Did Bucs Buy The Hype?
November 6th, 2017
Demar Dotson explains.
The Bucs were the it team coming into the season.
It seemed the Bucs had all the right pieces this summer. They had one of the best defenses the second half of 2016. They had a quarterback who was about to take over the NFL. They had receivers, and tight ends enough to stock two NFL teams.
Coming off a nine-win season, it seemed the Bucs were about to finally blow up.
Boy, they blew up all right.
Folks are scrambling to figure out how this team imploded so terribly. They went from NFL darlings to gunning for a top-five pick in next spring’s draft.
(Bryce Love, Harold Landry anyone?)
Joe wants answers, too, and asked a few players if perhaps it started in preseason? Looking back, Joe finds it more than a little curious that winning Bucs coach Dirk Koetter often groused about bad training camp practices. That sure seems as if it was a tip off of what was to come.
Joe spoke with veteran Demar Dotson in New Orleans yesterday and asked about the August practices. Dotson didn’t deny they may have been a factor but he believes something more sinister was at play in August. Too many teammates, perhaps himself included, bought the preseason hype that the Bucs were once again, beastly.
“Probably did,” Dotson said of the effect bad August practices could have had on the team.
“Never know, could have. Rome wasn’t built in a day. We probably didn’t see it [poor practices in training camp because] we were probably buying into the hype. All the preseason hype on how good this football team was going to be. Unfortunately, we are not a good NFL football team right now. All the hype that was given us, it doesn’t put wins on the board. We have to go out there and play and we are not playing good.
“I think if we all knew [the cause] we would fix it. We are just not playing good football. We are just not playing good football. We have to win. We are losing to teams we should be beating. Losing bad. Not sure if it is a rut, just playing bad football. Lot of places throughout the whole football team. Just not playing good football.”
A lot of things are Pearl Harboring this team. Joe hears way, way, way too much chatter from too many players about communication, about not wanting to win, about buying hype, about not being ready to play. And that is damning on all levels from the suits at One Buc Palace all the way to the practice squad players.
November 6th, 2017 at 10:07 am
This is on us then, we stopped saying “Bucs suck”.
November 6th, 2017 at 10:13 am
Soft Training Camp = Soft Team.
This team may be the worse than anything Radio, Toe-the-Line or Lovie ever fielded.
I can’t recall any Buc team that had such high expectations crash so far.
I’m not sure they can win another game this season. Who can they beat?
And for the first time we see the punk in Jameis. Leader? He finger-punched that right down the drain along with that pathetic “eating a W.”
November 6th, 2017 at 10:13 am
The Bucs didn’t do enough to build in the trenches. That’s where the game is won or lost.
Sapp, while noting he would be present when the Bucs open training camp next Thursday, had this to say about the Buccaneers’ efforts to improve their defensive backfield in the offseason with the additions of cornerback Darrelle Revis and safety Dashon Goldson:
“I’ve seen a lot of great defenses in the NFL. I just haven’t seen one led from the back end.”
They can sign DJAX, they can draft O.J.Howard, they can draft Chris Godwin
But if the O-Line is not winning in the trenches
Those weapons are obsolute
November 6th, 2017 at 10:14 am
if the players bought the “hype” then that’s a coaching problem….the coaches have to keep the players level headed and remind them they aint won sh!t in 10+ years…..
players are always going to think they are good…its the job of the coaches to remind them that it is a grind and work needs to be done to considered great….
the lousy coaching staff probably bought the hype from @realist and others who praised this staff the minute they walked in the building and claimed they were a sure upgrade…..they thought they were better than the previous staff and now they’re being exposed for the frauds and incompetent coaches they are…..
clean house…hire jim harbaugh….trade gmc on draft night….problem solved….GO BUCS!!!!
November 6th, 2017 at 10:15 am
Again….”Winning” coach Dirk Koetter
Sorry, but I will continue to call this out as a flagrant error that goes without explanation.
Joe may have a reason for continuing this but he hasn’t shared it with us….
So, I am treating this as a typo and calling it out.
November 6th, 2017 at 10:16 am
I can’t believe I’m going to say this but maybe, just maybe, the players that have been here along for the ride through 3 (maybe even 4) coaches are a big part of the problem.
The problem isn’t the scheme on either side of the ball. You could argue that in 2014 but the years prior to that and after that the problem wasn’t the scheme. The problem hasn’t necessarily been the talent brought in. There are a few common denominators on this team that have been shared between the current coach and GM and past coaches and GM. Yes, Licht has made many individual mistakes. Yes, Koetter has made some bonehead decisions. I really believe the common denominator(s) for the Bucs woes are Gerald McCoy, Lavonte David, Will Gholston, Doug Martin, Demar Dotson, Luke Stocker, and Keith Tandy. I’m not saying any of these players are bad people. The problem with these players is that many of them have been given the title of “leader” especially GMC and LVD. Putting a “C” on the jersey doesn’t make a player a leader. Being a veteran on the team doesn’t make them a leader. Whatever it is that plagues the Bucs is happening in the organization. It’s not a talent issue.
All of you guys that have called GMC a “cancer” well maybe you’re right. Heck, McCoy has been here since 2010 which means he’s been here for four head coaches and two general managers. He most definitely is a great player and a special talent but my goodness, he is certainly a common denominator for the Bucs failures over the past seven years. He seems to be an outstanding human being and family man but being a great guy doesn’t make one a great leader. I’m not sure if winning or losing matters to him. He’s been very vocal about his faith, his family, and other things he values more than being a football player. Valuing your faith and your family make for a great human being but perhaps in Gerald’s case not a great leader for *this* football team. I know we’re all looking for a scapegoat and GMC is an easy target but honestly, there is no question he is part of (not the only) the problem.
November 6th, 2017 at 10:16 am
Maybe with a top 5 pick in the draft we can get a good quarterback. Winston’s accuracy will never let the bucs ahcieve greatness.
November 6th, 2017 at 10:17 am
Joe hears way, way, way too much chatter from too many players about communication, about not wanting to win, about buying hype, about not being ready to play. And that is damning on all levels from the suits at One Buc Palace all the way to the practice squad players.
^^AMEN^^
HEAD NEED TO ROLL!!!!….GO BUCS!!!!
November 6th, 2017 at 10:18 am
They all read the “this team is talented” garbage and maybe felt some comfort in that…Absolute lack of effort is glaring…The Hard Knocks exposure is surely looking like a problem now…They’re TV stars and Paper Champions…Football is secondary….SO SICK OF THIS SH*T!!!!!
November 6th, 2017 at 10:20 am
No clue who would be our next coach, everything we try blows up in 2 years or so, upcoming young coach Raheem FAIL, hotshot/harda$$ college coach Schiano FAIL, retread Super Bowl going defensive coach Lovie FAIL, you really wait go former retired coach Gruden or another big name college coach Harbaugh, neither of those guys want this job, my money is on Josh McDaniels, he’s innovative and a bit of a harda$$, experienced
November 6th, 2017 at 10:23 am
D ROME
i’ll definite go for GMC….its time for him to go….but LVD is the only one playing with any kind of heart on defense….
but you have to hold the coaches accountable too….players know when a coach doesn’t know what the h3ll he’s doing….they simply follow the leader….coaches don’t know what their doing so players play like they don’t know what their doing…..
no reason why we should be sitting here at 2-6 with this much talent on the team….no doubt we have some cancer players as you’ve mentioned but we have some cancer coaches as well….GO BUCS!!!!
November 6th, 2017 at 10:25 am
Hearing from a couple of weeks ago. Yes they did beleibe the hype. That’s y they are bein punched in the mouths every game
November 6th, 2017 at 10:25 am
I really like Dirk Koetter. I like his style and honesty.
But he and his staff have lost control of this team. There is no question of that fact.
And Mike Smith should be gone this week with Hayes taking the defense through the rest of this pathetic season.
What a letdown. What a mess. Like many others, I didn’t see this coming. Not this bad. I overestimated the mental toughness of this bunch, a bunch of self-promoting, all-mouth grandstanders.
November 6th, 2017 at 10:26 am
@REALIST
@LC
DONT HIDE….COME TELL US HOW THIS STAFF HAS US GOING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION AND WHAT A BREATHE OF FRESH AIR THIS STAFF IS….LOL….GO BUCS!!!!
November 6th, 2017 at 10:28 am
listen to a well coached team after a loss, they know exactly what’s going on, poorly coached teams have no idea what’s going on. This tells me they have checked out, just doing their job, not giving a crap about anyone else but themselves. The mutiny has begun.
November 6th, 2017 at 10:30 am
it starts at the top. ownership simply does not know how to win nor does it hold it’s employees (front office, coaches and players) accountable or to a high standard. They have let the inmates run the asylum and when your leader is a cancerous career loser with no heart nor drive to be the best it’s not going to end well. Glazers and most fans have bought the snow job for 8 years time to cut ties with the losing culture and it’s leader cancer93.
November 6th, 2017 at 10:30 am
The Jets will embarrass the Bucs at home Sunday.
November 6th, 2017 at 10:31 am
I’m a huge GMC fan but I can’t deny that he’s mailed it in this year which I feel gives others the idea that this is ok. If you see your manager stealing, you’ll be more apt to steal yourself. It’s human nature. You think Sapp or DB would take a few snaps off or let YOU take a few snaps off? Sheeeeeeeet how far this team has fallen.
November 6th, 2017 at 10:32 am
everytime we lose, get blown out and embarrassed the dirk supporters go into hiding:
@realist
@LC
@unbelievable
@stpete
@pickgrin
@Hawaiian
they’ll come back when @joe has the “confidence poll” and vote totally confident and say blah blah blah…..grass aint always greener on the other side huh boys….GO BUCS!!!!
November 6th, 2017 at 10:33 am
This isn’t on a couple of players who have been here through 4 coaches….that’s too easy….besides we have new leaders Jameis & Kwon.
This is a coaching issue….when a team had multiple pre-snap penalties, massive missed tackles and players out of position…..and poor playcalling…yes terrible playcalling.
I’ll give an example.
Yesterday we were stuffed on 1st and 10 running plays about 4 times…..then on first and 10 we went with an empty backfield…..clever…..tricky?
What happened to play action on 1st and 10?
Also, we had two drives killed by a pass behind the line and a pass downfield on short yardage incomplete.
We try to kick a FG down 30-3 in the 4th quarter……we should have gone for it simply to show a message.
Evans should have been benched for his action.
These types of coaching errors are happening every week.
Don’t blame a couple of players…..that’s way too easy, and wrong!!!
November 6th, 2017 at 10:37 am
The type of players the Bucs need in the trenches
Fiery
Ferocious
Dominant
Powerful
Disruptive
Fearless
The Bucs lacks these type of player in the trenches, they have the opposite
These are the type of players, they have in the trenches
Soft
Passive
Weak
Polite
Afraid
Lazy
November 6th, 2017 at 10:40 am
@TBBF: Kwon Alexander is a joke. He flies around uncontrolled like a crazy man missing tackles and reads. He is as responsible for the awful defense as anyone is. This D is incredibly soft up the middle—where he plays.
And I agree: Mike Evans should be benched for his actions, as well as Jameis who started the altercation with his immature, emotional finger push as well as his shoulder.
This team embarrasses me.
November 6th, 2017 at 10:44 am
Shut up demar you are one of these sorry losers that needs to be purged. You bring nothing to the table. You can count on him to be steady but after all this time I bet he had no voice in the locker room which is as bad as being a cancer. You’ve been here to long so no more talk from the jolly green giant. He’s been saying that two years in a row so maybe your the problem
November 6th, 2017 at 10:50 am
The comments though….Tampa bay has a rich history of football experts. Lol.
———-
https://www.joebucsfan.com/2017/08/as-good-as-he-wants-to-be-buccaneers-blog-ira-kaufman/
November 6th, 2017 at 11:14 am
They don’t play like a team they don’t look like a team. To many individuals no team mates. It’s easy to see. Certain players got the big head this summer on hard knocks and it is showing. I also think poor drafting has a lot to do with it. This team does not have the players that they really need, especially on defense. The offense needs a new leader cause the guys who were supposed to step up and be leaders are not really showing up. Koetter and Light lost this team in the summer and I don’t see those two getting them back.
November 6th, 2017 at 11:48 am
Just remember that buying hype works both ways! We must be careful making our next decisions.
Yeah we weren’t that good the second half of last year…nor is our team that bad this year….we are simply playing badly. There are a multitude of reasons…but I’d blow the team up before I fire the coaches…at least everybody over 25 goes.
November 6th, 2017 at 11:50 am
They have been mismanaged and were way overrated because the 2nd half of last year they were lit up by Derek Carr and the Raiders and then Brees did as the saints dropped 3 TDs and made the game much closer than it was, that defense was not that good at the end they played one good game the one in KC against a team only scores 17 points/game runs the ball and plays good defense…licht is like Cam Newton still thinking the Titanic will make it to NYC…sound asleep when everything was crumbling around you
November 6th, 2017 at 12:06 pm
“Winning Bucs coach Dirk Koetter”
You are part of the problem, Joe .
Dirk Koetter is 11-13.
“America’s Quarterback” is only seen in local markets..
No one cares ..
2-6 SOB /SOFBM (same old failing Bucs media)
November 6th, 2017 at 12:45 pm
Of course they bought the hype, which is exactly why I argued that doing Hard Knocks would be the WORST thing for the mentality of the team. Wrong time, too immature, but full of their own arrogance. HK couldn’t have helped. Not saying it caused this mess, by any means, but it makes everything look worse.
November 6th, 2017 at 1:03 pm
Same stories every year.
I read this site too much. This isn’t a knock… but it seems that the team and subjects of the articles repeat themselves.
November 6th, 2017 at 1:08 pm
same old sh!t, every year
#HardKnocksCurse
November 6th, 2017 at 4:14 pm
Maybe I have proprioception, but I seem to recall Dotson saying the exact same thing early in the year last year. Deja vu all over again!
November 6th, 2017 at 4:27 pm
HARD KNOCKS????….REALLY????….BS…
HK isn’t the one calling the plays
HK isn’t the one losing the locker room
HK isn’t the one playing an injured QB and forcing him to throw almost 40times
HK has been gone since AUGUST…and LOVIE has been gone longer than that….the fact that people are blaming those 2 just goes to show that the coach aren’t being held accountable….blame the coaches for this regression not HK….if anything, HK exposed this staff for the incompetent coaches they are..GO BUCS!!!!
November 7th, 2017 at 8:29 am
I said we had no Biz being on Hard Knocks from Jump. jameis this and Jameis that…And all of you basked in the Sun..Didn’t you? Now, you are all hidin in the shade. Course..had we built this team Defensively like we did..when we were winners..We wouldn’t be havin these problems. WOW..see our offense score 32..then see the opponents score..34!!! The HARD life of a Bucs fan.