Fractured Locker Room Ahead?
October 22nd, 2017
Potential storm brewing.
The way Joe sees it, winning Bucs coach Dirk Koetter is about to have a major problem on his hands. How he handles/survives the looming clouds likely will determine his long-term future.
The Bucs, Joe thinks it is safe to assume, are pretty much out of a Wild Card berth, short of a complete and total collapse by NFC South foes.
Joe will have much more on this later, but it’s safe to guess the Bucs would need to win 7 of their next 10 games to have a remote prayer. Does this look like a team that can run off seven wins the rest of the season?
Joe has a feeling this locker room is about to split. Think about it, now that playoff hopes are grim, players are going to be playing for themselves, or at least have the urge. Pretty soon, players will be wanting touches, catches, yards. Some will start playing for themselves.
“Scheme? F’ that,” they may say, with too many looking for stats, tackles, pass break-ups, whatever. If a responsibility takes them away from padding stats, then look out.
Of course, if America’s Quarterback, Pro Bowler Jameis Winston, has control of this team like Joe has a hunch he does, he might be able to keep guys in line and prevent personal crusades.
How Koetter will be able to herd cats and keep them chopping wood will say a lot about his coaching acumen. Joe doesn’t envy Koetter’s current pickle one iota.
“When you’re not playing up to expectations, it’s easy for your team to shatter from the inside out,” Koetter said this afternoon.
October 22nd, 2017 at 6:38 pm
Coach softly…and carry your big mf’n oil painting outta One Buc Place.
October 22nd, 2017 at 6:40 pm
This is not about coaching or talent, it is about execution.
October 22nd, 2017 at 6:43 pm
Does this look like a team that can run off seven wins the rest of the season?
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With gmc on the roster, zero chance.
Without gmc on the roster 50/50.
October 22nd, 2017 at 6:43 pm
A schism between the players that want to win and the players that want to shake their fat bellys, dance, and play with super hero action figures instead of winning football games.
October 22nd, 2017 at 6:44 pm
Which is about coaching
October 22nd, 2017 at 6:44 pm
They could run off 7 wins in next ten. They had a really good run last year after poor start.
I still believe.
I thought they played a spirited game today but the inopportune fumble will kill you every time.
October 22nd, 2017 at 6:45 pm
The new GM will want to bring in his own coach.
October 22nd, 2017 at 6:49 pm
#WeSuckAlready #Suck4Saquon
October 22nd, 2017 at 6:50 pm
Think about it, now that playoff hopes are grim, players are going to be playing for themselves,
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That’s all gmc ever plays for anyways.
Reporter: “tough loss today gmc. What are you going to do to turn thing around next week?”
Gmc: putting on 100k earrings. “Just keep coming to work”. Translation: these fools pay me nearly 1mil a game to do jack chit wtf else you think I’m doing. “Come back to work on Wednesday”.
October 22nd, 2017 at 6:50 pm
Jw is the only leader who can keep us frpm imploding. Fitzpatrick that!!
October 22nd, 2017 at 6:52 pm
Yup execution is coaching. You don’t have talented players just forget how to play. It’s like our defence. Yeah they need defensive ends and a corner or two, but they have some talented players too. For them to be worst in the league and historically bad, that smells coaching to me
October 22nd, 2017 at 6:53 pm
Clearly Mike smith doesn’t teach our boys details like how to sweep the ankle đ
October 22nd, 2017 at 6:54 pm
Yeah there is no way the players are going to keep buying into this coaching staff when we come out unprepared weekly.
They know we have talent here and they should begin realizing it’s being wasted.
It really pisses me off because none of our talented players are going to want to keep playing for this mismanaged franchise.
All arrows are pointing back into the cellar once again. Honestly, I cant blame the players for quittiong on this garbage coaching staff……….Probably too early to throw the towel in just yet but it shouldnt take long as unprepared as we have been all year long.
October 22nd, 2017 at 6:55 pm
You know why Jax is good now? Bc a New Yorker had to come down south to teach these fools how to play ball. First step: get rid of soft ass mentally weak pre madonnas like gmc.
When your captain has no heart losing is expected. How many fourth qrt leads has this defense given up since Gmc has been here? Prob like 100.
October 22nd, 2017 at 6:56 pm
This was a must win for the Bucs. They knew it. The coaches knew it. The Bills knew it. The Bucs are clearly not a playoff team. I don’t believe we even get back to 500 before the season ends. This really sucks because I believed the hype that this was our year. What a joke this team turned out to be. I’m not proud that we barely lost against New England, that we came back against Arizona, or we fumbled away a victory today. No moral victories. That is what a loser does. Stop accepting mediocrity all you Jameis lovers out there. He is ok with stats until you get to the only important one. WINS! Until he can help this team get the wins, he will only be a loser in my book. I don’t blame him for today’s loss but if he could put more touchdowns on the board instead of overthrowing wide open deep passes time after freaking time, we would not be 2-4, more likely we would be 4-2 and that is on him. We have the record a sucky team deserves and until this team gets their spit together and stops watching reruns of hard knocks, we will suck as we have for years.
October 22nd, 2017 at 6:56 pm
Week 8 vs Panthers – Loss
Week 9 @ Saints – Loss
Week 10 vs Jets – Win
Week 11 @ Dolphins – Win
Week 12 @ Falcons – Loss
Week 13 @ Packers – Win (if Hundley keeps playing like he did today)
Week 14 vs Lions – Loss
Week 15 vs Falcons – Win
Week 16 @ Panthers – Loss
Week 17 vs Saints – Loss
That makes 6-10 on the season. Unless a crazy streak happens like last year again this is how I see it playing out.
October 22nd, 2017 at 6:57 pm
I can’t believe how inept the D line is. I mean, it’s scary bad. GMC was invisible today. Spence is a non factor.
October 22nd, 2017 at 6:58 pm
GMC trolls in the comments of every damn Joe article. GMC is NOT and NEVER WAS the problem. If anything, he is the ONLY guy on this D-Line that has been worth a damn since the glory days of Sapp. Not every great player is a super vocal leader. GMC leads by example, with a crazy motor that frequently disrupts the middle. The problems come when they double and triple team him, and nobody else on the damn team can beat a guy one-on-one. Leave the rah rah stuff to Kwon and Ayers. We need GMC, or god knows how bad we would be on defense.
October 22nd, 2017 at 6:58 pm
Sounds like itâs already starting after reading the piece on ESPN with Ward
October 22nd, 2017 at 7:02 pm
I’d like to keep Licht. Try to bring in a successful vet HC like Gruden, Cowher, etc. I would love to say Jimmy but he’s not coming back. Gruden with Derrick Brooks as LB coach would be sweet.
October 22nd, 2017 at 7:02 pm
Mike Smith needs to come down stairs and get in the players faces, he is not doing any good upstairs making adjustments
October 22nd, 2017 at 7:05 pm
Don’t Hide!!!!!
@realist!!!!!
@LC!!!!
GO BUCS!!!
October 22nd, 2017 at 7:06 pm
Yeah Jeebs they are scapegoating GMC because he is not the leader they dreamed he would be.
There is just no way GMC is the vocal leader of this defense. No way in hell. He never has been and he never will be. It is just ridicilous that anybody would expect him to be……..And if our front office thinks he is the leader of this defense then they should be blamed for building around him. I just cant understand why foolish fans have this need and desire for GMC to become this unquestioned leader of this defense.
October 22nd, 2017 at 7:08 pm
Say it ain’t so @realist!!!!!…. this staff losing control!!!!… you know what happens when a coach loses control of the locker room!!!!!…. Dirk is on the hot seat!!!!….GO BUCS!!!!
October 22nd, 2017 at 7:10 pm
This is making me laugh out loud way more than it probably should.
October 22nd, 2017 at 7:15 pm
JW played elite football today and the offensive game plan was very good. The only person on that Dline worth a dam IS gmc, everybody else on that line sucks and the defense game plan is horrendous.
October 22nd, 2017 at 7:16 pm
Those of you who want Gruden back: Art Shell got fired by Oakland after a 9-7 season (sound familiar?). Al Davis admitted he made a mistake and rehired Shell over 10 years later. However, after the Raiders went 2-14, Shell got fired again.
October 22nd, 2017 at 7:17 pm
Jeebs the Honey Bear Says:
October 22nd, 2017 at 6:58 pm
GMC trolls in the comments of every damn Joe article. GMC is NOT and NEVER WAS the problem. If anything, he is the ONLY guy on this D-Line that has been worth a damn since the glory days of Sapp. Not every great player is a super vocal leader. GMC leads by example, with a crazy motor that frequently disrupts the middle. The problems come when they double and triple team him, and nobody else on the damn team can beat a guy one-on-one. Leave the rah rah stuff to Kwon and Ayers. We need GMC, or god knows how bad we would be on defense
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Indoctrinated! Don’t need him to lead, got forbid, just need more than 1 first qrt tackle a game. Or worse yet a first qrt sack for the whole game. Then to give up a TD in 3 plays in the 4th qrt while protecting a lead. That’s why his name is Mr. Ice Cream cuz he’s all melted away in the 4th.
October 22nd, 2017 at 7:27 pm
Joe has a feeling this locker room is about to split.
Don’t be a drama queen Joe… It’s already split between offense and defense, defense is horrible offense is below average. This team is fine they’ll be who they’ve always been which a team comfortable with losing
October 22nd, 2017 at 7:29 pm
Did Joe actually put âwinningâ head coach on Dirks label???? Since when Joe is 11-11 a âwinningâ record????? THAT any friend is the problem with the Bucs and the media!!! Your low expectations.
October 22nd, 2017 at 7:34 pm
I can agree with your reply to Jeebs DB55.
But I have to take exception to your 1st comment that the 1st step in fixing this defense is getting rid of GMC.
He didnt do much today but he is the only guy on our line that can make play…….except maybe Gholston, in the run game. If you notice, Gholston was a no-show today too. Maybe….just maybe we can summize that Buffalos O-Line kicked our ass today? And no, not GMC…..our whole line.
Just saying that I’m quite certain that the problem on defense is more deep then just GMC.
GMC got mismatched and basically taken out of the game today……happens to any lineman from time to time. But when McCoy gets a favorable matchup he will make plays. He is our only lineman we can say that about in the passrush…….so how is getting rid of him an answer to anything?
October 22nd, 2017 at 8:03 pm
Dang people. We are only 2 games out right now and haven’t played any of our division rivals yet.
You are acting like we just got our 7th loss in week 16.
No fracture in the locker room. Just disappointment. If there wasn’t any friction, I’d be scared.
People on the team need to be pissed. And I’m glad for that.
October 22nd, 2017 at 8:22 pm
We’re a joke, play calling and coaches are a joke….jamies is a joke who can only get it together in the 4th qtr of a game.
Time to blow it up and trade and stock up on some draft picks….along with new coaches too!!
October 22nd, 2017 at 8:25 pm
I think what bothers me is why must we teach million dollar athletes how to play a game they should already know how to play? Are some football players really this dense? If so, then why do we give two cents for what they have to say? It’s as though they have learnt how to manipulate the system. All lip service, and self preservation. It’s not about the PLAYING of the GAME anymore, it’s about money, and a platform to spew their own brand of demagoguery.
October 22nd, 2017 at 8:27 pm
The Glazers have begun their search…………And Koetter and Smith’s fishing chair is getting warmer by the week. Lovie has their tackle boxes and Schiano has the reel and rods. Time to go Fishing Koetter!!
October 22nd, 2017 at 8:31 pm
Soft defensive mentality and always will be until GMC is not the “leader” of the defense.
October 22nd, 2017 at 9:40 pm
Lots of mistakes last week, lots of missed tackels this week, players aren’t playing to win, they don’t want to get hurt and that kind of mentality rubs off.
You need a coach with an iron fist and winners on the field to hold each other accountable.
October 22nd, 2017 at 9:52 pm
Mike Johnson….
That was funnier than @joes picture of the deer in an open field!!!…GO BUCS!!!
October 22nd, 2017 at 9:52 pm
Everyone on the NFC SOUTH IS LOSING EXCEPT THE SAINTS SO AFTER TONIGHT THE BUCS WILL ONLY BE ONE GAME OUT OF FIRST W ONE LESS GAME PLAYED AND THEY PLAY THE TWO TEAMS IN FRONT OF THEM IVER THE NEXT TWO WEEKS SO HOW CAN BEING ONLY ONE GAME OUT EQUAL DIM PLAYOFF HOPES? THIS OFFENSE CAN WIN GAMES, ALL THST IS NEEDED IS A SLIGHT IMPROVEMENT IN THE DEFENSE SO JOE STOP ACTING AS IF THE SEASON IS OVER!! NOW IF THEY LOSE THEIR NEXT TWO YHEN ITS OVER. SPLIT AND WE R 3-5 AND STILL IN IT. ITS NOT OVER YET
October 23rd, 2017 at 1:20 am
So funny…
Go back exactly one year and you will read the exact same articles and the exact same complaints about the Bucs. All the articles were about how the team was destined for a top 5 pick and how the defense was historically inept.
Just watch the turnaround. This team is better than last yearâs team on offense by a substantial margin. The D will figure it out and the run will begin. The Bucs will go 5-1 against the NFC South