About Those Penalties
August 25th, 2015
In the Bucs’ locker room last night, Gerald McCoy had a little playful fun with rookie guard Ali Marpet. Various players were talking about penalties, and Marpet was smiling.
McCoy shot a look at him and said, “What did you get?”
“Hands-to-the-face,” Marpet said. McCoy hung his head and shook it a few times and Marpet busted out one of his trademark, ear-to-ear grins.
Nothing was going to puncture the happiness pulsing through that locker room.
Joe surely doesn’t want to rain on the euphoria sweeping the Tampa Bay area — the Bucs won a game, the Bucs won a meaningless game! — but it wasn’t all roses last night. The Bucs officially were smacked with 14 flags for 153 yards. And there were more that didn’t count.
Those are ugly numbers. In a real game, mistakes often kill. And penalties forcing long passing downs often get quarterbacks killed. The Bucs had their share of those last night.
“We’ll clean it up” is what will come from One Buc Palace today. “Simple as that,” as Lovie Smith says.
Joe hopes Lovie and his team can restore the on-field discipline quickly. Lovie takes pride in having “stern teachers” throughout his coaching staff. They should be able to instruct the messiness right out of these Bucs.
August 25th, 2015 at 1:47 pm
I expect to see the flags continue to fly often right on into the regular season. Soon they’ll change the name to the national flag football league.
August 25th, 2015 at 1:57 pm
“Hands to the Face”
I wonder if that grin was a reference to the “Hands to the Face” skirmish
that occurred this past week when Marpet and GMC may or may not have been in a “Hands to the Face” / helmet ripping from his head / off camera incident.
It seems that winning cures everything and GMC has moved on from that .
August 25th, 2015 at 2:02 pm
GMC had the first penalty of the game last week for the bucs. I guess he forgot. A good locker room is key component to success
August 25th, 2015 at 2:02 pm
With the majority of those penalties being on the offensive line, you can’t help but look at coaching – specifically Warhop. These are not isolated penalties, as we were the most penalized team on offense last year. To me, that points to poor technique, which points to coaching. You’ve got a bunch of new guys committing the same penalties as the old guys from last year. There’s only one common denominator.
August 25th, 2015 at 2:10 pm
Interesting that we were penalized very little last week and got thumped….and this week we get flagged often and still win.
The difference was the smothering defense….it was great….also, I liked our playcalling better with the runs mixed in with the screens and short passing game….we looked sharp in spite of the penalties.
It sieemed like we were penalized on every punt return….once 3 times……awful.
August 25th, 2015 at 2:18 pm
Gotta clean up those drive killers for a chance at success
August 25th, 2015 at 2:23 pm
I do think that it is going to be an uphill battle with having so many rookies on offense, new system, and the stigma of being the last place team. The Bucs will not get the benefit of the doubt on any call this year!!!!
August 25th, 2015 at 2:23 pm
It was a bad night, but a handful of them were not penalties. Mankins’ false start was one. Smith got a holding call that wasn’t even close. There were a few others. Games like these stick out and officials are asked questions and lectured about the penalties they throw. Even if 10 of those penalties are good, though, that is still way too much.
August 25th, 2015 at 2:33 pm
The Bucs will not get the benefit of the doubt on any call this year!!!!
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The bucs are getting screwed once again. The call against vjax was bs so was the hold on d. Smith. Heck the refs waited an hour before throwing the face mask flag for Winston. If that was Mariota they would have given him 7 points for pain and suffering.
August 25th, 2015 at 2:38 pm
@ Realist
You’re right….last night there was a holding call on D Smith…I watched the play 3 times….Smith took his opponent to the ground without holding….even the announcers commented
August 25th, 2015 at 2:47 pm
Yeah, the holding on 76 was awful. The only thing I can think of if the ref got the wrong number. That does happen. It’s preseason for them as well. However, if they didn’t get the number wrong, they sure did blow that call.
August 25th, 2015 at 2:50 pm
I think the red couldn’t believe Smith could take him to the ground like that without holding
August 25th, 2015 at 2:52 pm
4 more days til game 3..
August 25th, 2015 at 3:06 pm
Toe the line…Gentlemen
August 25th, 2015 at 3:09 pm
Great effort by the whole team – but those penalties have got to get cleaned up. Yes a few were either ticky tac or non-existent – but 153 yards of penalties on 14 accepted flags is a LOT of yards to try and make up for.
August 25th, 2015 at 3:12 pm
Tampabaybucfan Says:
August 25th, 2015 at 2:38 pm
@ Realist
You’re right….last night there was a holding call on D Smith…I watched the play 3 times….Smith took his opponent to the ground without holding….even the announcers commented
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Somebody asked Geno Atkins what type of pancakes he likes cuz D.smith and Marpet were serving them up hot and tasty.
August 25th, 2015 at 3:16 pm
I walked away very impressed overall from the game, but I think we have to remember it’s just the preseason. We played pretty close to horrendous against Minnesota and pretty close to perfect (aside from the penalties) against Cincinnati. Realistically, we can probably expect to be somewhere in the middle. It’s going to be interesting to see everyone’s reaction if we play poorly again. They will completely forget about this game. Then again if we play great, a lot of us will probably be shopping for airline tickets to Santa Clara in February. Good or bad, we just all have to remember it’s just the preseason.
August 25th, 2015 at 4:04 pm
Again guys we need to keep something in mind. We ALL agree that yellow flag football is boring. The league is just as aware.
This happens EVERY pre season. The refs toss the hankies to make their point now in the games that don’t count. Once the real season begins they will feel the pressure to hold their fire a bit. As has been said you could call a penalty on every play in the NFL if the rules were enforced tightly. The refs are not calling the game as they will be in three weeks.
Re our culpability. Yes we need more discipline. That’s been lacking for long long time. But there are penalties and there are penalties!
Effort penalties like hands to the face do not bother me nearly as much as GMC jumping offside in the Minny game. Off sides…delay of game…Captain Morgan poses are a symptom of being brain dead!!! Roughing the passer, hands in the face, are not welcome but they are at least understandable. A guy getting penalty for being too physical is not the same as a guy getting a penalty for stupidity. Jumping offsides…delay of game…drive me nucking futs!
August 25th, 2015 at 7:08 pm
We did lead the NFL in offensive penalties last season, so it can be coached up.