Paying DJax Smart
May 24th, 2017
DeSean Jackson makes Dirk Koetter smile.
Scaring defensive backs.
In so many words, that’s what winning Bucs coach Dirk Koetter wants from DeSean Jackson, at the very least.
It is why the Bucs opened Team Glazer’s vault for Jackson and it was a smart move, types prickly Pete Prisco of CBS Sports, who was patrolling One Buc Palace yesterday and taking notes.
“You have to be able to either run the ball or you have to throw it to the other side,” Koetter said of the offensive woes of the Bucs in 2016. “Last year, we couldn’t do either. You have to be able to win over there [on the other side of the field from Evans].
“We say a 16-yard pass is an explosive play. DeSean’s career average is 17.7 — or an explosive play every time. He and Mike will complement each other very well.”
The amazing stat of the day came from Koetter: Tampa Bay was the only NFL team that didn’t have a pass play of 50 yards or longer last season. Jackson had four by himself. That’s why giving Jackson a three-year, $33 million deal made sense for the Bucs, even if he has just four touchdowns in each of the past two seasons. Being able to stretch the field, or the mere threat of it, will make Winston a better quarterback.
Prisco also pointed out something very interesting for the folks who prattle about the offensive line: Because defenses had no fear of a bomb being completed to any receiver other than the one who wore No. 13, defenses often played with a safety in the box for run support.
With Jackson on the other side of the field from Evans, that ish won’t happen any longer.
May 24th, 2017 at 9:06 am
“Because defenses had no fear of a bomb being completed to any receiver other than the one who wore No. 13, defenses often played with a safety in the box for run support.”
Hmm maybe this fact coupled with a persistent lower body injury helped contribute to Doug Martins poor performance.
May 24th, 2017 at 9:09 am
Throw in the fact that in several games, with guys off the street playing in the offense, they had to scale back the playbook and could not audible into “better” plays!!!!! It was amazing that they moved the ball at all!!!!!! Thank goodness that Coach Smitty and the defense really stepped up!!!! After coaching the lovie out of them, the defense really carried this team last year!!!!!!!!
Go Bucs!!!!!!!!!!
May 24th, 2017 at 9:13 am
blake bucsfan
Exactly
May 24th, 2017 at 9:21 am
“persistent lower body injury”
@Blake….Consistent, persistent body injuries…and drugs is the icing on the cake.
I blame DM as the sole reason they missed the playoffs….
I’ll never count on DM EVER again. That’s IF he’s still here in October…
Inconsistency is Martin’s main problem. Will good DM show up? We don’t know and that’s a problem….or we can just keep repeating the 7-10 excuses we have for him every day. The blocking, no WR’s, injuries, scheme, drugs etc.
I have no qualms over throwing my DM jersey in the TRASH!
May 24th, 2017 at 9:26 am
@Buc1987
What do you mean that you can’t count on an injury-prone, drug addict, former benched starter, that also is getting close 30??????
May 24th, 2017 at 9:41 am
@1987
I blame us missing the Playoffs on Jude Adjei-Barimah and Gosder Cherilus.
Pretty simple really, Jude committed a bone head penalty on 4th down that gave away the win against Oakland.
And Gosder Cherilus killed all of our momentum against Dallas right as we were surging back into the game. And was directly responsible for killing 3 straight drives, getting ragdolled by a nothing player.
Yeah, Doug has had his problems with injury, and he was a major let down last season.
But the simple facts of the matter are the Doug is still the most physically talented and most proven back on this roster. And we were 6-1 with him as our starter last season.
May 24th, 2017 at 9:41 am
…*that* Doug…
May 24th, 2017 at 9:45 am
I don’t get the Doug kept us out of the playoffs talk. Quiz still had a 4.2 rushing average in the saints game. Defense lost us that one.
I get the hate but doug will be back and he will ball.
May 24th, 2017 at 9:45 am
One can point directly at the Rams and Raiders home losses as the main reasons why we didn’t make the playoffs. Yes some guys contributed bad plays that cost us but overall, the team didn’t play well enough to win two VERY winnable home games.
May 24th, 2017 at 9:48 am
I can’t place blame on a young team for losing 2 road games in December against the best record in NFL (DAL) and also Drew Brees as those losses wouldn’t have hurt as bad if they would’ve won the LA and Oak games at home.
May 24th, 2017 at 10:01 am
One of the reasons we had no 50 yd passes is because Jameis wasn’t able to throw the bomb…..I hate to be the bearer of bad news here….It wasn’t just our receivers. It was Jameis…..now I hope he improves with that.
But…here’s a news flash!!!!……>With receivers like DJax….a 15 yard pass can become 50…..so, Jameis doesn’t need to be thinking bomb….simply completion.
May 24th, 2017 at 10:01 am
@87- I have to disagree with you on DM being the “sole” reason we missed the playoffs. I could agree with ‘part’ of the reason, but not the ‘sole’ reason.
It’s cliche but football is a TEAM game.
Are we blaming Doug for the ineptitude of the defense through 6-8 weeks? Jameis turning the ball over? ME being the only WR on the roster producing?
The “excuses” are legit. Just say you don’t like him. It’s better than heaping all the responsibility on a guy who has NEVER been consistent in the first place.
May 24th, 2017 at 10:03 am
Exactly Realist.
Eric..I just feel if 2015 DM was there last season. The entire season. Then they make the playoffs. Rodgers might not even be here if not for Martin’s BS. If Rodgers is so good after sitting on his couch than I see no need to keep Martin.
Blake…Cherlious was a YUGE problem. Dotson to me… has always been a problem too. Seeing how DM is going to be back to form. Maybe let’s just send Rodgers back to the couch. Wait… he was running harder than Doug….even though he’s clearly not the best back on the roster?
Right now I’d trust a helping hand from Satan, over Doug Martin.
May 24th, 2017 at 10:04 am
To break it down more simply. We missed the playoffs due to one 4th down defensive penalty in the end zone versus the Raiders. I was at that game and it was a real kick in the nuts. Then we just got our emotions screwed with when Janikowski missed the FG’s giving us a sense of hope and redemption from the questionable penalty that cost us eventually.
May 24th, 2017 at 10:15 am
Bucsfanman…correct it is a team game.
The running game plays a big role on a team. If someone is DRUGGED up (yeah we really don’t know what drugs they were) then said drug might make them run a little less harder.
I saw DM go down in 2013 with injury. I saw guys like Mike James step in and run harder than Doug Martin, behind what was said to be a crappy O-line, as the excuse back then. We all saw it. Saw it with Rodgers last season too!!!!!!
You don’t know what Doug Martin you’re going to get, but we are sure the excuses will continue to flow. EF Doug Martin!!!
May 24th, 2017 at 10:18 am
@1987
Was Quizz really running that much harder than Doug Martin?
He had a good year, and he helped us a lot vs Carolina and SF.
Keep in mind that Doug Martin was the 2nd leading rusher in 2015, so damn near ever time he was handed the ball he was rushing into a stacked box.
I’m not so sure that Rodgers was.
I say this, because even though Quizz out produced 22 by about 140 yards, Doug still lead the team in yards after contact.
That tells me Quizz was getting a lot more room and a lot less attention from defenses. And even then, when opposing teams started to account for him, he got a less production, and a lot more banged up.
So maybe don’t be so quick to act as if the current state of the running back depth chart is set in stone based on last seasons stats. Also dude, feel free to speak in hyperbole all you, just maybe don’t jump straight to the devil dude lol.
May 24th, 2017 at 10:20 am
…*all you like*…
May 24th, 2017 at 10:24 am
Is that a good excuse? When Martin goes down other backs come in and run harder than he was before injury. Explain that.
I have his jersey. The hundred dollar one. I want the Bucs to win every game. With the firepower they have now 2015 DM just might allow that to happen.
I’m just being realistic. I think he’s gone. If he’s not, then they might have 2015 DM back, but if I can’t trust him. I’m sure the guy’s paying him certainly can’t trust him. Then again it’s the Glazers, they love to spend daddy’s money on nothing.
I root for the Bucs. So I’m rooting for Doug to help make the Bucs great. But EF em.
May 24th, 2017 at 10:32 am
Well that could be true about doug being in all season but let’s be real, we were not going to do work in the playoffs, anyway. Our defense struggled a little more down the stretch and our offense would not hang in the playoffs. We may have beat seattle, but we would have gotten wrecked by green bays offense and Atlanta would have repeated TNF. No way in hell would we have beat the pats in the superbowl, if we had gotten that far.
Butterfly effect. We landed the #19 pick and selected OJ. This guy is going to change the game for us. No way he would have been there past that point. So a little glimmer of optimism in how the season ended.
This year we can make a real run and I anticipate doug to be right there with us.
May 24th, 2017 at 10:33 am
Blake…yes he ran harder, but you’re a stats guy and I’m an “eyes guy”. I saw a harder effort. Oh well, we could go on all day apparently over this schlep. Better throw playcalling out there as an excuse too…I forgot about that one.
Mike James ran harder in Doug’s absence. Bobby Rainey too. Even the dancing machine Sims ran harder in DM’s absence. This did happen. I did read the excuses on this site while Doug was not injured. It was always the o-line’s fault. Then Rainey put’s up a buck thirty after Martin goes down.
May 24th, 2017 at 10:35 am
Alrighty I’m out for now. Fun debate though.
May 24th, 2017 at 10:35 am
@JTHV,
I only half agree with that. Didn’t get to see the Rams game, but you have to give the team credit for the effort against the Raiders. Yes we could have and i believe should have won that game, but Carr and the Raiders were on fire around that time and i was sure where our team was, but didn’t they take it to overtime? i don’t exactly call that not playing well enough!!
May 24th, 2017 at 10:37 am
I think you’re just salty because he got injured after you bought his Jersey.
You have to realize that Doug Martin is loved by Dirk Koetter. If it weren’t for how damn good Martin was in 2015, Dirk might not even be our HC.
You can bet that if Doug is healthy, and looks good in preseason, he will be coming back week 4.
May 24th, 2017 at 10:41 am
I was preaching that for months.
There is a reason the Bucs didn’t go for a RB in FA, or draft one high: they know where the running game problems were.
It’s also an amazing, unsung tribute to Winston, Evans, Humphries and Brate to make the passing game what it was.
May 24th, 2017 at 10:45 am
2017 defenses we will face will have both Safeties playing 20 yards deep and away from the LOS ….
We should have wide open holes underneath we can exploit with the pass and run
Kobe still little worried about 3rd and short.
May 24th, 2017 at 11:00 am
I’m not making excuses for him 87. It is what it is. Missing the playoffs last year went well beyond the lack of a run-game IMO.
You’re clearly raw over the subject and you’re more than entitled to be. I just have a different opinion regarding how we missed the playoffs.
May 24th, 2017 at 11:14 am
Come on man, this O-Line stunk from day one. It wasn’t until week 5 before we had a 100 yards rushing game as a TEAM. And we was 1-3 in those games, 330 yards rushing in 4 games.
May 24th, 2017 at 11:16 am
http://www.footballoutsiders.com/stats/ol
May 24th, 2017 at 11:22 am
@LakeLand- This conversation gets GMC-like sometimes in defining the real “issues”. I can’t disagree more with any assessment that lays blame at the feet of one player for any of our woes.
May 24th, 2017 at 11:33 am
(2017) Running Back By Committee
PB Jacquizz Rodgers | Peyton Barber
SB Charles Simms | Jeremy McNichols
*Doug Martin – 3 Game Suspension
May 24th, 2017 at 11:42 am
@LUV- There’s no choice, is there. I don’t dislike our “committee”. I think it can be effective if used properly.
May 24th, 2017 at 12:03 pm
@Bucsfanman
No choice at all brotha.
Like U, I’m just hoping for the best.
May 24th, 2017 at 12:26 pm
I’m worried about Drug Martin regardless of Drugs. He’s just not a great back
4.1 YPC average his rookie year when you take out the Oakland game.
4.5 YPC average his other “good” year when you take out the Giants game.
Under 70 yards in 14 of the 32 games in that span (or about half). Over 90 yards in 12 of those 32 games (our about 1/3). That’s him at his absolute best.
Never productive in the red zone or as a reliable short yardage back. Never productive as a receiver. Never a big play guy who scores long TDs. Not the best pass pro back.
In his good seasons he was a solid top 16ish type back based on the eye test; but you can’t just look at his total rushing yards and call him an elite back. He’s never been an elite back. Elite backs don’t have subpar performances literally 50% of the time during their BEST seasons.
May 24th, 2017 at 12:29 pm
Yes the passing game is going to help the running game and our OL.
But I’m starting to get pretty excited about our OL potential. Admittedly it was just the first day of underwear touch football but it was GREAT to see Sweezy out there!
If Sweezy is healthy…he…Marpet and Pamphile have a chance to have one of the top interior three lineman groupings in the NFL!!! These guys are all three mean and large and play with “enthusiasm”.
I think D Smith is competent and in his third year is ready to hold the fort at LT…he may not be the road grader that the middle three are but as long as he protects #3’s backside we can always run it somewhere else.
So now we need an RT and if Benenoch can just pull a Pamphile and blossom just in time to start…we could truly be golden at OL.
May 24th, 2017 at 12:38 pm
@Stpetebucsfan
Just wait until you see the checkdowns and screen/dump passes go for big yards because defense are so worried about ME13, DJ11 and maybe OJ!!!!!!!!!!! There is a reason why they want a certain types of RB and it is not to pound it up the middle all game long!!!!!!!
May 24th, 2017 at 12:51 pm
4.1 and 4.5 averages are still very good, even with u taking out his best games. You get 4 yards per carry then you’re getting a 1st down every 3 run plays.
May 24th, 2017 at 1:04 pm
ya I thought the same thing. 4.1 and 4.5 is good lol
May 24th, 2017 at 1:04 pm
Why dwell on the past? Blaming individual players in a team sport is wrong. If if if all revisionist history. The future is bright 😎
May 24th, 2017 at 1:45 pm
@BigMacAttack … “Why dwell on the past?” Thank you, thank you, thank you. Joe wrote a very positive article that should’ve gotten everyone excited about our POTENTIAL to improve the running game as well as the passing game because of the weapons Jameis now has at his disposal. And just about all the comments have focused on last year: Woe is us, we missed the playoffs because of Dougie. Woe is us, our only decent WR was Mike Evans. Woe is us, Cherilus & Dotson stunk up the OLine. Here’s a thought … Get over it; it’s a new season and lots has changed. Bucs still have a lot of work to do, obviously.
Our OLine ‘should’ be better than last year. May take some time to gel, but the POTENTIAL for improvement is there. Our passing game ‘should’ be better than last year. Just look at 4 new weapons that we’ve added: DJax, OJ, Godwin & McNichols, all with excellent speed & big-play potential. Our running game ‘should’ also be better (what I took as the gist of Joe’s article). We should see better blocking & also see the defenses spread out a lot more as a result of our added speed. Right now it’s all just POTENTIAL with lots of ‘shoulds’ in there, but this coaching staff will bring it all together. The good gnus is exactly as BigMac stated it: “The future is bright.”
May 24th, 2017 at 1:58 pm
Defense Rules, there will be always be negative remarks about CERTAIN players on the Bucs roster.
May 24th, 2017 at 2:15 pm
4.1 YPC is nothing to be that happy about for a 1st round pick #1 RB. 17 teams averaged more than that last year- and that’s the entire RB stables not just their #1s…
4.5 YPC is solid. 2015 was definitely his best year. But even in his best year he still had a lot of bad games and wasn’t consistent week to week.. which isn’t something you’d say about an elite back.
May 24th, 2017 at 2:28 pm
Not sure what you remember or were watching Lord C – but DM was absolutely one of the best RBs in football just 1 1/2 years ago. He ran hard every play from July>Dec and broke tons of tackles all year long. There were games where he wasn’t as effective or didn’t get big yardage because we didn’t have enough receiving talent after VJax went down and opposing teams were stacking the box a lot – but there was not much about Doug Martin’s 2015 season to criticize frankly.
If THAT guy shows up this year and stays healthy – you’re damn right we want him on this team.
May 24th, 2017 at 5:42 pm
^ Exactly. He was making chicken salad out of chicken sh!t through out a lot of 2015. The run blocking wasn’t that much better vs last year to be honest.
When Martin is hungry and healthy, he is a beast. I think you could get 1 very productive year out of him this year, and then Let him go elsewhere. Unless McNichols has an amazing preseason / weeks 1-3, I’m guessing DM is still the most talented back we have.
We shall see! Exciting times Bucs fans
May 24th, 2017 at 6:26 pm
@Pickgrin – he was great in 2015. I agree. I owned him in multiple fantasy leagues that year since I knew he was looking good in off season/TC. But I just never have thought he was an elite back even at his best. He was still a bit inconsistent that season compared to most elite backs… 8 games that year with 3.8 YPC or worse; 5 at 3.3 YPC or worse. That is worse than average 50% of the time and pretty bad 1/3 of the time.
For comparison – Jordan Howard only had 3 total games he was held under 4 YPC. That was on a bad offense with no other weapons and no QB. And if you go check the game logs you’ll see he wasn’t making these plays in garbage time – I’ve already had that debate with someone and researched it.
Doug is not and has never been on the level of guys like Leveon Bell / Adrian Peterson / Jamaal Charles / Lesean McCoy / Marshawn Lynch / Arian Foster / David Johnson / Frank Gore imo. Even the next group of backs I think of – Lamar Miller / Mark Ingram / Devonte Freeman have been more consistent in their careers and in-season. Melvin Gordon / Todd Gurley / Zeke Elliot / Jordan Howard all look to have brighter futures and careers as well.
Another bleh Mark Dominic pick in the end for a 1st rounder on a RB. Running out of guys we can even point to as solid picks at this point lol.
May 24th, 2017 at 10:51 pm
Martin thru his inconsistencies and injuries has been the best back we’ve had since the days of WD40. It’s too bad since his rookie season he has now become brittle. He is better healthy than all the backs on the roster. None have 1400 yard seasons nor two 250 yard games on their resume. Doug has proven what he can do when given a decent crease and one of the best in the league at making initial guys miss and yards after contact. You guys nitpick every little aspect of his game to prove you’re right but when it comes down to it he is a good back who’s gotten crushed behind bad lines. Even in his good years he had to deal with defenders in the backfield. I wish you nitpickers would draft or put up the money for a better back.