Lovie: That’s As Good A Football Play, That Play, As You Will See
September 23rd, 2014
You could sense the hunger and optimism in Lovie Smith’s voice on his radio show last night.
Lovie was talking takeaways, as in the four quality ones his defense generated in Atlanta.
One that really stood out for Lovie was the hunt and strip by Lavonte David, where the ball headed out of bounds before Dashon “Hawk” Goldson dove for the ball, caught it, and then threw it back to David before falling out of bounds.
“First off, Dashon hustled to get the ball. And that’s as good a football play, that play, as you will see,” Lovie said on WDAE-AM 620. “It for sure will be on the season highlight, and you’re talking about a smart football player to make a play like that. To know that I can’t really come down with the ball in bounds but to throw it back in to give my teammate an opportunity to make a play. How bout Lavonte David, also, hustling over of course to strip the ball out and up recovering the ball also.”
Sadly, all the NFL.com highlights of the game failed to include that David-Goldson play. But they should have.
The others were worthy, too. There was the Alterraun Verner strip picked up by Mark Barron who starting run but coughed it up immediately to Devin Hester, the Danny Lansanah pick-6 in garbage time, plus this fantastic play by Leonard Johnson was the game was still within remote reach. You can watch that one here.
September 23rd, 2014 at 9:14 am
Wow, four plays?
Geez, Joe, how bad would you guys be if you only had four good posts for the first three weeks of the season?
Pathetic, Lovie, just pathetic.
September 23rd, 2014 at 9:18 am
Leonard Johnson is not a very good corner but the SOB has a knack for making big plays.
He’s the Dan Johnson of the Bucs.
September 23rd, 2014 at 9:22 am
Lovie is just magical, yeah black magic.
September 23rd, 2014 at 9:23 am
I don’t understand why does this matter! US BUCS FAN DON”T CARE ABOUT THAT WE CARE ABOUT HAVING A WINNING TEAM!!!! Jeez get a clue Lovie!! SMH I have officially put my season tickets on sale!!!
September 23rd, 2014 at 9:24 am
Hahah.
If Leonard Johnson ran a 4.4 instead of a 4.6, he would be an All-Pro.
I just hope while other corners are drinking like divas.
Leonard is working and watching film like Ronde did.
Leonard will keep improving.
I am happy with Leonard as our #6 CB, but not our #3 or #4 CB, which he is now.
September 23rd, 2014 at 9:25 am
Occasionally a blind sow can find an acorn. give it up.
how many snaps and how many good plays. @ 6 million a year, he should not be lauded for one good play. for 6 million a year, he should be on target for all pro.
Sorry Charley, only the best tuna get to be STARKIST.
You can fool some of the people all of the time and all of the people some of the time but you cannot fool all of the people all of the time.
i’m out
September 23rd, 2014 at 9:42 am
Even Daquan Bowers makes a good play once in a while. But that doesn’t mean the body of work means any less.
Goldson and all of the defense have a body of work that is…..well….subpar to shitty depending on how much you’ve been drinking. Even LVD isn’t having an LVD kind of season so far. He’s been good, but his impact plays have dropped quite a bit.
Maybe they’re just not used to the scheme, because all of them suddenly being less capable is pretty suspicious in and of itself. Did they all get slower and dumber than they were? Or is this defense such a poor fit (at the moment) because they’re simply no good at executing it?
The rest of the season will be telling. Because injuries or not, no NFL defense should ever have their nuts ripped off like the Bucs did Thursday.
Hate to say it, but it’s going to be more of the same this week. They aren’t going to win in Pittsburgh obviously, but the question for me is will it be over by halftime again?
September 23rd, 2014 at 9:50 am
Joe, I felt like Goldson could have held on to the ball and he would have had possession, in bounds. No volleyball needed. Am I wrong?
September 23rd, 2014 at 9:51 am
Delusional…. So what players that make that kind of money are paid for that very reason. One play lovie after your team got carved up like that. That’s just great we’ve got two safties who show up as soon as the whistle is blown or the catch is made
September 23rd, 2014 at 9:51 am
The Falcons made 4 great plays on their first drive! If we get creamed this weekend by Pittsburgh it is time to start asking if any games this year are winnable with the squad that Lovie has put together.
September 23rd, 2014 at 9:57 am
When your team loses…..there is nothing left but individual plays/effort…..its no consolation prize….its just the facts.
September 23rd, 2014 at 9:59 am
@ Louis Friend
What play has bowers made ?
September 23rd, 2014 at 10:04 am
@ Ra’Shad
He is first in line for paychecks.
September 23rd, 2014 at 10:08 am
To Me, Lovie’s comment says 2 things.
1. This is it folks, that’s all their is with this team and I better say something positive to justify my check.
2, He actually thinks that play is as good as it gets in which case he and the coaching staff are really out of touch with reality
i’m out
September 23rd, 2014 at 10:29 am
The expectations of this POS team have fallen so low that we are now counting good plays in a game. We are ignoring the scoreboard and we are ignoring moral victories. We’re actually counting good individual plays and calling it a success.
September 23rd, 2014 at 10:49 am
@Ra’Shad
Bowers made 1 good play in 2013 against Miami. I had to strain to remember it, but I’m sure he remembers that one more than the hundreds of plays where he was pancaked.
September 23rd, 2014 at 10:51 am
28-0 halfway through the 2nd and you consider that still within remote reach. Seriously? Joe did you skip your cup of joe this morning?
September 23rd, 2014 at 10:52 am
@BUCTROOPER
If you were spending the rest of your life on a desert island with a hideously ugly and nasty woman – you’d do one of two things:
1. Find one thing that didn’t disgust you
2. Gouge your own eyes out.
Lovie hasn’t gotten to option two yet.
September 23rd, 2014 at 11:30 am
Zam Said:
“Joe, I felt like Goldson could have held on to the ball and he would have had possession, in bounds. No volleyball needed. Am I wrong?”
______________________________________________________
Pretty sure his momentem would have carried him out of bounds.
September 23rd, 2014 at 12:25 pm
haha since we were talking about goldson, watch him get trucked in that leonard johnson turnover. i dont want turnovers, i just want consistent play. playing that way is like saying your gameplan is:
to go out and suck until you get lucky.
September 23rd, 2014 at 5:25 pm
So Dashon made one good play Thursday night.
Where was that play against Carolina when he dropped a sure game changing Int deep in Panther territory in the waning minutes if the game.
Where was Dashon against the Rams when they completed a third and long deep over the middle to set them up for the game winning TD. Johnson had perfect underneath coverage and the only way for the passo to be broken up was by a safety but Dashon was late getting to the ball.
I surely hope this guy doesn’t have guaranteed money that counts against the cap because this guy isn’t worth the money he is being paid. Cut him and put the money in the front line if he doesn’t.