The Worst
July 1st, 2015
Some quarterbacks are unfazed by pressure from a defensive front.
Others freak out like a high school freshman. Bucs fans got a taste of that last year.
Joe couldn’t believe the freakout displayed by turnover-prone Josh McClown. Joe is convinced any high school quarterback would have been benched for the stunts McClown pulled. Yet even after he shat all over the field of the Den of Depression, Bucs coach Lovie Smith stuck with the guy all the way to the bitter end — winning the Chase for Jameis.
How bad was it?
Sterling Xie of Football Outsiders documented the play of all NFL quarterbacks who faced pressure, coming up with another nonsensical acronym that means nothing to Joe. But in his calculator punching, Xie claims no quarterback melted down mentally quite like McClown.
Still, neither Arizona quarterback is likely to tumble as spectacularly as Josh McCown. Remember when I said Roethlisberger had the second-best pressure DVOA in our database? McCown, a former high school coach, beat out the two-time Super Bowl champ with a remarkable 8.0% pressure DVOA in 2013, the only positive value we have ever seen.
McCown’s Chicago fairy tale turned into a Tampa nightmare, as he finished dead last (-155.6% DVOA) in 2014. Among the 26 quarterbacks who have recorded at least 200 plays each of the past two years, McCown’s -163.6% DVOA drop is the biggest decline by nearly 100 percentage points! From 2013-14, the improvement-regression spectrum works out to an almost perfect bell curve until McCown’s big ol’ outlier at the end:
Even though Joe looked up the Gibberish acronym “DVOA,” it still is unclear what the hell that means. Anyway, McClown stunk. Badly. And in a perverse way, we should celebrate McClown’s dreadful play.
For it was McClown’s dreadful play that set the table for the Bucs to draft “America’s Quarterback,” Bucs signal-caller Jameis Winston.
July 1st, 2015 at 12:10 pm
McCown was the worse QB I’ve ever seen who was a starting QB……but he’s an awesome guy and I hope he does well in Cleveland
July 1st, 2015 at 12:29 pm
There needs to be an asterisk beside McCown’s 2014 numbers –
“behind worst offensive line in NFL history!”
July 1st, 2015 at 12:34 pm
I would blame it all on McCown if Glennon looked much better when he played but he didn’t. I wish it was that simple it would be a much easier fix if we could blame it all on one player. We will see soon enough if McCown starts for the Browns this year.
July 1st, 2015 at 12:35 pm
Hey you (JOE) with infamous Jameis crush did you see him “DOVA” against
Oregon’s THREE MAN RUSH!!! we are in trouble and I want you JOE to have a front row seat to this train wreak so we can all say to you that you know nothing about Football .Just like Johnny football!!! hey man you are FUUNY!
What’s not funny is another season of no wins. ROOKIE QUTARBACKS =NO WINS!!! You can look that stat up smart boy?
July 1st, 2015 at 12:41 pm
Joe has made zero secrets he has little expectations for Jameis this year. Where ya been?
As for a front row, Joe has a better seat. It’s called in the press box. Has (digital) replays and air conditioning.
Only an idiot would bury a player after six quarters. Guessing Bill Polian and Gil Brandt are idiots too — they were both on the Johnny Football bandwagon.
Where were you when Joe (correctly) referred to Josh Freeman as a “bust in waiting” before he was drafted? Or did you have your head up your arse then, too? So you would rather have a career backup (Glennon) or a complete stiff (McClown) as quarterback than the top quarterback in the draft? Who are you, Bruce Allen?
July 1st, 2015 at 12:44 pm
@Stan,
McCown will be starting only because Manziel is so hated. Word is Manziel is struggling with the offense but between training camp and preseason the likelihood is he would start figuring it out. In all honesty, Manziel is 10 times the QB McCown is. Manziel has always flourished in the face of pressure while McCown melts down. The Browns are banking on the fact that they have a solid offensive line but I still see yet another disappointing season for Cleveland. How McCown could ever be viewed as a starting QB in this league is beyond me. He’s a great person but he’s far from a great Qb.
July 1st, 2015 at 12:59 pm
@ JOE
“As for a front row, Joe has a better seat. It’s called in the press box. Has (digital) replays and air conditioning.”
BURN!!! LMFAO!!!
As JOE has said before. The QB situation was SLOP.
July 1st, 2015 at 1:07 pm
@Cmurda
I didn’t say anything about why he maybe starting in Clev. My point was that the Bucs had more problems than QB play last year. I didn’t think either QB was put in a position to win last year and bashing a guy who went out and laid it all out in an effort to win only makes that person look bad. When McCown had a OC who knew what he was doing in Chi. and decent line he looked great. Like I said we might see soon enough if he can do it again in Cleveland.
July 1st, 2015 at 1:11 pm
Anyone who doesn’t think Jameis make teams pay who rush him don’t know Jameis. I hope teams bring the blitz against this rookie because it will mean more points/wins for the Bucs.
July 1st, 2015 at 1:12 pm
@ whoever said it was the worst line in history. PFF actually graded us 25th lol. We weren’t even in their bottom 3 last year. Somehow they gave us a top 10 run blocking grade wtf. I really don’t trust the stat guys there
July 1st, 2015 at 1:15 pm
lol and football oustiders has us 32nd in run blocking.
PFF = tampa 10th in run blocking = i will never trust their site for anything haha
July 1st, 2015 at 1:21 pm
Hehehe
But in his calculator punching, Xie claims no quarterback melted down mentally quite like McClown.
*******£******£
Josh Freeman says hello. He wish he could be here himself but he’s every excited about recent Supreme Court rulings and can’t get out of bed. #alllivesmatter
July 1st, 2015 at 1:24 pm
For someone who supposedly threw the season, I must say Lovie sure did fire a lot of people after the season was over!!!!
I am sure that if there was a coaching score, Lovie would be 25th or lower!!!
July 1st, 2015 at 1:24 pm
Ray Rice Says:
July 1st, 2015 at 12:59 pm
@ JOE
“As for a front row, Joe has a better seat. It’s called in the press box. Has (digital) replays and air conditioning.”
BURN!!! LMFAO!!!
As JOE has said before. The QB situation was SLOP.
*******************
Someday when I grow up I want to be like Joe!
July 1st, 2015 at 1:27 pm
Eh. Growing up is no fun, man. Overrated.
July 1st, 2015 at 1:29 pm
All I got to say is one and eight, one and eight, one and eight.
http://youtu.be/CTSISt5a8Dw
July 1st, 2015 at 1:30 pm
Joe
I’ll be happy to join you if you ever need company. The Stella is on me!
July 1st, 2015 at 1:39 pm
@WS99
1-8, uh 1-8…. mmm 1-8…..LMFAO. I’ll tell you one thing though, he may not have been a good QB but he can certainly be a hair stylist. The part in his head was razor sharp.
July 1st, 2015 at 1:50 pm
The dude has the best hair I ever seen.
July 1st, 2015 at 2:03 pm
I’m happy to see McCown get another payday…..he didn’t workout for us….but he’s a great guy. On a recent trip to Tampa, he was on my plane with his two sons (one was a carbon copy with same hair)……I asked…Back to cold country for you?….he said….”I’m not young so I need to go where the where the work is.”
Great, great guy…..too bad it didn’t work….wish him well. He won’t be the first QB that left Tampa and succeeded.
July 1st, 2015 at 3:06 pm
At least McCown was swift enough to run out of trouble unlike our sack magnet Glennon. I preferred to watch McCown’s effort instead of Glennon’s inept play. He will do a lot better in Cleveland. Wait and see. They managed to unload WarFLOP and his two Brownie Buddies, and improved their team at the same time their cast offs did us in!!!
July 1st, 2015 at 3:15 pm
What’s even more amazing than Lovie sticking with him last year, is that the Browns shoveled millions to him for this year.
McCown is not getting any younger. Does his performance last year look like a red flag that there simply may not be enough tread left on the tires? McCown simply over the hill? Duh!!!!
Someday a great investigative journalist is going to do a great tell all book about the lives of the hanger on Qb’s. Some have had decent stretches…some short bursts like McCown…some of them like Bruce Gradkowski are all but invisible but players like him still seem to end up on NFL rosters and if the injury bug bites hard enough they even get to play!!!! I think most people think that is Mike Glennon’s future.
July 1st, 2015 at 3:28 pm
There is not enough sample size to completely judge MG8’s career quite yet, imo. If McCown is successful in Cleveland, Buc fans will know for sure where the stinky stench really laid in Tampa, the dregs of NFL futility.
July 1st, 2015 at 3:42 pm
@BucFan
Agree completely that MG8 hasn’t been given nearly enough time nor even a decent opportunity with a team that didn’t just reek for us to judge him.
I think most probably agree with Joe that he’s going to be one of those lifetime clipboard carriers who comes in occasionally and might even rescue a season for a talented team whose franchise QB goes down.
As for me I think MG8’s future will largely hinge on luck…as in where he ends up..what kind of team….coaching…and what kind of opportunity to start?
Say MG8 went to Arizona and Palmer goes down again I could see MG 8 leading the Cards to the playoffs. He’d play competently in the playoffs…but not at franchise level QB to reach the SB.
July 1st, 2015 at 3:43 pm
Thank you McCown. For without you, we would not have Jameis.
July 1st, 2015 at 5:49 pm
I wonder why we are still talking about McCown. We all know he sucked and the qb play as a whole sucked last year. This is a new day. Jameis is here. Leave McCown in the past like every other sucky qb the bucs have had.
July 1st, 2015 at 6:07 pm
And God Bless Everyone!
July 1st, 2015 at 6:15 pm
“For someone who supposedly threw the season, I must say Lovie sure did fire a lot of people after the season was over!!!!
I am sure that if there was a coaching score, Lovie would be 25th or lower!!!”
He actually ranked 18th in a recent NFL.com rankings. Koetter at 7th in O coordinator.
But 2-14 ! 2-14! We will NEVER be good EVER again! Lovie will NEVER accomplish anything! Wah wah wah wah wah wah wah wah
July 1st, 2015 at 6:23 pm
1. “Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it.”
2. It’s July.
3. New data confirms just how rotten he was.
July 1st, 2015 at 6:43 pm
^^^^ What Joe just said.
July 1st, 2015 at 7:51 pm
Lord Cornelius…some people won’t get over 2-14 until they start winning again. Especially the “I became a Bucs fan in the 90’s crowd”.
It ain’t easy, but like I always say futility makes winning sweeter.
The lone SB win was so special because of the years and years of sucking.
July 1st, 2015 at 8:22 pm
I’ll also add that those “90’s fans” that are still around might experience exactly how we fans prior to the 90’s felt when Gruden hoisted that SB trophy.
Like a ton of bricks CRASHING DOWN!
Oh yes futility makes winning as sweet as honey. So for now sit back and just deal with the losing. That SB trophy will be raised again and I think sooner rather than later.
I’m not ashamed to once again remind you JBFer’s that I STILL cry when I watch the SB dvd. Starts with Ronde’s pick in the NFC champ game. Then I’m good for most of the SB highlights until Gruden raises the trophy. Then I’m a blubbering mess.
Futility makers winning sweeter!
July 1st, 2015 at 8:24 pm
Hey
I resemble that remark. #3 #13 #83 #triangleoffense #illuminati
July 1st, 2015 at 9:05 pm
Josh McCown is a career backup for a reason, but the Bucs tried to make a starter out of him. At least he was good for tanking the season.
July 2nd, 2015 at 12:17 am
DVOA – Defense-adjusted Value Over Average. The biggest variable in football is the fact that each team plays a different schedule against teams of disparate quality. By adjusting each play based on the opposing defense’s average success in stopping that type of play over the course of a season, we get DVOA. Attempt to find the reason for the pattern with Josh McClown ranked 9th in 2013 by PFF and 34th in 2014? DE Michael Johnson, in 2013 ranked 4th by PFF for 4-3 DE then in 2014 ranked 30th? Then there is Anthony Collins, in 2013 ranked 14th by PFF with 0 sacks, 0 QB hits and 12 QB hurries, in 2014 ranked 42nd with 2, 14 and 14. Why did so many FA who where signed by the Bucs last year have a complete drop off in their performance? It gets worse, Evan Smith ranked 7th in 2013 and 13th in 2014. Alterraun Verner ranked 4th in coverage in 2013 and 59th in 2014. Is it Lovie, Licht or the curse of the black hook buccaneer?
July 2nd, 2015 at 7:49 am
@YeaRight:
Watch the video below, come back here, and then apologize for your idiocy.
Film Room: Jameis vs Oregon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYa6S6UA0MU
July 2nd, 2015 at 8:41 am
He played poorly but with a historically bad offensive line and no running game it was impossible for him to succeed. If the offensive line plays as poorly as last year I fear all the JW haters will be calling him a bust. No QB, including Brady and Manning, could succeed under the conditions McCown faced last year. As Bucs fans we have to pay that the line improves this year.
July 2nd, 2015 at 9:23 am
didn’t stop him from getting a starting job this year so obviously it had as much to do with the offensive coordinator and the line as it did his quarterback play. even if we brought back the exact same o line and quarterback they’d all be better under a real coordinator
July 2nd, 2015 at 10:56 am
Joe Says:
July 1st, 2015 at 6:23 pm
I wonder why we are still talking about McCown.
1. “Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it.”
2. It’s July.
3. New data confirms just how rotten he was.
———————————-
I didn’t know we needed data to confirm how rotten he was. I saw the freaking games!!!! I have faith in you Joe and I feel you are better than this. Rehashing McCown and using July as an excuse is beneath you. No need to revisit McCown. He served his purpose…..We got Jameis.
July 2nd, 2015 at 6:18 pm
@tiny Tim – take a look at the local papers today and tell me how many articles you see on the Bucs! Calm down!