Lovie: Bucs Were Not 0-3 Team
September 30th, 2014
Bucs coach Lovie Smith stated the come-from-behind win Sunday, led by Mike Glennon, proves the Bucs are not a garbage team.
The win over the Steelers did a lot of things for the Bucs. It got them their first victory of the season and the hollering and screaming and slamming of beer steins on bars came to an end… for the time being.
Pets in the Tampa Bay area began to venture out from their hiding places in peace.
While it could have been fairly argued the Bucs, prior to the Steelers game, were the worst team in the NFL. (Pittsburgh types are saying just that in their outrage.) Lovie Smith thought that talk was just nonsense, as he explained after the win Sunday.
“I think 0-3, you just look at that and say, ‘That’s a really bad football team,'” Lovie said. “But we had an opportunity to win two of the games, and we were blown out once. What I see and what we know is that we are a good football team. But you have to make plays down the stretch. That’s why I talk about four quarters. We haven’t finished a fourth quarter like [Sunday].”
Well, Joe always harps about the famous Bill Parcells quote, “You are what your record says you are.” It’s hard to argue. Good football teams don’t have lousy records.
Now we will see just what the Bucs are made of in a few days. The Saints are damned dangerous in that dome of theirs near the French Quarter. The Bucs have been chain-whipped there more than a few times.
The Saints seem surprisingly vulnerable, but still, that home field advantage is impressive.
Oh, and then there’s that tight end of theirs, Jimmy Graham. Yikes.
September 30th, 2014 at 12:04 pm
[No hijacking of posts. This is not a message board. — Joe]
September 30th, 2014 at 12:05 pm
I think the Saints are going to score quite a few points Sunday. Pittsburgh should’ve had more than 24, but couldn’t get out of their own way to get there. I don’t see the Saints offense playing so sloppy.
If Dane Fletcher is starting (get well soon Foster), and the safeties continue playing so piss poor – Graham could set the TE record for yardage in a game. I’m not kidding, I really think he could.
As for Glennon, even if he plays a great game it may not be nearly enough. New Orleans is coming in angry and desperate. That spells troubled for anyone walking into the Superdome.
September 30th, 2014 at 12:06 pm
Chris Owusu picked up by the Jets. Good, because that means he really is finished here.
September 30th, 2014 at 12:06 pm
a trade of for all other games….will be pay per view…..me thinks
September 30th, 2014 at 12:08 pm
Graham is a huge problem. That no-defend-zone in the middle of the field is the NFL’s worst kept secret and everyone is picking us apart with it. I don’t claim to know the answer but Frazier and Lovie need to put in a few cram sessions and figure this puzzle out because they’re making it pretty easy on the other teams so far.
September 30th, 2014 at 12:08 pm
We have won there before. And don’t forget “The Cannon” will be in town for some Buc Football Baby!!!
September 30th, 2014 at 12:09 pm
@Patrick in VA
You’d think they would’ve already done this, right? If this is as good as they can get, we might set the all time record for passing yards allowed in a season.
September 30th, 2014 at 12:14 pm
I feel like that hole in our defense was an acceptable risk back when this defense was coming of age because TEs and slot receivers were not being used the way they are now. The current rules have taken away coaches fears of running their guys over the middle and we haven’t have anything that was ever close to an answer. Every time they toss it to the slot/TE they have nothing short of 5 yards of green grass around them. I just don’t get how this hasn’t been addressed
September 30th, 2014 at 12:19 pm
Lovie those 2 close losses were to back up qbs at home. One of those teams, rams, aren’t good at all. That’s a tough loss. With road game at saints and ravens coming in I’d take 2-4 at bye week in a heartbeat. Gotta win one of these next 2 to not have losing season. We go 1-5 forget 8 wins!
September 30th, 2014 at 12:21 pm
Trade Mclown and a number 1 for Tom Brady today and lets go to the superbowl, his time is numbered up in New England
September 30th, 2014 at 12:21 pm
All comes down pressure again on Sunday. No pressure against Brees and he’ll light up the Tampa 2. Hell, Austin Davis can do it.
September 30th, 2014 at 12:24 pm
Networks want the blackouts because they can show games that attract more viewers. It didn’t matter either way to the owners, they’re getting their TV shares either way. It was really just the fans that were losing.
This is long overdue.
September 30th, 2014 at 12:24 pm
Managed to post to the wrong one haha. Oh well.
September 30th, 2014 at 12:26 pm
This week should show 1 of 3 things:
More improvement
or
about the same as last week
or
step backwards
This game will tell much of how the rest of the season may go.
Anxious to watch it!!
September 30th, 2014 at 12:33 pm
@Billy – I don’t know if it’s a step backward if you don’t do as well when your top receiver in the previous game and number 1 draft pick is out hurt. Don’t think that is quite an apples to apples comparison. Plus, Goldson is hurt so that’ll effect the defense to some extent.
September 30th, 2014 at 12:35 pm
@Patrick in VA
You really think Goldson being on the field was helping? No sarcasm in that question.
September 30th, 2014 at 12:37 pm
did lovie miss the 1st 3 games?
September 30th, 2014 at 12:38 pm
He’s no all pro but I have to think he’s better than the second stringer will be. Not arguing that he isn’t playing up to his billing but he’s gotta be better than the backup. Then again, that argument could be made irrelevant if McCown starts.
September 30th, 2014 at 12:48 pm
Lovie was in a heroine infused stupor those first 3 weeks. Or maybe this proves there are parallel universes.
September 30th, 2014 at 12:50 pm
Did Lovie point out the QBs they lost to? Bucs were exactly what they deserved to be after those 3 games, 0-3.
September 30th, 2014 at 12:50 pm
+++ Brent !
September 30th, 2014 at 12:57 pm
Sorry but this game is gonna be ugly.
After the beating the Saints took on Sunday night, now back in their dome…
Plus we are without Evans, and V-Jax is banged up. Going to be near impossible to keep up with their offense, especially with how bad we’ve been at covering the middle of the field, and especially with TEs.
If somehow we do pull this out, that will have meant the defense has finally turned the corner, and the season is not lost after all…
September 30th, 2014 at 1:18 pm
Nope….you are a 1 and 3 team…
September 30th, 2014 at 1:21 pm
I cannot emphasize enough how massive I think it would be if we go in there and beat them…it could be a game we look back on years from now as a turning point.
September 30th, 2014 at 1:31 pm
@unbelievable
Yeah, I’m not drinking the kool-aid about them until the defense shows they can actually cover a receiver. So far they’re the worst in league history, or on their way to it.
September 30th, 2014 at 1:34 pm
Lovie is trying to build confidence in his team.
That’s all.
September 30th, 2014 at 1:39 pm
you guys that make statements like hold his cards, building confidence in his team……
you really are drinking the lovie kool aid. when your a winning team I’ll buy the BS, until then you are what your record says you are.
so he says the team is not an 0-3 team…i.e. the are a good team.
but he won’t name a starter QB…i.e. glennon aint that good.
seems to me he’s got it a$$ backwards
September 30th, 2014 at 1:42 pm
What do you want him to say, we stink and have little chance to beat the Saints?
September 30th, 2014 at 1:56 pm
TROLL ALERT.
Louisfreind, read four of your posts and all of them made negative connotation to the Bucs Why are you here if you have no special insight to offer other than the usual drool.
September 30th, 2014 at 1:59 pm
Prove it. Go get another win.
September 30th, 2014 at 2:08 pm
Another group of sycophants ready to designate the Saints a Super Bowl contenders.
Did any of you people watch the Cowboys-Saints game. The cowboys carved the Saints up on AstroTurf, where the Saints, even if they are playing away, generally play well on. (See Atlanta game)
Do any of you clowns professing how Bree’s is going to carve up the Bucs know what kind of defense the Cowboys play which held Bree’s to 17 points?
The Tamoa 2′, which is coordinated by ex Buc line coach Rod Marinelli.
Yes, the saints play much better at home, but that is because they don ‘t like to play on grass which they didn’t have to do against the Cowboys.
I ‘m sure Smith is watching the game film and sees how the Cowgirls dominated with the run game. Hope to see a lot of Martin & Company on Sunday.
If we are able to run like the ‘girls did on Sunday, then it might be two in a row.
September 30th, 2014 at 2:11 pm
100% prove it, this team is only 14 days from the one of the worst blowouts in the NFL in several years….got lucky to knock off a poorly coached steeler team, now they are going against a down saints team who have no clue on the defensive side of the ball, but the bucs have no clue how to cover a TE and jimmy graham is pretty good oh and drew brees is drew brees and the superdome will be jacked…..this game could get ugly but with the saints defense being so terrible it could be a scoring fest for glennon, he might get lucky in the big easy
September 30th, 2014 at 2:15 pm
ddneast, BAM !!!!!!!!!! GO BUCS !!!!!!!
September 30th, 2014 at 2:17 pm
Why don’t we drop Barron down in the box and run strictly cover 3 since Lovie useto refer to Seattle all offseason? I think Barron will thrive in that Kam Chancellor intimidator role because the kid can tackle with the best of them. Plus if you can get a clean hit on Jimmy Graham early he’s been known to fold
September 30th, 2014 at 2:40 pm
iamkingsu……I 100% agree with that logic…and that goes back to personnel descions of schiano and domminick because it seems to me that gholdson and baron are basically the same type of saftey….when most teams are converting a corner to the FS, we have 2 strong safeties back there it just doesnt make sense. It seems to me that kiffin played a lot of cover 3 and had lynch in the box to make it more of a 5-3 or a 4-4 look once the ball snapped after their cover 2 shell look
September 30th, 2014 at 2:44 pm
the magic number for the bucs offense this sunday is 35. as in, they either need to score 35 or they need to keep the ball for 35 minutes. anything less than that and the defense will be exposed. drew brees picked our scheme apart even in our better defensive seasons, i don’t think this defense is ready to do to him what the previous generation regularly did to favre in his latter packer seasons. jimmy graham will go off for at least 150 yards, i might even lay money that he tops 200. but these are the worst complementary threats the saints offense has had in a while, so that may not translate to a loss
September 30th, 2014 at 2:47 pm
pick 6….the bucs should go look at a seahawks tape and take graham out of the game…let the outside guys try and beat you…colston is not the same as he has been, crooks is a rookie, not sure who else
September 30th, 2014 at 3:04 pm
Unfortunatly i think our defences problem stopping the pass is really going to be a problem with new orleans passing attack.At home they are tough anyway.I don’t think we can keep up scoring wise.I hope i’m wrong and if i am wrong then we have a much better team then i thought and i’ll be a happy camper!!
September 30th, 2014 at 3:42 pm
Hope they have a great week of practice. Were gonna need to score about 35+ points to beat the Saints. Brees and Graham gonna light us up.
September 30th, 2014 at 5:03 pm
1. The Bucs are not a good football team. A good team does not get blown out that bad nor do they lose at home to a 2nd and 3rd string QB without Jake Long.
2. Sunday is going to be ugly. I’ll admit, I never saw the win in Pitt coming, but maybe I underestimated a team’s potential coming off a blowout – which brings me back to the Saints coming off their Cowboys game… now at the super dome + a top 5 TE + Sean Payton (who like every other divisional coach has the Bucs’ #)
PRESSURE ON THE QB IS THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT FACTOR come Sunday.
September 30th, 2014 at 5:16 pm
In the NFL, you are what your record says you are.
September 30th, 2014 at 5:19 pm
Ddneast
Big difference between marrenelli n frazier. Frazier is hot garbage, Lovie had to settle cuz the boys wouldn’t let him steal marrenelli away. That could be the difference in the game. We haven’t held anyone to 17 points not even Austin the 3rd string qb. Actually Austin scored 31 on the boys so who knows. Fingers crossed.
September 30th, 2014 at 5:30 pm
@ meh
I have to admit that I have not been a fan of Lovie but im not going to stop pulling for my Bucs.
This team needs to show up for the Saint’s game and I’ll feel better about what we’re doing.
Don’t let us down Lovie
September 30th, 2014 at 9:20 pm
If you are what your record says you are, than the saints are the same as the Bucs. Not sure why you guys are ready to anoint the Saints. I say the Bucs continue to improve, and win in the big easy.
October 1st, 2014 at 12:04 pm
Lot’s of negative comments on here. But you seem to cover your asses at the end. smh