Phil Simms Questions Dirk Koetter
October 10th, 2017
One issue with Bucs coach.
Former Super Bowl-winning quarterback Phil Simms watched the nutkick of a Bucs loss to the Belicheats last week and came away griping about winning Bucs coach Dirk Koetter.
In his weekly appearance with the one and only Chris “Mad Dog” Russo, heard exclusively on SiriusXM Radio, Simms was galled that Koetter used an onside kick late in the game.
“I thought it was all there for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to win the game,” said Simms, currently an analyst for CBS. “There it is – take it, take it! And I tell you what, [the Bucs] were tremendously strong in saying, ‘No, we don’t want it.’
“I thought at the end of the game, the onside kick was the absolute wrong decision. I would have voiced it clearly. I would have kicked it deep, knowing I had a timeout and the two-minute warning. New England had shut its offense down. Tom Brady couldn’t pull the trigger because he didn’t want to lose the game. And if you noticed towards the end he was taking pressure and couldn’t find guys open. I thought it was there for Tampa to get into position.”
Russo argued the opposite. Russo said you absolutely had to use the onside kick to keep the ball out of Tom Brady’s hands.
“Even if it works only five percent of the time, that’s still a five percent chance you don’t give the ball back to Brady,” Russo maintained.
At the time Joe had no issue with the onside kick and Joe tends to lean towards Russo’s logic. You do not want the ball in Brady’s hands.
October 10th, 2017 at 9:05 am
Go away Phil Simms.
October 10th, 2017 at 9:07 am
The kicker sucked, Jameis was off target the 1st half and receivers dropped catchable passes – it’s one game- Bucs will come together and if they stay healthy, are an 11 win team
October 10th, 2017 at 9:17 am
You have to onside it at that point in the game, I had no issue with it.
October 10th, 2017 at 9:17 am
There’s only 2 choices to make. Wasn’t sweating either one. Still had a chance to win as bad as the offense played all night.
October 10th, 2017 at 9:18 am
‘No we don’t want it’. Sorry Phil. Jameis and the offense told them that in the first 3 quarters!!
October 10th, 2017 at 9:24 am
I still side with Simms and not in hindsight either. The D was starting to get to Brady. You had a timeout and the two minute warning with a little over 2 minutes. A 3 and out and it’s onto punting only down by what 2 with plenty time left for another Nick Folk miss for the game winner??
October 10th, 2017 at 9:26 am
I had know problem with the onside attempt. That did not lose the game. But I do question a lot of the decisions Koetter makes during a game. I think he is a very good offensive coordinator. And can probably be a good head coach. Just not sure he can be both. Sometimes I think an OC needs to have a check in place. A HC that can tap the brakes a little when needed. Team an aggressive OC like Koetter, with a gun-slinging QB like Winston. And he can’t help himself with his decision making. When ball control, time management, or running a little more may be called for. He is running deep patterns, lower percentage plays.
October 10th, 2017 at 9:38 am
The way I look at it, Brady was gonna drive down to probably get a field goal regardless, so you might as well try to get the onside.
Sims stating Brady was afraid to lose the game And wouldn’t pull the trigger…
That is laughable
October 10th, 2017 at 9:49 am
@AJ “He is running deep patterns, lower percentage plays.” exactly! seems like every play is 15 yards down the field… even when we only need 2 or 3 yards for a 1st…
October 10th, 2017 at 9:52 am
Phil Simms is a Bucs hater because of his son.
October 10th, 2017 at 9:56 am
I agree with Phil on the onside kick and so did all my friends at the time. Everyone at the football party was surprised they were kicking an onside kick. However either way they should have won that game and they didn’t so you have to deal with all the Monday Morning QB’s which are everywhere now a days since everyone in the entire world gets their voices heard thru social media.
October 10th, 2017 at 9:56 am
I wasn’t a Lovie smith fan after 2015 when we had the redskins on the rope n he went into conservative mode n allowed cousin n crew to come back for a win with n create he catchphrase…”u like that huh”. Koetter is becoming a clone of Lovie, had Lovie called the game against the patriots the same as koetter, Folks would b calling for him to b ousted. Koetter is putting his tail between his legs. When he was hired I was looking for us to go high octane take any chance type offense n not a reincarnation of three n out n hope the defense scores. Too much talent on the offense. We should mirror what the chiefs, Eagles, n Texans r doing. Turn the receivers n Jameis loose n let them play ball!!
October 10th, 2017 at 10:19 am
You dont onside kick with over 2 minutes to go period.
October 10th, 2017 at 10:28 am
Guys here is why you dont onside in this situation. You are only down 2 pts. Lets face it, one 1st down and the game is over regardless. But if you onside and the pats do not get the first down, then they are still in field goal range and now you are down by 5 which means you need a touchdown. You have to drive the length of the field without timeouts. But if you kick it deep and get the three and out, then you have less of the field to drive and you only need a field goal to win. It was a no brainer call. I know it was no guarantee folk would have made the kick but that is the right play.
October 10th, 2017 at 10:29 am
I thought we should have kicked it deep, defense was playing well. Still not a big deal when u look at dirks other mistakes tho. I thought simms was gona trash dirk over his play calling. Just a bad bad game for dirk in my opinion. I hope he has a better game plan for arz. Go bucs
October 10th, 2017 at 10:32 am
I didn’t like the decision but that’s not what lost the game…
Our offense with all those weapons scored only 14 pointse….poor playcalling and poor execution along with horrendous kicking.
October 10th, 2017 at 11:21 am
@TBBF spot on
But one thing we know is our defense will be ready for the playoffs. With Doug back, now we are waiting on the Jameis to DJax connection to come alive. When that happens…..Super Bowl Baby!
Super Bowl!!!
Go Bucs!!!
October 10th, 2017 at 11:31 am
at times I was yelling at my tv saying dirk open up the play book more let JW be JW then I was yelling at JW asking him what’s wrong with him on throws in my opinion I think both are holding back on certain things just because there is so much riding on their shoulder JW wants to be a great QB and dirk a great coach if both can get on the same page this team will be deadly dirk is afraid of mistakes and that takes away from his play calling JW is not afraid to make one and that’s thing if I knew my QB has a state of mind like JW I would pull back on some plays as well not saying it’s a bad thing JW is like that but in dirks mind it’s let’s play conservative some times that’s all just my opinion I like what both men have done for this team I’m not complaining I just want both to have success GO BUCCS!!!!!!!!!
October 10th, 2017 at 11:32 am
Agreed. Smart take.
October 10th, 2017 at 11:48 am
Spot on Mr. Simms! I’ve said it previously, The Pats were outright..giving us that game and we..refused to take it. Thats what made it so disappointing to me. You say you are about to arrive on the scene. Then nationally you lay an egg. To be a champion you gotta be some good teams along the way. And I’m waiting………..
October 10th, 2017 at 11:49 am
If you trust your kicker’s ability to make a good onside kick attempt – then that was the way to go with only 1 time out left – IMO. I would have done the same as coach in that situation. Folk’s onside attempt was pitiful though – no air under it or bounce whatsoever.
Phil Simms has been butthurt regarding anything to do with the Bucs ever since Gruden never really gave Chris the “proper chance” that I’m sure Phil felt he deserved. And then there was the injury where Chris came closer than comfort to dying from a hit he received while wearing a Buccaneer uniform. Phil has hated on this franchise at every opportunity ever since…
October 10th, 2017 at 12:00 pm
either decision is a long shot…why not go for broke
October 10th, 2017 at 12:00 pm
Phil Simms is a too box.
October 10th, 2017 at 12:01 pm
Tool box… ugh
October 10th, 2017 at 12:07 pm
I will never lose faith in Jameis, and I really trust Dirk guiding him. But my one complaint about Koetter is that he likes to get too cute sometimes. Whether it’s the reverse to Reedy or the pitch on the goal line. Our offense has the personnel to put up more than 14 points on anybody in the NFL. Dirk will learn from mistakes and right the ship.
October 10th, 2017 at 12:19 pm
I have question Dirk Koetter decisions since 2013, when he was OC for the Atlanta Falcons.
October 10th, 2017 at 12:20 pm
Smart coaches know how to win a tight game, down 2 you kick deep because you give up a field goal even if you stop them from getting a 1st down, which a 1st would end the game regardless, sorry but DK is making way too many mistakes, he is costing us games
October 10th, 2017 at 1:28 pm
the onside kick was a stupid decision….with 2 minutes left, a TO and the defense stepping up why not kick it deep and flip the field….dirk is still having issues with making “coaching 101” decisions….
his decisions along with his play calling are killing this team….GO BUCS!!!!
October 10th, 2017 at 1:33 pm
We never should’ve been in a position to have to kick an onside kick. The play-calling was atrocious!
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, if Jameis throws more than 40 passes, we lose. BALANCE. We completely abandoned the run-game, despite its success AND being only 2 points behind. Ridiculous.
Who gives a rats a$$ about one onside kick?! Kicking FGs and play-calling is what lost us this game.
But hey, Martin didn’t look bad after coming off the suspension at least.
October 10th, 2017 at 2:49 pm
I think the onside was the right call because if we kick deep and then get a 3 & out all we need is a field goal. Then i think Dirk Koetter continues to call plays like he did all game. The field goal put more pressure on us and made us change things up. We have all seen for the past 3 years how efficient Winston can be in no huddle and hurry up offense. NEVER understood shy we don’t do this more often in game
October 10th, 2017 at 3:11 pm
I agree with the more No Huddle argument. It seems when Jamies has a ton of time in the huddle to think about the play, he singles out a player he thinks will be open and 75% of the time thats where he goes regardless. We all know he is having trouble with his progressions and often in No Huddles the QB is breaking the pocket and ad libbing. This acts as going through progressions and he finds an open man. It was obvious on that last play that he singled out OJ instead of leaving the pocket and buying time. Who knows if 3 defenders all take the same man when theu are all crossing and leave a man wide open. Get him outside the pocket more Koetter. How about a legitimate TRICK PLAY every once in a while. DAMN.
October 10th, 2017 at 4:32 pm
@Buccaneer Bonzai
Agreed, he is salty about his son.
October 10th, 2017 at 4:36 pm
Ok with onside completely.
You don’t give the ball to legends like Brady or Rodgers will little time left on the clock. Did anyone see what Rodgers did with a minute or so against cowboys. Sure. We stopped Brady but that’s not the norm
Let it go
October 10th, 2017 at 5:49 pm
what ifs on top of what ifs. here’s my what if: if the bucs had taken a late lead or shown better execution, the patriots would have responded in kind.
all the late game decisions would have been different if Folk’s kicks had been good or those TD attempts to DJax and Brate connected. NE shut everything down when they were convinced the bucs couldn’t get out of their own way on offense. If the bucs offense had been more active, Brady would have responded in kind and (i believe) driven for a FG or TD or whatever the patriots needed to come out on top. Brady completed 75% of his passes and they were more than just dump offs. He was making first downs almost at will. They are the ultimate situational team and when the situation screamed “don’t push it unless the bucs push you”, they kept the game uncomfortably close but never really looked out of control
October 10th, 2017 at 6:46 pm
We’re on to Arizona.
October 11th, 2017 at 12:20 am
I don’t care much for Simms’ criticism, but Koetter has been super predictable in his play-calling this year. We seem to run when the defenses expect run, we pass when they expect pass.
October 11th, 2017 at 4:31 pm
I actually liked the onsides kick call. Brady is a master why give the master more time to get down the field. With that little time left one first down wins the game. So Phil Simms was betting Brady cant get one first down???? Please that makes me ill just thinking about it.