Fans Irked By Playcalls Get Loud Advocate
November 30th, 2017
Confused by Dirk Koetter.
Joe is in the minority.
Joe has made it clear he rarely get his briefs bunched up over specific plays that Bucs coach Dirk Koetter has given to his offense. Oh, sure, a play here or there makes Joe scratch his head. But for the most part, complaining about playcalls is white noise to Joe. Too easy and too frequent.
For Bucs fans who do whine about playcalls, you have an ally. And this towering figure of sports media is the one and only Chris “Mad Dog” Russo of SiriusXM fame.
As is his custom, JoeBucsFan.com prized columnist eye-RAH! Kaufman joined his lifetime pal Russo Wednesday on the channel that bears Russo’s nickname, “Mad Dog Sports Radio” to discuss the news of the NFL.
Since Russo’s son is a student at the Univeristy of Tampa, the area has sort of become Russo’s second home. As such, Russo keeps close tabs on the Bucs and local teams. And to Russo’s horror, he watched the Bucs last week unable to convert a fourth-and-two situation deep in Dixie Chicks territory in a one-score game with seven minutes left.
And Russo jumped Ira about this yesterday.
Chris “Mad Dog” Russo: And your guy Koetter. You know what? Bucs played pretty hard on Sunday. You are down 28-21. You’ve got all the momentum in the world. You’ve got fourth and short. Kick the field goal. You need the field goal anyway. Kick the field goal. Keep momentum on your side with seven-and-a-half minutes to go that way if your defense allows the Falcons to come down the field and kick another field goal, at least you are still in the game. I thought that was terrible! Lot of bad coaching scenarios with the management of clocks this week, Ira, in the NFL. What’s your take on that?
eye-RAH! Kaufman: Now you see, that’s why I love going on the show so I get an opportunity to slap you around, Russo. That is worth its weight in gold; that is an intangible. You want to weigh in on Koetter? I was at the game. … First of all, you want to kick a field goal on fourth-and-one when you still need a touchdown to win? I don’t know what you are smoking over there Russo?
Russo: You could not get out of that without points! You could not get out of that sequence without points because once you did that the game is over! … They threw a pass play for crying out loud! Kick. The. Field. Goal. With seven-and-a-half minutes to go at 28-24. You have momentum. The defense feels good. You have the Falcons reeling a little bit. The game changes. That was a mistake.
Joe thought Koetter explained this well earlier in the week. Though he didn’t outright say it, it was clear Koetter simply didn’t trust his defense to hold the Dixie Chicks from eating up clock, marching down the field and winning the game if Koetter elected to kick a field goal there.
And that’s just what happened: The Bucs couldn’t convert on fourth down. The Dixie Chicks took over and ate up five minutes of clock to score a touchdown at the two-minute warning to put the game away.
A field goal did nothing there. As eye-RAH! pointed out, the Bucs would still have needed a touchdown by going for three.
November 30th, 2017 at 9:38 am
its not going for it on 4th and 2, its passing on 4th and 2….so dirk had faith in fitz but not the defense….I had zero faith in either….dirk should’ve tried a fake FG….that would’ve caught everyone off guard…but it is what it is….on to green bay….GO BUCS!!!!
November 30th, 2017 at 9:46 am
It’s easier to get two yards for the first and then have four more plays to get a TD, I don’t get it. I know a FG there wasn’t gonna cut it though. It is just inept not to get the first down, if he was worried about time he could have done a surprise onside kick after scoring the TD. Atlanta wanted the game more was better prepared and more creative. Dirk isn’t the guy but I would give him another year if they got rid of Smith and Licht.
November 30th, 2017 at 9:48 am
Koetter did the right thing. It’s football. Plays are plays. If they had made the plays Koetter will look genius. So it’s such a non issue.
November 30th, 2017 at 9:50 am
Koetter has zero faith in Jameis and would have called run at least one run play in that scenerio. But trust Fitzpatrick with three pass plays to end the game. Sorry I’m done with Koetter. His emotions effect his play calling and cost us games.
November 30th, 2017 at 9:51 am
There was nothing right about that sequence. 2nd and 2 and we throw 3 straight times, 2 of which were down the field. Either kick the FG or run the ball. What we did was ridiculously stupid, and there is no defending it.
November 30th, 2017 at 9:51 am
I was kind of hoping we could snag Herm as our replacement coach. Not sure how much better he would be but he’s great theater. Looks like he is headed to Arizona now.
November 30th, 2017 at 10:08 am
It’s not just the play calling it is the design of the entire offence. I knew that 3rd down call was going to fail when I saw the entire middle of the field get overcrowded with routes and defenders, and then that is where we threw to.
November 30th, 2017 at 10:09 am
Joe, it was 4th and 1. I for real don’t know why you twist it to alleviate the heat on Koetter’s playcalling. It’s bad. Everyone watching football can see it’s bad. But for some reason you go easy on the guy for this. I completely understand it when you say that you don’t want to criticize playcalling. But the truth is that middle school girls who’ve played Madden a couple times could make that simple playcall correctly and Koetter can’t. Kick the field goal or hand the ball to Barber. End of story.
November 30th, 2017 at 10:16 am
First off let me say I can’t stand loud mouth Russo. I didn’t believe in the play calling but I’m not so sure about kicking a FG. Mike Smith & his defensive line coach gotta go. Also not a big fan of Licht or Koetter.
November 30th, 2017 at 10:22 am
I disagree with him. Koetter made the right call go for the TD and take the lead while you’re down there. Apparently he hasn’t watched many Bucs games. Tell him to go back and watch the Arizona, Minnesota, and Buffalo games along with several others and it’ll make more sense why he didn’t have confidence in the defense stopping them from scoring again.
November 30th, 2017 at 10:25 am
It’s not the plays that are bad, it’s the player’s inability to execute them that’s bad. Every play in the Buc’s playbook has the potential to go for a touchdown. We’ve all seen a 4th and one break for a long score. I’ts not about play calling. It’s about hitting Hump in the chest with a pass and he drops it. It’s about Martin being dropped in the backfield with four defensive lineman on top of him. All the motion, play action, and deception is worthless if the players don’t execute. That’s not on Koetter. And another thing. The QB has the option to audible out of the play if he doesn’t like it.
November 30th, 2017 at 10:45 am
Fix the O-line then mysteriously the so called “play-calling” problem will be fixed!!!!!
Go Bucs!!!!!!!!!!!!
November 30th, 2017 at 11:00 am
This was the proverbial straw for me. Koetter said they were playing for the TD on 4th and 1 not the 1st down with 7-8 minutes left. If you don’t have faith in your defense to make the stop then why on earth do you throw the ball 4 consecutive times?! On 4th and 1 there are only 2 calls to make with a struggling defense in that situation: Kick the FG, and pray the D holds OR RUN THE FOOTBALL and get the 1st down, thus keeping the clock running.
The other random thought I had was that how do the defensive players feel about the decision. Grimes just scooped the fumble, now you’re saying “I don’t trust you.” If he had such little trust, why didn’t he intervene with a swift kick to Smitty?! Something like, “Hey Mike, you might want to cover that #11 over there.” And, maybe that conversation should’ve occurred say like, in the 2nd quarter! Maybe?!
I would feel a whole lot better if we had attempted the run and not got it than putting three TEs in a route 5-10 yards downfield! At least it shows you’re not afraid to punch somebody in the mouth!
November 30th, 2017 at 11:04 am
TBBF has been a critic of Koetter playcalling for a couple of years….
I don’t agree that we should have kicked the FG there because our D couldn’t make stops all game.
I do disagree with the playcall. I would have called a bootleg from Fitz giving him the option to run.
The playcalling mistakes explain part of the Bucs impotency on offense. Koetter was better at playcalling as an OC.
If he want’s to save his job and if he gets the chance, he should bring in an OC and delegate the playcalling….and, he can actually turn it over to Monken now….but I doubt he will do that.
November 30th, 2017 at 11:12 am
Play-calling looks great if the play works and bad if it doesn’t. Also after years of Raheem, Schiano and Lovie, Koetter still looks great in comparison.
November 30th, 2017 at 11:17 am
Two plays – I’ll say it for the 100th time:
1. the 4th and 2
Why send every receiver on an 8-10yd hitch or seam on 4th and 2 without a single short outlet?
2. Falcons ensuing drive- 3rd and long:
The Bucs single Julio and give him a 12yd cushion and the CB backpedals at the snap. Julio literally waltzed to the first down marker and caught an easy first down lob completely unimpeded.
Inept.
November 30th, 2017 at 11:19 am
DDL
draft Drew Lock
November 30th, 2017 at 11:21 am
Kevin Says:
November 30th, 2017 at 11:12 am
Also after years of Raheem, Schiano and Lovie, Koetter still looks great in comparison.
LOL….THATS TOTAL BS….
dirk is doing less with more….the offense has regressed….the defense has regressed….we have 5 blow outs in counting this year….nothing about dirk and smitty looks great….GO BUCS!!!!
November 30th, 2017 at 11:22 am
None of this small talk matters. Not one Iota. The Great Lombardi once said, Good teams find ways to WIn games. The mediorce and average teams Pray..calls will go there way. Thats us Bucs fans. Prayin, hopin, and ah wishin every GD Sunday, Our team will..Luck up and win one. Nough said.
November 30th, 2017 at 12:01 pm
Yeah you try to score but you don’t throw it 3 times when you only need 2 yards. Payton Barber will get 2 yards you can count on that. There was 7 minutes left. Plenty of time to have tied it up and given less time for Ryan.
November 30th, 2017 at 12:03 pm
The Bucs offensive play calling is horrible about situational play calling. Dirt consistently calls for low percentage plays that don’t pan out. You can be creative and smart at the same time. The defense still has the same issues its had for the last 6 plus years. No pass rush coupled with poor DB’s. The LB’s try and make up the everything else.
@ 813bucboi: I concur. You nailed it!
November 30th, 2017 at 12:39 pm
Yes you are in the minority on this one Joe. Play calling is suddenly not a big deal to you? It would have been stupid to kick a field goal yes but this is common sense and it’s like Pete Carroll getting killed after losing the super bowl for throwing the ball in a clear obvious running situation. It happens all the time so how could not judge play calling? Everyone else does. We judged Mike Sullivan for instance on how ineffective his offense is.
Why not judge who is on the field like why are more plays called for Adam hump than oj Howard, you judge personnel packages he’s using and all kinds of other things and real football fans can see that.
We know who Bernard reedy and Freddie Martino is. They should have seen a long time ago if Bobo Wilson is better. Oj and the rookie receiver have had better seasons than hump so dirk is making emotional decisions not football decisions. I just want a coach with balls
November 30th, 2017 at 2:15 pm
Koetter, the HEAD couch, is suppose to know how to run a defense. Not just having a defensive coordinator do it. Instead both him and Smity run this God awful defensive scheme to where he can’t trust his defense to keep the other team from scoring.
November 30th, 2017 at 2:16 pm
*HEAD coach
November 30th, 2017 at 4:43 pm
Irk Koetter – No D is necessary.
December 1st, 2017 at 10:12 am
If the “D” did it’s job the Falcons wouldn’t have 28 points. That is all on the defensive players. With a pass rush there is no deep throws to Jones, and Mike Smith can not make our D line play with heart – what a waste of a great coach (read his book).