On-Field Discipline Returned
December 30th, 2016
Mr. Clean
The head butt, roundhouse right and zebra-berating aside, Dirk Koetter and Mike Smith did one hell of a cleanup job on the Buccaneers this season.
Bravo!
The Bucs flirted with the NFL single-season record for penalties last season under Lovie Smith, on the heels of a sloppy 2014 season. The Bucs racked up 143 flags accepted last year and 118 in 2014.
Those mistakes were far too much — far too often — for a team lacking weapons to overcome.
Through 15 games of this season, the Bucs have 104 penalties. Only 18 NFL teams are better. Joe hasn’t seen a cleanup job this good since Team Glazer brought in the hazmat suits to get MRSA out of the locker room.
Koetter and Smith, known as a clean-football guru, made smarter play a focus and it worked, assuming the Bucs don’t play super stupid on Sunday against Carolina.
Koetter has said the Bucs’ goal for every game is six or fewer penalties, aka 96 maximum for the season. So there’s real room for improvement, but Joe has to applaud the step taken.
Robert Ayers talked about penalties a bit on the Buccaneers Radio Network this week and how he’s been teaching young linemen about understanding snap counts and hard counts, NFL basics.
“I take pride. I had one offsides all season, and I think last year I didn’t have any,” Ayers said.
December 30th, 2016 at 12:02 pm
Gotta get Demar Dotson and Donovan Smith to clean up a little here and there, but overall, they did do a great job limiting penalties. I think it’s a big reason why we won more games.
December 30th, 2016 at 12:08 pm
Yeah and we had 2 off field suspensions.
December 30th, 2016 at 12:11 pm
Super please with reducing the penalties. However, we had about 3 or 4 Ill timed penalties that probably cost us a few games. The Dallas headbutt changes a lot of things. Who knows what happens if we get 7 instead of 3.
The raiders PI call, just to name a cpl
Coaches have done a great job but the maturity post from earlier does raise an eye brow. Hopefully mike smith stays
How does someone feel about writing an open letter to Mike expressing our desire for him to stay in town and show loayalty to dirk and the Bucs. Maybe the glazers would pay a bit more if they knew how strongly some of the fans felt about smith since they have showed they pay attention to the pulse of the fans.
May be a bit phony. It could be the fridge cleanse I’m doing right now but who knows
December 30th, 2016 at 12:20 pm
J0E says
“Only 18 NFL teams are better.”
I’m sorry, but am I the only one who doesn’t think that is good enough? I’m glad things have improved, but it seems to me if more than 9 teams are better, more work has to be done.
December 30th, 2016 at 12:23 pm
Shadow man Says
“…could be the fridge cleanse I’m doing right now…”
Well, crap. You just reminded me I need to do the same AND defrost our big freezer. And scrub the bathrooms.
Post Christmas housework sucks.
December 30th, 2016 at 12:27 pm
@Bonzai, certainly should not be the standard but i think we’ve spent the majority of the last 6 or so years in the bottom 3. there’s not an area of this team at this point that doesn’t have tons of room for improvement this offseason
December 30th, 2016 at 12:41 pm
Bonzai I was meaning that I’m drinking all the left over beers or wine that’s in my fridge. And I may get into a mess with this salsa that was hiding in the back. Not expired praise Jesus
December 30th, 2016 at 1:12 pm
That one penalty by Jude against the Raiders really outweigh all of the rest. If he don’t make the penalty, the game is over.I’m glad the penalty wasn’t on GMC, we would still be hearing about it.
December 30th, 2016 at 2:07 pm
It’s getting better but still needs work. They really need those drive killing penalties to disappear, especially late in games or the half.
December 30th, 2016 at 2:26 pm
Penalties at the worst of times still haunt this team. BUT….. like the record things are improving. More improvement needed but the improvement has not gone unnoticed.
December 30th, 2016 at 3:16 pm
I agree with Buc Bonzai with 18 teams doing better that means we are still at the bottom. Not nearly good enough. Do I expect perfection?? Well no of course not but for spending over $2500 per year plus parking refreshments etc yeah I expect more!
December 30th, 2016 at 3:19 pm
There is no question we have cleananed up our defensive penalties considerably. I can’t remember the last time we had an illegal contact called on us……very few personal fouls & pass interference.
Offense is still somewhat sloppy but improving.
December 30th, 2016 at 3:42 pm
Ha, ha, ha, different year different number of penalties, I just don’t see the so called improvement, lay it on the line and get that #9!
December 30th, 2016 at 4:15 pm
Still a few dumb/game changing penalties here and there but improvement is what we wanted and I am glad to see it.
December 30th, 2016 at 5:48 pm
Buc believer Says:
“Do I expect perfection?? Well no of course not but for spending over $2500 per year plus parking refreshments etc yeah I expect more!”
Lucky you. I had tickets in 2013 and they mustered 4 wins.
You should be happy!
December 30th, 2016 at 5:51 pm
Everybody sees improvement but BigHog…
Then again we all know why he doesn’t.
December 30th, 2016 at 7:11 pm
Again, Bucs laid an egg for last four games last year. Most of them are same players. We’ll see Sunday. More of the same? Or do they come to play? I’m already dealing with a top RB suspension for drug use as a season ticket holder. Did I get a discount? No. Does Doug get his full season? Yes. Sunday. Let’s see who comes to play.
December 30th, 2016 at 10:32 pm
Buc 1987 I have been a season ticket holder since 1998 and I am REALLY tired of all these false stats, stats are for losers. The only thing that counts is wins and championships which we are sorely lacking here.