“That Is A Ridiculous Number”
November 9th, 2015
Lining up offsides is just downright dumb.
Yes, Joe has documented the woes of the offense in the red zone. But red zone production for the defense isn’t much better.
For the first time all season, the loss yesterday by the Bucs could not be blamed on the defense. That is not to say the defense played well. It did not.
The defense has been woeful this year, particularly the past month. If not for Bad Santa in New Orleans, Bucs coach and de facto defensive coordinator Lovie Smith would be getting torched by national outlets for his sieve.
Woody Cummings of the The Tampa Tribune inferred a big problem is just common sense, grade school football discipline as the defensive front line isn’t always in their four-point stances properly without getting flagged.
“I would start with something very simple and that is not jumping offsides on the snap count,” Cummings notes in the TBO.com video below with Olivia Stacey. “Olivia, they had three more neutral zone infractions [Sunday], that is 14 on the season for this team. That is way too many. That is a ridiculous number to be drawn offsides like that and just give away five yards a clip. You can’t let that happen.”
Actually, Cummings is being kind. Half that many is a ridiculous number. How can any team get busted 14 times in eight games for lining up too close to the ball? Can’t/don’t players actually look at the damned ball before they get in their stances?
Look, it’s not like these guys just started playing football. This is one of the most fundamental of all things in football: line up correctly without getting flagged.
Are they is this ill-disciplined? To not even pay attention to how they are lining up, giving up cheap, mindless penalties game after game?
That’s just dumb. Really. No other way around it.
November 9th, 2015 at 2:08 pm
I knew it was bad yesterday when my wife asked me while watching the game on the couch “Why does the defense keep doing the same dumb stuff every week? Why don’t they make adjustments?”
“I don’t know,” I responded, “Everyone in Tampa is asking the same question.”
November 9th, 2015 at 2:27 pm
Part of the problem is that they are running around trying to figure out what they should do rather than getting into position to do it!
November 9th, 2015 at 2:30 pm
Yes, I’ve noticed that too. It seems that they are very slow to even get up to the line, so that they have to hurry when the offense looks like it is going to snap the ball. This leads to not paying attention to their position on the line – they’re just trying to get in their stances.
November 9th, 2015 at 2:52 pm
Boggles my mind that the professional in this town don’t get it. The offense lines up wrong. 12 men on the field and most recently not covering the tackle on the LOS.
The defense isn’t lining up in the nuetralize zone they are jumping before the snap. Basic HS stuff. You are literally standing above the ball but undeciplined, so you go on the snap count and not the movement.
That’s coaching right there. Lovie is quick to cut you from the team if you fumble though. Interesting….
November 9th, 2015 at 3:12 pm
Was that our boy sweet geralidi that lined up offsides?
November 9th, 2015 at 3:55 pm
Players are lining up wrong and jumping off-sides because they are getting beat….they are trying to get whatever advantage to win…..that’s where most of the mistakes are being made.
The same thing happens on offense with holding and to some degree false starts….anxiousness.
It is coaching to some degree….but individual discipline is the key and we simply haven’t shown it.
No one seems to be immune. It’s not the same actors every week.
November 9th, 2015 at 4:19 pm
Not cleaning up the penalties makes the Bucs look stupid. It falls on Lovie imo.
November 9th, 2015 at 4:38 pm
Tbbf
I’m willing to bet a cold one that GMC leads the team in offsides penalties. Even if you don’t count the ones where the ref called the wrong number on the jersey.
November 9th, 2015 at 5:11 pm
I blame Losie Smith.
November 9th, 2015 at 6:18 pm
That is a ridiculous number to be drawn offsides like that and just give away five yards a clip.
Actually it’s worse than that. Too many free plays as well for savvy vet QB’s who see our players lined up offsides. As soon as the ball is snapped the flag flies and they realize they have a freebie.
Our defense is not good enough to give another team that many free shots!!!
November 10th, 2015 at 9:34 pm
It’s not winstons fault either for red zone failure , actually seems like Winston is the only person who does score in the red zone lol. Mike Evans can’t catch anything ever it seems like and Doug Martin can’t get into the end zone . Teams are loading the box when we hit the end zone and on first down because they’re expecting us too run on 1st down and near the goal line we gotta run slants and post and fade routes and pump fakes and screens . Idk wtf were doing but Charles sims , lane , dye , Evans , Jenkins , need too be on that field at the same time . Lane acts as blocker and if anything goes out for a screen pass for some TDS. Why have a FB on the roster if we won’t ever use him? Same with that 3rd string QB….