Yesterday, Today And Tomorrow
November 24th, 2014
(Photo courtesy of Buccaneers.com)
A long look at the Bucs yesterday, today, and what to expect tomorrow and beyond.
For this entire season, Doug Martin has been nowhere near his rookie self, when he made the Pro Bowl and it appeared the Bucs had their version of Ray Rice (the football player) for years to come.
Now, he plays like he’s third string.
What a far fall. Joe knows way too many Bucs fans quickly blame the offensive line. While that may not be accurate, it’s lazy. Bobby Rainey runs behind the same offensive line and gets much better results. So the offensive line is laying down for Martin? Get real.
After the nut-kick loss to the Bears, Martin is running for 2.8 yards a carry. Not good. Rookie Charles Sims, who Joe finds to be all kinds of mediocre, is running for 3.0 yards a carry.
What has changed? Well, Martin, as Joe has written countless times, thinks he is now Mike Alstott. Unlike Rainey, Martin lost his vision. He can’t see holes and doesn’t look for them. He just lowers his head and tries to bowl over linebackers and linemen – -except with just under five minutes left in the first half. With the Bucs on their own 37 on 2nd-and-7, Martin ran up the left tackle, saw a hole to his left, darted through the hole following blockers, and ran for 10 yards.
That is the Doug Martin everyone remembers. Why did he gain yards there and struggle the rest of the way? He wasn’t/isn’t looking for a hole. Watch Bobby Rainey run. The guy has his head on a swivel, always looking for daylight. Rarely does Martin.
That, folks, is either on the coaching staff, or why Martin isn’t playing as much. It is either one or the other. Either Martin isn’t listening to coaches, or he’s not being coached up.
And his days with the Bucs appear numbered.
Don’t Blame Defense
Joe is still of the mind the Bucs defense has turned the corner. Thought so after the Bucs held the Vikings to 13 points in regulation, thought so last week when they thrashed the Redskins on the road, thought so yesterday.
Mind you, the Bucs were without Lavonte David. They were without Mason Foster for a period of time. The Bucs defense had too many short fields to work with. Did the defense make mistakes? Sure.
But Joe is going to take exception with what Gerald McCoy said. The Bucs defense held the Bears to 204 total yards. That’s not bad.
The offense? Yeah, it was bad. Speaking of bad…
The Josh McCown Nightmare
Look, no one doesn’t like Josh McCown. His intangibles are through the roof. He may be the nicest guy in the NFL. That doesn’t mean the guy is a competent starting NFL quarterback.
McCown, again, was playing like a Pop Warner quarterback. A kid would be benched for doing what McCown did.
Joe just does not get what some fans are watching. Mike Glennon may not be the answer. McCown is not the answer.
Yet there are sober folks, knowledgeable folks, who do not believe quarterback is an issue for the Bucs. Really. Joe dares anyone to watch games come to the conclusion that the quarterback play is at a level that can lead a team to a Super Bowl victory.
Why do so many Bucs fans accept below average play from the most important position on a football team?
This does not compute in Joe’s cranium, sorry. Never has; never will. Would you accept rotten play from a starting goalie for the Lighting? Would you accept a turnover-prone point guard who threw up bricks from the Gators? Would you accept a No. 1 pitcher who got torched every time he took the mound for the Rays? So why then is having slop for a Bucs quarterback a good thing? Answer Joe!
The Raiders with a rookie quarterback last Thursday night against a playoff-bound team had a better offense than the Bucs.
So the Bucs don’t need a quarterback, eh?
Bucs Not In Playoff Run
Will people just stop with this idiocy of the Bucs still in the hunt for a playoff spot? Sober up. No team that is 2-9 is in the hunt for a playoff spot, just stop it, stop it now.
Joe doesn’t care what kind of curvy math you want to use. Claiming a 2-9 team is in the playoffs is just silly and irresponsible.
NFL Thoughts
Raiders: Anyone watch that game Thursday night? Against one of the better teams in the NFL, the Raiders offense looked so much better than the Bucs’, even with a rookie QB Derek Carr. Oh, and that was the first time in Raiders history a rookie quarterback had a game-winning touchdown toss.
Browns: In a battle of teams fighting for their playoff lives, the Browns may have provided the death knell to Mike Smith and his Dixie Chicks. The Dixie Chicks coughed up the game-winning, field goal-kicking drive.
Bengals: That’s it. Continue to mock Andy Dalton. He only threw for 223 yards and a touchdown. All Dalton does is win. You’d take Dalton in a heartbeat over Josh McCown, wouldn’t you? Admit it!
Colts: Andrew Luck only needed one half (the second) and 253 yards to shred the Jags. Man, the Jags are bad but sonofagun, Luck is so, so good.
Packers: Eddie Lacy’s two touchdowns took some pressure off Aaron Rodgers as the Packers just squeaked past the Vikings. Too many weapons for the men of purple.
Patriots: Tom Brady… yada, yada, yada… Bill Belicheat… yada, yada, yada… (yawn).
Eagles: Rarely does Mark Sanchez throw 30 times and not get exposed. This was one of those times. He threw for 307 yards and the Sanchize bandwagon resumes in Philly.
Chargers: In another example of the No Freaking Logic outfit, the Chargers with banged up Philip Rivers beat the Lambs. Keenan Allen’s 29-yard catch from Philip Rivers in the fourth quarter did the trick.
Seahawks: Just when it looked as Seattle was going to be on the outside looking in on the playoffs, the Seahawks rise up and drop the team with the best record in the NFL. Don’t tell Joe the Cardinals don’t miss Carson Palmer. Bobby Wagner came back for the Seahawks. Coincidence?
Broncos: Peyton Manning… blah, blah, blah (yawn). Joe cares more about Lauren Tannehill.
49ers: Robert Griffin III continues his wretched ways as the 49ers play smashmouth football to pound RGIII and win.
Non-NFL Thoughts
1. So the lone undefeated team in the Power Five conferences squeaks out another one and the SEC crowd is howling their throats bloody raw because said undefeated team does not belong in the four-team playoff. Joe has to ask, if wins don’t count, then what the hell is the point of playing games? This isn’t T-ball. The SEC is just scared to death they may/could get shut out of the four-team playoff, which an Ole Miss and Auburn win this weekend would do.
2. Promise you that if that happens, then we will see an eight-team playoff ASAP, which is what it should have been in the first place.
3. What the sophists of college football should have done was kept the same system. The four BCS bowls would have been a defacto quarterfinal round. The winners of the four BCS bowls would advance to the semifinals. Why was it that difficult to figure out?
4. Notice you don’t hear Jim Delany wailing like the SEC crowd?
5. Joe doesn’t think Ohio State belongs in the playoff, sorry. If you lose at home to Virginia Tech and have to go to overtime to beat a lousy Penn State team, you are out of the loop.
6. Saturday afternoon, Joe could tell he was in the capital of the Big Ten. Joe was at a downtown Chicago watering hole with many, many TVs and all had Big Ten games on. Finally, a friendly bartender turned on the Boston College-Florida State game… on a smallish TV in the corner.
7. What the hell has happened to Michigan? Losing to Maryland at home? Somewhere, Lloyd Carr has indigestion.
8. Is Bo Pelini really that good of a defensive coach? He really isn’t that much worse than Bill Callahan?
9. Joe’s calling it: Florida knocks off Florida State in Will Muschamp’s final game as Gators coach. History repeats itself.
10. Gators fans: Would you accept Gene Chizik as your new coach? The pride of Clearwater, he knows how to win a national championship.
11. Sad when Joe thinks about it, but Angus Young, the soul of AC/DC, is the lone original member of still with the band.
12. What the hell does it take for Van Halen to play halftime of the Super Bowl?
November 24th, 2014 at 8:46 am
Joe, man #10 is a tough one to swallow. Chizik??? Yeah the guy played for Galen Hall but besides that one 14-0 run @ Auburn what has the guy done but make a lot of alumni bitter? But then again, I am sure alumni from schools in Athens, Tuscaloosa, Baton Rouge and Columbia SC would all welcome a guy like Chizik in Gainesville as well as anyone who makes coin off of billboard advertising up in North Central Florida!!!! Besides that your spot on your 12 non NFL points and Van Halen (with Diamond Dave, not Sammy) HAS to do a Super Bowl show someday!!!!
November 24th, 2014 at 8:58 am
McKown — McGarbage
Lovie — McClueless
Licht: Do you really want this guy stocking your team?
Lovie is YESTERDAY’S successful coach
Lovie is TODAY’S disaster
Lovie is TOMORROW’s coach as well……..
How sad is that????
November 24th, 2014 at 9:00 am
I think Glennon and Rainey starting and we win yesterday. Bears did all they could to let us win yesterday, but McCown out did em.
Lovie’s biggest most glaring mistake, to me, was Eric Page. Thigpen needs to go back to hole he crawled from!!
November 24th, 2014 at 9:16 am
Patriots- yawn. Wait, how about yesterday 4 Patriots tds were scored by players that were purged by the Bucs. In fact, by my count, over 10% of the Patriot’sroster is filled with players on the Bucs while Schiano was head coach.
November 24th, 2014 at 9:16 am
Hmmmm lets see, if I was Martin would I go out there and play hard for a team that has no chance of making it to the playoffs. HELL NO Im not going to take a chance and re injure myself for a coach that is living in the past. Trade me to New England and watch me return to my 100+ rookie form.
November 24th, 2014 at 9:20 am
The zebras gave that game to the Bears. V-Jax catch was NOT a fumble. That call, like the phantom hands to the face call in the Atlanta game, changed the outcome of the game. No doubt in my mind.
November 24th, 2014 at 9:22 am
yesterday was a good day – i did not watch what I already knew would happen
today I won’t be bummed
tomorrow is just one day closer to the end of the L & L experiment
November 24th, 2014 at 9:32 am
Joe, I’m sober. I’m not knowledgeable as much as most others but I’m sober! I don’t think we need a QB so badly that we give up on other needs or more talented players. Look what Houston did. They absolutely needed a QB. They literally had no one yet they picked Clowney as he was the can’t miss talent. I think the Bucs have so many other legitimate needs that QB right now isn’t the biggest needs, at least not in the 1st round of the draft.
Say what you will about Glennon but the truth of the matter is that he’s better than any QB to come out of last year’s draft or this year’s draft. Last year most fans thought anyone drafted would be leaps and bounds better than Glennon. Bortles isn’t, Carr isn’t, Bridgewater isn’t, and Manziel hasn’t played and he’s playing behind a QB who isn’t all that good. Both Bucs QBs have been asked to win without a real offensive coordinator or a good offensive line. Glennon didn’t even have a training camp with first team reps.
November 24th, 2014 at 9:38 am
Dalton is not very good. The Bengals paid him like an elite QB but he isn’t. Not even close. Sure, I’d take Dalton over McCown but I wouldn’t give the keys to the franchise to Andy Dalton. No way, never!
November 24th, 2014 at 9:41 am
Stupid Dixie Chicks are going to get Jim Harbaugh. I just know it. It just feels like everything is falling into place. ugh
November 24th, 2014 at 9:54 am
9. Joe’s calling it: Florida knocks off Florida State in Will Muschamp’s final game as Gators coach. History repeats itself.
—————————-
Like Clemson did earlier this season?
November 24th, 2014 at 10:04 am
“9. Joe’s calling it: Florida knocks off Florida State in Will Muschamp’s final game as Gators coach. History repeats itself.”
You’re predicting Winston loses his last game ever at Doak? C’mon, you haven’t watching these games all season?
Treon is bruised up. Noles win. Not a blowout, but, another win.
November 24th, 2014 at 10:04 am
Harbaugh to the Raiders or Michigan. Only two places guaranteed to give him full control.
November 24th, 2014 at 10:16 am
I’ll admit the firing of Schiano (had high hopes that he could do a Belichikian turnaround without the getting fired first part) I have been a little sour on the Bucs, but when rumors of Harbaugh possibly leaving SF surfaced I became giddy at the thought of a proven winner with a pulse like him possibly taking over at One Buc Place. Some players may hate him, but it’s hard to argue with a guy who has gone to the NFC championship and/or SB in each of his seasons as the 49’ers HC. Lovie may be a nice guy and might even be able to turn the Bucs into a winner (in 5 years!), but I hope the Glazers channel their inner Malcolm and swing for the home run that would probably be Harbaugh.
November 24th, 2014 at 10:29 am
i’d take Sanchez in a heartbeat over McCown or Glennon. He may have done some dumb things with the Jets… but face it- it was the Jets. He may not be spectacular, but all the Bucs need right now is a game manager until they can get a new franchise guy (or develop Glennon, if that is possible)
November 24th, 2014 at 10:30 am
..and Glennon isn’t much different stat-wise than Teddy, so he it is still possible to coach him up and develop him.
November 24th, 2014 at 10:45 am
We are the worst team in the worst division ever.
November 24th, 2014 at 11:13 am
Joe, I’m on the same page regarding Manning and the Broncos and Brady and the Pats. The most joy of this season for me will be seeing both teams ousted in the playoffs. Also, I was surprised how close the Redskins played at San Fran.
November 24th, 2014 at 11:18 am
No way Jameis loses this week. UF isn’t very good, their coach is leaving, and…oh yea. This team doesn’t lose. History is repeating itself every week. FSU wins.
November 24th, 2014 at 12:26 pm
I can see FSU losing. They have had progressive close games each week. It will catch up to them eventually. Eventually may very well be this week.
November 24th, 2014 at 12:34 pm
No Joe I stated before training camp that bringing in McCown was foolish because he would play like he always has and not like he did during that miraculous five game stretch last season. But I would’ve rather been wrong than being able to say “I told you so” like some fans on this site. McCown being given the job twice now is not acceptable. Such a gross lack of judgement by Lovie is as maddening as it is insulting to Tampa Bay Buccaneer fans. McCown dose not deserve to be our starting qb.
November 24th, 2014 at 1:06 pm
don’t mistake “great QB” with a dude who played well for 5 games with two 6’5 receivers.
November 24th, 2014 at 1:38 pm
Did Rainey really look better than Martin yesterday? Did Sims?
No.
Blaming the O-line is not lazy, it’s accurate. They are ok at pass blocking, but absolutely terrible at run blocking. Marshawn Lynch couldn’t do sh*t behind this line.
November 24th, 2014 at 2:43 pm
FSU might win again this week against another mediocre team, but I definitely do not think they would be undefeated if they had a tougher schedule. They kinda remind me of the 2010 Bucs. I don’t think they’ll make it past the 1st playoff game.
November 24th, 2014 at 3:29 pm
@unbelievable
Your right. Neither of the 4 running backs have done anything that much better than the other.
It’s the O-line. its absolutely terrible.
That should be the top priority is fixing this line. No qb can succeed behind a crap line like this one. Have to protect your qb first.
With all the needs the bucs have the oLine pick is the smartest pick.
November 24th, 2014 at 4:43 pm
I agree with D-Rome
— Would be a colossal mistake to reach for a QB in the draft with so many additional needs on this team. Not one of those QBs looks like a sure-fire franchise guy
November 24th, 2014 at 4:58 pm
@TheKevin and unbelievable- Our RBs have been less than spectacular, that’s for sure. It does seem to me however that Rainey is running with a little more vision. The issue in my opinion is that we keep switching back and forth where no one can get into a rhythm. “Hot hand” anyone?! Geez!
As far as QB goes, do we really need to see more of McCown? Glennon may not be better but we KNOW McCown won’t be.
For god sake can we find OL like we did with DE(Jacquis Smith=stud)? Please?
November 24th, 2014 at 5:21 pm
Wait to go out on a limb, Joe. The reptiles to beat the Noles in a rivalry game, with nothing to lose, and absolutely zero pressure, to pull the upset. I second your daredevil prediction.
November 24th, 2014 at 5:41 pm
Just curious – what is the difference in yards per carry with a fullback as opposed to without a fullback. Maybe I’m old school, but it seems to me that if you identify yourself as a running team, you would use a fullback a lot more than we do.
November 24th, 2014 at 6:15 pm
Huh so bobby Rainey had some breakout game that I missed?