“A Very Capable Team”
December 12th, 2018
Underachievers
As the hourglass on Dirk Koetter’s coaching career in Tampa drops its final grains of sand, three games remain and former 49ers and Lions head coaching Steve Mariucci sees a Bucs team that can win Sunday in Baltimore.
It’s that kind of assessment, the realization that the Bucs have enough talent and firepower to beat any team, is what will sink Koetter. At 5-8 after a 2-0 start, the Bucs have underachieved — again.
Mariucci hopped on Baltimore sports radio WJZ-FM this week and talked about how the Ravens shouldn’t look past the Bucs at all.
“Mooch,” now an NFL Network analyst, talked about how the Bucs have spent time leading the NFL in offense “playing musical chairs” with their quarterbacks and Tampa Bay has proven all season “they’re not a team you take lightly.”
He also talked about America’s Quarterback, Jameis Winston, having a good start to his career and displaying versatility as a runner and a passer.
Twice Mooch said the Bucs “are a very capable team.”
That capability is Exhibit L why Koetter will have a new job soon. You just can’t keep coming up short like Koetter has for two seasons in a row and expect your bosses to bless you for another season.
December 12th, 2018 at 4:40 pm
7-9 brings Koetter back.
As many negatives there are about Koetter, there are also positives. The players haven’t given up on him yet, and I’m sure the Glazers see that this team hasn’t let up yet. I think Koetter gets one more year, both he, Winston and Licht. One more year, playoffs or bust.
December 12th, 2018 at 4:53 pm
This team was trash before Licht and Koetter got here and there’s still holes. Joe’s are doing a disservice to fans and organization by pushing his firing. Joe is simply giving an informed opinion. Koetter, though, is delivering the reality, an 11-21 record in the last 32 games.–Joe
Which is shameful, given that you happily used “stick carriers” -as a rallying cry. Stick Carriers was a lot of fun, a great memory. –Joe
This team could get a lot worse with an impulsive firing. Don’t be shocked when the new regime dismantles everything and we suck again. Nothing impulsive about moving on from a failed regime after three years. You think the Bears think they screwed up by firing John Fox after three years, even though the team was 5-11 and played a lot of close games with a top-10 defense last season?–Joe
December 12th, 2018 at 4:58 pm
Joe…..you at least leave a tiny grain of sand left for Koetter….It is by no means and absolute forgone conclusion that he is terminated…..it looks highly likely but unless you can get into the minds of the owners you don’t really know.
I guess the question for everyone is “Can you accept it if he is retained?”
December 12th, 2018 at 4:59 pm
In addition, there is no other choice for fans but to accept…willing or not.
December 12th, 2018 at 5:00 pm
100% agree first down.
#1 offense. Top 5 for sacks and turnovers in last 5 weeks. I get either decision but the players like Dirk and every coach has to make adjustments. He’s done a great job doing so. Firing Smitty, giving up playcalling, putting Jameis in permenantly(which he should have done all along), etc.
I just think we’re much closer to being competitive retaining him than starting over. This fan base will give up as soon as adversity hits with the new guy.
In reality it’s the fan base that’s most wrong with this team. Demaning firings, cuts, etc all while not showing up to games. Pathetic.
December 12th, 2018 at 5:00 pm
Players not giving up on Koetter is the last thing the Glazers should consider oh I don’t know just call it that thing called a paycheck and pride players should be playing for. He doesn’t have a hand in any aspect of the team except the offense and even that is coming up short. He’s a coordinator playing head coach and should be gone now not black Monday
December 12th, 2018 at 5:09 pm
All Steve Mariucci is doing is selling ice cubes to Eskimos. That’s his job to keep the Buc’s fans believing. No way the Bucs win at Baltimore or Dallas. Since Atlanta is good as done they’ll probably win that one at home to go 6-10.
December 12th, 2018 at 5:14 pm
If only Koetter had not called all those interceptions and fumbles ….
December 12th, 2018 at 5:37 pm
That’s cute when you rubes say they play hard for Koetter. They play hard to have a job in the NFL, to put food on the table for their families. What they put on film determines their paycheck. They could give a rats arse what happens to Koetter. What dream world do you people live in?
December 12th, 2018 at 5:38 pm
how many years can u be a joke until everyone stops laughing
December 12th, 2018 at 5:47 pm
Dirt is keeping the bucs from being a playoff team period and those oif you that want to keep him are out of your minds it just simply isn’t an option and the one thing the bucs do have is talent on offence and this guy cant even get the best out of that , I call him too late Charlie hes always one or two steps behind in making the right choices /Rojo is his biggest mistake not playing him in a full game .barber is a backup on most team he has no speed or vision and cant run the ball when it counts /2/3 yards in a cloud of dust
December 12th, 2018 at 5:49 pm
@TBBF … “There is no other choice for fans but to accept…willing or not.” If we all believed that TBBF RayJay would be sold out every game. Regardless of how good or bad the team does, Bucs fans ALWAYS have the choice to stop following the Bucs. And looking at the attendance figures at RayJay in recent years, that’s exactly what many Bucs fans have done in this past decade.
The NFL is a business, and its business is entertainment. When the ‘product’ stops being entertaining, ‘buyers’ of that product do what buyers have always done: they move on to other products. Malcolm Glazer undoubtedly learned that lesson the hard way (making his $$$ in real estate mostly) and it stuck with him. Just look at what he accomplished here after he bought the Bucs from Culverhouse. His sons undoubtedly have had it much easier than Malcolm did, but they’re now learning the hard way too (years of hemorrhaging millions of $$$ on mediocre coaches & players tend to do that).
Might be wrong, but I suspect that there’s only one thing harder for them to stomach than blowing the team up and hiring all new personnel to run their franchise. And that’d be to continue on without taking action to keep ‘buyers’ from abandoning their ‘product’. Licht & Koetter have now shown IMO that they don’t have what it takes to right this ship and bring home a championship. Too many mistakes, too inconsistent, and too indecisive. Rich McKay and Tony Dungy started with a Bucs team far less capable than what we now have, and turned it around rather quickly. Licht is now 5 years and counting and Koetter is now 3 years and counting … and we’re pretty much where we were when they started. Sorry, time to move on guys.
December 12th, 2018 at 5:50 pm
The best example I have is the San Diego coach a couple of years ago. The team lost basically every close game, the defense would collapse in the 4th quarter over and over and over again, morons would talk about how Phillips Rivers is terrible and can’t get the job done and needs to go…
Then what happens? They fire the coach, get someone new in there, suddenly they start to win those close games and now they’re one of the best teams in the league.
Shocking what a difference coaching can make when you have a team with talent but lack a HC.
There’s plenty of other examples, namely the Rams, but San Diego reminds me a lot more of the Bucs than anything since I don’t think the system here is bad, and the system in San Diego wasn’t bad, it was all incompetent coaching that held the entire team back.
Coaching matters.
December 12th, 2018 at 5:56 pm
Nutter its 3 years now with him he has had ample time to change this team around and its going in the wrong direction my guess is you do not care if we win or lose but your the pathetic one expecting fans to show at a poorly coached team with our hard earned money and take it year after year ,and im not for change either but when your going backwards and your coach cant even look the media in the eye because he knows he has no clue That’s bullshiiit .so you should buy your own team and give out all the participation trophies you want .
December 12th, 2018 at 5:57 pm
You look at this team and the way they built this team and this was a finished product we have been seeing on the field this year.
Licht has been here 5 years, Koetter 3. When Dirk took over it was for a team that had expectations. He did t take over a floundering team that needed a roster overhaul. He took over a team that was expected to win…….The plan was to get us into the playoffs the 1st year then become a contender
The plan was to be talking about a Super Bowl run in 2018……Not talking about how we still can’t win our home games and how we can not finish last in our division, again .
December 12th, 2018 at 6:00 pm
BTW the one time we actually had a chance to sniff a playoff berth we lost to a divion opponent. Division opponent with a losing record too.
Let’s face it this team is not any closer to the playoffs then we was before.
December 12th, 2018 at 6:14 pm
Step 1 RoJo gets 90 percent of offensive snaps ……… including 3 rd downs !!! Koetter is so worried about a back blocking but the o line hasn’t had a great game run blocking for over 40 games , NOT ONE !!! During that span the pass blocking has been , oh let’s say below bar and certain positions an absolute F .
December 12th, 2018 at 6:24 pm
I think that Dirk has been giving suttle hints that he doesn’t even want to be a head coach anymore. I think he’s over it. Just compare his press conferences to when he was OC to now. He seems miserable now.
He’s said things like “Jameis will be here a lot longer than I am” and recently something about “the Bucs” playing in London next year And didn’t say we or us.
I like Dirk and think our problems go way beyond the head coach but if this is what it takes to get rid of Jason then so be it. Until Licht is gone nothing will change……nothing.
December 12th, 2018 at 6:24 pm
We could of made the playoffs at 9/7 those chances don’t come around and we could not even get that done .
December 12th, 2018 at 6:25 pm
“Sheeps here doesnt know anything about business
If there was 5% chance Klueless will be back, you think JBF will be slamming Klueless nonstop like there doing? There is absolutely no chance Klueless is back and JBF knows it…
Gullible sheep…so cute
**now concerning Jason Gump?…
JBF is not willing to bite the hand that givith just yet”
“People think just because i panhandle, i dont the the ways of the world”
Kobe Faker
December 12th, 2018 at 6:30 pm
Issaic
In the NFL there’s a thing called competition and earning your job. ROJO has done absolutely nothing to warrant even dresssing out in a game let alone getting 90% of offensive snaps.
Can’t blame Koetter for not playing an absolute dud at running back. I would like to see what Jones would look like in a full game for comedy purposes, it would probably look like 15 carries for 23 yards.
Thanks once again Jason Licht.
December 12th, 2018 at 6:46 pm
Should Licht be fired.All but five player on the Bucs have been selected by Licht.Under Licht’s watch the Bucs have 22 wins out of 64 games.See you later Mr. Nice guy!!!!!!
December 12th, 2018 at 7:05 pm
First time commenting. I think Dirk leaving has nothing to do with his record, it has everything to do with his relationship with Jameis. We need to remember the rumors about the rift between the two. If you watch them you see very little interaction, I think Jameis is done with Him. He will be gone Jameis stays.
December 12th, 2018 at 7:24 pm
Kobe
You style of writing gives me a FN headache.
December 12th, 2018 at 7:29 pm
I cannot believe how Joebucsfan or anyone can keep giving these vastly overrated players a pass! I know every fan on just about every team thinks their players are the “best”. Folks, these players just ain’t that good. Starting with the quarterback.
December 12th, 2018 at 7:29 pm
Rojo comes in on running downs and he had no chance /Barber flat out sucks /tbbuc you don’t know what u are talking about Dirt cant get the most out of his talent an has no idea how to score in the red zone 3rd year buddy .
December 12th, 2018 at 7:31 pm
Bucs had the playoffs handed to them doesn’t get any better but Dirt is single minded and needs to just go away .
December 12th, 2018 at 8:11 pm
The mess is still here and time races forward. A new coach and GM couldn’t possibly muck it up like these two have.
December 12th, 2018 at 8:54 pm
Any team is capable of beating the other team,however the Bucs are underachievers and never upset a good team that should beat them. I dont see it any different this Sunday.
December 12th, 2018 at 10:21 pm
Bears would be 5-11 without Khalil Mack… They’ll be chasing out the new coach once they realize Trubisky is a one read QB.
Koetter has managed the best offenses in this teams history, in spite of his QB’s accusations and suspension. The fact is, this isn’t the same problems the Bucs used to be faced with. Yeah, maybe we aren’t winning, but that will come eventually.
Running coaches out of town and blowing up the rosters set franchises back. This team has no depth because we’ve had so many coaches in a decade.
Impatience is for losers.
December 13th, 2018 at 7:27 am
I sure hope we beat the Ravens. I live in Maryland and nothing would make me happier.
December 13th, 2018 at 8:02 am
To all of you who say keep Koetter I say maybe you should go back and watch those lame duck press conferences. The guy is gone and was never much of a leader anyway. Why on earth would you want to keep this guy?
December 13th, 2018 at 9:56 am
Like I said before, if I had to pick between Koetter or Licht staying I would keep Koetter. Whoever the HC is I hope he gets rid of Warhop at least. The best scenerio would be for the no clue Glazer’s to sell the team. They could care less about winning as long as they pad there pockets.
December 13th, 2018 at 10:57 am
Koetter should go to Minnesota next year as OC-
If he’s so great, “You like that” will make a comeback.
But wouldn’t be surprised if fans started calling Cook a bust after Koetter ruins him
December 13th, 2018 at 11:41 am
Hodad
“That’s cute when you rubes say they play hard for Koetter. They play hard to have a job in the NFL, to put food on the table for their families. What they put on film determines their paycheck. They could give a rats arse what happens to Koetter. What dream world do you people live in?”
Right on Brother… This crap of “they’re still playing for him” is completely laughable.
No More Dork Apologists…please.
December 13th, 2018 at 11:45 am
westernbuc
“Impatience is for losers.”
How long do you propose we wait? another 10 years?..15?
DK is not a head coach..he’s a passive/aggressive OC with self esteem issues. Not a leader of men, not an NFL Head Coach.
And while Licht has a few hits, he has more misses..bad misses.