Lovie Is Learning
December 2nd, 2014
From the time Joe played for a former NFL player who counted among his mentors Tom Landry, John Madden, Gene Stallings and Lou Holtz, Joe has always believed a good football coach adapts to his talent, to the changes in the game and is open-minded.
It’s great to hold firm to core beliefs, but football is cyclical. Good football coaches learn something new almost every week. The game is always changing.
Thus, Joe found it refreshing yesterday when Bucs coach Lovie Smith said he has learned the hard way this year that his main axiom of football — win the turnover battle and you will win the game — is not an absolute.
“Haven’t been in this situation before, as I told the team,” Lovie said yesterday addressing the terrible discipline displayed by his Bucs all season.
“Normally, I preach turnover ratio, and if you win that, you’re going to win the football game. What I’ve found out this year is that that [too] many penalties can offset anything you do with the turnovers. Again, I knew it, but I’ve seen it too many times right now. And again, that shouldn’t be one of the harder things that you do. If you just went into every game and say, ‘Hey, we’ve got to keep the penalties under double digits – got a great chance to win the football game,’ we’ll take those. But it hasn’t worked out that way.”
The thing is, Lovie didn’t have to consult an MIT professor to research and figure this out. He only needed to look at the Bucs he inherited.
Like Lovie, former Bucs commander Greg Schiano preached turnovers, too. And he got results. The Bucs were fourth in the NFL last season in takeaways. Yet the team was garbage with a 4-12 record. Why?
Quite simply, if you look at the most penalized teams this year and last, they all had offensive firepower to overcome mistakes. The Bucs do not. To use a Loviephrase, “it’s as simple as that.”
If the Bucs had any kind of offense last year and this year, they would have had many more wins, easy wins, despite all the flags and dumb mistakes. The Bucs have little to no running game and their quarterback situation is ghastly. They get a simple five-yard penalty and a whole drive is thrown out of whack.
Joe is glad Lovie is learning that no matter how many takeaways the defense gets, that if the offense can’t put the ball in the end zone, it doesn’t mean a damned thing.
Just ask Schiano.
To hear more from Lovie yesterday, click on the button below. Audio courtesy of Joe’s friends at WDAE-AM 620.
December 2nd, 2014 at 7:00 am
Lovie indicated that he has learned something new….which is the first step in possible improved change. The next challenge would be if Lovie can put this new found knowledge into action creating a positive change. Many have learned the hazards of tobacco smoking…but continue to smoke. Many know the correct dimensions of a proper diet….and find it difficult to put this knowledge into positive action. The defense seems to be improving just fine. I believe his insistence of not hiring a consultant to help the offense has turned out to be a mistake. If he and Licht are having difficulty choosing the optimal draft picks, will he support the hiring of someone who is more of a draft “guru”? Someone perhaps (dare I say) who could assist in the choices in FA? Will he be all in on taking a chance on drafting high a potential franchise quarterback?….There are of course no guarantees….but one thing’s for certain, if you don’t ever take that gamble you are doomed never to have the chance to have one.
December 2nd, 2014 at 7:05 am
Ooohhh great! He has learned something. I learned something as well. That the team i live and breath for has sucked you know what for almost the last ten years now and we have had a losing season every year for the last 4. Great so now everyone has learned something class dismissed. Its the same old thing lets wait till next year.
December 2nd, 2014 at 7:11 am
Refusal to compromise and adjust to the ever changing situation has left its mark.
December 2nd, 2014 at 7:13 am
Atlanta- matt ryan!
Saints- dree brees
panthers- cam newton
Bucs- josh mccown!
bucs= last place we need a legit qb to compete!
December 2nd, 2014 at 8:03 am
Joe you are wrong, Lovie is tied for last in penalties. And Greg Schiano was 30th in team penalties ( not last as you have in your article )
http://www.nflpenalties.com/index.php?&year=2013
by why use facts now when you are trying to paint the old coach as bad as Lovie, am i right!
December 2nd, 2014 at 8:05 am
Just like Bucs fans learned at the beginning of the season that Lovie sucks as a coach and we will never win anything while he is our coach. Please Glazers please get us a real coach.
December 2nd, 2014 at 8:41 am
I can handle penalties on 1st and 10. Those dont bother me as much. But all too often when we convert a 3rd and long, there is a penalty. And when we stop them on 3rd and short, there is a penalty.
The timing of these penalties is so dam frustrating.
December 2nd, 2014 at 8:47 am
Maybe if we want an offensive line worth a damn we need to start drafting talented offensive linemen early and often.
December 2nd, 2014 at 8:48 am
Everyone hates Lovie Smith… except certain types of Buc fans. Otherwise, Lovie is the worst.
Now he is stuck with McCown as the QB… what a waste of a season. I expect extremely low attendance next season… and rightly so. Lovie Smith earned it.
Lovie Smith will be 100% responsible for bringing back the blackouts to Tampa Bay.
December 2nd, 2014 at 8:55 am
If Lovie just learned this, he is beyond hope.
We need a new coach and QB and OL and OC and hope.
December 2nd, 2014 at 9:16 am
Perhaps, just perhaps, Lovie has learned that you cannot win games with 12 men on the field……Simple as that!
December 2nd, 2014 at 9:41 am
Doing the same thing and expecting a different result =insanity=Lovie
December 2nd, 2014 at 10:13 am
Lovie is learning, he has never been in this situation before???? Thats a load of malarchy! Ya know, Schiano or even Rah could use that crutch but an experienced NFL head coach can not! If his team is uncoachable, then fire Licht for ineptitude in assembling the roster; if its the coaching on the offensive side of the ball then can the coaches…Maybe both are needed. As special teams have suffered all season as well it is apparent that the OL is definitely the weakest link in the chain so I am not sure if you can blame O’Dea as well but might as well cn him as well and start fresh there as well.
December 2nd, 2014 at 10:20 am
Joe is glad Lovie is learning that no matter how many takeaways the defense gets, that if the offense can’t put the ball in the end zone, it doesn’t mean a damned thing.
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I must be missing something but he doesn’t say that at all, or even imply it. He’s saying without the penalties they can win more 17-14 games. 17-14 games are like Cialis to Lovie.
December 2nd, 2014 at 11:23 am
Aint that the truth! The penalties are ugly and always come at the most inappropriate time. Drive killing, gut wrenching blunders that just kill all momentum and hope. It’s nearly a certainly that they pop up frequently.
December 2nd, 2014 at 7:08 pm
Famous Jameis or Bust Says:
December 2nd, 2014 at 8:48 am
Everyone hates Lovie Smith… except certain types of Buc fans. Otherwise, Lovie is the worst.
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Certain types? You mean realistic fans that can see clear improvement for a team that has been awful for five seasons? This team is incredibly close to being 9-3… a good QB and half decent offensive coordinator would do wonders for a team, specifically one that is really coming on defensively.
December 2nd, 2014 at 8:12 pm
That;s right Brandon we’re increbily close to being the best team in the conference. Can you please reveal your true identity, we’re all curious who could be on Lovie’s nuts this much.
December 2nd, 2014 at 8:50 pm
We should take one QB, the BEST QB, one slot receiver, all offensive linemen, then pickup a FA slot receiver, pickup some GOOD o linemen, and pray that a legit, HYPED UP PLAYCALLER IS HIRED TO DISH OUT PLAYS EVERY SUNDAY!!! As soon as Tedford was dismissed I knew our season was over. Doesn’t matter if you have a badd ass private jet unless you got someone that knows how to fly the firkin thing!!!!!!!!!!!!!! In other words….this plane needs a pilot/OC and a co-pilot /QB
December 2nd, 2014 at 10:07 pm
Where oh where has anyone ever had any facts to base this curious notion that Tedford, who never called an NFL play, was going to be an offensive NFL genius? It’s about as true as anything Lovie has said.
December 2nd, 2014 at 10:12 pm
And maybe some new landing gear/OL
December 2nd, 2014 at 10:17 pm
Where Oh where does this curious notion that Tedford is some kind of genius and ruined the season come from? It makes no sense. If he had this amazing package of plays, where is it? Per Lovie the Liar they only showed 20% in the preseason. Did Tedford hide the other 80% Or, more likely, just another Lovie lie. Tedford had called zero NFL plays in his life. Tedford’s issue is being used by the media as a pass for Lovie the moron. It’s BS
December 2nd, 2014 at 10:55 pm
Jameis Winston Or Marcus Mariotta (i can’t spell, su me ) i have dissected them both. Im still in the middle. JW is a winner. M&M is a systematic Qb but almost never turns the ball over & play maker.he’s never won it all. JW on the other hand has, & on top of it all JW has done it ALL under heavy scrutiny.
December 3rd, 2014 at 1:30 am
No one ever said Tedford was a genius, but it is common sense to anyone if you lose your offensive coordinator just before the start of the season, it is a trainwreck that is rarely overcome.
Do you actually believe the Bucs are better off with Marcus Arroyo?