“It’s On Everybody.”
December 7th, 2017
Not naming names.
Dirk Koetter isn’t going to point fingers.
The second-year coach of the Bucs isn’t about to start calling out names or folks who may or may not be responsible for the woeful 2017 season.
Yesterday, Koetter was asked how much blame should be dumped in Mike Smith’s lap as the defense he oversees has been disemboweled regularly on the road and is currently the No. 31 ranked defense in the NFL. And that is with Pro Bowl players at each level of the defense.
Koetter wouldn’t bite.
“That’s so hard to judge because there is nothing about football that boils down to one person,” Koetter said. “It’s on me. It’s on him. It’s on – [a reporter] asked about Chris Baker. It’s on everybody. It’s the ultimate team game. No number measures one player or one coach. That’s hard to do. Everybody is graded. I tell the team all the time, ‘We are all held accountable by somebody. We are all held accountable.’ The ultimate thing, though, is it’s a team game, we are trying to win and when you don’t win, nobody feels good.”
Yes, what Koetter says is true. Fact is, the NFL is a results game. It’s all about the W’s and no one knows that better than Koetter.
Joe is just going to guess, but if the Bucs lose out, Koetter will have to play the blame game. For if he doesn’t make changes and the team finishes 4-12, it is fair to conclude Team Glazer will make changes for Koetter. And he may not like the choices.
December 7th, 2017 at 4:34 pm
wow…thousand yard stare
December 7th, 2017 at 4:40 pm
I said this a thousand times before the season.
I’m not impress with “Paper Champs”
And that’s what the Bucs are
Great on paper, poor on the field
December 7th, 2017 at 4:59 pm
Just watched Dirks media interview today. Boy oh he seems to be a ticking time bomb. I really hpoe the players step up these last 4 games and save his job. I unlike most fans dont blame him its clearly a lack of players making plays. Its been a penalty on a big play or straight lack of pride by players imo but Dirk defiantly hasn’t given up, I miss the days of a team taking on the personality of their coach. If that would’ve taken place someone on team would’ve gotten pissed n stood up long ago to put a stop to the losing streak that took place earlier.
December 7th, 2017 at 5:11 pm
Uhhhh… I’d say there is a lot of the blame on a coach that runs sh*tty play calls and has no clue how to run a defense and let’s his DC run a sh*tty defensive scheme that includes Pro Bowl players on every level. So…Yeah…
December 7th, 2017 at 5:14 pm
I will never understand the reason for hiring Mike Smith from a football aspect.
When Dirk was hired he was replacing a guy whose defensive system was his downfall. He couldn’t make his system work here because he didn’t have the players to provide pressure with the front four. So Dirk just goes out and hires somebody that runs a defense that relays on the same thing. Then when it doesn’t work our GM goes out and spends all his most valuable resources on passing weapons(DJax,OJ). It just seems like they don’t know how to build a team or get the right coaches in place.
I feel like a broken record about how M.Smith was the wrong guy for our team. I think I’m waiting for somebody to educate me about somethin* I’m missing. But maybe M.Smith was the wrong guy and we fans were sold a bill of goods.
December 7th, 2017 at 5:15 pm
It’s NOT on the fans though, and not a single time have I heard a player this year talk about playing for the fans, much less playing for each other. With the exception of Lavonte David, none of the team captains are leaders. Yes, GMC, Jameis, and Evans, I’m talking about YOU. Leaders don’t make bad decisions off the field as well as on; leaders don’t work themselves up to where they commit penalties that even result in suspension. Leaders learn to control themselves and be convincing to others to make them follow. Leaders don’t refuse to address tough issues when asked by the media. Leaders set the example.
One thing all can agree on, is this game with the Lions is probably the most important, most telling of the future for any game left.
If the Bucs lose Sunday, they likely have a 6-game losing streak ending the season. That spells bad for the coaches.
If Jameis doesn’t show progression Sunday (for steadily after) in decision making and consistent play, AND if/when he’s found to have lied about his off-work cab affair, that spells bad for Jameis.
If the the Bucs as a whole play as badly the last quarter as they did second quarter, that spells bad news for Jason, and I’d bet the Glazers clean house at that point. And they should.
Right now, the Bucs are at least two full seasons, probably three or more, from playoff hopes. We’ve been saying that since, and including Raheem. But it’s never happened, and there is no reason to expect it next year.
What do we have to look forward to while 31 other teams anticipate FA and draft and a fresh new year, with fresh hope? We will be constantly reminded and forced to think about how many games our QB will be suspended next year. We can always start hoping for the 2019 season…when the three years will start over again?
December 7th, 2017 at 5:21 pm
And Dirk can not deny the fact that he inherited a good rushing team and has squandered it. We went downhill in 2016 and one of his solutions was to move our best guard to center. The move has made our running game even worse then it was last year. It’s pretty easy to see that his evaluations in our running game are atrocious.
And you look back at last year and everybody wants to give a ton of credit to our defense for our winning record but most of our wins also featured a good day rushing. It’s a major reason why we are losing.
December 7th, 2017 at 5:22 pm
Oh so NOW he’s not pointing fingers???? LOL what did he say earlier in the season something like ” Can only play the players we have on the roster” or something along those lines? Thats a direct shot at Licht, he has control over the roster, player, and draft. The others in the front office are waiting for DK to start throwing Jason and his guys (scouting,player personnel, etc.) under the bus tho the Glazers. Too many people are already have been having private meetings inside One Buc.
December 7th, 2017 at 5:26 pm
@JimmyJack…my take. I don’t think most saw M Smith as being bad at coaching D.
M Smith does not run the same D as Lovie did, or that Schiano did. And to be fair, he did pretty well last year in the 2nd half of the season, even without a great edge rush. And Jacquiz Smith, a healthy Noah Spence, and Swaggy were expected to improve the D line and overall pass rush, espeically with McDonald still out there. They drafted well with Justin Evans and Kendall Beckwith, while VHIII fell apart mentally and physically in his second year. McCoy turned into Socrates all of the sudden with no fire. There was no reason why this defense should have been so bad–but here we are.
On offense, we had (supposedly) a QB who was on a steep learning curve and who had his outside problems behind him. DJax was that perfect complement to Mike Evans who promised he’d matured. Chirs Godwin was a good pick and seems like OJ Howard the icing on the cake to open up the offense. No reason they should be so bad. For offense, I think it’s Koetter too immersed in being HC to be a good play caller.
I may have missed it but I have yet to see/hear the media call him on being task saturated. But to be fair, after four weeks ago, I quit following daily.
December 7th, 2017 at 5:39 pm
Roy I know M.Smith doesn’t run the same defense but my point is that his system is centered around getting pressure with a four man line creating pressure……..Can you deny that it does?
This is the same reason Lovies defense failed because we are not good enough to get pressure with a front four.
And Jaq Smith is an absolute joke if that’s all you can offer in means of consistent pressure. Spence gets shut down on many plays and does not provide that. You simply can’t put all your eggs into that basket when all you have is 2 DEs that can make a play on your roster. It’s like playing with fire and us fans are left witnessing how bad it looks when you they get burnt.
One guys on here said we need 6 DEs and he is right. If you are going to center a defense on four man pressure you better have more then just a plan “A” and you better have depth……….I mean come on, they were relying on Jaq Smith. That alone should get somebody’s head chopped.
December 7th, 2017 at 5:43 pm
@buddy
“Too many people are already have been having private meetings inside One Buc.”
One can only hope. Not sure if I want the Glazer family involved in that conversation, though.
LET ME COME INTO OBP TO HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS!!! I could be a kick ass GM lol.
December 7th, 2017 at 5:47 pm
Another thing is that this defense has gotten worse and worse under Smith in the run stop dept.
His defense has completely failed on all levels.
IMO the only reason they look good at times is when they get a favorable matchup against a bad Oline and that won’t cut it if we ever want this to be a playoff team. What did our defense do for us when we had a chance to play for a Wildcard last year?
December 7th, 2017 at 5:49 pm
SOE…….You would likely GM like Kevin Costner from that dumb movie Draft Day……Minus the last five minutes of course.
December 7th, 2017 at 6:05 pm
Well Koetter WE..the fans will point fingers. And Our fingers are pointing straight at you and pressbox Smitty. These fingers went from the UP position to the DOWN position where they are currently holding steady. The next position Mr. Koetter is the SHOVE and BOOT position..out the door!! There, I’ve completed the full Yoga circle move for today!
December 7th, 2017 at 6:31 pm
JimmyJack
That’s gotta be better than Mark “the Rockstar” Dominik though, right?
December 7th, 2017 at 6:53 pm
Haha just teasin SOE
December 7th, 2017 at 7:25 pm
@JimmyJack…no disagreement on the fact the four man rush hasn’t worked, and I don’t know why it took so long to do the occasional LB or even S blitzes. Indeed, Jacques Smith is no stud but he has played well when healthy…just saying that was part of the thinking; they expected Swaggy would create more disruption than he has…
December 7th, 2017 at 7:54 pm
It’s the man in charge above all else at fault. That’s you chump, losing pubichead coach Dirk Koetter.
December 7th, 2017 at 7:57 pm
Funny how the offense was stuck in mediocrity last season during the five game winning streak and it was the defense that made the team hum. So when has the offense every carried this team on a winning streak?
December 7th, 2017 at 8:00 pm
Maybe losing pubichead coach is point Mathew Stafford’s fingers. So refreshing
December 7th, 2017 at 8:53 pm
For if he doesn’t make changes and the team finishes 4-12
If he made any personnel changes that resulted in more decisive wins he should be fired just for waiting so long. It’s too late to make changes because the Glazer’s already know you suck.
Personally I’d keep the gm if there’s a VP on Deck because he does have a good eye for talent but he’s just a scout and he just doesn’t have a vision for what type of team to build.
Hope Mike Smith gets the job with Giants and that’ll force change if dirk doesn’t get fired but at this point we need great coaches not someone that dirk can trust because he trusted Freddie Martino over Bobo Wilson and Martin over barber
December 8th, 2017 at 2:03 am
The Buccaneers currently do have All-Pro players at all four levels on defense and two levels on offense. The Bucs have a great nucleus for their team. With a strong draft and two above average FA the team should be able to get back to their winning ways.
OFFENSE
QB – Jameis Winston
WR – Mike Evans
WR – DeSean Jackson
DEFENSE
DT – Gerold McCoy
LB – Lavonte David
CB – Brent Grimes
S – TJ Ward
December 8th, 2017 at 3:24 am
Godzilla13, great list except for one thing: only 2 of those on your list (at most) are actually PLAYING like All-Pro players (David all of the time & McCoy part of the time … on the 31st-ranked defense in the NFL). And NONE of them are providing the quality leadership that this team so desperately needs.
When the Jaguars signed Calais Campbell he provided TWO critical elements that they were sorely missing: (1) Big-play potential in a critical spot … DE; and (2) LEADERSHIP for their experienced guys and young guys alike. Campbell’s big plays have proven to be critical all year. His leadership has proven to be even more essential.
Bucs have several wannabe leaders who don’t really make consistent big plays at critical times. Combine the lack of leadership with the lack of talent in certain critical positions and guess what … you have a 4-12 team. You are what your record says you are.