Bill Polian Talks Bucs; Shares 4 Keys To Spotting A Well-Coached Team
November 15th, 2019
Yes, the Bucs are a bad team. They allow the most points in the NFL and they lose a lot of games.
But are they well coached? Let’s find out.
A friend of Bucco Bruce Arians is Hall of Fame general manager Bill Polian, who was the big boss in Indianapolis when Arians was offensive coordinator there.
When the two talk on SiriusXM NFL Radio, it’s obvious there’s a lot of admiration and respect between them.
Polian sounded like a professor on radio this week lecturing about how now is the time in a football season when good teams and well-coached teams improve. Polian was adamant that NFL teams currently are in the dog days of their schedules and players are fatigued and many don’t find motivation from high-pressure games because the playoff picture is too murky.
And that, he said, opens a door for well-coached teams to shine.
So how do you know if your team is well-coached?
Ask yourself four questions, Polian said.
1) Is the team maximizing the strengths of its players and minimizing the weaknesses of its players?
2) Are players playing hard?
3) Do they play smart football or do they play dumb football?
4) Does the coaching staff have these guys prepared with strong game plans every week to play their best ball?
If your answers are yes, Polian said, then you’ve identified a team that gets better as a season goes on.
Based on Polian’s measuring stick, the Bucs are not well-coached, Joe believes.
Joe can’t say “yes” to the first question. Obviously, the Bucs have strengths, but quarterback turnovers and the secondary are massive weaknesses that don’t appear minimized. If they have been, then Joe might need a Valium prescription.
So Joe can’t say yes to question No. 2, either. Many Bucs play hard, but the team just launched a starter for loafing, and offensive line guru/assistant head coach Harold Goodwin spoke a few weeks ago about some o-linemen needing to play more to the whistle, and Ali Marpet talked last week about shaky effort from week to week.
As for No. 3, the Bucs indeed have played a lot of dumb football this season. And for No. 4, game plans have been a little inconsistent, especially the never-ending blitzing of Russell Wilson, which set a new record.
Polian, however, said he’s certain the Bucs are well coached. While he said the Bucs are not a good team, he said fans should expect them to get better in the season’s final seven games.
Man, Joe would love to see steady improvement from a well coached club, as Polian outlined.
We’ll find out soon. Joe’s trying to keep a good attitude.
November 15th, 2019 at 5:56 pm
Arians is looking like Gibbs returning to the sidelines. His first mistake was not calling the plays and letting an inexperienced OC do that when the QB is in a make or break season.
November 15th, 2019 at 6:06 pm
“Scotty Miller should not be on the field at RJS
Millar has dropped 2 TD passes in the last 2 games
Kobe blames BA for the Seattle loss
Throwing meaningful targets to Miller shows BA is not a good coach and we can not win when a coach doesnt put the correct player on the field
*Kobe Faker has more right to be on the grass at RJS than Scotty Miller”
Kobe Put me in coach Faker
November 15th, 2019 at 6:08 pm
Been watching the Bucs since 1976… I remember when tony dungy got here, he cut some lazy players. Ronde and John Lynch were awful in their first years.
This team is much better than last year, but the 2016 draft killed the talent level
November 15th, 2019 at 6:35 pm
Hargreeves kinda got ‘minimized’.
November 15th, 2019 at 6:35 pm
If this were a poll, I would score it as 0-Yes’s and 4-No’s. And dumping 1-loafer is not going to be all it takes to fire up the rest of the players either.
For the last decade the first half of the regular season has been nothing more than “pre-season” of all Buccaneer fan’s starting to prep for the upcoming NFL draft. Pre-season is over, now it’s time to focus and comment on college players so we can all opine on who the best players are for the upcoming draft, and begin the annual speculation on which “can’t miss” players Licht will somehow ignore and pass on come draft day.
Long live Licht, long live the Bucs! Ugh!
November 15th, 2019 at 6:45 pm
Bold statement:
Best coach on the Bucs staff appears to be Coach Lori Locust. Don’t @ me.
November 15th, 2019 at 6:47 pm
Can’t say yes at this point. We’ve seen some guys playing harder, but others still loading. Still dumb penalties and mistakes, and we are def not maximizing the talents of everyone (see: the use of our tight ends vs. scrub #3 and #4 WRs).
We have seen some guys improve. We haven’t really seen anyone get worse. So by the end of the season? Hopefully we can answer yes.
November 15th, 2019 at 6:48 pm
*loafing
November 15th, 2019 at 6:48 pm
As a fan of the Bucs for 30 years I am enjoying this season. We have only had a small window of a few years of glory and the rest is only for die hard fans. Ups and downs of this season not much different than most seasons.
November 15th, 2019 at 6:48 pm
Man, Joe would love to see steady improvement from a well coached club, as Polian outlined.
TBBF is confused…..are the Joe’s split on “playing for the draft”?
Hoping for steady improvement doesn’t seem to achieve that objective.
So….let me guess…..you hope for improvement and in particular great play out of Winston…..but you hope we lose so that we get a better draft position.
November 15th, 2019 at 6:55 pm
What Frankinthe813 said: I remember Ronde rookie preseason game v. Packers. He got lit for 2 TD’s just before half time. I nick named him ‘Toast’ and went got a big beer. Well Ronde turned out to be pretty damn good. Hoping Jamal Dean follows Ronde’s foot steps. Dean looked much improved from S-Hawks game to the Cards game, IMO.
November 15th, 2019 at 7:03 pm
I guess we’ll find out in the next seven weeks just how full of $hit BA really is.
Peace, out
November 15th, 2019 at 7:36 pm
I think he was a little more rustier than he or anyone thought. We’ll see if he’s back in the game in the next few weeks.
November 15th, 2019 at 7:36 pm
Holy balls… nine games in for the regime. Let’s evaluate after season ends and give it a little time. Rojo improving, Evans is king receiver of nfl along side an awesome Godwin coming up. O-line is in the works with next draft/offseason, and d-line is sick. Improving back field and also getting older back there seems key. Add something there after this yr. I’m not ready to say f this season. I like seeing us smash runners and see playmakers evolve including 3. Also the anticipation of 3 making it work is exciting yet nail biting.
November 15th, 2019 at 7:37 pm
So sad peoe want Damn ramen noodle type football team. Sorry he wasnt able to get a perennial loser to the playoffs in one year.
November 15th, 2019 at 7:43 pm
Plus, I want him to call the plays. Why are we coddling BA? Doctors say he’s fine and if this causes him some stress, so what, You took the job!! Show us what you got. Your getting paid!! Big bucks.
November 15th, 2019 at 7:48 pm
I can’t make any comments about the coaching staff til about the 4th or 5th game next season this is a new offense and defense however, I think and this is just my thoughts that the next 6 games and how the Bucs play in those games should show Some what if this team is progressing I still want to see how the Bucs play next season
November 15th, 2019 at 8:06 pm
When a man has BA’s STATURE AND CRED …he doesn’t need another’s approval !!! KEEP BA and KEEP FAMOUS and KEEP GRINDING YOUNG BUCS ….A WIN SUBDAY WILL START A STREAK!!
November 15th, 2019 at 8:12 pm
You can tell which co owner wrote this article due to all the mindless crap he talks about. This team all comes down to one thing and that is the secondary and their lack of experience. It’s not the leadership, it’s not the effort, it not the game plan, its not smart or dumb football. It’s very easy it’s all about the coverage or lack thereof. If we could simply cover better this team is playoff bound, plain and simple.
November 15th, 2019 at 8:15 pm
At best I could answer Yes to #1 but No to #2, 3 & 4 as of right now. But then again, this is a new coaching staff (here), there’s been a major turnover of players especially on the defensive side, and we didn’t have the money apparently to do a proper ‘reloading’. So we’ve got what we’ve got.
I personally think this team is playing hard … now. They were much too tentative & timid early-on, but I think the confidence is building & position groups are starting to gel. Coaches seem to have gotten to know the players’ strengths & weaknesses better. I fully expect better results this 2nd half of the season … as in 6-2. A break-even season, after a disastrous 2-6 start, would set the stage for next year. The weak links are being weeded out, and with a solid draft and some good FA signings this team COULD compete for a playoff spot next year in the NFC South. One game at a time. Steady as she goes …
November 15th, 2019 at 8:18 pm
Joe is a Bucs hater on the low!!! Let this team grow. JESUS!!!!
November 15th, 2019 at 8:22 pm
Another 12 years of no playoffs, eh?
November 15th, 2019 at 8:25 pm
Omg Ndog cmon bro, no pass rush no good secondary… NO BUENO need EDGE RUSHER
November 15th, 2019 at 8:26 pm
Yes joe because BA has been coaching the last 12 years in tampa so hes so worried about all the losing the fans endured the last 12 years. You dont make any sense. While we were losing he was winning period. Your logic is misguided at best
November 15th, 2019 at 8:26 pm
Ndog … I respect your opinions, but you’re too slanted on this one. Sorry but it’s not ‘all about coverage or lack theeof’. This Sunday we’ll more than likely start 3 rookies & 2 second-year players in our Secondary. No team in the NFL does that, and I wouldn’t doubt that none ever has. Why? Because it’s DUMB. No veteran presence is DUMB. And who’s that on? Todd Bowles our DC? Not hardly; he’s doing the best he can with what he’s been GIVEN. That’s on MANAGEMENT, and it’s cost us several games this year & in the past couple of years or more.
And before you go spouting how great the Bucs’ offense is because of all the points they’ve put up, take a closer look. 21 turnovers has hurt the defense that’s had to clean up the mess. The same defense that’s having to play all youngsters because there wasn’t enough money left over after paying for said offense to afford any veterans. Kinda like owning a beautiful show dog that does great at shows in category after category, then poops all over the stage before the competition is over and ends up in last place.
November 15th, 2019 at 8:39 pm
In Hindsight it may have been better to cut Brate and not sign Suh and use everything we had to get the Honey badger or Earl Thomas in Free agency last off season.
November 15th, 2019 at 8:42 pm
Defense, no TOs hurt the defense against the Giants, the Rams and the Saints yet we allowed 30 on defense in each game. So what’s the excuse for those games? Dude if you are trying to say the secondary is not our problem I don’t know what to say to help you.
November 15th, 2019 at 8:49 pm
Well two. one being the Awful secondary. Two being the QB that cannot stop turning the ball over yes turnovers are part of the game and it happens. but no amount of offensive production can make up for massive turnovers. sure I guess if we had the 85 bears defense or 2001 Ravens turnovers wouldn’t matter.
November 15th, 2019 at 9:26 pm
You so-called fans are unbelievable. You’re talking about a NFL team that has gone through 5 head coaches and 2 general managers in 12 years. Whose fault is that? Sure not Licht’s cos he doesn’t have that kind of power. If the instability ever ends, we have the players to make this a good Bucs team. I oughtta know cos I’ve been a die-hard fan for 40 years! Go Bucs!!
November 15th, 2019 at 9:34 pm
Well we should do better. We are… at the weakest part of our schedule.
November 15th, 2019 at 10:07 pm
For those who correlate win with QB play, who was the QB for the 72 Dolphins? The only undefeated team in nfl history. Lol no cheating.
November 15th, 2019 at 11:12 pm
@DB55,
Bob Griese and Earl Morrall I believe.
November 16th, 2019 at 4:19 am
DB55 & Dapostman … The 1972 Dolphins were a very unique team, but you need to put their offensive performance in context to draw any modern day conclusions. Morrall (9-0) and Griese (5-0) TOGETHER passed for less than 2,000 yards on the season (1,998 to be precise). But those same Dolphins rushed for almost 3,000 yards (2,960 to be precise). IOW, passing was definitely an afterthought; they were a running team … 17 TDs passing vs 26 TDs rushing. And why not, with RBs like Larry Csonka, Mercury Morris & Jim Kiick. Both QBs were pretty much the definition of game managers.
The modern day equivalent? I’d say the 2019 Baltimore Ravens (7-2). #1 offense in POINTS SCORED (300) & #2 OFFENSE IN yards gained (3795) in just 9 games. 2,020 Yards Passing on 266 attempts & 1,775 Yards Rushing on 322 rushes. Definitely a run-first team. But their QB, Lamar Jackson, happens to be their leading rusher with 702 rushing yards (averaging 78 YPG). Two pretty good rushers to go along with Jackson in Mark Ingram (619 rushing yards) & Gus Edwards (278 rushing yards).
Oh BTW, Ravens have TEN total TOs on the year, of which Jackson has thrown 5 INTs. Bucs have 21 total TOs in the same number of games, and Jameis has 14 INTs in comparison. And before you say ‘But Jameis is throwing deeper balls’ the stats don’t tell me that. Jackson is completing 65.9% of his passes for a 8.0 avreage Yards per Attempt, while Jameis is completing 59.7% of his passes with a 7.8 average Yards/Attempt.
November 16th, 2019 at 6:45 am
Ndog … I’ve said many times that the Secondary is a huge problem. But unlike you I don’t blame it on the players, or even on Todd Bowles. Starting VHIII as the veteran outside CB opposite 2nd year CB Davis, with 2nd year CB/Safety/whatever MJ Stewart at nickel & 2nd year guy Whitehead plus rookie Edwards as your safeties in the Giants game was a prescription for disaster back there. But TB had no choice … Dean was hurt, Ryan Smith was suspended, and SMB wasn’t ready apparently. The DLine performed admirably (especially Barrett with 4 sacks, 4 QB Hits & 3 TFLs), but the Secondary got roasted (especially Mike Edwards BTW who gave up 7 completions in 7 targets, 158 yards & 2 TDs. A true learning experience for the rookie?
A similar situation played out in the Rams game, and in the Saints game. In each game, 1-2 guys in the Secondary got picked on and got roasted. Again, a true learning experience for rookies & 2nd year guys? Yes, and for our coaches. Note that VHIII is no longer on the team, and MJ Stewart is pretty much riding the bench. (There’s a reason). The rookies (Dean, SMB & Edwards) are getting better and thus they’re getting more & more reps. 2nd year guys Whitehead and Davis both appear to be pretty much holding their own (although they’ve both gotten roasted too).
It’s amusing to me how Jameis supporters will forgive LOTS of turnovers & sacks because supposedly that’s expected while learning BA’s deep ball attack. And yet those same people will skewer a brand-new Secondary composed of rookies & 2nd-year players learning all-new defensive strategies & techniques. It’s been a learning experience for BOTH during these first half season. It’s this 2nd half of the season that I’m interested in. And the major question? How well did each learn in the first half season. The answer to that IMO depends on coaching AND on players’ performance on the field. The two are tied at the hip.
November 16th, 2019 at 7:40 am
No no no and no enough said.
November 16th, 2019 at 9:06 am
Wouldn’t bother me if Bucs win out, don’t go to playoffs, and pick 15-18. This team needs wins, period. Have had too many loosing seasons. Like many perineal losers (Browns) multiple high picks doesn’t result in W’s. We have a good mix of veterans and youth, they need to play together under the same coaches for a few years. Add RB and OL and new GM.
November 16th, 2019 at 10:55 am
miller is a what? 5th 6th round rookie? that made a pretty dam important catch last week…. ya know what i have seen is jameis miss him over and over and flipping over when he has beaten his man (a lot like Jackson used to do) by a mile and that idiot overthrows him!! … but no by all means lets just dog the ROOKIE who keeps getting screwed every time he breaks open down the field!! the first 5 passes to him in his career were over thrown BY A MILE (go back and watch the tape).. not sure why everyone expects him to jump 20 feet in the air to catch a Winston pass!!! i tell you why they put him out there is because they see his speed and they see Griffin who is at least accurate hitting him with bomb in practice because he has sped past everyone!! ….. he has made a few rookie mistakes but with a good or even average deep pass QB you would be talking differently about him
November 16th, 2019 at 11:08 am
The game tomorrow will tell us who is right. If we lose by the same margin as we did earlier in the year our Coaching is poor, but I am convinced we are on an upward swing now. The proof is in the pudding.
November 16th, 2019 at 12:08 pm
As to #1. The only way to fix this is to run the ball every play…or replace JW. It’s been 5 years.
November 16th, 2019 at 1:36 pm
As frequently happens I’m a bit confused here.
I thought Polian was talking about this point forward…or mid season so I guess last week would be the start.
I think the thread after this on Ian’s grades for Licht pretty much echoes what Polian is saying but from the GM not the coaching perspective.
I think it’s FAR too early to grade coaching yet. Let’s see if the kids keep growing…they are making progress…not as much as we wish…but there are at least two games we gave away and perhaps two more.
Patience grasshoppers.
November 16th, 2019 at 1:41 pm
12 years and counting.
November 16th, 2019 at 2:05 pm
Touche Joe. LMAO
But again I’m just talking about now and perhaps the rest of the season.
November 17th, 2019 at 4:41 pm
If Polian says we’re well coached, I wonder how many of his criteria require a Yes? From what I’ve seen, 2 Maybe’s (1&2) is the best grade you could give. And, I was in the Bruce as Savior camp. 🙁