“I Can’t Believe We Did That”
December 26th, 2018
Details player reactions.
Kudos to Dan Lucas for asking a tough question in a delicate situation with an embattled (lame duck?) coach.
The WFLA-TV Channel 8 sports anchor in his weekly sitdown with Bucs Bit-O-Honey-snacking, Ozark-watching, yams-eating coach Dirk Koetter has been watching the Bucs go all Three Stooges on way too many offensive possessions this year. A good team would generate touchdowns instead of missed field goals or punts.
So Lucas asked Koetter what are players’ reactions in meetings when he shows them the two fumbles the Bucs had against the Cowboys that likely cost the team 14 points and the ballgame.
Koetter, to his credit, offered Lucas and viewers a window into a meeting room with players.
“When they see it — I mean — when they watch it on tape, they are going, ‘You know, I can’t believe we did that. We practiced stuff like that every day a hundred times.’
“It can’t happen like that in a game.”
On the fumbled jet sweep handoff to Bobo Wilson, on a replay that was shown on the gargantuan scoreboard at Jerry’s World, Joe noted that Wilson wasn’t even looking at the handoff. Instead, he was looking upfield to his right and totally missed the ball being placed in his gut, or the attempt to put the ball in his gut.
Koetter didn’t mention Wilson by name but admitted Wilson was not paying attention to the ball during the exchange.
“That is just something that cannot happen,” Koetter said. “Obviously the guys involved feel horrible about it.”
After the game, Koetter told Joe it was “unfair” to label the offense as undisciplined. OK, fine. Then that tells Joe all mistakes that have blown up promising offensive drives throughout the season means players on offense aren’t mentally strong.
If it is not discipline, then it is a lack of focus. Players with strong minds are focused and disciplined.
You can watch Lucas’ full sitdown with Koetter below. Video courtesy of WFLA-TV Channel 8.
December 26th, 2018 at 5:03 pm
They may not believe it but they did it! And they have been doing stupid stuff like that for most of Buc history so there you go.
December 26th, 2018 at 5:06 pm
so in other words, “they choose to suck”……lol….
#REALISTKNOWSNOTHING!!!…#ADIOSDIRK!!!…GO BUCS!!!!
December 26th, 2018 at 5:08 pm
Always liked Dirk but he is clearly not ready to be an NFL head coach. Will make a great offensive coordinator for some team and there will be no shortage of teams that want his services…. as an offensive coordinator. He is way over his head with his current job as HC. The Jameis enigma torpedoed whatever chance he had to succeed here with the Bucs. Turnovers on offense were out of control. Lack of creating turnovers and his late firing of his buddy Mike Smith surely cost him this job. I wish him luck but don’t feel sorry for him because his contract is iron clad guaranteed. Go Bucs and get an experienced HC with playoff experience in here. Hello McCarthy.
December 26th, 2018 at 5:09 pm
Tired of hearing them talking, fire them!!!
December 26th, 2018 at 5:14 pm
two glazer boys were spotted rolling thru publix grabbing a case of brewskis and were overheard saying tony dungy is signed sealed and delivered as the next head coach of the ybor city buccaneers…duff will be dc and monk as oc…some coaches will stay on like buck and spicer and a couple others…this was all overheard in the beer and chips aisle around lunchtime today…these are the words heard on the streets of tampa…better yet, the supermarket…
also spotted rock riley grabbing a sub at the deli counter too
#DungyIsBack
December 26th, 2018 at 5:14 pm
And that’s why he’s gonna be gone Sunday night or Monday morning. See ya, Dirk
December 26th, 2018 at 5:33 pm
And somewhere right now in America…Lovie Smith is smiling.
December 26th, 2018 at 5:34 pm
What did I mean by that last post?
The Glazers fired Smith because they were afraid to lose Dork koetter.
They handed the HC job over to Dork just to keep him and develop Winston.
FAIL – FAIL -FAIL.
I just hope they get this next HC (GM?) hire CORRECT!
December 26th, 2018 at 5:37 pm
Most teams that run that sweep have the W.R. run in front of the Q.B., and tossing it to him making it a pass instead of a hand off. The reason for this is two fold. One, he’s a receiver, and better at catching then taking a hand off. Two if he can’t handle it, and it hits the ground it’s an incomplete forward pass, and not a fumble. The Chiefs run this play with T. Hill with much success. The speed these W.R. run makes it so the hand off has to be perfect or the result is what we saw, the ball bouncing off Bobo’s pads becoming a fumble. This is just another example of Koetter not scheming right.
December 26th, 2018 at 5:54 pm
So long and farewell Dirk in just 5 short days. I will be rejoicing with balloons, ice-cream and cake for his firing. It will be a true celebration and a breath of fresh air.
December 26th, 2018 at 6:00 pm
Amen sandwichman
I have been waking up excited for a few weeks just praying to read the headline “Dirk is done in the Bay”.
Only 5 more days!
I can’t wait for next season!
December 26th, 2018 at 6:10 pm
Just a gut feeling–don’t think teams will be rushing to hire Dirk.
December 26th, 2018 at 6:21 pm
Just be advised that the Glazers are experts at picking bad coaches and GMs. What makes anyone think the next chump is going to he better than Koetter. Im no Koetter fan, but this carousel ride needs to end. I think Jason Gump needs to go first. No coach can win with the players Jason has allowed on this team.
December 26th, 2018 at 6:26 pm
I’m confused………if it was not discipline, it was a lack of focus….are we not talking essentially about the same thing?
To be disciplined is to focus. To focus is being disciplined.
December 26th, 2018 at 6:37 pm
Oh great, more things we already new. Thx Dirk but it doesn’t change anything and this has been going all season. If you can’t get them to focus and get it right, then you aren’t the man for the job. HTRJ!
December 26th, 2018 at 6:40 pm
Dear Dirk,
Your stay in Tampa was greatly appreciated
We thank you for all of your hard work and commitment
But we have decided to go in a different direction in 2019
Sincerely Yours
Glazer Family
December 26th, 2018 at 6:42 pm
I don’t want to hear him talk period if offers nothing but we cant do that but offers no fixes , too much I don’t know s and I cant listen to it anymore. he had his chance this year to bring this team to the playoffs or at least in the hunt and he simply doesn’t know how to bring this team together and get after it .
December 26th, 2018 at 6:46 pm
Glazers were fooled bye Jason / Dirt and I don’t know what line of shiit they were slinging to get there jobs and have stole there paychecks and back stabbed Lovie Smith in the process .
December 26th, 2018 at 7:11 pm
I am with you Rob. Koetter’s a good coach and I like him but, he just wasn’t ready for the head coaching job. I think the Bucs have enough talent on this team to be in the playoffs. Koetter just didn’t get enough out of it
December 26th, 2018 at 7:20 pm
The person not loking at the handoff was jameis.He was looking past BoBo.
Its just like riding a bike. You have to look where you want it to go. And the ball was aimed at BoBo outside rib and not his stomach.
BoBo needs to watch where he is going. Jameis needs to watch where he puts
the ball. That’s why Jameis got credit for the fumble.
December 26th, 2018 at 7:21 pm
I am not ticked at Glazers for keeping Koetter around because the Bucs did show promise. However, I was pissed when they kept Smith. I still think if our defense had been better the start of the year the entire team morale would have been better which would have led to more wins. I watched every game this year and you can just tell something not right the last 3 or 4 games with this team
December 26th, 2018 at 7:29 pm
It’s not up to the running back to watch the handoff. It’s the QB’s responsibility to place the ball into his “BREADBASKET”. Winston pushed the ball too far almost on his left bicep. STOP blaming Wilson
December 26th, 2018 at 7:33 pm
Sounds like the coaches fail to go through the small details with these guys and there is a disconnect.
December 26th, 2018 at 7:34 pm
Stev its not they kept him its Dirt that kept him
December 26th, 2018 at 7:42 pm
You’re right Pitt Koetter keep Smith around.
December 26th, 2018 at 8:42 pm
QBs are credited for every fumble on exchanges. This includes the snap. There is no assessment of who was at fault. THAT is why Winston was credited for fumbles. Same on any bad snap. On that play it really looks like the timing was off. Wilson got on top of Winston early either due to a delayed snap or Wilson. I’ve received many a handoff and I don’t think I ever looked one in. The ball placement wasn’t perfect (and it has to be) but Wilson looked like he was early. If Winston is required to use that much footwork, that quickly, in that tight of a space the play design just sucks.
BEING SAID. I don’t blame the first fumble on Winston near as much as I do Donovan Smith. This one, even if that was the crappy play design and Wilson was early and gave Winston a late target, Winston still must make a better exchange. I don’t ask my QB to make perfect throws, I expect a few fumbles, even on handoffs especially given the RPO, but the handoff placement must be perfect, 100%. That second one, is on Winston. I can excuse every single thing he did in this game, except this one.
December 26th, 2018 at 9:14 pm
Tnew ,won’t quibble with your fumble credit. But If Bobo was early then the handoff would have hit his close side and not his far side. It got to be on Jameis to stick it in his belly or pull it in. It was clear on the replay that Jameis was looking past BoBo and that is why he mishandled it. As many times as he has made that play, he can’t get lackadaisical with a handoff even if he’s done it thousands of
times. The one time you don’t focus ,you get burned.
December 26th, 2018 at 9:27 pm
As for Donovan Smith he can be slow footed at critical times and that was one of them. Only problem is ,from one of the talking heads, he is the number one left tackle in free agency. Believe it was Daniel Jeramiah ,but don’t quote me on that. So we more than likely will be have to keep him and hope he gets better until we can replace him.
December 26th, 2018 at 9:32 pm
edit: pull it out
December 26th, 2018 at 10:17 pm
lack of discipline… lack of focus… same chit.
Koetter knows he’s a dead man walking and his attitude clearly shows that
December 26th, 2018 at 10:34 pm
Donovan Smith is going to be responsible for the death of a quarterback, whether it be Jameis Winston or whoever we trade up for. He has no follow through and does not play to the whistle, the Randy Gregory forced fumble is an example. He did not block or continue with block and Gregory easily ran around him, he looked so lazy, he is 100% responsible for those 7 points scored by Dallas defense.
Koetter is supportive of Donovan Smith and he needs to be fired. Smith is not worth a new contract, rather keep Winston and get a motivated left tackle in the 1st round. The following year would be best to consider a new QB if needed, get the line fixed first.
December 26th, 2018 at 10:35 pm
Why are we even playing Bobo?
December 27th, 2018 at 7:04 am
I felt terrible about it too to the point that I wanted to throw up.
December 27th, 2018 at 9:38 am
Watch the replay again, Joe……Winston did NOT put the ball in Bobo’s gut, but rather up near his shoulder.
December 27th, 2018 at 10:44 am
Hodad Says:
“Most teams that run that sweep have the W.R. run in front of the Q.B., and tossing it to him making it a pass instead of a hand off. The reason for this is two fold. One, he’s a receiver, and better at catching then taking a hand off. Two if he can’t handle it, and it hits the ground it’s an incomplete forward pass, and not a fumble. The Chiefs run this play with T. Hill with much success. The speed these W.R. run makes it so the hand off has to be perfect or the result is what we saw, the ball bouncing off Bobo’s pads becoming a fumble. This is just another example of Koetter not scheming right.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I think these are fantastic points, Hodad, and would have been a great way for this play to have been run successfully without the catastrophic result.
December 27th, 2018 at 1:36 pm
How long are the idiots gonna say “cant wait till next year”.
Morons.
December 28th, 2018 at 12:13 am
@Morgus:
Agree with your observation.
Regardless, IF, and perhaps that is a big IF, the two fumbles are on WINSTON and not on someone else, then a fumble-6, and a fumble that resulted in the recovery at the 4 yard line led directly to 14 points for the Cowboys, in a game that was lost 27 – 20. Mistakes that should NOT happen during the 4th season of a
“franchise QB”, and which clearly cost the Bucs that game. This does not even include any discussion of any delay of game penalties.
tickrdr