Josh McCown Played Santa
November 24th, 2014
Joe thought the Bucs were in perfect shape yesterday. Playing on the road in rainy, chilly Soldier Field right on the banks of icy Lake Michigan, shutting out the Bears at halftime, well, Joe felt good about the game.
And then came the second half.
It was ugly. The defense got hung out to dry and Josh McCown, in his return to the Second City, demonstrated why paying a boatload of cash to bratty Jay Cutler was a smarter move then keeping a journeyman backup who offers nothing more than false hope.
Then, with the Bears rolling back to take a 21-10 lead, even though it is a couple of days before Thanksgiving, McCown decided to play Santa Claus, types veteran columnist Gary Shelton.
Perhaps he wanted to be good in front of a Chicago crowd that cheered for him. Perhaps the rainy weather got the better of him. For whatever reason, this was not one of those weeks where you look at McCown and see his intangibles. This was a week you looked and saw his shortcomings.
The shame of it was the size of the opportunity the Bucs gave away. Had they been able to win their second straight straight game, it would have been easy to envision them succeeding in this wacky NFC South. Instead, the Bucs remain the bottom dwellers of football’s most comedian division.
Even in the first half, when the Bucs’ had so many receivers running free in the Chicago secondary that you would swore they knew shortcuts, McCown seemed hurried and scattered. Otherwise, the Bucs may have led even more than 10-0. After all, they dominated that first half more than they have dominated any all season. A big lead was there for the taking.
Shelton nailed it. Whenever McCown presses, he goes full-blown Pop Warner quarterback and demonstrates why he has been a career journeyman.
And until otherwise corrected, it doesn’t matter how well the defense plays. Subpar is subpar.
November 24th, 2014 at 11:07 am
It’s the Bucs. Creative ways to lose.
November 24th, 2014 at 11:10 am
LovieDovie intentionally made this guy our starter in March. Insanity. And virtually everyone, media and fans, acting like it was a sane and prudent decision. Not this fan. I called it from the moment this mistake was made but no one listened. It’s got your attention now.
November 24th, 2014 at 11:11 am
McGarbage isn’t Santa!!!
McGarbage is:
THE GRINCH WHO STOLE VICTORY!!
November 24th, 2014 at 11:13 am
McCown was the QB who helped the Bears the most yesterday, just like last year for him again.
November 24th, 2014 at 11:15 am
McClown lost this game for the Bucs…..simple as that. McClown was very lucky he did not have 2 more picks and 1 more fumble.
Thigpen must go as well. Ball on the ground = fired
November 24th, 2014 at 11:17 am
But I still don’t blame the Bucs for signing him. He was the best of a bad FA class of QBs. This is precisely why the pundits say that you set your franchise back years when you miss on a 1st round QB selection. We are in those “years” right now.
November 24th, 2014 at 11:25 am
same thing week after week… the bucs running game did not exist in the second half. when a team only passes like the bucs did in the second half it makes it easy for the linebackers and safeties on the other team. play action pass was not being used in the second half because of the nonuse of the running game to set it up. the offensive coordinator is doing a pretty crummy job. he needs to be replaced immediately.
November 24th, 2014 at 11:27 am
But their only two games out of the division title.
November 24th, 2014 at 11:29 am
Never go full blown pop warner. Team fail. Coaches need to step it up. Penalties are outrageous and turn overs are comical. Lovie and his crew are bums simple as that.
November 24th, 2014 at 11:33 am
Real football doesn’t start until December. We really didn’t want to put more points on the board before the half.
November 24th, 2014 at 11:34 am
Chris…Sanchez was available. Half the money , was a successful starter and younger.
November 24th, 2014 at 11:40 am
Where are all the mclown fans?
November 24th, 2014 at 11:41 am
@dallas
I was riding the bus with you brother along with 4-5 others.
November 24th, 2014 at 11:48 am
No excuse for the Bucs receiving the 2nd half kickoff and the offensive display that followed. Game over.
November 24th, 2014 at 11:51 am
I’ve seen inept qb play from this team. From Brian Griese, Chris Simms and Bruce Gradkowski. From Josh Johnson, Byron Leftwhich. I’ve seen Jeff Garcia fail while carrying the team on his shoulders. I’ve seen Freeman and his roller coaster carreer. And I’ve seen Mike Glennon play as vanilla as it gets. But never NEVER have I seen a Buccaneers qb play as atrocious as McCown played in the second half yesterday. He gave the Chicago Bears 14 points! He lets everyone down especially the defense that was playing better than they have all season! Josh McCown cost The Bucs a win yesterday!
And shame on Lovie for thinking this guy was acceptable to be a starting NFL qb! He trusted the offense with McCown who is nothing more than a journeyman. A bust. A backup! They should’ve either drafted a qb or gave Glennon the nod but a 35 year old bust? Maybe the biggest mistake of the Lovie era thus far was singing Josh McCown to be our STARTING NFL QB!
November 24th, 2014 at 11:55 am
He’s pressured constantly (no pass blocking) and we have no running game (no run blocking) so he feels he has to win the game all by himself. So who’s the villain in that equation?
He needs to wisen up and stop trying to squeeze blood from a stone.
November 24th, 2014 at 12:08 pm
@Tom Edrington
Good one lol
He had plenty of time to pass for the most part. he is slow as hell getting the ball away and his accuracy sucks. nice guy but needs to be holding a clip board.
November 24th, 2014 at 12:10 pm
CC Says:
November 24th, 2014 at 11:34 am
Chris…Sanchez was available. Half the money , was a successful starter and younger.
———–
The fact that you’re pushing for Sanchez suggests you do little more than look at fantasy stats. Really?!? Sanchez??? You’ve got to be effing kidding me.
November 24th, 2014 at 12:12 pm
DWE Says:
November 24th, 2014 at 12:08 pm
@Tom Edrington
Good one lol
He had plenty of time to pass for the most part. he is slow as hell getting the ball away and his accuracy sucks. nice guy but needs to be holding a clip board.
————–
You don’t rip 25 yard outs on the money while on the move without accuracy. His accuracy is outstanding. His decision making when under pressure, not so much…and considering the crazy amount of pressure he sees on almost every play, we’re lucky it isn’t worse.
November 24th, 2014 at 12:14 pm
LargoBuc Says:
November 24th, 2014 at 11:51 am
I’ve seen inept qb play from this team. From Brian Griese, Chris Simms and Bruce Gradkowski. From Josh Johnson, Byron Leftwhich. I’ve seen Jeff Garcia fail while carrying the team on his shoulders. I’ve seen Freeman and his roller coaster carreer. And I’ve seen Mike Glennon play as vanilla as it gets. But never NEVER have I seen a Buccaneers qb play as atrocious as McCown played in the second half yesterday. He gave the Chicago Bears 14 points! He lets everyone down especially the defense that was playing better than they have all season! Josh McCown cost The Bucs a win yesterday!
And shame on Lovie for thinking this guy was acceptable to be a starting NFL qb! He trusted the offense with McCown who is nothing more than a journeyman. A bust. A backup! They should’ve either drafted a qb or gave Glennon the nod but a 35 year old bust? Maybe the biggest mistake of the Lovie era thus far was singing Josh McCown to be our STARTING NFL QB!
—-
Great points, except you omitted one guy that routinely played worse than McCown… Trent Dilfer. You’ve seen worse, trust me…only instead of the boneheaded mistakes being sprinkled in amongst the all-pro throws, you got boneheaded mistakes sprinkled in with routine plays.
November 24th, 2014 at 12:34 pm
If Josh McCown’s accuracy is “outstanding” why is his career completion percentage below 60%, the level considered the minimal acceptable % for a starting QB? Sounds like pure mediocrity to me, but hey spin it however you’d want Brandon. We were 3-8 this time last year though, since you love reminding us how things are better this year…
November 24th, 2014 at 12:37 pm
Brandon
How can you say he’s accurate when most of his passes are 5 yards over the rvc heads? Last week Vjax had to jump so high he almost broke his a$$ when he came down. This week Rainey running wide open again has to make a circus catch and almost gets crushed by Briggs. Hell he threw the ball over evans head and he’s like 8 feet tall.
Accurate really? I’d hate to see inaccuracy.
November 24th, 2014 at 2:05 pm
I’ll take Sanchez over McCown or Glennen. Without a doubt.
November 24th, 2014 at 3:58 pm
@ LargoBuc:
Great post!
Even when he is not giving points to the other team, JM12 and the Bucs have averaged only 16 points with him. Even though MG8 has not played as well as last year, the Bucs average 20.4 ppg with him.
@ Brandon:
Please re-watch the game and see just how many of his throws were terribly off target; even the short dump-offs. Keep an honest count, and you’ll see his play yesterday was reminiscent of Josh Freeman on MNF for the Vikings.
tickrdr
November 24th, 2014 at 4:41 pm
unfortunately for the bucs, with this OL, it is almost inhumane to play glennon with his lack of mobility. he gets leveled before he gets a chance to deliver the ball downfield for those bombs that have gotten us most of our yards. 5 games behind that OL trying to deliver deep balls and Mike Glennon will be calling the Dolman Law Group and suing Lovie & the Glazers for Negligence Resulting in Permanent Bodily Injury
November 24th, 2014 at 6:11 pm
Really you’re gonna talk about mccown 10 times a day? In mind glad this happened it just proves a point. Had to deal with Glennon making rookie mistakes every game just like mccown but no talent joebucs never blamed the other quarterback for losses it’s always the quarterback when mccown plays, all the running backs did nothing but you wrote a eulogy for Doug Martin and as bad as the line played there’s not much attention on that. Mccown sucks but your saying give up on trying to win another game by playing Glennon. I can see why the big dog makes fun of you on his radio show
November 25th, 2014 at 12:12 am
Just remember. How many games did we have the lead in with Glennon at QB and who gave away the game? Look back. Think hard. And if you think Glennon would have been worse and not better in that game yesturday than you are a real fool.