Lovie: Welcome To 2016
December 21st, 2015
The page has been turned, says Lovie Smith, but the book is still open and you better be reading.
That’s the message from the Bucs’ head coach to his players.
Lovie told media today that being eliminated from this season’s playoff chase means next season already began.
“I’m saying our 2016 season has started,” Lovie said. “There’s a two-game part of the season, we’re going to take a long break, but we want to show everybody what we are going to be next year. That’s how we are handling this. For us, we’re also going to finish up the season with the best team in football playing right now, so there’s a lot for us to do these last couple [of games].”
Yeah, Joe gets that head coaches seem set on always having some theme going for some reason. Joe kind of liked how Greg Schiano refused to reference anything other than the one-game season of the current week. That was a lot simpler.
Regardless, themes and slogans and angles are worth little.
If the Bucs aren’t motivated to line up and play their asses off for the beaten down home crowd on Sunday, then Joe will be heading for a quart of high-octane eggnog.
December 21st, 2015 at 2:47 pm
draft cb’s de’s wr’s and do the same in FA….GO BUCS!!!
December 21st, 2015 at 3:00 pm
Dear Mr Smith,
For starters you could take your boot and plant it firmly inside of ASJ’s arse. Please let him know that the next time he willfully menstruates on the field he will be cut before he returns to the sideline.
Honestly, that temper-tantrum cost the Bucs the game.
Sincerely,
Howard
December 21st, 2015 at 3:02 pm
One more win and I got the 7 wins right, no more wins and you got the wins right Joe.
December 21st, 2015 at 3:06 pm
Lovie is a Used Car salesman.
Yea the car has dents and smokes but look at what it could be with a fix here and there.
Same sales pitch all year… We are improving..
Really I haven’t seen improvement in the last few games against BAD teams..
If the Panthers play everyone it will be a blow out..
This Team has no leadership except a 21 man who wants to win period…
December 21st, 2015 at 3:08 pm
21 yr old man
December 21st, 2015 at 3:11 pm
It will always be about next year as long as Lovie remains in charge
December 21st, 2015 at 3:12 pm
Objective: win, grow as a team, JW get the ball out faster and work on passes 20+, score in the red zone, get to the QB, better communication in the secondary, better scheming on offense, and a better game all around on defense.
December 21st, 2015 at 3:15 pm
That’s a pretty good summary Mike10.
Now we get to wait 9 months and see if Lovie can accomplish even half of that.
December 21st, 2015 at 3:27 pm
Draft a few. Bring in some Free Agents familiar with your system that don’t pan out. And expect a different result.
December 21st, 2015 at 3:29 pm
I would definitely some of the mindless error prone players for the next two weeks. Take their football away from them so to speak. Includes ASJ, Gholston, Mike Evans, McCoy
December 21st, 2015 at 3:30 pm
hmmmm 2016 feels an awfully like 2015!!!!
December 21st, 2015 at 3:30 pm
“It will always be about next year as long as Lovie remains in charge”
Seriously..
December 21st, 2015 at 3:35 pm
“Those are things we can correct”.
December 21st, 2015 at 4:04 pm
carolina 100 the lovies 5
December 21st, 2015 at 4:46 pm
So if the Bucs lose the next two games by a combined score of 70-10 (something I think is very possible), does that mean the Fans, and perhaps more importantly the owners, should expect those kind of performances when the 2016 season really comes along? If so, shouldn’t the owners take the opportunity to change the direction of the 2016 season (and beyond) while they still can (namely between early January and early February), and fire Lovie and hire someone else (I’m fully on board with Koetter promotion, and Licht stays on board as GM)?
Honestly, this is a very bold and dangerous statement for Lovie to make, since if the 2016 season starts now, the owners can/should do something about it if these “first two” games don’t go well (especially if two more defensive meltdowns are in store).
#FireLovieNow
#GoBucs
December 21st, 2015 at 4:53 pm
OMG! this guy is insane making promises we know he won’t fulfill. I bet he’s saying to himself “if I just tell them what they want to hear then I can escape for 4 months before I have to give them this same crappy defense”.
December 21st, 2015 at 5:04 pm
Can we please get some intensity from our DT, the $100 million dollar man. I feel bad for GMC. He’s hurt, playing hurt, and one helluva nice human being. I hope it comes together for the Bucs, and he blame on Defense starts with Lovie or GMC. One took over the defensive playicallin and the other is paid to be elite. Something has to give.
These next two games I want to see who is with Jameis. Jameis is ready to win some ball games, we just need committed players to join him.i don’t question GMc’s work ethic, but I do question the acceptance of losing. Too much losing going on in Tampa to be ok with it all.
December 21st, 2015 at 5:37 pm
Does this mean Lovie is perhaps starting 2016 0-2??
December 21st, 2015 at 5:43 pm
I hope the team quits on him these last 2 games and we FIRE LOVIE. It’s the only thing to do. Hire the Carolina defensive coordinator. Then if Josh Norman hit free agency he is as good as ours. Draft Emanuel Ogbah in the first and Carl Nassib in the second. Sign Marvin Jones or Muhammad Sannu for a #2 or #3 receiver. RESIGN DOUG!! maybe JPP or super Mario for veteran DE. Trade GMC for a first round pick and Mike Glennon for a 3rd.
December 21st, 2015 at 7:25 pm
The losers who say draft a cb, and 7 des need to stop posting. Drafting for need almost also is a reach and the player is a bust. Look at dominiks drafts
December 21st, 2015 at 7:43 pm
I like Andrew Billings from Baylor to replace GMC
December 21st, 2015 at 8:45 pm
AS A TICKET HOLDER THAT MY WIFE AND I WAS , THERE ARE ALSO ABOUT A 100 OR SO STILL WILL NOT BUY ANY TICKETS NEXT SEASON 2016, MAN THE SEATS LOOK EMPTY ON TV AT THE GAME ,AND WILL TILL LOVIE SMITH IS GONE, !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
December 21st, 2015 at 9:10 pm
I have voted the same way year, “little confidence”.
Face it guys, Lovie isn’t going anywhere until after next season, at the earliest.
December 21st, 2015 at 10:20 pm
Watching the Saints giving up and surrendering. If the Bucs get behind on Sunday will they surrender? If they do it will be a slap in the face to every Bucs fan. It will be hard to support a team of quitters.
December 21st, 2015 at 10:29 pm
Well said Howard Cosell. Last game showed how many jerkoffs on on this team (with ASJ and ME leading the way) that need a wake up call to put it mildly. All the selfish plays and penalties prooves that Lovie is running a country clubs for immature idiots.
December 22nd, 2015 at 10:30 pm
How abut this team goes out in the next two games and actually makes an effort to avoid penalties? No penalties, no turnovers, execute in the red zone. That simple. They might just like the result. If not, more of the same.