Final Tally: Opposing QBs Completed 70%
January 3rd, 2016
How receivers look in Lovie Smith’s secondary
It was a typical deer-in-the-cornfield evening for the Bucs’ secondary.
The cover-nobody defense served up the usual.
Cam Newton finished 21-for-26 for 293 yards and two touchdowns. That’s an 80.8 completion percentage. Keep in mind the Panthers were without their top wide receiver, Ted Ginn, Jr., the guy filling in for their real No. 1 wide receiver.
But this was no surprise.
The Bucs entered the game allowing opposing quarterbacks to complete 69.5 percent of their passes. The final tally on the season, after Newton’s carving, stands at exactly 70 percent. Quarterbacks were a stunning 378-for-540 against the Bucs.
Joe detailed last Monday that this is a system failure for Lovie Smith, as well as a sign of him being stubborn. And two days later, Lovie told local media that his team’s league-worst (for the second year in a row) completion rate allowed is a misleading stat.
Joe’s grandfather used to use a very crass, old expression: “Don’t piss in my face and tell me it’s raining.” This came to mind when Lovie spoke of completion rate being a stat not worth examining.
Funny how Lovie’s defenses in Chicago didn’t allow anywhere near this year’s rate of completion. In his first season in Chicago, Lovie’s defense allowed opposing QBs to complete just 55.7 percent of passes. During his last season, it was 59 percent. That’s a far cry from 70.
January 3rd, 2016 at 8:49 pm
#FireLovie
January 3rd, 2016 at 8:49 pm
Like shooting fish in a barrel.
January 3rd, 2016 at 8:50 pm
It’s bad, every team watched the same film and did the same thing from game one of preseason to the final game today. I afraid even with a good defensive draft and free agency, still not sure this can be fixed in a year without tweaking the system.
January 3rd, 2016 at 8:50 pm
So we know who he hung out to dry last year. Then he changed players and took control himself. Who is to blame now? Or did Lovie really have control last year too?
January 3rd, 2016 at 8:50 pm
I cannot believe that any Buc fan would want to watch more of this next year!!! Its beyond embarrassing!!!! lovie is breaking all the wrong records!!!!!
January 3rd, 2016 at 8:52 pm
We know who does!!
January 3rd, 2016 at 8:55 pm
Can we get a new head coach for a late Christmas Gift?
This is beyond terrible.
Why did the media cry for Schiano’s head, but sits on their hands when it comes to Lovie? Schiano won 3 more games than Lovie, how is this okay?
January 3rd, 2016 at 8:56 pm
I now live in NC. Listening to the Panthers pre game, the Panthers announcers talked about how the Panthers should easily win, due to our predictability.
January 3rd, 2016 at 8:56 pm
Like I stated in an earlier post, every single OC and QB in the NFL can easily figure out how to disect and carve up Lovie’s pitiful defense.
A HUGE change is needed
January 3rd, 2016 at 8:56 pm
We also went 16 weeks without stopping a single slant route.
That’s coaching, It’s as simple as that!
January 3rd, 2016 at 8:57 pm
Mike Pettine won 2 more games than Lovie
January 3rd, 2016 at 8:57 pm
The past 2 years
January 3rd, 2016 at 8:57 pm
Offense is so overrated. Lovie knows defense, you’ve been trumped.
January 3rd, 2016 at 8:59 pm
Because SteveK, they like Lovie better than Schiano. With the media, it’s how much they like you, not the results of this turd fest. We’ve had, what, at least five chain whippings under Lovie in two years…. at least Schiano demanded they play to the final whistle.
January 3rd, 2016 at 9:01 pm
It ain’t easy being a “defensive guru” like incompetent Lovie Smith
January 3rd, 2016 at 9:06 pm
The opponents intended receiver could be wearing flashing neon and with a siren and still be open.
January 3rd, 2016 at 9:10 pm
Miles Smith: Defensive quality control… Please turn in your keys to OBP
Mikal Smith: Safeties coach, grab a box,and clean out your office too
Lovie Smith, Stop hiring your incompetent kids as coaches,
There’s too many Smith’s in the kitchen…
January 3rd, 2016 at 9:15 pm
It’s actually the opposite. But what does Joe know, he’s only at One Buc Palace all the time.
“The Media” wasn’t the a-hole who erected billboards. “The Media” wasn’t the ones freaking out over the MRSA.
January 3rd, 2016 at 9:19 pm
Joe if you’re seriously suggesting the media is as hard on Lovie as they are Schiano, that’s laughable.
January 3rd, 2016 at 9:21 pm
Joe,
The media wrote/spoke/pushed for Schiano to be fired. No one is hardly speaking that way about Lovie.
Schiano had a .523 winning percentage, and Lovie has a .333 winning percentage.
Lovie not only let opposing QB’s complete 70% of their passes, he also has a 19% lesser winning percentage than Schiano….
Why isn’t the media more into firing Lovie? He is a nice, great human being, but his football coaching skills have us to a sub-Rutgers level.
January 3rd, 2016 at 9:25 pm
Who listens to the media anyway. Trust your own eyes and ears for the truth.
January 3rd, 2016 at 9:31 pm
Lovie has built in connections with the media from his time as a LB coach and his friendship with Derrick Brooks. The media doesn’t wanna tick off Brooks or hurt their chances of getting info from Lovie’s agent if they go after a losing coach.
January 3rd, 2016 at 9:35 pm
Fire Lovie
January 3rd, 2016 at 9:37 pm
Where’s the hard probing questions at the press conference, like coach, why can’t we stop a slant pattern in the 16the game, after seeing it work for the last 15? Or as others pointed out, why sell us on a quick turn around and yet we are arguably worse two years later? Or why did we get rid of HOF talent in Revis to save money to buy FAs that are and were busts? No one has questioned him or Licht at press conferences on any of this. And this wasn’t per se directed at you Joe, more like all of the pen and mic club. At least you do question these bad moves on here.
January 3rd, 2016 at 9:57 pm
Lovie will shut down a question like the one asked about completion percentage and there is no follow-up…that’s what we are talking about.
If I had one question to ask Lovie, I would ask him if he thinks its a good idea to hire family members…..especially if after giving them two years on the job and they have failed.
If I were the Glazers…I’d tell him….they go or you go….it’s as simple as that!!!
January 4th, 2016 at 12:14 am
I hope the next DC is not from the Kiffin/Lovie Coaching Tree. We need a fresh new defense. I really don’t question Lovie’s HC ability. I question the defensive system he believes in. The last 2 seasons of pass defense have been hard to watch. I truly believe that it was not the player fault so much as just a too passive system. 20 years ago teams ran the ball more. Now a days in the pass happy league we live in, teams are much more prolific at passing. And being passive on defense just hasn’t worked for us. We need to change. I’m not exactly sure the issue, but it can’t continue. If Lovie couldn’t fix it in 2 years, then he just won’t. He needs to change his defense. And coach these guys up differently. Most of the position coaches were the same from 2 years ago. We need to change that. Our secondary coaches need to go.
January 4th, 2016 at 1:17 am
Not like they have for Lovie.
Maybe you and Joe define “media” differently. Joe is referring to the guys who cover the team on a daily basis. No one Joe knows there had an issue with Schiano.
January 4th, 2016 at 10:00 am
The “media” is a joke. They rarely ask the questions that need to be asked and if someone is evasive, they don’t press. The Media/NFL sports pregame/post game shows are one big dinosaur. No need for them anymore. Not with the interweb.