Players Didn’t Seem To Want Neutral Site
September 6th, 2017
Talks bye week.
Easily, the subject of the day, and maybe the season with the Bucs, is the forfeiture of a bye week thanks to Hurricane Irma bearing down on the state of Florida.
No one wanted this outcome. But it seems the mood mostly around One Buc Palace is that the Bucs didn’t want to play a neutral site game to avoid Sunday’s cancellation.
Pittsburgh and Philadelphia were reportedly available to host the game between the Bucs and the Dolphins. It seems the players wanted no part of that. Joe will have more on this later but, for example, America’s Quarterback, Pro Bowler Jameis Winston, preferred losing the bye versus playing in the Keystone State.
“I can’t imagine leaving my family behind,” Jameis said of playing out of state while his family had to hunker down and prepare for the wrath of Irma.
Demar Dotson, a native of Louisiana and no stranger to hurricanes himself, had the same mindset but in a different way. His first thoughts were of the Dolphins.
“How could we ask them to be separated from their families?” Dotson asked when Joe spoke to him about playing a neutral site game. Dotson added rescheduling the game to Nov. 19 was the only “smart” option the NFL had.
Of course, South Florida is still in the crosshairs of Irma’s path.
Dirk Koetter would have none of the talk about losing a bye week. This from a coach who is all about player safety. Koetter noted that lives are in peril and that takes priority over football or even losing a bye.
“Look at Houston,” Koetter said, referring to how the region of one of the largest cities in America was  underwater (and in large parts still is) thanks to Hurricane Harvey.
September 6th, 2017 at 3:06 pm
Unless we get a #1 or #2 seed we won’t have a bye week until after the NFC championship game…
September 6th, 2017 at 3:08 pm
@Dewey – What do you mean unless? 😉
September 6th, 2017 at 3:08 pm
So players didn’t want to travel more than they didn’t want to lose a bye week.
So there people, stop complaining about the bye week which the team normally has in week 5 anyways and which means nothing. If you want a bye week then go win a top 2 NFC playoff spot, then you’ll get your bye week.
September 6th, 2017 at 3:11 pm
USMC – what do you say about having players leave their families now?
September 6th, 2017 at 3:14 pm
There you go Crybabies…….Lord Jameis said it was OK.
Thank God!
September 6th, 2017 at 3:15 pm
theodore. at least I got us in the playoffs. lol
September 6th, 2017 at 3:27 pm
What are the upsides of this? We’ll be more healthy and rested going into week 2 right? Also more prep time for the Bears. Make some lemonade Bucs!
September 6th, 2017 at 3:34 pm
The Lord has spoken.
GO BUCS!
September 6th, 2017 at 3:37 pm
Thursday night double header
September 6th, 2017 at 3:41 pm
The perfect ending to this story would be for the Bucs to play the Dolphins in the Superbowl….
Could the brand it as “The Hurricane Bowl” or “Irma Bowl”.
September 6th, 2017 at 3:51 pm
Exactly DB, Thursday night game in Miami was the perfect answer.
But WTF do we know?
September 6th, 2017 at 4:04 pm
Remember in 1992, the Dolphins lost their 1st week to Hurricane Andrew and ended up with an 11-5 record and the division. If everyone remembers Joe’s previous article about the Governor declaring a state of emergency which means all law enforcement and responders are automatically on 12hr shifts so playing early or anywhere in the state would be null.
September 6th, 2017 at 4:23 pm
After looking at the schedule again, not having that bye is going to hurt bad. I’m usually not one to overreact, but with a team on the playoff cusp, the lack of a bye could lead to at least one loss. If this is a 10-6 team, that one loss could be monumental.
Obviously i understand the implications, and if the team didnt want a neutral site, then it is what it is…..but i am a little more worried about making the playoffs than i was 48 hours ago
September 6th, 2017 at 4:33 pm
Shaggy doesn’t care about the families of the Dolphins or Bucs. His lazy, fat behind just wants to complain to the union on how he is getting ripped off by not having a week off in the middle of his 16 week year. For the GMC haters, this sounds like just the kind of guy who would stomp on a player while he is on the ground. Bet he is your favorite Buc now.
September 6th, 2017 at 4:33 pm
Jameis speaking like he thinks people are more important than football … what is he, a Bible-believing Christian or something?
(Checks Jameis Twitter page)
Yup, that’s exactly what Jameis is!
September 6th, 2017 at 4:33 pm
Shaggy … damn auto correct. Whatever.
September 6th, 2017 at 4:38 pm
I still think losing the bye is a big deal “football wise” but I still expect a playoff berth this year:
10 WINS: Falcons (home), Panthers (home), Saints (home), Bears, Vikings, Lions, Jets, Bills, Dolphins, Giants
3 LOSSES: Patriots, Packers, Falcons (road)
3 TOSS-UPS: Panthers (road), Saints (road), Cardinals (road)
If we can win just one of the “toss-up” games, we should be sitting pretty with an 11-5 record at the end of the year!
And, as long as Jameis is cool with skipping the bye, I’ll ride with Jameis!
September 6th, 2017 at 4:46 pm
@DB55:
Of course. That’s all that needed to happen. Thursday night, end of story.
September 6th, 2017 at 5:15 pm
Jameis is always talking about overcome adversity. Well here you go. No excuses. No Bye week? No problem…
September 6th, 2017 at 5:24 pm
Celly
I like the way you think!!!
The bye is largely a luck deal not an actual “meaningful” advantage unless you count a 3% edge as an advantage. Even the injuries are a matter of luck. Sometimes a bye falls at a time that can really help a team…especially if it helps a specific injury to an important player. At least we know this ‘bye” will help us injury wise.
As Lord C pointed out that Thursday game against the Pats will be like a mini bye at a good time of the season.
I think the players realize the bye is overrated…except for Swaggy of course who simply cannot get enough time off. LMAO
Again it’s #3 in the lead! F your circumstances line em up and play!!!
Looking for excuses for failure before the season even starts is not in his nor DK’s makeup….that thrills me.
September 6th, 2017 at 6:47 pm
Db55
Pickgrin
I thought so too at first but Miami is already being evacuated some end emt and police resources etc…. are tied up.
As much as this sucks, this was the right thing to do
September 6th, 2017 at 7:02 pm
Pick
Same thing youve done for last 8 months…oh no wait theres a game thurs night to watch and plenty on sunday. Root against the nfc south…and stop whining. Peoples lives are at risk and wtf do u do next? Cmon. Wtf would u do in season during the bye week? Do the same this week, thats what
September 6th, 2017 at 7:27 pm
I see a major silver lining in this. I think we would’ve beaten Miami, but it was a home game for them in the season opener, and we still have a bunch of weapons to gel. A loss would’ve made the Bears game a must-win. Now, we can focus entirely on the Bears for a longer time period and start OUR season with a home opener. IF we perform as I expect, we will have alot of momentum heading into that 3 game stretch of Vikings, Giants, Pats. When we do play Miami, we will have gelled and be lethal offensively. A bye week that late COULD affect what I hope will be a run of momentum that we won’t want to stop. Now, we play Miami on a short week for them (at Carolina on MNF the week before) and before they travel to New England the next week. Lastly, much cooler weather for those Bucs fans wanting to road trip that game in November. GO BUCS!!
September 6th, 2017 at 7:32 pm
There is a benefit to the postponement of the fins game, when we play da bears, we will have film on their real game from week one. They will not ! That does create an advantage.
September 6th, 2017 at 8:36 pm
Bucs are off til Tuesday so guys should be rested & ready. No excuses now
September 6th, 2017 at 9:55 pm
In week 11, they will be sorry and wish they had that bye.
If you think a marathon is daunting at the starting line…just wait until you are half-way through. All those aches and pains and lingering issues will only snowball. And our depth is not exactly stellar.