Messy Clay Molding
August 16th, 2015
Rough debut for returner Kaelin Clay
The good news is rookie returner Kaelin Clay didn’t fumble last night in his NFL debut as the Buccaneers’ top returner.
The bad news is he left many fans longing for Solomon Patton, Arrelious Benn, Eric Page and other scary names from Bucs past.
Simply stated, Clay looked overmatched. His two punt returns netted -2 yards, and he flashed poor ball security on one of them. Clay fielded his first kickoff eight yards deep in the end zone, hesitated, and then took it out to the 11 yard line. The next kickoff effort didn’t get back to the 20.
Joe’s grade? D.
And that brings Joe back to today’s familiar theme song: Patience. Can’t you just hear Axl Rose singing it?
You simply can’t bury a rookie for a rough preseason debut. It’s stupid and foolish.
If you feel the need to bury someone, then get your shovel and mounds of dirt out for the backup center, Garrett Gilkey. Joe did, and Gilkey deserved it. It’s unsafe for quarterbacks — and unfair to fans — when he’s snapping the ball.
August 16th, 2015 at 1:36 pm
Special teams overall were just plain crappy……
August 16th, 2015 at 1:39 pm
Warhop is too nice!
Hes too attached to “his guys”
Warhop is the problem!
And Lovie is too nice too!
Hes too attached to “his” guys.
And Warhop is one of “his guys!!”
August 16th, 2015 at 1:50 pm
LMAO Joe. “It’s unsafe for quarterbacks — and unfair to fans — when he’s snapping the ball.”
August 16th, 2015 at 1:53 pm
I actually liked what I saw from Clay. Yes he tried to do to much, and I would rather that first kickoff stayed in the end zone, and he should learn how to call a fair catch. That said his mistakes were trying to impress. At least he is playing with confidence. I want a returner who thinks he can go the distance every time, not some guy who can maybe catch a kick.
August 16th, 2015 at 1:58 pm
Was Winston under center for one of those bungled snaps, I’m not sure he just didn’t get a mishandle on that hike.
August 16th, 2015 at 2:13 pm
Joe is right. Rookie Clay got nowhere but first grave goes to Gilkey. He snapped jump balls in practice just days before. Does Gilkey have an upside? I cannot imagine that they would have him in when JW is in first game, starting first drives, in very poor field position. That is all it takes to get rookie completely off his all important rhythm.
August 16th, 2015 at 2:18 pm
Historically we’ve been a terrible team on special teams.
Outside of:
• Karl “Da Truth” Williams
• Micheal Spurlock
• Clifton Smith
• Aaron Stecker
Our returners have been Wick Weck Wack
Note “Da Truth” still hold for punt return yards (2,279) and, most impressively, punt return touchdowns (5)
August 16th, 2015 at 2:20 pm
*Da Truth”, still holds the team record for punt return yards (2,279) and, most impressively, punt return touchdowns (5)
August 16th, 2015 at 2:31 pm
I will make this one observation….in preseason….it’s OK to try to run the ball out….taking a knee doesn’t help anyone…
August 16th, 2015 at 2:50 pm
Tampabaybucsfan, you make a good point. Now is the time to figure out when you can run it out and when you cant. Hopefully Clay learned a lot last night. Having said that, no one has much patience with a stupid return guy who hurts his team by being a bone head or by having bad ball security. I hope Clay is not that guy.
August 16th, 2015 at 2:54 pm
I think Clay will be fine, it was his first NFL game and he does have the potential to go the distance. Gilkey on the other hand, its a shame if he is “gifted” a roster spot. Why the f is he playing center? We have 3 centers on the roster. I can understand if he will be the 7th olinemen to dress on gameday as the backup. That would mean Marpet will start at guard. I just havent seen Gilkey ever shine. What do the coaches see that we dont? We see sh!t.
August 16th, 2015 at 3:20 pm
I think Clay will be fine too, as soon as he gets a handle of the increased speed of the NFL.
It is only preseason, and this was his first NFL Game.
Gilkey, he is another story……. A Center he is not.
August 16th, 2015 at 3:55 pm
I wondered if Clay was ordered to return every kickoff possible. Seems like a reasonable plan for an exhibition game.
(The NFL hates to have its games called “exhibitions” — which these are).
August 16th, 2015 at 3:58 pm
He was horrible, during the Vikings kickoff after they scored the FG. He shouldn’t even brought the ball out, no one was expecting for him to bring it out. That’s why Luke Stocker got call for holding. We started inside the 5 instead of starting at the 20 yard line, and Dirk Koetter had to change the plays for Jameis. I still believe that Adam Humphries should be our return man and 5th receiver. I watched Humphries at Clemson, and he’s a smart football player. He’s the Wes Welker type of player, he will get it done. I have said this over and over, we need good special teams, and good defense. If we’re going to win the NFC South, we can win the division. But it take all 53 players to win it, it starts with special teams. And in most cases it ends with special teams. I give our special teams a D-, I give Kaelin Clay a F. As in failure, he failed on kick return and punt return.
August 16th, 2015 at 5:13 pm
The whole team had issues. Every phase. That tells me they weren’t prepared very well. And who’s fault is that?… Incompetent.
August 16th, 2015 at 6:32 pm
Bell looked FAR better on returns.
August 16th, 2015 at 7:19 pm
Don’t know what hat the last minute injury to Hall was, but he is a better return man and receiver
August 16th, 2015 at 7:57 pm
Clay, and every other Rookie last night- were all suffering from adeline dumps into the blood sream, and tight muscles. Its a rookie thing. It will pass
Speaking of Gilkey- where were Jeremiah Warren and Josh Allen?
They are our 2nd and 3rd string Centers, but neither played! Gilkey is not on the depth chart under “center”
Nor, apparently, should he be
August 16th, 2015 at 11:24 pm
i actually didn’t mind Eric Page at all.
August 16th, 2015 at 11:34 pm
Bell is better…may not as fast, but better.
August 17th, 2015 at 12:52 am
the most important i did see from clay was the “want to” was there… he refused to go down on 1st contact…and show good balance and strength
August 17th, 2015 at 1:38 am
This is all part of the plan…playing Gilkey to make the offense look bad and take some of the focus away from the defense.