Play To Your Paycheck Immediately
October 23rd, 2014
Joe hates comparing the 1996, inaugural Tony Dungy Bucs to the current team. It’s almost stupid.
Different personnel, different rules, different approaches for offenses.
Former Bucs QB Shaun King, of the three quarterbacks to the lead Tampa Bay to the NFC Championship game, agrees with much of that sentiment.
King says comparing key cogs of ’96, second-year players Warren Sapp and Derrick Brooks, plus rookie cornerback Donnie Abraham and others, to their current counterparts is a bad fit. Speaking on WDAE-AM 620 this morning, King says the Bucs have too many quality veterans to make that leap, including a veteran head coach.
“All the key components on defense in Tampa are veterans outside of Lavonte David [in his third year],” King said on WDAE-AM 620. “When you look at Michael Johnson, when you look Dashon Goldson, when you look Alterraun Verner. These are veteran guys. I put the onus on them. At some point the players have to produce. It’s not all on the coaches. It’s not all on the scheme. When you have quality personnel, you know, you guys got to start playing up to your pay level. I don’t think they’ve done that.
“If I was Lovie, I’d be upset about it. And I’d be very honest with these guys: ‘All of this is going to change if your performance is going to improve.'”
Throw in John Lynch getting his first season as a full-time starter in ’96, and rookie Regan Upshaw in the Michael Johnson role that entire season, and it’s painfully clear that those Bucs were exceptionally young. But they got it done, finishing with the eighth-ranked defense in the NFL, despite a garbage offense.
Joe agrees that the high-priced, veteran Bucs have to step up.
Let’s go Clinton McDonald. You were brought here to rush the passer off the Super Bowl champs. The Vikings have a sad offensive line.
C’mon, Mason Foster. You’re a healthy, experienced player in a contract year.
Dashon “Hawk” Goldson, don’t let the Bucs have an historically garbage pass defense.
As King suggested in his radio chat, the Bucs will have a very busy offseason again if guys can’t play to their pay grades.
October 23rd, 2014 at 12:10 pm
Rarely do I ever agree with king, but this time he’s spot on. I felt like the onus should have been put on the players after the Ravens game, an I still feel that way. We’ll see if they can bounce back on Sunday.
October 23rd, 2014 at 12:11 pm
“Joe hates comparing the 1996, inaugural Tony Dungy Bucs to the current team. It’s almost stupid.”
I second that as it’s been pissing me off every time one of you people suggest it’s like Dungy’s first season. I’ve addressed it numerous times on these boards.
Only Joe is more subtle and has to be.
“If I was Lovie, I’d be upset about it. And I’d be very honest with these guys: ‘All of this is going to change if your performance is going to improve.’”
Lovie also needs to tell us fans that as well. Tell us that he’s disgusted with the lack of effort by his players. Call them out by name if you have to at this point. But none of that will happen. He thinks were all a bunch of fools and we’ll buy everything he says.
October 23rd, 2014 at 12:14 pm
Mason Foster, hopefully, will be gone next year. He can’t cover and never has been able to. He bites on play action like a dog on a postmans leg.
I think if it was 3rd and 9 he would still bite on play action.
DaShon Goldson may have been an All-Pro safety behind the 49ers line but around here he has shown an inability to cover and very little heart. Always injured like Rodney Dangerfield in Caddyshack. I guess he was somewhat fearsome when he could get away with trying to cripple players but fortunately that is no longer allowed.
Every FA we signed this year better have sat in front of a mirro during the week and said, “I need to play better. I need to make some plays.”
Everyone of them. No more excuses.
It would also have helped if we had gone out and gotten an experienced NFL offfensive coordinator during the off week along with Richie Incognito.
October 23rd, 2014 at 12:14 pm
Let’s hope the Bucs are busy this offseason getting rid of this coaching staff. We won’t be winning anything with Lovie at the helm.
October 23rd, 2014 at 12:23 pm
Well, if the Hawk were allowed to play like he loves to play, I’d say he does a great impersonation of John Lynch…
…that’s a significant issue: the rules change about how to dance with receivers (because everyone now knows it’s immoral to hit a 180 lb WR running a crossing pattern in front of a Safety big enough to play Linebacker, even he is taunting you while doing it).
Also, in ’96 the league had never seen anything like Dungy/Kiffin defense…that was before Peyton Manning showed the world how to dismantle the Tampa-Two in 1 easy quarter of play when he carved-up Warren and the boys in the 4th quarter game in Tampa back in 2003 (on Warren’s birthday, if I recall)…
The game has changed, the league has adapted, it’s MUCH harder to play the Tampa-Two, effectively. Even if you have the personnel – it requires more time & awareness than ever before – but I still believe Lovie’s capable of transforming this defense…it’s just going to take more time.
You want a clue as to how long it takes? Ask Rod Marinelli and the Cowboys….
Once again, the luckiest QB to ever to lead this team to the NFC Championship – is still having trouble placing the ball in the right spot at a very critical moment….
October 23rd, 2014 at 12:30 pm
“I will tolerate you, until I can replace you”
October 23rd, 2014 at 12:31 pm
I call this BS. In King’s opinion you should play to the level you get paid. I wish it was that easy! Maybe, just maybe these picks are overpaid and were already at their level. Paying someone more never works. The good players play for the enjoyment of the game and payment for it is a bonus. When you are worrying about how much money you are gonna earn, your hearts not in the game.
October 23rd, 2014 at 12:38 pm
So it wasnt schiano’s fault???
October 23rd, 2014 at 12:56 pm
@drdneast. Good luck replacing foster. He’s much better then people give him credit for. And all of our LBs have been biting. Even LVD.
October 23rd, 2014 at 12:59 pm
Maybe we should stop trying to bring up 96 because last time i checked that was 18 yrs ago. Lets start focusing on how to fix 2014 bucs. We sound like bunch of damn yankee fans where it always reffers back to how many rings they have
October 23rd, 2014 at 1:11 pm
Clinton is earning his check. Clinton n gholston are the only ones doing anything on that line. Clinton is not the problem! Lucky to have him, he reminds me of booger.
Mclown, Lovie, frazier, mccoy, mj, Verner, goldson should issue refunds each week.
Last night I was watching the Ravens game again and a receiver caught a pass for 11 yards gain and the announcer said “micheal johnson with the tackle” and I swear to you I thought to myself “who the hell is micheal johnson?” I thought it was a new CB or something. Hahaha damn shame, I’m not used to hearing his name called. Smh
October 23rd, 2014 at 1:45 pm
In the end the coaches coach and the players play. Cover 2 has been around since Dungy was a player on the field. Every year we hear the same excuses. Shut up and play the game! This is a TEAM game. Scheme is not an issue here. Play the game! Win your match up. Beat the man in front of you. If Lovie says we don’t have the pieces on defense he should have fixed it in the draft! We hired him early on, he had enough time to fix it. We used two draft this year on lineman who are not playing. We should of used it to find someone who can cover,block or even tackle. Free agency has not paid off for us. We should look at the folks who evaluate talent! The Glaziers spent money so money is not the issue. We need key components to be a contender. Next draft QB, MLB, CORNER, SAFETY, NEW OFFENSIVE TACKLES!
October 23rd, 2014 at 2:07 pm
Who gives a rip about 10 years ago.
Or even last season for that matter.
It’s irrelevant.
It’s time for this team to show up this Sunday and play the freaking game right.
October 23rd, 2014 at 2:58 pm
“Throw in John Lynch getting his first season as a full-time starter in ’96”
My don’t we have some short memories including me. I do recall that Father Tony totally whiffed on Lynch. Wyche saw Lynch’s potential. Dungy brought in one of his guys from Kansas City to sit Lynch. Luckily for Dungy and Buc fans that guy was hurt early and Lynch never relinquished the starting job after that.
And so who here can remember the name of the guy Dungy brought in to start ahead of Lynch in ’96 before the former Chief went down with the injury?
I’m getting too old to remember the dude’s name.
October 23rd, 2014 at 3:56 pm
Wow Phil, so insightful with your constant comments about Smith and the coaching staff. Who are you Greg Schiano in drag.
Bucinfan you are right about all of our LB’s behavior in regards to play action but the fact of the matter is Foster is poor in coverage and in a Cover 2 defense it is imperative the Mike LB be able to cover.
White Tiger, the only thing Peyton exposed that night was the Bucs defense was getting old and Simeon Rice as getting lazy. Add in abad U of F grad tackle and a great run back on a punt was the only reason the Colts won that game.
Funny how Manning didn’t fare so well against a younger Tampa 2 when he played against the Seahawks in the Super Bowl. Did he suddenly forget how easy it was to beat it.
As for Gohlson, being a head hunter doesn’t make you an All Pro. Lynch was solid in coverage and hardly ever got beat deep.
You like blood sports WT, try bull fighting.
October 23rd, 2014 at 5:03 pm
IF guys can’t play to their pay grades. Have the bucs have done something that suggests they have the pieces to be idle in the offseason?
October 23rd, 2014 at 5:50 pm
1996? More like 1976