Critical Summer
July 5th, 2018
Pressure.
Barring something drastic, like the defense being a complete sieve (again) or the Bucs being unable to dig themselves out of the hole dug for them by America’s Quarterback, Pro Bowler Jameis Winston (and thereby the team getting a mulligan from Team Glazer), it is difficult to see the Bucs having a losing season and head coach Dirk Koetter returning for 2019.
Chucky is the only coach Team Glazer hired that was retained after two consecutive losing season. And Team Glazer always noticed the glare coming from Chucky’s Super Bowl ring he won with the Bucs.
Koetter has no such jewelry.
So in Joe’s eyes, this training camp and subsequent preseason very well could be the most important in Koetter’s career. A losing season, and Koetter, 59, likely won’t get another head coaching gig on the NFL level.
Gregg Rosenthal seems to agree. The NFL.com columnist believes the three-game sentence NFL strongman Roger Goodell slapped Jameis with only deepens the task Koetter faces beginning later this month.
Koetter will have to navigate a training camp that gets Fitzpatrick ready to start the opening of the season, while also preparing Winston to start the rest of the year. (The Bucs also have 28-year-old quarterback Ryan Griffin, someone they liked enough to sign to an extension last August.) The September games will have added pressure, with Koetter knowing that a slow start to the year could potentially get him fired during the season.
Joe just cannot believe that someone with a sober mind actually believes Ryan Griffin should warrant any serious consideration to start. This guy has taken zero regular-season snaps and people expect Koetter to throw this guy to the wolves against the Saints, Eagles and Steelers? With his job on the line? Wow!
For Fitzpatrick to lose the gig as a No. 2 quarterback, he would have to be completely and totally wretched this summer.
July 5th, 2018 at 8:05 am
Well like America’s Choir Boy, Koetter would be better served if he had shown the ability of being an NFL head coach…he hasn’t, so far. So no reservoir of good will or confidence exists.
July 5th, 2018 at 8:18 am
As long as L&K show improvement they’ll be back in 2019….
July 5th, 2018 at 8:24 am
Seems like we’ve washed – rinsed – and repeated this same article a few times now. Gonna be a long 3 weeks till training camp…
And welcome Pete! so glad you crawled out of – er – to have you aboard. I’m sure your amazing football insight will be quite the blessing to us all….
July 5th, 2018 at 8:27 am
Jameis Winston – Coach Killer
July 5th, 2018 at 8:32 am
Pickgrin, its either this or another article about our horrid D line and Buckner
July 5th, 2018 at 8:34 am
Watch Griffin comes out, blows the world away.. we trade him away to some team and get a second rd pick just like Jimmy G…
… nice little jolt of optimism for everyone this morning.
July 5th, 2018 at 8:34 am
The real delima, what happens if Fritzpatrick gets injured in preseason. Do they start Ryan? Do they hire a fourth quarterback?
July 5th, 2018 at 8:39 am
Actually this is a golden opportunity for Koetter (as the birth of his son is for America’s Choir Boy) to rescue his career. If and its a big If the Buc’s do well Koetter will have done a sterling coaching job (notice I didn’t say win) being that America’s Choir Boy will be where he belongs, nowhere near the Buc’s. Koetter has the Golden Ticket! We shall see if he can rise to the occasion, even if not probable.
July 5th, 2018 at 8:42 am
It is Ground Hog Day with these articles. When does football start? End of July?
July 5th, 2018 at 8:47 am
Ha, I was thinking the same thing Pete I
July 5th, 2018 at 8:49 am
Cut Winston. Start Fitz all year. Griffin is our backup.
July 5th, 2018 at 9:01 am
We have used a roster spot for Ryan Griffin for three years and yet, he is still not good enough to be a backup to Winston. And, many are concerned that he is even a backup to Fitz.
Time to find another QB who can play.
July 5th, 2018 at 9:07 am
Well Pete…I thing coak K had a very reasonable first season as a HD and a bad season as a second …..on both seasons we thought that we had much more talent that we really had……Everybody was in ecstasy with Baker TJ Ward….everybody was excited on De Sean and the running game led by Doug Martin…..Everyvody was exited with William Gholston and VH III….remeber that? Well the truth is that coach Koetter has his responsability on this no doubt about it, but let me tell you players and the front office are equally or even more
responsible…….Everybody know , hes play calls and clock managment sometimes were stupid, I agree……..But JW fumbles , stupid decitions, no running game at all there is not much coach K can do…….Long story short, dont pout all the blame all in the coach, there was much less talent than what we thought so, and a lot of players underfperformed……….
July 5th, 2018 at 9:19 am
ZZbucs – Agreed! So far this organization is not well run and underperforms at all levels. And has for some time.
July 5th, 2018 at 9:32 am
The HC is stuck back in the late 80’s….remember the Tampa Bay Bandits and Coach Spurrier??? He is a Steve S. Wannabe. He is way too smug to be a head coach. He is nothing more than a QB coach. No one will know his name 10 years from now.
July 5th, 2018 at 9:33 am
Alabama makes the point.
You dont start Griffin, when your job is on the line – but you have to prepare him (with enough reps) to be the #2 in case Fitz gets hurt and has to miss some time on the field. . . then you have to make sure you have a #2 behind Griff if he has to start. Getting 3 guys ready for the season will be a tougher task for Koetter and staff for sure – but that is the hand that has been dealt
GO BUCS!!!!!
July 5th, 2018 at 9:35 am
Loved the Bandits! Still have some of my USFL stuff. Spurrier had 3 great offensive teams but no defense and no playoff wins.
July 5th, 2018 at 9:41 am
dirk choked under adversity and pressure last year……he’ll choke again…..simple as that!!!!!!
#NOEXCUSESIN2018!!!!….#PRESSURESONTHECOACHES!!!!!….GO BUCS!!!!
July 5th, 2018 at 9:51 am
With guaranteed TV money, Owners are making tons of money and with sportsbetting here it will double.
Glazers dont need fans money, they have and want corporate money. LOL, you sheep think the millions of dollars of renovation is for you?…corp $$$ is they want
We are the Cincinnati Bengals of the South and Klueless is Marvin Lewis 2.0
“#BUCSHEEP DONT MATTER”
Kobe Faker
July 5th, 2018 at 10:06 am
Fitzpatrick has never had this many weapons to work with- the key for Fitzpatrick and Jameis will be the O-line and effective running game and Koetter needs to be laser focused on developing a strong running game
July 5th, 2018 at 10:08 am
The best ability is availability, according to Hall of Fame Coach Bill Parcels. If Jameis Winston isn’t available for the first three games, move on as if he won’t be there for 16 games. Get Ryan Fitzpatrick ready and let Winston take the #2 or even the #2 QB reps in training camp. Don’t do anything special for this unavailable, albeit potential super star. Getting him ready won’t do a thing for the Bucs in weeks one to three, so give him the reps he deserves that will help the team and that’s as the #3 QB. The NFL is a win now league so let’s train that way.
July 5th, 2018 at 11:00 am
It is unfortunate that America’s Crotchgrabber has put us in this situation. He is what we thought he was, an average QB that has accuracy issues. Sure, the FSU fans told us he would get a SB in 2 years, but the rest of us knew he wasn’t that good. You get what you draft. Now we can only wait until another good QB draft class to get us our future QB. Jameis can be our backup for that guy. Jameis to be the next Fitz in the NFL.
July 5th, 2018 at 12:01 pm
Everyone forgets that Fitz played poorly last preseason and Smith was playing really well until he got hurt.
Many people here on JBF opined for cutting Fitz and keeping Smith. I think, though, that Fitz earned a new contract and the starting nod with his play during the Arizona game and the three games he started.
Funny thing is, if we win two games 13-3 and 16-7 during that stretch with Fitz being Fitz, completing 70% for 5 yards per attempt with at least two 4-6 yard completions on third and 7-8 yards, everyone will talk about how great he’s playing even if the third game is a blowout loss. If he plays exactly the same and we lose those same games 38-20 and 45-23 and get blown out in the third game, everyone will say, “We have no chance without Jameis.”
July 5th, 2018 at 2:56 pm
Gambelero
Did I miss something?
Who is Smith
July 5th, 2018 at 3:22 pm
I didn’t know who Smith was either.
Smith has to be Griffin, right?
July 5th, 2018 at 6:47 pm
lmao ryan griffin gtfo
July 5th, 2018 at 11:53 pm
If I remember correctly, wasn’t the 1st play in Bandits history an onside kick on the Opening Kickoff?
July 6th, 2018 at 12:17 am
I will answer that…. nope