Barber Bashes Bucs Defense, Glennon
November 5th, 2014
Ronde Barber is one frustrated Bucs icon.
Man, he let loose yesterday.
Barber is left in disbelief by what he’s seen from the Bucs defense and the quarterback of the future, who is now the quarterback of the past.
“I watch all their film every week just because I’m selfishly still involved. They can’t play Cover-2. It’s the simplest defense possible, and they make the same mistakes over and over and over again,” Barber said on the TBD in the AM show.
“And Mike Glennon has struggled. I mean he’s struggled finding the right reads and open guys. He has trouble pulling the trigger. I mean, two weeks in a row gets sacked five times.
“There was a distinct chance they could have one three or four games this year, not that they deserved to win, but they could have. They just don’t have whatever it is to push them over the edge to win close football games. Bad teams find a way to lose close games, and that’s what Tampa is right now.”
Wait a minute. Timeout! Barber said the Cover-2, aka Lovie’s Tampa-2, is “the simplest defense possible.” Then what’s taking so long?
Derrick Brooks, by comparison, months ago said there would be a learning curve for the Bucs defense, though Warren Sapp swore to Joe that the genius system of Lovie Smith would straighten out Da’Quan Bowers and any other edge rushers on the Bucs.
Learning curve or not, Barber clearly is frustrated by the repeated errors.
Is it coaching? Is it personnel? Is it Lovie being too soft on players?
As for Barber being tough on Glennon, who would know better than Barber. The man was a film junkie for 16 playing season studying quarterbacks and coverages with some of football’s greatest minds.
November 5th, 2014 at 12:08 pm
“Is it coaching? Is it personnel? Is it Lovie being too soft on players?”
Is it tanking?
November 5th, 2014 at 12:14 pm
Is it tanking indeed?
November 5th, 2014 at 12:17 pm
None of the former players are going to come out and point any fingers at anyone on the coaching staff yet it is not too hard to read between the lines of what he is saying
November 5th, 2014 at 12:18 pm
Yeah. The fact that the defense keeps making the same mistakes over and over is really maddening. From the safeties to the linebackers to the d-line getting pushed around, it’s just a mess. We need to find an edge rusher who is at least consistent. Gholston may come into his own. I like the effort he gives ever snap. GMC and Lavonte will figure this out. Once they do they will bring everyone up with them. Banks is starting to figure it out too. Thank goodness someone in the secondary has a clue.
As for Glennon well he is our backup of the future! Wether we draft Mariotta or sing a FA somehow the QB position is in need of an upgrade. Our offense has a good nucleus of young playmakers we just need some o-line help and of course we need our franchise QB. With all the holes on defense there’s a lot to do this offseason. I think switching systems…again…would be stupid. Let Lovie get his guys in and lets see what happens. And for as much as he turned over the roster last spring, he did NOT get all his guys in one offseason.
November 5th, 2014 at 12:20 pm
Inadequate personnel, Lack of preparation and Lack of discipline all are the fault of this staff!
November 5th, 2014 at 12:20 pm
Joe
Finally someone that really knows the game and the team is telling it like it is. Ronde jsut confirms what all of us have been seeing.
Do you know if coaches are reluctant to sit high paid players if they are not playing well?
I know this is off the wall, but what do you think of getting Tim Tebow for the rest of the year, could not be worse then what we have?
November 5th, 2014 at 12:21 pm
There have been let downs in all phases of the game through out the year. Special team being…umm, special. Defense letting teams off the hook at the end. But the QB play has assisted to more losses this year in my opinion. Red zone interceptions, no effort scrambles to pick up the 1st, high school mistakes, under thrown balls, poor decisions.
This Defense (again, IMO) has appeared to play better the last two games, leaving the offense with low hanging fruit for the taking, yet the QB poops the bed by getting sacked over and over and over…….
November 5th, 2014 at 12:23 pm
With all these issues, honestly how do we fix this for next season? We are at square one and need to start preparing for the draft and FA.
Its so damn painful being a die hard Bucs fan… The amount of beer I have to drink every Sunday just to try and forget is getting out of hand.
I have watch these guys in every part of the world that you can imagine and this season is the absolute worst excuse for pro football.
Joe, thanks for the great website and keeping all us Sailors up to date.
November 5th, 2014 at 12:27 pm
For F#@k sake, please stop with the Tebow BS! The dude sucks, just stop! He is unemployed for a reason. He couldn’t even beat out geno smith.
November 5th, 2014 at 12:28 pm
Lovie Smith sucks as a coach.
What kind of Franchise Tanks mid way through the season on purpose.
As a fan I want wins
November 5th, 2014 at 12:29 pm
Talent>Coaching
November 5th, 2014 at 12:31 pm
Is it coaching? Is it personnel? Is it Lovie being too soft on players?
_________________________________________________________________
I believe this is a textbook “All of the above” situation.
November 5th, 2014 at 12:33 pm
Tampa Bay had the No. 2-ranked defense in 2007, including the No. 1 ranked pass defense coached by Raheem Morris.
Lovie’s got three secondary coaches, one each for corners, safeties and nickelbacks, and they can’t figure it out. Too many cooks.
November 5th, 2014 at 12:35 pm
They don’t make football players like they use too!
Luck is the last of the real deal special players!
November 5th, 2014 at 12:37 pm
That’s cuz Ronde is an intelligent individual and understands the most important factor: No elite teams are led by mediocre QBs. You need a star. The days of Brad Johnson and Trent Dilfer Super Bowls are over.
November 5th, 2014 at 12:39 pm
Sell the team to Eddie Debartlo, hire James Joseph “Jim” Harbaugh and draft Marcus Mariota & lets go!
November 5th, 2014 at 12:46 pm
@Architek…well said…it just doesn’t matter as much to this generation…still gonna get a fat pay cheque at the end of the day, regardless of the outcome…Bucs should take the approach in the future > “How much does football matter to this draft pick?” …
November 5th, 2014 at 12:50 pm
the just need to promise churches chicken after every win!
WTF else could it be? lovie, nah, not him. he’s a calm, cool dude, ya dig!
November 5th, 2014 at 12:53 pm
It’s all coaching.
Re: Defense. These guys don’t make it to the NFL by accident. They have all learned several defenses throughout their playing days.
When several players make the same mistakes over and over (Verner, Barron?)
it’s coaching.
Check out the offense.
Check out the special teams.
3 different units and many of these players still struggle?
Barron gets sent packing.
Glennon going backwards is yet another clue.
Ronde seems to have omitted pal Lovie from the criticism. No great surprise here.
November 5th, 2014 at 12:55 pm
Winston has more talent in his pinky finger than Tebow…
November 5th, 2014 at 12:57 pm
Tebow has more character in a fart than Jameis has in his heart…..
November 5th, 2014 at 1:03 pm
To be fair, Barber is extremely intelligent. Of course the defense is easy for him. The guys we got now, high school defense was probably a challenge.
November 5th, 2014 at 1:07 pm
Jim Harbaugh did not build the 49′ers, find out who the previous coach was and how he had to change the culture. Chip Kelly walk on to a team that had Maclin, Jacson, McCoy, and a decent o-line and was fairly able to build an offense right away. Would you all agree? Andy Ried went to a team that sent 4 or 5 players to the probowl on defense that same year plus he had a good o-line, number 1 wr, great rb, and brought in Alex smith. Lovie Smith could have went to the Lions but chose to come to a team that went 4-12 its previous season and bust all over the place. Only one all-pro and a linebacker that was skipped over for other linebackers in the league that had worse stats but Tampa loves him. This fan base is still torn on the Mike Glennon benching somewhat. TAMPA FANS! WERE THE BUCS REALLY THAT GOOD? Lovie Smith finally brought some shine to this team and maybe David will finally make the probowl and if Banks continues to play and (DEVELOP) like he is the Bucs will have 4 probowlers on their team. THAT’S BUILDING A FOUNDATION.
November 5th, 2014 at 1:17 pm
Lovie’s got three secondary coaches, one each for corners, safeties and nickelbacks, and they can’t figure it out. Too many cooks.
_______________________
And to make matters worse, the safeties coach is Lovie’s son. Guess the apple don’t fall too far from the tree.
November 5th, 2014 at 1:20 pm
rebuilding foundation. LOL
lovie has set this team back farther than any coach before him. well him and licht with his 6th grade education during trades. neither of these a$$ clowns have the street smarts of a bag of ruffles.
rebuilding. LOL Chucky would have this team competitive NEXT year, in the playoff hunt, even if it was with has beens.
we continually waste our picks, they play great after we trade them though!!!!
f%^k this team for three years. go Dolphins!
November 5th, 2014 at 1:22 pm
“Is it coaching? Is it personnel? Is it Lovie being too soft on players?”
YES!
November 5th, 2014 at 1:22 pm
the coaching sucks…plain and simple
November 5th, 2014 at 1:23 pm
the stands will be so empty next year it will be a ghost town.
the bar next door and mons venus is a better use of your time. at least then you might see some scoring.
November 5th, 2014 at 1:28 pm
one player, namely a franchise QB (Winston or whoever, and 1st round QB’s are risky anyway) isn’t going to turn this mess around overnight….build a strong defense and OL in the next couple of drafts…maybe a mid-round QB will turn into something…this franchise was built with a super defense…to hell with shootout football!…seattle proved it, a run game and shutdown defense wins it all…
November 5th, 2014 at 1:28 pm
panhandle fan, you are wrong – 100% wrong. Tebow would be an upgrade to the loser QBs there now. How can a man do so well in college and so poorly in the NFL at the same position – coaching? Tebow needs coaching, now granted the Bucs do not have the coach that can bring out Tebow’s skills – yet. But it can be done. And you can get him cheap! Tebow would be great for Tampa Bay, he has class, morals and presents a great example on and off the field. With the crappy O-line blocking a QB that is not afraid to scramble and make a throw is what we need. He was not given a decent opportunity in the NFL because he wears his faith on his sleeve. Now if he were a up-and-coming felon he would be a star and have the best wishes of all the announcers. Tebow is the answer at QB for this year and years to come until the O-Line can sustain a block and the receivers catch a ball more than half of the time.
November 5th, 2014 at 1:32 pm
Tebow would easily get us to a 1-15 record and a thus great draft pick. Just think about it, the entertainment value would be awesome.
November 5th, 2014 at 1:46 pm
“Tebow is the answer at QB for this year and years to come until the O-Line can sustain a block and the receivers catch a ball more than half of the time.”
Yet he remains unemployed for a reason…
Tebow AH ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
SHUT UP GATOR FANS!
November 5th, 2014 at 1:51 pm
When the player is bad they either get coached up on how to learn from their mistakes and to improve OR they get replaced with better players…. Neither of these events seem to be happening…
When the Coaching is bad then it will look like the players are bad because even if they know better in game situations, if they play apart from what the coach wants them to do, they will be treated as “rebellious” and put in the coaches doghouse.
November 5th, 2014 at 1:54 pm
IM NOT GIVING RONDE BARBER ANY CREDIT FOR ANYTHING HE SAYS EITHER…..HE’S THE ONE WHO CAME OUT IN SUPPORT OF LEONARD JOHNSON
November 5th, 2014 at 2:05 pm
Just think if only our former greats were position coaches. How bad ass would that be?
November 5th, 2014 at 2:08 pm
Remember all this even if they draft Winston. He will not be the instant cure. So don’t fall for the hype during mini camp and the all is well in Tampa. You fell for it again this year. Take it game by game next.
November 5th, 2014 at 2:11 pm
It’s the coaching. Anyone can see that and if you don’t then you can’t be helped.
November 5th, 2014 at 2:28 pm
The latest in the “Throwin Somoan Watch”
2. Jameis Winston, Florida State
You know about Winston. You know where he stands… Let’s just leave this explanation empty and see how the process turns out…
1. Marcus Mariota, Oregon
Mariota is the clear front-runner this season. He is the most NFL-ready of the group, and while there’s no superstar status here, Mariota has a chance to be very good in the NFL. Tampa Bay fans should be happy…
November 5th, 2014 at 2:36 pm
“The prospect of Mariota blazing around the corner is enough to make the defensive backs look momentarily at the line of scrimmage — especially after he raced for a 22-yard touchdown on a read option halfway through the first quarter. When the defensive backs hesitate, at least one Oregon receiver pops open.
This means that Mariota, who has a more NFL-ready arm than any of the signal-callers who ran this offense before him, is often throwing to a receiver with a five-yard circle of green around him. When the line, which has struggled through injuries but seems to be rounding into form, gives him even a little time, Mariota makes the offense hum like an explosive-play assembly line. “He’s tough to contain,” Stanford coach David Shaw said. “You put pressure on him and he doesn’t feel it, he escapes the pocket and he throws the ball down the field. As a runner and a passer, he’s special and we just couldn’t contain him.”” – SI
November 5th, 2014 at 2:47 pm
You don’t respect ronde because he tried to mentor Leonard Johnson? Seriously? Of all dumbsh*t comments I read on here everyday, that one might be the dumbest.
Ronde is the man, and one of the greatest buccaneers of all time. Pull your head out of your ass. And regarding Tebow, STFU. He is out of the NFL for a reason.
November 5th, 2014 at 3:04 pm
The Tebow train has left the stations. Seriously, dude is never going to play another NFL snap. All the Tebow lovers need to accept it. As far as what Ronde is saying, we all knew that was going on, it just nice to have a consummate professional confirm it.
November 5th, 2014 at 3:09 pm
Of coarse its tanking. Why else would lovie waste a timeout instead of risking losing one by throwing the challenge flag when Evans clearly had possession and two feet in bounds in the middle of the fourth.
November 5th, 2014 at 3:23 pm
Nice post from NFL.com
Top NFL draft prospect
Incumbent: Oregon QB Marcus Mariota.
Challengers: Florida State QB Jameis Winston, USC DE Leonard Williams, Alabama WR Amari Cooper.
The race: The Raiders and Jaguars — who both selected QBs early in the 2014 NFL Draft — likely ending up with the first couple of picks is likely the only thing stopping one of the two quarterbacks from going atop the 2015 draft if both end up coming out, as many expect. Mariota has had a few tough stretches but flashes his athleticism every single game and has been the more accurate passer this season. Winston’s numbers aren’t as outstanding as they were last year, but he’s been clutch when the team has needed it and is maybe the only reason the Seminoles are undefeated with the issues they have across the board. Williams hasn’t been flashy, but when you put on the tape, he has everything you’re looking for in a top-10 pick who some think can turn into an All-Pro. Cooper is the most complete receiver in another good crop at the position and could be the most pro-ready to come out of college in years.
Negative campaigning: Mariota hasn’t shown he can fit the ball into tight windows. Winston’s off-the-field concerns are enough to drop him out of the first round entirely. Williams doesn’t have the numbers in a pass-happy conference to suggest he’ll be a top pick, and his health is a concern. Who drafts a wideout super high given what you can find later?
Election forecast: Mariota is rated higher than Winston, but the gap has closed in recent weeks, while Williams remains the top non-QB on most team’s boards.
November 5th, 2014 at 3:25 pm
Sorry, it didn’t post http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000422355/article/inside-the-pocket-college-football-campaigning-in-full-swing
November 5th, 2014 at 5:22 pm
all the coaches are idiots!!!! and these players don’t want to play for them period. and it shows every week!
November 5th, 2014 at 7:55 pm
Tanking? Go Magic, I mean Bucs. Send Pat Williams over for the Lottery Draft. Oops that’s the NBA.
November 6th, 2014 at 9:36 am
I guess everybody chiming N on here are HOF Coaches or ex-SB Qb’s. All of u dont quit your day jobs. Half of u can’t remember to put ketchup in my bag when i come 2 Burger King . Take your opinions and stick them back in your Ass where it came from.
November 6th, 2014 at 9:39 am
Barber, if it is so easy, then why did it take you FIVE YEARS to produce in it?
He seems to be selling out to the media, saying what he thinks they want to hear. Either that, or he’s going senile, because he is forgetting his own experiences.
November 6th, 2014 at 9:45 am
unbelievable Says
“Ronde is the man, and one of the greatest buccaneers of all time.”
I agree. He is.
But he is forgetting all about his first 4 seasons.
http://www.nfl.com/player/rondebarber/2499530/profile
It took him until his fifth year to get the Cover 2.
November 7th, 2014 at 12:58 pm
Hire Ronde Barber as DB coach