“Worst Josh”
February 13th, 2015
Just recounting the miserable 2014 season makes Joe want to reach for a bottle of Pepto-Bismol and chug. It was nauseating, which one should expect from a 2-14 team.
Just like at the center of a winning team, the center of this dumpster fire was turnover-prone quarterback Josh McCown. He was outplayed (twice!) by Panthers backup quarterback Derek Anderson?
McCown’s lone win came against the sorry Redskins. He was winless against NFC South division foes, which is unacceptable by any standard.
Applauding the release of McCown is Tom Jones of the Tampa Bay Times. Jones thought McCown to be so horrible, sober Bucs fans actually pined for the return of leaky, sleepy Josh Freeman.
Not that McCown’s 1-10 record as a starter with Tampa Bay was all his fault. You saw the Bucs last season. That chain had a lot of broken links. But in what took some real effort, McCown became the worst Josh in the history of Bucs quarterbacks. Actually, he made a run at being the worst Bucs QB named anything.
Should we really be surprised that a 35-year-old journeyman who could never keep a starting job in the league turned out to be a complete disaster? And should we be equally surprised that Smith couldn’t pick a QB, something he never has been able to do?
It was a plan doomed from the start, and Lovie and the Bucs deserve plenty of finger-wagging and I-told-you-sos for this incredibly stupid, short-sighted signing. Other than being a heck of a nice guy off the field, McCown was nothing he was advertised to be: reliable, poised, protective of the football.
Last year provided a lesson: Always trust your eyes, trust your information and trust history.
Joe thought it was odd (Joe’s trying to be polite) Lovie thought so much of McCown, a guy he once cut in Chicago, a guy who could not maintain a starting gig anywhere, and all of a sudden in his mid-30s he was going to be the next Rich Gannon?
The Tampa Bay area was rejoicing like it was Gasparilla when Lovie was hired. Lovie had taken a Rex Grossman-led team to the Super Bowl for crying out loud, so maybe all the info on McCown was wrong?
Turned out, it was McCown that was wrong. Very, very wrong. Like one-win wrong. As in fifth-best quarterback in his division wrong.
February 13th, 2015 at 4:16 pm
No doubt McCown sucked, but Lovie f-ked up the Oline so bad I am not sure any QB would have done well. Very little to point to that Lovie did well last season. It’s frightening what we are in store for.
February 13th, 2015 at 4:36 pm
6th best QB in our division. Josh wasn’t even the best McCown in our division – LOL.
To be fair Joe – McCown was pretty widely thought of as the best FA QB on the market last year – and we were desperate for some QB talent – and Lovie had a history with him – so there ya go. It’s not like the Bucs had many viable options at QB last year. They obviously didn’t see a QB worthy of a 1st round pick last year. They might have taken Carr with the 2nd round pick but weren’t going to give up picks they didn’t have to give up to move up. Oakland picked him 2 picks before they got the chance – so we’ll never know.
I will add that if the Bucs had done what Joe was literally BEGGING them to do (to the utter chagrin of 90% of your readers) – draft Manziel with the #7 pick – this franchise would be way more screwed than it is right now.
At least McCown played his role in bringing us our future franchise QB – he deserves a tip of the hat for that if nothing else.
February 13th, 2015 at 4:49 pm
Let’s really pile on the guy after he’s been cut !!!
McCown is history, gone, departed, terminated, through, finished, vanished, elsewhere, SYONARA, ADIOS, AU-REVOIR, Auf WIEDERSHEN, CHEERIO, ADJO, ANTIO, DO SVIDANIYA, HASTA LA VISTA, BYE-BYE…. SO LONG Of course, Schiano would say CAIO!!!
February 13th, 2015 at 4:51 pm
Not sure it’s necessary to continue piling on and complaining about McCown. It’s not interesting or helpful.
February 13th, 2015 at 4:55 pm
I think the Rose Bowl was all the Buc’s brain trust needed see to be confident in releasing Josh McCown. After seeing Winston’s uncanny athletic ability to throw the ball to the other team during the regular season (18 ints up from only ten in his freshmen campaign). In this game he showed the world his competence for goofy fumbling on fourth and forever. Winston demonstrated and exceeded all that McCown had to offer as mentor. Sadly, Mike Glennon was unable excel at goofy fumbling and inexplicable throws under the tutelage of this master of disaster.
February 13th, 2015 at 5:03 pm
When the rumors started last year that the bucs were after McCown, I cautioned buying into the hype surrounding him. I did not want him signed.
That said, I do feel he would make a good QB Coach.
February 13th, 2015 at 5:24 pm
Joe,
“McCown became the worst Josh in the history of Bucs quarterbacks.”
Now you know “the real fans” already told us yesterday that mccown is no where near the worst qb in history. There was that one guy in 1778 that had a 28qbr. Come on bro get it together. Mccown is a nice guy and that’s all that matters. As long as we have nice guys on the roster we can go 1-15 every year and it will be perfectly acceptable. So let me compliment josh, all jokes aside he’s got the best hair on the team. If he plays his cards right head and shoulders should be calling any day now. #pathetic
February 13th, 2015 at 5:53 pm
What’s funny is a lot of fans were really happy with FA moves last year. Probably the same people who complain about them this year lol.
I honestly thought Anthony Collins & Michael Johnson were good signings at the time. Collins play was terrific when he was with the Bengals. Really not sure why the guy didn’t put it together last year but he had solid NFL tape. Maybe he has a work ethic issue that we didn’t identify?
Johnson had a ton of QB hurries the year before we signed him (even if the sack total was low). He was one of the best DEs on the market. He had solid film.
Verner played just fine and i THink will become better this year. McDonald was solid as well.
The worst move in FA was letting Zuttah go. I didn’t mind Penn for Collins swap; based on their play at that point; but Zuttah was a valuable starter for us. That’s really the only move I feel like was just dumb. I can see the logic behind everything else they did though for the most part
February 13th, 2015 at 6:08 pm
I think Koetter has decided that Glennon is the starter, the draftee is the backup, and now keep an eye on the OL coaches and players to see what happens before FA starts.
This will tell us where this team is going.
February 13th, 2015 at 6:08 pm
And because Bucs/Lovie need instant success he cant draft Mariota, because we all have learned from history that:
A QB of Matiotas new era style won´t fit the ever same NFL. You see chip Kellys gimmick offense with the eagles? no success.. since long time..
YOu see Kapernick, Cam Newton (especially with Rob Chudzinski), RGIII, and Russel Wilson?
spread and option is mickey mouse shh ask Gruden! he recently won a superbowl…
+ finally: you cant compare college to pro football, they are so different i jusst cant believe both are called “football”.. again see Chip and the QB´s above and never ever could the pistol produce posetie yards…
Eagles never won anything!!! winston and other pro-style QB´s are way better prepared to NFL!!!
Screw Matriotta and explosive spread – speed in space offenses with great playaction possibilitys..
It has never worked wont ever work!!! look at the recent history of the never copy whats working National Football League!!!
February 13th, 2015 at 7:25 pm
Lord Cornelius— a hundred likes, spot on take on the O-line shuffle.
February 14th, 2015 at 8:29 am
I for one hoped like Hell that McCown was the second coming of Rich Gannon. Everything was there… only two big differences….McCown’s OC disappeared right before the season started… and Rich Gannon was known more for being way too conservative in his previous stops and Gruden had to coax the big plays out of him, McCown was and always has had a Brett Favre wild man streak that didn’t match his skill level.
February 14th, 2015 at 10:35 am
Quarterback wasn’t our biggest need until Glennon got drafted lol just sayin
February 14th, 2015 at 12:43 pm
It’s easy to forget L&L went after the top FA’s and were lauded for landing them. It’s easy to see now they were the best of a weak class of FA’s. Probably worth bearing in mind for both the draft and free agency.