Can Lovie Match Raheem?
August 21st, 2015
Similarities between regimes are growing
It was fashionable for some to liken the Lovie Smith era to the early days of Father Dungy coaching the Buccaneers.
But now that Lovie has seized the playcalling reins of the defense, Joe thinks the Raheem Morris analogy fits much better.
Raheem took over the Bucs in 2009, and he tried to play CEO-style head coach with Jeff Jagodzinki and Jim Bates as his coordinators.
But new NFL playcaller Jagodzinski was out by opening day — just like Jeff Tedford — and veteran Bates was defrocked after Week 10 (Leslie Frazier got one season). Raheem returned the defense immediately to his control and version of the Tampa-2, and he promoted veteran OC Greg Olson.
Raheem then rattled off 16 wins in the Bucs’ next 28 games. Yes, that’s a 16-12 clip, starting with a rookie quarterback under center.
Man, if Lovie pulled off a run like that now — with a lot more talent than Raheem had– he might get the key to the city and a parade down Dale Mabry in his honor. Life is always about perception.
Lovie even has the bonus of a weak NFC South on his side!
Joe likes the move of Lovie calling his own defense and putting extreme trust in his offensive coordinator. Hopefully, Lovie can match Raheem’s success over the next 28 games.
August 21st, 2015 at 8:14 am
Yeah shoot for the stars. Wow, this guy is mentioned as one of the worst head coaches of all time and this is what we’re hoping for?
August 21st, 2015 at 8:23 am
The key to all of this is really Koetter….Lovie has total confidence in his ability to run the offense….I really like this because I believe coaches that specialize iin one or the other (offense/defense) should be calling plays in their specialty.
Let’s face it….this is Lovie’s defense and these are mostly his players.
Time for another Lovie confidence poll, Joe!!! Its been long enough since the last one an much has happened.
Tanking for Jameis
Canning Johnson, Collins, McCown
Hiring Koetter
Drafting Jameis
Selecting 2 Oline in rd 2
Kwon
Now, Taking over defense…
I predict his numbers will be up!!!
August 21st, 2015 at 8:31 am
It is possible. Lovie just needs 15 more star players to go down in the division like Kelvin Benjamin for the season!!!
August 21st, 2015 at 8:37 am
With fond memories of Raheem:
We need to beware of the “mental midgets.”
August 21st, 2015 at 8:38 am
Its just too bad that Lovie has to play ” grown man teams !!!!!!!!”
August 21st, 2015 at 8:40 am
Raheem won 13 games in his first two years. Lovie needs 11 wins to match that, Lovie has more talent than Raheem did so no problemo, right?
Hoping the Bucs talent and Koetter can overcome Lovie’s bad in game decisions.
August 21st, 2015 at 8:46 am
Lovie is not Raheem!!! I liked Raheem but at the time of his promotion he was an inexperienced kid hired to do a man’s job. Perhaps one day with experience Raheem could become a good head coach.
But he clearly lost that team and they were out of control. At no point have I sensed that Lovie has lost this team. Because of his SB appearance and four seasons with double digit wins he gets respect that he has EARNED that Raheem was never able to capture. And the age and personality differences are 180 degrees apart. Lovie is obviously older than Raheem and far far more experienced. Lovie is a calm, taciturn leader, Raheem like to get down with the “guys”. I’m not sure but I don’t think you can lead men by becoming their best friend or “one of the guys’. That’s just it! You’re not one of the guys you’re the head coach, the man in charge!!!
Fameis is no JFRO. JFRO was overrated at QB from the beginning. Yes he was a beast when he ran and he had a cannon for an arm…a very inconsistent and innaccurate cannon and then there is what JFRO brought to the game above his neck. What a major head case and not just the drugs. Fameis clearly is far, far superior to JFRO when it comes to desire, brains, and charisma.
The problem with all the comparisons is that they are based on a very, very, small statistically irrelevant sample size. If Lovie goes 0=16 this year and gets fired he’ll still have a career behind him. Raheem is just getting started.
August 21st, 2015 at 8:48 am
Looking back Rah certainly was entertaining in his post game press conferences. It felt like the guy would cram 500 words into a minute of talking like there was a direct line from brain to mouth with no ‘maybe I should think about this first’ filter in between. Although I do think Rah was the worst out of the three HC’s we’ve had here in the past 6 going on 7 seasons, I have to give him props for looking like a genius with his 10 win season. It may have been smoke and mirrors coupled with a weak schedule, but it was a welcome feeling for Bucs fans to have hope (until the next season and reality sunk in).
August 21st, 2015 at 8:57 am
Joseph Mamma Says:
August 21st, 2015 at 8:14 am
Yeah shoot for the stars. Wow, this guy is mentioned as one of the worst head coaches of all time and this is what we’re hoping for?
He’s still the last HC to lead us to a winning record, all on a budget.
August 21st, 2015 at 9:06 am
10 wins, man that was a lot of fun. Fat Freeman throwing TDs, Blount hurdling dudes, Caddy being a nice receiving option, GMC injured as usual, Talib talking smack, did I mention winning? Don’t care who they beat, I just love seeing my team win. Hoping this team is this fun to watch again
August 21st, 2015 at 9:48 am
And tanard Jackson before he smoked himself out the league
August 21st, 2015 at 9:50 am
We also got a hell of a year out of Cody Grimm too
August 21st, 2015 at 9:52 am
I two times that Tampa Tony! Freeman was fun to watch at times. If only they had worked on that wind up like they’re doing with Fameis. What TBBF said about Lovie…..he coached the Bears to a supetbowl appearance and four double digit win seasons is the biggest reason I have problems with incompetent posters like dallasbuc who continuously call him incompetent. If Lovie was that bad of a coach, to not have all his mental abilities as that word would suggest then how could he do those things? Is he stubborn? Does he make bad or questionable decisions or fail to make a good decision at times? Of course he does! But to continuously question his intelligence when it’s obvious Lovie is, is outright disrespectful to someone like me who is reasonably intelligent. People need to pick up a dictionary and learn what the word means.
August 21st, 2015 at 9:52 am
11 wins or more from Lovie this year.
I believe in Lovie.
Lets rock #3.
August 21st, 2015 at 9:53 am
Easy schedule, weak division, I don’t really see it like that. None of the teams the Bucs face can be considered easy, including our so called weak division. Every game will be hard fought, zero easy ones. If the Bucs could beat Dallas I would be completely on cloud nine, I know quit dreaming.
August 21st, 2015 at 10:05 am
David- I’m no Lovie fan, but I will be if he starts winning. I think he’s a good coordinator from his STL days. A lot of his success in Chi town was with Rivera and Marinelli as his coordinators. But as a HC its not just about one side of the ball, hopefully he sees that and turns things around.
I insult Lovie as well but would love for him to prove me wrong as I’m a Buc fan first and don’t care if I end up being wrong about a coach or player
August 21st, 2015 at 10:17 am
as I wrote in todays article on my site, Raheem set an NFL record getting 10 wins with all the rookies on that team in 2010. Don’t call all those wins luck either, Freeman led comebacks, and we were just as UNLUCKY to lose close games to ATLANTA, @ ATLANTA, @Baltimore and DETROIT, any one of which would have put us in the playoffs
August 21st, 2015 at 10:20 am
Sillly stuff. Screw matching Raheem. Get us to the playoffs or go back home to Chicago.
August 21st, 2015 at 10:56 am
Tony. It is too easy to give credit for winning to his OC and lo losing to the HC. Mareneli did not have success as a head coach, and Rivera has been OK. Your logic does not hold water.
August 21st, 2015 at 12:14 pm
Mcbuc-Look at Lovie’s record with and without those coordinators. Marinelli is def not a HC but look at his success as a coordinator. Rivera has coached a team to 2 straight playoff appearances, I’d take that.
Good coaches can lose their coordinators and still be successful.
I stand by the logic.
August 21st, 2015 at 12:20 pm
Morris will prove to be the best HC we have had in a decade after the Incompetent Lovie Smith era mercifully comes to an end.
August 21st, 2015 at 2:14 pm
I usually say something similar DallasBuc except I think it will be Schiano that actually will eventually re-emerge as a good HC that we gave up on a little too soon. I can’t really say I agree Lovie is incompetent, but I’ll meet you somewhere at over rated (as a HC in the current NFL) and regretfully often out-coached by his peers. I’d be cool with Lovie as a DC though.
August 21st, 2015 at 5:42 pm
Except Rah inherited a roster of players from a coach who’s actually won big time in this league… Inherited a roster of players from a coach who actually won big time in this league. Maybe not as talented but a hell of a lot more solid to anything Schiano or Lovie nherited, in my opinion.
August 22nd, 2015 at 9:04 am
The owners are laughing all the way to the bank. They get rich with a terrible product because attendance doesn’t matter anymore.