Beckles: Playoffs Look Far Away
October 17th, 2020
Former Bucs G Ian Beckles
After the Bucs had a sloppy Week 2 win over the Stinking Panthers, former Bucs guard Ian Beckles had Bucs fans outraged when he said the play in that win looked like a 7-9 team.
Well, Beckles took to his podcast “In the Trenches,” and said the way the Bucs played against the Bears didn’t remind him of a playoff team, either.
Now Beckles was clear in his podcast that he has not written off the Bucs from making the postseason. What he did say is if the Bucs want to make the playoffs, they better clean up things in a hurry given who they are playing tomorrow and in the following six weeks.
“This Buccaneers team, I haven’t seen a team that is going to make any noise any time soon,” Beckles began. “Are they good enough to make the playoffs? Maybe. Maybe. But I wouldn’t say for sure at this moment.
“The Buccaneers really haven’t beaten anybody, OK? Unfortunately. Carolina isn’t terrible but I don’t think the Buccaneers are going to beat anybody who is making the playoffs any time soon.”
Beckles added that the play of Ronald Jones was among the good things he saw against the Bears.
Joe had been harsh on Jones, in part because rarely do you see a running back figure things out after needing 30 games to get there.
Beckles seems in lockstep with Joe in his evaluation of RoJo. And like Joe, Beckles scolded Bucs offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich for pulling the ball out of RoJo’s hands in the fourth quarter against the Bears.
“I am very hard to win over,” Beckles began. “And it took me until this moment for me to allow Ronald Jones to win me over. Ronald Jones hasn’t been special since he has been here. He has had a lot put on his plate. He is finally starting to win me over. He is finally starting to do some special things.
“I’m seeing him finish runs. I see him doing some tough things. I see him growing as a football player. Getting a little tougher. You know, 17 carries, 106 yards, that’s the football I like to see. Now 17 carries for 106, he should have carried it 25 [times]. They should have gave it to him more.”
Other observations from Beckles against the Bears:
* Tristan Wirfs, despite struggling against Khalil Mack “you have to give him an ‘A’ to this point. Maybe in that Chicago game he found out he may have a few liabilities. He got housed on a few plays. I mean ‘housed.’ On his back.” Beckles added it is natural for a rookie tackle to struggle. “He’s going to struggle again. Don’t worry about that.”
* Donovan Smith: “I, I don’t know. Every once in awhile Donovan Smith will lay an egg. That was an egg. That’s two of them already this year out of five. So Donovan Smith, that’s just what he is.”
* Ryan Jensen: “I like you are being tough and I understand you are 330 pounds of red hair and that you are supposed to be me mad, but you can’t just go around and get these 15-yard penalties. Dead ball fouls. That’s not good football. That’s not intelligent football. There’s too much of that going on.”
* On defense, Beckles said the Bucs were glossed as great “too early.” Beckles also said in his eyes the defense has changed from the first two weeks. Too many people are getting past the secondary for his taste and there too much inconsistency from the defense as a whole.
* Antoine Winfield: “A very instinctual football player.”
* Will Gholston: “I think William Gholston is playing good football.”
* On Tom Brady’s senior moment: “I will just say this: If that was Jameis Winston you all would have killed him. You all would have crucified him. Not enough people were mad about that. Your quarterback has to know what freaking down it is, OK? That’s essential! … Not enough people were mad because he’s Tom Brady, the GOAT. I get it. But mistakes are mistakes and that was definitely a mistake he made at the end of that game. He’s been around too long to be making a bonehead mistake like that.”
As always, Beckles welcomes feedback and encourages listeners to submit Bucs questions by e-mailing him at IanBeckles@RadioInfluence.com.
October 17th, 2020 at 8:11 am
Any game where Jameis didn’t throw an interception meant he got a pass on any other mistake he might have made in a game.
Donovan Smith’s inconsistent play is unacceptable- he makes some great blocks, which means he has talent , but his poor plays are going to get Brady hurt and his penalties are hurting team.
October 17th, 2020 at 8:41 am
@alan that is total bs
When jameis didnt throw an int in a game, people would still come on this site and spew stuff like “he didnt hit him in stride” or “threw 50/50 balls” or he “could have thrown 2 ints” etc. I can go on and on so im really not sure what you are trying to prove by trying to re-write history. Non of jameis mistakes were overlooked from day one at OBP. Many on this board bashed him for mistakes in OTAs on 7 on 7 drills. Stop trying to use jedi mind tricks to fit your false narrative.
On a side note, the bucs will wear white jerseys and pewter pants on Sunday. Thank God they heard many fans complaining about the initial uniform schedule release where about 9 games were white on white, 3 all pewter games and 4 red jerseys. Way to go buc fans for complaining about that initial travesty. The diapponting thing is that we had to complain about it in the first place. You would think someone within that organization would have said something about not having some white on pewter combo games prior to the initial release. Its kind of hard to expect the players to pay attention to details when the higher ups are obviously lacking in that department. It all starts at the top.
October 17th, 2020 at 8:51 am
And being mad at Tom Brady accomplishes what? Being mad at BA and BL accomplishes what? They will continue to do what they do and we are just spectators who have no control over the outcome. It’s just another maddening part of being a Buc fan. Regardless of the coaching or team make up, they continue to underachieve. The pirate curse is alive and well.
October 17th, 2020 at 8:55 am
The only team that beaten the Bucs so far this year is the Bucs. If they played clean games they would be 5-0. Not rocket science. Discipline and no turnovers, Clean jersey for Tom, plus running the Ball, and continued overall decent play by the defense. And the Bucs will be fine. Again the only team this year to beat the Bucs is the Bucs. GO BUCS!!!!!!
October 17th, 2020 at 9:07 am
Agree….need to run the ball more. Its Leftwich’s job to manage the unit we have on the field. We are dinged up with Howard and Godwin out, yet still trying to run the same offense. Meanwhile Rojo is finally running well and we stop going to him. Leftwich has to call a better game, he’s too often trying to be witty vs just sticking with what’s working.
October 17th, 2020 at 9:17 am
It is long pass time for Bruce Arians to prove he was worth wooing out of retirement. How about calling a COMPLETE game, Arians?! You have the layers even with OJ and VV on IR.
October 17th, 2020 at 9:27 am
The play calling with 2-3 minutes left was horrible. 1st down, when everyone knows we are going to run to attempt to milk the clock so we run in an obvious run formation. Play action there would have been genius or spread the WRs and run with the defense spread out. Next play we throw burning no time off the clock….then throw again….then punt. The play calling there was absolutely terrible to close out a game.
October 17th, 2020 at 9:28 am
If all this (more rushing more play-action, etc) is so obvious to Bucs fans & to the media then WHY isn’t it obvious to our offensive coaches? If it’s so obvious to Bucs fans & to the media that the Bucs defense is playing less aggressively than it did when the season started, then WHY isn’t it obvious to our defensive coaches?
I suspect one reason is that we’re seeing it AFTER THE FACT as Monday Morning QBs (things always look so much clearer in retrospect). BUT … there seems to be another factor at play, and that’s the head coach. It looks like we’re seeing some MAJOR CHANGES IN PHILOSOPHY over the past 2-3 games. Beginning to think that BOTH coordinators are being asked to change a lot of things on very short notice. And with so many guys hurting & limited practice time, that might be too demanding at this early point in the season.
Bucs need to find their IDENTITY … on defense AND offense … and start playing THEIR GAME. Hopefully at the heart of those philosophies is a foundation of SMASHMOUTH FOOTBALL. Stop with all the finesse BS and ram the ball down their throats on offense. And on defense kick the snot out of them & let them know the dogfight’s on. We’ve got the talent to dictate the game to just about any other NFL team. Use it.
October 17th, 2020 at 10:11 am
Your correct Ian Brady has been around to long to make a bone headed play like that…. however he has been on the Bucs long enough TO be able to be that bone headed. It’s what we do.
October 17th, 2020 at 10:48 am
Webster-
IMO- Bucs fans, me included, wanted Jameis to succeed in the worst way.
It is true he didn’t have the surrounding talent that Brady has and inferior coaching and poor drafting by management but his play was both great and at times, terrible. And his episode during off season hurt the locker room and arguably, the Bucs’ chances of attracting FA talent.
And I think Bucs made decision to move on after his ridiculous “I’m ballin’” rant.
I think most fans, me included, just lost patience and Brady, even though he’s not the athlete Jameis is, has such a high standard that every mistake is going to be under the microscope. IMO Jameis’ mistake standard expectations was lower because of his history.
October 17th, 2020 at 10:53 am
mr. beckles looks like he’s been frog ponding it…
October 17th, 2020 at 10:55 am
he so right about the above assessments tho…
jameis would have literally been torn a new A hole in the locker room by the defense if he was holding up 4 fingers and twilight zoning it as the end there
October 17th, 2020 at 11:11 am
If Brady had seen that Vaughn was open for the 1st down, it wouldn’t matter that he didn’t know what down it was.
The mistake was the bad read.
October 17th, 2020 at 11:12 am
I used to roll my eyes at Beckles takes.
That one is 100% spot on. Perfect.
October 17th, 2020 at 11:49 am
It’s only been 5 games.
3-2.
October 17th, 2020 at 1:03 pm
Again my fellow buc fans can get mad all they like. I could care less. if this team does not get to the superbowl within the 2 yr of that 50 mil we paid Brafy/ That move was a flop. We should have kept jameis one more yr and went after that kid the chargers have. he is going to be good. brady is not takin the bucs anywhere but to the bank like he and his sidekick Gronl already have. There I said it. Like ot or not I could give no F’s.
October 17th, 2020 at 1:33 pm
So we should have paid JW 30 million?
October 17th, 2020 at 4:45 pm
How often does a “prognosticator” have to be wrong before someone should stop listening to them? What year was it that Beckles “predicted” that the Bucs would be 2-13-1?
I was in Tampa for the draft, the year the Bucs took Cadillac Williams in the 1st Round. Listening to Beckles on the radio, he seemed to be the least prepared radio host I’ve ever heard. Somebody was asking him about the Guards in that draft, he basically said he’s never heard of any of those guys. How about a little research?
October 17th, 2020 at 6:01 pm
I hate how much I find myself agreeing with Beckles this year lol.
Also I’ve got a new nickname for #76-
Donavan “Sixty Percent” Smith: He might only try 60% of the time, but at least he’s always healthy!
🙄🙄😜
October 17th, 2020 at 6:26 pm
“Lan “where the white women at” Beckles
Speaking the truth”
Kobe Faker