Marshall Faulk: No Excuses
January 29th, 2020
Don’t blame running backs.
Before the meat and potatoes, Joe has to offer some background. Call it an appetizer.
Joe has been prowling radio row at the Miami Beach Convention Center trying to get football stars of the present or past, or celebrities or media personalities, to talk about the Bucs.
For example, as Joe entered radio row, Lawrence Taylor walked past Joe.
For the most part, Joe is getting shut down. Why? Almost all folks who appear on radio row are shilling something. They have their public relations handlers and are often on a tight schedule. Many of these interviews are set up weeks at a time and the players/coaches/guests try to squeeze in as many radio/TV interviews as possible.
Reporters? We are looked at as pests. Nuisances. Pariahs. The public relations folks want nothing to do with reporters for a couple of reasons. One is that they cannot control an interview with a reporter and the handlers, through their corporate offices, believe national radio and TV has more reach than newspapers or websites.
Also, reporters are unlikely to let themselves be used as marketing tools for products from men’s genital shaving kits or Lime-a-Ritas.
So getting an interview on radio row is dicey and sometimes you just have to be belligerent, almost ambush a subject, quickly ask a question and hope you get an answer before the public relations flack shoos her client away or outright shouts down the attempted interview.
Joe was able to get one quick question in on Hall of Fame running back Marshall Faulk this afternoon before Joe got shut down — which did happen.
And Joe thought the brief conversation with Faulk was hilarious. So Joe transcribed the exchange in full below.
JoeBucsFan: Marshall, I have a quick question about the Bucs. One reason you think — they have an awful run game — one reason you think…
Marshall Faulk: The Bucs?
Joe: The Bucs. They have…
Faulk: Which Bucs?
Joe: The Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Faulk: You are talking about the Bucs?
Joe: Well, that’s the team I cover.
Faulk: (laughs) I don’t even know who their running backs are!
Joe: That’s what I mean. Do you think one reason Jameis throws so many picks is that their offense is too one-dimensional, they have no running game, so Jameis has to throw the ball so much?
Faulk: Naw. Jameis has so many picks because he’s throwing the ball to the other people.
Joe: Simple as that? Has nothing to do with no running game?
Faulk: Yeah, when you throw the ball to the other people!
So there you have it. A Hall of Famer suggested there is no need to let Mr. Entertainment, America’s Quarterback, Pro Bowler Jameis Winston, skate on his picks.
As former Bucs coach Dirk Koetter might say, his picks are his picks.
January 29th, 2020 at 3:03 pm
Yep that is what most of the entire NFL world thinks
January 29th, 2020 at 3:11 pm
He doesn’t even know who the Bucs running backs are and yet he’s qualified to speak on Winston. LMAO
January 29th, 2020 at 3:23 pm
Faulk is correct and he gave an honest, off the cuff answer. Kansas City has no running game to speak of either yet they are in the Super Bowl? Why? It’s because Mahomes doesn’t make stupid decisions with the football. You should be aware that people outside of Tampa aren’t going to immediately think of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers when you say “Bucs”. Most people outside of Tampa think of the Milwaukee Bucks or the Pittsburgh Pirates when they hear Bucs.
Also, radio row is the *worst* week of the year for sports talk radio. I truly despise it and I change the station every time an interview comes up. Very rarely is there a compelling interview and it’s just a bunch of former athletes hawking crap. “Hi, I’m so-and-so and let me tell you about how great Sherwin Williams paint brushes are.”
January 29th, 2020 at 3:23 pm
Joe…many of your loyal readers have been telling you the same thing 🙂
January 29th, 2020 at 3:29 pm
Clearly Marshall Faulk hasn’t heard that he’s balling when it isn’t windy out haha
January 29th, 2020 at 3:30 pm
Another former player who was hit it the head way too much.
Peace, out
January 29th, 2020 at 3:49 pm
Is it odd that we haven’t heard from Jameis yet this week? When would we expect to hear him speak?
January 29th, 2020 at 3:50 pm
Little known fact did you know that on a Thursday night in 2017 Jameis Winston outplayed the GOAT while commiting zero TOs to the GOATs one pick, BUT the Bucs lost because we were 0-3 on FGs while the Patriots were 4-4 in FGs.
Here are their numbers for the game:
JW: 24/46 334 1 TD 0 Int
TB: 30/40 303 1 TD 1 Int
Just some food for thought.
January 29th, 2020 at 3:52 pm
Your leading question surely didn’t get you the response you were hoping for.
I’m surprised Faulk didn’t say “I never said that”
January 29th, 2020 at 3:54 pm
Poor situational football is more tolerable on a rookie contract. Now that JW has made it through to a new contract, it is far less tolerable.
In BA I Trust!
January 29th, 2020 at 3:54 pm
Mahomes has no running game and he’s in the Super Bowl
January 29th, 2020 at 3:58 pm
Last four games he had a broken hand, last two games he was missing two of the leagues best wr’s with a broken hand. Las game three missed field goals. 4 1/2 years of worst defense in the league. Too many other factors that go into this team losing.
What other QB are you going to bring into 2020 that will get this team to the playoffs?
Its either Winston, or Rivers for one year and drafting a qb
January 29th, 2020 at 3:59 pm
JW: 24/46 334 1 TD 0 Int <<<<—– 52% completion rate
TB: 30/40 303 1 TD 1 Int <<<<—– 75% probably controlled T.O.P. as well
January 29th, 2020 at 4:00 pm
Duh.
January 29th, 2020 at 4:11 pm
Dirty tactic when reporters try to lead with a question that fits their agenda
January 29th, 2020 at 4:14 pm
NPUPPYS argument has gotten so weak, he’s now referencing games from 3 seasons ago 😂😂😂 isn’t that the season when Winston got benched for some games? Or was he hurt?
Hey NPUPPY, are you ready to play my Winston guessing game?
January 29th, 2020 at 4:19 pm
Did our running backs throw 30 interceptions and a half dozen pick-6’s or was that the QB that did that?
I love how some of you nincompoop’s are still looking for excuses for why the QB turns the ball over.
Newsflash: he was throwing many of his interceptions in the first two or three posession’s of the game. It’s impossible to blame those picks on any other facet of the game. That’s just all QB not reading defense.
Joe, ask these guys point blank, would they resign Jameis Winston to a new deal? Don’t ask them about the buccaneers running game and how it affected the passing game, are you kidding me? Quit fishing for excuses for Winston’s poor play and trying to trick the national talking heads into giving you sad ammunition for another “Don’t Blame Jameis” piece.
You’re wasting your time and theirs.
January 29th, 2020 at 4:26 pm
Good stuff!
Truth!
Refreshing as hell to hear the knowledge and wisdom from a HOFer.
One Bucs fan might say they’re “clueless”.
January 29th, 2020 at 4:31 pm
Not sure you will. Couldn’t confirm he’s coming to radio row this week.
Licht’s silence is stranger.
January 29th, 2020 at 4:41 pm
Jimmy G. did enough in a handful of games that NFL execs were willing to trade for him AND give him $100 million contract. He’s in the Super Bowl.
Winston has had FIVE YEARS and its still a debate what to do with him.
January 29th, 2020 at 4:42 pm
All that accomplished is me knowing now MF is a dumb ass
January 29th, 2020 at 5:13 pm
I’ve never been impressed with Faulks reporting. He knows exactly who the RB’s are in Tampa, he’s just being a smartass. Didn’t he get busted for groping all the women at ESPN or NFL network? Freaking douche.
January 29th, 2020 at 5:23 pm
Bobby M…..correct Bobby you’re right everyone knows the only reason the Niners are in the SB is because of Jimmy G!
Well those of us that don’t watch football know that the 49ers have no running game like the Bucs have, so it must be all Jimmy!
Really???
January 29th, 2020 at 5:29 pm
Yea, the only people blaming away Jameis’s picks are people who put Jameis over the team…
Jameis isnt throwing picks because the run game is bad… Jameis throws the dumbest picks in the NFL… on a weekly basis…
Jameis throws picks high schoolers dont throw.
Yea, he throws a lot of passes… but most of his picks are just stupid, stupid passes that hes been making since he was a rookie… and there is no sign that hes ever going to stop.
January 29th, 2020 at 5:32 pm
‘Faulk: Naw. Jameis has so many picks because he’s throwing the ball to the other people.’
At some points during the season, the last drive that could possibly win the game or end of half when the Bucs could possibly tie the game or get the lead, you knew he was going to choke and throw the pick… It is like he gets on the game and throws the game for money or something… Is there anyone in the history of the Sport of football that has ever choked so much and do often as JW….
January 29th, 2020 at 5:38 pm
Pretty unimpressive performance by Marshall Faulk.
It has nothing to do with JW.
Just…. what?????
I knew there was a reason that I didnt really care for Marshall.
Do some damn homework…. idiot.
January 29th, 2020 at 5:41 pm
Marshall is clearly not qualified to speak on MUCH.
Seriously…. how many people on NFL Network or NFL Live (on ESPN) would be that completely clueless and seemingly proud of it…. about an NFL team?
January 29th, 2020 at 5:51 pm
I agree with Faulk; Jameis’ picks are his picks. Any other way of looking at it is an excuse. There are college QBs out there that threw 28 TDs and 1 pick. Do college receivers run better routes, is their line better than the Bucs?
They just don’t throw when it is too close to becoming a pick, it is that simple.
January 29th, 2020 at 5:54 pm
You know everybody is down on Jameis and that reason is not about his interceptions. It’s about the Bucs not winning. Like Bradshaw said he threw 26 TDS and 23 interceptions the difference is he was winning wasn’t anything said about that. Payton Manning threw about the same amount of interceptions as Jameis in the same length of and for 4 or 5 year could do anything in the playoffs. The difference, he did make the playoffs Jameis hasn’t
January 29th, 2020 at 5:54 pm
Whoop there it is!!! Can we stop with all the freaking excuses?
Faulk: Naw. Jameis has so many picks because he’s throwing the ball to the other people.
It seems so obvious doesn’t it. Jameis plays football like Alfred E. Neuman of Mad Magazine fame. It shut down this year after 67 years of great satire and comedy. So I suspect most of you are too young to have heard of it.
In the 60’s high school kids loved it. And so how is Jameis like Alfred E.?
D.R. may be the only other guy here old enough to know. Mad Magazine always had Alfred E. on the cover with his famous saying…
“What me worry?”
That’s blameless to a T. Many were upset with JW’s response after that pick six about check the sheet he’s ballin’.
Left out was his response to another question. When asked whether he’s worried that the turnovers will be the reason the Bucs wouldn’t bring him back, Winston said, “That’s the last thing on my mind.”
WHAT ME WORRY? Why should he? Aside from Koetter’s brief benching last year..Jimbo’s suspension for a half..and the NFL’s slap on the wrist “blameless has never really been held accountable. Why should he worry?
January 29th, 2020 at 6:12 pm
We had qbs that didn’t picks and still lost. And there QBs who dont throw them and still lose
Better get your team correct
January 29th, 2020 at 6:33 pm
NDog-
True, Nick Folk sucked that game, but I put the loss on Koetter.
After D Martin ran for 60+ yards on a 2nd qtr td drive, Bucs abandoned the run and Jameis did his usual end of game “close, but no cigar” act.
January 29th, 2020 at 6:50 pm
N dog
Explain to me how JW outplayed Tom Brady.
Brady: 76% completion percentage , 94.1 QB rating 1 fumble lost
JW 56.5 completion percentage,86.7 QB rating 2 fumbles -0 lost
These facts don’t seem to fit your narrative.
January 29th, 2020 at 7:13 pm
I must say LOL @ Faulk for one thing.
He gets paid to evaluate teams and can’t name our RB’s???
I can name the starting RB for EVERY NFL team and the #2 for Most all of them.
I am a carpenter.
January 29th, 2020 at 7:15 pm
AND LOLOLOLOLOLOL
There is Ndog again Cherry Picking!!!!!!!!!!
Dude you need help.
January 29th, 2020 at 7:24 pm
That’s about the damn funniest line ever….
“You think he throws INTs because he doesn’t have a running game?”
“No. He throws INTs because the throws he ball to the wrong team.”
It’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm: Tampa Edition.”
January 29th, 2020 at 7:28 pm
Jameis has had 5 years to take us to the playoffs? With what help? The worse defense of all time in any 3-year period! No running game! Terrible kicking! Bad drafting! Blame Jameis on everything! Compare to what JimmyG had this year to what Jameis had. A total defense and three RBs that can hurt you. Our Dline was good, but that was it until the end of the season. JimmyG team can score 35 points with him completing 6 of 8 passes because of his running game, Jameis has to throw 40 times to score because our running situation suck…. In other words Jameis is asked to part the seas for us to win and sometimes when he does it (the Seattle game) we still loose! Jameis cant play on both sides of the ball, be the kicker, coach and GM.
January 29th, 2020 at 7:29 pm
Wow Ndog… one game years ago? You really thinks the great QB’s don’t occasionally get outplayed by another QB? You have heard the saying that even a blind hog finds an acorn every so often. And honestly, that game was probably a rather down game for the entire Patriot team…except maybe the FG kicker. After all…look at who they were playing. Expected easy win…or should be. Easy to say you will be up for every team…hard to do.
January 29th, 2020 at 7:58 pm
Nobody is talking to you because your an idiot with stupid questions about a suck @as qb on a suck @as team!
January 29th, 2020 at 8:10 pm
agree PUGS ,that was funny as hell.
January 29th, 2020 at 8:21 pm
Westenbuc
Agree
And dont forget Desean watson had not so special oline and not so special running game too …had to trade for duke and miami olineman for some talent as that bad
He did pretty good himself without both.
January 29th, 2020 at 8:27 pm
N dog
In fact Jameis has about 20 losses where his completion percentage is 56% or less in his career.
January 29th, 2020 at 8:36 pm
Great quote. Great grab, Joe.
That said, I can’t wait until free agency so we can discuss something beyond Winston’s INTs. It’s soooooo old.
How about potential records that could be broken next year? I’m sure Evans is up for some. How about a, Where are they now? Spotlight: Freeman, Cadillac, Alstott, Rice. How about, What are they doing now? Interview Gay and ask him how his improving his game.
January 29th, 2020 at 8:42 pm
@StPeteBucsFan:
Great Mad magazine reference!
Unfortunately, I am certainly old enough to remember that stuff, such as “spy vs. spy”.
I don’t know his name, but one guy on NFL network has ears that remind me of Alfred E. Neuman, every time I see him.
tickrdr
January 29th, 2020 at 9:46 pm
[If that’s dressed down, Joe doesn’t know what “dressed down” is. Faulk was laughing. Been chewed out by the best of them. Bob Gibson, Nolan Ryan to name a couple — and both apologized. And Joe will stack his resume up with anyone who wants to get in a d!ck-measuring contest. There’s a quite a few sportswriters Joe knows who think they are way better than Joe, yet they no longer work in sports, and not by choice. Hhhhmmm? — Joe.]
January 29th, 2020 at 9:48 pm
When a RB fumbles and gets benched, why can’t the QB be held to the same expectation? Or when the RB fumbles, can he then use the excuse that if we had a competent QB, we wouldn’t need to rely on the RB?
Faulk is right. Don’t coddle the QB, the RB is not the one throwing pick-6s.
January 29th, 2020 at 9:59 pm
You people are silly- Faulk was F-ing with Joe- didn’t want to give him the time of day so gave him a bunch of short, contrite BS answers. Must be Bad Cop Joe that turns it into an article.
January 29th, 2020 at 10:01 pm
Tckrdr
His name is andrew scilliano
Huge ears
January 29th, 2020 at 10:27 pm
Ndipsh!t clinging on for dear life.
Ya done son!
January 29th, 2020 at 10:49 pm
Nutter
A HOF RB said it ain’t the run game…WRs running wrong routes….play calling…oline…defense….
It’s JW….
hold h8m accountable
GO BUCS
January 29th, 2020 at 10:54 pm
Same game where BB punted instead of going for a fig with the best kicker in the league? Dude must work in analytics for the Browns. That slant to DJack for what 60 yards helped w those end of game numbers. Dude is just uneducated to pull something like that. Just some bones for facts!
Ndog Says:
January 29th, 2020 at 3:50 pm
Little known fact did you know that on a Thursday night in 2017 Jameis Winston outplayed the GOAT while commiting zero TOs to the GOATs one pick, BUT the Bucs lost because we were 0-3 on FGs while the Patriots were 4-4 in FGs.
Here are their numbers for the game:
JW: 24/46 334 1 TD 0 Int
TB: 30/40 303 1 TD 1 Int
Just some food for thought.
January 29th, 2020 at 11:46 pm
Ndog shouldn’t you be in Washington trying to get 5 republican senators to vot in your favor. To show those stats and say jameis outplayed him. When he completed a juco qb completion percentage. And had one touchdown. Yet Brady has 6 more completions on 6 less attempts. So that means that jameis with no turnovers punted the ball a lot. And Brady has one bad throw but the rest kept the chains moving. Which backs up my point t all along it’s just not the picks it’s the horrible passes on 3 and 5 that should be completed that he throws 10 yards out of bounds when receivers are open. It is a punt but a normal qb would have made the easy read/throw so it’s a turnover in sub par QBs land. You can throw out stats all day long but the true just wants his team to win with or without jameis whoever gives us the best chance. We see the whole game all the times we have to punt on a horrible ball by jameis. 5-6 times a game. He is the worst first half qb I have ever seen. You can’t deny every week 8-17 56 yards 2int is about his average first half stat line 10 out of 16 games. Get over it dude he won you a national championship enjoy he will never win you a super bowl. He has thrown more picks in 3 of his worst quarters of picks during the season than all the playoff QBs combined during the whole playoffs. And the super bowl would have to have 6 interceptions thrown just for all the throws in the playoffs this year to match 3 of his worst interception quarters. Thank about that before you try to tell us how great he is. So 11 games played 44 quarters of football your hero has more picks in 3 quarters then all playoff QBs have had in 44 quarters and you think we can win the Super Bowl with that. HOMER FSU FAN who probably has a poster of Pelosi and shiff on your bedroom ceiling. Next to the unicorns and David hasselhoff
January 30th, 2020 at 3:51 am
I have a new appreciation for what you Joe’s do. Gotta have a thick skin and a lot of patience to put up with those shenanigans. Faulk is right too. Rojo is just OK and we need killer at running back to compensate for Jameis’s buffoonery. Maybe this is the year we get one…
January 30th, 2020 at 7:25 am
@Bird:
Thanks!
tickrdr
January 30th, 2020 at 7:11 pm
Marshall Faulk called it like he sees it. No salad dressing just raw lettice baby. Jmeis throws the ball to his opponents. Simple and to the point.