Whatever It Takes
December 28th, 2015
Bucs cannot let OC Dirk Koetter escape.
Right now the most important employee of Team Glazer after rising star AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht (he of the grand slam) is offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter.
It is under his guidance the Bucs have molded one of the better rookie quarterbacks to enter the NFL since the 1970 merger (Joe will have more on that later). It is also under Koetter’s watchful eye that he has turned around in one season what was a complete and utter trainwreck of an offense. It now may be the best offense the Bucs franchise has ever seen, with three rookies starting.
How so? Joe Kania of Buccaneers.com has the details.
With 193 yards on Sunday, the Buccaneers’ offense could break the team’s record for offensive yards in a single season. The record was set in 2012 when the Bucs earned 5,820 yards. The 2015 Buccaneers’ offense currently has 5,628 yards.
Based on the Bucs’ production this season, the record is likely to fall. The Bucs average 375 yards of offense per game and have finished with 200 yards or more in each of their 15 games thus far.
There is no other way to say this: Team Glazer and/or Licht have to do what it takes to ensure Koetter’s return. If it takes him being the highest-paid offensive coordinator, then so be it. Imagine the substantial price to this franchise for years (decades?) if Koetter leaves and somehow Jameis begins to crumble?
The offense has made such dramatic strides since last year, again, with three rookies, that letting Koetter leave this team for anything short of an NFL head coaching job is no less than criminally negligent.
December 28th, 2015 at 1:34 pm
Name him immediate interim head coach and give him 2016 to prove his worth. Send Lovie back to the basement…
December 28th, 2015 at 1:38 pm
There is enough of an argument to be made about the lack of defensive players taken in the draft (and the value of the one player they did take) that I can see us going through another draft with Lovie at the helm where more emphasis is placed on getting young productive players in. That said, I’d put Koetter in the assistant head coach chair and not make it a secret that another season that shows a lack of progress from the defense will mean that Lovie will be out, Koetter will be elevated and a new DC will be brought in.
December 28th, 2015 at 1:40 pm
I agree with sending Lovie to the basement, but we need to hire someone like Sean McDermott to fix the defense. He learned under Jim Johnson (Eagles D Coordinator) and watched Andy Reid. He now has the experience of winning on a different team.
I’m sure we can keep Dirk, but the HC must go.
December 28th, 2015 at 1:40 pm
Same for me, promote him as head coach and recrute a BIG defense head coach !
December 28th, 2015 at 1:46 pm
I don’t think we need to grip just yet. Koetter is not going anywhere. The Glazers and Licht will pony up the $$$ and there aren’t that many great opportunities out there to be head coach. Where is Koetter going to go next year?
If he stays with the Bucs he has a predictable future for next year with a franchise QB and a maturing and improving OL with two great complimentary backs and a promising group of young receivers. Plus all the the players now have a year with Koetter as their OC. The teamwork on this young squad is only going to grow next year. I’m particularly excited by the prospect of a young and relatively deep OL working together through another offseason and Martin and Sims make a great 1-2 punch out of the backfield. ASJ and Brate are good TE’s…Evans and whoever blossoms to join him…
Koetter has to like the way his offense is shaping up if he stays here another year.
December 28th, 2015 at 1:54 pm
@StpeteBucsFan,
I disagree on Koetter not going anywhere. He certainly doesn’t sound like a guy that will not consider a head coaching position and any vacancy is a big deal, even the Dolphins position. In fact, a team like the Dolphins may represent less risk rather than one with high expectations. For this reason, I am concerned.
I agree on everything else you said with the offense. I am very excited about the prospect of this offense next year. I just hope it is Koetter that is coaching it.
December 28th, 2015 at 1:56 pm
LOL Jim Johnson Scheme with our corners. We need two big corners like Troy Vincent and Bobby Taylor and a shifty nickel back, two safties, ed rusher, another outside linebacker, and two big DT’s like Spence (a 2 gap DT) to be successful in that scheme. Hell we will likely need that many players anyway on defense. However, I feel like David, Alexander, Spence, and Ghoston would be quite productive in that system.
December 28th, 2015 at 1:58 pm
BE careful of signing a petition to thrust a man into a job who has already said he is happy where he currently is The results may not be what you want.
We won 4 more games than we did last yr. That’s improvement…however slight. However, Lovie must change. A lot of “His Men” he brought here on Defense need to go. Including the Mysterious Traveller, DC Frazier. Lovie would do good to get another DC. This Defense has had more penalties than my local HS team. And we need a pass rush..please! A lot of Lovies Chicago players gotta go. Get the Defense right and we got ourselves a team. I just looked at our potential schedule for next yr…It does not get easier. Lovie has one more yr to..right the ship. Or else he too..will be fishing off of the bay with Schiano.
December 28th, 2015 at 2:02 pm
Let me clue you in……If Koetter wants to be a head coach, there is practically nothing that can be done to keep him except the Bucs head coaching position…..
A good start would be a raise and a promotion to Asst. Head Coach…..give him Frazier’s money.
And if any on you think Lovie is hiring a dynamic DC (his possible replacement) think again.
He might hire a friend…..but that’s as far as he’ll go.
December 28th, 2015 at 2:02 pm
Give Koetter the title Assistan Head Coach and give him the pay raise he deserves. This will keep him here for either the playoff push next year or to succeed when Lovie is fired. That would ensure JW a consistency for years to come. It would also keep other teams from offering him a head coach job because of the Assistant Head Coach title.
December 28th, 2015 at 2:08 pm
Lovie will hire a Dc if he is order to by licht and the glazers. I see either fire Lovie or he retools his coaching staff especially defensive backs. The glazers are gonna make that decision for him, not like anybody is going to sign Lovie as a coach he doesn’t have many options in my book.
December 28th, 2015 at 2:15 pm
Is Koetter’s contract up?
Bucs can deny him interviews elsewhere like they have to others.
Team is too inconsistent offensively to think he’s head coaching material
December 28th, 2015 at 2:16 pm
Cmurda
Agree the Dolphin’s job might interest Koetter. A possible franchise QB but he wouldn’t have to risk his rep on him.
I’m not sure where the good jobs are anymore. The league has become so freaking competitive it’s hard to really say which jobs are the slam dunks. I mean would you want to coach the Cowboys after Jason Garrett?
I thought Jay Gruden was toast in DC and now look at his position.
I will say this though…when I look around at jobs available for Koetter the one he currently has is certainly appealing…lots of young talent and low expectations for the team. Let’s face it we would all be thrilled just to make the playoffs.
December 28th, 2015 at 2:17 pm
Tampa Tony – the Bucs can’t deny him the opportunity for a promotion (ie Head Coaching gig). He can interview at anytime after the last game.
December 28th, 2015 at 2:20 pm
Koetter seems to have won the fans favor, though I’m not exactly sure why. Fickle fans need something to grasp on to, I include myself. It’s difficult to fix out of control and undisciplined players. Playing for a bigtime loser pays well.
December 28th, 2015 at 2:23 pm
SoftastissueMcCoy93 Says:
December 28th, 2015 at 1:56 pm
LOL Jim Johnson Scheme with our corners. We need two big corners like Troy Vincent and Bobby Taylor and a shifty nickel back, two safties, ed rusher, another outside linebacker, and two big DT’s like Spence (a 2 gap DT) to be successful in that scheme. Hell we will likely need that many players anyway on defense. However, I feel like David, Alexander, Spence, and Ghoston would be quite productive in that system.
Banks is a big corner. Could you imagine having McDermott as the HC. He maximizes Banks talents. Signs Norman (who is a FA after this season) and drafts the local kid Hargraves. Signs Charles Johnson (once the Panthers cut him due to his cap number).
This serves multiple points of interest for the Bucs. Adds coaching talent and opens the opportunity to weaken a division foe.
December 28th, 2015 at 2:43 pm
Yeah. Lovie hasn’t brought in Tampa 2 personnel yet. So if there is a time to oust him… it’s now.
December 28th, 2015 at 2:46 pm
NJBucsFan:
If a Pro Bowl corner and second round draft pick (who was productive prior) can’t make a dent in Lovie’s defense, not sure how any rookie will, don’t care if his name is Hargreaves or Ramsey or what school he played for.
In 31 games, Lovie and his staff have demonstrated they cannot coach up corners. So expecting a rookie to turn things around is wishful thinking. Better off hoping to find a winning Lotto ticket.
December 28th, 2015 at 2:47 pm
Let Joe guess, it was Dominik who selected all of the Bucs corners on the roster???
(FYI: The one corner Dominik was responsible for that is still on the roster led the team in picks last year.)
December 28th, 2015 at 2:51 pm
@ Joe – the scenario I presented was sans Lovie and had McDermott as the head coach.
December 28th, 2015 at 2:54 pm
I hope the Glazers have the balls to take a run at Sean Payton. Payton, aggressive and a winner, would be miles ahead of Lovie, passive and a loser. Saints are in cap hell and will need years to rebuild. Swing for the fences and try and get us a top coach instead of settling for a coach taking us nowhere.
December 28th, 2015 at 2:59 pm
OK I am far from the fire Lovie crowd. But if it’s Sean Payton then I might be interested.
December 28th, 2015 at 3:05 pm
“StPeteBucsFan Says:
December 28th, 2015 at 2:59 pm
OK I am far from the fire Lovie crowd. But if it’s Sean Payton then I might be interested.”
Agreed.
Throw in that lunatic Jim Schwartz as DC, or Jim Leavitt.
December 28th, 2015 at 3:07 pm
Guys Sean Payton has a defense worse than the Bucs, what are you talking about. Plus he has been suspended for a year and is coming from a franchise that can’t manage the salary cap to save their life. Other than winning the super bowl and lovie losing it (Brees or Grossman, duh) what is the difference between Lovie and Payton? This is what I’m talking about you guys have no clue what your taking about. He has Brees guys that’s makes him successful, other than that he’s crap.
December 28th, 2015 at 3:07 pm
Time to give Keotter a big promotion, he’s head coach material. Make it happen Glazers.
December 28th, 2015 at 3:08 pm
Watching this military bowl to keep an eye on pitt’s #23 WR Tyler Boyd….could be another 4th rounder that could help us.
December 28th, 2015 at 3:09 pm
Waisting your emotions, energy & time with the calls for Lovie firing…..its not going to happen……
December 28th, 2015 at 3:10 pm
If DK gets offered a HC position, then it should be us offering it to him also….just saying.
December 28th, 2015 at 3:13 pm
Judging by the way the Bucs have been run in recent history I suspect they’ll let Koetter walk and give Lovie a huge raise. Then they’ll let Martin, Mankins and Vjax walk. Then they’ll tell us they’re not rebuilding. The we’ll go 5-11 in 2016.
#Seige the day?
December 28th, 2015 at 3:18 pm
@ NJBucsFan,
I like Banks but i won’t consider him big corner. He is lengthy, to play Johnson’s Scheme you have be physical at the line of scrimmage. IMO Banks is not. His strengths are playing off the ball and reading the QB. His problem is that we don’t have the d-line pressure to force Qbs to make bad throws/decisions.
However, adding a alpha ed-rusher and a versatile safety, would help the entire defense. We have good enough corners to play Lovie’s scheme but our D-line, LB’s and Safety play has to be improved. There are too many instances this year where the back-end has been out position. Our Safties can cover TE’s or make plays in the box. They have improved on their 2 deep coverage in the second half of the season, but we need better.
We need to improve every level of the defense but its has to start up front. Most great defenses are built on making offenses one dimentional and pressuring QB. In the past four years the Bucs have fielding two teams that was great at stopping the run, but had no answers for applying any pressure. Enough is enough, We need a free agent pass rusher stud and a high-end draft pick.
December 28th, 2015 at 3:21 pm
@Howard Cosell – Don’t forget promoting Lovie Jr. to Defensive Coordinator ghastly play by his secondary.
December 28th, 2015 at 3:36 pm
SoftastissueMcCoy93….excellent post and I agree 100%.
I still want another WR for JW though.
December 28th, 2015 at 3:47 pm
@SoftastissueMcCoy93:
You may right about Banks, but all the more reason to have a coach that can adapt to player’s strengths. Maybe Banks can’t play an aggressive corner scheme, but has potential playing free safety. That’s what coaching is all about, maximizing the players talents, not forcing players with talent into schemes. Look at what McDermott is doing with Kirk Colemen.
Lovie is the Chip Kelly of defensive head coaches. Willing to sacrifice talent to prove his system is the end all be all of all systems. That’s not coaching.
December 28th, 2015 at 3:59 pm
I duno why but I just don’t see Koetter as a guy that wants to be a HC. A lot of guys are much better off as coordinators than coaches (Josh McDaniel / Mark Trestman for recent example of creative playcallers that were really bad at the HC role)
We need to bring in a DC and him and Lovie need to formulate a plan for next year that bears good results imo
December 28th, 2015 at 4:14 pm
@ NJBucsFan,
What have you seen from banks that makes you believe that he would excel at safety? Also, he would need to add 15 to 20 pounds on his frame.
I said this many times Lovie has made adjustment to his play calling but nothing is working. We are getting burned on the blitz, and can rush in zone. That’s not the X’s and O’s of the game, but the Jimms and Joes. Lovie has made plenty of bad personnel moves, but let’s not pretend we have winning players on defense. Lovie has put these guys in position to answer the bell and they always seem to come up short.
We need to find a veteran and draft a pass-rusher. If we do our “top ten” defense will improve. We do need another corner
December 28th, 2015 at 4:17 pm
Joe, when you say “Whatever it takes” do you mean up to and including firing Lovie and promoting Koetter to head coach? Because that’s what may have to happen if Koetter gets a head coaching offer.
I’m on the fence, I would like to give Lovie one more season; however, not at the expense of losing Koetter to another team. (Unless Sean Payton is the consolation prize.)
December 28th, 2015 at 4:22 pm
ndog Says:
December 28th, 2015 at 3:07 pm
Guys Sean Payton has a defense worse than the Bucs, what are you talking about. Plus he has been suspended for a year and is coming from a franchise that can’t manage the salary cap to save their life. Other than winning the super bowl and lovie losing it (Brees or Grossman, duh) what is the difference between Lovie and Payton? This is what I’m talking about you guys have no clue what your taking about. He has Brees guys that’s makes him successful, other than that he’s crap.
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Lovie playoff seasons 3 out of 11
Payton made the playoffs 4 times in 5 years once…
We’re on the same side that Lovie sucks, but Payton is clearly and by far a better coach. If they both came on the market right now teams would fire their coach to get Payton. They’d laugh at hiring Lovie Smith.
December 28th, 2015 at 4:29 pm
Lol Payton made the playoffs 4 out of 5 years once
What about the last few years? Lovie Smith made the Super Bowl one out of one season once
Lmao
December 28th, 2015 at 4:49 pm
Joe Says
“Yeah. Lovie hasn’t brought in Tampa 2 personnel yet. So if there is a time to oust him… it’s now.
Let Joe guess, it was Dominik who selected all of the Bucs corners on the roster???
I don’t believe it is Lovie Smith, the head coach, who signs free agents. You have it reversed. Lovie makes draft picks…like EVERY other head coach.
December 28th, 2015 at 4:51 pm
Keep Lovie. Fire Frazier. Draft Defense. Sign Offense as needed.
The team is fixed.
We all know Frazier was not Lovie’s first choice as DC. Would have been interesting if he’d gotten the guy he wanted.
December 28th, 2015 at 5:07 pm
Lord Cornelius Says:
December 28th, 2015 at 4:29 pm
Lol Payton made the playoffs 4 out of 5 years once
What about the last few years? Lovie Smith made the Super Bowl one out of one season once
Lmao
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I gotta say you’re one of the weirdest cats on here. I feel 100% confident in saying you were demanding Lovie be fired after the Washinton game. Yet you always seem to defend Lovie now…but you really don’t, you sound like you’re defending because he’s the Bucs coach and not because you like him. In fact I’m guessing you’d be cool if he got fired tomorrow.
But out of curiosity, what changed after the Washington game? Was it beating the overrated Falcons twice? Squeaking by the mighty Matt Cassel? Beating Mark Sanchez?
December 28th, 2015 at 5:09 pm
Oh and they made it to the playoffs 4 of 5 years between 2009 and 2013. Wasn’t that long ago lol. We’ve finished last in 4 of those 5 seasons. Payton clearly and by far better than Lovie. We currently employ one of the 10 worst (and really 5 at this point) coaches in the NFL. It’s as simple as that.
December 28th, 2015 at 6:35 pm
This team is just playing flat….if the glaziers kicked gruden after going 9 and 7…than they need to pull the trigger on koetterm not only is he a solid oc…he has that attitude and grit that players and other coaches will respect and play hard for. Its a no brainer to me. I want to see him named head coach as soon as the panthers sweep the floor with bucs uniforms next sunday. He will gind a good dc to call the shots. Hell leslie frazier wouldnt be a bad dc as long as he isny being forced to run zone defense every week. Only reason I wanred the switch to lovie at defensive playcalling was becasue he knows the system better but the team is not firing on all cylinders. Simple as that keep koetter at all costs. Could bot agree more with this article
December 28th, 2015 at 7:12 pm
“rising star AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht (he of the grand slam) is offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter.” –Joe
Don’t call him a rising star to BuccaneerBonzai Joe. As far as he’s concerned Licht was in charge of the horrible free agent pick ups and Lovie was responsible for all the good draft picks.
SMH.
December 28th, 2015 at 7:43 pm
Not if….but WHEN LOL WHEN the panthers beat the living crap out of us this weekend, Show Lovie the door, promote Dirk Koetter, and hire Mark Dominik as our new DC
December 28th, 2015 at 9:22 pm
I do not understand why others can’t see this. Dirk Koetter has cost this team many wins. He will not use play-action. Often the Bucs will run and get great yardage. The opposing team knows that after a good run we will run again. This is a perfect time for play-action. Dirk Koetter will not do it. Then once the game is lost then he will use play-action. As the season has been lost I am telling you the Bucs will open up the play book and use play action against Carolina. They will make it look good so the fans will have hope for next year.
December 29th, 2015 at 4:06 pm
pay mr. koetter I don’t kare if we overpay. mr. gm bust a nike and just do it