When Good Players Play
November 26th, 2017
Odd choice in personnel.
It was 27-6 early in the third quarter. The game appeared grim at the time. How could anyone expect a Ryan Fitzpatrick-led team to overcome that margin the way the Bucs play ole’ defense on the road?
But the Bucs showed life.
A 17-yard pass to Chris Godwin got the Bucs rolling. Another 17-yard pass to O.J. Howard (Fitz threaded the needle) followed by a two-yard run by Peyton Barber gave the Bucs their first touchdown of the game.
Joe has to politely ask, where the hell were these three guys in the first half?
Barber has been the Bucs’ best running back this year but for reasons that are not too clear, Barber has been in the witness protection program.
Godwin has been on fire of late and even winning Bucs coach Dirk Koetter had said last week he wants to get Godwin on the field more in clutch situations. Howard’s play the past three weeks or so speaks for itself.
Yet Koetter, for unknown reasons, decided to use them first when the game looked out of hand.
Joe isn’t one to b!tch about play-calling often because Joe isn’t seeing what the defenses are taking away or showing. That often dictates a play. But not using guys who have shown they can and are producing until it’s too late? Joe has an issue with that.
November 26th, 2017 at 4:44 pm
Notice how the offense picked up when Doug Martin went out…. just sayin’
November 26th, 2017 at 4:48 pm
When it’s 3rd and 2 and humphries runs a 1 yard route he should be benched.
Let Godwin have those snaps from now on.
And Howard should be a focal point in this offense but we have idiots for coaches.
November 26th, 2017 at 4:48 pm
Just me, but I say send Koetter back to his OC duties and hire a new HC….of course the new HC probably wouldnt want him though.
November 26th, 2017 at 4:48 pm
I’m seriously over this coaching staff
November 26th, 2017 at 4:48 pm
Martin is overplayed should of got out when they had the chance
November 26th, 2017 at 4:49 pm
yes Steve I noticed. same thing happened when Martin got benched a few games back. Only a bad coach would keep rolling with martin…….just like only a bad coach would keep giving Sims the ball 20 carries per game like last year…….and only a bad coach would keep running hump onto the field for key moments that he clearly can’t handle
November 26th, 2017 at 4:52 pm
Haha. Garbage time glory.
November 26th, 2017 at 4:54 pm
Joe, I am asking the very same questions… Why are these talents not being used much earlier in the game? Is Dirk Koetter a little overwhelmed as a Head Coach when the team gets behind?
It seems his creativity is lost when we are not close in the score…. These guys only see playing time when the best 40;00 to 45:00 minutes are already gone.
November 26th, 2017 at 4:56 pm
was Sims in the slot again today? That’s another experiment that completely failed that Dirk fails to recognize.
The wasted talent on offense that this guy rolls out for 3-6 first half points each and every week really makes me dry heave.
November 26th, 2017 at 4:56 pm
Totally different game if ME doesn’t drop 2 TD passes. If America’s QB had made the same throws and ME dropped them, Joe’s would be screaming about how Winston was screwed by Evans
November 26th, 2017 at 4:59 pm
That 5 game stretch Mike Smith and the defense had last year. Where we looked pretty solid. Sure seems like it was a mirage now doesn’t it? This defensive backfield we got is a joke. Guys been running wide freaking open for the past 2 seasons. Playing so far off, the receivers go anywhere they want.
I don’t want to see Koetter go. But the thing is if he stays. He is keeping this coaching staff together. And we will have the same defensive and offensive coordinators. Making these wonderful calls all over again next year. I’m renewing my season tickets right now…….not!!!
November 26th, 2017 at 4:59 pm
I don’t buy the crap that the Bucs don’t have the talent to compete week in, week out. On the OFFENSE side of the ball! A blind man can see that it is offensive coaching/ high school play calling that has put this team in the toilet. When you have a sieve for a Defense you need to put points on the board. This coach just isn’t doing his job. Period. Joe makes a good point that fans have been screaming about all year. Play the damn talent that you have and involve them in your game plan. Inexcusable to sit Godwin, OJ and Barber at all! They are proven commodities, even in just after thought mode! Hopefully we will play the hell out of these kids for the rest of the year to give them the experience they need for next year. Coaching has killed this team- not talent. Fire Smith and who knows what kind of defense we may have. These guys are not being put in a position to excel. 10-12 yards off on JJ nearly every play with your best corner as far away from him as you can get? What’s the excuse for leaving Ryan as the only tree in the forest when you have Grimes guarding what? Air? Fire Smith tonight!
November 26th, 2017 at 5:02 pm
Yes, Barber with his 1.4 ypc over Martin’s 4.7 ypc. Barber hasn’t even had a run over 14 yards in 32 attempts. Just imagine if your defense was so bad you didn’t even make the other team punt.
November 26th, 2017 at 5:04 pm
end of 2nd quarter we get first and goal and f alcons have 1 timeout……..we fail to take any time off the clock or force them to use their last timeout………we don’t even come away with 7 which would be the only excuse for not taking the clock away from them.
It’s almost like we didn’t score points there when game management gives them control of the clock to match our field goal………This may sound like nitpicking but Dirk has screwed up most of these calls this year. This guy can’t coach.
November 26th, 2017 at 5:06 pm
NOO the offense picked up when the idiot coach decided to use him tight end of Howard who is a clear mismatch for every defense we’ve used him against. Idiot head coach, Martin has a decent game with the carries he was given as did all the running backs, it’s not like they have the Panthers type defense. Dirk simply can’t walk and chew gum and I suspect if he won’t give up play calling he’s a goner although I would love it if he got fired right now. The run game has been the excuse all year long, the run game allowed him to open up the playbook since they were in 2nd or 3rd and shirts the entire first half but dirk is just a sorry coach who had no idea what to do with these weapons
November 26th, 2017 at 5:12 pm
lol comical that you say Barber has been the Bucs best back, they all have been garbage!!
November 26th, 2017 at 5:13 pm
I dont get the payton barber hype, he had 5 rushes for 7 yards (thats 1.4 yds per rush) and hes the best back on the team??
Joe u really dont think doug could have gotten that one yard then 2 yard TD runs? i could have tripped and gotta that one yard run. im glad peyton did it but damn you acting like he broke off a 20 yard run and scored a TD
Theres a reason barber was undrafted. Bucs gotta draft a running back in the 3rd or 4th round next year. But the runing game wont change till we get better O line men and better offensive playcalling.
Doug Martin has 7 rushes for 33 (4.7avg) then gets injured and jacquizz has the whole 2nd half and he gets…… 8 rushes for 31 yards (3.9 avg). No matter who is running it they wont be succesful behind this o-line. Football is not about skill positions its about Lineman (offsneive and defensvie) and also QB play. Nothing else
November 26th, 2017 at 5:16 pm
The play-calling and run blocking are a real problem. Mike Smith is an even bigger problem, though.
November 26th, 2017 at 5:17 pm
Fitz couldn’t throw the ball downfield at all since early in the game today so something is also up with him. It too a mighty windup just to go 20 yards.
November 26th, 2017 at 5:23 pm
Dirk made to horrible decisions bring in his friend as DC
And no OC
November 26th, 2017 at 5:25 pm
Dirk Koetter SUCK!!!
November 26th, 2017 at 5:48 pm
Fitz or DK has forgot how to get the ball to ME, you throw a low pass to him instead using his 6’5” height in the end zone, giving the DB a better chance to make a play. It has worked in the past, they don’t think it will work any more
November 26th, 2017 at 5:58 pm
Tandy continues to sit. Bucs continue to lose. Ready for Dirk and Smith to Giddy up on outta here….Wonder how many times on ESPN will show Julio and say YOU GOT MOSSED???
November 26th, 2017 at 6:40 pm
You might have a point, but we also need to stop getting so excited about late production when way down. I knew being way in the hole we would claws back somewhat… I also knew people would get way too excited.same thing every time.
November 26th, 2017 at 6:47 pm
Humphries needs to sit for Godwin. Season is done, let rookies develop and frankly I think Godwin can bring much more as a total WR then Humphries
November 26th, 2017 at 6:55 pm
Harbaugh please!!!!….GO BUCS!!!
November 26th, 2017 at 7:30 pm
Hilarious!
The Bucs down several scores, the D goes soft in a prevent, a third-team RB finds a couple of holes in the soft front and suddenly he’s the Best Back?
LOL
November 27th, 2017 at 8:54 am
Pretty much everyone on this board agrees with:
Smith D: cannot stop anyone in zone or 3rd down: Smith grade F
Koetter O: too many wrong playcalls for down/distance, unable to design an offence to take advantage of superior athletic skill players: Howard, Godwin, Evans and Jackson to create mismatches so they get ball in space Grade: D
Atlanta fired Smith because they didn’t have good defenses, Koetter went along for the ride. Bucs had better get some offensive coaches that can get them over the 15-20 PPG average because on a good day this defense will still give up over 20 points, a bad day 30-40 and only on their best games against bad offenses will they hold a team under 20.
Time to find a system that gets the ball to the best players, clearly Doug Martin and Humphries are not the guys to be giving the ball too in any pressure situation. Humphries scares me, he almost gave up another inception by tipping a ball to the defense and WTF happened to Mike Evans this year, he looks like an average WR. I thought he was better than Jeffries and that the Bucs didn’t need to sign Alshon but after watching Jeffries this season and Evans, clearly the ex-Bear is outplaying him.