Bucs Not Same Team As Before
December 9th, 2013
Joe actually had to do a hyper double-take last night (you know, like in the Bugs Bunny cartoons) when he was reading quotes from Bucs commander Greg Schiano about the difference in this team.
Schiano was asked if this was the same team, that has now won four of its last five games, as the dreadful winless one during the first half of the season. To Joe’s absolute amazement, Schiano doesn’t think there is much of a change.
“I don’t know if it’s that much of a difference, really,” Schiano said. “We’re finding ways to win the game, but I mean, against good football teams [earlier in the year], we were in games, [but] we just found ways to lose games; literally, you look at it and say we invented ways to lose some games. I’m just worried about where we are now. We’ve got a heck of an opponent coming in Sunday, so we’ve got our work cut out for us. I know our guys are excited about it. It was a physical game [today], so we’re going to have to see how we fare. We don’t have a lot of wiggle room right now. I am glad to see we got some guys in there at the end, actually throughout the game – guys like [wide receiver Russell] Shepard who jump in there, not only on special teams, and did a great job. He’s been doing a great job all season, but [he] jumps in on offense and does some things. Maybe it doesn’t show up on the stat sheet, but it shows up blocking and [in other ways]. We’ll just keep pushing everybody forward. [Tight end] Timmy Wright, again, came up with a big third down conversion. We’ve got to keep pushing him forward.”
Joe is confident this is a totally different makeup of a team than what the Bucs trotted out there the first half of the season. Yes, the Bucs may still have the same work ethic and attention to detail as before, but this is a different team.
First, leaky Rip Van Freeman is gone and the aftermath is largely over. Second, Darrelle Revis is pretty close to 100 percent. That makes a world of difference. Third, rookie Johnthan Banks has developed into a solid starter.
One could also argue that Bobby Rainey, for whatever reason, has been more effective than Doug Martin. The first half of the season the Bucs really didn’t have a tight end. Now, Tim Wright seems to be developing into a reliable guy.
Not sure who or what Schiano was trying to protect (probably the guys on the injured reserve list, which is admirable), but no, this is not the same team that gagged away games for the first eight weeks.
Often, well-coached teams get better over the period of a season.
December 9th, 2013 at 2:14 pm
FIRE SCHIANO!!!! PLLLLZZZZZ
December 9th, 2013 at 2:24 pm
Not sure if the stat is available, but I’d be curious if there’s a ‘per game’ difference in the number of penalties between the first eight games and the last five.
December 9th, 2013 at 2:33 pm
@hawk – I’m not sure that there would be a huge difference. This one we had fewer penalties but this was a rarity. Plus, on to of getting tons of penalties we would always get them at times when it took the life out of the team. Not so much anymore
December 9th, 2013 at 2:45 pm
Whoa Nelly! Let’s not go making a quantum leap here because we have won 4 of the last 5 games. I agree with Schiano, this is not a different team now. It is the same team allowed to play differently. Then we need to examine the competitive nature of the teams we have beat recently too.
Are we playing better? Beyond a shadow of doubt – yes! But that’s a whole notha acknowledgment than saying that Meredith has played better than Nicks would have, Rainey has played better than Martin would have, or that Underwood has played better than Mike Will would have. I can’t compare the play of Wright to anyone because we haven’t had a TE of any substance for a while now. History should say that with a full complement of our injured players we would be an even better team.
We’ve not fared well against teams with winning records (teams you would have to beat to get to the play-offs) save the immaculate interception that won the Lions game. Carolina quickly erased the idea that we can beat the competitive teams. But the next 3 games will provide a more definitive answer whether we are truly the team we thought we had at the beginning of the season!
December 9th, 2013 at 2:46 pm
I think the big difference is in the coaching. They figured out that most of the things that they were trying to do on both sides of the ball weren’t working. So they went back to some basics and let their players play. If players get bogged down mentally by too many assignments and formations it makes them play slower and less aggressive. I think this coaching staff is learning as they go.
December 9th, 2013 at 8:25 pm
I paid my season ticket price so this coach can practice at being a coach in this league yeah were talking about practice
December 10th, 2013 at 1:07 am
This team has some very talented players, who even in all the turmoil have beaten the “Little Sisters of the Poor” teams. Bucs are members as well.
Facts are, Glennon is not a franchise QB and Schiano is not an NFL coach.
Bucs are 27-49 since Gruden. 35% wins.
Glazer family, we can do better. Or do we continue to wander in the wilderness hoping for the promised land?
December 10th, 2013 at 1:45 pm
Been a fan since 1977. Bucs fans, my age, have lived through the same football nightmares several times and listened to the same coach-speak. See: Bennett, Perkins and Wyche years. Bucs fans will live through Schiano years also. I believe that ownership will make the right decision when it is time. Patience is a virtue, especially for long-time Bucs fans…trust me, we have patience. I can’t speak for all of us long-time fans but, I feel the needle is almost on “E” for empty! Can’t imagine where the needle is for the Glazers living through this nightmarish season.
December 10th, 2013 at 8:21 pm
I don’t think you can say glennon isn’t a franchise qb in just a half season but from what I see from him is mostly good. I’m very confident glennon will be our day one starter next year and with mike will and Martin back I think he will only improve