Lovie Was Concerned For Jameis’ Health
August 16th, 2015
Lovie feared for the safety of “America’s Quarterback” last night.
The offensive line is a work in progress, you saw what Joe saw last night. And with Garrett Gilkey playing center, Joe was downright frightened for the well-being of “America’s Quarterback,” Bucs signal-caller Jameis Winston.
So too, it seems, was Bucs coach Lovie Smith.
Last night and today, Joe has been hit with quite a few questions about why right tackle Demar Dotson was still in the game late in the first half when he suffered what Lovie claimed today was a left knee sprain.
Indeed, Joe’s good friend Chris Fischer, of WTSP-TV Channel 10, asked Lovie that himself at Lovie’s day-after presser. You can watch the video on Fischer’s Facebook page.
“I wanted to do what we could to protect our quarterback,” Lovie said. “The plan was to keep an offensive line in there that we felt comfortable with protecting Jameis.”
Joe cannot quibble. If Jameis goes down, then Lovie’s career could go up in smoke at the same time. The two are joined at the hip.
Not to mention Team Glazer has some $25 million reasons why Jameis needs to be protected. It was a smart move by Lovie, but sadly, Dotson may be gone for two months in a meaningless game.
If players are getting maimed in sh!t games, then it makes sense to have an 18-game regular season and just two preseason games.
August 16th, 2015 at 6:17 pm
there should be only 2 pre seasons games the talent level after the starters come out is crazy believe me they know who can p,lay and who cant after 2 games plus the games are lack luster and meaningless ive seen the bucs go 4/0 in the pre season just to go on and win 5 games
August 16th, 2015 at 6:25 pm
Protected? You have got to be kidding. Jameis was harassed almost the entire time he was in. He was forced to scramble numerous times and not to mention the couple of bad snaps. He took some solid hits as a result of poor O line play. This is just the per season. Wait until the regular season when opposing D game plan and attack our weakness on the O line. Does anyone really feel comfortable and confident with what we currently have? It will not be easy or cheap to fix it now but certainly not impossible.
August 16th, 2015 at 6:27 pm
If these guys didn’t sit around for 7 months of the year they would have nearly as many of these injuries throughout the league. Hockey players, and soccer players are the best example that come to mind. I know a lot of them stay active in the offseason…but the ones that don’t I think shows up a lot more on the injury reports
August 16th, 2015 at 6:55 pm
Man. Only thing that really made me mad about that preseason game was Lovie trying Gilkey at center when Winston was still in the game. Jeebus! Save the experimental o-line crap for the second half when your backup is in the game. Cmon man!
August 16th, 2015 at 7:02 pm
Can’t believe we let zuttah go for two guys that can’t snap the ball, we would be better off with Jeff Faine coming out of retirement smh
August 16th, 2015 at 7:05 pm
Bucs have no Olinemen who aren’t “experimental”.
August 16th, 2015 at 7:06 pm
there is no valid reason not to have an 18-game regular season and just two preseason games.
The players would want mucho dinero for a deal they fundamentally do not want.
The owners are already scewi….er charging the fans the same money as the regular season anyway.
What would make the most sense is to simply give up two of the preseason games and then go to the 16 week schedule. It’s tough for an NFL player to make a season these days without some time on the Inj list. Cutting out two games would be the most productive safety move the league could make without harming the game. Just the owners pocketbooks.
August 16th, 2015 at 7:14 pm
@stpetebucsfan
I say have a 3 game pre-season and a 17 game regular season. I hate when a team goes 8-8 and it is considered a “winning season”!!!!
also maybe the players would ask for money. But instead the owners say what if they take Roger Goodell as judge and executioner, and appoint a third party instead!!
August 16th, 2015 at 7:16 pm
Does anyone notice licht has failed to find us any o-linemen? That’s his job.. It was better before he got here. He’s got a couple weeks left. I’m pissed.
August 16th, 2015 at 7:49 pm
It looked just about like i thought.
Jameis was over amped, and Nervous.
Pamphile, Edwards,Smith, And Marpet looked over amped, and nervous
Ditto for Jenkins, Bell, Herron, etc.
We started a lot of guys- who were starting their very first NFL game! Or at least heir first preseason game. They all looked like cats thrown in the pool!
Bundles of nerves and tight muscles.
By the end of Preseason game 4- it will pass. Except a new flair up on regular season game one.
It wil be alright.,Rookies are gonna freak out. Its all part of becoming pros. Im not worried about them.
Gilkey apparently is not a center. I didnt see the injury report- but where were our two backup centers?? Josh is supposed to be promising, how come we didnt see either of our young centers??
August 16th, 2015 at 7:51 pm
Jake long and Mathis or we will be picking in top 5 again book it!
August 16th, 2015 at 8:00 pm
where were Jeremiah Warren and Josh Allen?
They are our 2nd and 3rd string Centers,
Gilkey isnt on the Depth chart under Center
August 16th, 2015 at 8:08 pm
Joe, I’d like to suggest a nickname for Coach Smith:
“Garrett Gilkey & Mike Jenkins Loving Smith”
August 16th, 2015 at 8:11 pm
I believe that Josh Allen is injured
August 16th, 2015 at 8:14 pm
….gilkey was in at center
August 16th, 2015 at 8:18 pm
Let’s see… I’ve been called all sorts of unflattering names for posting that Winston would be on IR by the 4th game with this pathetic excuse for an O-line and look at this… The HC is concerned, too. I will add that the buck stops with him. It is his problem to fix. This line is the hot mess I said it was. This line is not only bad they are dangerous .
August 16th, 2015 at 8:43 pm
The one time I saw Jameis getting pounded was when Donovan Smith (totally) missed his block. The Gilkey snaps are not a problem; he will not be in as center anyhow. As for Smith….our second round pick may be a throw-away.
August 16th, 2015 at 8:51 pm
Richbucsfan-
I have to agree with you. You have to be realistic without watching it with rose colored glasses. The current O line is indeed bad. Winning team’s lines do not look nor play like that. It is actually painful to watch year after year. Each season it is like Groundhog Day. We are never going to improve until we get a descent O-line in place. Year after year it is the same alibis and excuses. The good teams seem to never have the same problem. Fix the line already!
August 16th, 2015 at 9:25 pm
Just make a 20 game regular season, all games count. Allow larger rosters, say around 10 more players on each team. Keep the larger team rosters and cut down to a new total number of final players with the final roster set before the 5th game. A war of attrition. The rosters are too small for the sport of pro football. Don’t tell me there are not enough players available or the owners can’t afford it.
August 16th, 2015 at 9:34 pm
During the off season I listened to a good discussion from a couple of former GMs about the pros and cons to playing a 18 regular season with two preseason. The cons were basically that the teams wouldn’t be ready for the season unless the rules changed with off season workouts and that players bodies wouldn’t hold up so they would need to expand the roster they both agreed that there would need to be 2 bye weeks.
I just want to put this out there because when I point out that some of the hate on Jameis seems to be racially motivated people claim it’s not true. If you think it was a mistake to add an ‘N’ at the end of his nick name you are just lying to yourself.
J Says:
August 16th, 2015 at 12:43 pm
I saw lots of Freemanesque overthrows until Jaboon played second teamers.
August 16th, 2015 at 9:34 pm
This talk of fewer preseason games makes ZERO sense. Are you kidding me?
Uhh… Starters don’t even play the 4th preseason game, so there’s really only 3 preseason games where the main people play.
And… Dotson was injured in the FIRST preseason game. Regardless of how many preseason games there should have hypothetically been, he would have gotten hurt regardless.
Lastly… do the Bucs look like a team that needs just one more practice game before the real season starts???? Sure, let’s start 0-2 in an 18 game season, but hey. at least our players aren’t hurt. Ridiculous. There might not be another team in the league that needs the ENTIRE preseason more than the Bucs do.
August 16th, 2015 at 9:43 pm
It’s kinda beside the point that what J was saying was false. Obviously Giliky was the 4rd string center and the Bucs had 2nd team WR, TE, G, RB basically everyone but a 1st team T and a G. What this article is about. Minn had a few 1st team guys in too. Just a completely false racist statement. I realize this guy is the exception rather then the rule but we should all point out that this is unacceptable.
August 16th, 2015 at 9:48 pm
Tony- Starters normally play one or two series the 1st game one quarter the 2nd and a half the 3rd and not at all the forth.
August 16th, 2015 at 10:47 pm
There is no way to sugar coat Winston’s performance, he was terrible. Glennon has to be further ahead than him. Football savant? …smh
August 16th, 2015 at 10:47 pm
Richbucsfan Says:
August 16th, 2015 at 8:18 pm
“Let’s see… I’ve been called all sorts of unflattering names for posting that Winston would be on IR by the 4th game with this pathetic excuse for an O-line and look at this… The HC is concerned, too. I will add that the buck stops with him. It is his problem to fix. This line is the hot mess I said it was. This line is not only bad they are dangerous .”
Who called you names?
August 16th, 2015 at 10:52 pm
It boggles the mind that the coaching staff and GM can’t find average Olinemen and a center that can snap the ball. Oh and let’s not forget they drafted a fat, lazy TE last year that can’t block but he’s full of potential. Give me a fraction of their paycheck and a couple of beers and I honestly believe that I could match their level of incompetency when it comes to player evaluation. All you have to know is that these morons thought Zuttah wasn’t good enough to be on this team.
August 16th, 2015 at 10:58 pm
Stanglassman- “4rd”? Why are you trying to bend my small brain this late on a Sunday night? That little speed bump in reading at scan rate felt like minor assault!
August 16th, 2015 at 11:18 pm
I’ve heard the argument made that a reason there’s been so many injuries is because of how soft they go in practice and how restricted they are with time for practice. Food 4 thought
August 16th, 2015 at 11:59 pm
chickster Says
there should be only 2 pre seasons games…
Most coaches feel they need 3 or more. I feel they do too.
I also think starters should play only against starters
August 17th, 2015 at 12:00 am
@Mike10
I can believe that.
August 17th, 2015 at 12:06 am
The OL and DE are what they are. I’m not looking for Superman to emerge from the post preseason camp cuts and save the season, or Jameis.
The Bucs FO, along with the owners, have to decide how much money to hold in reserve for injury replacement players and to settle our current and upcoming player negotiations. I think we had a good, if not great, draft.
The addition of OC Koetter and the additional quality (scheme specific) players acquired through FA and the draft will pay dividends this season and well into the future.
Dotson’s injury is a perfect example of how that reserve money the FO has been reticent to spend may have to be used, as intended, for a replacement. I wouldn’t want to be the guy across the table from Dotson when his injury is factored into his future salary. Good thing it’s only a ACL “sprain”. Truth is that this will still keep in out of action for at least 6-8 weeks.
I watched parts of the game again today and noticed how watching/listening to “Vikings” broadcast announcers was a classic lesson on being persuaded by enemy propaganda. Our team had many successes in a game that helps coaches judge their training efforts and players trying to make the team.
The most curious thing about the broadcast was that the cameras NEVER showed the Bucs sidelines or coaches, EVER.
August 17th, 2015 at 12:23 am
Joe please enough with that America’s Quarterback thing dude. First he has to become an NFL Quarterback Joe. You dig?
August 17th, 2015 at 12:33 am
Hey Bucs, just continue to do your best to siege the hopes of every fan. Damn do I miss Chucky!
August 17th, 2015 at 12:39 am
Jameis will be fine, but nothing else about the team looked good.
August 17th, 2015 at 2:16 am
They will all be fine. The rookies got it out of their systems- plus the coaches now have lots of film to cosch them up with.
We know we need a DE or two and a safety, and depth.
But you arent gonna rebuild a team as bad as this one in two years.
We got Jameis- that last drive is an indicator of things to come.
You missed Chucky?
Unbelievable- he stunk up the place at the end. Couldnt draft or coach. And the entire league had figured out his “motion offense”
His bad drafting and Coaching had depleted this team of talent.
Chucky could coach a team of trained vets. If someone else had coached them on how to Play- he could figure out how to win with them.but the last few years were really bad. One creaking senior after another- doing just enought to win half- then get pasted by young talented teams in the playoffs.
Im glad he won our SuperBowl. Bless him for that.
But after that- I dont miss him
August 17th, 2015 at 12:18 pm
Injuries happen all the time, whereto they be pre-season, first or last snap of the regular season, or even in the middle of a play-off run, it’s a violent sport and the timing is never good when it happens.
Injuries are not pages out a playbook that you can keep tucked away during the pre-season only to reveal them at that special moment in an important game where the sacrifice is worthy.
Please, stop all the BS about shortening the season, this sport more than any other needs the entire roster to be able to perform in synchronization from starter to substitute, no matter how large or small the role of the player has. That just doesn’t “come together” in two pre-season games when most players only get a series or two to sync.