Yesterday, Today And Tomorrow
September 14th, 2015
Holy flag football defense It was that bad yesterday. As Joe wrote last night, that was the worst, most ill-prepared Bucs team.
Oh, sure, the Bucs have been alley-beaten too many times for Joe to count since the Bucs jettisoned Chucky.
But never in the first game of the year like that. Never when they had all offseason to prepare. Never when the team, including the coaching staff and front office, researched and watched countless hours of film and had who knows how many chalktalk interviews with Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota?
It is just flabbergasting to be that ill-prepared. What exactly has this coaching staff been doing lo these many months, armed with so much information on an opposing quarterback?
Joe is trying not to overreact, which is very easy to do after Week One. But Jiminy Christmas, to let a rookie quarterback nearly toss a perfect game on his very first NFL start, well, that is about as damning as it gets for a coach.
And make no mistake: this is Lovie Smith’s defense. He can’t hide behind Leslie Frazier any longer because Lovie took over the play-calling duties. This is all on Lovie. Period. Frazier cannot be used as a scapegoat.
Can Lovie Turn Things Around?
We will know more in two weeks where this Bucs team is headed. But let’s take a quick look back. Lovie tore apart an offensive line that, while never to be confused with the 1976 Raiders, wasn’t totally terrible. He ripped it apart and, as Raheem Morris once said, “I will tolerate you until I can replace you.” To date, Lovie has not replaced Donald Penn, Ted Larsen or Jeremy Zuttah. Now Joe knows the Bucs drafted two rookies who could someday be studs. But that leaky offensive line is a direct result of ripping up the offensive line last year.
Joe is happy to draft and play high-draft-pick rookies, but at least one of those picks would not have been necessary without the ill-advised purge in 2014.
Then, Lovie ran off Darrelle Revis and tried to replace him with Alterraun Verner. Joe likes Verner a lot, but after yesterday, if you think Verner has filled the gap left by Revis, you really must be some kind of stubborn drunk.
Factoring in all the personnel moves that blew up in Lovie’s face like a kid playing with gunpowder in a candle factory, and after that completely inept, shameful lack of preparation yesterday, Joe’s faith in Lovie turning around this franchise this year has taken a major hit.
Yesterday, Ken Whisenhunt completely and totally coached rings around Lovie. Let that sink in for a moment.
Again, it is just the first game of the season. The Bucs won a Super Bowl after losing to the Saints at home in 2002 to open the season. We’ll see how much faith Joe has left for Lovie in two weeks.
Where Was The Dynamic Duo?
One reason Joe is growing skeptical of Lovie is his inability to get production from two of the best players in the NFL: Gerald McCoy and Lavonte David.
GMC got a sack yesterday (yay!), but other than that, well, he was pretty much a non-factor. That’s not really GMC’s fault. Whisenhunt was smart enough to keep the ball away from GMC. But what about David? He and GMC accounted for six tackles. Both had three and David also had two assists.
One of the quickest, smartest, most versatile linebackers in the game had but three tackles and two assists? That sort of tells Joe that David wasn’t put in position to be much of a factor. Given how unprepared and clueless the defense seemed, Joe is going to side with David.
Could David have been a spy of sorts on Mariota? Sure, but that would mean Lovie have adjusted. We all know the answer to that — a big reason why the Bucs are now 2-15 under Lovie.
Siege the day!
Disturbing Lack Of Adjustments
You want to know how badly the Bucs were outcoached yesterday? The Titans made Mariota comfortable by putting him in formations and plays that fit. Jameis? Half the people in China knew the Bucs were going to have trouble with the offensive line. Did the Bucs just once put Jameis in a two-step drop to enable him to get the ball out quickly? A few more designed roll outs might have helped, too.
Last week, offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter said there were all sorts of formations and protections he could use to buy Jameis time. Joe sure never saw any of that.
One team adjusted for its rookie quarterback and it showed. The other seemingly hung their rookie quarterback out to dry.
If the Bucs continue to use Jameis in a five-step drop with opponents all but having a free shot at him, what you saw yesterday very well could be the norm for Jameis. And if Joe can see that, you would think the coaching staff of the Bucs oould. If they don’t or can’t, there are some very, very, very serious issues with this organization.
As if the final score yesterday wasn’t enough of a tipoff.
On To New Orleans
So the Saints coughed up two touchdowns in the fourth quarter to lose their opener, on the road to a playoff team that returned its previously injured franchise quarterback.
Meanwhile, the Bucs got seal-clubbed by a rookie QB making his first NFL start guiding a crap 2-14 team. Galling. Just embarrassing to the nth degree.
Net, the Saints host the Bucs in their home opener in Week Two. This just in: Sean Payton has won six straight home openers.
Pardon Joe if he has more faith in Payton righting his ship in Week Two than Lovie.
If a rookie spread-option quarterback can knife the Bucs the way Mariota did yesterday, imagine how Drew Brees is drooling today?
No Way To Be A Leader
Joe understands how fans always talk about leaders. Personally, Joe thinks this is some of the most inane, empty talk there is, especially when it comes to the Bucs. So you are a leader of a 2-14 team, or a leader on a team that has won twice in its last 17 games? Cute. That’s a real resumé builder.
Yesterday, after the game in the locker room, Joe saw something that just wasn’t cool, mostly selfish, and a very, very bad example for the rookies the Bucs are banking on for the next decade.
Look, there was no joy in the Bucs’ locker room yesterday. Hell, the Bucs play so terrible at home, without looking it up, Joe can’t recall the last regular season win at the Den of Depression. Lovie has yet to win there.
But after the game, there was GMC, as usual, manning up and taking the heat. There was Verner, who had a rotten game, answering every question with thoughtful, honest responses. Verner is such a good guy he might still be there answering questions this morning if there were still reporters hanging around.
There were others, too. Henry Melton, Logan Mankins, even Evan Smith. Oh, and all three top draft picks this spring. Jameis, Donovan Smith and Ali Marpet also took all the bullets and gave very much un-cliché answers.
But next to the locker stalls of Marpet and Smith is Vincent Jackson’s. With the rookies manning up, as well as other veterans, Jackson did the universal athlete sign of “Leave me alone” by putting on his ear buds with his head buried in his locker. When Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times approached Jackson, he shook his head and bolted for the door. Jenny Vrentas of theMMQB.com raced after Jackson, chasing him as he left the locker room, hoping to coax him into a question.
That’s a terrible example right in front of two rookies.
Look, Joe knows Jackson doesn’t like to talk, but he has after rough losses. Joe gets along with him fine, once in a while chatting off the record about non-football issues (Jackson loves to talk about his dogs). And for the many hours of work Jackson logs for servicemen and women and their families, Jackson cannot be lauded enough. He’s really a good dude.
Jackson is also a fixture at Lightning and Rays games. He’s very much ingrained in the community and supports the local teams and local charities and other groups. One could say he is a hallmark citizen of Tampa Bay.
Shoot, even Jameis admits he’s learned about work ethic by watching Jackson.
But stomping off like that was no way to act for a veteran of Jackson’s status in front of impressionable rookies. Just answer two or three vapid questions and get out of dodge.
Besides, the NFL fathers on Park Avenue very much frown on players not talking. In fact, players are required to talk by the NFL. They know that marketing equals dollars and those dollars find themselves into the wallets of players.
A bad move and a bad mistake by generally a good dude.
If the rookies can stand and take the heat, and Jackson’s fellow veteran teammates can man up and stand up, so too can Jackson.
Joe doesn’t like asking questions of players after yet another in a string of nut-kick losses, certainly any more than players like answering questions after nut-kick losses.
Around The NFL:
Patriots: Yada, yada, yada Tom Brady… yada, yada, yada, Bill Belicheat…
Bills: Whoa, who saw this coming? Andrew Luck had a miserable day by Andrew Luck standards, throwing as many picks as touchdowns. The Bills held the Colts off the scoreboard until midway through the third quarter. Impressive, Capt. Lou Albano, impressive!
Packers: Pretty good game but Aaron Rodgers is just too much. He led the Pack on two fourth-quarter scoring drives to ice the game against the Bears.
Chiefs: Typical Alex Smith day. He throws three touchdown passes, none to a wide receiver. And Brian Hoyer got benched by the Texans for Ryan Mallett. Already! LOL Joe is pretty sure your Texans quarterback next year is Christian Hackenberg.
Stinking Panthers: Stifling defense by the Stinking Panthers. Held the Jags to just three field goals and returned a pick for a second half touchdown. Who is the worst team in Florida, the Bucs or the Jags?
Jets: After Johnny Football gave the Brownies a 7-0 lead, the Jets outscored the Browns 31-3 the rest of the way. Chris Ivory scored a pair of touchdowns.
Rams (OT): Joe cannot remember the stat, but for Super Bowl losing teams, their records in the following season opener are not good. And the Seahawks didn’t improve it. Lance Kendricks of the Rams caught a 37-yard touchdown catch from Nick Foles with less than a minute in regulation to tie the game.
Dolphins: Special teams beat the Redskins in what must have been a painful game to watch. Jarvis Landry scored on a 69-yard punt return in the fourth quarter for the win.
Cardinals: Old man Carson Palmer is back. His two second-half touchdown passes put the Saints away..
Chargers: Philip Rivers went crazy in the second half with three touchdown passes. Detroit led 21-10 at halftime.
Broncos: Peyton Manning did not throw a touchdown and was picked once, yet the Broncos pulled out a win over Baltimore Joe can’t remember the last time that happened.
Bengals: All puking Andy Dalton does is win. His two touchdown passes were enough to beat Oakland, as Derek Carr injured a hand and was pulled.
Cowboys: Jason Witten’s second touchdown catch of the second half, with less than two minutes left, sealed a one-point win against the Giants. Dez Bryant also broke a bone in his foot.
Scatter shooting
* Joe once again calls on NFL smarter heads to spare fans of this nonsense called preseason. Joe is proud to boast that aside from Bucs games, which he has to watch for his job, Joe didn’t watch one play of preseason football. Not one. To quote the one and only Chris “Mad Dog” Russo, preseason football is a complete waste of Joe’s time. Why would Joe watch that schlop when there is perfect good baseball to watch? The USFL (RIP) had an 18-game schedule and no preseason, and not having preseason games was not the reason the league folded. If the NFL must pacify players by giving them another bye week, so be it. If it means expanding the rosters and capping players at 16 games a season, then do it. The NFL can make a complete windfall by adding two more weeks to the season and ditching these insulting scrimmages. And, yes, if the NFL makes a killing, the players also get a cut. Just stop this nonsense!
* Boy, Jacksonville State sure went turtle in their near upset of Auburn. Deserved to choke, to be honest. Playing not to lose is so gutless and, more often than not, you lose.
* Has the SEC thrown in the towel? Has it raised the white flag? How else to explain they are turning to ACC castoff quarterbacks to lead their teams?
* After watching Miami needing to break a sweat against FAU Friday night, Joe wonders what Dunkin Donuts shop Al Golden will be managing next year. And by the way, you want to know how far Miami has fallen? They scheduled a road game at FAU!
* What is it with Kevin Steele, the new LSU defensive coordinator? Dude is a fantastic defensive coach and one helluva recruiter. But the guy is changing jobs every two years. Either Steele is a restless soul or just cannot get along with people. A guy that good doesn’t take horizontal jobs every other year. This “targeting” rule in college football is total BS. Are players not allowed to tackle any longer? Joe saw that thing called too many times Saturday, including USF’s Auggie Sanchez as a victim, and each call was at best borderline. Would folks stop trying to PC-up football! If you don’t want to be hit, don’t play! If you don’t want to be hit, play badminton. Stop it!!!
* On Labor Day weekend, Nebraska couldn’t have played worse defense than on the Hail Mary in which they lost to BYU. Joe’s seen better defense and better pressure in seven-on-seven leagues.
* Joe isn’t sure just how good BYU is, but damn, they are a fun team to watch.
* Joe just wants to wing a Bud Light through his 70-inch HDTV. Freaking Mike Matheny is doing his best to run the Cardinals out of the playoffs. First, he runs his pitchers into the ground during the season (including bullpen) and then when he does stupid stuff like skipping starts (in August!) it screws his pitchers up. To compound this, he plays a centerfielder who literally can’t throw and scrubs who can’t hit when he had guys like Tommy Pham and Greg Garcia, two guys who helped carry the team offensively through a rash of injuries mid-season, ride the pine. If the Redbirds screw this up, it’s all on Matheny.
* Joe was surfing the other night and while coming across a 7 p.m. newscast on WFLA-TV Channel 8, noticed sultry Jen Leigh broadcasting from what appeared to be a barstool, with the producer pulling back for a wide frame. How Roger Ailes! Joe applauds this move. It made for a pleasant news-viewing experience and, more importantly, it got Joe to put the clicker down. Why more local TV newscasts don’t do this, rather than hide an (attractive) anchor behind a desk, Joe has no idea. Look, TV is a visual medium. When Joe was in college, he proposed this concept to professors and was roundly mocked. Roughly 15 years later, Ailes, the brainchild of FOX News, put this concept into practice and – voila! – ratings through the roof.
* Donald Trump has brought the WWE to politics. If nothing else, it is entertaining as hell.
September 14th, 2015 at 7:28 am
Can we please get some “FIRE LOVIE” billboards. He is the worst coach the Bucs have ever had. He makes me wish we had Schiano back. After another seal clubbing at home why this man still has a job this morning is beyond me. Jason Licht said he learn from Bill Belichick that if you make a mistake on a player you should cut your losses and get rid of the player. The same should be said about coaches as well. I hope the Glazers are listening. If they don’t win these two road games I doubt anyone will show up for their next home game.
September 14th, 2015 at 7:33 am
Hey when we get the number 1 pick we will get a new coach/fm and QB
September 14th, 2015 at 7:33 am
Gm*
September 14th, 2015 at 7:45 am
I was hoping for a Buc win; instead I saw something putrid that reminded me of the Leeman Bennett days; what an embarrassing effort by what is probably the worst club in the NFL (too bad tampa couldn’t play the raiders)…. Lovie has been outcoached from day 1 last season and we never hear any honest answers from him; just a ****ing boatload of BS. A lot of the losses last year were attributed to tanking for Winston; but yesterday???? Man that was ugly; right down there with the bashing the Bucs got in the ATL last season in a Thursday night beatdown. How much you bet that the next team that plays the Titans will probably shut Mariota down because they will have a coach that will actually make adjustments????? I know its jumping the gun to call for his firing now but if the Bucs go into the bye week winless it just may be an opportune time for the Glazers to sack this fossil and right now I do not think the Bucs can win if yesterday was any indication of the lack of heart, talent and preparation from all facets of the game.
September 14th, 2015 at 7:52 am
The first touchdown was from a guy who basically sliced through the whole secondary before racing to the endzone… Cover two? They can’t cover one!! LOL
September 14th, 2015 at 7:58 am
GMC is normally a non factor. So it was business as usual.
September 14th, 2015 at 7:59 am
Lovie and this team was beyond awful. There is zero excuse, and I am more disgusted with this team than I have ever been, and that says a lot. There was so much hype and promise going into this season, and within 9 minutes it was all sucked out of us. Pathetic, inexcusable, and embarrassing are all words that come to mind.
That being said, there were 4 calls in this game that were atrocious. Now, this is not an excuse, as we would have lost had I been the ref, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that they were horrible. First and foremost, the re-spot on 4th down. There was absolutely no way the ref could have saw enough evidence to move the ball back a foot. There were no landmarks and no clear view. I’ve never seen such a terrible call. Second, the non-fumble of Mariota on the GMC sack. I thought the NFL did away with the in the grasp play years ago??? No whistle had blown, and Mariota was still fighting to escape. That was a fumble 100 times out of 100, except I guess when the Bucs play. The pass interference call on Verner in the end zone was garbage. There was contact, but nothing more than every other pass play. Perhaps they were just surprised our corners were even near the WR’s so they threw the flag. Finally, the push off on V-Jax. Wow, wow, wow. Turrible. First of all, the game was so far out of hand, why even bother? Let it go. Regardless, that wasn’t a push off in any way. Total BS in a game full of BS. Our performance was horrible, but the refs were almost equally horrible.
September 14th, 2015 at 8:04 am
That kid made some throws yesterday that reminded me of Tom Brady….face it we screwed the pouch on this one, Winston looked like Byron Leftwich, his mechanics are beyond horrible he was winding up from his ankles to make throws. And to all those who said MM could never become a pocket passer, he can’t handle the huddle, he can’t take a snap under center, well you all saw it yesterday, this kid is going to be a star and the Bucs will still be looking for that franchise QB while he’s wining Super Bowls.
September 14th, 2015 at 8:06 am
Joe, I’m sorry but you need to stop deflecting the blame and defending “Canada’s QB”. Despite all the issues with the other players, he looked bad – period. Some horrible throws when he did get protection and bad decisions. Got a long way to go….Mariota is plug and play….Face the music, this guy is not the star you preach him to be. Might make a servicable QB with much time and practice, that’s all….
September 14th, 2015 at 8:09 am
I would like to hear someone in the press ask Lovie this question: Last season Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco lit us up for countless tds. Derek Anderson beat us twice by completely out executing us. The third stringer from St. Louis who’s name I don’t remember and won’t look up because I’ll never need to know his name again looked like a pro bowler throwing darts all over the place. What makes you think you deserve to still be standing where you are right now when you can’t stop any inexperienced qb? Not a single one?
September 14th, 2015 at 8:13 am
What also turns my eyes red is Lovie saying “It’s just one game”
NO!!!! You know who gets to say that? Jameis, Ali, Donavon, and Kwon. With Lovie it’s just another game of the same sheet that got us the first pick in the draft. You do NOT get to use the its one game line. So shut up!!
September 14th, 2015 at 8:15 am
Yeah that first game in 2002 came down to the last seconds and was an exciting game from start to finish. This one couldn’t have been more different.
September 14th, 2015 at 8:20 am
After months of absolutely needless overselling of Winston……now we get excuses for his poor play. No matter how many steps he takes with his drop back, it wouldn’t matter on his two absurdly poor decisions on his interceptions.
I was actually surprised at how much time Winston had….many times we just didn’t have a receiver open and no check down available. Some of his sacks were from holding it too long and stumbling & fumbling in the backfield.
That all being said….it’s the defense that disgusted me. There was no excuse for us getting picked apart like that. Sometimes it to 5 or 6 players to bring down their running backs…..v
September 14th, 2015 at 8:20 am
@flmike,
Exactly what throws from Mariota impressed you? He threw 16 passes, none of which went 15 yards in the air. He literally threw slants to wide open guys on his first read. That impresses you? That’s not a knock on Mariota because if you don’t have to go to your second read, why should you? But seriously, let’s not put the kid in the Hall of Fame just yet. He was rarely disrupted in the pocket. The few times he was, he made poor throws (his first two throws). He fumbled another time trying to get out of the arms of GMC. Let’s see what he does against a real defense once they get some tape on him before you annoint him the chosen one.
Winston is a pocket passer. Pocket passers typically take longer to adjust to the NFL game. It was as clear as day that the game was moving too fast for Winston yesterday. He looked very uncomfortable and unsure of his reads. When that happens, you are going to have bad mechanics. His coaches did nothing to help him, and neither did his defense. We are so far away from worrying about Winston being a bust. We need to be more concerned with how bad this overall team is, and if it’s ever going to get any better. As of how I feel this morning, I have my doubts.
September 14th, 2015 at 8:22 am
“The other (team.. i.e., the Bucs) seemingly hung their rookie quarterback out to dry.”
Typical Joe(s)…. Sure, Joe, of course it wasn’t Jameis fault he threw the two interceptions, it was that he was poorly prepared by the coaching staff !
Check the play calls and protection on those two !
comon….Joe(s) get real for a change !
September 14th, 2015 at 8:26 am
Jameis did his best Josh McCown impression yesterday….yes, the QB the Joe(s) helped run out of town ! But, of course, it wasn’t Jameis’ fault was it ?
Get real Joe(s) … at least be consistent !
September 14th, 2015 at 8:27 am
Damning Words For JoeBucsfan.com
AMERICAS QUARTERBACK
So Joe who do you recommend for the Bucs to pick in the draft?
High School QBs throw those kind of interceptions.
Drafting high school prospects does not work in the NFL!
The 2015 Bucs have earned the title AGAIN – Laughingstock III.
Are we a dynasty of futility?
I LOST TRUST IN Lovie & Winston!!!
September 14th, 2015 at 8:29 am
Winston played the way I expected him to play. Some good. Mostly bad. Lots of rookie mistakes. That’s what happens when a rookie plays against an NFL defense for the first time. What I didn’t expect was for our defense to just lay down and let a rookie tear us apart by letting him make only one read all day because that first read was wide open every stinking play. Mariota didn’t play against an NFL defense. Snoop Dog coaches teams that could stop Mariota better than Lovie did.
September 14th, 2015 at 8:30 am
@flmike……Let’s remember he was going up against a very weak and pathetic Bucs D line in addition to a Bucs D that could not make adjustments to the offensive play calling of the Titans. I’m not discounting what MM did against the Bucs….it was impressive. Just wait until he goes up against a big boy defense.
September 14th, 2015 at 8:55 am
THE BUCS ARE ‘ON THE CLOCK’ Will they ever get things right? Perhaps they can get Gruden to coach the home games next season since he wants to spend time with his family. Lovey can coach the road games. I will settle for 8-8.
September 14th, 2015 at 8:55 am
it cost us $15 mil or so to move on from michael johnson. i don’t see a mid-season firing being in the cards, but that price tag after this season might not look so bad to move on from the Lovie Smith experiment. i still believe there is some talent on the roster, but just like in the years past it will be totally buried by the constant regime changes and bad coaches making bad decisions. MM will look like josh freeman at his most lost when he plays some real defenses, and winston playing for whisenhunt against us probably would have completed 75% of his passes and thrown 5 TD along with maybe a pick or two
September 14th, 2015 at 8:57 am
@HawaiianBuc … “there were 4 calls in this game that were atrocious”.
Agree wholeheartedly, but there was one more that made a huge difference to me. In the very first Titans offensive series, very first play, TN had the ball at their 11-yd line and Mariota throws out to the flats to Sankey … incomplete. Bucs get tagged with an Unnecessary Roughness call that was clearly bogus. It was a good, clean hit just as the receiver was about to grab the ball.
That 15-yd penalty made a HUGE difference in the momentum of the game. Bucs stopped them on the next 2 plays, but then on 3rd and 10 gave up a 22-yd completion and then the 52-yd touchdown completion. Bucs defense never regained their composure.
Of course, Jameis throwing for a touchdown on the next series to Sensabaugh didn’t help the momentum either.
September 14th, 2015 at 9:03 am
You can’t “study” your way to better accuracy, I don’t care how much of a football junkie Winston is, it won’t happen. His decision making is terrible, he buried his team just like in college meanwhile Mariota was highly efficient and extremely productive. It blows my mind that we didn’t pick Mariota because he lacked charisma?!….You know what doesn’t need charisma…WINNING!…It speaks for itself. Be prepared for Freeman 2.0 minus the mental meltdown but with all the same bonehead throws and occasional flashes of talent.
September 14th, 2015 at 9:08 am
It isn’t doing Winston or the Bucs any good to sugar coat his pathetic performance. The game was over the minute he threw the pick six. If he had been able to at least get a couple of first downs and changed field position the Bucs would have only been down one score. Not to mention his multiple three and outs when it was still 14-0. Not that the D played any good but when we couldn’t match the Titans score or even sustain a drive to change field position the outcome was inevitable.
September 14th, 2015 at 9:08 am
This just in winston is not a pocket passer. He is a one read qb who is slow and deliberate.he was covered up at fsu due to the immense talent he had around him.
If you have to ask what throws marcus threw that impressed you I wonder what gAme you were watching.
His play action and his accuracy his ultra quick delivery were off the charts.
Repeat after me tampa we drafted the wrong guy.
My 5-11 might have been generous but I’m staying with it.
On a high note 22 looked good
September 14th, 2015 at 9:10 am
Vincent really did that?
Good.
Maybe he actually cares about losing after all.
September 14th, 2015 at 9:13 am
We made the wrong pick, point blank. It’s a personal decision like almost everyone Lovie and Licht have made. The bobble pich, happy feet, the two picks, well hell, he can write a play on a chalkboard well…..maybe he can be an offensive coordinator when his career is over in five years. If you’re a Buc fan for more than 30 years, like me, you know we have a looking history of screwing up the high first round pick, especially a number 1, especially at qb.
September 14th, 2015 at 9:15 am
Looong
September 14th, 2015 at 9:16 am
Looong history I meant
September 14th, 2015 at 9:21 am
Joke! poorly coached team. that makes terrible draft choices. good thing we got that fsu qb with a good personality. he looks like Byron leftwitch. Yea Mariota wont be able to play in the nfl .like I said JOKE
September 14th, 2015 at 9:29 am
While admittedly not a Winston fan to say the least, I do say, come on people button your lips and open your eyes. 5 step drops on virtually all passes is 100% Winston? That’s moronic. As for entire Bucs team play, it wouldn’t even make the slush fund for a municipal office party. Examine your coaches, every one singly and as a “coaching team”.Be honest if not intelligent. When this charade is finally over it should be like the police van backing up to the whorehouse and the good girls are perp walked out with the bad ones. See you next year.
September 14th, 2015 at 10:30 am
Agree with how stupid the “targeting” call in college football is, more ref BS. The opposing QB is the target from the defensive perspective. It sucks the life out of a team and a player out of the game when a clearly malicious intent hit is called. Most of these incidents are just continuation of the play before the play is whistled dead. Talk about overkill by the refs. Nice rundown of all the action over the weekend.
September 14th, 2015 at 11:41 am
@HawaiianBuc
It was the one step drop pass to Walker in the end-zone which really got me, he threw that ball through three defenders pin point spot on accuracy, you cannot teach that. Winston looked like exactly what he is a third year college qb, at this point Mettenberger is a better QB. I would venture to say that if we took Mariota 1st, there’s no way the Titans would have taken Winston and he would have dropped out of the top 10, probably to the second round, he’s just not very good.
September 14th, 2015 at 11:48 am
@flmike,
Dude, that guy was as wide open as you can possibly be from the one yard line. I think you are confusing great QB play with horrible defense.
I’m not saying the kid can’t play. I’ve said all along I think they’ll both be good. But I saw nothing really that impressive, aside from his short pass accuracy, which I already knew he had. I want to see him throw the deep ball with the same accuracy. I want to see him against an actual real pass rush. I want to see him make NFL throws. If he can do that, then I’ll be impressed. What you saw yesterday was just horrible defense and coaching. Nothing more.
September 14th, 2015 at 1:09 pm
Marcus thanks his line first after a TD! At Oregon after a running TD would hand the ball to the refs! He the team player no spotlight we should have taken! Me is in JaMEis, Us is in MarcUS!
September 14th, 2015 at 1:29 pm
Bucs need to fire everyone; Every player, every coach…. the field maintenance crew should even be fired.
Time to blow it up completely. There isn’t much to save.
When is the last time the Bucs won at home? tear down the stadium too.
This team is the worst, maybe the worst franchise in the entire NFL.
September 14th, 2015 at 9:56 pm
Nice piece, Joe. I agree with you for the most part. Only thing I could say is that I can understand Jackson. The dude was probably frustrated as all hell, like most fans were yesterday. So I wouldn’t blame him too much for not wanting to talk. I understand he should entertain the media, but what can he say anyway? Yes, true, we sucked? Yes, our coaches don’t have a clue? Yes, we work hard and then our coaches don’t put us in a situation where we could win games? ‘Cause that’s what Jackson would tell you, and I bet he isn’t the only one.
September 16th, 2015 at 5:40 pm
Who is the worst team in Florida, the Bucs or the Jags?
Get off your horse Joe, you wanna mock other teams when we look like This??
Jags have got a pass rush for one thing