Preparation And Milestones
July 15th, 2016
Preparation is critical for Bucs DC Mike Smith.
Until the Bucs check in at One Buc Palace to report for training camp, Joe will try to get in the mind of defensive coordinator Mike Smith.
Joe will regularly deliver excerpts and/or highlights from Smith’s book, “You Win in the Locker Room,” available on Google Play and iTunes.
When Smith took over the Dixie Chicks, he knew turning a loser into a winner wouldn’t happen overnight. The path to fix the fortunes of the Falcons, Smith believed, was in baby steps. One goal at a time, so he explained in his book “You Win in the Locker Room.”
“So when it came to outcomes, you bet I wanted to win. I wanted to coach as long as possible and win as much as we could, but I knew the best way to do this was to not focus on a season’s outcome, but instead use a practice-to-practice, game-to-game process. My intention from the beginning was not to focus on goals, but on preparation and milestones. After all, every team in the league has the same goals so it’s not your goals that will lead to your success but your commitment to the process, one game at a time, that will define your season.”
So Smith believes in preparation, eh? Well, this warms Joe’s heart big time.
Joe hates beating a dead horse here and digging up horrific memories, but Joe still cannot get that opening-day loss to Tennessee out of his head. That may have been worst prepared Bucs team Joe had ever seen. Tennessee-ready? No Lovie, it wasn’t the Volunteers. No NFL coach with the possible exception of Ken Whisenhunt studied Marcus Mariota more than Lovie Smith leading up to last year’s draft — if, in fact, Lovie did study Mariota is debatable from that game.
When Mariota and Tennessee took the field at the Den of Depression, it was as if Lovie only spent 10 minutes studying gametape of Mariota at Oregon. And all of this came after Whisenhunt went on SiriusXM NFL Radio and broadcast how he was going to incorporate Oregon’s offense into his system to help Mariota’s transition to the NFL. The offense the Titans ran that day was about as secret as McDonald’s using Thousand Island dressing on its Big Macs.
Lovie got caught asleep at the wheel (not the first time nor the last). It was a shameful display of poor preparation from an NFL coach.
It sure doesn’t seem like Mike Smith will get caught by surprise often. At least not by a rookie quarterback.
July 15th, 2016 at 7:03 am
“It’s not your goals that will lead to your success but your commitment to the process.” True of so many things. I like this guy.
July 15th, 2016 at 7:48 am
Agreed Joe. I too am having a hard time getting the ugly memories of the seal clubbing the Bucs took from the lowly Titans last year out of my head. That was one of the worst displays of “football” I have ever seen.
Lovie was lucky in that the Glazers are not “reactionary”. He might have (and maybe should have) lost his job the day after that opening day embarrassment otherwise.
I sure as hell don’t want to hear the words “Atlanta ready” come out of Koetter’s mouth as that will just evoke horrible memories of last year’s opening game.. I’m sure Dirk is smart enough to know better than to let that phrase slip out.
July 15th, 2016 at 7:50 am
Joe, you might ‘hate beating a dead horse’ but you seem to keep bringing Coach My Scheme up over and over. Lovie is old news, let him go. Dirk Koetter and Mike Smith are our future. Getting to know both of them better is really cool, but throwing Lovie back in the pot dilutes that. I think most Bucs fans are optimistic today and want to move past those ‘horrific memories’ you mentioned. Personally I’m looking forward to what happens the NEXT TIME Jameis and the Bucs play Marcus and the Titans.
July 15th, 2016 at 7:52 am
Not old news. The Bucs are where they are because of Lovie.
July 15th, 2016 at 7:56 am
BOTH of Lovie’s opening day’s were dreadful. I couldn’t help but think that was a huge part of his downfall. Given a full summer TWICE he couldn’t get the Bucs together.
July 15th, 2016 at 8:37 am
That not the whole truth Joe: poor play blame that on LOVIE if you have to but don’t leave out the players role in that equation, blame Licth for the two straight offensive oriented drafts before that Tenn game. Everyone harps all over LOVIE for every aspect of every loss, but LOVIE didn’t throw that pick/6, and who was the offensive coordinator, o yea our new beloved Head Coach! Now all LOVIE BASHERS YOU HAVE PERMISSION TO WAGGLE THAT TOUNGE!
July 15th, 2016 at 8:48 am
Joe, it wasn’t just the first game that the Bucs looked unprepared.
It was the entire season.
The Titans just set the table for the rest of the year.
The 2015 Bucs team was possibly the most poorly prepared, unmotivated team I’ve seen in the NFL.
Had it not been for Winston’s personal mojo and Martins do-or-die effort, the season could have been among the worse in Bucs history.
I hope to NEVER see an uncontested slant or deep out in the soft spot of that antiquated completed by a Taxi Squad QB against the Bucs ever again…
………
But you know what I DID like about the 2015 coaching? Answer: Not a gall dang thing…
July 15th, 2016 at 9:06 am
That game was one of the worst Bucs experiences I’ve ever had lol. I was SO excited for that game.
BigHogHayes – the BROWNs played MUCH better defense than we did against Mariota the very next freaking week. You gonna tell me the Browns players are astronomically better than a group that featured multiple pro bowlers and 2 former all pros?? At some point you have to differentiate the role of coaching and the role of players and figure out what contributes to what. That embarrassment falls on a head coach. 5 yard slant passes shouldn’t be 70 yard TDs. That’s a schematic failure. His defensive approach was basically a golden set up for Matiota to have his best week of the season and it was his first start in the NFL LOL
July 15th, 2016 at 9:31 am
Why does anyone bother with BigHog’s Loviefest anymore?
July 15th, 2016 at 9:56 am
That’s a helluva point.
July 15th, 2016 at 9:58 am
Nothing like a sinking feeling right out the gate. Looking back that game was comical and brought back memories of yesteryear Bucs futility. Also embarrassing as hell that the team was so unprepared. That can’t happen again and I don’t expect it will this year. Go Bucs!
July 15th, 2016 at 10:05 am
@ LordC: not astronomically better, maybe better prepared, maybe it was a any given Sunday type thing, maybe Tenn didn’t play well, Buc 1987: Good morning to ya.
July 15th, 2016 at 11:26 am
one game at a time, that will define your season.”
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Why does this sound so familiar? Almost like we had another coach with the same mentality. Hmm
July 15th, 2016 at 11:50 am
Talk will get nothing done. You gotta win in this league. You can bring in Jesus Christ as a coach. But the players have to get it done. I will contimue to be critical of my Tampa Bay Bucs..until they win. Then? I will shut up and join the bandwagon. No wins? No respect. This franchise has been the laughing stock of the NFl for quite some time. You guys can ohh and ahh about whats said all you like..But performance will determine this season. I want to hear NO..excuses. Get her done!
July 15th, 2016 at 11:58 am
It’s all about details.
We can keep arguing that Lovie did not prepare his team, that’s fair, but he didn’t get any help from his players either. “Play-makers” make plays. Did we see any play-makers make plays on defense? Um, no.
Like Defense, I will be glad when we can put this team’s past where it belongs, in the past. Meanwhile, lets not get ahead of ourselves here. This team has not won a single game yet. I’m hopeful that we’ll be better, but nothing has been proven yet.
July 15th, 2016 at 12:09 pm
Did we see any play-makers make plays on defense? Um, no.
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Uhm LVD didn’t get ranked #53 in the league bc of his beautiful smile. Dude put together a nasty highlight reel.
“That’s 62 more than famed HOF Derrick Brooks had in his first four years”
I’ll post the link separately just in case it don’t go thru. “LaVonte David top 100”.
July 15th, 2016 at 12:10 pm
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-top100-2016/0ap3000000666122/Top-100-Players-of-2016-No-53-Lavonte-David
July 15th, 2016 at 12:32 pm
@DB55- We know, specifically, that our DBs, for whatever reason, couldn’t stop a slant pass and probably cost us more games than I choose to count. I should have been more specific in directing my comment.
We know that LVD is a great player, no doubt. How many games did he change with his play alone?
LVD struggled last year out of the gate. I don’t pin the atrocious play on any one player alone but he was not the play-maker we have come to expect.
Out of fairness, Brooks’ contributions went well beyond statistics. It is not fair nor applicable to compare the two. The similarities end at playing the same position. IMO
July 15th, 2016 at 12:50 pm
Bucsfanman
A couple thangs real quick. First I suspect Brooks had less tackles in 4 years bc he had a real 3 tech in front of him who made more than 2 tackles a game, but I digress. (Lol, I really just can’t help myself)
Ironically, the slants were the responsibility of LVD and Kwon in Lovies brilliant system. You can actually see LVD get beat on slants often to my dismay.
Nevertheless to your point we definitely need more playmakers on both sides of the ball.
July 15th, 2016 at 12:52 pm
Awaiting moderation – not sure why.
July 15th, 2016 at 1:11 pm
In the meantime, thank you for posting the link. I always enjoy watching him play.
July 15th, 2016 at 1:24 pm
Awaiting moderation – not sure why. Me too.
July 15th, 2016 at 1:44 pm
@DB55- While we wait for yours, my argument against comparisons is for the same reasons that GMC and Sapp are always compared. They are NOT the same.
Last year’s D was horrendous. There might have been individual efforts that stood out more than others but, compared to what? Know what I mean? I still believe that coaching only goes so far. Players have to make the plays on the field.
July 15th, 2016 at 1:44 pm
That first game in 2015 was a huge sucker punch to the gut.
July 15th, 2016 at 2:00 pm
Not so much comparing my two favorite players. That was just a quote from the video which I think supports the fact that LVD is and always has been a playmaker.
I actually made the compassion between Sapp n rainbow dash in the comment that is being moderated. Lol
First I suspect Brooks had less tackles in 4 years bc he had a real 3 tech in front of him who made more than 2 tackles a game, but I digress. (Lol, I really just can’t help myself)
July 15th, 2016 at 2:01 pm
Bucs fan
I’m on lock down. Comments being moderated. Another time I guess.
July 15th, 2016 at 2:49 pm
No worries! We’re on the same page. We need play-makers on both sides of the ball that’s the bottom line. Better coaching should help.
July 15th, 2016 at 3:07 pm
I meant a better scheme but take it how you want, either way. We’ll see.
July 15th, 2016 at 5:10 pm
Every company, cooperation, team..has to have a scapegoat. The Bucs media and some selected fans made ours Lovie Smith. Not once, have I heard the accusers blame the players. Not once. Our Defense played well in about 5 games last year. In those games, they looked like giant killers. That showed me then it was the players not being consistent. So I can’t wait to see what this new regime is going to produce. Everybody here is saying they are the real deal without one single game being played. This new regime can do no wrong at their current status of 16-0. They had better keep it that way. After all a lot of you here think they are the..2nd coming. Of what..I don’t know yet.
July 16th, 2016 at 7:42 pm
Am Joe..You can’t let Lovie go huh? Well, you will when we start losing. Or perhaps you will continue to find a nexus between us losing and Lovie despite the coaching change. Funny how you or your same posters have never blamed the players. Starting to place you in the same category as tmaxcon and Buc Realist.
Bash on!