“You Come Out Relaxed, This Is The Kind Of Stuff That Happens”
October 1st, 2018
Postgame chatter from the Bucs locker room yesterday really makes Joe want to sprint to Abe’s Place for a cold beer or three.
This game represented the Super Bowl for Ryan Fitzpatrick’s career. It was a key matchup against a 2-1 NFC opponent, a critical game for the playoff hunt. It was also a chance for the Bucs defense to take a deep breath against a mortal quarterback and a rather one dimensional offense. Heck, the Bucs have a stack of starters playing in their contract years.
But somehow the Bucs came out flat? Why, why, why?
“You come out relaxed, this is the kind of stuff that happens,” Demar Dotson said.
Man, “relaxed” is one tough adjective to swallow this morning.
Jason Pierre-Paul talked about poor communication by the defense — in Year 3 of their defensive coordinator with several Pro Bowl-caliber players on that side of the ball.
Joe thought the Bucs would lose against the Bears. It was a tough matchup on the road after a Monday night game. But Joe never thought for a second the Bucs wouldn’t show up.
Confusing times for Bucs fans, though there is clarity on Mike Smith.
October 1st, 2018 at 7:05 am
I can GUARANTEE Smith won’t be fired! His beer bellied stubborn old ass will be in the booth in Atlanta leading us to another loss.
October 1st, 2018 at 7:16 am
I would be shocked if Smith is fired in season and would argue it’s probably a bad idea. I have said it before but you have to take the injuries that have occurred to this secondary into consideration. Context matters.
I know that all teams experience injuries but it’s pretty rare that all of the injuries occur in one area. For example, if 4 of our starting OLine went down and we had to replace with rookies and trash heap free agents, then we would all expect the offense to struggle.
Same here. In 4 games we have been without VH3, Grimes, Conte, Whitehead, Williams, and Davis. There is a reason the Bears decided to air it out yesterday. It’s easy scouting.
October 1st, 2018 at 7:26 am
I agree but believer. They won’t fire him. They think salvation is just over the next hill
October 1st, 2018 at 7:39 am
i see this team it’s coaches and everyone involved digressing, instead of getting better, the first 2 games was an illusion, a mirage, a parlor trick, i think the saints and philly overlooked us or took us lightly, and the tale of the tape exposed what most teams knew anyway, soft defense, that can be quite predictable, as the coach of the bears said yesterday” they did what we thought they would do” well this rebuild under the current coaching staff is all but done, i do not see more than a 5-6 win team at best, get ready we bout to hit the rest button again
October 1st, 2018 at 7:43 am
is their any more shaun Mcvey’s out there? league has changed the dinosaurs are being pushed out, starting to look like college ball the way these high octane offenses run up and down the field, what say’s ya’ll folks would ya like to have urban meyer at the helm of the ship?
October 1st, 2018 at 7:55 am
@Dotson … ““You come out relaxed, this is the kind of stuff that happens.” LMAO … Way to go Dots (P.S: YOU’RE A HUGE PART OF THE OLINE PROBLEM … You were rag-dolled yesterday & have ZERO to be relaxed about).
@Joe … “Jason Pierre-Paul talked about poor communication by the defense.” Good call JPP, but that’s sorta kinda what you get when virtually every game sees a high turnover of players starting in key positions (and oh ya, when almost your entire Secondary is barely 6 months removed from college). Every single year we see this same crap on the defensive side: constant player turnover (and the players being turned over weren’t that good to start with). Nice job TEAM-BUILDING Licht.
@Buc Believer … “I can GUARANTEE Smith won’t be fired!” I think you’re wrong; he will be fired, but probably not for this next game (but I bet Licht is looking for someone to replace him right now). What we put on the field yesterday (on BOTH sides of the ball) was disgusting, and we’ll be seeing a lot more of that this year (BOTH trenches stunk it up big-time, and that’s the kiss of death IMO). In my experience (admittedly, largely in the military), if a unit ISN’T PERFORMING SATISFACTORILY, there comes a point where your only alternative is to CUT OFF THE HEAD. Really doesn’t matter if it’s the head’s fault; the head gets blamed, and the powers that be bring in a new head to “kick ass and take names”. Every once in awhile you get spectacular results that way, but more usually there’s some improvement in the unit but not a dramatic improvement (kinda like putting lipstick on a pig … might be a prettier pig, but it’s still a pig).
October 1st, 2018 at 8:33 am
yes you come out relaxed because smitty tells you to “take it licht boys”…smitty dgaf about the bucs…smitty is putting a serious dent in the one thing this team has been proud of over the years — defense — he doesn’t care…he is doing a dirty bird dance on our team pride…get him out of here – he is a real team liability, and is killing off the little tradition we have…ask brooks, barber, and sapp
October 1st, 2018 at 8:34 am
Yes, I hear all the excuses that the secondary was heavy of injuries. But Grimes played, or I should say he was out on the field – but he didn’t impress me at all. Looked timid on occasion, and didn’t look like an aggressive DB at all.
October 1st, 2018 at 8:34 am
smitty is a whopper – when you crave a big mac
October 1st, 2018 at 8:35 am
koetter is disco fries….when you crave cheese fries
#BanKoetterFromDennys
October 1st, 2018 at 8:47 am
What is wrong with the mentality of this team?!?!?!
October 1st, 2018 at 9:03 am
@Jason … “But Grimes played, or I should say he was out on the field – but he didn’t impress me at all.” I agree with you Jason; Grimes had no business being out on that field yesterday (what’s strange is that he only played 66% of the defensive snaps; wondering if he was still hurting from the hammy). The defensive snaps BTW (https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/201809300chi.htm ) tell a fascinating story (only for those who really give a hoot however … those content with merely ranting “Fire Mike Smith” don’t need to bother).
October 1st, 2018 at 9:25 am
That’s BS. Too relaxed or too tense is all BS. Nobody on defense was where they were supposed to be and they weren’t doing their jobs.
Mike Smith must go!! Today!!!
October 1st, 2018 at 9:26 am
Its time to clean house. The only talent we have is at the skills positions and dirk has no idea how to use them consistently. Dirk smutty need to go and licht or is it thise two coaches making the draft picks look worse. It’s great ali marpet was put next to his best friend now they both suck. Demar has lost his entire career here so for him to make that comment I’m sure this is his last year.
3 years in a row this team talked about coming out to relaxed or not ready at the beginning of the season. You can’t fight hard at the end and saves yourselves this year. No one gets blown out like this and figures it out without making changes. We won’t make the playoffs and someone new will make life real umcomftable for the lazy veterans who have been here all these years just having fun. Time for a new gm that wont keep bringing new players into a bad culture that cant handle adversity or apparently coaching
October 1st, 2018 at 9:30 am
Correction Mr Dotson. You were not relaxed. Your team was non-existant. The Bears romped up and down the field on your Defense like it was not even there on Sunday. I’ve said it from Jump. I’ve been echoing it for 2 yrs now. THIS COACHING STAFF HAS TO GO.The selection of this staff was wrong from Jump. The Glazers hired Atlanta’s rejects. Thanks for once again reaching your last years goals Bucs…WORST DEFENSE IN THE NFL THUS FAR 2018.
October 1st, 2018 at 9:31 am
The other BS we hear is old too. “Your going to have game like that”.
October 1st, 2018 at 9:48 am
coming out flat is on the HC…….and I don’t put too much blame on Dotson because mack has 4 sack and FF in 4straight games….the man is killing everyone!!!!!….
not buying the “communication excuse” yet again this year because we have had the same DC in place for years…..grimes ryan smith and j.evans have been in this defense before…..
again, as ive been saying for 2years now, it aint the players and talent, its the coaches and scheme….
#NOEXCUSESIN2018!!!!!….PRESSURESONTHECOACHES!!!!…GO BUCS!!!!
October 1st, 2018 at 9:53 am
bill parcelles always said, “its better to get rid of a player a year early, vs a year too late”…..unfortunately, looks like we made that mistake with grimes…..we should’ve let him go last year…..
#NOEXCUSESIN2018!!!!!….PRESSURESONTHECOACHES!!!!…GO BUCS!!!!
October 1st, 2018 at 10:03 am
Mike Johnson… the Bucs hired Atlanta reject coaches. Sad but oh so true. The Bucs are like the red headed step child expansion team.
October 1st, 2018 at 10:18 am
Fire Mike Smith now
October 1st, 2018 at 10:19 am
They didn’t come out relaxed……more like comatose
October 1st, 2018 at 10:22 am
“Come out relaxed.”…But we keep getting told that that millionaire-best-of-the-best players don’t need motivation or would ever come out relaxed. We are always told how they are the best and they always give 100%. Sure, sure….
October 1st, 2018 at 10:33 am
The team did not have any sense of urgency yesterday at ALL. It’s like everyone was just there to collect their check. The cohesion we saw in week 1 and 2, and even in the week 3 loss was GONE in week 4. No one cared. Think back to D-Jax’s dropped ball in the 3rd on the delivery from Winston. The throw was on-target (for the most part) but D-Jax gave it up! Like he didn’t care. It was right then I started feeling like the team was NOT happy with Winston back in the locker room. Everyone is divided up again. And until Winston is out of the locker room for good, they will stay divided.
October 1st, 2018 at 10:35 am
One poster talked about a sacrificial lamb as we look to fire somebody.
Normally I would not think that’s a good thing but at this point I think the Buc’s need to fire Smitty to make a HUGE statement.
It’s the old you can’t fire all the players so you fire the coach.
It may not be fair but it’s now what’s best for the Bucs. The season is about to get really serious with that game in Atlanta. It’s time to make a MAJOR change and show the players and fans that the Glazers/Licht/Koetter are serious about winning.
October 1st, 2018 at 10:42 am
When they leave you alone with Mack this happens…… When the pulse of your team is a big overpaid p**** who hasn’t done anything in years…this happens. When you bench your #1 overall pick for a journeyman….. this happens. When you draft 2nd round picks who can’t get on the field…..this happens. When Love Smith..I mean Mike Smith is your defensive coach…..this happens. When you refuse to address your secondary in free agency….this happens. When Chris Conte doesn’t play…..this happens. When you are the Cleveland Browns, I mean Tampa Bay Buccaneers….this happens.
October 1st, 2018 at 11:15 am
stpete
that play was very telling…..djax was the driver of the fitz bandwagon and on that play it was as if djax said screw this I want fitz……
but all of this could’ve been avoided imo, if dirk would’ve stepped up and said Winston is our QB when he return regardless of how fitz is playing…..you tell the media that which would’ve killed any QB drama….now what you tell the players inside OBP no one has to know….you bring the QB’s into your office and say what you want to say but everyone has to be on the same page…..
not only did the offense seem divided but so did the team in general…..and the coaches seemed clueless…..
the players are definitely questioning the coaching decision from here on out…..
#NOEXCUSESIN2018!!!!…#PRESSURESONTHECOACHES!!!!…GO BUCS!!!!!
October 1st, 2018 at 11:51 am
Well lucky guys are about to come out relaxed after losing on Monday night. Don’t have to worry about taking easy anymore, your now in third place in your division. Atlanta is 1-3 and have more starters on injured reserve than anyone in the league probably. WHEN you lose that game it should be the nail in the coffin for most of these coaches players and Jason licht
October 1st, 2018 at 12:28 pm
Sorry Defense Rules, I usually agree with your posts but enough is enough.
It’s been 3 years, countless players brought in and out, and Mike Smith has never gotten things going. Every other team has injuries, plays rookies, etc., and deals with the same chit.
Yet how many other teams have multiple games every singe season where the opponent wins by over 3 touchdowns? Only us.
Smitty is garbage, I’m sick of it.
#FireMikeSmith
October 1st, 2018 at 12:41 pm
Dotson is garbage and is costing us games. Next time we face a premier pass rusher Koetter better have two tackles on the right side.
October 1st, 2018 at 12:45 pm
Fire Smitty if you want but these problems are basic pop warner stuff. Case in point, we had 11 penalties and at least 5 were encroachment penalties. Which leads me to ask how tf do these dude continue to jump when they’re lined up directly over the ball? Total lack of discipline not to mention gap integrity and a host of other issues.