Did “The Lights” Change The Game?
September 18th, 2016
Mike Evans explains.
The NFL game is a wild place. Little things can make a massive difference.
Take the Buccaneers’ first turnover.
Tampa Bay was driving on its opening possession, moving the ball from their 17 yard line to the Cardinals’ 49. Then came the deep shot to Mike Evans in the end zone. It was a well thrown ball, and a 50-50 kind of ball. But Evans had the size and athletic advantage on cornerback Patrick Peterson.
Evans didn’t make his usual A+ effort on the ball and didn’t adjust well. It went over his head and Peterson picked it off and returned it to the 25 yard line.
So what happened, Mike?
“I lost it a little bit in the lights and then he was on my back and I couldn’t get to it. He made a great play,” Evans told Joe in the locker room.
If Evans sees the ball well, then maybe he makes the catch or at least there’s an incompletion and the drive stays alive.
Yeah, the Bucs got rolled big time, but sometimes an early big play can set a tone and change the game.
Maybe that happened here. Maybe it didn’t.
September 18th, 2016 at 8:19 pm
What happened was a BEATDOWN..period..exclamation! And to further smashmouth us in the face, they gave us a multiplicity of injuries to bring back to Tampa Bay. I told all of you the cardinals were good. Now you see it. And while I’m at it, Shame on Koetter for leaving Jameis in the game to be tied to the whipping post at games end. He should have taken him out at the 8 or 9 min mark. The game was well out of hand. There is always next Sunday Buckaroos…RAMS comin to town. And although we can win that game, it will not be easy at all.
September 18th, 2016 at 8:20 pm
I had already posted to the folks blaming ME’s lack of effort for that Int that it appeared he lost the ball in flight. There really can be no other explanation.
Which one of you has the nads to tell ME to his face that he dogged that play.
Which one of you can come up with a plausible explanation as to why one of our most fierce competitors would quit.
@JOE
I saw in the official stats that the Cards had more than a 1,000 over capacity crammed in there. Did the noise have any impact?
September 18th, 2016 at 8:21 pm
Mike Evans tries to catch with his body, not his hands. And he doesnt jump.
Winston looked like complete crap. Over threw everything all day.
Mike Smiths defense is soft. My suspicions with his signing proved to be correct today. I didnt see our guys jam the receivers at the line at all tonigjt.
There is a reason Atlanta almost went to the super bowl and that reason is dirk koetter.
There is also a reason they never made it and both got fired. Mike Smith.
If this continues which I believe it will, I expect Jay Hayes to get a shot at our DC job next season.
September 18th, 2016 at 8:24 pm
We tried to make a statement early in the game. Can’t fault Dirk for going “Marvin Lewis” or even “Bruce Arians” in that teams should open things up more to exploit their opponent.
September 18th, 2016 at 8:28 pm
Evs shoulda had that… or at least made a play for it.
As a WR, that Ball better be Brighter Than God to you.
But Evs let up… it was a jumpball, he coulda had it…
September 18th, 2016 at 8:29 pm
Definitely not mad @ the deep shot. I am mad that we were playing off coverage most of the time. Bright side is Spence got his first sack.
September 18th, 2016 at 8:33 pm
Not too many Patrick Peterson’s in this world. I don’t blame Mike for anything today. He was being double covered by two of the best DB’s in the game, Honey Badger and Peterson. It’s too bad we don’t have any other receivers that can make the defense pay for doing that.
Inexplicably ASJ was not getting many looks. Go figure.
September 18th, 2016 at 8:47 pm
Hickerbilly we both see the same.problem.
The league permits the defender to make contact with the receiver within firve yards of the line of scrimage. For a coach to never take advantage of this blows my mind.
I hope Dirk is smart enough to recognize this as problem.
My second biggest problem is our receivers cant get open. Eric decker and brandon marshall are not that fast yet they can get open. I knew this team was still cursed.
September 18th, 2016 at 8:56 pm
i hear that there are extremely reflective qualities in KY. It had to be the KY.
September 18th, 2016 at 9:03 pm
Kevin
I knew this team was still cursed.
Posting that after just two games both on the road..one against a top five team and sporting a 1-1 record defines YOU not the Bucs.
You are by definition a freaking QUITTER Nobody likes a quitter so be careful and don’t bust your asss jumping off the bandwagon.
September 18th, 2016 at 9:05 pm
both passes that went incomplete in endzone in the last two weeks would have been uncontested if thrown to the back shoulder.But the play did seem to deflate Winston.
September 18th, 2016 at 9:10 pm
Whoa whoa whoa…..quitter?
I have been a fan through the crap for all yhese years just like everyone else. Im calling it like I see it. I will be chearing on this team every week every season no matter what. But when the defense plays so soft everyone on the opposing team van get open at will I have a problem with that.
It happened in atlanta, now its happening here. Mike Smith is a problem. If you dont see that your blind.
September 18th, 2016 at 9:46 pm
VH3 clearly and assertively said he was a MAN PRESS corner. And we were playing a lot of OFF ZONE. In case u didn’t know that is the COMPLETE OPPOSITE of what he says his strength is.
September 18th, 2016 at 9:49 pm
14 games to play, 8 more games to win!
September 18th, 2016 at 10:20 pm
While the games was ugly let’s have some perspective. The Cards are in the class of teams we hope to get to, we aren’t there yet. They capitalized on every mistake like good teams do. We dropped a easy pick. Missed a fg, stripped our own Qb, had a missed catch tip pick 6. Lost 22 for the game. Winston was off all game with his accuracy. Basically we played a bad game even by Cleveland browns standards. Against a much better team, that we really needed to play perfectly against to have s chance to win. There loss was ugly, but it’s 1 loss and let’s face it no one looked at the schedule and penciled in a W for this one. It gives there coaches done good tape to coach up the players, hopefully 22’s injury is minor. Get better boys and go get there next one.
September 18th, 2016 at 10:30 pm
Savage Mike was the least of the YUCS’ problems
September 19th, 2016 at 10:31 am
The lights – really? This is the kind of thing when I agree with those who say these pro athletes are a bunch of pampered prima donnas. From the owners, to the management, to the trainers, to the coaches, to the guys selling Cokes in the stands, everyone tries to make everything too perfect for these guys.
An excuse about the lights, by any high school and most college players, would at best merit a “you have to learn to adjust son,” a more stern “take a seat, stop whining and take a lap” or, at worst, something that shouldn’t be repeated here. Football is as much about overcoming adversity as it is about athletic talent and sometimes the lights won’t be just right Goldilocks.
Maybe it’s time for Dirk to find some old cow pasture for these guys to practice in, make them wear their uniforms on the bus to and from One Buc and schedule practice for late in the afternoon so that as it gets dark they round up a bunch of old cars to shine their headlights on the field.
Before the Bucs can become consistent winners, they need to learn to adapt, overcome and improvise. It seems the Patriots manage to get it done week in and week out and hopefully the Bucs are taking notes.
September 19th, 2016 at 11:14 am
I don’t buy the “lights” excuse either… at least not fully.
Watching the replay, you can clearly see Mike slow down on the route. For what reason? I can’t say. But him slowing down is NOT debatable.
Had he kept up his speed, he would’ve been in the position that PP was in where the ball was placed.
Oh well. The sky is not falling, guys. It was one game against a top NFC contender that most thought to be fighting for a Superbowl this year. What this game showed me was that we can beat teams that we are supposed to beat, but are not yet in the position to beat teams that we are not supposed to beat.
Will we get there? Of course. Rome wasn’t built in a year and Superbowl teams aren’t built in an offseason.