Steve Wyche Talks To Joe
April 10th, 2018
[Joe is cleaning out his recorder of folks he has spoken to on the record since 2018 began. Here is a chat Joe had with NFL Network senior reporter Steve Wyche about the Bucs.]
JoeBucsFan: What happened to Mike Smith? In 2016 it looked like he had that defense turned around. In 2017, it blew up in his face.
Steve Wyche: I don’t know if it is on Mike Smith. It is hard to tell what happened with that team. Everyone thought that team would be good. Defense was probably on the field a little bit more than they thought and they had a couple of injuries. I just think overall, probably coaching all the way from the positions [coaches] to the players to the execution. They became unhinged. The whole team. I was surprised. I thought they would be very good. [Smith] is a heck of a coach. I don’t think it was coaching. At some point, however, the buck has to stop with someone.
Joe: With the offense, that team was one-dimensional before the National Anthem was played. For whatever reason they stuck with Doug Martin, far, far too long. And then when Jameis got hurt, it made things even worse.
Wyche: Jameis’ injury, yeah and they had injuries to the offensive line. There was no flow. That was the main thing. You saw that the year before. Quick passing game. Even if the offense was struggling they had a tempo. They never seemed to get that on track, so do a lot of teams look at the Falcons. There was just no tempo. I think they need to re-assess if they want Jameis to be a five-step guy every time they drop back or can they do somethings to get everybody involved like the Vikings did this year? With the running game, it all starts there. And yeah, they had some injuries to the offensive line. I thought [Ali] Marpet was fantastic at center. I thought he played really well, especially for never playing it before. I saw him play a couple of games and he was really good. But they whatever they want to do, they have to set up the run.
Joe: With Jameis, when he was healthy the last month of the season, he looked like a completely different quarterback.
Wyche: I totally agree. I totally agree. I thought he was trying too hard at times. I think at times that wears on some guys to just play ball. When he came back, I thought he was fantastic. And that is the quarterback they know they have. You just have to put him back in that pocket, a literal football pocket and keep him in that vacuum and let him be that guy.
Joe: Thought it was interesting what DeSean Jackson said about Jameis. He said he told Jameis late in the year to stop pleasing everybody, stop trying to impress everybody. Be you.
Wyche: That is Jameis! That’s what makes him, him. He wants to succeed so much he overdoes it. He stresses. And I just think as he ages and gets more experience, and wins some ballgames – this is a guy used to winning. And he hasn’t gone through this type of adversity. I just think that he gets some success and understands it is not all on him, rely on other guys and he does his job and let others do theirs.
April 10th, 2018 at 4:10 pm
Saw Jameis and DeSean working out in Tallahassee today. They looked great and was good to see them working on their timing!
April 10th, 2018 at 4:24 pm
Was Evans and Godwin also there?
April 10th, 2018 at 4:27 pm
I like Wyche. I can believe what he’s saying, he always seems to give a truly logical explanation without all the drama.
@Humpty…Good to hear Winston and Djax are getting their work in, gotta keep that up.
April 10th, 2018 at 4:29 pm
There were four guys working out, only recognized Jameis and DeSean, but man can Jameis air it out. He was throwing nearly 65 yards and DeSean was laying out. Looked good!
April 10th, 2018 at 4:35 pm
I hope they continue to put in the work!!!!!!!!
#NOEXCUSESIN2018!!!!!!….GO BUCS!!!!!
April 10th, 2018 at 4:56 pm
@humpty dumpty
That’s good to hear I hope they put in the work and it shows this year on the field. If they start connecting on that deep ball and the safety has to go to that side. Mike Evans and brate or Howard will have a field day on the other side. I hope Godwin is our number 3 this year. Humphries just doesn’t cut it he can catch and run good routes he just doesn’t have the elusiveness and athleticism that Godwin has. Humphries will make a 8 yard catch 10 yards at best. Godfrey can take an 8 yard pass to the house. And I like what I saw from bobo late in the season. We need all the explosives athletes we have on the field. Are yac has to improve drastically this year or we will be average again. We need a couple slants or screens taken to the house or for big gains. Hopefully koetter implements some more quick tempo get the ball out quick and the let the receivers run. That will open the deep ball up even more
April 10th, 2018 at 5:02 pm
Good article Joe and ditto on Wyche being logical.
April 10th, 2018 at 5:20 pm
Very nice chat. But he was wrong on the coaching. At times, it truly sucked!
April 10th, 2018 at 8:42 pm
@jeffbuc I agree that Godwin is more talented and deserves to be wr3, humphries had the best yac on the team last year so you can’t write him off completely.
April 10th, 2018 at 9:20 pm
Watched Buc/Panther rebroadcast
Humphries fought and won 2 complete “jump balls. One for 37 yards.
Godwin dropped a TD in the endzone.
Humphries is so undervalued and underappreciated here.
Godwin has major Talent. But hes not ready to be a starter yet.
Not at any position.
April 11th, 2018 at 9:35 am
Wow, way to try and sneak a positive article about Coach Smitty under the radar!!!!!!!!! I cannot wait to hear the other positive comments from those in the know a year from know!!!!!!!!!
The Truth must be heard!!!!!!
GO Bucs!!!!!!!!!!!!!