Falcons 34, Buccaneers 20
November 26th, 2017
Dirk Koetter and Ryan Fitzpatrick couldn’t find touchdowns
At least the Buccaneers battled hard. Very hard.
Hey, Joe is fishing for positives here at the Georgia Dome, as Tampa Bay appeared to clinch the NFC South cellar for the sixth time in seven years.
But the cold reality is the Bucs paid dearly for no first-half pass rush and no touchdown daggers in the playbook.
That’s a recipe for losing every time against a Julio Jones party and your defense allowing 517 yards. Also, the magical turnovers didn’t show up nearly as often against a much more sound offense than that of the Dolphins and Jets. The Bucs got one huge forced fumble from Kendell Beckwith, but they needed more.
Rookie Justin Evans and second-year man Ryan Smith, in his first NFL season at cornerback, had their painful learning moments, though they did their share of good things and Joe certainly isn’t hanging the loss on them.
So now what?
The Bucs are 4-7 and the inevitable Fire Dirk Koetter chatter is going to return this week, though you won’t hear a shred of that from Joe.
The Bucs were competitive against a division rival on the road, but dammit, it was a winnable game against a Falcons team that was down Devonta Freeman and lost stud cornerback Desmond Trufant for more than half the game.
The Bucs’ defense? What defense?
The lack of offensive juice in the first half was a killer, when Koetter couldn’t find anything in his bag of tricks for Ryan Fitzpatrick, who absolutely again looked the part of excellent backup QB. (Not one target to a tight end in the first half?)
Two rushing touchdowns for Peyton Barber? Well done, son. Can we please give this kid the rock regularly now that the season is lost?
It’s off to Green Bay for the usually devastating third consecutive road game. Get well soon, Jameis.
Stick with Joe all afternoon for plenty from the Bucs’ locker room and more.
November 26th, 2017 at 3:57 pm
Dirk’s offense, Mike Smith’s defense, Jason’s team.
No confidence.
November 26th, 2017 at 3:57 pm
Deja Vu.
November 26th, 2017 at 3:57 pm
Fire Koetter!!!! GET A REAL HEAD COACH!
November 26th, 2017 at 3:57 pm
We’ll get ’em next year. Or the year after. Definitely, three years from now. Shouldn’t take more than four years max to turn this around.
November 26th, 2017 at 3:58 pm
Dirk might have sealed his fate with not taking the points with 7 mins to go. Cut the lead to four to keep the pressure on the Atlanta offense.
November 26th, 2017 at 3:59 pm
Time to rebuild again. GM, coaching staff and majority of the players need to be replaced.
November 26th, 2017 at 3:59 pm
Bucs never had a chance what a pathetic organization captained by a soft career loser
November 26th, 2017 at 3:59 pm
Our coaches suck. Atlantas prevent d gives less cushion than our cbs. And dont get me started on our offensive playcallling. I wonder if Mike Smith was waiting for Jones to get 300 yards before making adjustments? What a joke
November 26th, 2017 at 4:00 pm
Dirk Koetter throttled this team against his former employer. Do us a favor and unload Mike Smith. He’s no longer your boss,
November 26th, 2017 at 4:01 pm
The absolute HORROR..of being a Bucs fan!
November 26th, 2017 at 4:01 pm
MY HOLIDAY WISHLIST FOR GLAZER FAMILY….
FIRE SMITH
FIRE KOETTER
FIRE LICHT
SELL TEAM!!
November 26th, 2017 at 4:02 pm
Hate to say it but Same Old Bucs. Until we have corners that can play press coverage we are never going to win in this division. The quarterbacks are just too good. With no pass rush and corners playing 9-10 yds. off the receiver it’s just a recipe for disaster.
November 26th, 2017 at 4:02 pm
I don’t have a problem with koetter going for it
I mean the defense couldn’t stop a cold today.
November 26th, 2017 at 4:03 pm
Interesting to here what the game plan was against there top offensive receiver! Did they have one or were just winging it?
November 26th, 2017 at 4:04 pm
Guy the whole D line and try to restructure GMC contract, nothing but tired unmotivated bodies there.
This has to be the most underacheiving offense in the history of football, that play call on fourth down to brate was ridiculous, with the lingering Winston suspension and lack of production all around it’s time to get the whole team and start from scratch.
November 26th, 2017 at 4:04 pm
I love my Bucs, but with or without Jameis they stink
November 26th, 2017 at 4:04 pm
Gut
November 26th, 2017 at 4:08 pm
Well I guess we can start talking about the draft now
November 26th, 2017 at 4:08 pm
Dirk was wondering at one point about being the HC and calling the offense. The results are in. Either be the coach or OC! It’s painfully obvious that the man can not do both. Offensive calls were beyond horrible the entire first half. He was on a roll briefly in second half and then came the calls on 2 nd and 2. WTH was that all about? School yard calls by a “ professional” coach when a fan in the stands could have picked up two. Under performing team all around. The O line played a great game for the most part and you can’t trust them to get a two yard push? How demoralizing it has been to watch this dumpster fire this year.
November 26th, 2017 at 4:09 pm
Season was already over….but they played. We’ll try again next year, hopefully with a top 10 draft pick for DE (Arden or Chubb) and maybe a new DC
November 26th, 2017 at 4:10 pm
THis The softest defense I have ever seen period
November 26th, 2017 at 4:11 pm
This assures the eighth straight year of no playoffs since the bucs fired Jon Gruden.
Thank you Glazers.
Thank you moronic fan base.
Thank you local hack media.
November 26th, 2017 at 4:12 pm
Who is #29 again? He spent the entire game slip sliding and face down on the turf. I have seen players run better in the snow!
November 26th, 2017 at 4:14 pm
Can’t blame the run game this week for this sorry offense so what excuses do you have for dinner this week? All this offensive talent and you keep trying to blame defense for the losing. All these weapons and all you can do is score 20 points? You know what if you’re defense sucks the coach does something to fix it, this team belongs to dirk not Mike Smith, this is Dirk’s defense not Mike Smith, you mean dirk had nothing to say about playing so far off receivers on third and short? Garbage
November 26th, 2017 at 4:14 pm
The defense has been the reason we have lost the games we have, not the offense. This defense sucks defense line sucks
November 26th, 2017 at 4:15 pm
Dump winston, draft qb, start fitz next year.
November 26th, 2017 at 4:15 pm
Simple analytical fact….ain’t got the horses
November 26th, 2017 at 4:15 pm
Well there goes the season. Salvage it with an 8-8 finish and I’ll be content. We started this season of way too slow to make a serious run. Serious improvement will have to be shown next year or show Koetter the door. Licht’s safe in my book. He’s stockpiled enough talent for this team to be competitive. First priority this off season is a real threat off the edge though.
November 26th, 2017 at 4:16 pm
LOL, Kaelin Clay tearing it up!!! smdh
November 26th, 2017 at 4:18 pm
Keeping any shred of this administration is simply delaying the inevitable. Koetter is simply not HC material. Sorry that’s just reality. Def coordinator is lost and requires a complete rebuild. Team needs several solid drafts to fix this but I have zero faith in Licht to do it correctly.
November 26th, 2017 at 4:19 pm
All I want for Christmas is for the Glazers to SELL this team!
November 26th, 2017 at 4:21 pm
I think we got the Saints Panthers and Falcons left in next five. We’re going 4-1?
Not hardly.
November 26th, 2017 at 4:22 pm
Joe, the next time you’re at One Buc Place please pack Mike Smith’s stuff and put it to the curb.
Security needs to ask for his badge.
November 26th, 2017 at 4:26 pm
It is not the coaching… it is the talent
November 26th, 2017 at 4:27 pm
I’m calling out 3 individuals this game. KOETTER…. LOUSY PLAY CALLING ON 4TH DOWN. If you plan on throwing it you need to spread the defense out. MIKE SMITH…. YOU PUT YOUR WORST CORNER ON JULIO JONES?!? BRENT GRIMES…. INEXUSEABLE TO MISS THOSE TACKLES. YOU 3 LOST US THE GAME TODAY!!!
November 26th, 2017 at 4:28 pm
I’m calling out 3 individuals this game. KOETTER…. LOUSY PLAY CALLING ON 4TH DOWN. If you plan on throwing it you need to spread the defense out. MIKE SMITH…. YOU PUT YOUR WORST CORNER ON JULIO JONES?!? BRENT GRIMES…. INEXUSEABLE TO MISS THOSE TACKLES. YOU 3 LOST US THE GAME TODAY!!!
November 26th, 2017 at 4:33 pm
Only losing coach Koetter could make a one possession game a two possession loss. Nice going Dirk.
November 26th, 2017 at 4:36 pm
I don’t get it, you have a decently mobile QB in Fitzpatrick and on the other side of the ball a less mobile,guy in Ryan, yet Atlanta is smart enough to fake the run to the left then Ryan slides to the right and they get the crosser for first downs. Yet our Professor of Offense puts in a long developing play dropping his QB straight back and making vertical pass in the middle of the field into a crowd when 2 yards keeps you in the game.
This coach has big bodies on offense that can play physical yet the design of the offense doesn’t take advantage of it. The team with the exception of Beckwith, David and Alexander doesn’t play nasty. The offense doesn’t have any identity, Dirk’s offense is getting worse with better players. You want to see improvement but you don’t. Really poorly coached team, mostly unprepared every week. Only 2 things this year improved, field,goal kicking and pass blocking, otherwise 2017 is the year the Bucs were outplayed and outfoxed all season.
November 26th, 2017 at 4:39 pm
Let’s not blame justin evans or ryan smith…who was supposed to keep julio under 250?
November 26th, 2017 at 4:43 pm
Say what you want about the defense but my god, the offense sucks!!! All the way from the play calling to the execution and everything in between! Just sucks because I see teams like the eagles and rams who have had issues in the last couple of years just tearing it up. I’m trying to find anything positive from today or even this year and I can’t come up with anything. I guess we found a kicker who can actually kick so that’s good news 😳
November 26th, 2017 at 5:25 pm
im not in the fire koetter crowd, but man they have got to get rid of mike smith and that trash play calling on defense. Not enough heat on third down, playing soft man.
November 26th, 2017 at 5:33 pm
Th only players that get 250+ yards a game are High School RB’s and maybe a few QB’s. You give that up in the pros and you have to question are you a pro football player?
November 26th, 2017 at 5:34 pm
Are you a pro coach?
November 26th, 2017 at 5:44 pm
Bucs are not a 4-7 tean. Problem is Dirk Koetter and his assistant Mike Smith. He needs to get rid of Smith. Whatever….
November 26th, 2017 at 6:12 pm
Was it really competitive? Because they sat on a lead and played soft? Don’t think we were even close. Even if we tied it up not like we would stop them after. Against good teams we only seem to play well when in a big hole.. there is a reason for that.