No Rush Defense, Either
November 12th, 2014
The spreadsheeters say the Bucs’ D-line was victimized by Atlanta guard Gabe Carimi Sunday. Of all people!
It is pretty clear by now the Bucs have no pass rush. Three weeks in a row playing a beat up offensive line, the Bucs failed to take advantage. Even with Gerald McCoy, the Bucs have no pass rush. It is disgraceful.
It is not just the pass rush; apparently, the run defense is nearly as bad. At least, that’s what it looked like Sunday.
Lavonte David is a stud. Mason Foster had a decent game. But the front line? Embarrassing. Consider what spreadsheeter Gordon McGuinness at Pro Football Focus dug up while watching game film on the Bucs defense.
Breakdown: In a game where Atlanta handled the Tampa Bay front seven with relative ease, the work of [tight end Levine] Toilolo and [offensive tackle] Carimi as blockers stood out. Playing 19 snaps as an extra offensive lineman, Carmini frequently turned defensive ends and linebackers inside. Likewise for Toilolo, who didn’t see a single pass thrown his way all game, but did his job as a blocker.
Doesn’t this make your stomach turn? Gabe freaking Carimi? A guy Lovie Smith never could get to play well in Chicago, despite being a first round pick, and one of Lovie’s first cuts with the Bucs. Carimi couldn’t seem to find a spot to play last year and was left out on the street like the morning trash waiting for a garbage truck to come by.
The Dixie Chicks did just that and Carimi locked up the Bucs on run plays.
Let’s see now: Donald Penn was jettisoned and this year in Oakland has been near perfect in pass coverage while protecting a rookie quarterback. Jeremy Zuttah, traded by the Bucs, is now starting for a team in the thick of a playoff hunt. Guard Ted Larsen (who Joe thought was awful) is starting for Arizona, which has the best record in the NFL.
Now add Carimi to the list of offensive linemen who the Bucs tossed overboard this year and are excelling with a new team.
At least Carimi excels when he plays against the Bucs.
How does your breakfast taste now?
Good morning.
November 12th, 2014 at 6:24 am
Joe,
Thanks for always being up early. Great article to start my day…to bad it is such a bummer of a reality tho.
November 12th, 2014 at 6:29 am
I’m sure that guy was motivated against lovie who cut him twice and second time didn’t bother to let any o lineman compete for their jobs. Apparently lovie knows nothing about football, he drafted this guy but still doesn’t know how to exploit the weaknesses that got him cut?
November 12th, 2014 at 7:00 am
Its classic team management…..nobody ever wants the other guys picks unless their stellar. Lovie chopped those guys to send a message that there was a new sheriff in town and unfortunately its back fired as the team is seeing the same performances from former players and then looking at the dog turds they are lining up with.
As with Schiano, players will march the line if you are winning or showing progress, Lovie isn’t showing either and in my opinion, the players themselves are tired of the b.s. I believe the players are executing what they are supposed to, simply put, the talent level was reduced by Lovie’s “picks” and the scheme blows. Cleveland and Detroit don’t seem to have a problem with picking up a new “scheme”.
November 12th, 2014 at 7:18 am
At least we get to look at hooters girls every morning.
November 12th, 2014 at 7:22 am
Well hey Dekota Watson couldn’t hang on for Jacksonville and just got waived which means he’s a perfect fit for lovie to bring in another ineffective linebacker/pass rusher
and my breakfast was great, the bucs suck that’s not my problem….if you live in tampa your used to having another team to root for because we never make the post season
November 12th, 2014 at 7:30 am
Dekota Watson is a hell of a special teams player. I don’t know why we didn’t keep him around. I get the notion that all players should be able to step in for depth at their position when needed but I think an exception should’ve been made for someone of his caliber. Apples to oranges here but Hester proved time and time again that he is only good at special teams and Lovie let it work.
November 12th, 2014 at 7:39 am
@ buc4lyfe Says:
“…Apparently lovie knows nothing about football, he drafted this guy but still doesn’t know how to exploit the weaknesses that got him cut?”
And this is the guy who will be overseeing our next draft. Frightening!
November 12th, 2014 at 7:42 am
At this point we’re all just piling on. They’re really bad. We know that. They can’t get better this season. We know that. We’re clubbing this dead horse to a pulp.
November 12th, 2014 at 7:53 am
Years away from winning anything that matter. I hope people who say give Lovie time realize that means 3-5 years. Worst part is Lovie’s history shows he misses the playoffs twice as much as he makes it. He’s not even that great a coach.
November 12th, 2014 at 8:01 am
maybe carimi didnt buy lovies bull spit???????????
November 12th, 2014 at 8:04 am
Are Smith and Licht accountable to anyone for the string of horrible moves they’ve made? They came in and tore apart a terrible team….and made it worse, Much worse!
The Glazers are the biggest saps in the NFL to keep allowing this kind of crap to keep happening. Until Moe, Larry & Curly sell the team, this is just gonna keep happening.
November 12th, 2014 at 8:07 am
This team has made a habit of reviving careers of avg and declining players. Watch RG III go “all world” on us this weekend……you know it’s going to happen
November 12th, 2014 at 8:59 am
Well as that nice lady sang so many years ago, “We can see clearly now”. Most of these coaches including the head coach doesn’t have a clue of what is a good football player nor how to teach/guide them, now get them to play together with schemes that work againt the opponent of the week.
With our season’s record, we should be trying out all kinds of new people at those positions where we need help to see if we have or anyone’s practice squad has anyone that can play when given the chance, but we would need at coach at that position who knew what he is doing, and we don’t, so we won’t change coaches or players.
Someday we will have a great change and all of this will be behind us as a distant nightmare, but at least we have world class cheerleaders, maybe the head of them should be the head coach.
November 12th, 2014 at 9:00 am
One thing that seems never to come up on this great site, is who makes the decisions on particular units. Who starts? Who is worked into the rotation?
Folks, I would bet that it is the position coaches who have the most input. They work with each player in that unit on the field, during practice, in the classroom watching film, etc.
We have seen players leave TB and excel in other systems, under different coaches. We have seen so-called good players come to the Bucs and disappear like the morning mist under the tutelage of these inept coaches. They can’t all be that bad. It’s time someone called a spade a spade and called out this group of inept coaches that just are not getting the job done.
November 12th, 2014 at 9:03 am
Reposted from last night
Seven first-year head coaches in the NFL this year:
Cleveland: Mike Pettine 2013: 4-12 2014: 6-3
Minnesota: Mike Zimmer 2013: 5-10-1 2014: 4-5
Detroit: Jim Caldwell 2013: 7-9 2014: 7-2
Tennessee: Ken Whisenhunt 2013: 7-9 2014: 2-7
Washington: Jay Gruden 2013: 3-13 2014: 3-6
Houston: Bill O’Brien 2013: 2-14 2014: 4-5
Tampa Bay: Lovie Smith 2013: 4-12 2014: 1-8
I guess it just takes time, as anyone can see. (sarc)
Especially if you replace the starting OT, OG, C, TE, and QB; all before the first practices. Get very limited production from millions of dollars worth of free agents. Lose an offensive coordinator, and refuse to try to replace him. Replace a weak pass rush with an almost invisible one. Replace one of the best turnover ratios with an inept one. Commit repeated penalties at the most inopportune times, and for the dumbest reasons. Take till the 10th game to realize the pass protection isn’t too good, and finally throw some curls and slants off quick drops. Continue to try running plays “up the gut” with limited to no success. Hire a defensive coordinator whose team was worst in the NFL last year in points allowed per game, only to be even worse this year. And finally, have your team play with no heart or passion, then yeah “it takes time”.
tickrdr
November 12th, 2014 at 9:05 am
This is exactly why more roster turn under Lovie is senseless.
Psst… It’s all about coaching!
November 12th, 2014 at 9:31 am
I thought you weren’t talking about the pass rush anymore?
November 12th, 2014 at 10:11 am
@tickrdr…very very well said.
November 12th, 2014 at 10:43 am
i think praising carimi is a bit much. we are talking about a 6th OL, effectively a blocking TE. i’m not making any inferences about his ability to hold his own as part of a 5 man OL playing every snap. we would only need a 6th OL if we were able to keep games close, or were regularly in 3rd and short. we haven’t done much of either this season
November 12th, 2014 at 10:56 am
Before ANYBODY screams about L & L not knowing talent, etc… don’t forget that it was the majority of the fans that were begging for Donald Penn to be kicked out of Tampa, I got sick of defending him, plus when Robert Quinn made him look silly all I could do was shut my mouth. Also, everybody thought Carimi was a bum, Larsen had one good season in 2010 and then looked below average ever since. Linemen often take time to mature. A good offensive lineman doesn’t really mature into the best player he can be until usually season 5 at the earliest. I don’t blame L & L for Carimi or Larsen. I liked Donald Penn but the majority of Bucs fans wanted him roasted like a pig.
November 12th, 2014 at 11:05 am
bucrightoff Says:
November 12th, 2014 at 7:53 am
Years away from winning anything that matter. I hope people who say give Lovie time realize that means 3-5 years. Worst part is Lovie’s history shows he misses the playoffs twice as much as he makes it. He’s not even that great a coach.
——————————-
I see 8 years to turn this around. Next two years building the roster. Another two years “gelling” and another 2-4 chasing the playoffs.
November 12th, 2014 at 11:59 am
Lovie destroyed the team. Fire him.
November 12th, 2014 at 11:59 am
Also, McCoy sucked against Atlanta.
From your link Joe:
Gerald McCoy, DT: -5.9
Breakdown: Certainly a surprise to see McCoy grade so poorly, but then his grade took a dip thanks to a lack of discipline with four penalties. In truth though it was a disappointing performance even when you ignore those four penalties. Failing to make an impact against the run, he registered just two hurries as a pass rusher.
Signature Stat: Was offsides three times on the opening Atlanta drive.
November 12th, 2014 at 12:24 pm
Skyline
Thank you for calling him out. Joe and the rest of the media are scared of mccoy. “The defensive line jumped offsides 3x on Sunday”. NO! Mccoy jumped os 3x on Sunday.
November 12th, 2014 at 1:06 pm
McCoy does not normally jump like that. Something else was going on and the refs weren’t calling it. Hell, the Refs gave Atlanta the game with the non-existent hands to the face call.
November 12th, 2014 at 2:29 pm
If Lovie has no ability to coach offense, why is he given say over offensive personnel?