Seven Seconds And A Crucifix
September 1st, 2015
Bucs rookie right guard Ali Marpet
Welcome to the Bucs’ opening drive on Saturday night, starting from the 20 yard line.
On 1st-and-10, Doug Martin runs left but Logan Mankins is blown up. No gain.
On second down, an unpressured Jameis Winston, “America’s Quarterabck,” misses a wide open Luke Stocker in the right flat for what probably was a four-yard gain if Stocker doesn’t break a tackle.
On third down, Jameis holds the ball for seven seconds — seven — behind great pass protection and takes a needless nine-yard sack. That’s a great way to kill field position and shorten your NFL career.
Former Bucs guard Ian Beckles hit the film room and pounded the point home about the seven-second sack yesterday on WDAE-AM 620. Jameis, per Beckles, made his offensive line look worse than it is. And that’s hard to do, Beckles said.
Beckles went on a minor rampage about the O-line, targeting Logan Mankins as a bad football player and rookie Ali Marpet as dangerous right now. He said Jameis will need to “wear a crucifix” to survive this season if Marpet is his right guard the whole year.
Marpet’s streak of woe in the first quarter against Cleveland was telling, per Beckles. On three consecutive plays, Marpet was shoddy. First, Jameis was hurried and hit, then Marpet had a false start before he got torched easily inside for a violent sack.
It’s Marpet getting beaten cleanly that has Beckles’ all fired up. It’s one thing to get beaten, he says, but quite another to be bested cleanly and repeatedly.
Joe really isn’t too concerned about Marpet developing. He does enough good things, including Saturday, to believe he’ll improve with experience.
Joe’s far more concerned about what 33-year-old Mankins looks like in Week 9 when he already looks worn out in preseason. Joe feels similarly about Evan Smith.
Dirk Koetter has a job ahead of him to keep Jameis healthy. The most important thing is teaching Jameis how to give up on a play.
September 1st, 2015 at 11:05 am
Marpet is just fine. You can’t win them all but Marpet has looked the part of a starting guard. He will learn and get better and the only way to do that is to get reps in game action. I had higher hopes for Mankins though and he has been disappointing to this point.
September 1st, 2015 at 11:09 am
Is it too late for Koetter to bring in kareem abdul jabbar to teach Jameis the fade away hook shot as soon as he touches the ball. It might be the only way to survive the shotty pass protection behind this O-line!!!!
September 1st, 2015 at 11:15 am
It seems that we have this discussion before the draft.
What will Jameis WInston will do without a proper OL ?
And there we are after all these months asking the same question !
ANd it’s only pre season.
Bucs better have to win the first game of the season because it could be the only one they have the ability to win.
September 1st, 2015 at 11:17 am
sky hook to ASJ for the dunk ha ha lol
September 1st, 2015 at 11:18 am
You can develop Marpet somewhat without starting him…..it seems to me that we need some strong depth at G/C….someone versitile to play both…..if a player goes down….we are in trouble.
September 1st, 2015 at 11:19 am
Sit Jameis, protect the future. Maybe by midseason the rookies will have developed and the line gelled. The worst thing we can do is ruin Jameis
September 1st, 2015 at 11:36 am
I haven’t advocated benchimg Jameis except for this meaningless last preseason game. Put the third string QB in, don’t want to see MG injured either, be he trade bait or needed starter. The Bucs know who will be cut, have seen enough already. It’s not exactly rocket science.
September 1st, 2015 at 12:00 pm
This may be a 72+ sack season similar to what ruined Carr in Oakland.
September 1st, 2015 at 12:30 pm
All 3 of the Buc’s starting offensive rookies were very confused seeing an aggressive 3-4 defense for the first time. But now they have seen it and it will only make them better. Beckles even said that Jameis is “a liability”
September 1st, 2015 at 12:42 pm
Mankins got himself looking better on the outside, physically body wise and mentally presentation wise. While some difference, he and the Bucs know that father time is not kind to aging and past injuries.
September 1st, 2015 at 12:50 pm
Having trouble believing what I’m reading.
“Sit Jameis, protect the future.”
“You can develop Marpet somewhat without starting him.”
In today’s NFL, 1st and 2nd rounders are expected to start. No if’s, and’s or but’s. Steep learning curve. Practice is nice, but the only real way to learn is to get thrown into the fire on Sunday.
If Marpet and D. Smith and ‘America’s QB’ weren’t ready for Cleveland’s 3-4 defense, then shame on the Bucs coaches. It’s not like our rookies should’ve been surprised, as in “Oh my God, they’re in a 3-4 defense. What do we do now?”
September 1st, 2015 at 1:08 pm
I thought Marpet looked bad the whole game. There were numerous times when he couldn’t even get a hand on the d-lineman. That’s scary…
September 1st, 2015 at 1:44 pm
I thought C, J. Warren has looked good. Good enough to start. We should keep the rookies in. Like stated being drafted in the 2nd round they should be starters. I like Marpet, but makes you think…why didn’t they go for AJ Cann while he too was on the board. He played against great talent. Makes you wonder about our talent evaluators. Hopefully in the long run Marpet will prove to be a smart stud guard or center. Sucks this is the same story, at the same time last year. Even spending 2 second rounders this year and 2 fifths last year. These coaches have to coach. These are the guys L&L wanted. Specifically Warhop. Let’s go Bucs!
September 1st, 2015 at 10:47 pm
@Defense rules
If Marpet and D. Smith and ‘America’s QB’ weren’t ready for Cleveland’s 3-4 defense, then shame on the Bucs coaches.
Sadly there is no IF about it. Fameis let the cat out of the bag in the post game presser. He said the Browns did things that the offensive players had not watched on video during their short week of prep.
I watched Ian Beckles play line. At his very best he was competent. Maybe he feels threatened that a Div III guy is going to be better and far more popular than him. Just sayin’.
September 2nd, 2015 at 3:05 am
Whoa, whoa whoa…
Beckles was a mid-round draft pick who was forced to be a starter in his rookie year. He also went on to be probably the third best Offensive Guard that this team has ever had. I believe he went on to be an eight year starter in this league, including a free agent year that he got PAID. He makes his living now being opinionated. But he knows what a real football player looks like. Of the players that he has been critical of, none has he turned out to be been incorrect about.