Costly Drop; Failed Squeeze
October 15th, 2017
Outmuscled
The read-between-the-lines crowd is going to attack Joe after reading this and, as usual, they’ll be dead wrong screaming “agenda” and “hater.”
Sorry, but in a one-score game, one that was all about momentum, Joe’s not going to ignore critical momentum-changing screwups.
There was a critical drop by the Bucs that proved costly — at the goal line by Doug Martin — and a want-it failure by Chris “Swaggy” Baker.
In the final drive of the first half, a Ryan Fitzpatrick pass hit Martin in the chest and bounced off his numbers at the one-yard line. On first-and-goal at the Arizona 7, Martin was wide open and couldn’t squeeze it. That set off a chain of events that led to lost points.
After the play, for some unknown reason, the Bucs called timeout. Then on second down, Ryan Fitzpatrick scrambled for two yards. On third down, was the bizarre shovel attempt to O.J. Howard in the end zone that saw Howard sort of stop as the ball floated over his head.
On fourth down, instead of taking the field goal after realizing his red zone offense was inept, Dirk Koetter went for it and failed.
In the second half, with the Bucs mounting a comeback, the Cardinals botched a snap in the red zone and Baker pounced on it and squeezed it, per the TV replay. But somehow in the scrum, Baker had the ball ripped from his hands by Carson Palmer.
Man, Joe wished Warren Sapp and Derrick Brooks could be heard mic’d up on that one. What a head-shaker.
The Bucs did a lot to give this game away — and that’s not counting their horrid Lovie Smith defense in the first half.
October 15th, 2017 at 7:55 pm
How about the drive killing holding call on Donavan Smith and the very next play he allowed a DB to run right by him while he looked confused?
October 15th, 2017 at 7:55 pm
You mean Mike Smith defense, right?
October 15th, 2017 at 7:58 pm
DROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOP!!!!!!!!!!!!!
……dj magic mike
October 15th, 2017 at 7:59 pm
How about licht’s complete failure as a GM to build a defense in his time here and then you have the eagles building one in 2 years and the saints seems to be playing an attacking D being revamped in 1 year
October 15th, 2017 at 7:59 pm
both bucs lines were manhandled in the first half!!!!
October 15th, 2017 at 7:59 pm
“One score game”? Thanks for that. My only other laugh today was Ryan Smith running to nowhere while his receiver catches a td.
October 15th, 2017 at 8:02 pm
I’ve seen printed missing posters of GMC on lamp posts in Arizona……..
Oh yeah….wait, he did have one garbage time sack (as usual)
October 15th, 2017 at 8:02 pm
Me E…that was Justin Evans…if you’re gonna troll at least troll correctly
October 15th, 2017 at 8:02 pm
Card sale took foot off gas. Wasn’t close or about momentum
October 15th, 2017 at 8:03 pm
Once again, there’s only a small group of core players that should be kept. Everyone else is fair game. As for coaching, Koetter is proving that he is not HC material and his pal Smith is not a good DC..Don’t get me started on the GM. Look what the Eagles have done!
October 15th, 2017 at 8:03 pm
Yes, too many bad plays to remember. My bad.
October 15th, 2017 at 8:03 pm
Whoda thought kicking a field goal down 24 with an inept offense laying an egg and a swiss cheese defense would have been a good idea?
October 15th, 2017 at 8:06 pm
got pretty upset over that drop too. That cost us 4 points and Dirk costs us 3 on the very next play.
They keep trying to pass to Martin and he keeps dropping. But Dirk dont fix problems on this team. It’s why we havent been able to convert 3rd and 1 in 3 years and why we still field a center who cant snap……Dirk is a horrible HC.
October 15th, 2017 at 8:08 pm
I assumed when Baker “got injured” it was really a hot dog break.
October 15th, 2017 at 8:10 pm
…and what’s with trying to repeatedly run a 130 lb soaking wet Jaquizz up the middle on the goal line???
October 15th, 2017 at 8:28 pm
Bucs anthem-
That’s hilarious. Season ticket holder from Orlando so appreciate the dj magic mike reference
October 15th, 2017 at 8:33 pm
Yup, that was a bad drop by Martin, but the game was so lopsided it didn’t make a difference. All it would have mean was the Cards would have let off the gas. little later.
October 15th, 2017 at 8:42 pm
Dhusty the saints defense has not been revamped in 1 year it has been a train wreck for about 6 years and is finally improving.
My god today was a bad loss, absolutely lousy first half but some of you are biggest drama queens I’ve ever met in my life.
And of course J0e calls out the drop by Martin but not the constant whiffed blocks by the o-line and the drops from Brate and other receivers.
October 15th, 2017 at 8:44 pm
Don’t blame the squeeze on baker as much as the slow response by the officials to unravel the pile.Too much time to punch ,kick and squeeze down there.
October 15th, 2017 at 8:46 pm
Enlighten me why we didn’t challenge that play with Baker…..we had a clear camera shot with Baker laying on the ground with possession….he had control and was down…..we should have challenged.
October 15th, 2017 at 8:49 pm
They just don’t look like they are as prepared as other teams do. This team still implodes when they get down by a couple of scores.
October 15th, 2017 at 9:09 pm
Echo that Godzilla! The prep was for a team that was the worst in the league in rushing and surprise AP tore us a new one and Palmer being pinpoint with his passing. Thats on the coaches and preparation! Dang it!
October 15th, 2017 at 9:11 pm
Lovie no longer coach for Tampa Bay…so how is he still responsible for the defense’s performance
October 15th, 2017 at 9:31 pm
The biggest fail was not going for 3 at the end of the first half…
Score 3- down by 3 score (ugh!), get the ball on 2nd half kickoff with momentum.
Also give Patrick Murray some confidence by giving him a 25 yard FG to re-start his Buccaneer career for some confidence. Koetters playcalling again was baffling inside the red zone again. His playbook has zero ingenuity. Hard to believe that in the preseason when we were saying Dirk was calling vanilla plays, that he was actually practicing his playbook. Don’t even get me started on Mike Smith…Bruce Arians has to have dirt on him, I wonder if he has actually heard of a new play called a blitz. SMDH. The good news is we are still in it with some key losses this week by the NFC South. Go Bucs- forget about this one.
October 15th, 2017 at 9:51 pm
Baker had a good game…
October 15th, 2017 at 9:57 pm
This is a Mike Smith’s defense…. can’t blame he for what’s going on…. this horrible coaching is on display and someone has to be held accountable…bad coaching combined with bad decisions are killing this team and it’s fan base…. this is the most talent we’ve had in years and we can’t do anything with it….I guess kwon means that much to the offense and defense….GO BUCS!!!
October 15th, 2017 at 11:03 pm
The most talented personnel on a Bucs team ever.
And….this?
Soft unmotivated underachievers and awful coaching.
Top 5 draft pick and a new coaching staff only 10 more losses away.
October 16th, 2017 at 12:08 am
This game was lost by Robert Ayers being offside on a crucial 3rd down that we stopped them on.
October 16th, 2017 at 12:39 am
Well defense was a let down. And it’s even worse of u was there. It was like a high school put there. We have issues for real
October 16th, 2017 at 6:08 am
Worst coached game ive ever seen. Only down 24, GOTA take the fg before halftime. Youre getting the ball to start second half and would only be down 21. I hope he now knows 21 can be scored in 1 quarter. N theres no reason for dirk not to challenge that baker play. To me the bucs would have been given possession, before the scrum started. What a perfect time to throw the challenge flag, oh wait the coach would rather get on the plane n go home. Disgusting. Plenty more mess ups. Boooooooooooooooo
October 16th, 2017 at 9:36 am
Nonsense. A sack at 3:01 left to go in the 3rd quarter is not garbage time especially when the Bucs were making the game competitive. Don’t be a moron.
October 16th, 2017 at 12:23 pm
D-Rome you’re asking too much of people on this site