Changes? You Bet.
October 1st, 2018
BY IRA KAUFMAN
It’s not dark yet, but it’s getting there.
On the surface, a 2-2 record is nothing to panic over. This two-game losing streak may be unsettling, but the Bucs are only one game out of the division lead at the quarter-pole, with a road win over first-place New Orleans in the bank.
Tampa Bay’s next opponent, Atlanta, is looking up at the Bucs in the NFC South and the timing of this bye week seems just about perfect.
Or is it?
“I know this,” says Bears coach Matt Nagy. “You want to go into the bye week with a win, not a loss. I’ve been on both sides of it. It’s a strain, not only as a player, but as a coach, when you’ve got to go two weeks and just wonder, man, how did that happen?”
Great question, Matt. How did Sunday happen?
According to Demar Dotson, the Bucs didn’t approach the game with the proper intensity. We’ve heard that sad-sack explanation all too often on the road in the past few years, whether it was Arizona, Minnesota, Atlanta or New Orleans.
In a sense, many of these players and coaches have been here before.
Decisions loom
In 2016, Tampa Bay opened at 3-3, with three road wins, before suffering back-to-back home losses to Oakland and Atlanta. The Bucs yielded 73 points, 58 first downs and 1,087 yards in those setbacks before hitting the bye week.
Challenge Accepted
When Robert Ayers challenged his teammates, the defense responded. A five-game winning streak followed, with opponents averaging a mere 13 points, as the Bucs took charge of their own playoff fate with an 8-5 record.
Can it happen again?
Not if this franchise continues with the status quo. Opponents know all too well just what to expect from this defensive crew.
“We just came up with the plan early in the week,” said Mitch Trubisky/Marino. “You kind of know what concepts are good against the defense and what they’re showing us. They gave us the right looks for the plays today and we went out there and made it happen.”
If you saw Jason Pierre-Paul on the sidelines in Chicago, you know he is taking it upon himself to shake this defense to its core. The Bears kept dictating the matchups and Tampa Bay took the worst spanking since Kevin Bacon’s character in “Animal House.”
“Thank you sir. May I have another?”
One can only imagine what is going through the minds of the Glazer brothers this week. Will they sit idly by and watch a promising season unravel?
Unlikely.
Do It For The Offense
Give this offense a chance and the Bucs are a dangerous team. Against the Steelers, Ryan Fitzpatrick and company dug the hole themselves.
But at Soldier Field, this offense never had a chance because the Bears rolled up 22 first downs and 400 yards– by the half.
Ira calls for veteran pride
Two years later, here comes another two-game tailspin before the bye week. It’s now a matter of pride for the guys who have been here for awhile like Dotson, Gerald McCoy and Lavonte David, players who have never tasted the postseason.
Buc fans have invested a lot of passion and commitment in this team. That loyalty is being tested and this organization now has less than two weeks to figure out whether that devotion is a two-way street.
Dirk Koetter likes to say the cavalry isn’t coming. His guys are his guys. By the time the Bucs line up in Atlanta, Koetter should have a few new guys.
There’s plenty of season left to prove this is a team on the rise.
What we all saw in Chicago was an NFL abomination, a lack of preparation and focus that should prompt a thorough and honest self-examination from the locker room to the executive suite.
The cavalry isn’t coming.
Changes? You bet.
Now in his 40th year covering the NFL, Ira Kaufman is the most revered sports personality and writer in the Tampa Bay area. He scored a full-time seat at JoeBucsFan.com world headquarters in July of 2016. Tampa Bay’s only Pro Football Hall of Fame busts out columns here every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and his award winning podcasts fire Tuesdays and Thursdays. You can also hear Ira on SiriusXM Mad Dog Radio Wednesdays at 5 p.m. Also a TV star, Ira is part of the FOX-13 Tailgate Sunday NFL show at 10:30 a.m. He’s also on BayNews 9 Mondays & Wednesdays at 10:30 p.m. He enjoys beet salads, Riesling, tennis, Bette Midler, Chiefs victories and needling Joe. …WATCH IRA AND DERRICK BROOKS on the new TAMPA TWO show from The Identity Tampa Bay and JoeBucsFan.
October 1st, 2018 at 1:49 pm
Dirks comment coming on to the field in the second half…
“I didn’t say anything, I don’t have anything to say to them.”
Great Coach.
October 1st, 2018 at 1:57 pm
But this has happened like 3 or 4 times with this regime. They don’t seem to learn from these experiences.
October 1st, 2018 at 2:01 pm
will the bucs give up 400 yards? history says it’s basically a coin flip with Mike Smith’s defense. something has to give, and i’d rather a change from Mike Smith vs Mike Smith making changes. with the exception of 5 inexplicable games, this defense has almost nothing to hang its hat on despite having arguably more pro bowl caliber players than the average defensive squad
mark duffner and brenston buckner should be interviewing for a promotion this week
also, nice Bob Dylan insertion there at the top. and very appropriate to this moment in the 2018 season. the bucs still have everything to play for but this defense is destroying any potential for swagger that this group has. hard to hold your head up high when you are the team that routinely gives QBs their signature moments. This defense is making offensive players millions of dollars
October 1st, 2018 at 2:02 pm
Get rid of Mike Smith. There will be an immediate improvement from the players on both sides of the ball.
October 1st, 2018 at 2:02 pm
I hope you are right Ira. What changes do we have to look for? I heard Bucs are having open tryouts for DC, Head Coach, GM, and DBs. It’s the first combined front office/on field try out in nFL history.
October 1st, 2018 at 2:02 pm
The LA Rams are the model concept.
October 1st, 2018 at 2:05 pm
The only reason not to fire Mike Smith today is fear of losing continuity with the Defense…..the only problem is there is no continuity.
October 1st, 2018 at 2:09 pm
What time is Dork’s presser today?
October 1st, 2018 at 2:09 pm
What are the glazers waiting for? Let smith go now. This whole mentality they have been carrying giving guys 3rd and 4th chances has to die. If the players see a coach getting more and more chances after they suck, the players can only assume it’s ok for them to lay an egg. Somewhere in the locker room there used to be a cabinet full of these inflated objects used to play this sport. B@LLS, SOMEONE HAS TO FIND THEM SOON OR WE WILL GO BACK TO THE NFC SOUTH BASEMENT WHERE WE SEEM TO BELONG.
October 1st, 2018 at 2:13 pm
So let’s make the most of this beautiful day,
Since we’re together, we might as well say,
Would you be mine?
Could you be mine?
Won’t you be my neighbor?
Won’t you please,
Won’t you please,
Please won’t you be my neighbor?
Gerald Mr Rogers McCoy
October 1st, 2018 at 2:17 pm
It’s now a matter of pride for the guys who have been here for awhile like Dotson, Gerald McCoy
—————-
I luv jbf, best comedy writers in all the interweb.
The only thing McIceCream is proud of has 4 wheels and a bat on the hood.
October 1st, 2018 at 2:23 pm
What is kendell beckwith’s injury status?
I believe he is available for the week 7 game at the earliest, is he able to practice before that or is he even healed up?
October 1st, 2018 at 2:23 pm
This is not the Brooks, Sapp and Rice era, where we do what we do and just do it better than others, so you better have a defense that can make adjustments
October 1st, 2018 at 2:23 pm
We’re f*cked if this defense can’t be average. There really is no damn excuse for what is happening. Absolute garbage.
October 1st, 2018 at 2:26 pm
When are the joes and ira, going to state the obvious this has always been a poorly contructed team. Now lichts right hand man goes up to tennessee and builds a playoff caliber team, that plays great defense and can run the ball and throw it around a little bit if needed and they have been in the playoffs and are atop the AFC south currently…..and the bucs have ZERO identity except for the ABSOLUTE worst defense in perhaps nfl history and that is on smith as well as Licht…licht has drafted for crap and again anyone could see from day 1 the bucs did not have talent, so take your alleged best player at the time McCoy and flip him for picks, licht does nothing, now you have an overpriced mccoy who is on the down spiral as well as he signed grimes who is shot, start calling out your boy licht ira…just cause licht says a player is good doesnt make it so, and the proof is on the field
October 1st, 2018 at 2:29 pm
I hope Mike Smith gets fired today and Buck takes over
October 1st, 2018 at 2:30 pm
Dusty
That pretty much covers it….
October 1st, 2018 at 2:33 pm
This team needs a total housecleaning on the defensive side of the ball. Aside from JPP (and he will eventually be infected with the cancers), there is no one, and I mean no one that can’t be replaced. Bucs would be wise to start the fire sale before the trade deadline and fire Smith now and get Duffner to dumb down the scheme.
October 1st, 2018 at 2:35 pm
Lord C- We knew eventually the offense was going to sputter, and it did. An average defense should’ve been able to hold Chicago to a reasonable score and keep us in the game.
For the most fleeting of moments at halftime down 38-3, I thought we might mount a comeback…..uh, um, nope!
How can we be THIS bad on defense, STILL!
October 1st, 2018 at 2:38 pm
Based on GM Licth’s track record, we should have kept Dominik. Bucs went from bad to horrific!
October 1st, 2018 at 2:44 pm
Plenty of talent on that defense. Should have fired him after last season like we all said daily. Now ya cant make major changes but a change at the top has to be done…..today. Dufner or Buck, anyone, someone. Mitch Montana knew what was coming. Enough said
October 1st, 2018 at 3:00 pm
Dusthty Rhothdes…..drops the mic!
October 1st, 2018 at 3:02 pm
Get rid of Smith now before the season goes down the tubes. He has been given enough chances, and the results remain the same, incompetence. There is no excuse for what happened here in Chicago yesterday. The answer is simple. Remove Smith and replace him with Duffner. There is nothing to lose at this point. This is beyond ridiculous. Make a change now and seize the opportunity with the extra time off.
October 1st, 2018 at 3:08 pm
Dusthty Rhothdes for GM!
I could not agree more..well said..
Licht is a only part of the problem…
October 1st, 2018 at 3:18 pm
Derwin James Jr should be a Buc. Jason Licht Mike Smith and Dirk Koetter should be looking for new jobs…
October 1st, 2018 at 3:29 pm
No changes coming whatsoever and that was obvious when he came putt and took a shot at all his players and wouldn’t say anything about the coaches except himself. This franchise has this status quo mentality and they always seem to be in wait mode basically hoping things will turn around. That’s what will happen and everyone will get firedfor it thankgoodnees gift email
October 1st, 2018 at 3:32 pm
At this point it is safe to say we have 1 good DE. 1 decent DT (Vea not McCoy), 1 decent LB (LVD, 0 good corners (3 promising ones) and 1 good safety (Evans). This is what we have built on defense since Licht has come here. This scheme is trash but so is the talent and we keep waiting for players to be what they simply are not. GMC a difference maker (NOT GOING TO HAPPEN, EVER!!!), Kwon consistent (NOT GOING TO HAPPEN), Noah Spence healthy, productive, useful (NOT GOING TO HAPPEN), Grimes actually caring about this team and not just getting paid (Stop happening a long time ago), LVD covering somebody (NOT HAPPENING EVER IN ZONE OR MAN)
October 1st, 2018 at 4:15 pm
like dirk said the cavalry aint coming!!!!!….he’s guys are his guys…..unfortunately that means coaches too!!!!!……the type of change fans want wont come until 1/1/19
#NOEXCUSESIN2018!!!!!….#PRESSURESONTHECOACHES!!!!….GO BUCS!!!!
October 1st, 2018 at 5:07 pm
So we’re afraid we’re going to lose the continuity of sucking on defense? Nice.
October 1st, 2018 at 5:08 pm
I agree the Defense was terrible but I don’t agree the offense never had a chance. Bad play calling the first series led to a 3 and out. Then, when they had a first down in the red zone with the score 14-0, instead of using their strength (great receivers) and throwing the ball in end zone, they went to Jones twice- dumb.
If the Bucs make it 14-7 , may change momentum- by settling for field goal- that inspired Chicago and deflated Bucs defense.
October 1st, 2018 at 5:11 pm
Where are the changes Ira? Clueless clown shoe Koetter just announced he’s not firing Mike Smith.
October 1st, 2018 at 6:57 pm
@Ira … “Give this offense a chance and the Bucs are a dangerous team. Against the Steelers, Ryan Fitzpatrick and company dug the hole themselves. But at Soldier Field, this offense never had a chance because the Bears rolled up 22 first downs and 400 yards– by the half.”
I refuse to believe that was YOU writing that Ira. Please tell me that one of the Joes hit you over the head, tied you up, then stole your typewriter to make it LOOK like you wrote it.
The Bucs offense peed all over itself Sunday. Our offense had the ball for 32 minutes (to Chicago’s 28 mins) and they did next to nothing with it UNTIL the game was so far out of reach all the Bears’ players wanted was to get out of there and go home. They scored TEN friggin’ points TOTAL in those 32 mins, and 7 pts were against the Bears second-stringers it sounded like. On a day when the team REALLY needed the offense to take control & rack up points, they rolled over & played dead.
For a little perspective of what the Bucs offense DID and DIDN’T do:
o 16 first downs (in 32 mins TOP?)
o 18 rushes for a whopping 60 yards (3.3 YPC average … whoopee).
o Gave up 3 INTs (Lose the turnover battle; lose the game usually).
o 3 third down conversions out of 12 attempts (wow … 25% conversion rate).
o Allowed 4 sacks (love to know how many QB pressures went with that).
Another area where the Bucs TEAM peed all over itself was penalties (hard to believe huh). Bucs had 11 penalties (totaling 99 yards) … 6 on the defense, 3 on the offense and 2 against S/Ts. The rough-and-tumble Bears only had 4 penalties (for 38 yards). Sad … 11 penalties is the sign of an undisciplined team IMO.
October 1st, 2018 at 7:10 pm
What changes Ira? Koetter just stubbornly stated that Smith won’t be fired. A secondary coach scapegoat or simply no change and the Bucs winning just enough to miss out on the top players in the 2019 draft at 4 and 12. Ira. This is as bad as the Leeman Bennett Perkins years where 6-10 was a good season……
October 1st, 2018 at 7:10 pm
DR
You can’t still be fighting this battle.. This defense is epic-ally, historically bad
October 1st, 2018 at 7:25 pm
Maybe now the bucs will finally consider going with a spread
Offense. Maybe not a lot of rpos but Dirk is down to 6 more losses max. The bears used a dirk trainee to put up 48.
Joe went nuts when I told him the bucs should get tebow. He hated the suggestion to move on from jameous and get spread veteran Nick foles that had just won a super bowl.
I know Joe has to take care of his sources and can’t push for changes. You can IRA. Please do.
October 1st, 2018 at 7:52 pm
Mveal
offense is far from the biggest issue here.
October 1st, 2018 at 9:36 pm
Please Ira..ENOUGH! YOU..should be calling for the head of pressbox Smitty..just like the rest of us!!! The SOB’S–same ole bucs are fastly becoming..excuse city.
NO MAS SIR!!!!!
FIRE THE LOT OF THEM!!!!! NOW……
October 2nd, 2018 at 12:54 pm
Fire Smith & hire Tony Dungy as EXC. president like The Jags did with Tom Coughlin & let him pick the Defensive Coordinator. If Buckner isn’t ready yet then
let Dungy pick another one !! Tampa is his home and we love him here. The Glazers will be heroes & the bucs might be able to play defense again!!! GO BUCS !!!