Failure At The Finish Disturbs Chris Simms
December 20th, 2017
Former Bucs QB and current NBC analyst Chris Simms can’t believe what he saw on the Bucs’ sidelines Monday.
You saw it. Joe saw it. Former Buccaneers quarterback Chris Simms saw it.
For some reason, Tampa Bay was very slow getting its field goal unit on the field for the game-tying kick with five seconds on the clock Monday night.
TV cameras caught Dirk Koetter flailing his arms for the special teams unit to get set. Keep in mind the Bucs were set up the kick with a spike, so everyone in the stadium knew what was coming.
The kick wasn’t completely rushed, but it certainly wasn’t the typical kicking rhythm for Patrick Murray because the special teams unit was late getting on the field.
“The fact that they had to rush the game-tying field goal at the end because the play clock was almost running down. It’s those little things that I look at and go, ‘Man, what the hell are you doing over there on the sideline when you know your team is trying to drive down and kick the game-typing field goal?’ Simms told Mike Florio on NBC Sports Network.
“How can you be, ‘Oh my gosh, there’s nine seconds left; let’s line up real quick and try to hit a 55 yard field goal to tie the game.’ That just is mind-blowing to me.”
It certainly was a bad look for the Bucs’ coaching staff, which earlier in the game watched Tampa Bay have 10 men on the field during Atlanta’s first touchdown.
December 20th, 2017 at 12:04 pm
Arguing with the refs, standing around rather than getting set. Dirk tried to blame it on the ref falling down but they had time to set up if they weren’t arguing. Truth is the ST has cost us countless games not only by missing fgs but also by putting us in god awful field position all season long.
December 20th, 2017 at 12:07 pm
I agree on ST blunder…….once again the finger is point towards coaching and game management
December 20th, 2017 at 12:11 pm
GRUDEN & RYAN with BISACCIA as Special Teams coach
December 20th, 2017 at 12:16 pm
Meh, Buccs were out timeouts because the defense couldnt stop them on third down on the first atlanta series. What else were the Buccs supposed to do in that situation. And the field goal wasnt rushed. Remember the spike stopped the clock and they had playclock to work with. The line looked set on the kick and the kick was long enough (good for future reference) hooked at the end. Had the buccs gotten off another play successfully and moved 5-7 yards closer the field goal would have been good with the same hook applied but the ref falling nixed any shot of another play.
December 20th, 2017 at 12:17 pm
Atlanta absolutely got no rush on the kick…no where close to blocking it so again, the line was set properly and the kick was not rushed.
December 20th, 2017 at 12:18 pm
uggggh not ryan…..gimme a Schwartz
oh yeah he coaches D for philly
I remember MOST media wanting Smith over Swartz
Blind love of Koetter’s guy…..SMH
December 20th, 2017 at 12:19 pm
you people choose the wrong candidates too
Mike Smith is a better head coach and Dirk Koetter is a better coordinator
December 20th, 2017 at 12:21 pm
It’s been the complaint since he took over as coach, Lovie was killed in the media for these type of game management issues but not dirk and I don’t get it. But the glazers aren’t stupid, if the average fan noticed that believe the guys that own the team were thinking the same thing. We lose close game because situational coaching is non existent here. He simply doesn’t have his teams prepared to play which says he’s not the guy. Forget the players on the field but think about the teams in our division that are going to the playoffs or are usually in the playoffs and ask yourself where dirk ranks among them and who he could out coach to win a game. I just don’t think he’ll get this team in the playoffs no matter who we draft or sign in free agency
December 20th, 2017 at 12:22 pm
We’re a bad football team and bad teams always look for excuses.
December 20th, 2017 at 12:23 pm
Making Smith (at the time) seems reasonable
but glazers panicked when Koetter interviewed for the SF job…..hmmm
Just bring in Gruden glazers!!!!! and all the REAL fans who could give a SPIT how NICE he was or liked
just know we were making the playoffs AT LEAST with mediocre talent compared to THIS
AND THE DIVISION TEAMS DEFENSE WERE STILL COMPETITIVE….oh Carolina made the superbowl inthose years too
with that Cajun QB
December 20th, 2017 at 12:23 pm
Was very displeased at that final drive. Take away the spikes and we only ran, what was it, 3-4 plays.
Most teams go for the win and either work the sidelines or look for something deep acros the middle to give them at least a look at the end zone.
Running 8 yard plays was a basic botch of the clock………Something that Dirk has been horrible at since he got here.
He played for a FG, a long one at that, which is fine if there is 25 ticks on the clock but we had well over a minute. That’s plenty of time for other good offense but it’s not enough for this coach……..We obviously don’t work on that situation in practice and if we do it’s being taught wrong.
Just another reason why this guy has to go. Get a real HC in here and we play for the win Monday Night…..worst case scenario when all your plays from scrimmage are successful should be a 30 yard FG not a freaking 54 yarder.
December 20th, 2017 at 12:23 pm
It is crazy, its like half the team was not here for training camp!!!!!! Oh wait!!!!!
Go Bucs!!!!!!!!! or should I say GO Backups!!!!!!!!
December 20th, 2017 at 12:28 pm
Was our kicking unit not prepared? That just falls in line with the rest of the team……..Just like our defense. Started out unprepared to stop the run and never adjusted. Just let them keep burning us. Guess they didn’t learn from the Arizona game.
December 20th, 2017 at 12:30 pm
We should have actually spiked the ball a second time (it was second down), just to give us a little more time. Then again, if the stupid ref didn’t trip over his own feet, we could have gotten off another play and got closer.
December 20th, 2017 at 12:32 pm
Just one more piece of concrete evidence about why this team may be worse than their 4-10 record.
December 20th, 2017 at 12:49 pm
This is what I,ve been saying all alone. as bad as Jameis has played in some games, this team still could have made the playoffs but with all the bad play calling on both offense and defense and dont leave out clock management. I just cant see myself blaming Jameis. we’ve lost a couple of games because the defense couldn’t hold a team to just a field goal. we’ve lost games because of bad clock management. we’ve lost games where we get a big stop only to see a yellow flag on the field and we all who the call go against 95% of the time. So my opinion is, we either need to get someone in here to ride not only Jameis a.. but the entire team a.. about these miscues weather Koetter stays and they bring in a strong willed OC to do this or weather they bring in a strong will new HC nonetheless, we got to get better coaching and some discipline has to be install for this team to win
December 20th, 2017 at 1:04 pm
The field goal percentage from that distance is less than 50 percent. The kick had the distance and would likely have been made from 48….
As far as rushing is concerned….I don’t think Patrick Murray would blame his miss on that. The ref falling on the ball was a bizarre occurrence and it not only should have added time on the clock but the play clock in addition.
Koetter needs to delegate….I think he is somewhat overwhelmed at crunch time.
We got in position but it would have been helpful for us to get out of bounds on a pass or two.
December 20th, 2017 at 1:10 pm
yet another coaching 101 mistake by dirk…..not calling T.O. when we had 10 players on the field was just stupid…..rushing a 55yard kick is even dumber!!!!GO BUCS!!!!
December 20th, 2017 at 1:39 pm
Put Chrissy Simms next to Ian Heckles as former Bucs from teams I’d like to forget.
December 20th, 2017 at 1:45 pm
Finally got the franchise qb in place and we can’t do squat with him.
But lets keep the status quo because our head coach is such a straight shooter.
December 20th, 2017 at 1:59 pm
My question is, why didn’t the rest of you guys see it? This kind of thing has happened more than once. And I still say that if Koetter stuck up for his guys more, they wouldn’t feel that they had to take it upon themselves to deal with the refs for just calls. Koetter is a good Assistance Coach or Unit Coach. But his personality doesn’t seem transferable into a successful HC.
December 20th, 2017 at 2:46 pm
Yeah right JonBucs……You know you cherish your Simms plush doll from the giveaway in 2004. You probably sleep with it every night in your Cadillac bed which overlooks your Alvin Harper poster.
December 20th, 2017 at 3:15 pm
Bad teams do bad things. Even retarded Joey in Special Ed knows that. Koetter is not a leader. And God knows..His ace road dog Dc pressbox Smitty is not one. No sense of urgency with this team all year. Why should there be any now? Bucs had better be careful. One blowout in these last 2 games and Koetter packs bags!!
December 20th, 2017 at 3:27 pm
I’m be stoked with Jon Gruden and Rex Ryan … they are at least “real coaches” with serious past success … I do like Koetter but he just seems over his head …
December 20th, 2017 at 3:33 pm
Mike Johnson Says:
December 20th, 2017 at 3:15 pm
Bucs had better be careful. One blowout in these last 2 games and Koetter packs bags!!
another blow out is going to happen and you can book it….panthers playing for the division so they’ll just beat us up real bad…..BUT I better believe sean payton is still pissed at what happened in N.O…he’s sure to run up the score and send dirk packing….GO BUCS!!!!
December 20th, 2017 at 3:56 pm
Just another inexcusable head coaching mistake. He has had plenty this year. I was done with him in arz when he threw in the towel. Theres no chance he survives all these inexcusable mistakes because, well, theyre inexcusable. He was a great coordinator. But lousy hc. I wont miss him.
December 20th, 2017 at 3:59 pm
Do they really need another blowout to know that Dirk ain’t getting the job done?……..We have been so bad that fans are just content to not get embarrassed on MNF.
Too many bad decision, bad players evaluations, garbage preparations. Not sure how any non-blowouts make up for that.
Not getting blowout by a division opponent should be a given for any decent coach
December 20th, 2017 at 4:28 pm
Getting players in and out quickly has been an issue this year. I will say that having so many backups playing is part of this, but ultimately it is the coach’s role to get players ready. But…
Players were caught off guard when ref fell.
They were trying to get the call, then realized they wouldn’t get it and had to hop to it and lost a few valuable seconds.
Lack of focus on their part to just do their job, as Bellicheck would say.
December 20th, 2017 at 4:47 pm
JimmyJack Says:
December 20th, 2017 at 3:59 pm
Do they really need another blowout to know that Dirk ain’t getting the job done?
sadly, I think so….not sure if you read the, “morning after” article but some fans were satisfied with losing by 3 to atl…..I say a lose is a lose but you heard every excuse under the sun…..
I think it’ll take the saints running up the score and maybe some extracurricular activities like the first saints game to send him packing without a doubt….its something fishy about licht staying….GO BUCS!!!!
December 20th, 2017 at 5:04 pm
Licht has done pretty well drafting it is Free Agency where I think he has struggled. So many shiny packages that are really only leftover turds! Important to know the difference. Gruden even struggled with the past glory issues while the Patriots continue to sell fools gold.
December 20th, 2017 at 5:08 pm
Maybe the Browns will accept one McCoy for a Josh Gordon and a second round pick. Hey they took Manzel in the first one can dream right?
December 20th, 2017 at 6:52 pm
I don’t think that was the case, with all the injuries, you had ST players on the field or maybe even hurt, so I can see how there could be some confusion.
December 20th, 2017 at 7:54 pm
JimmyJack Says:
December 20th, 2017 at 3:59 pm
Do they really need another blowout to know that Dirk ain’t getting the job done?
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Not to worry, the Bucs are always awful at Carolina and I fully expect them to not break that trend this year. This will most likely be the worst game of the year I’d guess – in the Vikings game the Bucs offense actually moved the ball – in this game I’m guessing the Bucs give up a bunch of points AND the offense does nothing. A 38-6 type game is what I expect. Would be nice not to see that happen, to see the Bucs not let the Panthers clinch, but based on history, the injury chart and the awful coaching, that’s what I expect.
December 21st, 2017 at 8:01 am
Clock mismanagement, not having 11 guys on the field, not having your ST ready to go on the final play of the game….. All nails in Koetter’s coffin, so many games where his ineptitude and/or stubbornness cost the Bucs a good chance at a W (add to the list with foolish losses to Buffalo, Green Bay, New England, giving up in AZ in the 2nd quarter, Detroit, starting Doug Martin, etc. etc….), the guy has to go…… We as a fan base wanted to be rid of Lovie for what was essentially the same level of mismanagement as Koetter has committed this season and the Glazers agreed, hopefully they repeat their move and finally make a good hire whether it is Gruden or someone else who would simply not commit the same mistakes over and over again.