Johnthan Banks Nearing Bucs Record
December 5th, 2014
Bucs CB Johnthan Banks has a shot to tie or set a franchise mark.
Joe cannot help it. Whenever Joe thinks of how well Bucs cornerback Johnthan Banks is playing, Joe cannot get out of his head how Lovie Smith did his best to bench Banks for that slug Mike Jenkins. Can you imagine?
Thankfully, one of the very, very few things to go right for Tampa Bay this season was Jenkins’ inability to start the first regular season game because he was hurt virtually all training camp and preseason.
That forced Lovie’s hand to start Banks, who also started last year and was the Bucs’ second round pick in 2013.
What has Banks done, since? He’s become one of the better corners in the game. He is tied for fourth in the NFL with four picks, and with four games left this season, he has an outside shot of making Bucs history.
Banks has racked up seven picks. That’s good enough for third on the all-time Bucs list of interceptions during a player’s first two NFL seasons, behind granny-hassling, cabbie-punching, gun-totin,’ pistol-whipping Aqib Talib and Donnie Abraham.
Abraham had 10 picks in his first two seasons, Talib had nine.
With his interception of puking Andy Dalton last week, Banks surpassed Lavonte David, who had six picks in his first two years.
Mike Jenkins? Pppttt…
December 5th, 2014 at 5:06 pm
Here we go again. Joe, let it go man. You have whipped that horse so many times it’s bleeding.
Perhaps you should consider moving to Syria, Iraq, Iran or somewhere else in the Middle East where holding a grudge about something trivial is considered an attribute.
In the US, amoung adults, it is considered childish and immature.
December 5th, 2014 at 5:30 pm
@ddneast Thank you!
December 5th, 2014 at 5:34 pm
ddneast
There have been very dubious judges in talent by Lovie since he took over. This is one. Joe doesn’t think any of them are trivial at all: A guy on the cusp of a franchise record the head coach didn’t even want him starting.
December 5th, 2014 at 5:43 pm
And he’ll have 2 against megatron on Sunday. You heard it here first. That is of course unless our def guru of a hc puts cinnamon toast crunch on megatron.
December 5th, 2014 at 5:48 pm
Joe……I don’t and you don’t have any idea what was going on in camp that caused Lovie to announce Jenkins a starter over Banks….perhaps he was trying to send a message to Banks and it worked.
We also have no idea how Jenkins would have performed if he was healthy….I do believe he has shown great potential before and may have been very motivated to play to his home town fans….
Here we go again…second gussing an monday morning quarterbacking.
Perhaps he should have announced someone else the starter over Michael Johnson (WHO)…..
I really like Banks and I’m glad he’s performing….but we just don’t know!!!
December 5th, 2014 at 5:50 pm
Serious question: Have any of you actually examined Lovie’s time in Chicago? Or did you just think “Rex Grossman, Super Bowl?”. One of the things Bears fans hated the most about Lovie was his refusal to play young players over vets. Indeed many Bears fans will tell you the only way young guys get on the field is injury.
So if that horrific trend is continue, and in Banks case (and Glennon’s) it appears to be, thats another sign he learned nothing from Chicago.
December 5th, 2014 at 5:59 pm
@bucrightoff,
Lovie starts Evans, ASJ, and gives Sims big time playing time, does he not? It’s not like he doesn’t have vets at those positions.
December 5th, 2014 at 6:04 pm
Joe !!! Enough. Be a man and ask Lovie if that was his intent or perhaps it was to get the most out of him. Last I checked Banks has never been benched.
December 5th, 2014 at 6:23 pm
I’m really liking Banks play. Some good news looking forward.
December 5th, 2014 at 7:09 pm
@ddneast
I teach English in Morocco.
Arabs are soooooooo trivial, childish, hateful, negative, and vengeful you wouldnt believe it.
Its not a stereotype.
In the arabic speaking muslim world, forgiveness is extremely rare, while holding grudges is the norm.
So, I dont want to stereotype, but you nailed it man.
Here is a link to Saudi Arabia’s NATIONAL curriculum.
https://freedomhouse.org/sites/default/files/TextboosArabicExcerpts.pdf
December 5th, 2014 at 7:17 pm
Awesome!!! Go set that new record Mr. Banks!
Thanks for pointing it out Joe, I wouldnt have known if you hadnt mentioned it.
December 5th, 2014 at 7:48 pm
Dam! I just compared him the other day to Brian Kelly/Abraham. Right here on JBF.
December 5th, 2014 at 9:14 pm
Gooberville:
For the second time, not only was Lovie asked, Joe linked the audio of Lovie’s answer as well as typed it up. Please read. Joe’s not going to answer this question a third time if you are too lazy to read/listen.
Lovie has made many, many terrible evaluation mistakes. That’s why the team is in the toilet it currently is in. Jenkins/Banks was one of them. What other mistakes should Joe ignore? How Lovie ran off just about the entire offensive line which is starting for other teams with better results? Or how about the great Michael Johnson investment? Or Anthony Collins? Or EDS?
Let Joe know which of Lovie’s mistakes Joe should ignore, will ya?
Joe doesn’t play osterich. If it bothers you that Joe documents Lovie’s mistakes, please bookmark Buccaneers.com where if you didn’t know the Bucs record, you’d swear the team is on the cusp of a playoff berth.
December 6th, 2014 at 12:17 am
Look for Stafford to employ the 3 step drop that the Ravens used to burn the D in the blowout loss at RJS…. Hopefully the Bucs D will defend a bit better then they did that afternoon. Banks is a good player but if he can cover Megatron or Golden Tate effectively then Stafford will simply throw to one of the other receivers who is covered by Verner or (God Forbid) Jenkins (if the nickel package is in and the Lions are about to convert a 3rd down situation)…. Hope Banks takes a step toward the record at Ford Field Sunday, perhaps then the Bucs have a chance of repeating the upset they had of Detroit last season….
December 6th, 2014 at 1:04 am
Banks did an awesome job covering Megatron last year!! But in being real, I hope we lose this game and the rest….I know its wrong in the eyes of some, but why not tank for the better draft position?
We need a new “Scherff” in town!
December 6th, 2014 at 5:56 am
@Joe
So true about Buccaneers.com making it seem like the Bucs are a contender. You made me laugh on that one.
I will say you don’t go to the past(Dom) much in evaluating why this team is so bad. I’m sure I don’t have to tell you this, but free agents are not what it’s all about. The great teams build through the draft. Outside of making a splash in free agency(Peyton Manning to Denver), a team cannot succeed depending strictly on free agency. Remember the Eagles “Dream Team” 3 or 4 years ago?
You are correct about Lovie making some ill advised roster moves. The O line is in shambles, I will give you that. But you can’t possible blame this team’s failure solely on Lovie. And don’t forget, this was a 4-12 team last year.
Lastly, I hope your right about Banks and what he brings to this team.
December 6th, 2014 at 6:06 am
you’re*^
December 6th, 2014 at 6:15 am
Btw, if we hadn’t waisted a 1st round pick for 1 year of Revis we could have drafted an offensive lineman. If we had stuck with Micheal Bennett, we wouldn’t have had to bring in Johnson. A team is not built overnight, and it’s definnetly not built over 5 years with Mark Dominic as your GM.
December 6th, 2014 at 7:48 am
Jenkins was brought in because he had experience in Smith’s version of the T-2 AND he was installed as a starter because Banks was playing TERRIBLY earlier in the season. Jenkins probably WAS better than Banks. Now, Banks knows the system and is probably far better than Jenkins ever was.
I have to agree with just about every other poster that is sick of hearing it. It’s petty and grown extremely old and makes you look very amateur.
December 6th, 2014 at 7:59 am
Have you guys not been to this site before? Folks have been on the Joes for beating dead horses for years. Between the tediously long titles they give to people and the hammering at a point until they, not you, are exhausted with it, they are serial dead horse beaters
December 6th, 2014 at 9:26 am
Joe is right. The issue is not Jenkins. It’s the coach, who I like revealing his main flaw, an over reliance on veterans regardless of talent. Saying Jenkins can contribute is like saying McCown can you play winning football. While I think the teams discipline will get worked out, now I’m starting to think maybe Lovie actually thought Rex Grossman could play.
December 6th, 2014 at 1:31 pm
Joe, it’s not like he cut Banks to keep Jenkins. He merely didn’t start him in the first game.
Many coaches prefer to go with veterans over rookie or 1 year starters until they can prove their worthiness.
Who is to say if Jenkins hadn’t gotten hurt, banks would have started in the third or fourth game.
Also, the team does have a defensive coordinator. Are you considering the fact that he also had a say in the matter.
December 6th, 2014 at 1:33 pm
Good points Joe!! I have wondered this same exact thing. If a guy like me can see the talent and potential in this guy from watching him from the very first time he stepped on practice field for the Bucs, how could Lovie miss it? I don’t understand the ridiculousness of Lovie not having him as a starter at the beginning of the season.
During training camp last season I was saying to all my friends about how he is going to be a stud in this league. I even said it on somewhere on this site; however, it would be far too much work for me to dig that up lol.