The Curse Of The Backup
October 11th, 2019
Backup quarterback trap.
In a perverse way, this is beginning to amuse Joe.
Joe clicked on the BSPN video of Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz picking games. Call it click bait.
Joe doesn’t think Cruz has picked the Bucs to win a game this year. Joe is going to start monitoring this weekly to see if Cruz ever breaks down and thinks the Bucs will win. But this is what the Bucs have earned, richly earned: disrespect and scorn. Only winning games will earn respect.
The first thing out of Cruz’s mouth was why the Bucs will lose. And this may be a shock to Bucs fans. It is because of — drumroll — a backup quarterback.
Yes, the Bucs will be haunted once again, this time by Stinking Panthers backup Kyle Allen, Cruz says. In the post-Chucky era, it sure seems the Bucs make backups and rookies look like seasoned Pro Bowlers.
That is the first thing this team must fix and repair in a hurry; put backup and rookie quarterbacks in their spots.
The old Bucs would just eat alive backup quarterbacks and rookies. Now? The Bucs serve these same quarterbacks a five-course meal and then wash the dishes after they have licked the plates.
It is both depressing and sad, but here we are. Again.
October 11th, 2019 at 12:16 am
Nope not happening
October 11th, 2019 at 12:17 am
It’s true and just not backup qbs either. Playing against us stars are made and play with us stars die.
October 11th, 2019 at 12:44 am
This guy is no Case Keenum, until he is.
October 11th, 2019 at 1:39 am
Cruz is right. Bucs make guys like Keenum, Danny Dimes ,Matt Moore, Cousins, Bridgewater and so on look like Pro Bowlers. It might be time to go Buddy Ryan and knock one of these guys out of the ****ing game. Of course then the third string qb would look good and earn a contract. Glazers have to realize it is not coaching but it is Shelton Quarles and Bud Licht as they can not evaluate talent draft wise and on the FA circuit overall…. They have to go. This is embarrassing of how they can not get even one decent CB/safety…..
October 11th, 2019 at 2:39 am
bingo bingo bingo on the scouting Dave,along with JL
October 11th, 2019 at 4:40 am
Not sure I agree with your bottom line Dave that the Bucs can’t even get one decent CB/safety. We have quite a bit of talent back there IMO; we just have virtually no experience to go with that talent.
Davis for example has the size (6’1″) , speed & skills to be a shutdown corner, but he lacks the experience (his ‘technique’ still needs to be refined shall we say so that he doesn’t draw as many penalties). Jamel Dean is the exact same size as Davis, has excellent speed, but again lack experience (and hasn’t been able to stay healthy?). Sean Murphy-Bunting falls in the same boat IMO … decent size (6’0″), speed & talent but sorely needs experience. Ryan Smith interesting has experience (his 3rd year now as a CB) and has decent size (5′ 11″) but doesn’t have the same elite speed as those other 3 (still he MAY be our best option outside for the time being while the other 2 gain experience at nickel & dime?). Personally I’ve given up on VHIII & MJ Stewart as being viable outside corners (they’ll continue to get burnt by elite receivers IMO).
Back at Safety I see Jordan Whitehead (5′ 10″) & Mike Edwards (5′ 10″) as being quick & talented, but I sure do wish they were taller (they’re both a full 4″ shorter than John Lynch was at 6′ 2″ and weigh considerably less than his 220 lbs). They both lack experience also, but I love their aggressiveness.
The guy who’s fighting with one arm tied behind his back is our DC, Todd Bowles. A very inexperienced Secondary, not all that big but with respectable talent. That group lacks the FIELD LEADERSHIP that’s essential to keep everyone on the same page. We can all see various breakdowns every week … that’s more inexperience than lack of skillset IMO and that’s where a strong field leader could MAYBE be helping to keep others better positioned based on what he’s seeing on the field. Your stronger defenses all have at least one guy like that in each position group. We have that in our DLine, we have that in our LB corps, but not in our Secondary. But we’ll get there … eventually.
October 11th, 2019 at 7:27 am
LB Devin White should be assigned to spy on the qb this week. White is electric fast and we cannot allow the qb to run or let McCaffrey run wild. Go Bucs!
October 11th, 2019 at 7:38 am
Mind boggling !
October 11th, 2019 at 8:09 am
Well he ain’t wrong
October 11th, 2019 at 8:16 am
Did you see what a real defense does to a rookie QB? The Pats last night held Danny Dimes to pennies. Three picks, less then 200 yards throwing, about 50 % passing. Oh, and he couldn’t escape pressure, no where to run either. Kyle Allen will shred us this Sunday. He’ll be the hero going into the bye on a four game win streak. Jameis will be saying we need to play better. Our coach will be calling the G.M. soft between the ears. We’ll be the Bucs.
October 11th, 2019 at 8:25 am
A bunch of excuse
#Bucsdefensedoesnotrule.
October 11th, 2019 at 8:26 am
It is both “naturally and organically” sad that we…
.
* We have the ‘curse of the backup’
.
* after spending an inordinate amount of draft capital, the secondary is #totallyfixed
.
* That Bucs fans are so abused year after year after year
.
I am going to take some melatonin before the game to get thru it.
October 11th, 2019 at 8:48 am
lets hope we get good JW across the pond….
GO BUCS!!!!!
October 11th, 2019 at 9:29 am
Bridgewater is being paid like a starter ($7 mill) + $5 mill in incentives ( make playoffs, 50% of snaps). Comparing Bridgewater to Allen is silly.
Allen is being paid as backup $500k
Stop McCaffrey, pressure Allen, Bucs should win.
October 11th, 2019 at 9:47 am
Hell, the Bucs even made their OWN backup look great…..Fitz!!!
October 11th, 2019 at 10:35 am
you like that!?
October 11th, 2019 at 11:56 am
Until they start beating rookies and backups, it is what it is. We earned the reputation, like it or not!
I sure would like to shut these talking heads up though!
October 11th, 2019 at 11:57 am
DR
When does all of this great talent that you tout show up?
Even rookie’s and first year players who “are talented” flash every once in a while.
Whitehead has had a couple of good hits ( by today’s standards anyway), other than that, not seeing a whole lot.
October 11th, 2019 at 1:24 pm
DR,
Davis is the slowest CB on the team. He’s not a shut down corner.
Other that, I gotta agree. Injuries and inexperience is taking a toll on player development. And player development seems to be the management directive.
October 11th, 2019 at 6:42 pm
It isn’t just “post Chucky.”
I remember Derek Anderson coming off the bench to embarrass the Bucs twice in one season. Matt Moore. Clint Trickett. Not to mention the host of rookies starting their first game.