Back In The Kick Return Cellar
October 17th, 2018
You know what’s a bad NFL combination? Owning a horrendous defense and the worst kickoff return unit in the NFL.
And that’s your Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Fans are well versed in the defense, which just launched its leader and is on pace to allow the most points in league history. But the failed kick return game rarely is talked about.
The Bucs are last in the NFL with an average of 14.6 yards per return. The league average is just over 22 yards. That helps illustrate just how much the high-powered Bucs offense is earning everything it gets, especially when considering the Bucs have just one interception all season and aren’t forcing many turnovers.
Last year, the Bucs ranked 17th in the NFL at 21.6 yards per return, but in 2016, they ranked dead last. That year, with Ryan Smith returning most kicks, they were one of the worst return units in NFL history at 14.6 yards per return — the same average they have this season.
Given the consistent kicking woes and this horrid return average again, Joe has to believe it’s something in the special teams culture that’s just not right.
October 17th, 2018 at 9:22 am
It’s almost funny in how many random stats this team is worst at…
October 17th, 2018 at 9:25 am
Man… We will see. The schedule sets up where we should be able to win 5 out of next 7. If not, then everyone must go with a6-10 or 5-111 record
October 17th, 2018 at 9:30 am
i don’t even have to read this story…i have been saying wtf is quizz doing in there taking kickoffs…it’s a f’in joke…he is not fast or elusive, with no juke and jive moves…what is he doing in there…this is one of the worst coaching decisions ever…put the “wide receiver” rojo in there already…the only thing he can do is move in space…this is prime opportunity to showcase that…so wtf is going on again???
October 17th, 2018 at 9:31 am
This team us hopeless. They fire the DC and promote an assistant that coached with them in Jacksonville who has a losing record everywhere he has been.
Shoulda promoted Buckner and fired the special trams coach along with smitty
October 17th, 2018 at 9:31 am
I miss Karl “The Truth” Williams!
October 17th, 2018 at 9:33 am
You have Jacquezz Rodgers returning kicks.
October 17th, 2018 at 9:33 am
Licht has yet to find a good kicker or kick returner.
October 17th, 2018 at 9:34 am
the truth was the man…i used to rock his auth. adidas jersey to games on sundays…
October 17th, 2018 at 9:36 am
Every time I see Jacquizz Rodgers back returning kicks I was to thrown my TV off a cliff.
October 17th, 2018 at 9:42 am
@Bucsfanman & adam — hell yes on “The Truth” Williams!
and DO NOT FORGET Michael Spurlock! — where is HE when we need him?! 😉
October 17th, 2018 at 9:44 am
I forgot about Spurlock! Nice call Demon!
October 17th, 2018 at 9:45 am
Rodgers looks really bad returning. Not sure why the hell he’s been the guy there.
October 17th, 2018 at 9:47 am
they should put jw at returner
he’s greasy!
October 17th, 2018 at 9:55 am
Its becoming more and more clear that the Bucs need to clean house at the end of the season.
October 17th, 2018 at 9:56 am
clifton smith was getting good too until that panther took him out head hunting on that illegal hit…kinda ended his career
October 17th, 2018 at 9:58 am
i’m not all that, and barely half a bag of chips…but quite honestly i can get the 10-12 yards “wizz kid” rodgers gets on returns for us now
October 17th, 2018 at 10:02 am
quizz simply can’t outrun anyone…so he has no reason to be doing this job at all…kick returning is about having the ability once in space to hit another gear and go…that is not quizz…
koetter is like: “but quizz is reliable”…
if we lose to the browns sunday, dump koetter too and throw in monken as head coach…let’s make this a merry go round…
we are now “the fun bunch”
October 17th, 2018 at 10:02 am
Myself and all Bucs fans were fooled by the first two games
but we all knew out defense sucks
ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh……….how things have literally came back to earth in a few short weeks
This is just a bad team…….PERIOD
October 17th, 2018 at 10:09 am
so the special teams and defense has been trash under dirk….lol….what a surprise….
dirk is a OC pretending to be an HC……if you look at this team, the only positive is passing and even that comes with some negatives…..we have no run game…no defense….and nothing special about our special teams…..
running, defense and special teams have all regressed under dirks leadership…..
dirk will be the next to go…..
#NOEXCUSESIN2018!!!!…#PRESSURESONTHECOACHES!!!!…GO BUCS!!!!
October 17th, 2018 at 10:18 am
I am starting to see things the same way Docter_berto says earlier.
We will see how it plays out but to me, that’s the one thing that is becoming more and more apparent. Good luck Dirk. I hope I am wrong but I don’t think so.
October 17th, 2018 at 10:20 am
The kick returner is a very,very, very important position
It seems like teams are always kicking off to the Bucs
After scoring a Touchdown
October 17th, 2018 at 10:22 am
Dirk sealed his fate before the season started by bringing back every D coach (except for Hayes) including special teams.
It’s the definition of insanity. Doing the same thing over and over again but expecting different results. Not gonna happen.
October 17th, 2018 at 10:26 am
Quizz is not a good RB or KR.. He looks slow and tentative. He hesitates on his KRs and once you hesitate and dance you’re done.
October 17th, 2018 at 10:27 am
Bucs have just one interception all season and aren’t forcing many turnovers.
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That’s a nice tidbit, you must have some great researchers on staff. 😉
October 17th, 2018 at 10:29 am
I’m embarrassed that there is 0 attention to Kick Off Returns.
It’s like they expect the kickoff to go through the End Zone because that is what they do.
All while Good Teams are kicking it to the 2 or 3 and playing good defense.
I agree with putting Rojo back there. I mean let’s see what he can do!!!
Rodgers is a joke. Like some kinda prank or something
October 17th, 2018 at 10:33 am
Let’s give someone else a shot….anyone, let’s get Djax killed…..or bring back Bobo or Reedy……anyone….Myron Lewis perhaps…
October 17th, 2018 at 10:36 am
How many Kickoff’s are actually returnable..especially in today’s NFL?
Can’t see how this is NEAR our biggest problem. Rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic.
October 17th, 2018 at 10:49 am
jmarkbuc right on this stat doesnt matter, only team actually kicking off an wanting a return are the Pats, the rest boom it out of the endzone, but the bucs giving up 50 pts/game do see alot of kickoffs, so the few times rodgers tiptoes around he gets 12 yards
October 17th, 2018 at 10:49 am
Bring Bobo up strictly for punt returning and kick off returns. If Koetter was creative- Bobo could be the “sidecar” when Jameis is in shotgun and get him in space against a linebacker. He was excellent in the pre-season.
October 17th, 2018 at 10:54 am
Great analysis Joe, wow that shows as you say what we are doing to get points with the offense we have. This is what kills me, we have the best offense of any time in the history of this franchise and ofcourse now our defense stinks. I have been a fan forever and this just is so wrong on many levels. Licht please wake up.
October 17th, 2018 at 10:56 am
@jjbucfan, got to agree with you that Bobo could be a real boost to the return game and a great option on some unique playcalls, as you mention
October 17th, 2018 at 11:13 am
Rodgers returned 2 kicks against the Falcons, 31 yards in return
The Bucs offense started at the Bucs 19 and 24
Remember….they kickoff to the Bucs after the FG
Rodgers got the ball at the 7 and returned it to the 24
That was a important return
It seems like he had room to get a good return
October 17th, 2018 at 11:43 am
I’ve been asking all season why we have Quizz doing the returns? He runs straight into the pile of defenders every single time. He’s not shifty. He doesn’t scare anyone.
So if we have him out there because no one else has better hands, we’ll thats just a sad indictment of this team.
October 17th, 2018 at 11:45 am
I would put GMC and Kwon back there as punishment for their dancing.
October 17th, 2018 at 12:02 pm
TheBucsAnthem Says:
October 17th, 2018 at 10:02 am
Myself and all Bucs fans were fooled by the first two games
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Then go away.
October 17th, 2018 at 12:17 pm
The answer is almost anyone on the team besides jacquizz rodgers
October 17th, 2018 at 12:20 pm
Bobo or Rojo both good options and better than Quizz
October 17th, 2018 at 12:52 pm
Rodgers is just a “placeholder” and is just marking time on the returns. Hard to get a handle on the punt returns since no one has to punt vs our defense. Sad and pathetic.
October 17th, 2018 at 12:52 pm
I miss Michael Spurlock!
October 17th, 2018 at 12:55 pm
On December 16, 2007, Spurlock became the first player in Tampa Bay Buccaneers franchise history to return a kickoff for a touchdown in a regular season game, taking a kick back 90 yards for a score in a game against the Atlanta Falcons. At the time, Tampa Bay had not returned a kickoff for a touchdown in their entire 32-year history when this was accomplished. He was cut by the team on August 31, 2008
Spurlock is available. Currently a free Agent.
October 17th, 2018 at 1:31 pm
“Spurlock is available. Currently a free Agent.”
Ghost – Spurlock is about to turn 36. He hasn’t been with an NFL team since training camp of 2014… Yea – he’s “available” alright…. LOL
October 17th, 2018 at 1:31 pm
I agree that Bobo should be returning kicks.
October 17th, 2018 at 2:46 pm
Clean house of all the coaches that do not perform. We have the talent not to Suck.
October 17th, 2018 at 2:55 pm
I would even take Aaron stecker! But how about we just let hump or Jackson do it.. I mean hell , don’t worry about Jackson getting hurt because with jameis in there it will be the only time he really has a chance at getting the ball in his hands anyway… Our ship & season is sinking fast as f__k…
October 17th, 2018 at 3:42 pm
Rather than give a kicker $3.5m guaranteed, Licht could have signed a known quantity at kick returner and didn’t.