Was Peter King Hoodwinked?
September 8th, 2014
As he is wont to do, pedestrian-bumping, olive oil-lapping, popcorn-munching, coffee-slurping, fried-chicken-eating, oatmeal-loving, circle-jerking, beer-chugging, cricket-watching, scone-loathing, college football-naïve, baseball box score-reading, NPR-listening, filthy-hotel-staying, fight-instigating, barista-training Peter King, of theMMQB.com and NBC Sports fame, did his drive-by visit to training camp at One Buc Palace this summer.
He was so charmed by many of the Bucs, including suits, coaches and players, he came away convinced Tampa Bay was going to be one of the great turnaround stories of the season, that Lovie Smith would sprinkle his pixie dust on the team and it would turn into a playoff contender.
King told anyone who would listen, far and wide, TV and radio, commoners on the street and heavy-hitters in top-floor corner offices, that the Bucs were a team to watch. He even predicted them to be a Super Bowl contender.
Then, yesterday happened.
For three quarters, those who had high hopes for the Bucs, the reaction to the debacle on the field was like taking a shovel to the face. Joe just can’t get out of his head how an 11-year NFL veteran like Josh McCown pulled Harlem Globetrotter stunts with the football like a panicked high school sophomore quarterback on the last play of the game. Only McCown was pulling his stunts well before the final minutes.
Browsing through King’s must-read column, the “Monday Morning Quarterback,” King reacted to the jarring loss by the Bucs as if he may have been fooled.
Tampa Bay was everyone’s darling, everyone’s pick to rise from the Schianoian ashes to playoff contender.
And later, this:
Josh McCown, who too often looked unsure and shaky. Last thing I thought I’d see out of him after last year’s success in Chicago.
Well, let Joe state that he is really trying not to fall into the annual Week 1 overreaction. One game, the first game, does not make a season. But was there anything you saw yesterday that inspired confidence?
Oh, sure, it was great that the Bucs rallied late. However, if the Bucs didn’t play as if it was there first minicamp practice during the first three quarters, specifically on offense, a desperate comeback wouldn’t have been needed.
As with any NFL season, the first game is hardly the capsule for the season. After the Bucs play the Dixie Chicks a week from Thursday, we should getter a better read on the 2014 Bucs.
September 8th, 2014 at 12:09 pm
Verner was a bright spot. Patton too. You have to look pretty hardto find them though. Ugly ugly start.
September 8th, 2014 at 12:13 pm
“yesterday that inspired confidence?”
Lavonte David can make a tackle on anyone, anywhere.
September 8th, 2014 at 12:18 pm
I live in California and its getting hard to keep my young son a Bucs fan with them constantly losing. I told him this year would be better because of the staff and players, after yesterday, I bet he feels “hoodwinked” too
September 8th, 2014 at 12:19 pm
“…let Joe state that he is really trying not to fall into the annual Week 1 overreaction…”
I just don’t see how anyone can say so many of us are overreacting (save and except the sheep among us).
Opening game, on opening day, at home, and against the 26th ranked offense and a QB that makes HALF of what McCown makes – this was disgusting.
September 8th, 2014 at 12:20 pm
At least nobody started their post-game interview with” See, what had happened was…”
Just saying.
September 8th, 2014 at 12:21 pm
Joe,
I think this was spot on. I was talking with one of friends about the game. We were desperately trying to find a bright spot… Where was the bright spot? Was there anything to latch onto for hope?
September 8th, 2014 at 12:23 pm
Patton.
Thanks for the compliment.
September 8th, 2014 at 12:24 pm
Understandable.
September 8th, 2014 at 12:24 pm
Recent history of the Bucs:
Every year we suck in the preseason.
Every year we suck on opening day.
Every year (but one) we suck the entire season.
Every year some with rose-colored glasses tell the rest of us who know a turd when we see a turd that it’s only the first game, it takes time to gel, new coach, new QB, new coordinator, new system, new water boy, blah blah blah.
September 8th, 2014 at 12:26 pm
Latch on to the positive. Keonen was a bright spot, all those awesome punts, all those many many awesome punts. And the water boys were excellent, nobody cramping up. Great job Buc water boys. Game ball for you guys.
September 8th, 2014 at 12:28 pm
The offensive line blocking scheme certainly didnt help.
Once the panthers knew the line was in disarray
they had a field day.
Everything else followed that.
September 8th, 2014 at 12:32 pm
Joe doesn’t live in dreamland, sorry.
Otherwise, good sarcasm. 🙂
September 8th, 2014 at 12:33 pm
I really put this loss on the shoulders of Josh Dilfer….um McCown. Seriously, those turn overs were just bad, bad, decision making on his part. Those seriously caused momentum killers and play calling adjustments. He also had BIG, TALL and might I add open receivers down field that are known for making those jump ball catches…he never threw to them. Josh, this L is on you dude. Oline and Dline were not great, but Josh was the problem. Had we been able to get on the board sooner, I think the pass rush would have emerged.
One more thing – Mr. Mike Jenkins; you can’t even do ‘pass interference’ corectly. If you’re going to commit the penalty, at least be effective!
September 8th, 2014 at 12:35 pm
Am the only one hoping that Tedford’s sole input on the play calling was Javorski’s run? Just saying.
September 8th, 2014 at 12:36 pm
Until the Bucs get a quality QB we will always struggle. From a defensive standpoint the DL can’t be expected to put pressure on the offense every play. So a quality QB will torch us (see Brees and Ryan) enough times to beat us. I wasn’t surprised by the success the Panthers had in the middle of the field. Cover 2 is weak there and the SB Bucs suffered from that as well. Yesterday a 2nd string QB bettered our 1st string QB. How comforting. I agree with Joe today that Josh looked worse than Dilfer. I watched many a Dilfer led offense from RayJay and was appalled that he was considered an NFL QB. The Bucs need to procure a quality top 10 QB before we fans can expect dominant offensive play. Surround a lousy QB with better players you still have a lousy QB. For those who may respond that we won the SB with Brad Johnson I say this – he was accurate and threw the ball away when a play was dead. At a minimum we need those skills.
September 8th, 2014 at 12:37 pm
Joe
Baseball has relief pitchers for a reason, not every starter has a good day for every game. Giving McCown the benefit of the doubt and not saying he can’t think, he had at best a bad day yesterday. He should have been pulled for a relief QB. The comeback was due to the dime package Carolina put in.
Why is no one talking about not kicking a field goal and punting instead in the forth quarter? If your trust is such you don’t think you troop can do it, why have him?
Peter King also had this to say about the Bucs:
“Carolina (1-0). I’ll tell you what was so impressive about the Panthers’ performance at Tampa Bay: The offensive line has been 80% rebuilt from last year (new left tackle Byron Bell, new left guard Amini Silatolu, new right guard Fernando Velasco, new right tackle Nate Chandler … with one holdover, center Ryan Kalil), and paved the way for a good offensive day. Carolina had 113 rushing yards and allowed one sack and just three quarterback hits with a stationary target, Derek Anderson. Very good news for a team with major concerns about the offensive line entering the season.”
I ask this because I can think of no other reason for the really all around performance by the Bucs, did any one check the Gatorade to see if it was spiked? People off the various practice squads could do at least as good.
September 8th, 2014 at 12:40 pm
Eh I’m over it. Bring on the rams and another chance. If we pull out a dominating win we could carry it over to Thursdays game and hopefully beat the falcons. Then everybody would be right back loving on the bucs. Or we start off 0-3,4,5,6,7,8,9? Who cares. Sad thing is we will all get excited on game day as long as our beloved bucs are playing.
September 8th, 2014 at 12:42 pm
Yea uuum no sorry but overreacting to week one of the preseason is one thing but the criticism was earned Sunday, my disappointment was in the defense. They didn’t seem prepared, lovie sat out a year and seemed like he was totally lost and didn’t know how to handle option football. Defense needs to get back to the drawing board more than offense. I’m shocked they only put up 20 points
September 8th, 2014 at 12:42 pm
Thanks Joe. Been a Bucs fan since I was five years old( just turned 40). This crap the last decade is killing me. I quit a crappy job so I could watch us win the super bowl, and this is what we’ve put up with since. Is it too late to jump on the the Tampa Bay Bandit’s bandwagon?
September 8th, 2014 at 12:43 pm
What irks me the most is watching the Panthers bench reactions as the game kept unfolding… they were way too cocky and having way too much fun to be a visiting NFL team. Everyone plays in the heat. Guess they though our team was a big f $#@ing joke. I noticed the Panthers using some sort of improvised sun shade to cool players down. The weather here should.be a factor, but never seems to slow other team down.
September 8th, 2014 at 12:51 pm
We were all hoodwinked. Anyone who bought in to what the Bucs were trying to pass off as a professional football team was sold a bill of goods. Never been so demoralized during a football game as I was this weekend. I’ve jumped the shark on this thing. I’ll watch because the Redskins are terrible too and I can’t justify jumping on to some arbitrary team just because they’re winning but I just don’t believe in the team anymore
September 8th, 2014 at 12:59 pm
Mike Tice couldnt accomplish anything on the offense working under Lovies guidance
Mike Tice goes to Atlanta as Offensive line coach and they tear up New Orleans as they pass for over 450 yards
By the way-that was with Gabe Carimi at left tackle.
You think Tice is licking his chops for the Atlanta/Tampa game in two weeks?
September 8th, 2014 at 1:05 pm
The offense did a little worse than I expected. The major disappointment for me was the defense.
If Derek Anderson can slice you up nice then what is a real quarterback going to do?
September 8th, 2014 at 1:08 pm
The only people who got hoodwinked is the people that thought Lovie Smith is the answer to the Bucs.
Mike Williams Fail.
No Incognito Fail.
No QB Competition Fail.
Letting entire offense line go Fail.
Drafting another running back Fail.
September 8th, 2014 at 1:11 pm
If the bucs can gatherer them selves and pull a 13-10 win this week josh will buy him self some time. But if Josh is Josh and he pops the bed, the Bucs are looking at 0-3.
What does the record need to be for the Bucs to work toward the future at QB?
September 8th, 2014 at 1:17 pm
Fail Fail and Fail
Lovie needs to wake up and get pissed off instead of being there best friend.
FAIL
September 8th, 2014 at 1:23 pm
It will be better next week.
You know…like ChinaMart and their slogan
“live better”.
To me that implies that you’ve been living
pretty badly and the crap and ChinaMart
will help you live marginally better than
your previous crappy existence.
That said:
It will be better next week.
Not good. but better.
September 8th, 2014 at 1:48 pm
I put this loss solely on the shoulders of the whole team and coaching staff. Not one player did everything he could and the coaches didn’t coach like they needed to.
That is it and they have to get better. I believe they will.
September 8th, 2014 at 2:04 pm
Sorry but the schedule strongly suggests a 1-4 start now. That had to be a win. A loss next week and obviously not only is the season over but the #1 pick is in play. Needed that one yesterday against such a POS QB.
September 8th, 2014 at 2:25 pm
It’s real tough being a Bucs fan. This team continually builds up our hopes during off season only to watch them crash and burn opening game. Sighs
September 8th, 2014 at 2:30 pm
I heard mCcoy praying last night, IT went somthing like this- Lord Why did I have to be a buc..
September 8th, 2014 at 3:16 pm
No one can follow up years of Mark Dominic as GM and not call it a rebuilding time.
September 8th, 2014 at 3:17 pm
@lightningbuc Says:
“…Every year some with rose-colored glasses tell the rest of us who know a turd when we see a turd that it’s only the first game…”
And for those of you who say some of us are overreacting, YOU go hug the turd. I don’t want to have that stench on me on Sundays. Will it get better? Sure. But there is NO EXCUSE for this garbage they trot out and try to sell us that they are even a decent NFL caliber team.
September 8th, 2014 at 5:00 pm
Should they rename the Bucs and call them the Red Tide because they really stink? I am hoping they do better next game.
September 8th, 2014 at 5:47 pm
I was pumped for some positives this season with all the changes but that performance was frightening and let me know we are a llloooooooonnnnnnng way from contending for anything but the bottom of the NFC South.
September 8th, 2014 at 8:42 pm
Wow…today of all days to run this headline, & claim Peter King is “must read” anymore. In my opinion, he basically immolated his career (or at least his credibility).
September 9th, 2014 at 2:49 am
I feel a lot better about this year’s team with Schiano’s not as our coach. We might not of been “Carolina Ready”, but I think we will play them much tougher next go around. A shame we lost because it could end up being a tiebreaker later on…next week is definitely must win. The Thursday game will be hard…on the road, on short rest where the home teams have a huge advantage. division game too…so we must right the ship in that regard.