Back To The Drawing Board
December 8th, 2014
The Bucs offensive line was a total jailbreak yesterday
Based on game film Lovie Smith watched when he was first hired nearly a year ago, it was pretty clear the Bucs’ offensive line was the very first thing he was going to work on, sleeves rolled up.
And he did. He gutted it. The only starter left was right tackle Demar Dotson.
Joe would like to know what Lovie was watching on film of the new Bucs offensive linemen.
Anthony Collins, to be polite, has been inconsistent and worse than Donald Penn. Oneil Cousins was so bad in preseason the Bucs traded for Logan Mankins, who is out of his Pro Bowl form at left guard and struggles, in part, because of Collins and Cousins at left tackle.
Evan Dietrich-Smith demonstrates weekly why Packers savant general manager Ted Thompson let him walk away. Again, he’s a downgrade from Jeremy Zuttah. Right guard Patrick Omameh really isn’t so bad.
The way the Bucs were positively manhandled up front yesterday strongly suggests there is no way the Bucs can bring back this starting five. Not unless the Bucs want to make another run at the top overall pick in the draft.
FOX Sports Florida writer Andrew Astleford tried to watch the Bucs match up against the Lions defensive line, squinting through the cracks between his fingers as he held his hands over his face.
4. The Bucs’ offensive line continues to sink.
The gulf in ability between the Lions’ defensive line and Bucs’ offensive line was striking. For most of the day, it wasn’t close. For most of the day, the Lions’ D-line was a terror and the Bucs’ O-line was timid.
We knew Tampa Bay’s O-line was a weakness before Sunday, but games like this show how much work must be done to remake the group … again. More toughness is needed. More resistance must be required for the Bucs to dream of becoming a contender.
Remember when the Rams tossed around Mike Glennon last year for seven sacks in St. Louis? This game had a similar feel. McCown will wake up Monday sore. The Bucs had no chance without quality protection.
Again, the offensive line needs a(nother) makeover. Whether or not that is with a new offensive line coach remains to be seen.
This is what troubles Joe: When Lovie gutted the offensive line, he made it worse, much worse, not better. Who is to say another rebuild with new bodies presumably hand-picked by Lovie will be any better?
It’s to the point, though, where there is no other choice. The team cannot have this sieve return next year unless the coaching staff wants to sell insurance in 2016.
December 8th, 2014 at 12:25 pm
Not to mention we threw away Ted Larson who has started almost every game at LG for the Arizona Cardinals…
LT – D. Penn
LG – L. Mankins
C – J. Zuttah
RG – Ted Larson
RT – D. Dotson
This should be our line if Love and Licht didn’t suck so bad… Let’s hope they can remove their heads from their butts this off season…
December 8th, 2014 at 12:26 pm
Joe, the writing was on the wall. They took too many chances on non starter, journeyman back-ups and failed miserably. We knew what we had with Zuttah, Joseph, and dare I say, even Penn. In my opinion it was doomed to fail. You simply can’t have that type of turnover on any side of the ball and be sucessful. What we gained from this? Well, Mankins isn’t horrible so you only have to consider replacing 3 instead of 4 OL!
December 8th, 2014 at 12:26 pm
It is pointless to try to correct the present with methods that didn’t even
work in the past.
December 8th, 2014 at 12:29 pm
What was Evan Dietrich- Smith doing rolling the ball back at center while McCown was UNDER center ! How can that happen ? Agreed – trash the line and start over. Sorry defense, no help for you in the draft next year. It’s all going back into the offense.
December 8th, 2014 at 12:30 pm
We NEED O line….then Bryce Petty!
December 8th, 2014 at 12:37 pm
Value pickups?
Err.
The Glazers will let the same guy fix who broke what he thought was broken? Joe, correct me if I’m wrong, but didn’t Jerry Angelo build much of Lovie’s roster in Chicago?
December 8th, 2014 at 12:43 pm
EDS is the worst player on this team. I can’t stand looking at that puke stain any longer. Zero effort and zero brains. He’s a f*c king loser!!! I’m sick of his sh1t!! Just go away EDS and never come back u tool!!
December 8th, 2014 at 12:45 pm
lovie will probably be asked to cede the much-ballyhooed “roster control” he demanded at signing. it seems to me like the bucs best personnel moves (“best” being a very relative term here) happened in training camp and beyond, when Lovie was presumably too busy coaching this steaming heap to factor strongly into what piles of crap were added to it.
December 8th, 2014 at 12:50 pm
I watched Michael Johnson yesterday he sucks as a pass rusher.
December 8th, 2014 at 12:50 pm
Just more personnel blunders by L&L that cost the Glazers millions of dollars
December 8th, 2014 at 12:55 pm
LOL
oh the defense is getting better!!!
lovie is the man, we’ll get there.
this whole team is garbage. it’s too friggin funny.
December 8th, 2014 at 1:01 pm
His offensive line sucked in Chicago too so its hard to see optimism in his evaluation in that department.
December 8th, 2014 at 1:14 pm
The guy may or may not be a good HC, as of today I think he sucks in that department but….HE ABSOLUTELY sucks in personnel moves…..aside from Mike Evans….where did he make a good score in personnel moves…..he definitely jettisoned players we could definitely use right now….and mccown…cmon
December 8th, 2014 at 1:38 pm
Lovie never had a decent oline in Chicago. The way the game has changed offensively due to rules changes means you have to have a serviceable to excellent oline play that can protect you quarterback and open holes for the running game in order to take advantage offensively. Lovie better change his philosophy offensively or he will be run out of town sooner than later. You probably have two more years Lovie, you better get it done!
December 8th, 2014 at 2:40 pm
although it never panned out like we hoped, i thought the bucs were on to something in recent years. an LT in the top 3rd and 2 of the 3 interior positions manned by guys who should be in the pro bowl conversation every year. the 2 remaining spots are made to look better by the quality of the other 3, and you have a solid group to control the line of schrimmage and execute your desired offense more often than not. if only the on field production matched the salary at the guard position…
December 8th, 2014 at 3:01 pm
If I am the Glazers I tell Lovie your roster control is revoked and given to Licht. he is supposed to be a very good evaluator or so we were told. If he doesn’t like it….don’t let the door hit you on your way out.
let the coaches coach and the scouts scout.
December 8th, 2014 at 3:08 pm
What Lovie did was create a disaster with the Scab players he brought in this year. We didn’t have the number of bone head plays last year that this group of misfits have displayed…i.e., repeated bad snaps, repeated overthrows/underthrows, repeated beat down on our DE, repeated penalties, repeated wasted timeouts, n the list goes on. Meanwhile, Penn, Zuttah, Revis, (n thanks to Lovie), DHester r all having a field day with their new team. The fans n players r fed up with the “status quo”. Lovie n Arroro as a couple are a cloned Dungy n student body left/right Mike Shula.
December 8th, 2014 at 4:31 pm
I can not take any more of EDS. I just can’t get the games out watching Glennon clapping his hands, screaming and everything else tring to get the snap but no snap. Then the times he has snaped wide left, right,over the QB head and now this. Between him and Mankins and his flags alone is enough to make you want to puke.