“I Don’t Think That’s Really A Rule Ever”
January 4th, 2018
What was Dirk Koetter really thinking?
Ed McCaffery played 13 years at wide receiver in the NFL and was coached by Bill Parcells, Mike Shanahan and George Seifert.
He’s got three Super Bowl rings and a new gig at SiriusXM NFL Radio.
Joe’s got a ton of respect for the guy.
Princeton man Ross Tucker played seven NFL seasons as an offensive lineman was teamed with McCaffery on the radio. Tucker played for Bill Belicheat, Marty Schottenheimer, Steve Spurrier, Mike Mularkey and other head coaches.
So those guys have been around.
This morning, they landed on a caller-driven discussion about whether NFL players should/do lose their starting job or role because of an injury.
Back in December, this subject was a hot one in the world of the Bucs. Dirk Koetter unthinkably started Doug Martin at running back against the Lions, despite Martin’s historic and consistent struggles, and Peyton Barber cranking out a 102-yard rushing day the previous week in place of a concussed Martin.
Per a report by Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times, Koetter doesn’t believe players should lose their jobs because of injury, so that’s why Martin started. He subsequently was awful and had a key fumble in the three-point loss.
Joe couldn’t believe Koetter, with his job on the line, would play Martin. It was insanity.
Well, today, McCaffery and Tucker both said they’ve never heard of an NFL head coach not going with the best player and adhering to an unwritten injury rule that prevents a guy from losing his starting gig.
“I don’t think that’s really a rule ever,” McCaffery said. “Maybe in high school or little league. Not in the NFL. Coaches aren’t in the habit or sitting down their best players. You don’t mess with it, whatever is working.”
Tucker agreed with McCaffery, who went a lot deeper on the subject, explaining that playing a guy who is clearly inferior messes with a team and just isn’t right. “People’s lives are at stake,” McCaffery said, referring to one loss potentially costing a coach his job and then his players getting the boot.
As Joe wrote at the time, it’s perfectly fine for an injury to cost any guy his job. It’s a team game. If you have a player who can’t deal with that, then you have the wrong player, assuming the switch is justified.
Perhaps Koetter, against the Lions, still thought Martin was the better running back. Joe just has to believe that. That’s troubling, but the injury/job security thing is even more troubling.
January 4th, 2018 at 2:18 pm
Biggest obvious f*ck up by Koetter of the season. 100% on him.
It was obvious to everyone who the better RB was. Sure Martin is maybe better in pass pro but who gives a sh1t? Barber wasn’t some terrible liability getting Winston killed or anything. I’ll take an extra QB hit or 2 per game if it means having a f*cking running game to go with it.
This also sends a bad message in that you aren’t rewarding the players for their actual play on the field; and are picking favorites basically. THat would p1ss me off as a member of the team.
January 4th, 2018 at 2:25 pm
Barber is not a starting running back. They had money invested and were going to find out once and for all what they had this year. Martin will be gone and your misery will be over. I would almost bet on it. If they keep him they are pure stupid.
January 4th, 2018 at 2:35 pm
Doug Martin was the best player. Barber has never had multiple 1000 yard seasons and pro-bowls. The key word here is “was”. Until Barber stepped it up and Martin pooped his pants no one could say for certain.
January 4th, 2018 at 2:46 pm
This also sends a bad message in that you aren’t rewarding the players for their actual play on the field; and are picking favorites basically. THat would p1ss me off as a member of the team.
^^BINGO^^
GO BUCS!!!!
January 4th, 2018 at 2:49 pm
Agreed
Koetter’s unwavering dedication to Douggie Fresh is simply baffling.
January 4th, 2018 at 2:49 pm
Joe’s got a ton of respect for the guy.
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Ed McCaffrey not McCaffery.
tickrdr
January 4th, 2018 at 2:50 pm
@ James Walker he might if Koetter allows him to play a whole season and not split carries. 423 yards in ten games and he split carries in every single game and six he never was on the field.
January 4th, 2018 at 2:53 pm
Dirk specifically asked his offensive staff, prior to the Lions game, who they thought should start at RB. There was enough doubt about Martin and enough potential demonstrated by Barber to raise the question. Tim Spencer was adamant that it should be Doug Martin because he was the most proven back of the lot and still had high hopes for him. Others on the staff seconded the notion. This is not to say that coaches vote on who should play, but they do look for input and consensus.
January 4th, 2018 at 3:03 pm
@GoBucYourself not everyone is going to buy that weak excuse. Final say is with Koetter that’s comes with the job title.
January 4th, 2018 at 3:11 pm
lol @ him being “proven”
He’s proven that he is one of the most inconsistent backs in the NFL; with 2 decent years out of 5 BEFORE this season ever started. He proved in 2016 that he sucked and liked drugs. He didn’t have a single 100 yard rushing game that season and was the worst back on the roster. Why the f*ck would you expect him to be some bad4ss RB in 2017? The evidence really isn’t there.
Even in his 2 good seasons; he was not consistent at all. Had 2-3 big games each season that drove almost 1/2 his stats; and a ton of terrible performances where he’d rush for 40-60 yards.
Never understood bringing that guy back; and never understood all the bucs that love / defend him.
January 4th, 2018 at 3:12 pm
Joe and I know you understand that any “fly by night” half-ass running back can find “lady-luck” and have a and I mean a good game! Go ahead and cut DM after the season and see what happens in 2018’s first game lost!! TAKE A KBEE!….KEEP AMERICA FREE!
January 4th, 2018 at 3:21 pm
@ BigHogHaynes production speaks foe itself Doug against the Panthers two weeks ago had six carries for seven yards. Last game he had three attempts for negative three yards. Numbers don’t lie he is finished and the only team that would start him os the Browns.
January 4th, 2018 at 3:41 pm
i think koetter sometimes gives “versatility” too much value over “ability”. Either Doug’s history of doing other things well even when he’s not running well was overvalued by the coach, or he was fearing too much for Jameis’ health\protection and wasn’t making a decision based solely on the guy who could put up higher ypc or make an explosive play.
either way, given that doug martin was literally one of the least effective backs in football, it was a terrible compromise for the running game. He was the least effective back in football from a YPC perspective to get at least 100 carries, only one guy was within .5 yards per carry of the basement figure
in fact, you have to go all the way down to 69 carry Eddie Lacy (Martin had 138, exactly twice as many) to find a less effective back who got a meaningful number of chances
January 4th, 2018 at 3:43 pm
Very interesting, I believe Koetter played Martin and Baker bc those two are the reason why, “we don’t have $15 million lying around” to pay Calais Campbell.
More importantly than koetter’s ignorance, why did Licht have DM22 and his inferior YPC on the team and on the hook for $7 million?
This move befuddles me as much as when Rockstar GM, Dom, cur Michael Bennett In Favor of keeping Da’Quan Bowers.
Newsflash fellow Bucs fans, Doug Martin is done and Jason Licht should not have put him on the 2017 roster.
We better see free agency splash moves geared towards edge rush and maybe Talib.
January 4th, 2018 at 3:51 pm
Jason Says:
January 4th, 2018 at 3:21 pm
Numbers don’t lie he is finished and the only team that would start him os the Browns.
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IDK if you actually watch the Browns or not, but I would take both Isaiah Crowell and Duke Johnson over Martin any day.
January 4th, 2018 at 3:56 pm
@stevek, i never doubted or questioned the thought process of seeing which doug martin shows up in the 2017 preseason, there was literally nothing to lose by doing so. What completely baffled me was their unwillingness to play hardball on salary given all the leverage they had. Especially at the end of preseason, when they could threaten to cut him if he didn’t take a paycut and nobody would have been willing to pay more than $2 or 3 million for a guy who missed their entire offensive install and couldn’t even show up at the facility until week 4 due to a past drug suspension
January 4th, 2018 at 3:58 pm
I agree that the best player should play, but doesn’t the injured player at least have an opportunity to compete if he was a starter once he is 100% ?
January 4th, 2018 at 4:10 pm
vikings wont be following that logic
January 4th, 2018 at 4:38 pm
Jason Says:
January 4th, 2018 at 3:03 pm
@GoBucYourself not everyone is going to buy that weak excuse. Final say is with Koetter that’s comes with the job title.
Fact. Not excuse. And of course the final say is with Koetter. But NFL head coaches generally defer to their position coaches on setting the depth chart. DM may have gotten himself run out of the building with his performance in that game, but up to that point, and notwithstanding the opinions of JBF and the great unwashed who hang out here, he was still the most proven back on the roster.
January 4th, 2018 at 4:43 pm
“high school or little league”
Koetter might think ice cream after a win is in order.
January 4th, 2018 at 4:44 pm
I really like Doug Martin, but he just was not producing. It was so obvious we should have played Barber more. Regardless, this team needs another RB. Barber should still be considered a 2nd string at best.
January 4th, 2018 at 4:55 pm
Don Shula followed that rule and was a pretty successful coach.
Benched his QB that led him through 11 of the 16 undefeated games for the Super Bowl.
January 4th, 2018 at 5:29 pm
Remember when Barber fumbled inside the Atlanta 20 and cost the Bucs the game?
Anywho Barber is exactly what he was this year, a guy who gets 3.9 yards per carry. He should have a spot on the team as a reserve guy who can play now and again, but to think he should be next years starter is a pretty low bar. The Bucs should bring in legit challengers for him and let him earn it – and if he can progress (and not fumble away games) then good for him. So far I’m not convinced, but then again with all the weapons the Bucs have it’s not like you should need a top tier runningback.
January 4th, 2018 at 5:57 pm
Joes – at the time Barber couldn’t have blocked a sloth if it was blitzing. I liked Barber better too but that’s why Martin got the start.
January 4th, 2018 at 6:32 pm
TheBucsAnthem Says Koetter’s unwavering dedication to Douggie Fresh is simply baffling.
After choosing to gift DM22 with his contracted salary this season instead of holding him accountable for hurting the team with his selfish behavior, I think the GM & coach were trying too hard to justify their decision.
January 4th, 2018 at 6:40 pm
WE’RE NOT RENEWING OUR SEASON TICKETS BECAUSE SMITH IS NOT BEING FIRED.
BUT BESIDES THAT WHAT IS THERE FOR THE FAN BASE TO BE EXCITED ABOUT FOR 2018?
THE 7TH PICK? YAWN.
MORE FREE AGENT MISSTEPS?
OFFENSE “GENIUS” KOETTER’S REDZONE GAFFS AND LACK OF SCORING?
IT’S ALL BAD AND THE GLAZERS SHOULD SELL THE TEAM IF THEY DON’T CARE ABOUT WINNING ANYMORE.
January 4th, 2018 at 7:01 pm
The problem was the running game was not working so you try anything to make it work, which includes other backs. Then from there you do what works and Koetter did not do that and that is my issue with him. That is head coaches job and he failed 100% in this task.
January 4th, 2018 at 7:42 pm
@GoBucYourself … “Tim Spencer was adamant that it should be Doug Martin because he was the most proven back of the lot and still had high hopes for him.” Did not know that. Fire Spencer.
@Mr Ed … “At the time Barber couldn’t have blocked a sloth if it was blitzing.” That’s been the hit on Barber since Day 1. Koetter first thought was probably ‘Protect Jameis’, thus Martin got the start. Agree with Rod Munch … “Barber is exactly what he was this year, a guy who gets 3.9 yards per carry.” Still, a lot to be said for that IF it’s a consistent 4 yds/carry. Plus he’s got good hands (catches well out of the backfield).
@Sydney … “WE’RE NOT RENEWING OUR SEASON TICKETS BECAUSE SMITH IS NOT BEING FIRED.” Using that logic, half the voters in the U.S. should be moving to Australia right about now. Don’t see it happening though. I’ll check again tomorrow though.
January 4th, 2018 at 8:12 pm
It still doesn’t explain why after we all saw Martin is washed up why he continued to play this guy. Yeah koetter does have a high school college mentality and I don’t expect this team to play any better. I was proud of the win against the saints but this team to excited about a meaningless win. I bet a real head coach could have squeezed a few good games out of Martin but what’s the incentive for guys like him and Chris Baker if they know they’ll play no matter the lack of skill and effort because they started out as a starter day one and the best player didn’t play
Hindsight it’s kind of embarrassing knowing Baker was in Jacksonville making fun of their fans in training camp now look at us
January 4th, 2018 at 9:57 pm
Lord
Not even close to his biggest eff up. And thats saying something. Guy had a historic bad year. Cmon dirk get your head in the game
January 4th, 2018 at 10:05 pm
Did dilfer sit out that nfc championship game where king threw 4ints due to injury or cause dungy thought king was better? That was always a head scratcher for me
January 4th, 2018 at 10:57 pm
No, the saying is right. An injury shouldn’t get you benched. But being out played should. In the bucs case, barber was out performing Doug. For whatever reason. So to respond to the saying. No an injury shouldn’t cost your starting job, but your poor performances should.
January 5th, 2018 at 3:52 pm
Joe, examples like this and others (game management, stubborness with whatever) as reasons for not having 100% confidence in Dirk. We all loved him as an OC, but HC just is another level of work.
Im hoping hes able to make all the adjustments and learn, and hopefully he comes out next year ready to go. Im hoping they can make it happen, or all the good play by jameis will just be wasted with each season that goes by…
January 5th, 2018 at 10:35 pm
Koetter and his staff are buffoons. We have a second rate coaching staff and front office. Does it really matter how the offseason goes? Who we pick up in fa or draft doesnt matter if they are mis managed and put in losing situations. Yay bucs, 6 dash 10, 2018