Distractions? What Distraction?
December 12th, 2017
Not lacking focus.
Joe noticed some, in the wake of yet another loss, this one to the limp Lions, reached for the tried and true empty excuse to wave off responsibility: Distractions!
Some — none from the Bucs — have more than hinted that the hand grenade Ian Rapoport of NFL Network rolled into the bunker Sunday morning, claiming growing rancor between America’s Quarterback, Pro Bowler Jameis Winston, and Bucs coach Dirk Koetter, not just exploded within NFL circle but threw the Bucs for a loop and took their focus away from the game.
This seems like a stretch.
Koetter said he first learned of the report after the game was over. And if Koetter didn’t know about it, Joe thinks it is safe to believe few players knew of it either.
In Koetter’s weekly, exclusive sitdown with Dan Lucas of WFLA-TV Channel 8 on Monday, Lucas asked if this report of friction would distract Jameis in the final three games of the season.
Koetter scoffed at the thought.
“Of course he can,” said Koetter of Jameis tuning out the white noise.
“Jameis is tremendous at blocking out distractions and focusing on the task at hand. We can’t control stuff that people say. People say stuff all the time, especially when you are not having the type of season you wanted to have or expected to have. If you worried about every single thing that people said about you, you wouldn’t get much done.”
Well, the trap for distractions will be tested Monday night, when Chucky and his BSPN outfit come to town and Chucky is inducted into the Ring of Honor. Joe has a hunch the natives will be freaking out and turn the night into a circus.
Boy, with all the Chucky-wants-to-coach-the-Bucs rumors swirling, Joe would pay to be a fly on the wall when Chucky has a sitdown with Koetter in BSPN production meetings.
To view Lucas’ full interview with Koetter, click on the white arrow below. Video courtesy of WFLA-TV Channel 8.
December 12th, 2017 at 9:16 am
Joe,
Speaking of LIMP any updates on Cancer93
December 12th, 2017 at 9:32 am
Looking forward to McDonough asking Gruden about the coaching rumors during the broadcast…”Sean…I’m just trying to hang on the the job I have”…circus indeed.
December 12th, 2017 at 9:45 am
Anyone remember after the Super Bowl victory, how Gruden held up the Lombardi and said “Tampa – you ain’t seen nothin’ yet!”?
Raheem Morris.
Greg Schiano.
Lovie Smith.
Dirk Koetter.
Seasons: 9
Playoff appearances: 0
Oh, we’ve seen nothin’ now.
December 12th, 2017 at 9:52 am
Justafan
the more dramatic number is NOT a single meaningful win in 15 years…
December 12th, 2017 at 9:53 am
JUStafan lol 😂 true that
December 12th, 2017 at 9:55 am
The sad thing is we’ve had little to no luck stock piling the high draft picks and turning them into franchise players like the Jags and Rams. They can see improvement in almost every phase. We on the other hand are struggling just to see a dim light at the end of the tunnel. Even the Browns if they had any quality QB play what so ever they might look better than the Bucs.
December 12th, 2017 at 9:58 am
Bucnjim
it’s not about luck it’s bad business. ownership clearly has no clue who to hire nor how to build a consistent winner. it’s been over a decade now they will not magically figure it out this offseason.
December 12th, 2017 at 9:58 am
damn….this could get ugly real quick….falcons playing for their playoff hopes….they’ll come out focus and ready to get the “W”…..
its hard to believe how this season has gone and how the nfc south has a real chance at getting 3 teams into the dance…..I would’ve bet money that we would’ve been one of the 3 teams fighting for the division crown or WC spot….
now we have russell shepard, sterling moore, clayborn and reedy(pats) all on teams that will be in the playoffs…..this is crazy…..Black Monday cant come fast enough…..GO BUCS!!!!
December 12th, 2017 at 10:03 am
I am so excited to see all the “so-called” Bucs fans that will embarrass the Bucs on national TV this Monday!!!!! Then to follow with all week, national media making fun and ridicule Tampa all week long!!!!!!
Go Sheep!!!!!!!!!
December 12th, 2017 at 10:05 am
It won’t matter about distractions come time to play the Falcons. They..will play Well seeing they have something to play for. The football gods have already decided the worthiness of our Bucs. And if the game is close? Don’t even think about it. I got it 33 to 17.
December 12th, 2017 at 10:06 am
The lack of aggression on both sides of the ball are what drives me crazy. I guess the biggest mistake being made is reading too much into character. If you are going to draft a bunch of choir boys (even if they have talent) they won’t last long against some of these Alpha’s that are looking to rip your head off.
December 12th, 2017 at 10:10 am
The Buc Realist
nobody wants to relive a failed past more than buc fan….
December 12th, 2017 at 10:14 am
Maybe the Glazers themselves leaked this story out there. It won’t be looking good for their franchise after they send Dirk packing so they need this kind of distraction to make it look justified.
December 12th, 2017 at 10:14 am
There hasn’t been a bright future in so long the only place to look is in the past.
December 12th, 2017 at 10:16 am
If we can bring in Gruden to coach and stay out of the draft day warroom it could work
December 12th, 2017 at 10:18 am
So many positions now need to be addressed who knows how long it will take to be competitive. At least 4 on the defensive line; 4 in the Secondary; 2 or more on the offensive line; 2 at RB; Special Teams? This may take a while!
December 12th, 2017 at 10:22 am
gurden started this streak of failures with bad decisions and player drama… gruden’s ego will not allow him to just coach. anyone who thinks otherwise is delusional at best… trying to recreate a failed past is absolutely IGNORANT and will fail miserably. Living in the past is for people who are too scared to move forward and experience something new.
December 12th, 2017 at 10:30 am
The Buc Realist Says:
December 12th, 2017 at 10:03 am
Then to follow with all week, national media making fun and ridicule Tampa all week long!!!!!!
WRONG!!!!!…..
after the falcons blow us out(yet again), the media will be calling dirk incompetent and saying theres an 100% chance he’ll be gone on “BLACK Monday”…..
your golden boy has failed miserably @realist…..simple as that!!!!….GO BUCS!!!!
December 12th, 2017 at 10:35 am
Nah tmax. I don’t think it’s that way and Gruden would not be able to coach without having full control. That’s why he’s being rumored for the Giants gig too.
December 12th, 2017 at 11:25 am
It worked for Apple when they brought Steve Jobs back, and boy did it work out well. Who knows, maybe Chucky comes in full of crazy energy and works his magic. Maybe he has learned a thing or two by analyzing all these teams over the last nine years. It is not like he has been hanging out on his coach not involved with football. It’s really all the draft picks we gave up for Chucky and Key that started the downward turn. It is not like the Bucs were the first Super Bowl team to fall apart after the SB., it happens all the time. I say the should have never fired gruden to begin with, the winning would have returned. Then again, I am not sure firing another coach after just two years is the right decision either. I guess we will all know more in 2018.
December 12th, 2017 at 12:02 pm
Seems like Jameis is going to get Dirk fired, one way or another. Either by rumors or from his bad play in recent weeks. That’s 2 weeks in a row that JW has cost us a win with turnovers. Counting those 2 games we should have 8-9 wins already this season, that’s how close games are in the NFL. Top off season moves should be to get some QB competition for JW, a new DC, and a new GM to evaluate talent. Winston was given the job over Glennon without having to compete because he was the No.1 pick in the Draft (and Lovie’s choice). The 53 turnovers in 42 games SCREAMS he is NO better than MG8 was, except yardage wise. And who knows if Mike would have gotten more yards too with DK as his OC. The OC’s the 2 years MG8 was QB were both QB coaches their previous year and had ZERO experience calling plays. JW and MG8 had ALMOST identical stats through their first 18 1/2 games. Seems like a wasted No.1 pick in the Draft if you ask me. If you think Gruden would put up with ALL of JW’s TO’s you’re dead wrong. Hell, he didn’t even want Brad Johnson when he came here and he wasn’t even a turnover machine like Winston is.
The other 2 moves are pretty simple as well. We have to get a NEW DC if we want to compete next year OR give him BETTER players to coach. Which brings me to Licht needing to be replaced. He hasn’t been able to evaluate talent since he got here, starting with Glennon. He had 29 TD’s and ONLY 15 INT’s, which is BETTER than most beginning QB’s do. But Licht had to waste a No.1 pick he could have traded away and gotten more picks with, boneheaded if you ask me. He could have gotten the BEST defensive lineman in the Draft if he wanted to. We have needed DL help since Licht got here and he got one of the worst RB’s in last years RB heavy Draft. The Bucs are still a couple years away from having enough talent to compete on defense because Licht CANNOT evaluate talent. Send them packing! #WalkThePlank #NoMoreExcuses
December 12th, 2017 at 12:45 pm
Proprioception is probably affecting my thought process on this, but Rapoport works for the NFL Network (owned by the NFL), and he has every incentive to hype an upcoming Monday night match up. The stories may or may not be true, but the idea is to create some drama surrounding the Bucs to get more people to watch a practically meaningless game for our fan base.
December 12th, 2017 at 1:10 pm
The only “distraction” this team has is that it has to play 3 more games!
December 12th, 2017 at 2:59 pm
Screw Gruden!!!
December 12th, 2017 at 8:42 pm
@tmaxx this may be the only post I agree with you! The Gruden push is a no go as all that were aware when he was let go don’t want a rerun of that!
December 13th, 2017 at 2:41 am
Trade the W eating moron to the Browns for 2 x first rounders & start over, preferably with linemen on both sides of the ball, first. Jameis won’t improve the boneheaded decision making, & we all know it. Time to move on and start over. Doug Martin, see ya later. Swaggy Baker-bye. The irony may be, Koetter is a very good coach but you can’t make a silk purse out of a sows ear. Not like the roster is overflowing with talent. Eating too many L’s, nom nom.
December 14th, 2017 at 2:09 am
I believe Gruden goes to the Giants and Koetter stays with the Bucs IF…he agrees to a new offensive coordinator calling plays in 2018, Mike Smith replaced with a younger defensive coordinator and finding a quarterback coach that can have a positive impact on Winston. If not…he’s gone!