Thanking Arroyo And Slapping McCown
January 30th, 2015
It’s good to be bad sometimes, notes a former Buccaneers quarterback, who says Marcus Arroyo cost the team three or four wins.
Former Bucs quarterback Shaun King, one of three QBs to lead Tampa Bay to the NFC Championship game, tossed a hefty pile of blame — and thanks — on the former interim offensive coordinator Arroyo and King’s former teammate, journeyman Josh McCown.
“One of the things I think Marcus [Arroyo] would do better, if he could do it over again, would not put McCown in some of those situations,” King told the dean of Tampa Bay sports radio, Steve Duemig, yesterday on WDAE-AM 620. “I’m glad that we only won two games, because we get the No. 1 pick; but as a playcaller, if you just don’t allow McCown to be in some of those situations, the Bucs probably win three or four more games.”
King, a Cardinals teammate of McCown in 2004, said McCown’s performance was no surprise because he has “never mastered the mental side of the game.” King said film study of McCown’s successful fill-in role with the Bears two years ago (five starts) reveals unsustainable success on 50-50 throws. “Go back and break it down,” King said firmly.
Joe and Bucs fans saw McCown play like a rookie last year. There is no debate on that. King said it was simply McCown playing like McCown — a great athlete who isn’t good at the mental side of football.
Is that who Bucs fans want to mentor a shiny new rookie QB?
There’s a divide at JoeBucsFan.com world headquarters. Half think McCown is a perfect bridge quarterback to guide and mold a rookie. The other half thinks there’s zero evidence McCown can properly break in a rookie — or play good football — and the Bucs should be looking hard at finding a replacement.
You can hear all of King’s Super Bowl and Bucs takes via the 620wdae.com audio player below.
January 30th, 2015 at 10:39 am
they tanked long before anyone knew what they were doing IMO
lovie left aroyo and mcclown in there to doom for a reason.
it’s the only rational explanation
January 30th, 2015 at 10:40 am
Keep the Cannon. He’s Lovie’s QOF after all. $5M for a journeyman who play’s like a rookie?
January 30th, 2015 at 10:41 am
He should have never been in a situation to hold a fb much less throw one in an NFL game. I said from the very beginning that the only thing mcclown can teach a rookie is how to lose bc that’s what he excels at.
January 30th, 2015 at 10:41 am
5 million for hush money to his buddy to come in and tank the season
January 30th, 2015 at 10:42 am
amen 55. just hope the 5 mill was enough to keep his mouth shut and we don’t have him for another year.
January 30th, 2015 at 10:43 am
Joe, I think a comment about Lovie’s role in this debacle is glaring in its omission. Lovie decided to NOT employ someone to assist Arroyo in his OC duties. So instead the Bucs have a OC with ZERO NFL experience. How friggin crazy is that?!
Reportedly, McTurnover is a good leader, diligent hard worker, leader, etc. with obvious poor QB skills. Although it would be nice to have a QB with better skills, who would that be? I am fine with him as a bridge. But, whatever…
January 30th, 2015 at 10:44 am
You left out another group who feels pretty good about tossing McCown to waivers and rolling the dice on Glennon + a much better OL (regardless of what PFF spreadsheets say)
January 30th, 2015 at 10:47 am
Old saying in golf:
“If you can’t play……teach!”
January 30th, 2015 at 10:47 am
Shaun King is right that Arroyo put McCown (and Glennon) in bad situations…..3rd & long….a product of poor playcalling & no running game……
When you are 2nd & 1 you play action and give your QB a shot at a huge play…..we rarely do that…..play way too conservative especially with a lead late in games….
“Shaun King, one of two Buc Quarterbacks that lost a NFC Championship Game when his defense gave up 11 or fewer points.”
January 30th, 2015 at 10:53 am
“never mastered the mental side of the game.” Isn’t that politically incorrect? A black man questioning a white man’s intelligence? Oh, my bad, it’s the other way around. So we good.
January 30th, 2015 at 10:53 am
I hate to use the most dreaded word in sports…the C word! But McCown clearly CHOKED on many occasions last year.
Yes he has some excuses..Arroyo’s play calling was not masterful, lack of running game or Oline…but many times even when he had a chance to make a play he simply CHOKED.
Choking has nothing to do with intelligence. McCown realized this was his last chance. He realized that Lovie had put a lot of his reputation on the line standing behind McCown and it clearly was more emotionally than McCown could handle.
I do not want McCown to be any higher than a third stringer on this team. If we draft a QB let MG8 and the rookie battle it out for 1 and 2. MG8 clearly outplayed McCown on the field last year if you go by results and stats.
January 30th, 2015 at 11:18 am
I wouldn’t want Opie mentoring a rookie neither because he will gossip and cry to his brother and start drama.
January 30th, 2015 at 11:22 am
St Pete, I can’t see $5M on a third stringer. Sorry.
January 30th, 2015 at 11:24 am
I still can’t fathom the glennon haters.
January 30th, 2015 at 11:26 am
Architek Says:
I wouldn’t want Opie mentoring a rookie neither because he will gossip and cry to his brother and start drama.
———————-
Speaking of drama…. quite the ironic post.
January 30th, 2015 at 11:35 am
Harry Says:
January 30th, 2015 at 10:43 am
Joe, I think a comment about Lovie’s role in this debacle is glaring in its omission. Lovie decided to NOT employ someone to assist Arroyo in his OC duties. So instead the Bucs have a OC with ZERO NFL experience. How friggin crazy is that?!
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Am I the only person who wonders what happens if Koetter has to go on medical leave this year? wouldnt we be in the same position as last yr with an inexperienced college coach as our OC? Correct me if I’m wrong bc if im right, it just doesn’t make any sense. Maybe the plan is to tank the season again. Who the hell knows, it certainly doesn’t feel like we’re here to compete. It feels more like we’re here to build a PR firm (stole that from another poster) with the nicest, most well spoken guys in the league. Real leaders, off the field.
January 30th, 2015 at 11:36 am
I want to give props to Arroyo. He was put in an untenable position with no NFL experience……yet he hung in there, didn’t complain or give excuses ( at least publicly) and went about doing what he had to do. He manned up and did his job.
I hope he lands on his feet……he’s been through the fire and will benefit from it. All the Best to Arroyo.
January 30th, 2015 at 11:41 am
Robert9
It’s Unfathomable, without fathom.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=yfpn6WLbAh4
There’s even a spc cameo appearance by Hawaiibuc
January 30th, 2015 at 11:42 am
One of the first things Lovie did when he became coach last year was his worst move. At best, handing McCown the starting Job was unintentionally tanking the season. I personally can’t wait to see what Lovie’s first move of the off season will be this time.
January 30th, 2015 at 11:46 am
Well, it is the pot calling the kettle black…but Shaun is correct. That said, Mccown seems like a cool dude at least, King also never mastered the mental side of the game and on top of that is a huge douche
January 30th, 2015 at 11:46 am
Well, it is the pot calling the kettle black…but Shaun is correct. That said, Mccown seems like a cool dude at least, King also never mastered the mental side of the game and on top of that is a huge doofus (emphasis on huge)
January 30th, 2015 at 11:47 am
I tried to call Shaun another word but it got moderated, haha
January 30th, 2015 at 11:48 am
Basically, like King, Mccown is a lousy QB, just that Josh is a cool guy and Shaun is a huge pile of horse manure.
January 30th, 2015 at 12:33 pm
the only thing more likely to ruin a QB than lovie drafting him is mccown mentoring him.
January 30th, 2015 at 12:38 pm
@Biff
Agree completely about 5M being too much for a third stringer. 5 M is/was too much for McCown period. He would have to take a major pay cut.
That of course could induce him to retire. I’m very OK with that as well.
January 30th, 2015 at 12:54 pm
King is right; Bucs would have probably won 4 or 5 more games with a competent game plan offensively. That actually could have been good enough to get them into the playoffs if a couple of the added wins were in division, giving the Bucs a fair shot at winning tiebreakers. Makes fora good question: would you rather the Bucs went 7-9 and won the NFC South and then beat AZ at home as Carolina did only to lose at Seattle? Season would have been more exciting but the same questions on the roster would’ve remained and the Bucs would be drafting 25th where Carolina is slotted (amazing, go 8-9-1 and draft in the back of the draft; I am sure Carolina fans love that)….. So perhaps Lovie is not a total moron after all, maybe there is a method to his madness as it is a lot better to pick 1st then to pick 25th like Carolina or even 5th like the 4 win Deadskins who IMHO are as bad off as our Bucs…. Lets just hope the brain trust at One Buc Place do not bugger this opportunity up with an idiotic trade down or ending up with a qb that ends up being mentioned in the same sentence as Rick Mirer, Crying Leif, Tim Coach, Jamarcus Russell, etc….
January 30th, 2015 at 1:21 pm
@DB55says,
“…wouldnt we be in the same position as last yr with an inexperienced college coach as our OC?”
You are not the only one DB. I hated the Bajakian hire. It’s another “WTF?” Hire by Lovie. No friggin NFL coaching experience, but our “quality control” should be awesome. Arroyo déjà vue all over again, as Yogi would say. Yet, we keep friggin Warhop?! Wow, it’s like living in the Twighlight Zone being a Bucs fan. And then when one adds in fans are still calling for MG8, the world is just a crazy place.
Makes one really wonder what is going to happen in the 2015/16 season.
January 30th, 2015 at 1:24 pm
If you just don’t allow McCown to be on the roster its easier to keep him out of those situations. Cut him. Players who are proven to play bad should be cut. He played bad, got hurt and then came back and play bad again. We know what McCown can do for the team, lead the way to the first overall pick in the draft. If you want that again, keep him.
January 30th, 2015 at 1:49 pm
Harry said: “Yet, we keep friggin Warhop?! Wow, it’s like living in the Twighlight Zone being a Bucs fan.”
True, this I can not understand. I guess L&L must think that Warhop somehow is not to blame for the complete ineptitude of the OL this past season. That would indicate that the perceived talent level of this OL was so poor that there was nothing Warhop could do to improve the situation: this reflects badly on the talent evaluation skills of L&L and perhaps even their ability to be worthy of the titles of head coach and GM; I would have guessed that Warhop would be splitting the U-Haul rental fee with Arroyo when the pink slips started flying… I wonder how they convinced the Glazer punks not to can Warhop (and O’Dea for that matter as special teams were atrocious too) without putting their own heads on the chopping block…
January 30th, 2015 at 2:45 pm
@FortMyersDave Says:
“…That would indicate that the perceived talent level of this OL was so poor that there was nothing Warhop could do to improve the situation: this reflects badly on the talent evaluation skills of L&L and perhaps even their ability to be worthy of the titles of head coach and GM…”
Dave, don’t forget Warhop was around to help select the FAs and Oline draft picks we brought in. And way WORSE, Warhop coached the Bucs worst
FA bust of the year in Collins the year before with the Bungles, yet still chose him as our starting LT. It is INSANE that Warhop is not fired
January 30th, 2015 at 3:17 pm
There are few similarities between Arroyo and Bajakian when it comes to experience.
Arroyo had very little play calling experience at any level prior to becoming Bucs QB coach. He basically was here because Tedford wanted him and he was familiar with Tedford’s offensive scheme.
Bajakian has been teaching QBs for almost 15 years – spent 3 years in the NFL as an Offensive assistant under Lovie (04>06) and has been an OC and calling plays ever since – 3 years at Central Michigan, 3 years at Cincinnati and the last 2 years in the SEC at Tennessee.
If Bajakian were to find himself in the position Arroyo was last year (God forbid) – he would be much more prepared to take over an offense and call plays successfully.
January 30th, 2015 at 4:12 pm
Barry Says:
January 30th, 2015 at 10:53 am
“never mastered the mental side of the game.” Isn’t that politically incorrect? A black man questioning a white man’s intelligence? Oh, my bad, it’s the other way around. So we good.
Spot on man!
I’m surprised your comment hasn’t been smacked down by the squimish PC police yet.
January 30th, 2015 at 4:18 pm
who care about the Bajakian hire….he’s a freakin quarterbacks coach, every quarterback in the league was once a college player….you can relate to anyone or teach anyone if you know the position you were hired for. arroyo was here because of tedford, if this guy is here then assume he can bring something to the table but at the end of the day it’s the quarterback who has to go out and perform and seems like some people are already set to blame the quarterbacks coach for the bad quarterback play we are expecting next year….no matter who the quarterback is their is gonna be growing pains for them all learning a new system once again glennon has already gone the freeman route all the different systems he’s had
January 30th, 2015 at 5:15 pm
@tampabaybucfan …thanks again. right on cue.
January 30th, 2015 at 7:07 pm
there are quite a few racists here and plenty of misogynists, too.
January 30th, 2015 at 9:27 pm
I find it ironic to hear Shaun King claim that Josh McCown is “a great athlete who isn’t good at the mental side of football.”
This coming from a QB that played fair to ok while under a very simplified offense under Coach Dungy, but looked horrific under Coach Gruden’s more elaborate offensive scheme. Yeah, I’ll accept THAT guy’s critique of McCown, who has been in the league twice as long as King.
It is of interest that King requested to be released from his free-agent contract with the Lions, immediately after they had signed…Josh McCown. (Insert a “Hmmm”) That same year, he was released by the Gladiators of the Arena League after a 1-5 start.
Then 18 days after he signed with CFL team Hamilton, he was released because he could not adapt to the CFL game.
So, I take anything Shaun King says about Josh McCown’s football stupidity with nothing more than a grain of salt and a spit in the dirt.
As Tampabaybucfan so wisely points out, this is “Shaun King, one of two Buc Quarterbacks that lost a NFC Championship Game when his defense gave up 11 or fewer points.”