“I’m Shocked”
September 9th, 2014
Adam Schein
Popular sports radio personality Adam Schein couldn’t believe his eyes Sunday. The host of “Schein on Sports,” heard exclusively on “Mad Dog Radio,” part of the family of sports channels on SiriusXM Radio, was monitoring the Stinking Panthers-Bucs game Sunday and thought for sure his guy Josh McCown would make journeyman/Browns castoff Derek Anderson pay for stepping onto the field of the Stadium on Dale Mabry Highway.
As the game unfolded, Schein, who has a weekly column on NFL.com, was rocked when he saw how the Stinking Panthers chain-whipped the Bucs for three full quarters.
Cam Newton wasn’t healthy enough to play, so you figured backup Derek Anderson would serve as fresh meat for Lovie Smith’s defense. Heck, you figured this would’ve been a tough spot for Newton, with Tampa reborn and Carolina’s lack of depth at receiver.
You gotta love sports.
Anderson, four years removed from his last NFL start, somehow rocked steady and got the football to promising rookie receiver Kelvin Benjamin, who is an absolute beast with great hands and physical prowess.
Tampa couldn’t run, Josh McCown didn’t have the magic he displayed last year in Chicago, and the Bucs’ defense couldn’t get Anderson to turn it over. The result for Carolina: A 20-14 road win within what figures to be a highly competitive division.
I’m shocked.
What shocked Joe was any number of things. McCown’s horribly irresponsible ball (non-) security, the Bucs’ inability to run the ball outside of an virtual accident by Jorvorskie Lane. Almost no pass rush short of — all together now — Gerald McCoy. Unable to secure a can of corn, game-winning interception.
Yes, Joe has settled down somewhat from Sunday. The Bucs can’t possibly play as hapless as they did for the first three quarters against the Rams, could they? It’s difficult to believe they will.
September 9th, 2014 at 5:40 am
Think Penn, Zutah, Joseph and Johnny Football would have helped?
September 9th, 2014 at 6:04 am
Of course we’re all shocked … didn’t we hear all preseason that the Bucs were preparing all preseason for the Panthers. If what we saw Sunday is the result of all that planning, what awaits us when they only have a regular work week to prepare for the next opponent. Long season ahead, my friends.
September 9th, 2014 at 6:20 am
The only question now is was that just a fluke very bad day or is this an unorganized mess of a team?
September 9th, 2014 at 6:26 am
Sounds like we are gonna get the Rams 3rd string QB witch I’m guessing is a very scary thing.
September 9th, 2014 at 6:27 am
@ joe.
I know this is off topic but any word on Austin Sefirian-jenkins?
September 9th, 2014 at 6:39 am
This wasn’t supposed to happen in Kool-Aid-Ville?
September 9th, 2014 at 6:50 am
Can we see a game with the offensive coordinator coordinating the offense before we pack it up.
September 9th, 2014 at 6:51 am
So… I finally got around to watching the replay on game rewind. I watched in condensed mode to reduce my misery. Also, I skipped to the end of the 3rd quarter because i already knew what happened prior. Well, it wasn’t until about 8 or 9 minutes left in the 4th qtr did the Bucs FINALLY string a drive together for a TD. Then they were able to do it again.
Other than the mistakes and turnovers and sloppiness… those few drives had me cautiously optimistic.
I realized that Carolina has an amazing defense. Watch this year for Carolina’s smothering defense.
September 9th, 2014 at 6:59 am
I’m giving Lovie three games, because in reality thats how many weeks it usually takes the NFL to shake off the cob-webs and thats when we really see which teams are which, game one was a hot freaking mess, no doubt, but you’ve got to give teams time to play at actual regular season game speed, not the pre-season playing not to get hurt speed. Did McClown suck, yes, very much, but the O-Line held up pretty well. Did the D suck, not really a few missed plays, not much of a pass-rush (Michael Johnson needs to refund the Glazers money, he does suck), but over-all not bad. These next two weeks will show us who they really are. If by week three we look the same then panic because that’ll show Lovie hasn’t changed and we’re in for Chicagoesq nightmare until we can either fire his ass and not look totally stupid, again, or he has some sort of come to Jesus moment and fires his son from being a DB coach, yeah great job there Junior, and hires an actual NFL OC and yeah, pledges on a stack of bibles to not even look inside the Offenses’ room, just like Dungy’s marching orders in Indy, where they didn’t even want him talking to Manning.
September 9th, 2014 at 7:00 am
I remember a time when us fans and the media use to get mad that we only beat backup quarterbacks. 10-6 didn’t count due to that mindset. We can’t even do that now.
September 9th, 2014 at 7:11 am
Wait…… You saw Gerald McCoy pass rushing last Sunday? Cuz I saw him getting pushed all over the field. Granted he was double teamed but don’t open your mouth about brining on the triple teams when you have a bad game.
Truth is the best player on the d line always gets double teamed but I guess in Tampa we us that as an excuse. There are too many schemes designed to free up this guy so I hope they didn’t try any because regardless he was handled by a rookie and suspect o line #outcoahed. In sure Glazers are thinking they could have paid schiano to do that cuz they are
September 9th, 2014 at 7:23 am
The biggest disappointment for me was Josh McCown. He had absolutely no awareness in the pocket. We were screaming “look out! Look out!” at the TV. And then he’d get crushed or stripped. Obviously he couldn’t hear us becuase he apparently couldn’t hear the 800 lbs of man-brawl going on 2 feet behind him. I’m sad to say I don’t think he’s going to get better. He looked like a high school QB … On a bad team at that. I’m not a member of the MGM, but I am sure Glennon would have done better than McCown and probably won that game for us.
September 9th, 2014 at 7:33 am
Free Glennon
September 9th, 2014 at 7:50 am
I’m still shocked that they keep trying to play Mike Jenkins over Banks. Does anyone think Banks gives up that TD grab to Benjamin? I’d rather take the solid season Banks had last year and build on that.
September 9th, 2014 at 7:52 am
Maybe…just maybe…the “stinkin” players that “Rocky the Squirrel” brought in over the years are just that bad…and until we get rid of another 10 or more of them and replace them with real football talent, we will be looking up in the standings and watching the playoffs from the couch.
September 9th, 2014 at 7:57 am
I am shocked that people thought old man mcCown was going to play well. And that now that the bucs had “Real Coaches” that there would be a pass rush with just the front four. I wish that there were a couple of commenters who told us all off-season that we had terrible DE’s
September 9th, 2014 at 8:00 am
One thing that I consistently heard from they old current and future HOF’ers was when Gruden came in, he challenged the locker room “big dogs” to take over games. They seemed to buy into it big time.
We have heard the “turnover” talk from Lovie. We will see if they really buy in, or if it is smoke and what we will see is “business as usual” as we’ve seen the last ten years.
Of course other than Rice and David, who among these guys would be Defensive back ups on that team.
September 9th, 2014 at 8:03 am
Of course I ment McCoy…that is what happens when you have too much “rice” in the morning…between the memories of Simeon and the current news on TV about troubled rice.
September 9th, 2014 at 8:27 am
All this offense needs is decent qb play. Our line wasnt as bad as I thought it would be and we have a solid nucleous of young playmakers. Mccown was just “god awful” and it cost us what shouldve been a win.
September 9th, 2014 at 8:27 am
We were a 4-12 team who restocked on ammo, reloaded, pulled the trigger and went click.
Same old Bucs.
September 9th, 2014 at 8:40 am
One game does not make a season. Back away from the ledge guys. This will be a good team this yr.
September 9th, 2014 at 8:45 am
I’m not…name one star on this team…someone to watch. and dont say mcsniffles…he’s the evan longoria of the bucs. flashes of brilliance when nothing is on the line….
September 9th, 2014 at 9:12 am
It is unreal how bad the Bucs struggle against backup QB’s. Put one in against the Bucs and he will have a field day, even a rusty old bench warmer that everybody forgot about.
September 9th, 2014 at 9:33 am
I was DYING to know what a guy with a dozen listeners thinks . . .
September 9th, 2014 at 9:34 am
Remember Buc fans, our 2002 Super Bowl team played poorly in week 1 at home losing to the Saints…I’m not saying this is a Super Bowl caliber team but I think this weeks home game against the Rams will be an indicator of how the season will go…i.e. QB controversy etc….
To me, they should start Glennon to see if he is thier future QB; if not, the Bucs need to draft a QB in the 1st round next year. MCCown is not the answer , his career stats are atrocious except for the 8 games he played for the Bears last year. I never could understand why Lovie and the media overhyped McCown during the offseason.
September 9th, 2014 at 9:36 am
I know it’s Tuesday and we have had time to over react but I’m actually opposite. I have had time to sit down and think about the Bucs and my feeling is that I am losing interest already and if I know I feel that way – thousands of fans also feel that way!
September 9th, 2014 at 11:51 am
I finally had the stomach to watch the game on TV last night as being at the game, I’m sure there were things I missed. Only a few encouraging things.
1. During the 4th quarter comeback, my presumption was that Carolina went to a straight prevent. Actually, they blitzed on 3-4 occasions and appeared to mix coverages. McCown’s play in the 4th was not a total mop up effort.
2. Gilkey played well in relief for Mankins. Presuming Mankins can go next week, I’d slide Gilkey to RG as Omameh was not good.
3. A great deal of our ineptness on offense goes to Carolina’s defense. They didn’t appear to do anything earth shattering scheme-wise, they just executed their defense VERY well. Example. Almost anytime we went to a bunch formation, they dropped 8 in the box and came with a blitz. Sometimes the WR’s broke their pattern, often times they didn’t.
4. Mike Jenkins is NOT a good football player. I hope you all were sitting down for that revelation.
5. Mark Barron and Dashon Golson are not good football players. While I understand the heightened contact restrictions, if Greg Olsen (good, above average TE) is allowed to run free and did what he did to them, Jimmy Graham will have 12 receptions for 200 yards and 4 TD’s
6. Doug Martin, whom I’ve always thought was a solid pass protector for a RB, missed VERY badly on two blocks…one McCown was able to complete, the other was a sack.
7. In the last of the Captain Obvious comments, I can’t for the life of me see what they see in Michael Johnson. He has two moves and zero motor. Solomon BADLY outplayed him and he was nothing special.
While I don’t think all is lost, this team is staring down 0-5 if the can’t win this weekend. At least at 1-1, they have a shot of coming out of the first six weeks at 3-3 (Baltimore is a shell of what they were and Pittsburgh had to hold on to beat Cleveland and Cleveland is awful) Of course, If McCown makes two awful decisions per game, we are all draft watching by mid October.
September 9th, 2014 at 1:30 pm
Maybe we should sign Benchwarmer Bob Lurtsema to play guard, he is only 72…
September 9th, 2014 at 1:33 pm
…although he was a DT, DE, but still….