“Trickling Over Into This Year”
October 10th, 2015
If you’re wondering what would preserve Lovie Smith’s job, Joe’s going to tell you right now.
Having an unquestionably solid defense, a defense that ranks well in nearly every category, a defense that is universally called “tough and dangerous,” that alone would return Lovie for his third season as Buccaneers head coach.
The Bucs don’t have that defense yet. There are too many flaws, too many players playing below their ability level.
Joe doesn’t give a rats ass that the Bucs’ defense is currently ranked No. 9 overall in the NFL (overall yards allowed). It’s misleading because the Bucs have been trailing early in games, and nothing about the defense screams top-10 yet.
However, there’s a lot of upbeat talk about the defense at One Buc Palace this week.
New starting defensive end Will Gholston, via WDAE-AM 620 audio, spoke about how the rise of the defense in the second half of 2014 is clearly “trickling over into this year.” And Gholston talked about how his personal comfort level in system is making a difference.
Joe doesn’t question the comfort level of players, but Joe thinks the “trickling over” part is ludicrous. The defense wasn’t good at the close of last season. So it’s a non-existent point. Anyone remember opening day in September?
There were good signs for the Bucs’ defense against Carolina, but there were serious breakdowns, too, and guys missing key opportunities.
Joe sure hopes Sunday is the first complete game by the veteran, hand-picked Lovie Smith defense.
October 10th, 2015 at 9:31 am
The trickling needs to become a flow of righteous indignation, the buck stops here sort of mindset. Don’t take no for an answer. Just do it, win the damn game. Trickle down ain’t working.
October 10th, 2015 at 9:34 am
I don’t see them firing him period!I think they owe Greg 3 million next year! Then you would still have to pay lovie plus a New coach! Don’t see lovie going anywhere for at least on more year!
October 10th, 2015 at 9:40 am
Too bad Buc coaches can’t be hired with non-guaranteed money like many of the players…..
Lovie must win tomorrow or I think he may be out….
October 10th, 2015 at 9:46 am
Lovie must win tomorrow or I think he may be out….
If we lose tomorrow something has to give. Two weeks off for the fans feelings to continue to fester…the billboards will pop up…banners…online movement…I think the outcry would be so loud that the Glazers would be forced to either fire Lovie or call a press conference indicating they do not plan to make a coaching change during the season.
Lose tomorrow and the “Fire Lovie” chorus grows into a real crescendo!!!
October 10th, 2015 at 9:47 am
Siege the billboards.
October 10th, 2015 at 9:51 am
Our beloved Bucs are Pathetic. ….
People rank the Jaguars higher than the bucs
….that’s what it’s come down to people!……..yes. ……we are lower than the jags…the bucs are the WORST team in the NFL!
October 10th, 2015 at 9:54 am
Only thing trickling over is turnovers penalties and clock Mis management by loser lovie
October 10th, 2015 at 10:08 am
With the exception of week 1, turnovers and missed field goals have been the difference in the games. If the offense can minimize their turnovers to 1 or less times a game he’ll be fine.
October 10th, 2015 at 10:14 am
scotty Says:
October 10th, 2015 at 9:34 am
“I don’t see them firing him period!I think they owe Greg 3 million next year! Then you would still have to pay lovie plus a New coach! Don’t see lovie going anywhere for at least on more year!”
=================================
Pocket change to the Glazers.
October 10th, 2015 at 10:18 am
After a year and a half of Lovie the losers tutelage, the Buc’s “D” now resembles the keystone cops. Bozo the Clown errrrr, Lovie the loser has transformed the defense into his image. A sad clown that scares the hell out of only Buc’s fans.
October 10th, 2015 at 10:20 am
Lovie doesn’t have to win tomorrow. It would be great, and a true goal, but it doesn’t have to happen.
All we need to see is growth. We need to see the offense get better.
And the defense will not be good until it can be addressed in next year’s draft. Period. Up until then, all we can hope for is that they reach an average.
Too many parts of this team are either young and developing or patched together (on defense) with injury prone players.
But there can be no doubt that the team is on the road to being better. A LOT better.
I give the offense 4 more games to start shining.
Connor Barth may make a big difference too.
October 10th, 2015 at 10:21 am
The biggest thing trickling over is all the sorry impatient fans… I bet most of them have no idea what it takes to build a PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL TEAM!!!!! Give it time people…. The reason everyone ran off the last two coaches had everything to do with PROFESSIONALISM. it had nothing to do with wins and loses…. Which do you want??? A team that is class acts or a bunch of poooo heads?!?!… Give Movie a chance for crying out loud….
October 10th, 2015 at 10:22 am
If the Glazers fire yet another coach, and this one before he even finishes his second year, they don’t deserve a team. The fact that the fans are wanting it shows THEY don’t deserve a team.
October 10th, 2015 at 10:24 am
The biggest thing trickling over is all the sorry impatient fans… I bet most of them have no idea what it takes to build a PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL TEAM!!!!! Give it time people…. The reason everyone ran off the last two coaches had everything to do with PROFESSIONALISM. it had nothing to do with wins and loses…. Which do you want??? A team that is class acts or a bunch of poooo heads?!?!… Give Lovie a chance for crying out loud….
October 10th, 2015 at 10:27 am
The defense will come around, Lovie needs to turn Koetter loose and score points. Instead of “establishing the run” they need to establish some points. If your D isn’t there yet you have to offset it with POINTS.
October 10th, 2015 at 10:32 am
And trickling over from the negative feelings you all love to share is a mentality that does not deserve respect…. I ENCORRAGE ALL REAL BUCS FANS TO IGNORE TROLLS AND THE STUPIDITY THEY VOMET OUT THEIR MOUTHS…. It may trickle onto you if you engage them!!!!
October 10th, 2015 at 10:32 am
Just noticed we have 6 injured players this week. Yikes!
October 10th, 2015 at 10:39 am
wow defense isn’t the issue bucs have a turn over machine in Winston he has talent but so did vinny /free/and many others bucs simply picked the wrong qb and my man marcus will be rookie of the year
October 10th, 2015 at 10:44 am
bucs were stubborn picking Winston and the fans will pay and lovie I do not want another coaching change but a bad loose to the jags will be tch for the owners to endure but unless you can bring an nfl quality coach in here grudes/cowher/or even dungy who buy the way is on record saying marcus was the pick
October 10th, 2015 at 10:46 am
It will be close but the buc’s will win. That said, if it happens, it will be one of few. The Jags have a weak secondary with bad pass rush. Winston will have time to get to his receivers. That alone will cut down on turnovers tomorrow. The cannot put 8 men in the box like a good D team would do. However their run D is better than Pass D. How we open hols for the backs will determine time of possession and score. Score should be under 34
October 10th, 2015 at 10:52 am
I love it when Lovie’s cousins, kids and neighbors come on here to defend him. Can’t defend his personnel choices, can’t defend his gross Mis use of timeouts and can’t defend his win lose record.
Show me some real growth loser Lovie or go back to your basement
October 10th, 2015 at 11:02 am
Josh McCown looks pretty decent with an offensive coordinator this season. I wonder how many losses not having an offensive coordinator cost the team last season. I think the Glazers are smart enough to see thru all the smoke that the average fan won’t.
October 10th, 2015 at 11:14 am
The Bucs haven’t played quality inspired football in over a decade now. Is it coaching? Players? Ownership? All I know is we have enough talent on this team to be at least 8-8. How many teams would love to have GMC, LVD, VJax, Evans, ASJ, Banks, Martin/Sims. None of our leaders on this team have been playing up to their potential. On paper straight up talent vs. talent the Bucs should probably be 2-2 or even 3-1. I see the same product on the field today that I have seen for the last ten years running. Mistakes, quitting, and uninspired play.
October 10th, 2015 at 11:15 am
Let the record show no high quality long term successful franchise fires an HC during the season. That’s not their style. The styless Glazers consider themselves a quality franchise. They are at the top of the mountain and we all know what flows downhill. Move this team to Montana.
October 10th, 2015 at 11:25 am
Can we go back and draft Mariota please? Anyone got a time machine? Great Scott we need Marcus Mariota.
October 10th, 2015 at 12:02 pm
It’s funny that Bonzai says the Glazers don’t deserve the team if they fire Lovie. Ummm yeah, that;s what all of us have been saying. Lovie is a major problem to be sure, but the Glazers are the reason the Bucs are going nowhere for a very long time. Until they sell the team or give up trying to run it, this is going to be consistently one of the 3 worst franchises in the league. The only reason we’ll see success under the Glazers is by accident, like the Raheem 10-6 where almost everything went right.
But I’m pivoting off blaming Lovie as most Buc fans know he’s a bad coach taking us nowhere. It’s the Glazers we need to set our sights on, until they go nothing will get better.
October 10th, 2015 at 12:05 pm
Bucrightoff- cincy fans would say the same thing about their owner. Gotta hire the right coach GM and scouts. Once the glazers do that u will change your mind. Can’t change the owners, sadly
October 10th, 2015 at 12:10 pm
Lovie is not going anywhere..
We will draft #1 again..And again the Glazers will make some hype. Sell a bunch of new jerseys and promise new team..
Promises and Hype will pay their bills …
Smart business men…
Bargain Basement Coach returns bargain play
October 10th, 2015 at 12:17 pm
So again Tampa Tony it has nothing to do with the Glazers being good owners, it has to do with them getting lucky. Considering they’ve only made terrible hires so far, it might be 20 years before they get lucky with a coach/GM. Will there even be a fanbase left after 2-3 more years of this? Almost certainly no. The fans can help though by staying away from the team and not purchase anything Bucs related, and let the value of the franchise collapse or the team start to bleeding money. Then the Glazers will likely sell and focus on MUFC.
October 10th, 2015 at 12:23 pm
The most troubling things about the team under Lovie are the little things that never get fixed. Clock management issues, conservative strategies, bad game plans, unprepared players, lack of adjustments, etc. I get the feeling that Lovie could have coached the ’92 Cowboys to a mediocre record.
If those things aren’t corrected soon, they will eventually seal his fate. Maybe not this season, but surely by the end of 2016.
October 10th, 2015 at 12:23 pm
“Lovie’s handpicked defense”
?
Thats about as big of a misrepresentation of the truth, as I’ve seen in a while
Are there any high dollar free agents on this defense? Has Lovie spent any high draft picks on this defense?
Was that just to fan the fools into a frenzy?
Umm, Lovie is in Year 2, and certainly has made the calls on the personnel on the field. From Conte to Jennings and Jenkins, to Kwon and blessing Lavonte David’s new contract, to Henry Melton and Clinton McDonald (who he allowed to be a third defensive captain), to Michael Johnson and George Johnson and developing Jacquies Smith. Should Joe go on?
In Lovie’s two years here- this team has been entirely dedicated to building an offense. In preperation of drafting a franchise QB.
And I’d bet that marching order came down straight from the top. Unlike many fools here, The Glazers know you have to have a QB, to Win in this league.
And they have surrounded him with young talent- to grow with.
In a year or Two- that offense wil be potent.
Lovie hasn’t even started building his defense. He has gotten by with low dollar Free agents, while focused on offense.
And the Defense is ranked 9th.
And I dont want to hear any B.S.. Its 9th.
Only any Idiot would want to get rid of Lovie this quick. Only a bigger Idiot would believe he wont be here, providing the Stability a Young QB needs.
Or does anyone here think the Glazers are gonna repeat the Josh Freeman reciepe for failure?
Lovie will be here next year, along with Dirk Koetter. Winston will be better, the offense will be better, and we’ll have a draft class of defensive players- including a new DE.
And all of the idiots will be claiming they supported Lovie all along
October 10th, 2015 at 1:16 pm
Capt Tim- I’ve always said I like winning more than being right. If Lovie proves me wrong I’d be glad. But it’s not looking good so far. Bad clock management, even worse personnel choices, conservative game plans and bad assistant hirings are his downfall. Nothing he’s done so far says he’s a good coach for the Bucs.
If he shows growth I say he gets a 3rd year. But anything that looks like regression and he goes. Can’t sell your dwindling fan base on a loser head coach
October 10th, 2015 at 1:46 pm
Titans, Saints, Texans, Panthers no wonder we have top 9 defense, those teams suck!!! xD
October 10th, 2015 at 1:49 pm
just losing isn’t the problem, it’s the WAY we lose. We’re literally our own worst enemy, we make mistakes that blow the game, including missed field goals, conmunication errors, costly penalties etc. which all adds up to poor coaching. I was a supporter of Lovie but not anymore, he has to show me before I start believing
October 10th, 2015 at 2:11 pm
Why didn’t I hear these fans Like Jab yelling to save Schiano’s job…
Hell he had a pill head QB who couldn’t show up for the bus on time and three players out with MRSA and the media shit storm that was..
Now we fight for a Coach who can’t win against crap teams Really..
The Bucs can’t even line up on Offense correctly
.
But Lovie talks nice and is a players Coach..
I want a Winning COACH.
Fan base bought into the Dungy type Coach coming back to Tampa. This team has cut several players who are playing well else where. Poor on field decisions.. Penalties
All comes down to Soft COACHING period…
Give the guy a chance
The Bucs look the same if not worse.. The Texans ha-ha the beat us Really..The other 2-14 team from last year looks a lot better …A Fan is still a Fan even if he doesn’t back crap play..
Aleast give us a Pro Team.
October 10th, 2015 at 2:23 pm
Bargain Basement?
Lovie’s salary 5 million #11, plus 3 million for Shiano and the Glazers are paying 8 million this season for the head coach position. Top in the league. Enough with the cheap jew stereotypes. I keep reading these ridiculous comments like this and that they forced Lovie to cut Omameh to save money and it just makes zero sense.
October 10th, 2015 at 2:44 pm
Who should get fired first: Lovie or Willie T?
October 10th, 2015 at 3:33 pm
Amen Joe. Defense looks mediocre so far. If Lovie could get the defense trip notch by the end of the year I’d feel better about him, your getting something. Otherwise I’d accept 6 wins.
October 10th, 2015 at 4:24 pm
Lovie will be your coach next year. I bet my house on it. The Bucks owners are not going to pay his salary for 3 years so just stop it Joe Buc. Remember he signed up 5 years.
October 10th, 2015 at 5:19 pm
Firelovienow- it’s a 4 year contract with a fifth year option
October 10th, 2015 at 11:35 pm
Joe,
I’m sorry- did you list a high dollar Free agent in that list
No . You didnt.
They were all low – to mid dollar signings.
Except for Lavonte David- which you trumped for, louder than anyone
Kwon Alexander, his only defensive draft pick, was a lowly 4th rounder. And so far- is a huge success
Lovie has the 9th ranked defense, with low level free agents
Amazing.
And meybe you thought our Rookie QB was gonna lead us to the Super bowl this year?
Lovie has had 2 great drafts. He has coached one season, and 1/4 of another.
He has drafted a franchise QB, and has the 9th best defense
If you are suggesting firing him, after those acvomplishments, in less than a season and 1/2- then I believe you are sacrificing credibility for traffic.
From some of these clueless posters- I’d expect no less .