poor personnel decisions!
they created their own mess. they dumped the o-line and made poor choices to fill in. cut the kicker. they didn’t draft a qb. has the revis decision worked out?
his defensive schemes are out-dated, special teams is atrocious and i thought that would win 8 – 10 games. we are not even “in” the games so far.
all of this and they say we are not rebuilding and don’t be patient!
September 27th, 2014 at 1:36 pm
Seems like Lovie is in the same place that Bill Bilichick was in when he coached the Browns.
September 27th, 2014 at 1:45 pm
OK seriously people I joked about the lovie schiano thing but be real, our coach last year was an idiot and you can’t coach 6 days a week when Sunday is the most important day to earn your money. Sheman had two years to prove he knew anything about Hammerfest coaching and failed miserably. So far I’m not impressed at all with the lovie regime but don’t compare a couple years to 3 games or two seasons to 10 NFL seasons a super bowl appearance and playoff victories…. That’s just as offensive
We joke about it because they got stomped but no one truly believes a season is over after 3 games if you need proof Carolina last year stated off this way
September 27th, 2014 at 1:54 pm
carolina has a qb and defense!
lovie was fired, remember. and he had a shitty record vs teams at and over .500. here, he cannot beat derek andersen who had not played in years, and a third stringer who had never started. a real qb smashed us!
September 27th, 2014 at 1:55 pm
carolina has a qb and defense!
lovie was fired, remember? and he had a sh1tty record vs teams at and over .500. here, he cannot beat derek andersen who had not played in years, and a third stringer who had never started. a real qb smashed us!
September 27th, 2014 at 2:00 pm
This team was a talentless 4-12 team
Dom and Schiano Sucked
Lovie is a proven commodity. He’s a winner in this league.
I got caught up in the preseason hoopla, like many others
Truth is- this team sucked badly. Like all things- some of Lovies new guys are working out- some aren’t. But it will take all of them time to jell as units
The loss of Tedford is hugel
September 27th, 2014 at 2:09 pm
@ lurker
It’s OK I know your angry so angry you have amnesia. Do I have to remind you that two years she man never beat a rookie quarterback. Forgot the list his first year against Philly for the 10 year Superbowl anniversary, yea foles was a rookie work a last second game winning drive or rg3 and ever rookie he faced. Teams decided to stop running on his defense because it was so easy, forgot last year all the yards we allowed in the first half to Atlanta 3 receiver? Dude if your trying to compare careers regardless of how disappointing news been in Tampa you really just sound bitter and kinda stupid
September 27th, 2014 at 2:10 pm
I THINK SOMEONE HAS BEEN PASSING AROUND STUPIT PILLS. FINE THE BOTTLE AND TAKE IT AWAY FROM THEM. THE PLAYERS CAN’T WAIT FOR THE SEASON TO END TO GET OUT OF DODGE OF CUT OR TRADED…..PATHTIC BUNCH OF LOSER..
September 27th, 2014 at 2:11 pm
Nowadays I play a game on JBF. It’s called find the Dungy reference when it comes to Lovie.
I spotted one in here.
David 54 Says:
September 27th, 2014 at 12:28 pm
“Tony didn’t turn it around over night.”
Congrats Dave welcome to the club. The group of Bucs fans that still think Lovie is going to be Dungy part 2.
September 27th, 2014 at 2:32 pm
Hard to say the team didn’t have talent. On offense alone Larsen, zuttah, Joseph, penn and lorig all start! Oh and mike Williams and Tim wright play a lot of snaps. That’s seven of eleven. Then they signed McCown. Have Martin and Jackson already. See what I mean. Team had some talent.
September 27th, 2014 at 2:32 pm
Better draft a franchise QB!!!
September 27th, 2014 at 3:24 pm
He has to work the Rutgers out of them!!!
September 27th, 2014 at 4:00 pm
Playing against the Buc’s is like playing Madden against a guy. Who doesn’t know how to audible. Fill the hole the run play is going. If no run,drop off and double the crosser.
September 27th, 2014 at 4:48 pm
Architek- yup!
Until we get that QB, we’re just pissing in the wind.
Man. Derrick Carr or Blake Bortles might have been worth going after.
I can be patient, and give Lovie another year with the rest.
I think I badly overestimated the talent level on this pig.
September 27th, 2014 at 5:17 pm
@buc4lyfe
calling someone stoopid and yet you misspell lyfe…oh wait, it’s to be a cleaver beaver
so, what positives have you taken away from these games? you think this team has shown more these 3 games than under schiano? and i’m bitter?
lovie was so great he got fired! i wanted a new hot offensive commodity, not a tired retread with poor offense.
where is the defense? last week was atrocious and it should been worse.
week 1:
“Anderson completed 24 of 34 passes for 230 yards and two touchdowns. He had no turnovers and a quarterback rating of 108.7. He was cramping in his right forearm and both calves throughout the second half, and he still fought his way through for a victory in his first NFL start since 2010 when he played for Arizona.”
week 2:
austin davis, a 3rd stringer, completed 22 of 29 passes (76 percent) for 235 yards and a rating of 99.1.
week3:
Matt Ryan “had a record breaking night against the Buccaneers completing 21 of 24 passes (87.5%) for 286 yards with three touchdowns and a career high 155.9 passer rating.” and he didn’t play the whole game.
now offense, defense and special teams suck! i am tired, as most here, of the same old sh!t. i really don’t think anyone really cares who coaches, plays, qb’s the team, we just want to win. we are tired of excuses and impatient…but are we really? how long has it been since we had a consistent winner? which what i am sure most here want… to taste victory on a consistent basis and make it to the show every now and then.
September 27th, 2014 at 5:19 pm
His guys at Chicago without Urlacher (not his guy) were a 6-10 team.
I was a huge Lovie fan, wished we had fired Raheem one year later so we could have had Lovie last year.
But one boneheaded personnel play after another in free agency, capped off by saying Glennon was the QB of the future and passing up on 14 quarterbacks taken by other teams in the draft… that made it clear to me.
Here I was defending Lovie’s win-loss record and Super Bowl appearance to Chicago transplants who were nothing but negative about the Lovie signing. But again without Urlacher, a guy he didn’t draft, he’d be in Ray Perkins territory.
September 27th, 2014 at 7:10 pm
Lovie Needs “His Guys”……. To convince him to retire…..
Do all parties a favor…. Lovie keeps from destroying what respect and admiration the few people still have for him, the Bucs can go after a real-up-to-date HC that can make this team a winner and save this fan base from bottoming completely out….
On a side note – is it me or does Lovie seem to be coaching this team like he is still a Panther’s fan?
September 28th, 2014 at 7:26 am
I’m sorry…but a coach with his tenure and “skill” he should not need certain guys there. He does not appear to be a true leader of men. He should of stayed in his basement.