“The First Six Plays Of The Game”
September 3rd, 2015
A group rookie hug was in order after Saturday’s onslaught
A voice of reason permeated the Tampa Bay sports radio airwaves this morning, as a former Buccaneer called in and, indirectly, helped some fans avoid drastic measures and further alcohol abuse.
Former Bucs DE Steve White (1996-2001) joined Ronnie & TKras on WDAE-AM 620 and was asked about the Bucs’ offensive line. Fans would be “crazy not to be” concerned, White said, but the troubles on Saturday against the Browns were very predictable.
White maintained that the Bucs likely spent relatively little focus preparing against 3-4 defenses before Saturday night’s game, in addition to having rookies see that defense for the first time. Also, White noted the Browns “blitzed us the first six plays of the game.”
A quick fix can be accomplished, White believes, and a lot of that can come “game-plan-wise,” in addition to experienced gained on the fly. “But you have to be nervous because you’re starting two rookies,” White said of the O-line. “And any time that happens, disasters are bound to happen.”
Tampa Bay plays against 3-4 defenses like the Browns’ with all its September opponents: Tennessee, New Orleans and Houston.
September 3rd, 2015 at 1:50 pm
First six plays? LMAO If the Bucs first play against the Titans is a sack or a run for no gain half of this board will toss in the towel. All it will take is ONE bad play for half of these guys to bail.
September 3rd, 2015 at 1:52 pm
BTW If we got to vote on the first offensive play I like a play action fake to Martin and a very safe QUICK pass to one of the Dunkaneers..
2nd and five and Fameis gets to release a little adrenaline.
September 3rd, 2015 at 1:55 pm
When has this ever been done? Starting 2 rookies up front, in front of a rookie QB that you’re building your franchise around. And you don’t even have a backup LT, in case your rookie goes down. Has this ever happened before? With such a need up front, don’t you have to take a stab at picking La’el Collins and just praying you can convince him to come. Don’t you have to throw money at whichever FA’s are out there, because they WILL be better than a second round, D3 player. Are they seriously thinking this is a good idea… for what, development purposes? Is my favorite team coached by High school or NFL coaches. Isn’t the 3rd game the one you actually do preparation for?
…. the brown bag is inflating , and deflating now…
September 3rd, 2015 at 1:58 pm
Sounds like they should be preparing more for 3-4 defenses…..
September 3rd, 2015 at 2:15 pm
To put it in perspective La’el Collins is not coming close to beating out undrafted FA LG Leary for the Cowboys.
September 3rd, 2015 at 2:59 pm
Spell panic, L-O-V-I-E. You are correct
September 3rd, 2015 at 3:08 pm
I believe Pamphile is the backup LT. He played there last year if I remember right.
September 3rd, 2015 at 3:32 pm
I disagree totally….I think the Bucs have been training for Tennessee & 3-4 defenses since training camp…..they just simply didn’t want to show it in the game. I am quite confident they will improve. I realize the Bucs have a 4-3 in practice….but all the short passes & screens are for blitzes and we didn’t employ them.
If your first three games are against a 3-4….don’t you think it would be a good idea to prepare before game 3 of the pre-season?
September 3rd, 2015 at 3:33 pm
Steve White is the person’s whose opinion I respect the most, and by a mile. This guy gets it right more than anyone else. This makes me feel a little bit better about the season. We all know our line is going to struggle at times. How could it not with rookies on the line, as well as a rookie QB. However, what we saw against Cleveland wasn’t struggling – it was a complete and utter breakdown. That can’t happen. Hopefully we will be better prepared now that the games count.
September 3rd, 2015 at 3:39 pm
@TBBF,
While your theory sounds legit, I just don’t buy it. I totally buy the fact that they don’t want to give away their offense. However, I do not believe for a second they would allow Jameis to be hit like that in order to protect the secrecy of our offense. If they did, the entire staff should be fired immediately (and I support Lovie).
My best guess would be that they didn’t expect Cleveland to blitz so frequently, and so relentlessly. It was as if they expected a vanilla defense, but got a game-planned defense. It’s probably very similar to what happened to Cincinnati when they played us. The preseason has some crazy results that would never happen in the regular season. I can still remember a few years ago us blowing out New England.
September 3rd, 2015 at 3:43 pm
@TBBF I agree completely! Why would we show anything to LeBeau. Of course conversely the Titans are not simply bringing MM along slowly, they too do not wish to show anything to Lovie.
don’t you have to take a stab at picking La’el Collins and just praying you can convince him to come.
Here’s what that stab would have represented. La’el Collins would have had to accept MILLIONS less to sign as a 6th or 7th round pick. He would have been “slotted”. WHY would Collins do that? When his agent CLEARLY said they would NOT do that why wouldn’t the league listen. HIs agent said NO and the money said no.
I know we all get this but sometimes I think we forget. It’s called PROFESSIONAL football for a reason. This is a business. Bottom line business.
Now someone like Darrelle Revis who has signed several multimillion dollar contracts including that last 16 million from us…no DB is worth that…someone like Revis whose business acumen I respect as much as his athletic skill is already worth close to 100 million! HE is one of those rare dudes who can forego a million or two and forego the Bucs offer in order to accept a measley 12 million from the PATS. Notice that Revis didn’t stay with the Pats even though they got him a SB. At the end of the day it’s ALWAYS about the Benjamins and certainly an unproven rookie like Collins HAD to cash in while he could.
September 3rd, 2015 at 3:44 pm
Starting OLine still concerns me, but lack of quality depth concerns me even more (especially at LT and C). Still hoping that the Bucs opt to pick up 1-2 offensive linemen before the ‘real’ games begin. Even if they just fill a backup role for the time being. Oh ya, since we’re into hoping and wishing, could someone please throw in an experienced DE or two also?
September 3rd, 2015 at 4:02 pm
I long for the old days, say the 70’s when the players were smaller, not giant behemoths lumbering around getting injured while collecting giant paychecks. Look at the Steelers of that era, undersized as a whole yet strong enough to win 4 Super Bowls in 6 years. That production with about $7500 payoff in the conference title game and 15 grand for the Super Bowl wins. Now these present day players get such large contracts right off the bat, where is the incentive to compete at a high level after that. Is there no end to the ever escalating price structure? Sign one contract and your set for life.
September 3rd, 2015 at 4:37 pm
@ Hawaiian
I agree that they lly missed therir protections and I don’t think it was deliberate…..and they failed to hit their checkdowns…..I believe this was more Jameis’ fault than Koetter.But to say they haven’t prepared for a 3-4 makes little sense.
September 3rd, 2015 at 4:38 pm
totally missed theiir protections
September 3rd, 2015 at 4:54 pm
Actually , every o-linemen had a positive grade against the Browns, except for Ali Marpet. EDS had the highest grade of all Buc players at 3.8. Most of the blame should go to Jameis, on one sack he enough time to smoke a blunt, read the August edition of Playboy while eating a plate of crab legs. But he couldn’t find a open receiver,how can a receiver not be open for that long? Then he had the Hail Mary sack before half, he was waiting for the receivers to get into the end zone. I’m not concern about Dick LeBeau 3-4 defense, last season every QB the faced had a good rating against them. Even Mark Glennon looked like a 6’6 Johnny Unitas against them.
September 3rd, 2015 at 4:55 pm
Alright St. Pete, you’re right. I guess just seeing us let our 7th rd pick walk (ANOTHER drafted RB), makes me think it would have been better spent on a hail mary.
What i don’t get is how u italicize a quote.
September 3rd, 2015 at 5:36 pm
Mike10
the brown bag is inflating , and deflating now…
LOL Thank you
September 4th, 2015 at 2:26 am
Wonder if Steve White knew that Maryland ran a 3-4 defense in 2013, the year FSU pummeled them 63-0?
…wonder if you FSU fans ever stopped to consider that FSU’s offensive line may not have been as bad as you have been told?
Wonder if maybe the fact that speed is vastly different because the talent is the top 1% in the nation, not just the top in the weak ACC?
Wonder if any of you are catching that it still hasn’t changed the fact that – while Kid fameis/Jaboo will ultimately be a fine NFL QB (on the field at least) – the preseason win over Miami is still proof he’s not going to turn this franchise around this year. This guy is going to require SERIOUS protection on the left side. At this point, Donovan Smith is playing like he’s going to wind up on the Right side – and Ali Marpet may be a quality back-up one day….and center is a position that isn’t settled.
With that much uncertainty at the point of attack – there’s no way a drop-back QB is going to be able to do his thing with that much uncertainty in the unit being paid to protect him.