Would Lovie Smith Survive A Two-Win Season?
November 2nd, 2014
Lovie Smith is comfortable saying a team’s record represents who and what it is.
So that means the Bucs are a 1-7 football team with the worst record in the NFC. If this keeps up, then Lovie would staring down the barrel of a two-win season.
Joe feels compelled to ask at the halfway mark: Would Lovie survive a two-win season?
Joe really can’t answer that with any certainty.
Lovie signed a four-year contract in January with a fifth-year Team Glazer option. Word is he’s earning $5 million per season. So that means cutting him loose after this season puts Team Glazer on the hook for $15 million.
Is that really a lot of money in today’s NFL?
Keep in mind the Bucs likely will have to buy a new offensive coordinator after this season, a guy who likely will bring some of his own people. So they’ll be turning over staff regardless.
Joe gets that the knee-jerk reaction might be that there’s no way Lovie would be fired.
But is that reality? Again, Joe is uncertain. Look at the Browns, who beat the Bucs today. They ousted Rob Chudzinski after one season (2013), and they’re rolling just fine now, 5-3 under first-year, inexpensive head coach Mike Pettine, who has survived the Johnny Football circus and all kinds of injuries.
If the Bucs’ second half of the season is like the first half, Joe couldn’t predict what would be in the hearts and minds of Team Glazer. If nothing else, the owners have shown they’re unafraid of bold moves.
November 2nd, 2014 at 5:54 pm
Yes Lovie will survive a 2 win season. Heck he’ll he survive a 1 win season. He’s not going anywhere people.
November 2nd, 2014 at 5:55 pm
Those last 5 games are brutal schedule wise, so if they lose the next 3 or even 2 of the next 3 getting more than 2 wins seems highly unlikely.
November 2nd, 2014 at 5:56 pm
It’s not going to be a pretty end to the season, but I don’t see Lovie getting canned his first year in.
November 2nd, 2014 at 5:57 pm
Who will they beat for that second win? I see nobody.
November 2nd, 2014 at 5:57 pm
Lovie is terrible
November 2nd, 2014 at 5:59 pm
I’ve seen and heard enough. Fire him.
November 2nd, 2014 at 5:59 pm
Straight up an “F” grade.
Simple as that.
November 2nd, 2014 at 6:01 pm
Lovie is a moron!
November 2nd, 2014 at 6:01 pm
I think I’d rather squat over a beartrap than watch more if this atrocious “Lovieball”.
Btw, where’s that 2nd win coming from, Joe?
November 2nd, 2014 at 6:02 pm
I don’t see the Glazers paying three head coaches at the same time. Lovie survives no matter what happens the rest of this season.
November 2nd, 2014 at 6:02 pm
Typical media move here. Best way to drive clicks is by doom and gloom stories. Lovie isn’t going anywhere this year. You’re better than this Joe
November 2nd, 2014 at 6:02 pm
Fire Lovie
Hire Jimbo Fisher
Draft Jameis Winston
Win
November 2nd, 2014 at 6:03 pm
Yeah, you are right. There is so much to celebrate with a 1-7 team.
November 2nd, 2014 at 6:03 pm
Raheem is smarter… Dare I saw that Cuba Gooden Jr. character we aren’t allowed to mention is smarter????
He was overrated in Chicago and it is showing that the game had passed him by. He’s a f-ing idiot
November 2nd, 2014 at 6:04 pm
The problem is not only Lovie’s coaching but the talent evaluation capacity of this regime…..do you really want Licht and Lovie overseeing the 2015 draft?? Plus, stuck with non-performing, overpaid free agents, this team is heading for salary cap hell, then things will really be ugly.
November 2nd, 2014 at 6:05 pm
Say*
November 2nd, 2014 at 6:06 pm
1-15. Lousy coaching especially at the end when we call long difficult passes to the sideline when we needed 1 yard to move the chains. Lousy execution on special teams also. Lousy production from the free agent signings as well as from Mankins. This is so pathetic that there are not even words to describe it and next year I am afraid will be just more of the same old crap.
November 2nd, 2014 at 6:06 pm
I could justify it either way. This season has been horrendous. But it is still his first season, and he lost his OC before the season. That’s no excuse for a really bad defense overall but it’s still a good excuse.
I think the defense has improved the last 2 weeks. We did get a good amount of pressure on hoyer today. and the run defense has been really good in that stretch. So possibly the defense is starting to settle in. The offense is as bad or worse than when the season began. Glennon continues to regress and shows no promise. If Lovie were to save his job he needs to start mccown. If mccown performs well down the stretch he can say, “see I told you Mccown was my qb, if he didn’t get hurt we would have won more games.” If mccown plays poorly then he’s screwed. And should probably be fired.
Either way it goes the Bucs do need to bring in an OC with some aggressive play calling.
November 2nd, 2014 at 6:07 pm
2 Win Season I would can him just being realistic I haven’t seen any growth out of this team haven’t seen any thing close to a competent coaching staff dude Pettine is in his first yr!!!! With no Josh Gordon and those guys are playin some good ball just sayin can this guy and Hire Art Briles or somebody that knows how to coach. I think the locker room has tuned him out
November 2nd, 2014 at 6:08 pm
Lovie can get fired if they go 1-15/2-14 with a few more humiliating losses like Atlanta/Baltimore. And with Green Bay, Detroit, Cincinnati and New Orleans still left, there’s a few more chances. Season ticket holders will evaporate after such a disgusting season when Lovie sold them on not being patient.
November 2nd, 2014 at 6:09 pm
Maybe the second win was against Buffalo….in the frickin pre-season….LMFFAO!
November 2nd, 2014 at 6:09 pm
I’ve seen nothing from this coaching staff to make me believe they just need more time. I would clean house. But, I never would have hired Lovie Smith.
November 2nd, 2014 at 6:10 pm
@NJ Bucfan
The Radio Raheem refers to a character played in the Spike Lee film, “Do The Right Thing”, not the Cuba Gooding character you are referring to. Now let’s see if the Bucs can do the right thing and draft Jameis, ijs
November 2nd, 2014 at 6:11 pm
Time to starve these owners out. The last vestige of my attention and contribution to this team that insults me weekly was listening to Gene Deckerhoff when I could have been watching the Fins blow out the Chargers or a better game in Vikes vs/ Skins.
I am officially done with this garbage. And no, I’ve never said that before in over 30 years. This organization is dead to me.
November 2nd, 2014 at 6:12 pm
Well as worried as I am about Lovie the talent evaluator so far Evans looks to be good, ASJ is more potential than production, and Sims is a total unknown. The other picks have been a non factor so far. Bottom line it’s too soon to say Lovie is a complete boob at talent evaluation in the draft. Free agency however has looked bad
November 2nd, 2014 at 6:12 pm
If the Glazers feel that the entire Tampa Bay community is completely against keeping Lovie around, there’s a chance they axe him (they’ve admitted to operating with that mentality before). Losing the entire fan base and the associated revenue is potentially wayyy more costly than $5 million per season. If we started on online petition and had like a million local signatures, I bet the clown would be gone. They are highly astute financial minds if not the best personnel decision-makers. #FireLovie
November 2nd, 2014 at 6:13 pm
HE SHOULDN’T! 1990 football is DEAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
November 2nd, 2014 at 6:15 pm
If we keep hurning through head coaches at the rate some poster’s suggest, then we really are the NEO-Browns. Be careful what you wish for.
November 2nd, 2014 at 6:20 pm
He’ll survive a 2 win season and get an opportunity to draft his own QB tis off-season.
November 2nd, 2014 at 6:20 pm
sinple division. SChiano, god bless his majesty, got canned after a 4 win season, 2 seasons total. Division says half the wins means half the time. Ta dah
November 2nd, 2014 at 6:21 pm
Wait a second, maybe I missed something.. Where the hell is another win coming from? LoL I mean honestly, throw me a freakin bone here.
November 2nd, 2014 at 6:21 pm
curse of Eric page, getting beat by Buckeyes and Rockets
November 2nd, 2014 at 6:22 pm
I think the Glazers should seriously consider it if we can get say Gase, Bevell, McAdoo, Clements, Lombardi, Kromer, or Roman.
All are OC’s on high powered offenses who would be promoted to HC for the first time in the NFL. They haven’t been a retread like Lovie Smith is or any other soon to be fired NFL coach (Rex Ryan, Mike Smith, etc).
November 2nd, 2014 at 6:24 pm
Waterboy Says:
November 2nd, 2014 at 6:20 pm
“He’ll survive a 2 win season and get an opportunity to draft his own QB tis off-season.”
God help us. Fire him immediately.
November 2nd, 2014 at 6:26 pm
This team is blunderiffic. I’m too old for this repetitive punishment. Old habits are hard to break. I’d have to be deaf and blind to ignore it all.
November 2nd, 2014 at 6:28 pm
If this team is drafting a QB, an offensive coach must be in place. We can’t waste him on a Lovie coached team.
November 2nd, 2014 at 6:30 pm
Not saying retreads don’t work (BB, Coughlin, Reid, among others)… Just tired of the same things… We have successfully hired 3 straight losers… Raheem Morris (went from DB’s coach to DC to HC in a month), Greg Schiano (lmao), and Lovie Smith (only went to the playoffs 3 times in 9 years Idc how many 8-8 or 9-7 missed playoff seasons you still MISSED the playoffs).. Try going after an OC who have proven their offenses work in the NFL.
November 2nd, 2014 at 6:30 pm
2 back up QBs and half the practice squad on the field. Rofl!
Glennon our QB of the future? Let Mcknown start? Win 2 games? Fire Lovie? Too funny! Too sad!
The Bucs are sleeping with the fishes for me today but I will be watching next week to see if once again, they can snatch defeat in their jaws, from the thrill of victory.
Gonna watch my Bucs Super Bowl DVD and reminisce.
November 2nd, 2014 at 6:31 pm
LOL Casillas with three ST tackles already, Wright with the block on the Edelman return TD. Lovie and Licht suck so much
November 2nd, 2014 at 6:44 pm
He’s 1-7 in a parity league with a poor schedule. People rag schiano, and he deserves criticism, but his first year was good and we were better last year. I think he gets a 2nd year. I hope we get a top 3 pick, I’m taking Winston or mariotta and then 3 o-linemen. I keep Glennon and cut mcnown. No more defensive fa. If Lovie is so great at d win with this. We’ve already invested enough in d!!
November 2nd, 2014 at 6:59 pm
I hope he has a big broom because there is quite a mess to clean up
November 2nd, 2014 at 7:01 pm
Lovie has been horrible and looks lost at times. His regime is worse than Schiano’s by far. Verner is terrible and this defense is not working very well. They give up so many 3’rd and longs. Lovie doesn’t appear to be the guy at this point.
November 2nd, 2014 at 7:04 pm
They’re worse in all three phases of the game than they were last year. I don’t want another year of it and want to see someone fresh at the helm. I’ve been a Buc fan since the beginning and this is the most pathetic looking team in the franchise’s entire history. Sorry Lovie, you need to go….
November 2nd, 2014 at 7:09 pm
YES, YES HE WILL IF HE SELECTS WINSTON IN THE DRAFT. IF HE DOESN”T WELL I DON”T KNOW.
November 2nd, 2014 at 7:09 pm
Lovie and Licht should be gone they have taken this organization back to the 80s with piss-poor personnel moves and on-field piss poor coaching… no discipline no talent lucky one win
November 2nd, 2014 at 7:12 pm
If they fired Schiano who had a better record then 1-15 with 3-4 total arse whippings then sorry lovie back to the basement
November 2nd, 2014 at 7:16 pm
BigMacAttack Says:
November 2nd, 2014 at 7:01 pm
Lovie has been horrible and looks lost at times. His regime is worse than Schiano’s by far. Verner is terrible and this defense is not working very well. They give up so many 3′rd and longs. Lovie doesn’t appear to be the guy at this point.
——————–
Defense played fine today Glennon kept under throwing wide open WR’s and turning the ball over in the redzone hurt too. Not to mention all of the special team blunders.
November 2nd, 2014 at 7:21 pm
Ownership needs to consider whether Lovie is the guy they want grooming Winston or Mariota…especially with his track record of rotating O coordinators. Taking either of those QBs has to be the move if we’re drafting in the top 3. Of course Lovie will stick with Glennon and draft DE…so Joe, your Winston watch is a cruel, cruel joke.
It take courage to fire a coach like Lovie…the kind that whacks Ray Rhodes. I’m not sure the Glazer trifecta has it, or the stomach for paying the man, the staff to walk.
November 2nd, 2014 at 7:22 pm
Unfortunately Lovie is 10 years behind todays football. You can talk scheme all you want. You can talk well they’ll get it soon. You can blame Teadford. The bottom Line is Lovie and Light. Bad move that looked soo promising. Nope he won”t get fired and no we won’t have a winning season next year with him either. So suck it up and bare it. The stadium should get quite empty. Not getting anymore of my money. Have already sold my seasons tickets except for NO game the28th. Should be a real fun time. Keep looking for our supposed talent But even Jerald a Anton slowing. Imagine how they feel. Glennon will be out of NFL in 2 years. Future is not here yet. Winston, Mariota good greif a doever again. What a futile organazation.
November 2nd, 2014 at 7:42 pm
Yeah he’ll make it. The’re going to give him the benefit of the doubt.” Let’s see how he does with a real oc.” Another season like this, regardless of who he picks in the first.
November 2nd, 2014 at 7:59 pm
In business it is almost axiomatic that “The speed of the boss is the speed of the gang,” and Lovie is so devoid of normal affect that he makes Tony Dungy look like Gallagher!
If you were a quality coach, would you go to work for Lovie?
November 2nd, 2014 at 8:22 pm
Lovie survives because the Glazers are still paying too much coin on coaching salaries, something that they can control unlike player salaries….. BTW OahuBuc posted this:
“Time to starve these owners out. The last vestige of my attention and contribution to this team that insults me weekly was listening to Gene Deckerhoff when I could have been watching the Fins blow out the Chargers or a better game in Vikes vs/ Skins.
I am officially done with this garbage. And no, I’ve never said that before in over 30 years. This organization is dead to me.”
I’m fed up too: this is as bad as the ****ing Hugh “Screw the Fans” Culverhouse years but if the Glazers do not want to win, I think we are stuck just like we were when Culverhouse owned the Bucs and 5-11 was considered a good season. I don’t know if we can starve these @-holes out, they’ll probably just try to move the team if it impacted their cashflow and I doubt it will; they’ll still make sizeable coin via the TV contracts and revenue sharing. But imagine if an owner committed to winning owned the franchise? Damn, that would be nice; too bad Vinik and DeBartolo can’t buy up the Bucs…..
November 2nd, 2014 at 8:33 pm
Get Harbaugh !!!
November 2nd, 2014 at 8:34 pm
simple answer… YES, he should be fired! The offense sux but the defense is worse considering the money spent to upgrade. Verner and Johnson are complete jokes with Mcdonald a close 3rd to those turds. OHHHHH, and Lovie is a defensive coach!!!!! What about Frazier!!!!??? complete jokes!!This team has been set back at least 5 years. Cut the fat now and make up for your mistakes Glazer boys. DO NOT HIRE from the DUNGY TREE!!!!!
November 2nd, 2014 at 9:06 pm
Weather we win, or loose, Lovie wins regardles. He’ll just take his millions and live happily ever after. As for the Glazers, if their pocket book takes a big hit from lack of game revenues, you can bet, they will be working behind the scenes for a replacement.
November 2nd, 2014 at 9:09 pm
The Glazers could fire Lovie and it won’t amount to a hill of beans. They need to hire a real President/CEO and allow that person to make all football decisions. But that won’t happen.
Instead, they will draft Winston and turn him over to Marcus Arroyo, who will fail again. Lovie will fire Arroyo in year three – because the Glazers won’t fire Lovie after a year two fail. But they will fire Lovie after another bad season in year three, and Winston will enter his third season with his third OC, and will be ruined by the end of the season. Sounds familiar, right? That’s because it is the formula followed by all the crap NFL franchises. And that’s what we are now – again.
November 2nd, 2014 at 9:26 pm
Trade a 2nd round 2015 pick for Johnny Football !
November 2nd, 2014 at 9:38 pm
At the end of the season no one will re-new their season tickets. No one will buy any ugly jersey’s either.
The ONLY way this team is going to sell any tickets next year IS Jameis Winston.
That’s what I keep telling all you dolts, but you don’t seem to understand it when I say it.
There will be 30,000 FSU fans waiting to buy tickets the day after the draft and the Glazers will be made aware of that one way or another. Lovie has no say so in the matter either. Draft an O-lineman or DE and you’ll hear crickets at the Bucs ticket office next offseason. Draft Winston and you’ll have to hire more operators to field the calls. That’s a fact jack.
November 2nd, 2014 at 9:40 pm
You people can’t be serious!!!!! Seriously? Let me guess, your probably the same ones that said fire dungy after the first season. This team sucks now…yes. Fire the coach after the 1 season…No. I don’t care who we draft, it’s clear we need to draft a QB. Bring in an OC, let him build the offensive, Lovie/Leslie build this defense. We need LBs that can drop back and covert the middle of the field, and corner that can…we’ll…cover. But it starts up front. We got GMC in place. We need another beast at DT to push the line, then our DE can go to work. But that takes time and consistency.
November 2nd, 2014 at 9:41 pm
Yes he’s safe. The earliest his job would be in jeopardy would be the bye week of next season. They celebrated this hire like he was the President coming back to his hometown. They’re not going to fire him unless Gruden calls them and asks for his job back.
November 2nd, 2014 at 9:45 pm
So did the fans. You would have thought Bill Walsh was hired. All because he coached with Father Dungy. smh
November 2nd, 2014 at 10:15 pm
@Joe,
Not even going to lie, I’m guilty of it too. This isn’t exactly what I had in mind.
November 2nd, 2014 at 10:38 pm
IF we were to end up going 1-15 I could see him getting let go. And honestly going 1-15 or 2-14 would be the best thing possible for our team. That would give us the #1 pick in the draft and 1st in every other round. Plus the 4th and 5th we got on the deadline day, can be used as tradebait or for more players. We are not a good team right now and that starts and the HC and QB. Marcus Mariota would give us a real QB and is mobile enough to help out our OLine. Winning games now would only hurt our team for future years to come.
A mobile and accurate passer on the move would be perfect for the Offense we have now. And we need to be active in free agency on defense. I could honestly care less if Lovie gets fired. He doesn’t have that fire we need to motivate our players. We are way to talented to be 1-7. What a joke!
November 2nd, 2014 at 11:01 pm
Yes, he will survive. He can just point to losing his Tedford alone as a cause for the poor results. He’ll be back for at least one more year IMHO.
November 3rd, 2014 at 12:19 am
All of you people saying the Bucs should draft Jameis Winston…I would rather watch the Buccaneers go 0-16 than see my favorite team pay money to a man that has no respect for ethical behavior. The Bucs won the Super Bowl when they had classy leaders like Lynch, Brooks, Barber, Quarles, and Alstott. I want to see the Bucs draft and develop players like this. Lovie Smith is having a rough season, but I feel like he will develop a long-term winning team with players that contribute to the community. And god willing he will get rid of their new jerseys?
November 3rd, 2014 at 12:29 am
I get sick of saying the same thing over & over again: This regime needs 3 – count ’em THREE – years to get this franchise where they want it. You can’t undo 4-5 years of coaching, drafting, and signing mistakes all in 1 year. Realistically, you just can’t.
Everybody expects things to happen RIGHT NOW. If you look at consistently successful teams, they make decisions on personnel & staff AND STICK WITH THEM FOR THE LONG TERM.
The biggest mistake this regime made so far is telling fans they shouldn’t have to wait for success, that they’re aiming for a championship now. This turn-around is going to take time, and I’m willing to suffer through that because I have faith in this coach.
November 3rd, 2014 at 12:36 am
Interesting you left out Sapp and Meshawn.
November 3rd, 2014 at 1:16 am
@Joe no shyte. How does someone leave Sapp off that list? Classy or not.
When they all played together I guarantee you that Sapp was the face of this franchise more than any other player on the team.
When I mentioned the Bucs to anyone I met in other states, they always talked about Sapp. When you thought about the Bucs, you thought about Sapp, his mouth and his play.
Sapp was definitely the face of the franchise from what I heard from many other fans of other teams. Those people always mentioned Sapp when I talked about my team. They never mentioned Brooks, Lynch or anyone else for that matter.
As a Bucs fan I love every one of them like a brother for what they did for me, but to fans of other teams Sapp was all they talked about.
November 3rd, 2014 at 2:17 am
@Canadian Tampa 2 Fan: fellow Canuck I agree with you wholeheartedly.
What were the fans expecting? More wins would be nice, but in most games except for two, the Bucs had their chances to win like today.
Who would the fans like to see coach this team? Who really wants to be a head coach here? Look at the candidates we had in the past.
We cannot keep a revolving door going with a constant turnover of players who the present coach did not draft; you know, like the canard, he wants to draft his own QB! Look at all the flops from over the years.
It would be nice to see a coach who could develop a system to fit the talent he has. This season has been like a war of attrition. I have never seen so many injuries to key players like this year. Look at the turkey shoots.
I guess the best thing to do if you are not happy is to quit watching the Bucs and cheer for someone else.
I understand that many fans are upset because they care, but firing everybody and getting rid of many players is not a simple solution. There are only so many good players to go around.
November 3rd, 2014 at 4:24 am
Lovie is not going anywhere, people.
There has been way too much change already.
November 3rd, 2014 at 8:03 am
It would be nice to see the Glazers have the balls to can Lovie after one season. To make matters worse with Lovie being here even if we are in position to draft Jameis Winston Lovie probably wouldn’t do it. Lovie has already set this team back many years and every year he stays will just set us back more. Can’t wait for the day he is gone.
November 3rd, 2014 at 10:33 am
Lovie needs to stay. The Buccaneers need stability at Head Coach.
Name a successful franchise that fires their coaches repeatedly after two years. Go.
November 3rd, 2014 at 11:39 am
Stability, schambility. The only thing we’ll be if we give Lovie 15 season’s is consistently mediocre but I would bet that’s a stretch. I want someone who can win championships, and with his conservative, comatose style don’t make me laugh. But it’s really logical to believe that he couldn’t win one in Chicago, oh no big deal, he’ll win one in Tampa Bay. He couldn’t get in done at Halas Hall, but he’ll be dynamite at One Shmuck Place.
November 4th, 2014 at 12:26 am
We dont have the worst record in the nfl jackass. I didnt even go but a couple sentences in without noticing your statements. Gets your facts straight joe “bucfan”.