“You Are Overlooking How Bad The Buccaneers Defense Was”
May 21st, 2018
Defends America.
The contention that if today the Bucs were deranged enough to release America’s Quarterback, Pro Bowler Jameis Winston, he would not find another NFL starting job immediately sure has Bucs fans buzzing.
This was the concept tossed out by the creator, curator and overall guru of Pro Football Talk, the great Mike Florio, on his PFT Live radio show Friday morning heard on NBC Sports Radio.
Florio said Jameis would not start anywhere if he were released based on a variety of factors: teams entrenched with their plans for a starting QB this fall, Jameis’ salary, and the potential multi-game suspension in midseason hanging over Jameis’ head with that alleged Uber hassle.
Florio’s senior writer, Michael David Smith, heard Florio’s words and couldn’t believe his ears. So he took to Twitter to admonish his boss. Then, MDS appeared on Florio’s Pro Football Talk Live TV show seen by intelligent football fans weekdays on NBC Sports Network to set the record straight.
In short, MDS said Jameis was all but hung out to dry by the Bucs last season. MDS noted Jameis was asked to cover for the worst defense in the NFL not to mention playing without a running game.
“I do disagree,” MDS said. “And the team that comes to mind immediately [which Jameis could start for] is right there is the state of Florida, the Jacksonville Jaguars. I think if you look at the degree of difficulty that Blake Bortles was asked to do last season and what Jameis Winston was asked to do last season, there is no comparison between those two quarterbacks. Jameis Winston was constantly playing from behind with a bad defense. Blake Bortles was constantly protecting a lead with a good defense.
“I believe you add Jameis Winston to the Jacksonville Jaguars, I really think they are the best team in the NFL. I would expect the Jaguars to beat anyone — the Patriots, the Eagles, anyone — if you have that defense and Jameis Winston. You are overlooking how bad the Buccaneers defense was last year and how many games [Jameis] was in where he was forced to do everything for his team. … I really think one of the overlooked stories in the NFL was just how bad that defense was in Tampa Bay and how much [the Bucs] were putting on Jameis Winston to do [things] by himself. I think if we could go inside the Buccaneers front office and listen to a candid assessment of where they are, I don’t think they are saying, ‘Oh, we are worried about Jameis. He’s not developing.’ No. I don’t think they are saying that at all. I think what they are saying is, we have to improve the team around him. We have our franchise quarterback.
“I think the Buccaneers are much more satisfied with their quarterback situation than the Jaguars are with their quarterback situation.”
Joe has zero argument with what MDS said. Yes, Jameis would be a vast improvement over Bortles in Jacksonville. And yes, the Bucs defense was just putrid last year. Enough for a sober Bucs fan to slap someone.
Think about it: That defense had first-round picks and/or Pro Bowl players at every level yet it was largely incompetent. Four times last year the Bucs defense coughed up a lead in the fourth quarter. It also gave up 400 or more yards in nine games — nine!
The fact that the defense simply no-showed in every game played in a dome last year speaks to some larger, unknown issue at hand. It also makes Joe wonder about the defense practicing in the Bucs’ new indoor facility.
Yeah, if for some reason Jameis was released today, not only would he start in Jacksonville, he would also start in Miami. Joe sort of understands the argument Florio made and it is not a crazy thought, but it’s hard to imagine Adam Gase in South Florida wouldn’t drop whatever he was doing and race to Dolphins vice president of football operations Mike Tannebaum’s office upon learning Jameis was available.
There just is no logical reasoning to make Joe think Jameis, even with the baggage he has and his fumble-itis, is a worse option than Ryan Tannehill.
May 21st, 2018 at 9:06 am
I remember enough games where the offense went 0-and out, if I recall the play call seemed ridiculous , seemed like we had no run game and if we passed we were going for the long bomb, leading to a punt.
May 21st, 2018 at 9:09 am
Why do you “sort of understand” his argument? What is your reason for buying into it? Where do you stand? You, not anyone else, you.
May 21st, 2018 at 9:12 am
Why even pay this asinine opinion of Florio’s any attention? Much less a 2nd article seeming to ponder the question?
Anyone who thinks Jameis Winston is the reason the Bucs are losing is a damn fool who has no idea what they are talking about.
May 21st, 2018 at 9:14 am
Yet, Smitty was retained!
May 21st, 2018 at 9:28 am
Yea, come on. That’s just a silly notion. Jameis is a better than average QB that just needs to tighten up a few things.
Defense? What defense?! I’m still trying to drink away that memory!!!
May 21st, 2018 at 9:31 am
Jameis is going to make Florio eat some serious crow this season.
May 21st, 2018 at 9:40 am
All I know we lost to Brent Hundley in a Michael Vick costume. We lost to 2 finger Stafford in a Peyton Manning fashion. We let Medicare receiptants have a hall of fame game in Az….. speaking of which why does every team has a player that gets a career game against our defense or a season high in something?
Then they left Justin Evans to dry like 5 guys standing there while he gets ragdolled tornadoed by Kamara for a td.
May 21st, 2018 at 9:47 am
geez, what has Winston done with the weapons ?? Has he carried the team on his back for a win?? After being the #1 pick in the draft why is he rated as only average? He is accurate on the long ball ?? …IS he the worst qb in bucs own division?? So far he has been nothing to brag about and yet excuses for him keep being made ..Let Jamies prove himself 1st ,then call him good
May 21st, 2018 at 9:51 am
Lamarcus – Don’t forget the infamous Julio Jones debacle from last year. Yeah, the DEFENSE stunk up the whole state.
May 21st, 2018 at 9:54 am
Ben – the worst QB in the division? All of the other QBs have more time under center than Jameis. You expect ANY QB to come in and dethrone 2 future HOFs and a QB who had a whole system built around his talents with a real defense? I think Jameis has been better than average but could improve. Being the worst QB in OUR division isn’t saying too little.
May 21st, 2018 at 9:56 am
It’s so hard to evaluate this team as a whole.
May 21st, 2018 at 9:58 am
I can think of 10 teams off the top of my head that would grab a 24 year old QB that has thrown for over 4000 yards in 3 seasons( would have been well over 4 if not for the injury last season). And another 10 teams that would have him as a back up for their soon to be retiring QB’s. Give me a freaking break. That was a way to grab eyeballs.
May 21st, 2018 at 10:02 am
Florio is somewhat of a troll I used to regularly listen to his podcast but stopped because of some of the ridiculous statements that he makes during the off-season. He’s a great news source during the season but makes a lot of asinine and hypothetical statements during the off-season to stay relevant.
May 21st, 2018 at 10:06 am
Guys please ignore Ben he thinks Joe Montana won all those super bowls by himself.
May 21st, 2018 at 10:10 am
Meh I disagree that Winston is the worst in the division. Cam has only had one 4k passing season and he is extremely inaccurate. His career completion percentage is only 58.5% lol. He is certainly one of if not the best dual threat quarterback of all time but let’s not all pretend to believe that will last much longer. Dude is damaged goods and has proven time and time again he’s not a pocket passer. He was the second most inaccurate QB in the NFL last year.
If this were a few years ago then yes Jameis would be the clear cut worst QB in the division but that still isn’t saying much and I wouldn’t be surprised if he finishes 2nd this season. Next to Brees of course.
May 21st, 2018 at 10:16 am
Joe’s sure are turning your backs on Jameis. What this guy said is 100% correct and the fact you came up with another team and there are more than that would take Jameis blows Florio story to hell and back so why not let it stand there instead of talking about how Florio could be right … there are 2 examples that he would be wrong. And Jameis fumbles cause he was trying to carry the worse defense in the nfl. Why bring that negative up. Is he a franchise QB or not.? I say without a single morsel of doubt that he is. Quit ending each positive Jameis story with a negative so you can cover your ass if you are wrong. You obviously do t believe in him as much as others do.. and not FSU connections here . Just a Buc fan that believes in his QB 100%.
May 21st, 2018 at 10:18 am
@ joe
Why did this stupid comment garner 4 articles from you? Surely there is more buc news you can find on your recorder that would be better. I told you florio is a butt hurt mariotta lover. Evident when he said “maybe” the defense had something to do with it. Enough with idiocrasy of florio and his jameis bashing.
May 21st, 2018 at 10:20 am
Hardly. He’s the best quarterback this franchise has ever had. Doesn’t mean there aren’t legitimate questions about his development.
May 21st, 2018 at 10:21 am
Joe thinks it is a compelling argument. And when national guys debate the Bucs, it interests Joe. Always has, always will.
May 21st, 2018 at 10:28 am
Man I hate the offseason!
May 21st, 2018 at 10:38 am
Please shut up about Winston national media because the last thing we need is more negativity about his game for him to go out there another year thing to prove people wrong and end up being so stubborn he won’t give up on plate which will keep his turnovers high.
I would love him to speak with his game more than his mouth. Talk to your offense leave the defense to motivate themselves
May 21st, 2018 at 10:43 am
Joe this is a stupid comment by florio. There is nothing compelling about it whatsoever unless you want to feed the trolls. Other buc websites have talked about this comment in 1 article and have ridiculed the stupidity of such a thought but yet you find it compelling? He has an agenda. Always has. There is nothing compelling when you have an agenda.
What agenda? This is the same Florio who touted Jameis as a potential MVP candidate before the start of last season. This is the same Florio who sat on a story that would have made Dirk Koetter look bad to many people for more than two years before caving to pressure to share it last month on his podcast, the afternoon one that’s not as popular as his morning show on loads of radio stations nationwide. You hear Florio saying the NFL should suspend Jameis? No. There’s no whiff of agenda here. –Joe
May 21st, 2018 at 11:03 am
Winston wouldn’t last long on the market…..bucs release him at 12:05pm he has a job at 12:15pm…..maybe sooner!!!!
#NOEXCUSESIN2018!!!….#PRESSURESONTHECOACHES!!!!….GO BUCS!!!!
May 21st, 2018 at 11:14 am
Just to point something out for those Buc “fans” that to compare Jameis to Mariotta, on the top 100 players in 2018 there are already 4 Titan players on the list. Let’s all guess the amount the Bucs have so far?
May 21st, 2018 at 11:30 am
Ndog.. Mariotta made the players around him better with less big time receivers as Winston has . (isn’t this fun:>)
May 21st, 2018 at 11:43 am
Joe florio bashed jameis up and down prior to the draft. Him claiming jameis can be a potential mvp one day does not cover up the stink of an agenda. How many nice things have he said about jameis? If 95% of what you speak is negative then how do you expect me give any credence to the 5% positive? Are you telling me jameis play was so bad that in less than a year he went from a potential mvp candidate one day to not even a starter for no other team in the league? I know Ira goes on his show sometimes and you want to defend him but he has an agenda. We will have to agree to disagree here.
May 21st, 2018 at 11:49 am
I did an easy google search and literally found more than a dozen articles written about the Bucs and Jameis from major media outlets – many FAR more reputable in my opinion than the gossip monger that is Florio.
This is a stupid and asinine statement and it really makes no sense why this article has to be harped on over and over and over again. Sports doesn’t have to always be consumed by such negativity. That’s not a true statement about Jameis at all. I can easily name 7 franchises that would be very happy with him IMMEDIATELY and many more that would be happy long term.
In fantasy circles – Jameis was the #1 or #2 fantasy QB over the last 5 weeks when healthy last season.
123 for 183 (over 67% completion rate) for 1584 yds with 9 TDs and 5 INTs over the last 5 games AFTER he came back from injury. Remember, 3 of those INT’s came in the final game against New Orleans, a game the Bucs won.
Extrapolate those 5 HEALTHY games over a full season and you get a 5000yd season with 29 Tds and 16 INTs with a 67% completion percentage.
Yeah – no one would want that.
Dumbest argument I’ve seen in a very long time. Just plain ignorant.
May 21st, 2018 at 11:58 am
lol @ Ben
Apparently QBs are somehow coaching up the safeties and defensive lineman on their teams in addition to offensive tackles
May 21st, 2018 at 12:05 pm
Ben, if you’re going to be a troll, at least be a good one. Statistically, JW was the 2nd best QB in his division last year if he had played a full season. And Mariotta isn’t even close.
How is this so hard? Highest QBR in the league for the last month of the season while playing with the worst defense, horrible special teams and mediocre running game. Which games were you watching?
May 21st, 2018 at 12:12 pm
***KLUELESS APOLOGIST PROPAGANDA
Enough! Kobe had enough of this BS!
Klueless pathetic conservative playcalling and in game management was more of a deterrent of JW3 development and wins from last year
the offensive side had the actual talent and skills to effect/win games last year
Klueless stubbornly couldnt help JW3 by designing a short passing game to help his damaged shoulder. Licht bulb gave Klueless 2 yac recievers in OJ and Godwin but he didnt utilize their skillsets
the offense should have outscored/led/dictated the games last year….
yes, it was clearly proven (supperbowl philly philly) that the offense can win and closeout the opponent by dictating its will
“I am the Anti-Pederson”
Klueless Koetter
May 21st, 2018 at 12:34 pm
Florio can be brainless and in this situation he is as well.
May 21st, 2018 at 12:53 pm
Play calling, play calling, play calling!
Coaches please get the right play calling down. You took too many chances for big plays when we werent ready for it….also didnt have the RB we needed to help in some of those situations.
I want to see slow grinding, few yards, then 5 yards, bring their D in, then hit them with a 10 yard pass, wash rinse repeat.
May 21st, 2018 at 12:57 pm
Its Joe’s site….he writes what he wants!! Dang, chill!
May 21st, 2018 at 1:50 pm
Maybe I should start a pro Jameis site! This is getting tiresome and ridiculous!
May 23rd, 2018 at 5:48 pm
Jameis also puts his defense into bad situations Bc of his turnovers.