“Hey, I Didn’t Take Anything”
November 18th, 2018
Running out of patience with two subjects.
Yes, we all know on Friday night Bucs coach Dirk Koetter said offensive coordinator Todd Monken will call offensive plays for the Bucs. Today. For now.
To the best of Joe’s knowledge, Monken had been calling plays until the Redskins game when Koetter resumed playcalling duties, in part, because he wanted to establish more of a ground game.
The Bucs moved the ball fantastically until they entered the red zone. There, they fell to pieces. A lot of fans tried to blame this on Koetter, which Joe thought was ridiculous.
Roughly four hours after Koetter announced on his local radio show Monken was calling plays today against the Giants, Koetter appeared on his weekly hit with SiriusXM NFL Radio, specifically on “Late Hits” co-hosted by Gil Brandt and Alex Marvez.
From Friday’s segment, it’s pretty clear Koetter is tired of two subjects: who will play quarterback and who will call plays. Brandt had just asked Koetter about quarterbacks (listeners could tell from Koetter’s tone that had it been anyone but Brandt — who Koetter has a long history with and who Koetter greatly respects — asking the question, Koetter may have had a more terse response); Marvez asked Koetter about playcalling.
This led to an uncomfortable exchange that ended in Koetter laughing about what he should discuss on the channel.
Alex Marvez: Dirk, one other question about your offense. Todd Monken — there is a big deal down in the local media there about playcalling. You took over playcalling last week. Now you said on your radio show today he will be taking it back. What is the deal with all of that?
Dirk Koetter: Well, Todd is going to call the plays this week. I didn’t know I was required to address controversy with the local media. Is that part of my job description now Alex?
Marvez: No, no it is not. It is something your fans want to know. That’s all I am saying.
Koetter: I really wasn’t sure what your question was.
Marvez: Well, I don’t really know how to describe it. I’m not sure why you took it from him in the first place. So I don’t know what happened. I am surprised something like this gets out.
Koetter: Hey, I didn’t take anything. I just called the plays last week.
Marvez: Fair enough.
Koetter: [Laughs]. We’ll talk about that. I’ve been doing it for 30 years.
It almost sounded as if Koetter misunderstood what Marvez was asking and thought Marvez was suggesting Koetter stripped Monken of his responsibilities.
Two things are clear: Koetter is sick of talking about quarterbacks (Joe thinks Koetter is completely finished with Jameis barring an injury to Fitz). And Koetter is tired of talking about who will call offensive plays each week.
November 18th, 2018 at 8:14 am
“Lol! Isnt this so apparent. Klueless with his ancient playcalling will be out of the league on Dec 30
Klueless couldnt score in the redzone for the last 3 years and the Buc sheep wonders why”
Kobe Faker
November 18th, 2018 at 8:22 am
Get lost Faker troll! Koetter’s biggest problem is adjusting to the pressures of being a HC. He’s an offensive (positive connotation) genius, but so far the HCing has been getting to him. This team should not be 3-6 and bottom dwellers. Hope today is the day he gets his HC act together. Go Bucs!!
November 18th, 2018 at 8:25 am
Umm yeah koetter it is in your job description to answer questions for the media that fans would like to know … yes you don’t have to answer them …. but guess what this is your team and your dilemma , deal with it
November 18th, 2018 at 8:32 am
Hope Koetter get fired when we get stomped by Giants today
November 18th, 2018 at 8:45 am
No wonder why this team plays like they do, we have no leader. Koetter needs to grow a pair.
November 18th, 2018 at 8:46 am
This happens when Coach perennial losers. Uncomfortable questions are lobbed at you repeatedly. Everything you do will be questioned because your losing. I feel for Koetter really but if you can’t stand the heat…. at least don’t shoot the messenger. The real question is when will Jason Loser Licht slither out from under his rock and take some of the heat for this mess. Their relationship has to be a little tense right now. Jason has thrown Dirk to the wolves by doing nothing before the trade deadline and then drove the bus over him. When they win Jason can’t take enough credit, but lose repeatedly and he’s nowhere to be found, much less a Glazer sighting. Hang in there Dirk, the end is near.
November 18th, 2018 at 8:47 am
Look at average points scored last year even when losing and trying to comeback we sucked in red zone. What’s the common factor from last week to last year and you had the great Jamie’s at QB LAST Year
November 18th, 2018 at 9:22 am
Doesn’t matter who call plays, the Bucs can’t get it in the end zone unless it is a long gain flukey play. Zero red zone offense production. This off-season the Bucs should vote for a rule change……one point for getting into the red zone. That should be worth about 7 points a game the way things have been going.
November 18th, 2018 at 9:26 am
Fire Dirk!!! Is has no idea what he is doing.he sucks as a head coach period!!!!
November 18th, 2018 at 9:38 am
This certainly isn’t a 3-6 offense. I think Jameis suspension is what messed this offense up. They were amazing the first two games. I think all the talk of who’s going to start blah blah blah killed this offense. Between that and not firing smith long ago in my opinion is what’s going to cost Koetter his job.
November 18th, 2018 at 9:49 am
Why is it that people get off on the prospect of someone they don’t like getting fired? It’s so incredibly small-minded. Always remember this fan-boys – you contribute absolutely nothing to the success of failure of your teams. You’re merely bystanders, angry over a perceived slight.
November 18th, 2018 at 9:52 am
A lot of revisionist history here in the comments.
The way I remember it, last week was lost by players mistakes, not coaching mistakes. Dirk did not throw picks, fumble the ball or drop passes. Dirk did not call defensive plays.
It’s easy to say the head coach takes it all on, but that’s just not the case. He relies on his assistant coaches to work with the players while he performs his other duties. He relies on his players to execute.
The week before, I did not see Monken do any better.
November 18th, 2018 at 10:14 am
Dork is mailing it in….
Long way from the stick carrying Godfather, to the whiny, defensive, “leave me alone, I don’t have to answer that” Klueless coach he’s become…
November 18th, 2018 at 10:19 am
Giants 27 Bucs 24
November 18th, 2018 at 10:35 am
Wow our HC is self destructing right in front of our eyes. And yes addressing media and fans questions are part of your job.
November 18th, 2018 at 10:50 am
Genius that’s a bit much don’t you think and even if it was true he’s the head coach, if all he can do is design offensive plays and get yardage then he shouldn’t be head coach since it requires managing every aspect of football not just play calling. Even if he was a offensive guru he’ll be fired because he’s a horrible head coach. Your here for wins not yards per game.
No excuses was the mantra all off-season so don’t start making excuses for wasting another year with dork as head coach
November 18th, 2018 at 11:29 am
Not there yet Says
“No excuses was the mantra all off-season so don’t start making excuses for wasting another year with dork as head coach”
That was the mantra for some, not all. And really, only one person stuck to it. The rest were copycats and drones unable to think on their own.
Pros to Koetter
• He created the best offense in team history. There is not denying that. Fans tend to always think the grass is greener on the other side of the fence, and then when they find out it isn’t, they blame the owners for the changes the fans insisted on. Every time.
• He has the ear of the team. The entire team. Can Lovie Smith say this team did not quit on him? Could Greg Schiano? Raheem Morris? No. This team has continued to try hard for hte most part, except for a couple expendable players.
Cons to Koetter
• He is stubbornly loyal to his assistants, to the point of it being harmful to the organization. This is fixable. Easily. General Manager Jason Licht and the Glazers need to flex their muscles.
• He gave up on Winston. Say what you will about Jameis Winston, whether he will win or lose games, throw picks or whatever…the simple truth is that the Glazers need to be 100% sure cutting him is the right move. It cannot be based on off-field issues that happened three years ago. They need to be sure that cutting him does not mean he’ll be a Super Bowl winning QB elsewhere. That means he needs to play. Now. Koetter giving up on him is probably the real reason he will be fired, because if the Glazers are forced to choose, they will choose Winston…whether the haters like it or not.
• Some might point to the red zone scoring issues…except that Koetter has only called one game this year, and in that game, the players made a lot of costly mistakes. You cannot blame the other games on him.
In the end, I believe the scoring issues are due to three things: Offensive line (they play worse in the red zone), lack of running game, and player mistakes. The plays called in the red zone, for the most part, have been fine, with only a few exceptions. The execution is the part that cost the team.
Be it interceptions, fumbles, sacks, drops, Field goals, extra points, bad defense…whatever…in the end it lays at the feet of the players. It’s not like we don’t have the players to succeed…for the most part we do. But they keep making boneheaded mistakes…mistakes that are stupid in their nature. The rookies I get…even the second year players I get. They will make mistakes.
But the veterans? They should be all over the issues and fixing them.
November 18th, 2018 at 12:01 pm
Alex Marvez is about as classy as they come. Ol’ Dirk getting tough with folks until his bluff is called ( see Sean Payton Week 17 2017 ). He wants to go home with pay and so does most everyone else here. Pull the trigger Bros. Glazer. Parcells, Ditka and Belichick have earned the right to be tough talkers…you Dirk can continue to speak softly and coach even softer.
November 18th, 2018 at 12:31 pm
When coaches put players in a position to succeed, and the player do not succeed, at what point do you blame the player?
November 18th, 2018 at 1:42 pm
Bonzai
You’re delusional
An offense that doesn’t score points is useless..You don’t get points for yards.