Johnson Whiffed On Challenge
December 4th, 2014
Troublesome data emerges
Joe’s harped on the lack of life from Michael Johnson since August.
Heck, even Lovie Smith appeared to publicly put pressure on Johnson recently, saying before the Bengals game the his hand-picked defensive end had a superior week of practice and would be hungry to show his old teammates what he’s all about.
Oh, Johnson sure showed those Bengals what he’s been doing in Tampa — when he’s not thinking of days gone by.
The guy playing opposite Johnson, Bengals left tackle Andre Whitworth, had a one heck of a game. The stat geeks ProFootballFocus.com were blown away. ESPN.com shared the dirty details.
It seemed clear when watching the game live that left tackle Andrew Whitworth was playing the best game of anybody on the Bengals’ offensive line. Offensive coordinator Hue Jackson confirmed as much Monday, going so far as saying it was Whitworth’s finest performance of the season. Per PFF, Whitworth didn’t allow a single quarterback pressure and controlled the left edge in the running game. He was awarded a season-high plus-4.4 run-block grade from PFF and also recorded a plus-5.6 overall score.
Granted, Whitworth is a very good veteran left tackle, but he’s no Pro Bowler these days. But he is another guy who looked like a Pro Bowler when playing against Johnson.
So now what?
Johnson was practicing well and likely extra motivated, per Lovie. He’s also healthy, per the comments of Leslie Frazier. But Johnson is still trying to look as good as Stylez White.
December 4th, 2014 at 12:50 pm
#90 is Gaines Adams
December 4th, 2014 at 12:50 pm
Maybe they can’t tell the difference between looking good and playing good? Of course they may not know the difference.
December 4th, 2014 at 12:55 pm
We’ve had a lot of FA debacles over the years but this one will probably take the cake. He’s all but guaranteed to not have as many sack as guaranteed millions (24). He’s here next year because of the dead cap space but he’ll be gone (or better be) after that.
December 4th, 2014 at 12:55 pm
If practice makes perfect then the Bucs must be honing turnstile blocking skills, holding and offside penalties, bad snaps, whiffed tackles, busted coverage and maybe, just maybe, Saint McCown tossing a few up for grabs.
Meanwhile the coaches probably are franticly practicing poor clock management by burning timeouts, and inferior playcalling. Maybe counting to 12?
Err, the record is 2-10 fellas.
December 4th, 2014 at 12:57 pm
At least gaines sacked the QB more than 7 times each year and was much, much cheaper.
December 4th, 2014 at 12:57 pm
Why are we still playing this guy if he suucks so bad
December 4th, 2014 at 12:58 pm
And…we still got as 2nd round pick for him in a trade. You couldn’t get a 7th for MJ
December 4th, 2014 at 1:14 pm
If I were evaluating him from a FA standpoint I would have been very concerned as to how he went from double digit sacks to 3 in just a years time. And I wouldn’t have really wanted to hear all that ” he was asked to do some different things that year” stuff so much.
December 4th, 2014 at 1:38 pm
PFUDR
December 4th, 2014 at 1:41 pm
Black Monday should include cutting Johnson
December 4th, 2014 at 1:50 pm
I’m just so over this pathetic season. None of L&L’s free agents have been anything above mediocre. EDS is sometimes average at best. McCown just sucks and anyone who doesn’t see that just sounds moronic saying otherwise. Johnson, again, is no existent. Collins is inconsistent and F’ed us when we were in the red zone twice this past Sunday. Kind of the second coming of Kenyatta Walker.
Even the draft picks have added nothing except of course for Drake Evans. ASJ and Sims have not figured it out yet, not that they’ve been healthy to begin with. Herron and the O-linemen have been simply non exsistent.
And guess what? The worst part is we let talent go for this garbage. We CUT a healthy D.Revis in his prime for cap space and replaced him with Verner who sometimes plays ok. We blew up our 4-12 O line for an O line that is way worse than last years unit. Replacing Zuttah with EDS has been a joke. Omahmeh with vet Davin Joseph? Penn with Collins? We traded an absolute steal in the draft in Tim Wright for Mankins who just hasn’t had his head in the game but really who can blame him? ASJ hasn’t been anything close to what Tim Wright was for us last year. In hindsight we were lucky Wright figured out the game as quick as he did and we traded him for basically a rookie and an old guard who dosent want to be here.
What about Mike Will? We traded him when we had no #3 receiver or even a #2 receiver at that point. I know it’s all about $$$ but Murphy just isn’t that good and Mike Will could provide depth behind Evans and Vjax.
And the worst move off all. Thinking that handing McCown the starting job was acceptable is just foolish. There were so many potential qb’s in the draft and all we got is Glennon and McCown? WTF! That of all things could be what cost’ Lovie his job. It probably wont but yeah it’s been that bad.
Sorry for rambling but I just really really wanted to vent about why Our Buccaneers suck. Nothing but down grades across the board.
December 4th, 2014 at 2:01 pm
@joe you should ask lovie a direct question next chance. Something along the lines of hey lovie, MJ has obviously been a major disappointment up to this point, do you think there’s any chance of replacing him this of season?
I know you can’t word it like that but after watching to pressers it seems the media goes a little soft on lovie. I wish you guys would really grill him at some point this season.
December 4th, 2014 at 2:05 pm
Not caused on this end. Not anything Joe’s involved in financially. –Joe
December 4th, 2014 at 2:06 pm
We can’t cut Johnson unless we eat his salary. My question is when are we off the hook for his salary we are pouring down the perverbial drain? Until then we could at least keep him around as a quality backup.
December 4th, 2014 at 2:17 pm
everyone was singing his praises when he came to tampa. he is a joke. he looks like a bust too me. da’quan bowers is a much better player than him. put bowers on the end that is his natural position he played at Clemson. when teams let players go it is usually because the staff is competent enough to see they are not good/or lost a step. that obviously is not the case with tampa’s leadership. they got rid of a much better offensive line in the offseason. I question the bucs judgement evaluating talent.
December 4th, 2014 at 2:36 pm
Yikes I just thought of something, was Lovie the head coach who took Gaines Adams off our hands or was he still an assistant?
December 4th, 2014 at 2:40 pm
Johnson is just soooooooooooo weak at the point of attack. If he doesnt get the edge (which he barely ever does), he has no chance of coming within a country mile of the QB.
I’ll respect the Bucs regime for owning up to their mistake and just letting MJ go at the end of the year. Nothing is going to change with him this offseason. It’s not like he is going to suddenly wake up one morning and reinvent himself. He’s done. It happens quickly for some guys in the league. Just add him to the list.
MJ has the look of someone who doesnt want to be here. Let’s all just move on. It must be embarrassing for Johnson to see Jacqueis Smith play astronomically better than him.
December 4th, 2014 at 2:41 pm
Nick2,
You’re correct – Lovie was the head coach that traded for Gaines. But – he’s still a genius. LOL!
December 4th, 2014 at 2:47 pm
When is the media going to hold this regime accountable for their massive screwups in “retooling” this roster?
December 4th, 2014 at 2:48 pm
Lovie also traded Greg Olson to Carolina for a 3rd round pick so he could roll with Kellen Davis and Matt Spaeth. When Lovie was hired the Bucs should have ensured there were two clauses in the contract: Lovie is banned from any personnel decisions, and Lovie is banned from ever being involed in the offense.
December 4th, 2014 at 2:49 pm
^^^Oh that’s right, they just like to pat themselves on the back and act like they can do no wrong. Sounds like a coach we know…
December 4th, 2014 at 2:53 pm
1 Jan 2015….Fire L&L
December 4th, 2014 at 2:54 pm
That Greg “Stylz” White crack is off base. White runs circles around Johnson. He is a horrible football. Maybe the worst on this horrible football team. White would have at least 6 sacks by now.
December 4th, 2014 at 3:05 pm
This guy is a rotational player at best. He doesn’t like being an everydown guy.
December 4th, 2014 at 3:39 pm
How soon some people forget LargoBuc. Williams was traded for his off the field issues. Also, when he signed his contract was renewed, he all but disappeared on the field as well.
We were lucky to get rid of him to Buffalo who now has to eat all that guaranteed money and cap space. This all came about with Schiano’s ringing endorsement of Williams by saying, ” he got it.” Yea right.
You did nail it though when you mentioned last years 4-12 line.
December 4th, 2014 at 3:46 pm
Damn IPad.
Continuing on about the offensive line. Everyone seems to forget lasts years offensive line wasn’t much better than this years line. Yes, begrudgingly, some of those players picked up were a mistake but judging by their past performances, who would know.
I expected some of that a the beginning of the season but I agree it has gone on far to long.
Of course I feel of the reasons for that is because of our OC. This week McCowan said the Bengals were squatting on the WR’s routes which tells me they know what routes they are running because they are running the same ones so often.
Same goes for our running plays. Very seldom do we see in misdirection, traps or pulling guards or tackle. It seems to be, let’s slam it up the gut one more time to see if it will finally work.
Correct me if you see otherwise.
December 4th, 2014 at 4:20 pm
Lovie appears to have control of the roster, which was a huge mistake by the Glazers for giving him that kind of power. For all we know, Licht might actually be a good personal guy. We won’t find out unless Lovie is stripped of his power. He’s done nothing but consistently make bad personal decisions when he’s had the authority to do so.
December 4th, 2014 at 9:48 pm
Ddneast
You’re right, no ky or anything.