“The Playcalls Are There”
May 3rd, 2018
A hearty thank you to O.J. Howard for offering insight today into the mind/mindset of the Buccaneers general, Dirk Koetter.
The Bucs invited Joe and other media in for a chat session with a few players and Howard was asked about scoring more in the red zone and what can be done to improve in that area.
“Good you said that,” Howard replied to a reporter. “Coach Koetter goes over that the first week of Phase 1 [of spring practice]. He pulled it up, you know, it all comes down to us executing. The playcalls are there. The defense is in the right defenses. We just got to execute when it’s called.
“That’s all it is. We’re like five plays away from being in the top-10 of the red zone offense [in the NFL]. And eight of those 10 teams made the playoffs. That’s how close we were to making the playoffs. We just got to execute, finish a couple more plays in the red zone.”
Perhaps it’s not fair, but when Howard said all that, Joe got a visual of Dirk Koetter sitting down the offense and saying — and detailing on film — that the playcalling is top shelf and the players just have to execute the damn play, which by the way was the right pre-snap read against the defense revealed.
“It’s you, guys!”
Joe knows Koetter is a straight shooter. He’s not BSing players in the film room and Joe is certain Koetter can make a hell of a case selling that improving some relatively easy execution will take the Bucs to the promised land.
“Absolutely!” Howard said, when asked if red zone was more of an emphasis so far this offseason.
Joe wonders what percentage of the missed red zone screwups Koetter showed the team were on America’s Quarterback, Jameis Winston — 65 percent? Less? More?
May 3rd, 2018 at 1:21 pm
Is that Dungy still echoing “execution” ?
May 3rd, 2018 at 1:23 pm
If can’t run the ball in the red zone you won’t score. The patriots don’t rely on Brady to throw in the Redzone everytime they get down there.
May 3rd, 2018 at 1:26 pm
maybe they should take up horsehoes and hand grenades
May 3rd, 2018 at 1:31 pm
It’s all on the players, huh?
Yeah because those pitch plays at the 1 yard line is *brilliant* play calling…
May 3rd, 2018 at 1:34 pm
All I know is re-watching the late Carolina game I didn’t see any creative red zone calls that made it easy on the offense.
TD pass was a deep drop with a super long developing route to Bobo Wilson. If not for Winston maneauvering the pocket and buying time it’s a sack and a drive killer.
Another possession featured a deep drop in that game in the red zone that killed the drive due to a sack. 1st and goal from the 8 and Peppers came loose. I watched every WR / TE route and there was no outlet pass / safe check option.
Another drive – with a 4 point lead and chance to ice this game – Koetter goes Turtle on the Carolina 36 and handed it to Doug F*cking Martin who ran for a 3 yard loss and it basically killed that drive as Winston was sacked on another long developing make-up-for-the-dumb-Martin-call play call. Winston had to convert an 8 yard pass on 3rd down just to try for a 51 yard field goal.
The best run on that drive was for 3 yards and Winston was feeling it. Go for the f*cking throat dude don’t p*ssy out and try to kick long field goals.
Would love to go over all the film with this guy and really see what his responses are to these issues..
That’s just 1 freaking half of 1 freaking game and the play calls were absolutely to blame for multiple failed TD opportunities. Multiple that over a season and get the F*ck out of here with saying Winston missed open guys or players weren’t always execute.
News flash f*ck head: Most players will not execute every single play to perfection. Maybe call plays with less of a % chance of a huge sack. Or call the plays they actually execute well – like Running the ball with anyone other than f*cking Doug Martin.
Sorry this really rubbed me the wrong way lol
And 5 TDs is not enough improvement. We should have had an extra TD per game last year in terms of yards vs scoring. FIX IT KOETTER
May 3rd, 2018 at 1:34 pm
It helps to have explosive plays for TD’s avoid the redzone altogether. I don’t see RoJo getting chased down from behind like Martin did. Might be another reason we drafted Watson also. He is the 2nd biggest thread after Evans (size wise). To help with fade patterns.
May 3rd, 2018 at 1:35 pm
We are not who we were last year. The D is different and the O is different. if the results are the same, the problem is coaching if the results are pocitive, Licht has done his job.
On paper this is a positive overhaul. On paper Napoleon has no Waterloo.
May 3rd, 2018 at 1:38 pm
Yeah I hope Dirk didnt spin it that way. Every play called in the history of the game was meant to execute properly. Its the plays that are called that are made to confuse the D and the ones that are simple to execute that, more than not, move the ball. The high percentage plays. Lets get some simpler routes and try to confuse them once in a while Dirk.
May 3rd, 2018 at 1:39 pm
And sure Winston missed some dudes and players didn’t execute and that was to blame for missed opportunities.
But if he’s showing me some of those plays from the Carolina game – I’d be saying
“You’re putting these f*cking guys in a position where anything other than absolute perfection will be extremely risky in terms of how bad the play could actually go. Why the f*ck are you designing plays with such a high level of difficulty and high chance of failure when we need to be scoring points? Why not go with plays that are high level of success and low % of disaster (i.e. sack)?”
Quick slants
Quick screens
Quick picks/rub routes
Fade routes
TE out routes / crossing routes
ISO runs up the middle
RB screen pitch
Any of that sh1t is better than a 7 step drop / sweep pitch call in the red zone. Literally never need to call sh1t like that.
Run your 2 TE set and stop going with tons of WRs there. That way the defense doens’t know if it’s run or pass. And just call better plays man.
May 3rd, 2018 at 1:41 pm
Oh and rolling winston out and on the move on PA – if you’re going to have a longer developing play. He kills those plays in terms of throwing TDs typically. Thank god we didn’t run a lot of it
May 3rd, 2018 at 1:41 pm
@Lord Corn
I’m with you man. These kind of answers from Koetter worry me, basically saying that nothing he did was wrong so he’s not going to change.
Wouldn’t be shocked if for the third year in a row we struggle to score 21 points a game due to Koetter’s vanilla deep passing offense. Also wouldn’t be shocked if we see run plays up the middle on 85% of first downs.
May 3rd, 2018 at 1:48 pm
@D-Rome, both of your comments nailed it perfectly. We need to run more in the redzone, just not those god awful sweeps on the 1 yard line.
May 3rd, 2018 at 1:49 pm
@Blake
In all honesty – ANY offensive coordinator could blame execution on every play if they wanted.
“Well if every person blocked every person for the length of time the play requires and the WR got open and the QB hit him it should have been a TD”
No sh1t! But there’s a reason some plays get the ball out of a QBs hands faster or are designed to avoid major turnovers/sacks. It’s because no one is executing 100% every play.
It’s on you to create play calls that are successful more often than they are failures – in a way that generates as many possible points given the talent and skill sets of the players you work with.
It’s one thing if a dude wiff’s on a block completely and it’s a sack immediately. But I sure as f*ck hope he’s not watching these plays saying “Well you guys just needed to hold your blocks for 5.9 seconds like i require”
May 3rd, 2018 at 1:52 pm
Klueless prevent offense is the reason we have not and will not make the playoffs
A top elite offensive coordinator can take these exact same players and lead them to over 10 wins…yes even with last years defense
It is not only the playcalling but mostly the offensive game scheme/management/approach
klueless is too predictable and goes turtle and more shrinkage as the 20 yard redzone nears. Klueless fetish for field goal urges takeover
I have asked poster Doctor Shroud his diagnosis and he has stated without question it is ….
serious case of Turtle-itis
May 3rd, 2018 at 1:53 pm
@passthebuc
You just reminded me of Dennis Greens’ rant about Chicago…
May 3rd, 2018 at 1:56 pm
This again is corporate America bs , it’s no different than coaching 8 year olds , the coach that teaches best and assists player learning best is going to trump talent and win . Imagine a pee wee coach saying well I told them what to do !!! It’s their fault !!! No Jack Stand you didn’t get it through in a manner to be successfully executed !!! Plain and Simple !!! Well folks it isn’t any different in the pros and when you here a coach or GM say well they are professionals, they should or do know this , well you got a problem because there are 32 other professional teams your trying to beat and their professional also !!! I can assure you New England teaches and assists the players through many means better than the rest of the coaches/ organizations!! How many professional experienced ex players and coaches have remarked at the Bucs D and the performance and effort of its players , well how are they getting to that point , it’s leadership and coaching !! This isn’t a hard puzzle to figure out but very difficult to fix when Koetter is kinda doing it then everyone is going to follow and actually I think 🤔 someone else may be leading Koetter !! Licht sit down take it in , it’s as clear as grown men like cold beer !!! Some people are teachers and communicators some have great knowledge but can’t teach a lick !! …… It’s an easy fix and hundreds of thousands of people will be happy as hell and a few will pout but the bottom line is the rays have a better much hitting coach ( very very lil talent ) that took 4 years to long !!! That doesn’t mean the old coach wasn’t filled w hitting knowledge , Hell maybe more overall than the current hitting coach , but did it convert to execution on the field !!! No !!! It took 4 years to long because of inner staff relationships and that’s a sick thing when the GM is payed to win and the fans buy tickets trusting he will do his job !!! Conclusion : Jason L Your def is exactly like the rays hitting situation and that isn’t healthy for your head coach !!! You !!! The owners !!! The fans !!! The Buccaneer Organizaton !!! The City !!! Oh and Again the Fans !!! Btw Great Job w the draft now get back to work on this team !!!
May 3rd, 2018 at 1:56 pm
We should be running only 2 formations most games:
2 TE set (ME/Djax/Howard/Brate + RB)
3 WR set (ME/Djax/Godwin/Howard + RB)
We should be running highly effective run/pass plays out of both sets in a way that is unpredictable since we’re using similar personnel each play and they have varied skill sets.
Instead we throw like 4 f*cking TEs in on 1st down in key situations and basically tell the defense we are running it. Or we go 4 or 5 WR in which the D-line knows to just go after the QB. Telegraphed plays. Going turtle. Bad designs. Bad usage of bad design in key moments.
May 3rd, 2018 at 2:05 pm
Downfall of the Forrect licht regime…
is not demanding Klueless to bring in a offensive coordinator and stripping Koetters playcalling duties to the newly hired coach
Monken is a receivers coach …lol, the guy isnt even in the QB meetings
Kobe Faker
May 3rd, 2018 at 2:27 pm
@Joe … “Joe wonders what percentage of the missed red zone screwups Koetter showed the team were on America’s Quarterback, Jameis Winston — 65 percent? Less? More?” Now you’ve got me totally befuddled Joe. Your last statement ending this article (quoted above) looks to be the exact opposite of the position you took in your article earlier today (“Don’t Blame Jameis”). Definitely befuddled.
Lord C gave the best analysis I’ve seen for our red zone woes. Play calling is at the heart of what went wrong, but there were certainly other factors involved in probably every single trip to the red zone. Even with all our improvements, I’m wary that Dirk is still gonna be ‘the same old Dirk’ (his holding on to play-calling duties while ‘promoting’ Monken doesn’t bode well IMO). With this year’s level of talent Bucs should be kicking ass this year, regardless of how tough our schedule is. No excuses. Go Bucs!!!
May 3rd, 2018 at 2:33 pm
Great point LC, and it’s obvious Koetter has some sort of pride issue to blame everything on the players. I was hoping he would learn from his own mistakes as a play caller but Koetters comments make my blood pressure spike.
May 3rd, 2018 at 2:35 pm
Sure do blame Winston for forcing balls to brate in the redzone as if he’s the only receiver on the field. Koetter sucked last year and I didn’t like him but he’s the coach and I’m all in on him until the season starts and I’m reminded how timid he is
May 3rd, 2018 at 2:49 pm
Let’s remember that our Offense practiced against our defense last year.
I can see Koetter putting an * next to certain plays because they work every time against Hargreaves.
That defense made every offense look good, including ours.
With better guys all around, practices will help indicate easier when a play just doesn’t work.
MOVE ON.
The game that bothered me the most was 2 straight back shoulder throws to Evans in the End-zone. Same result both times.
It’s like Koetter truly says, Damn, now that play should work?
MOVE ON
May 3rd, 2018 at 3:01 pm
Much ado about nothing in my book . Its a team game and all 11 players on the field have to execute. Any one of them can make the difference in the success or
failure of a play. A good coach should be able to point that out without singling any one player out. Thats his job.
Koetter’s blind devotion to Martin is another matter that is hard to defend.
May 3rd, 2018 at 3:16 pm
LC
couldn’t have said it better!!!!!!…..
I mentioned the 2TE sets in an earlier post…..
dirk’s 4vert scheme is too predictable….plays take too long to develop….
but as @DB55 would say: WTFDWK!!!!…..
#NOEXCUSESIN2018!!!!…#PRESSURESONTHECOACHES!!!!…GO BUCS!!!!
May 3rd, 2018 at 3:33 pm
JJONES
I think your right….
I think, dirk thinks he’s never wrong…..sadly, I think dirk is in over his head…..I pray he can get us to the playoffs this year…..
#NOEXCUSESIN2018!!!!…#PRESSURESONTHECOACHES!!!!…GO BUCS!!!!
May 3rd, 2018 at 3:38 pm
I, 813bucboi WANT TO NOMINATE SIR LORD CORNELIUS AS PRESIDENT OF FOOTBALL OPERATION!!!!!!!!
ALL IN FAVOR…..DILLY DILLY!!!!!!
just make me the DB coach…..lol…..
#NOEXCUSESIN2018!!!!…#PRESSURESONTHECOACHES!!!!…GO BUCS!!!!
May 3rd, 2018 at 3:42 pm
Four verticals includes two deep routes and two shorter routes.. Many completions went to Tony Gonzalez when Dirk was there in Atlanta.
May 3rd, 2018 at 4:02 pm
Dirk Koetter is one of the better offensive playcalling minds in the NFL.
Its the primary reason he is head coach of the Buccaneers
Super easy to arm chair 2nd guess play calling after the fact…
Critiquing last year’s Buccaneers playcalling with an obvious eye towards the negative plays – and without factoring in how the lack of reliable running game and very sub par play of the OLine is going to effect that playcalling- could easily lead to the conclusion that Koetter is doing a bad job.
Winning only 5 games all season compared to 9 the year before – WITH a more talented roster – is going to lead to the conclusion that Koetter is doing a bad job.
The additions of Jensen and ROJO (and hopefully Cappa) along with the subtractions of Sweezy and Pamphile will likely make a ton of positive difference for the Buccaneers 2018 Offense.
I forsee major offensive success for the Bucs this year including a big uptick in points per game. Leading of course to the inevitable “Koetter is back” and “looks like coach remembers how to play call after all” type comments…
May 3rd, 2018 at 4:29 pm
bob
but when it came to the playoffs, what happened?…..they got shut down because all those plays were either a.) predictable or b.) took too long to develop and c.) abandoned the run game…..
#NOEXCUSESIN2018!!!!…#PRESSURESONTHECOACHES!!!!…GO BUCS!!!!
May 3rd, 2018 at 4:33 pm
Koetter can’t call the game because he’s to busy asking His sidekick Pressbox Smitty whats going on on Defense. Smitty tells him, I gotta get a view..of the last play. Need to adjust these binoculars. Get your A.s on the field Smitty!!!
May 3rd, 2018 at 5:34 pm
Lordc,
The bobo play…..JW had a receiver open within a second and stayed open 3 seconds, JW missed the post and his receiver literally had hands out to say wtf I’m wide open…
Yes He hit bobo, but that’s not what the play design is. It’s an over/under concept and it was open within 3 seconds.
May 3rd, 2018 at 5:48 pm
Bucboi,
You mean the nfc title game…..ATL was up 24-14 a halftime. The falcons didn’t abandon the run game, jaquizz had some nice runs. If harbarugh had stuck w Smith then it’s most likely a falcon win.
May 3rd, 2018 at 5:55 pm
Dirk’s play calling is summed up by what happened just before halftime in Carolina. Instead of going for the TD, he played for a FG and to run the clock out because he didn’t want to give the ball back.
May 3rd, 2018 at 5:58 pm
Bucboi ,Jameis does not have to stand in the pocket and take the long developing
play deep. He could take take the shorter open route. It is not in his nature , but its quite
possible if he did there would be less fumbles.
May 3rd, 2018 at 6:16 pm
It’s not ME it’s YOU!”
Oh boy.
That line of thinking never ends well.
May 3rd, 2018 at 7:36 pm
Need to.let Jameis throw outside the pocket more and get the rbs more.involved in the passing game lime they did in 2015.
The defense being in the right position???? Lmao!!!! Stick to offense Howard you are dead wrong on that one!!!!!
Now that all the peices are here hopefully that’s enough evidence to prove Mike Smith has no business coaching defense in this league!!!
May 3rd, 2018 at 7:38 pm
This horrible defense also keeps Koetter from calling plays as aggressive as he wants to because his bff can’t coach his way out of a cardboard box
May 4th, 2018 at 4:18 am
Rod,
WTF….r u talking about!
Less than 2minutes to the half JW throws 45yds to hump. Two crap plays, if this is what you mean….totally w you, 3rd down on the 5yds line with 14 seconds and Dirk calls a post/seam which is open but a bad ball from JW to Brate. Pass interference and the next call is a hitch to Godwin. Godwin is open but the throw was off so with 2 seconds on the clock ……DK took the pts. If the run game existed or if JW just hadn’t missed two TD passes DK probably wouldn’t have kicked.
Either way, DK wasn’t playing for the FG.
Any other plays ?