Lovie: Blame Team, Not GMC
October 30th, 2015
Lovie Smith said potshots at Gerald McCoy are misdirected.
For reasons Joe is unsure of, some Bucs fans have come to loathe one of the better players on the team. That would be defensive tackle Gerald McCoy.
Is GMC a Hall of Fame player? No. Still could be, but for the time being, he is good. Not great. Joe doesn’t see the harm or outrage in that.
But it has gotten to such a level of hate for GMC, even soft-spoken, glass-is-half-full Derrick Brooks sounded off.
Yesterday in his daily presser, Lovie Smith was asked about the harsh criticism growing nationally against GMC. In short, Lovie said blame the team not the player for the poor record, but he admitted GMC is going to have to live with the fact he will be double-teamed for years.
“I think it’s a problem that all of us have,” Lovie said. “We haven’t done our job well enough. Gerald is a part of that. As far as double-teams, guys get double-teamed [all the time]. There are guys in our defense, the three-technique, that’s going to get double-teamed a lot on runs. It’s just a part of the game. A nose guard, you have a nose guard, he has a shade, he’s going to get a double-team just about every time. That’s just a base part like saying that a linebacker is going to have to take on a block. That’s just a part of life.
“Gerald McCoy has made plays. It’s not like he’s playing bad ball. We, all of us, didn’t play as well as we needed to this past game. Let’s not indict or brand a label on somebody based on what we didn’t do as a football team. We didn’t get it done that last time. We will.
“Gerald didn’t play that last time we went up [to Atlanta] and played them. We’re feeling good about getting one of our main guys ready to go this week. Defensive line should love playing on turf. I know we talked about injuries and how it affects it, but defensive linemen should love playing on turf when you can get a good start, that should help a lot.”
Lovie is right. There are a helluva lot of problems with the Bucs, specifically the Bucs’ defense, and even more specifically, the trainwreck of a secondary. That would be (4-18) Lovie’s defense and Lovie’s secondary.
Going after GMC and blaming him for all the team’s ills is really missing the target.
October 30th, 2015 at 10:47 am
GMC has never and likely will never lived up to his draft selection. If he is not great why pay him 98 million? If I were team Glazer I would be pissed. I’m so sick of hearing how he is double teamed, if your supposedly worth 98 million, then being double teamed like that shouldn’t mean spit.
October 30th, 2015 at 10:50 am
Hey D-Bag, Joe would call for Lovie’s firing, if Joe believed Lovie should be fired. Joe predicted 6 wins and thought that would put the team in an acceptable place. It’s still October. Insulting Joe here is unacceptable. –Joe
October 30th, 2015 at 11:03 am
of course you can’t blame GMC this mess the last two years is solely on Lovie Smith. GMC is not a game changer nor a franchise type player but he is a really good player. for those that say he is not always hurt the facts do NOT back you up. He has missed 18 full games and parts of 8 more games not to mention all the games he has played hurt or not 100%. Defending your favorite player is admirable however to do deny there is not a significant injury history is just wrong.
October 30th, 2015 at 11:19 am
Why do so many people seem to miss the point? McCoy is obviously talented. To say otherwise would be silly. The issue is his leadership style and the fact he seemingly disappears at critical times in the game. We just need a much better leader on defense.
October 30th, 2015 at 11:20 am
I don’t get this extremist attitude. Earlier in the week it was written that GMC haters expect 5 sacks per game and today it’s GMC is blamed for ALL the ills.
Is it unreasonable to expect just 1 play in the closing minutes of a game to KEEP the lead and win a game? I don’t understand why this is so unreasonable.
1 tackle in a “must win” game is not exactly dominant, know what I mean Vern?
October 30th, 2015 at 11:35 am
If he had busted through once on that final drive and flattened Kirk Freakin’ Cousins, would’ve sealed the game.
Having said that, GMC is not not one the many ills on this team
October 30th, 2015 at 11:37 am
Say what now? I thought Mr. Beckles said double-teams rarely happen in the NFL.
October 30th, 2015 at 11:38 am
Mccoy is not a corner stone. Je is a compliment. If he is getting double teamed, then the 1 isnt doing his part against the run. And Jac Smith is good, but he dosent make this defense good, unless its against a bad oline. Otherwise, no. Gholston and Johnson are average at best. We need a d end and another dt, someone with size and strength, then that will help good player Mccoy more effective. But he is not Jordan. He is Pippen.
And can we please get a corner? Someone that can match up against other teams best receiver? It would be nice. Cause even with constant pressure on Bortles, we still got shreded. Not acceptable. Banks helps but he just isnt that shutdown guy. We had one in Revis. But its like we finally het an all world player that garners some attention and a little respect, we cut him. And I dont care about the money thing. Because every player we brought in with his free cap space has been terrible! Sorry Lovie, but your out of chances.
October 30th, 2015 at 12:09 pm
GMC is the least of our worries. The problem is no one else on the d line has any pass rushing moves. It’s a bull Rush or nothing. If they’re not able to knock their guy over, they get pushed around and don’t make a play.
I wonder if they actually teach these guys any techniques? Poor rushing, poor tackling, poor coverage.
October 30th, 2015 at 12:10 pm
Isn’t this what happens when you have poor talent evaluation? Then have two pretty much fully offensive drafts.
October 30th, 2015 at 12:17 pm
How is it missing the mark to hold your best players accountable? He is the highest paid player on the team, a captain, was a very high draft pick. What did he do last Sunday to help this team win? Did be get a sack, did he make 10 tackles, did he create constant pressure did he SHOW UP AT ALL WHEN IT MATTERED ON THE FINAL DRIVE? Holding players accountable is something the great teams do and this my friends is why we are not a great team. What really is there to defend?
October 30th, 2015 at 12:18 pm
Don’t blame GMC… He is an average player playing average football… And now he is average and playing injured… Not going to get any better…
October 30th, 2015 at 12:51 pm
GMC is garbage end of discussion
October 30th, 2015 at 1:05 pm
Hey D-Bag<<< We can see Steve Deumig is starting to rub off you. For the record, I like the Joe show on WDAE..good buc banter.
Agree 100% GMC is good just not great or HOF type. Its all good as he says. I dont see J Smith doing much from edge either…
October 30th, 2015 at 2:15 pm
So called me old timer but I remember as a kid watching Leroy Selmon game after game “find a way” to get to that quarterback on the final drive. It was unbelievable. And if we lost you would never see him laughing or joking it up. He was a solemn humble man but make no bones winning was everything. I remember going to the NFC division game against the Eagles. The press had them in the Superbowl before we even stepped on the field. Tickets were so hard to get my buddy luckily sat right in front of me not next to me. I think the final drive the Eagles down by one score Leroy got to Jaworski 3 freaking times. That was a Pro Bowl offensive line and it didnt matter. Gerald your no Leroy Selmon we love ya but please stop with the smiles when us fans are hurling in the bathroom wanting to rip our TV’s out of the wall.
October 30th, 2015 at 2:25 pm
Turn David loose…let’s see what
He can do….
October 30th, 2015 at 2:47 pm
How many times, and rightfully so, has Joe started an article about a Bucs player with, “He’s a great guy, a wonderful humanitarian, a pillar of the community…but”? Enough of this nice guy crap. Sapp was a douche, but I didn’t want him dating my daughter. I wanted him killing quarterbacks. News flash, GMC, you can be a winner and still be a Christian!!
October 30th, 2015 at 3:28 pm
Let me put it this way. IDK why this sticks in my head but it does. The year the Patriots went undefeated they played the Ravens in week 16 or 17. I remember it was a night game. At the end of the game the Ravens stopped the Pats at the goal line in 4 downs and had the game won, but there was a phantom pass interference and gave the Pats a 1st down and they won the game. I remember the reaction from Ray Lewis, Terrell Suggs, Ed Reed. The leaders of the team. They were devastated. They were pissed. They really wanted that game and gave it more than 100%. And it there was no question in any persons mind who watched that game, the effort and will and want-to that the Ravens put into that game
I have never. Literally never seen GMC or any one else on this team in 6 years want to win a game as bad as they wanted to win that game. After going 32-74 frankly, we get sick and damn tired of his ho hum attitude at the end of losses.
October 30th, 2015 at 6:09 pm
GMC has always been over rated. He has seldom ever been dominant against anyone. He’s good but $98 million good. He disappears a lot and often gets pushed around by players that have no business pushing him around such as rookies. But I dont blame him for the defense’s issues.
October 31st, 2015 at 1:26 am
McCoy is a very good not great injury-prone player . Period.
October 31st, 2015 at 9:55 am
It’s weird we call Michael Johnson Ghost. Pamphile, Sims, and Edwards milk carton. Sabby the GOAT.
But when McCoy doesn’t show up, then the fan are silly for pointing it out. I guess Rice, Brooks and King are silly as well to point out that GMC need to make plays. David need to make plays though he had 10 tackles. I seen McCoy run right pass the qb on one drive, but a lot of time still at the line of scrimmage. Not all plays called was quick routes. FYI.