Bucs On Pace To Break NFL Penalty Record
October 26th, 2015
There’s a common thread among the four coaches whose teams own the NFL marks for most penalties in a season: unemployment.
The Bucs are on pace to break the NFL record for most penalties in a season.
The dubious mark is held by the 1998 Chiefs, which racked up 158. Marty Schottenheimer resigned after the season.
Second place is a tie at 156 penalties, courtesy of the 1994 and 1996 Raiders. The head coach of both of those Oakland teams was booted after their respective sloppy seasons.
Next up is the 1989 Oilers under Jerry Glanville. Their 149 penalties led to a new head coach in 1990.
Anyone picking up on a trend?
This season, the Bucs are on pace for 170 penalties. They’ve got 64 through six games, following 16 yesterday.
In his postgame news conference, Lovie Smith was asked about the Bucs’ season-long penalty issues. He said, “I thought we’d gotten past that.”
The troubling thing is the Bucs gave up a load of penalties last year en route to a 2-14 record. The stock response from Lovie was, “We’ll clean it up.”
The great irony here is that Lovie is a huge supporter of officials and used to be a head-coach liaison on the committee that grades them. Lovie is well versed in the rule book and how it’s interpreted, yet his players tune him out.
October 26th, 2015 at 8:59 am
[Not sure what this has to do with the topic at hand. Please don’t hijack posts. This is not a message board but feel free to use Joe’s message board if you have the urge. — Joe]
October 26th, 2015 at 9:03 am
coaching is holding this team back now…perfect reason to fire, and NOW…never going anywhere with this clueless game day coach…happy for offense that seems to be coming together….except the Sims love…WHY? he sucks, a one trick pony…defense needs some additions to next draft….
October 26th, 2015 at 9:10 am
Some of the calls and non calls were BS tho. Jameis gets pulled down to the ground a full 2 secs after he threw the ball and nithing gets called. GMC hits Cousins a split second after he threw it and its a penalty. The PI call on Evans that negated a TD was big too. It seems like they called everything possible on the Bucs yesterday. Even the TV announcers showed no love, only mentioning the ways the Skins could get back into the game and not how the Bucs can hold the lead. This team gets no respect and rightfully so. This team lacks discipline and toughness. The Bucs need a coach like Tomlin in Pittsburgh. Someone aggressive, tough and smart and can make adjustments. Lovie is too passive and has proven that he doesnt have any answers on how to make this better. What has Lovie shown that he can make this better, let alone make it to the playoffs or (gasp) win a superbowl which is what youre supposed to be playing for.
I dont get upset anymore when they lose games. Its the same thing every time. Seconday getting torched, lots of penalties and scared decision making from the coaching staff. Not going for it on fourth down lost the game. 3 points does you no good cause a TD will beat you anyway. They invest all those draft picks in the offense and Lovie is scared to score points. This team needs a real coach, a coach that can adjust his scheme to the players on the roster and not take 3 years to find players to fit a mediocre scheme.
I dont agree with changing coaches every 2 years but I dont believe the results will be any different with Lovie coaching next year. Lovie needs the all-decade team just to .500. He has to go. Now or at the end of the season. There is a slim chance he can turn it around, but we all know he wont.
October 26th, 2015 at 9:10 am
world class STUPID…this has got to be the absolute dumbest assemblance of mentally challenged athletes in history…coached by a complete IDIOT!
Seriously when Lovey speaks does he sound smart?..
October 26th, 2015 at 9:10 am
Congrats Lovie…..
No doubt you are “Vaaaary, vaaaaary disappointed….”
October 26th, 2015 at 9:11 am
Lovie won’t be the coach next year. Everyone knows that.
So why not fire him now?
What would be the result? Continue to suck or like the Dolphins, turn things around?
He needs to be fired TODAY.
October 26th, 2015 at 9:14 am
my bad joe just saying Ali had 3 penalties. GMC had more penalties than tackles. And that Lovie needs to go. Is that better? I’m not much of a morning person, sorry!
October 26th, 2015 at 9:14 am
It’s not only the penalties, but also the time outs we wasted in the second half. On one play we had our trainers running onto the field while we were snapping the ball. WTF
October 26th, 2015 at 9:15 am
Join the club!
October 26th, 2015 at 9:15 am
Notice how teams make history against pathetic…Rays/ Bucs….hmmm think gutless ownership has something to do with it?
October 26th, 2015 at 9:15 am
Unprepared is an understatement. Penalties, onside kick, not a single 2nd half defensive stop.
October 26th, 2015 at 9:15 am
No accountability whatsoever.
October 26th, 2015 at 9:15 am
The pace and severity of the penalties called against the Bucs were mind numbing. It looked to me that the Bucs players were exhausted, no energy left in the tank.
October 26th, 2015 at 9:17 am
The Sheep just don’t understand the genius of Lovie!!!! By committing all these penalties, his defense does not get charged with all the yards that other team would rack up against this “passive” defense. This keeps Lovie’s defense ranked very high ( yards)!!!!!
So when the year is over and the Bucs have 4 wins ( last win is against the Panthers who are resting their starters for the playoffs) Lovie can say that the Bucs have a top 10 defense and that is “growth”!!!!!
October 26th, 2015 at 9:19 am
Clear as day if it weren’t before, Lovie came back to steal $20 million for his retirement from the morons that are the Glazers. He has no intention of being this team’s coach beyond this year, he wanted to get fired after last year and I’m sure even he’s surprised they brought him back. I’m done blaming Lovie though, only the remaining sycophants will be on here to slobbering all over him, every one else is done even some fans I saw defending him even a few weeks ago. It’s the Glazers who simply must go, until they leave this franchise is destined to amount to nothing. Unlike them, the Bucs can’t just be nepotised into success.
October 26th, 2015 at 9:24 am
Look at the Miami Dolphins after firing their coach midseason. I don’t want to hear the excuse that you cant. Glazers, do the right thing. Now
October 26th, 2015 at 9:24 am
Joe I’m not defending Lovie but blaming the team and players for these penalties in at LEAST three of these games this season is like blaming the victim. We have been VICTIMIZED by the league officials. I’m not one for hyperbolic statements but yesterday the lopsided favoritism was on full display and flat out cost us the game. Someone in the organization needs to start calling the league out on this or at the very least local media needs to do an analysis of these calls and do a story on what is clear double standards being applied to the Bucs game after game after game.
October 26th, 2015 at 9:24 am
realist
You really think Lovie will be here at the end of the season?
October 26th, 2015 at 9:26 am
I really want to know how you coach against penalties. Seems like you need a specific coach for it and maybe even a ref to help .
October 26th, 2015 at 9:27 am
The best comment I read in the last 12 hours said ” Lovie’s cover who def”. I thought that was hilarious.
I find it interesting not one person has brought up Chris Conte dropping the game winning INT. another great personnel decision by Lovie.
October 26th, 2015 at 9:28 am
I don’t know where to go my fellow fans. You always want your team to win, and play well. on the other hand if this teams wins a couple more games, lovie will stick and there will be another lost season. I keep enjoying Jameis, Doug and the young O lineman grow and make plays. I can not say as much for our captains on defense. man, we need a good case of nasty on the D, and it’s nowhere to be found.
October 26th, 2015 at 9:29 am
Not even Raheem’s teams had this many penalties. And he did much more with much less. Now, Lovie will have to win 9 of the last 10 just to tie Raheem’s record in his first two years
October 26th, 2015 at 9:30 am
Overheard in a Tampa sports bar —
“Ain nothing wrong with this team that a new coach couldn’t fix – like cutting down on the penalties to a reasonable level. They led the league last year and do you think they are improving on this score? A coach is supposed to be a teacher, right? Is his message getting though? Didn’t think so. Maybe in a year or two …”
October 26th, 2015 at 9:30 am
@DB55
I hope that the day after the last game, The Glazers have a very important press conference. As to the firing of Lovie, I have never seen so many excuses to one of the worst performances of a head coach!!
October 26th, 2015 at 9:38 am
Warren Says:
October 26th, 2015 at 9:24 am
Joe I’m not defending Lovie but blaming the team and players for these penalties in at LEAST three of these games this season is like blaming the victim. We have been VICTIMIZED by the league officials. I’m not one for hyperbolic statements but yesterday the lopsided favoritism was on full display and flat out cost us the game. Someone in the organization needs to start calling the league out on this or at the very least local media needs to do an analysis of these calls and do a story on what is clear double standards being applied to the Bucs game after game after game.
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Do you watch much NFL besides the Bucs? The Bucs aren’t some unique case, the Bills were the victims of the most egregious penalty by far yesterday, one that cost them the game. There are horrible calls against a lot of teams, consistently. Only the marquee teams seem to avoid them, and even then that’s like 4 teams (NE, GB, DEN, SEA). Everyone else gets horrible calls all the time. The Bucs had tons of richly deserved penalties yesterday.
October 26th, 2015 at 9:44 am
The NFL is fixed.
I can tolerate that as long as the Bucs get the calls, but they don’t.
The refs seem to be scouring the Bucs for any and all opportunities
to call any possible penalty at all. Some of them were complete
contrived bullsh*t.
My common sense and my observations tell me that the league is
out to get the Bucs. Why? Who knows? Maybe some kind of Glazer
subterfuge?
October 26th, 2015 at 9:44 am
Sorry fellas. But those of you who think we got screwed by the officials yesterday need to watch the game again. WE DESERVED THE CALLS WE GOT. We are an undisciplined team, period. That goes to coaching and players not being held accountable for their actions. I love the Bucs and watch lots of football. I see other coaches frequently sit their best players down for stupid penalties. Not us though. Until we hold players accountable, this is going to continue.
October 26th, 2015 at 9:53 am
DB55… you just threw another dart in there about Conte dropping that pick, I forgot about that play, there were too many WTF plays to remember.
October 26th, 2015 at 10:03 am
At some point, Ownership needs to assume responsibility for the decision to allow a Head Coach to also be the Director of Player Personnel and the Defensive Play Caller.
They need to sit down with Licht (who has accomplished nothing save for blowing up a perfect serviceable O-line to accommodate Jeff Tetford) and the other senior officers of this team and IMMEDIATELY hire someone who actually KNOWS how to assess talent and ability.
Secondly, if you do not have any confidence in your DC to call defensive plays, then hire someone who does.
Lastly, now that all Lovie has to do is the job he was hired for, assess his ability, and make a decision by the end of the year as to whether he comes back next year.
This team is very reminiscent of the Rah days right now, and I am skeptical whether this can be turned around, but I don’t think firing him is the answer, as the situation is completely different that what is going on in Miami.
October 26th, 2015 at 10:16 am
Fire Lovie Now unless we want another top pick in the draft.
October 26th, 2015 at 10:19 am
I am sure Lovie will have some insightful words to say about this in his presser….. God Almighty Glazers; can you please fire this moron??????
October 26th, 2015 at 10:20 am
Agreed some of those calls were total horse$hit calls. Worst thing we can do is change coaches again. We need continuity and consistency. We have retreads for the most part in the secondary. Let’s get a couple defensive heavy drafts. Need another WR also.. Don’t think Kenny Bell is the long term answer.
October 26th, 2015 at 10:22 am
DB and B37: watch it again. Conte didn’t “drop” an INT. Cousins fired a bullet to no one and Conte reached back for it and almost snared it, but it would have been an Odell Beckham-type catch on a real bullet. Conte was one of the least putrid players on D yesterday — blaming him is silly.
October 26th, 2015 at 10:36 am
R.O Says:
October 26th, 2015 at 10:20 am
Agreed some of those calls were total horse$hit calls. Worst thing we can do is change coaches again. We need continuity and consistency. We have retreads for the most part in the secondary.
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And whose fault would that be for having retreads in the secondary? Apparently Lovie thinks so much of his defensive accumen he let the best corner in the league go. That people want to give him a 100% pass on this disaster (and more than likely 100% blame Schiano and Dominik instead) is amazing. Staggering. Go to PFT and see how badly Lovie is getting obliterated. To NFL fans, we’re a bigger joke now than we were under Schiano. Ouch.
October 26th, 2015 at 10:58 am
Parnell’s Dickenson Says:
October 26th, 2015 at 10:22 am
DB and B37: watch it again. Conte didn’t “drop” an INT. Cousins fired a bullet to no one and Conte reached back for it and almost snared it, but it would have been an Odell Beckham-type catch on a real bullet. Conte was one of the least putrid players on D yesterday — blaming him is silly.
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WRONG!!!! You should watch it again! I watched the play 5x in slow mo. Cousins literally threw the ball directly to Conte, I mean directly to him. Conte broke to the receiver instead of just standing where he was and catching the ball. When he made his move he took himself out of position to make the catch. Even so, the ball still hit his hands but he dropped it bc he is pure garbage’. Anyone who thinks Conte is anything but a Div IV college safety deserves to have their card pulled.
October 26th, 2015 at 11:11 am
honestly…I don’t watch the game live anymore…too slow…penalty after penalty after penalty…the same reason why I hated arena football and will never watch basketball…say what you want about the greatest sport in the world Soccer…it doesn’t even come close to the BS dramatics of the NBA and now football…grown a** men falling down as if they were shot…nope i dvr the game and rip through the entire thing in 45mins…
October 26th, 2015 at 11:22 am
This team is determined to hold every terrible record in the league. Already got the worst win/loss record, most consecutive losing seasons and countless others. Might as well add this one.
October 26th, 2015 at 2:06 pm
Nothing like laughing at a lot of schmoes who post on these blogs. Sure takes the sting out of listening to a game so badly refereed that you wonder why we have them? Cheapest way to throw a NFL game: buy off the zebs. I have faithfully followed the Bucs for 36 years. I keep thinking the refs can’t get any worse..but then we had Triplett yesterday. What dumpster did they dig him out of? I’m not a Lovie fan. Jury’s out on Jameis; I’m a Glennon fan. But how many penalties did the Bucs suffer through? The deadskins had only 4 called the whole game? If Washington is that great a team, how come they’re not at the top of the NFC Least?
October 27th, 2015 at 1:00 am
@DB55 – “Anyone who thinks Conte is anything but a Div IV college safety deserves to have their card pulled.” Card pulled? Really. All you do is make irrelevant comments and put either people who make a comment down or you tear this team and its coach down. Thank God Joe erased your first message because I am sure it was a complete and total waste of good web page space.
BTW — Chris Conte was thrown at 3 times yesterday and not a single pass completed against him. He also added 4 solo tackles 1 QB hurry, 1 “stop” and 1 pass defended. He is one of the few players on this defense who lays it all on the line each and every game.. usually I skip your posts but today I made the mistake again and read it. No more.