Pressure
January 26th, 2019
Expectations.
In some ways, Joe always believed former Bucs coach Dirk Koetter paved his way out of town with his own words.
We all remember when Koetter addressed the team at the beginning of the 2017 training camp, as documented on “Hard Knocks.” He said Bucs had the most talent since Koetter arrived as offensive coordinator in 2015.
Since Koetter was captured on video in that same address to his team, the Bucs had consecutive 5-11 seasons. (They were 6-10 in 2015.)
New head coach Bucco Bruce Arians was hired and his assistants haven’t exactly distanced themselves from Koetter’s July 2017 statement. In some ways, Arians and his top staff have stated that’s one reason the Bucs job was attractive.
So when Byron Leftwich was introduced offensive coordinator, he was asked if stating publicly how the Bucs have a lot of strength at skill positions on offense was setting himself and his colleagues up for the same fate that doomed Koetter.
“It’s better than the opposite,” Leftwich said. “This is great. This is what this is about, man. The key is to have enough players to give yourself an opportunity to win football games and obviously, especially on the offensive side of the ball – I haven’t had a chance to see the defense – we have that.
“So now it’s putting guys in position to make plays so we can win football games. It’s never really about numbers or stats here. We’ve got to find a way to do what we can to win football games.”
They won’t have much time to prove themselves. Arians has noted he is not interested in rebuilding, nor should he be.
At 66, he won’t be around for long, win or lose. Rarely do NFL head coaches last past the age of 70 (and one who did, George Halas, also owned his own team).
January 26th, 2019 at 8:19 am
Tony Dungy “pressure is not having a job and you can’t pay your bills and it Christmas and the kids are looking at you, that’s pressure”. Not the exact quote but something like that. This game is supposed. To be fun, what grown-ups get to do playing a kids game with mad money. When you win, it’s more fun. I think coaches and professional sports players have a way of turning the page faster than fans, football issues are due to you have to wait a week as a fan, where players get a day or two and it is time to move on. Basketball, Baseball and Hockey have to quickly move on to the next.
January 26th, 2019 at 8:31 am
Putting players in position to make plays is only half the battle. On offense ,we
haved failed to execute at critical times in games. Every player on the team has to do his part to make the play successful. Job 1 should be strive for excellence.
Pressure on the players to respond to coaching andup their game.
On Defense pressure is on Licht to put more quality players on the field to make plays.
January 26th, 2019 at 8:36 am
The pressure and reality is, will the ole coach check out during the first losing streak!!!!! Its easy to be up and hype at the opening press conference!!!!! But will some check out during the “real” grind of the season!!!! And then having owener constantly creating distractions against winning!!!!!!! We will see if the fortitude will stand up for even 1 season!!!!!!!!!!!
The “real” fans know that it is make or break for one season!!!!! NO Interest in seeing this regime rebuild/reload for the 2020 season!!!!!!!!!
The 2019 season will reveal answers to the sheep that the “real” fans already know!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
GO Bucs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
January 26th, 2019 at 8:44 am
I admit Joe that Coach Arians’ choice of Byron Leftwich as his OC has me buffaloed (but I was really excited to find out that Todd Bowles would be our new DC). Unless I’m mistaken, Leftwich has only about half a season of OC experience (for the 2018 Cardinals coached by Steve Wilks, a team that went 3-13 and lost 7 of 8 games in the 2nd half last season). Coach obviously believes that Byron’s very capable, and I’m sure that BA’s fingerprints will be all over this offense, BUT … there’s bound to be a huge learning curve involved at startup. Given all the other ‘new challenges’ facing this coaching staff, I’m wondering how quickly this whole thing will ‘gel’ (as in ‘How quickly can get on a winning streak’).
The good news to all this IMO is that Coach Arians is laying the groundwork for the future right now. Still convinced that he’ll only be HC for 2-3 years and that the intention … right now at least … is for Todd Bowles to step up to HC while BA saunters into a ‘consultant’ role as he’s called it in the past (I still like the President of Football Operations title). Heck I don’t even have any issue with Jason Licht being GM … just as long as Bruce Arians holds the whip.
January 26th, 2019 at 8:45 am
I don’t think Leftwich mentioned one offensive player other than Jameis in his thirty minute opening PC. He might just be a QBs coach #2 than an OC with BA calling the plays, which they both said would be a large part of the situation on game day.
January 26th, 2019 at 8:51 am
Why don’t we see what Arians can do with the same talent, then we can talk about how “talented” this team is. That wont happen because this team is terrible in the areas that matter most in football. Depth at WR means nothing if the QB has not time to pass and no running game. Every NFL team has “talent”…these are the best players in the country competing for 1,000+ roster spots. When you have years of terrible performance, you naturally accumulate high picks to acquire more talent. Its a pretty dumb statement that we have talent….Its the NFL. If the talent were as good as advertised, Arians would not make any upgrades.
January 26th, 2019 at 10:46 am
What exactly did you expect them to say? Do you really think Koetter, or Leftwich, or Arians will throw players under the bus? How would you even be able to manage a team when they can’t have your trust to keep any grievances in house? What’s the fastest way to lose your team?
January 26th, 2019 at 10:54 am
“I haven’t had a chance to see the defense”
Once you do “see” the defense Byron – You’ll be like –
“Oh – OK – I see why I’m sitting here now. Wow – that’s ugly. What do you call that scheme again? Looks to me like it should be called – ‘Bend – then bend some more – then just bend all the way over, shrug and pass the vaseline back’…”
January 26th, 2019 at 11:03 am
Pickgrin … Vaseline? That explains a LOT.
January 26th, 2019 at 11:11 am
It’s never really about numbers or stats here. We’ve got to find a way to do what we can to win football games
One big reason why Koetter was a failure because dude was all about stats especially “explosive”. Well he was tops in the league and went 5-11. That was really a cowardly question and not sure why media always talks to football guys as if they are scared of this or that. Why wouldn’t they be worried about failing that’s just weak minded. You say I see talent and how we can succeed, come in with a pan and go for it. Media makes themselves look stupid asking those kinds of questions including the joes. They are just different men from journalists
January 26th, 2019 at 11:54 am
DR – yea I’d say few other teams the last how many years? – were worried about comfort as they proceeded to successfully plug away at the bowels of our defense game in and game out – year after year… So vaseline seemed appropriate.
Hopefully the days of getting screwed by our Defensive ineptitude are over now with the arrival of BA and Todd Bowles.
January 26th, 2019 at 12:47 pm
I think most fans are concerned about Leftwich calling plays. I myself would have rather kept Monken. But I guess we’ll see.
January 26th, 2019 at 1:02 pm
If the offense dips under Leftwich but we are winning there will be no pressure… BUT if we aren’t winning and the offense seems out of sink this will get ugly fast.
January 26th, 2019 at 3:52 pm
Im extremely paranoid with Byron Leftwich calling the plays.I could see this being the ONLY thing that dooms the offense. Arians has ALWAYS had success calling the plays and the Bowles hire is great. But if Leftwhich has the offense doing worse than Koetters and it.flip flops where the defense is keeping them in games and the offense is loosig them I woukd just hope Bruce takes back the playcalling.
Good news is that he gets the most out of the entire team..Guys want to play for him, he wont screw up clock managment, he won’t make bone head decisions in key situations and he wont tell us he wished he had the answer at his post loss press conferences every Monday.
I am nervous about Leftwichh But I trust Arians coaching and decison making
January 26th, 2019 at 10:08 pm
The return of Gary Coleman !!!