Bucs Need O-Line To Shape Up
November 1st, 2014
Bucs C Evan Dietrich-Smith and his fellow offensive linemen need to get their act together.
In some ways, Joe believes the offensive line is the scapegoat for some of the offense’s ills.
It’s lazy to blame the offensive line on Doug Martin being a shell of his former self. When are fans going to hold the guy with the ball responsible for not making anyone miss? Why does Martin think he is all of a sudden Mike Alstott?
Still, the offensive line has been, well, inconsistent both in run blocking and pass blocking. The past two weeks, pass blocking has been dismal to the point starting quarterback Mike Glennon is about to have his life insurance policy revoked.
Yesterday in his daily press briefing, Lovie Smith all but said the Bucs need the offensive line to have a decent day in order to win at Factory of Sadness.
“Sunday, we could’ve had this conversation each [wek] and we’ll continue to have this conversation and that’s a question you can lead with,” Lovie said. “Yes, they need to set the tone for us to run the football. When you go on the road, in general – go on the road and play a football game, one of the things you have to do is run the ball. The easiest thing to do is turning and handing it off and also that kind of lets you know what type of game it will be too.
“We talk about being more physical and most of that involves the offensive line and getting into position for our running backs to run the football. And as you flip it over, for our defense, they know Cleveland is committed to the run and we have to shut that down. Again, we start most of our meetings each week talking about that.”
Joe knows the defense is frankly getting tired of hearing how the offense is going to do things but comes up flat each and every week. Joe is pretty sure the next time Hawk Goldson hears someone utter the phrase “fast start” he may just punch them.
It’s rather odd that four of the five starting Browns offensive linemen were there last season and struggled under current Bucs O-line coach George Warhop. But new Browns offensive line coach Andy Moeller, who replaced Warhop, turned the Browns into a damn good line before injuries began to mount this season.
How come Warhop couldn’t mold a blocking system to fit his charges, like Moeller did instituting a wide zone blocking scheme in Cleveland?
Things that make you go, “Hhhmmm?”
November 1st, 2014 at 8:04 am
name 1 good coach on this team….it might have something to do with the lack of vision from the top….
November 1st, 2014 at 8:07 am
I just hope we dont allow the NFL record for sacks on Sunday. Poor Glennon, he owes it to himself to fake an injury so Oniel Cousins doesn’t ruin him. If nothing else we can expect a good 6 or 7 holding penalties this week, at a minimum.
November 1st, 2014 at 8:07 am
Dan Dierdorf would look bad blocking in this scheme
November 1st, 2014 at 8:20 am
The Hawk can eat a big ole bag of dicks!! 104 points allowed in only two games. 104!!
It’s like the lazy guy at work that finally has a good day. On the easiest day of the year. Then goes around telling anyone who would listen how good of a day he had.
Hawk needs to STFU and work on not allowing 104 points in only two games.
Aint one dam person on this team “looking in the mirror.”
November 1st, 2014 at 8:26 am
We need to come out gunning instead of running…..establish the pass in order to run….every week we find ourselves down because we can’t run.
Its up to coaches on both sides of the ball to adjust to our poor line play.
November 1st, 2014 at 8:36 am
I see a trend and sounds like coach George Warhop is the common denominator in suck-i-ness.
November 1st, 2014 at 8:36 am
to bad the bucs offense cannot play the bucs defense! then they would score touchdowns every quarter and put up 38+ easy.
I love that Joe thinks that the bucs defense has “taken the next step” but in reality, they just played the current worst offense in the NFL.
November 1st, 2014 at 8:37 am
Since this article was about the offense I will lend MY stupid opinions to that side of the ball. I think that our ENTIRE coaching staff on the offensive side of the
ball needs to be reviewed. Loved the comments about Warhop and the new Oline coach in Cleveland Aaron Rodgers was upset when EDS left. Logan Mankins is a stud that just didn’t lose it over night. McDonald came with a good resume although we were worried about him over a full season.
Arroyo is in WAY over his head and I am sure that will be addressed.
Our WR’s and Te’s are dropping WAY too many balls. Mike Evans and ASJ are NO where near what I thought they would be…again coaching and accountability.
There seems to be no cohesiveness between the Oline and the Rb’s. You MIGHT say that Doug M is a shell of his former self or is it the coaching and him not being able to use what he has. It will be interesting to see Chris Sims.
Keep Lovie…get a SOLID OC and new coaches and let’s go on to next year with Marcus or Jameis as our QB and let’s see what happens!!!
November 1st, 2014 at 8:42 am
Since our line is struggling quite badly and Cleveland knows well all of Warhops tendencies it would make you think they will know exactly how to defend against this line for the next game.
This doesn’t look good
November 1st, 2014 at 9:06 am
The grass is always greener….
November 1st, 2014 at 9:08 am
Joe
The OL is bad, but I don’t know if it is the coaching, play plans, players, or the water, but it is bad. Poor Martin and crew, plays straight up the gut, no play action, no sweeps to the out side, no …., except straight up the gut on the first and second down no matter how many yards we need.
Now if the same linemen in Cleveland only have different coaching this year and they work, and that same coach that couldn’t is here and it is not working ever, we need to flush the coaches involved.
I don’t know who picked the coaches but it starts with Lovie and as a stellar member of the pen and mike club, who is in charge of the offensive coaches, Lovie or the acting OC? This could be part of the problem.
Hope you had a Happy Halloween and are not paying for it today.
November 1st, 2014 at 10:13 am
Lovie wants to set the tone with the running game. That’s all well and good, the Bucs will definitely need it for a chance to win the game. Likewise Glennon needs open receivers and protection to complete those throws. Both have to work to get the win. The Warhop deal moving south has’nt panned out. If Sims get’s in, maybe a spark. This will be a difficult game, everything must come together to come out with the win. Go Bucs, make it 2-1 in the AFC north!
November 1st, 2014 at 10:17 am
Bucs really miss Pete Mangurian- he did a great job when he was here making the best of the players he had even after a whole bunch of injuries. He was fired the next year for being too abrasive and the OL has sucked since. On another note, PJ Fleck is also really missed. In his first year the WRs excelled and did great too. I remember watching both coach up the players during training camp , and on the sidelines during games too. Warhop does suck.
November 1st, 2014 at 10:47 am
I’m dumbfounded as to how Warhop even puts his pants on right in the morning, not to mention coach an NFL offensive line.
November 1st, 2014 at 10:48 am
The offensive line here in Tampa is the worst in football… And this week the Bucs are starting Oniel Cousins at left tackle… HOLY SH*T!!!
You think this line sucked up to now… Hahahahahaha… Just wait until you get a load of this crap fest… I truly feel sorry for Mike Glennon for having to perform behind this lump of dung we call an offensive line…
What a total joke this whole team is…
November 1st, 2014 at 11:10 am
maybe the online would be motivated to play harder and do a better job of protecting if the Bucs had an NFL caliber QB instead of a has been that never was and a pathetic non-athletic future radio host. Until Lovie is gone and a coach that accepts the new rules changes and realizes that you must score to win. And of above all is not afraid of points. I don’t understand lovies belief that points are bad.
November 1st, 2014 at 12:12 pm
@ Tamparob, totally agree. Mangurian could be had for the right price. He is currently the head football coach at Columbia. Ivey league for an NFL position??? IF the price is right.
November 1st, 2014 at 12:36 pm
The only thing right about all the dribble being posted here is Lovie is responsible for these hires or lack thereof.
I believe Bucworld would have been a better place to live if Lovie had sought out some qualified OC as soon as he knew Tedford was not going to be available. This team has suffered a great deal with Arroyo, who only had limited experience as an OC in college ball, calling the plays.
Still, you can be the greatest coach in the world, but if your LT can’t handle 1 on 1 pass protection, your team is going to be in for a long day.
Does anyone remember the wing pass to Martin in the third quarter when the Vikings stud DE fought off Colllin’ feeble attempt to be block him with one arm while tackling Martin with the other.
It would have been comical if Martin hadn’t been injured on the play.
Don’t care how brilliant a coach is, if an offensive lineman refuses to use good technique, you have to blame the player, not the coach.
November 1st, 2014 at 3:12 pm
Without Tedford the playcalling has been stubbornly unimaginative and very reminiscent of Lovie’s Chicago offense. Sticking with a gain-no-yards running game until something opens up is the problem. Either Arroyo has no confidence in Glennon’s ability to run the west coast style quick strike package part of the playbook to soften up the defense or Lovie won’t let him call it until the game is out of hand. Pounding undersized RB’s against the front 7 or 8 and hoping they’ll wiggle through is a low percentage game that’s getting nowhere. It’s too bad Tedford’s out of commission. It would have been interesting to see the rest of the playbook being used on Sundays.
November 1st, 2014 at 3:18 pm
The problem HAS to be Warhop’s Coaching of the O Line.
If he sucked in Cleveland, why was he brought here to Tampa ?
I agree, we may want to look at Pete Mangurian again, who did so much, with so little.
November 1st, 2014 at 11:50 pm
“The only thing right about all the dribble being posted here is Lovie is responsible for these hires or lack thereof.
I believe Bucworld would have been a better place to live if Lovie had sought out some qualified OC as soon as he knew Tedford”
You call us out on OUR posts yet you blame this all on the fact that we don’t have Tedford? Are you really joking or what?
Exactly what in the hell does Tedford have to do with this dreaded defense Lovie slops out onto the field every week?????????????????????????????????????
November 1st, 2014 at 11:54 pm
ddneast thinks that Bucworld would be in a much better place if we only had Tedford…that’s nice to know. Gee I don’t think it would matter one jack squat if we had him or not. Seeing how our D gets shredded week in and week out.