“You Work So Hard To Get These Other Guys Ready To Play But Are You?”
April 12th, 2018
NFL insider talks to Joe about DJax, America & Mike Smith.
[Joe is cleaning out his recorder of folks interviewed on the record since 2018 began. Here is a chat Joe had with ESPN senior reporter Kevin Seifert about the Bucs.]
JoeBucsFan.com: What happened with Mike Smith? Yeah, the old saying is guys don’t forget how to coach. But you don’t see John Fox chasing people away for football gigs. You don’t see teams lining up to hire George Seifert. Has the game passed Mike Smith by?
Kevin Seifert: I don’t think the game has passed him by. I think they had a few more things to deal with in Tampa. You look at his history; in the long haul he has pretty much been able to figure it out. If I was in the Bucs’ shoes, [Mike Smith] would not be at the top of my list of problems.
Joe: The thing about Jameis, he’s the kind of guy that he wants to be his best so badly and wants to win so badly that sometimes he forces mistakes as a result. It’s tough to rein in a guy who is wired with that type of a drive.
Seifert: Yeah, you look at that with Carson Wentz. You watch him and you think, ‘My God, he’s tough, he’s athletic, he’s great… ’ And he got hurt. I’m not going to say anyone wanted to predict he would get hurt but his style of play put him at risk a lot more. And I think Jameis is a little like that too. He likes to stay in the pocket a little more than he can, he likes to lower that shoulder, he likes to go for the few extra yards. Those are all great and admirable [traits] but in the end, you have to have the big picture in mind.
Joe: Why did you think DeSean Jackson struggled so much? Was it just a bad fit? Was he not used properly? It seemed strange how the Bucs would not try to get him the ball on short passes in space and let his wheels take over more.
Seifert: My opinion is, if you are a receiver, you are at the mercy of the quarterback. If your quarterback is injured or not playing well or you’ve got the backup, you are not going to be as good. There are receivers around the league that if they were playing with different quarterbacks, they’d be All-Pro players.
Joe: Thought it was telling that after the season Jackson said he had told Jameis not to worry about impressing other people so much and just be himself, be the same quarterback that had so much success in college.
Seifert: Jameis always has seemed to have a big compulsion to be a leader, which is very important. That’s all great but it has to be balanced with the mental game and making sure you are ready to play. You work so hard to get these other guys ready to play but are you?
April 12th, 2018 at 9:21 am
That last response seems pretty insightful.
Jameis needs to start watching more Tom Brady tape with an eye towards emulating the demeanor he sees.
Not game tape – PRE-game tape.
April 12th, 2018 at 9:34 am
You are right Pick. Very insightful.
April 12th, 2018 at 9:36 am
Wow Joe, how many interviews did you bury because no one in the know thinks that Coach Smitty is a bad coach!!!!!! Once again, he is the only coach to have the Bucs overachieve on one side of the Ball!!!!!! Why do you insist on trying to fire a good coach!!!!!!!! With the distractions (as confirmed by Demar Dotson) and injuries, and overall holes on the roster, The fact that Coach Smitty schemed a defense to hold points per game to 22nd in the league is rather impressive!!!!!!!! Kudos for finally unveiling the truth!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
GO Bucs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
April 12th, 2018 at 9:40 am
Jameis is fine…..he desperately needs a running game and a defense…..give him that and he’ll make everyone very happy.
Not saying he doesn’t need to improve on a couple of things…..but I’ll take his “never-give-up” personality over anything else.
April 12th, 2018 at 9:40 am
Buckle up Realist. Joe’s cleaning out his recorder.
April 12th, 2018 at 9:45 am
JW needs “his” game. Not one else’s. JW is being ruined already playing every one else’s game but his. JW needs to get his W eating finger and push Seifert in back of the head with generic take.
I like the fact that Gruden told him before the 2nd Falcons game about him just play his game and JW game surged.
April 12th, 2018 at 9:49 am
Nobody is trying to get anybody fired Rhealist. Not anymore at least for now LOL.
Coach Smith was not “the Problem” regarding our defense playing so badly last year IMO – but he didn’t seem to have many if any answers either…
Usually when one side of the ball performs so badly in the NFL – someone besides a position coach is getting fired. Smitty should be grateful the Glazers decided to not make any major changes and let him and coach Koetter try and work through this mess that last year revealed.
I believe both are good coaches. With the off-season Dline additions and if Licht can draft a couple good players for the secondary (and also assuming we don’t get hit with the injury bug so hard again) – we will all see a vastly “improved” Buccaneer defense in 2018.
April 12th, 2018 at 10:05 am
Exactly Lamarcus. I’m pretty sure a guy who started in the NFL at 21 with only 2 years of college football, who’s setting records in the NFL for a crap team can figure out what works best for him and the team. Seifert, Kirwin, King, Simms, or anyone else can’t come close to knowing Jameis like Jameis. He’s one of a kind, and time will judge him well. Impatience is a bad trait when judging an individual on a bad team.Especially a QB. Why the jury is still out on Jameis is only because of his media driven reputation. Any other QB with his stat line so far would be heralded among the best to start a career. With Jameis it’s “garbage time yards”. His fumbles and pick’s are “boneheaded”. Yet, another QB would be “trying to hard to compensate for a lousy supporting cast”. Like I’ve said before, Jameis, Antonor, and T’ola couldn’t care less what any of these paid uninformed hacks have to say. They know the work put in, and payoff to come. Jameis will go down as one of the all time greats, much to the chagrin of the majority on these pages, and the country as a whole. It’s cool. I like him, and can’t wait for him to shove their opinions down their throats. It’s coming. Lions don’t pay attention to sheep. Hell, Jameis can’t even hear ’em. He’s his own man. Give this guy a running threat, and a defense that cares, and watch the wins roll in. For years.
April 12th, 2018 at 10:28 am
“Rhealist”……….lol. Good one Pick
April 12th, 2018 at 10:30 am
Jameis certainly has leadership skills. But Jameis is also a natural entertainer.
He’s always wanting to entertain people and not just on the football field. It’s just Jameis. When you mix entertainment and leadership sometimes the former can interfere with the latter….as in eating W’s.
Pick is right of course. Brady is a leader but he is far from a showman…in fact seeing his interviews are frequently as exciting as the proverbial watching paint dry. Brady is a great football player…a great leader…but not entertaining.
If we get the pieces and Jameis finally figures it out…his leadership skill will be fine and the entertainment factor will just be a bonus and not the main deal.
April 12th, 2018 at 11:04 am
StPete, Jameis as a ‘natural entertainer’ is a fascinating observation. I’m not sure Jameis sees it that way, but you’re right IMO. The team leadership role was thrust upon him almost upon his arrival here in Tampa (as in ‘#1 Draft Pick’ and ‘Jameis Winston … America’s QB’). A LOT of pressure to perform AND lead on a 21-year-old, especially on a team coming off a 2-14 season (yup, we were REALLY bad; bad enough to ‘win’ the #1 pick). I know when I was his age (just entering the military), leadership was the farthest thing from my mind (just learning how to fly and surviving day-to-day was enough of a challenge).
Yes, I agree with you … “his leadership skill will be fine and the entertainment factor will just be a bonus and not the main deal.” This is the year the Good Jameis learns how to rein in the Bad Jameis IMO.
April 12th, 2018 at 11:21 am
The only coach to have the bucs over achieve on one side of the ball?
What are you smokin realist? Aside from 5 lucky games in 2016 and Tom Brady playing horrible in 2017 when the hell did this defense ever look anything but embarrassing?
There was never a good defense in Atlanta and in Jacksonville that was under Del Rio watch.
How can the worst part of the team NOT be the biggest need for a fix? I will bet $1000.00 when, not if but when Smith becomes unemployed NOBODY picks him up as a Dc or hc. Nobody!!!! Unless he changes the way he’s got these players lining up it’s gonna be more.of the same. Everyone will say JPP IS OLD AND.WASHED UP. THAT’S WHY NYG TRADED HIM!!!
8 AND 8 at best if Jameis does.good with the worst d in the league AGAIN For the third year in a row
April 12th, 2018 at 11:41 am
To put everything at the feet of Smitty is unfair, I’ll give you that. However, there were ZERO adjustments made to counter some of the personnel problems. I would also argue that we saw players out of position and an awful lot of missed tackles too. That’s a lack of discipline and points DIRECTLY to coaching.
The definition of insanity is to keep doing the same thing over and over and expect different results.
He should’ve been fired and would have been fired on any other team, that’s fact. We’ll just have to wait and see if it was just a fluke.
April 12th, 2018 at 11:45 am
I’d rather Winston have this mentality than that if gmc or Mike Glennon. We drafted him in part because of his personality even though we don’t like it and I wish he would be more Tom Brady or even Phillip Rivers. He’s still got that college mentality on the field and sucks that he’s so worried about getting guys their stats especially when you see him forcing balls he shouldn’t. Hope he wakes up before his contact year because we don’t want a Doug Martin type repeat where he gets extended and looks like trash afterwards. I’m hoping becoming a father speeds up his growth and maturity as a quarterback
April 12th, 2018 at 11:52 am
Joe Says:
April 12th, 2018 at 9:40 am
Buckle up Realist. Joe’s cleaning out his recorder.
LOL…..pull your shirt down rhealist!!!!!!!!!….lol….
#NOEXCUSESIN2018!!!!!….GO BUCS!!!!!!
April 12th, 2018 at 11:58 am
@BUCEM
@BUCSFANMAN
I agree…..
atl never had a good defense and were soft…..smitty should’ve been fired……he must have some naughty pics of someone in the front office…..lol….
#NOEXCUSESIN2018!!!!….GO BUCS!!!!
April 12th, 2018 at 12:10 pm
😂😂 Lol “rhealist”
April 12th, 2018 at 1:48 pm
@Joe
“Cleaning out your recorder” is the only wise play in this silly season before the draft.
I always enjoy these comments.
April 12th, 2018 at 2:04 pm
Not there yet Says:
April 12th, 2018 at 11:45 am
“…I’m hoping becoming a father speeds up his (Jameis’) growth and maturity as a quarterback.”
I’ll second that.
When Jameis truly becomes a man, he has the ability to make this fan base very happy.
The question for Jameis remains, just like for most of us: Can he get out of his own way and reach his full potential?
April 12th, 2018 at 4:10 pm
GILEAHY…you so nailed it!
Thanks God Jameis IS NOT BRADY or any of the other comparison’s…to change him would be to take away from his natural abilities!
I have followed this kid for along time and am inspired by his caring for others! 1) the dream forever classroom in Tampa…2) the scholarship he dropped on a hard working kid in Tallahassee…3) the philanthropy golf tournament while 4) practicing with Djax
He is human with human weaknesses…anyone perfect cast the first stone!
I believe Koetter will allow JW to adlib more this year . Jameis is special he just isn’ t PERFECT!