Welcome Back, Lovie Smith
December 6th, 2015
Give it up for the head coach of the Buccaneers.
Lovie Smith survived a gruesome 2-14 season and a complete embarrassment on opening day this year to earn a return in 2016.
At 6-6, the Bucs have shocked the NFL. Simple as that, as Lovie would say.
Tampa Bay is legitimately in the hunt for a playoff berth and has been playing solid ball for a long time, despite injuries at key positions.
Lovie deserves a load of credit for developing a rookie quarterback, and getting his team to believe — under extreme duress — in his system and operation.
The Bucs are pointed in the right direction. And these six wins are enough for Joe to bless Lovie for next year regardless of this season’s finish.
Welcome back, Lovie.
December 6th, 2015 at 4:11 pm
Great win bucs. I couldn’t watch today. Had to dvr it. Can’t wait to watch.
Most people said a 6 win season would be a success. Good job.
May can even get another win or 2.
Go bucs.
December 6th, 2015 at 4:11 pm
He should be praying at the feet of his savior Jameis Christ. That’s all he has to keep his job so he should pray nightly, and bring Jameis bread and wine as he desries.
December 6th, 2015 at 4:13 pm
Wow!! Great job, jameis & co. Fyi, watch #50 telvin smith get mugged on marcus long td run 🙂
December 6th, 2015 at 4:14 pm
Yep…Winston single-handedly saving incompetent Lovie Smith’s bacon.
December 6th, 2015 at 4:15 pm
Jameis Christ is a warrior, kid refuses to lose and plays with heart. Love his attitude gets his teammates motivated and also gets the crowd rattled.
December 6th, 2015 at 4:16 pm
Howard mainly wants to welcome back Koetter.
December 6th, 2015 at 4:18 pm
Have to admit, the defense was sloppy, but competent. Sterling Moore disrupted Julio on multiple occasions, including a would-be TD. Critical stops in the second half helped the Bucs win despite not being helped by the offenses turnovers and missed TD opportunities. The pass rush was the only outlier, and an ugly one, we need a DE 1st thing things May.
I never thought I’d say this, but it’s safe to say Lovie is coming back next year. No doubt. I have been tired of the excuses, the blown leads, the blowouts, and steps backwards and that has led me to grow very unfond of our head coach, but there is progress here. No denying it. Lovie has had 1 defensive draft pick since being hired and it was Kwon Alexander, imagine a majority defensive draft next year.
Lovie almost made boneheaded decisions by benching Banks and Martin, but came to his senses, made adjustments, and won the game. Yes, Jameis was the leader, the main reason we won, but it all starts with the head coach.
Congratulations Lovie and GO BUCS!!
December 6th, 2015 at 4:19 pm
I bet Lovie, the same guy who so many here wanted gone this year…will be a Coach of the Year candidate after winning the next 3 games.
December 6th, 2015 at 4:21 pm
Yep..dog poo and dallas expecting us to believe their amateur hour opinions over the people who work in and judge the league.
You guys have no intellectual pride at this point.
Lovie did this with how many DL who were projected to start this year…including one of the top 2 or 3 DT’s in the league both his edge rushers and Clinton McDonald perhaps the most underrated player on our DL. That’s FOUR players counted on the get significant playing time.
We got no rush up the middle without GMC and McDaniel…the Falcons simply steered our DE’s wide and let Matty step up into the pocket and pick us apart.
Lovie adjusted in the 2nd half to compensate for that loss of push up the middle and even did a clever blitz with LVD and Kwon crisscrossing.
I do not think Lovie is the greatest thing since sliced bread…nor is he dog poo or a loser. He DID have a great game today!!!
As far as #3 carrying him…DUH…that’s how the freaking league works. Find a successful coach and you’ll see a very good Franchise QB. Again can you say Bill Belicheat.
Dang you guys are such haters that even when Lovie wins you need to find an excuse to diminish it. It’s getting sad.
December 6th, 2015 at 4:24 pm
@BucBonzai
If he runs the table he’ll give Rivera a good run for it. I’d love to see it just to watch our loviehate trolls try and figure new ways to embarrass themselves by trying to provide all the reasons he didn’t deserve the award…or how lucky he was..or how #3 earned it for him.
December 6th, 2015 at 4:25 pm
lurker
Would you care to place a wager on the Bucs getting steamrolled the next four games…all of them? Really?
Define steamrolled for me and let’s hook up for a little wager.
December 6th, 2015 at 4:27 pm
He was giving Martin time to rest and regain emotional control, Walk. Not benching him
December 6th, 2015 at 4:27 pm
This was never in doubt.
One of the best coaching jobs I have seen in a long time, with a rookie at the helm.
Great job Lovie!!!!!
December 6th, 2015 at 4:27 pm
I’m now rooting for the Saints bigtime. If they win Carolina rests it starters in the final game and we have a shot at running the table.
December 6th, 2015 at 4:27 pm
where are all the pundits saying lovie is a great coach? (crickets)
his decisions, stubborness, and undisciplined team has cost us wins.
December 6th, 2015 at 4:28 pm
Where are the pundits who say he isn’t Lurker. It’s not up to us to prove your absurd takes. That’s up to you.
Link somebody with credibility. There are NO Lovie haters here with a scintilla of cred.
December 6th, 2015 at 4:28 pm
Not gonna lie I was fed up with Lovie after the Washington game, wanted him canned… BUT he has definitely shown me improvement since and deserves another year, hopefully we can find a way to bring Keotter back. Also thank you 9ers for beating Chicago…. should help in the wild card race
December 6th, 2015 at 4:29 pm
This was a good win but lets stop making things up. This team has not been playing solid ball for a long time. This was the first victory where they actually looked like a competent team that was able to over come their own mistakes.
December 6th, 2015 at 4:29 pm
We’re winning because of Jameis and not much else. He’s been our shinning star. This team is still nowhere near good enough to win anything meaningful, they’re in the playoff hunt because the NFL is abysmal this year. Giants are awful and only 1 game out of the playoffs. Same with Houston. Carolina-New England will be a great Super Bowl, maybe Arizona but that’s it. The NFL is the new NBA, a few great teams, horrible reffing and a bad on field product.
December 6th, 2015 at 4:30 pm
“lurker
Would you care to place a wager on the Bucs getting steamrolled the next four games…all of them? Really?
Define steamrolled for me and let’s hook up for a little wager.”
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my point is joe saying that lovie has locked up his job next year for him. i thought of a dire circumstnce that might affect that belief. i do not think we will lose the last four, but this team scares me at times…lol
December 6th, 2015 at 4:35 pm
https://www.joebucsfan.com/2014/12/adam-schein-lovie-overrated/
still overated? you think not, but it is not new.
December 6th, 2015 at 4:38 pm
Lovie IS a good coach.
Jason Licht brought in the free agent busts. Lovie DRAFTED according to HIS VISION for the team.
What stubbornness?
The team gets penalties. Undisciplined? Not hardly. All year long, we see the teams we face get away with more penalties than we do. But…even if you are right on that one….
5 rookies on offense. 1 sophomore on offense.
4 rookies on defense. 2 sophomores on defense
1 sophomore punter
That’s 13 players with less than 2 years experience.
Of course they are undisciplined. That with come with time.
December 6th, 2015 at 4:40 pm
Yessss were relevany baby!!!!
December 6th, 2015 at 4:40 pm
To think we could have had Schiano with Glennon at the controls.
And a Rutgers OC.
My what might have been.
Superb job Mr. Smith.
December 6th, 2015 at 4:40 pm
Awesome game today …we are 1 draft away from being a playoff team every year and 2 drafts from super bowl contention. The biggest piece is here and should be for the next 10 to 15 yrs “JABOO” The rest will come
December 6th, 2015 at 4:41 pm
Adam Schein whose takes change weekly…that’s the best you got lurker?
Last year the Panthers won the division with a LOSING record…is that what you call good?
This year instead of the NFC South it’s the East that is horrid.
If anything we could win ten this year and still get shut out because there are actually more than the usual good teams…not great but just above mediocre.
Most years 8-9 wins gets you in…this year it could take ten which means this is actually an up year not a down year. You guys are so DESPERATE to see your Lovie hate vindicated you’ve lost sight of reality.
TD Saints…go guys.
December 6th, 2015 at 4:41 pm
Lovie Smith should get another year… We can’t just keep firing coach after coach after coach and expect success… This team is 6-6 and has been very competitive in every game excpet Carolina when Winston threw 4 ints…
At the beginning of the season I thought any more then five or six wins would be enough improvement to keep this regime in place and I still feel this way…
December 6th, 2015 at 4:43 pm
St.petebucsfan I agree with you. Lovie has done an awesome job this year. First he had to establish a winning mentality and then he had to groom a QB. Job well done. Lovie has turned this franchise around ala dungy esque.
Couch, seriously? You don’t think the ass stomping that we gave the eagles a complete game? Dude it was an ass beating that the bucs haven’t done in such a long time.
You people are hopeless. Sounds like some of you have no idea or clue. Lovie has this team moving in the right direction but some of the fans are blind to this fact. It is really sad to even say that now that we are 6-6 and still in the playoff hunt and none of us would have said that after the Titans fiasco.
Go Bucs!!!!
December 6th, 2015 at 4:52 pm
Unfortunately we won’t anything with this simpleton at the helm.
December 6th, 2015 at 4:52 pm
Win
December 6th, 2015 at 4:54 pm
What if 2-12 was the plan from the beginning of last year to lock in a franchise QB? Maybe Glazers know that this year is the true first season for Lovie.
December 6th, 2015 at 4:54 pm
again, spbf, who says lovie is a great coach? if you do not see fault with lovie, and see his weaknesses, i feel sorry for you.
is his job over here? no. but the team has a long ways to go and i say that winston and koetter has done more for this team than lovie smith. i do not believe lovie preferred winston.
who do you have that says lovie is doing great?
December 6th, 2015 at 4:54 pm
Maybe not from the beginning beginning but from like week 4.
December 6th, 2015 at 4:56 pm
Defense gave up 19 points despite the offense turning the ball over twice and also did that without g McCoy or generating a turnover.
Great team win
December 6th, 2015 at 4:57 pm
Where is the REALIST?
December 6th, 2015 at 4:57 pm
and for the record:
“lurker Says:
January 6th, 2014 at 11:51 am
I wanted someone other than lovie. get that hot offensive coordinator here. but lovie is here now.
if lovie = dungy, as some have said, then we will need one more coach to get us over the hump like gruden did.”
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lovie has done nothing to dissuade that. when schiano was here, i thought everyone believed that tons of penalties was a sign of an undisciplined team. so lovie’s team is undisciplined.
December 6th, 2015 at 5:00 pm
lovie will be here next year. i hope he continues to grow as a person and coach along with our team. if we win many playoff games and superbowls, i do not care who is headcoach! but the team and lovie are not there.
December 6th, 2015 at 5:01 pm
Lovie haters trying desperately to overtake the thread – but only managing to make themselves look stupider by the minute… LOL
Congrats Coach Smith on the big win! Your boy is growing up fast. Who says you can’t win with a rookie QB?
December 6th, 2015 at 5:02 pm
Couch, seriously? You don’t think the ass stomping that we gave the eagles a complete game? Dude it was an ass beating that the bucs haven’t done in such a long time.
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You mean the same team that got curb stomped the following week and seems to get beat by everybody? No that wasnt impressive. Besides thats just 1 game. The statement was that the team has been playing solid ball for a long time which is flat out false. Maybe in your fantasy land that is true not in reality. If it were true we’d be a lot better than 6-6.
December 6th, 2015 at 5:04 pm
If anything, credit the Glazers for calling lovie into the office after the Washington debacle, to tell him his old ways were not working and it was unacceptable!!!
Really the only question right now is how far can Winston drag the anchor that is lovie!!!
December 6th, 2015 at 5:06 pm
You’re either getting better or you’re getting better. ….. The Bucs are getting better.
But I still don’t like this defense. They’re playing for turnovers, not dedicated to stopping each play.
They can stop teams, we see that in the red zone. There is no reason they can’t stop them anywhere on the field. This, I attribute to Coach Smith.
But hey, it’s his game plan and his job to lose.
You shall see.
December 6th, 2015 at 5:07 pm
A sweep of the Falcons, now that’s a tasty rarity.
December 6th, 2015 at 5:07 pm
You’re either getting better or you’re getting worse……. there, now my comment makes sense.
December 6th, 2015 at 5:26 pm
For all you crying about Lovie did you see what the Bucs try to do to end the 1st half? They threw 2 passes. Normally Lovie would’ve opted to run out the clock.
DallasBuc you constantly keep calling Lovie that disparaging name, you are such an idiot a big time imbocile. How can he be incompetent? You should look up the definition of the word. Then man has done some decent and even good things as a head coach and is turning the Bucs around. I know you want a white coach but dang could you give it a rest.
December 6th, 2015 at 5:35 pm
“there, now my comment makes sense.”
nope. didn’t help in the least. your comment still makes no sense…lol
a defense that doesn’t want to make stops until the red zone…smh
December 6th, 2015 at 5:37 pm
“…you are such an idiot a big time imbocile. (sic)”
another classic!
December 6th, 2015 at 5:39 pm
Lovie has earned a hird year, no doubt about that but I think “Coach of the Year” chatter is a bit of nonsense. If he got nominated all one would have to do is play abit of he DC game in the second half to erase any thought of that. If the bucs get close to geting a sniff at a wild card berth it is still likely they will miss because of the nonsensical losses to the Skins and the Texans when we were all calling for Lovie to be fired. The Texan loss could be placed on whoever went with Brinzda over Barth but the Skin loss was all on Lovie, there is no getting away from that fact despite all the good things the Bucs have done to get to 6-6….
December 6th, 2015 at 5:45 pm
Some people just like to bitch.
These are the same type of fans who didn’t want Jameis drafted, and then cheered for him to play poorly so they would be right about the draft. Be happy the team is winning regardless.
Smoke a joint, have a drink and enjoy 2-0 vs. the Falcons this season. JEEEEZ.
December 6th, 2015 at 5:45 pm
We are 5-3 over the past eight weeks. In what world is that NOT solid ball for a long time? Geez.
December 6th, 2015 at 6:08 pm
I’m going to taper my praise for Lovie. Absolutely right Joe, they impressively turned this season around!
However, saw a few things today that still don’t look like a vet-coached team: should have challenged the mark on that third-down run by Ryan for a first down; and even after that INT by David, I was still holding my breath as it still looks like we’re learning how to win.
But as you addressed elsewhere, I was glad to see Lovie only hold out Martin for a few plays after that fumble. He’s learning.
December 6th, 2015 at 6:10 pm
I am still on the fire lovie band wagon, as I’m not convinced it’s his coaching as much as it’s Koetter and Winston. The defense has good players at all 3 levels, and still has yet to be consistent week in and week out. Today for example, i saw too many receivers for the Falcons catch balls uncontested. This is due to the fact that Everyone in the league knows where the holes are in this coverage, and if we’re running it over half the time, we will get picked apart.
I’ll keep my spot on the fire lovie band wagon until the season is over. I may jump off if i feel they finished strong (which doesn’t necessarily mean a playoff berth, although that would help).
#GoBucs
December 6th, 2015 at 6:15 pm
Dog poop finally said something intelligent: “horrible refereeing” (he needs spellcheck). Bucs could write a book on lousy ref calls. Got WDAE on and some bozo called in badmouthing GMC. What a load of whatever! What a game……cardiac Bucs! I was cheering when Gene and Dave yelled when Lavonte picked off Matty Ice at the end. And Famous Jameis….3rd and 19–the scramble, wow just wow!! What is with all the bad-mouthing Lovie trolls? This team finished 2-14 last season. Bucs are 6-6 right now with 4 games left. Lovie will be back as will Dirk Koetter. They have a job to finish here. Aints are in a dogfight with the Stinkcats. Go Bucs!!
December 6th, 2015 at 6:21 pm
One of the most bizarre games I’ve been at in a long time. So many big time plays … by both teams … that I lost track. Our offense did enough to win it, with little time left. Our defense did enough not to lose it, with little time left.
Although RayJay was only about 2/3 full it looked like, Bucs fans actually got into the game, for a change. You could almost feel the stadium rocking.
Great TEAM win … on the part of our players and our coaches.
December 6th, 2015 at 6:21 pm
T in Orlando, I’m with you. The culture on this team is much different than last year. I’ve watched the games, I’ve watched the post game talks in the locker rooms – it’s more Koetter and Jameis than Lovie.
December 6th, 2015 at 6:22 pm
correct me if I am wrong, But if Winston and the Bucs win 3 out of the last 4, then lovie will tie Coach Schiano’s win total!!!!
December 6th, 2015 at 6:32 pm
Realist, Lovie surpassed Schianos win total 10 years ago! Smith has done tremendous job turning this franchise around. If he got to a superbowl with Rex Grossman, imagine what he can do with a real qb! Dont feed the trolls unless your a trained professional everyone!
December 6th, 2015 at 7:41 pm
Hats off to coach Smith! Now he needs to buy Winston a steak dinner for saving his bacon.
December 6th, 2015 at 8:02 pm
Yep welcome back Lovie Smith. Now let Jameis drag you kicking and screaming all the way to the Super Bowl someday.
December 6th, 2015 at 8:08 pm
Lovie Smith never needed your blessing. He was going to be the head coach next year regardless of your blog posts or the relentless anti-Lovie commenters. He and the entire coaching staff have done an excellent job this year. Only an imbecile would deny this at this point of the season.
December 6th, 2015 at 8:42 pm
lurker
again, spbf, who says lovie is a great coach? if you do not see fault with lovie, and see his weaknesses, i feel sorry for you.
I’ve NEVER said Lovie is a GREAT coach. This is why your group looks so freaking thoughtless and full of hyperbole.
How many posters here have names like Lovie is the best or Lovie is great?
How many morons post with names like Lovie is dog poo.
Realist continually makes stuff up out of whole cloth and it’s absurd. Koetter was Lovie’s third choice…Lovie has lost the locker room..and now it was the Glazers who get credit for this victory for telling Lovie how to coach.
This is seriously getting ludicrous!!!! Most of the positive talk about Lovie here focuses on his career record…has the team improved…and does he seem to be changing with the times and continuing to grow.
It’s the extreme insults…all coming from the Loviehaterlosers that are absurd.
I don’t know that I’ve read a single poster here claim Lovie is the next coming of Don Shula….many posters here…including me…believe he deserves a chance..he’s getting it. But the Lovie haters seem to rather see him go than succeed. There’s really no other way to look at it when you read the dumbasss comments here. They are not based on reality at all.
Lovie DID coach a great game today. Not saying he does it every week or that he’s great…just that TODAY he did an excellent job..whether it was his use of Martin after the fumble…got him rest as well as some thinking time..Doug was clearly motivated when he returned.
Lovie made an excellent halftime adjustment…without GMC we got no push up the middle on our rush in the first half and it showed. In the second half Lovie not only blitzed he did so creatively on one play he had LVD and Kwon criss cross up the middle and Kwon batted the ball away…JJ was open!!!
It’s the absurdity of the Loviehater arguments at this point. Your hatred has become exitential and unreasonable. The hyperbole and insults..Lovie is dog poo are simply moronic. Grow up and give this some critical thinking.
No Lovie is not Don Shula…or Pete Carroll…but he’s not a loser…and not dog poo and best of all he’s not that freaking joke Greg Schiano who mysteriously still can’t find a gig.
December 6th, 2015 at 8:53 pm
LW&D
Smoke a joint, have a drink and enjoy 2-0 vs. the Falcons this season. JEEEEZ.
I like the way you roll LW&D…pun intended LMAO. Although I do not roll will a bowl or two be OK? 🙂
For those who keep yammering about #3 carrying Lovie…DUH again it’s the freaking NFL that’s how it works.
For perspective…before Brady…Belichik was 41-55!!!!
That’s a .430 win %…at this point in just his Buc’s tenure Lovie is 8-20 or a .400 win %.
December 6th, 2015 at 9:18 pm
D-Rome Says:
December 6th, 2015 at 8:08 pm
Lovie Smith never needed your blessing. He was going to be the head coach next year regardless of your blog posts or the relentless anti-Lovie commenters. He and the entire coaching staff have done an excellent job this year. Only an imbecile would deny this at this point of the season.
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Exactly!! You “non-sensical radicals” have NO INFLUENCE WHATSOEVER!! LOVIE SMITH’s WANG WAS ALWAYS GOING TO BE SLAPPING YOU ON THE CHEEK!! WHO’S YOUR DADDY B!TCHES!!?!?! LMAO!!!
December 6th, 2015 at 9:29 pm
Hey realist tell us more about your sources telling you that Lovie has lost the locker room..lol. Its ok, just ignore the voices in your head next time HAHAHAHA GET A CLUE!
December 6th, 2015 at 10:43 pm
“If anything, credit the Glazers for calling lovie into the office after the Washington debacle, to tell him his old ways were not working and it was unacceptable!!!”
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Wow, lol. You seriously forgot to take your meds today didn’t you?
December 6th, 2015 at 10:55 pm
I was thrilled when we hired Lovie. I cautiously gave him a pass for last year, because I firmly believe we were tanking, and tanking pretty early on. Plus he had to take over for possible the worst coach in franchise history. This year, I’ve had my moments of disappointment with him. I’ve even have my moments where I would have applauded him being fired. Even with this encouraging ball we’ve been playing, he still does things I’m not crazy about. However, I realized something today – he knows this team a helluva lot better than any of us. One of my biggest complaints with him all year was how he is scared to try to score before the half. Today, he got aggressive and we turned the ball over. Maybe he’s not as dumb as I sometimes thought.
It’s real easy for us to watch a game and make decisions on our coach. Hell, most of us wait until the result happens before we talk about what “we should have done”. But I’d imagine it’s a lot different when you are on the sideline. We don’t see what happens in practice. We don’t know who is to blame on the majority of plays, because we don’t know the assignments. Bottom line, he’s making the right decisions more often than not. For those saying Jameis is carrying him I say – no Sh!t. That’s what is supposed to happen idiot! Don’t be so stupid to not realize that that’s how it works. Name me a great coach without a great QB, then get back to me.
December 7th, 2015 at 7:38 am
Lovie should not give thanks to his franchise QB, his no-nonsense OC, his rejuvenated RB or his two starting OL, Lovie needs to give thanks to Sterling Moore. Julio Jones was targeted a whopping 17 times and only had 8 receptions. Lovie made adjustments and Lovie won. To all the haters I say good bye.