The Importance Of Scoring Points
April 19th, 2018
Points = wins.
More often than not, we try to confuse and make complex what should be very, very, very simple.
Ask a football guy what wins games and depending on who you talk to, they will launch into a sermon about something complex. Yet in reality, they are missing the forest for the trees.
Generally, no matter if the coach is a defensive or offensive guy (but especially if he is a defensive guy), the usual quick response is takeaways determine games.
Actually, it is far more elementary than that. It is scoring more points.
Joe has yet to meet a coach who craved takeaways above all else more than Lovie Smith. That’s all the dude ever talked about when he was with the Bucs. That is, unless he was jabbering about Mike Jenkins.
Well, earlier this week, data-driven, limousine-ridin’, jet-flyin’, kiss-stealin’, data-analyzin’, Bucs-film-studyin’ Thomas Bassinger of the Tampa Bay Times threw out something that made Joe want to throw up.
Only four teams in the NFL have had more takeaways through the past five seasons than the Bucs (134). The record the Bucs racked up in the past five seasons? That would be a grotesque 26-54.
(By contrast, per Bassinger, Houston has the fifth-fewest takeaways in the same time span but has been to the playoffs twice.)
A few interesting bits:
- In 2017, the Bucs were tied for seventh in takeaways (26) and finished 5-11.
- In 2016, the Bucs were third in takeaways (29) and finished 9-7.
- In 2013, the Bucs were tied for third in takeaways (31) and finished 4-12.
What does all of this tell Joe? A team has to score points. It is that simple. Doesn’t matter how many takeaways a team gets if the offense cannot convert those turnovers into six points.
As the one and only Chris “Mad Dog” Russo of SiriusXM fame would say, “That’s all there is to it.”
You know, the team with the most points wins?
$20 all-you-can-eat buffet kicks off at 6 p.m. and runs all night long. Be there!!
April 19th, 2018 at 11:06 am
Duhhh!!!
April 19th, 2018 at 11:07 am
Speaking for Pablo
“Pablo scored lots of points with his elongated arc…..as a matter of fact, Pablo scored so many points that Pablo has many, many, many Childrens.”
April 19th, 2018 at 11:08 am
and that he suppose to be dirk’s expertise!!!!!…..we have an offensive guru as a coach that struggles to score points!!!!!!…..
we bashed smitty for a lousy defense…..folks need to hold dirk accountable for his lousy offense…..it looked a lot better when he had lovie holding his hand!!!!!
he has all the pieces and has been in control of the offense for how many years now?…..times running out!!!!!!!….
#NOEXCUSESIN2018!!!!!!….GO BUCS!!!!!
April 19th, 2018 at 11:11 am
Joe needs to start posting about the “give a-ways” by the offense that negate takeaways!!!!! The offense has been at the bottom of give-a-ways for the last 3 years
2015 (28) tied 22nd
2016 (27) tied 24th
2017 (27) tied 26th
the offense has literally dropped the ball in protecting the rock!!!!!!!!!!!
Go Bucs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
April 19th, 2018 at 11:19 am
Dirk acknowledges that the O needs to score points yet he drew up play after play that seemed to put the Bucs in a position to kick a long FG so many times last season instead of trying to go for the jugular like most other NFL clubs would do…… Even clubs with solid kicking games did not check down as much as Dirk’s O did. Heck if Winston stuck to the Koetter script in the final home game this is what would have transpired instead of the game winning touchdown to Godwin: Winston throws a dump out pass that moves the Bucs from the 39 to the 34 yard line leaving enough time for Murray to jake the 54 yard FG just like he did in the MNF ATL game and the Bucs would have went 4-12 and would have Denver’s #5 spot in the draft which a lot of JBF posters wanted anyhow…. Being scared to lose = not being able to win, hopefully giving Montkin more responsibility will alleviate this issue!
April 19th, 2018 at 11:25 am
Koetter tightened up in the red zone…..constantly trying to run the ball I guess to protect from a turnover…..ended up settling for 3.
He needs to let Jameis take care of business….we have the weapons….we march all the way down the field…..get to the red zone and get the run stuffed almost every time.
April 19th, 2018 at 11:26 am
Quotes from the Legendary John Madden
“If this team doesn’t put points on the board I don’t see how they can win.”
“Usually the team that scores the most points wins the game.”
April 19th, 2018 at 11:29 am
He also said “If the quaterback throws the ball in the endzone and the Wide Receiver catches it……. It’s a touchdown.”
“Mark Brunell usually likes to soak his balls before a rainy game.”
April 19th, 2018 at 11:33 am
@Realist
The league average in offensive turnovers was 22 last year. So the Bucs gave the defense 5 more possessions to deal with.
However the league average in punts was 75. The Bucs only punted 65 times. Meaning the defense faced 10 less possessions due to offensive officeincy – compared to the NFL average.
10 – 5 = the offense HELPED the defense to the tune of 5 net possessions vs the NFL average when taking into account giveaways and punting.
So basically that is a trash excuse. 32nd in points allowed / yards allowed per drive is pretty indefensible.
April 19th, 2018 at 11:34 am
efficiency* lol
April 19th, 2018 at 11:35 am
All those yards between the 20’s we keep hearing about are fantastic stats. To bad they don’t put points on the board. We could probably be in the Super Bowl.
April 19th, 2018 at 11:36 am
Joe needs to start posting about the “give a-ways” by the offense that negate takeaways!!
again, some of that can be related to play calling…..too predictable….long developing routes knowing we have oline issues……bad personnel…..
again, we are suppose to have an offensive guru at the helm…..where’s the magic?
#NOEXCUSESIN2018!!!!!….GO BUCS!!!!!
April 19th, 2018 at 11:37 am
We left 6 games on the field where we scored enough points to win. Our Bucs Defense was more pourous than Niagra falls!! Opponents scored..at will. Score as many points as we scored last year and fix our sorry A.. Defense/ And we win quite few more games. Sure we are capable of scoring more. But we’d better be able to stop somebody this year. That was our acheilles heel…not the offense.
April 19th, 2018 at 11:41 am
Koetter offense is just as good as Lovies defense.
April 19th, 2018 at 11:42 am
#32 in points allowed and a 5-11 record is impressive.
The offense was not the problem.
April 19th, 2018 at 11:55 am
For the Bucs defense, despite all the injuries, despite facing the toughest, highest rank offenses of all the nfl, to keep the points allowed to 22nd was impressive!!!!!! does it need to be better, yes!!!! But for most of the resources going to build the offense for the last several years, I expect the offense to carry the team, not the defense!!!!!!! I need to see the offense protect the ball more, and the points per game to be more than just 20.9!!!!!!!!!!!! if they are getting the majority of 1st and 2nd round picks, then the “real” fans expect more!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Go Bucs!!!!!!!!
April 19th, 2018 at 11:56 am
@ Lord
The AVERAGE NFL Team doesn’t make the playoffs.
April 19th, 2018 at 12:02 pm
If the other team can’t score they don’t win..
DEFENSE..DEFENSE
April 19th, 2018 at 12:12 pm
Stats are for losers
April 19th, 2018 at 12:17 pm
Having “league average” place kicking and a defense would do wonders for this team.
April 19th, 2018 at 12:25 pm
Yup.
You know why? Cuz we kick (or miss) field goals after most of those takeaways, instead of scoring touchdowns.
That’s why I laugh when people bring up offensive and defensive rankings that are based on yards. Yards???
Yards are meaningless. All that matters is points. Points. Points. Points.
April 19th, 2018 at 12:28 pm
realist
stop making excuses……
every team has injuries…..every team faces adversity!!!!!!!…..being ranked 22nd out of 32teams is NOT IMPRESSIVE!!!!!!……its embarrassing!!!!!!!
pull your down and keep your chin up!!!!!!….
#NOEXCUSESIN2018!!!!!….GO BUCS!!!!!
April 19th, 2018 at 12:33 pm
We always want to argue one side or the other like it’s cut and dry. It’s not. Just like the defense couldn’t stop anybody, the offense couldn’t score points. If we score more points, the defense isn’t on the field as much. If the defense makes a stop, it puts the offense back out to…score more points!! Just like the defense can’t make a game saving stop, how many times did the offense turn the ball over in opponents’ territory? IF, IF, IF!
Put TOGETHER, it equals 5-11.
Unequivocally, we need to score more points! Unequivocally, we need to play better defense. Forget the kicker, score TOUCHDOWNS!!!
April 19th, 2018 at 12:47 pm
Gotta get-r-done in crunch time. That’s what wins games!
Winston and the offense largely did their job in that respect when given the chance last year. Defense on the other hand was incapable of doing their job when the game was on the line.
April 19th, 2018 at 1:13 pm
Uh….Lovie did not win as many games in two years as Koetter did in one.
Listen I realize I’m the blog optimist but if you’re bound and determined to live in the past as in the 17 season why not live in the 16 season.
Koetter’s offense was clearly better in 16 than last year. Uh…could it be that his QB missed three games and played injured and poorly in several others. Those are FACTS but many here call EVERYTHING an excuse.
Everything bad that could happen to the Bucs last year including a play I had never seen before…clock running out…team runs up to the line to snap the ball but the NFL official inadvertently kicks it costing the Bucs time that could have let them win.
’18 should answer the question. Was ’16 the aberration or was it ’17 that is out of the ordinary. Because Buc fans are used to “Buc Luck” and everything negative many here wish to focus on last year.
IMHO this team is neither ’16 nor ’17 and each season in the NFL is a fresh start. This team SHOULD be better than either ’16 or ’17. It’s time to focus on ’18…there is NOTHING that can be done to change ’16 or ’17.
April 19th, 2018 at 1:40 pm
“When i cross the 50 yard line, i go turtle and play for the field goal…I am the anti- Doug Pederson”
Klueless Koetter
April 19th, 2018 at 1:52 pm
“Reality_43 Says:
April 19th, 2018 at 11:56 am
@ Lord
The AVERAGE NFL Team doesn’t make the playoffs.”
Cool that has absolutely nothing to do with the point I was making
April 19th, 2018 at 1:57 pm
Lol @ the title to this article. Rhetoric is served up. Couldn’t even read the article.
April 19th, 2018 at 1:58 pm
“Kobe Faker Says:
April 19th, 2018 at 1:40 pm
“When i cross the 50 yard line, i go turtle and play for the field goal…I am the anti- Doug Pederson”
Klueless Koetter”
Yep.
Koetter will start a drive with decent plays and balance a lot but loses his mind when in scoring position.
1-played for FGs way too often and long ones. Seems like if we had a drive where Winston was in rythym and moving the ball; once we passed the 50 we started running it a lot more and got back out of rythym because we’re so scared to get out of FG range.
2-calls long developing low % success plays in the red zone. With the run game this could be stupid sweeps / outside runs that fail or lose tons of yards; or long developing PA pass plays that expose Winston and risk sacks/fumbles/etc when we should be throwing quick slants / fades / crossing routes to OJ Howard; or roll out play action plays when you are that close.
In general though the lack of a good run game hurt us in the red zone as well. Most every top scoring offense was able to rush for a lot of those TDs while we were a terrible red zone rush offense in general
Also had a lot of penalties in the red zone. Just an area where the team as a whole sh1t the bed
April 19th, 2018 at 2:02 pm
@lord Cornelius
That is why we need to draft Mount Vea!!!!! helps the D-line pass rush, and we can use him at times as a goal line running back!!!!!!! He was a RB in High school and had some wiggle as a big one!!!!!!!!
GO Bucs!!!!!!!!!!!
April 19th, 2018 at 2:21 pm
Take aways don’t mean jack if your team is giving up 35 points a game. Stats are for losers, as they say. Yes, we need to score more points – no kidding, who doesn’t. You can average 3 takeaways a game and lose every game if your d can’t stop the other drives. It’s as simple as that Bros.
April 19th, 2018 at 2:27 pm
@bucboii,
If there was a dead horse comment, I believe it’s koetter’ s pass plays take too long to develop. Bucboi you’re at the top of the list for beating this idea to death.
I know you aren’t alone in the quest for candy but you’re the fastest to don a blindfold and swing for the fences.
The problem is that you have blindfolded yourself and think you see something.
The fact is koetters passing plays have routes that come open right away, some a sec later and a longer route or routes that do take time .
It’s not koetter s plays that are taking so long it’s the QB who is not taking the short quick and open throw. The QB is the one responsible for selecting the route it’s JW who is holding the ball. Here’s the part that you seem to build a premise on. You assume that holding the ball to go deep is bad. Problem is you haven’t once made a case for it. Maybe because if you tried you would hit a wall . The wall is JW’s accuracy has improved and the offense passing wise is what 4th in the league. But koetter has bad plays, too predictable…..damn dude if.he sucks so bad and his passing game is top 7 ……imagine how great this guy can be if he’s
Not predictable, clock mgmt improves and He adds short routes…
#1 in league is not far away
This is according to your own comments and you want him out…….
I don’t believe Dirk is as klueless as your horse beating brotherhood if he is…
Take your suggestions and razor sharp insight to one buc and sit down w the Glazers. They’re super nice and would love to hear what you think….
They will probably hire you….So put the board down. Go to one buc..
And please for all buc fans ….turn this pile of steaming monkey crap into a winner.
Who knows, you might be the right boi for the job..
April 19th, 2018 at 2:31 pm
@Realist I’m good with Vea. I’d even be ok with him over Derwin James. Ideally we could trade back and add Vea then go OG/RB/CB in Rounds 2 / 3 maneuvering as necessary.
I just feel like we have had a sh1t D-line for a decade now. I’d rather see that we can pressure the QB before evaluating & addressing the secondary.
And Joe thinks we had some great pass rush in 2012 because we had Michael Bennet; but we were bottom 3 in the league in sacks that year lol. Our D-line has sucked for a long long time
April 19th, 2018 at 2:35 pm
@Duke
That’s just wrong imo.
I just re-watched the Bucs vs Carolina game last week and on our lone passing TD; it was a super long developing play with long developing routes by every WR on the play. There was no easy pass to be made at all. It was just a great play by Winston on what was a super low % play. If he didn’t climb the pocket and buy an extra second or 2 he would have no one to throw to; but because he bought time he hit Bobo Wilson on like part 4 of his long developing route.
Then on a bad sack we took in the red zone ; it was another long developing PA play on a deep drop.
This was a theme all year.
April 19th, 2018 at 3:24 pm
@duke
Stop readind and listening to that incorrect football nonsense rhetoric bs
Checkdown screen or slant AFTER the deep play is covered? What the slant reciever is going to stand still for 4 seconds than run the route…please!!!
The short passing attack is the called designed play from the start….there is no checkdowns in the modern game
Stop reading the bs from sports writers, all you need to read is lord Cornelius, 813bucboi, altered ego and my posts and your a football mental giant
April 19th, 2018 at 3:31 pm
Lord C I take your point but IMO it seems almost like two seasons…with the early part deep drops and bombs away trying to cash in on the new found Ferrari, DJAX….I thought the last five games or so both Koetter and Jameis got it right and were more in sync with what Duke is suggesting.
I think last year was an aberration in terms of all that happened. I think it was Father Dungy who said it….whomever said it I agree that playing through that injury and fighting through the season will make Jameis that much better and tougher as a player.
April 20th, 2018 at 5:45 am
Lord corn,
If you are going to say I’m wrong , that doesn’t leave me any room to save face.
Because I’m either right or you are with no middle ground to agree upon.
Let me reverse this by saying that I understand and agree with you in part. I do see what the complaints are about. And the overall criticism of the pass game.
Personally, I don’t prefer the offensive scheme that Koetter uses and if it’s my decision the team would change its scheme. I say this to be clear that I’m not a believer in the offensive scheme.
That said, I think it’s not accurate nor informed to say that the coaches are wholly responsible. You state I’m wrong and I appreciate the evidence (bucs v cats) you supplied to support your rightness……
Lord corn, I don’t believe that it’s possible to find a single play that demonstrates how wrong you are. No offense meant, but this is so absurd and destroys your fictitious narrative so convincingly while simultaneously proving that my comments are dead nuts center that I have to think that it’s a joke.
If it’s a joke, haha I fell for it.
If you are serious about the play then there’s nothing I can do but break down the play to the point of making you seem like a drunken old fool. I have no problem with that but you’re are class act so I don’t think it’s preferable. If you can get to the point that you’re open to an explanation I’m more than happy to go that route.
April 20th, 2018 at 6:00 am
Kobe,
First please show me where you believe I “read my opinion”, which publication or writer are you thinking about?
Put a name on it….. Because frankly it’s another example of how you skip portions of thought which is why you aren’t correct in this case.
You say that the modern passing game has no check downs………
That tells me every thing I need to know about your ideas.
But what I will say is that your post was funny as hell……I cracked up and for that I say “thank you”.
Keep up the humor side ….