Yesterday, Today And Tomorrow
November 9th, 2015
(Photo courtesy of Buccaneers.com.)
Well, you can’t pin yesterday’s loss on Lovie Smith’s defense.
For the first time since New Orleans, the Bucs’ defense actually, sort of, kind of came to play. A pick on the game’s first play. A forced punt (remember what those were?). No, the defense didn’t cough away the game.
It was the offense. Turrible drops by Mike Evans. And a drop of a potential six points by Doug Martin. A terribly costly fumble by Charles Sims. Those, dear Bucs fans, cost the Bucs the win yesterday, not the defense.
The Bucs are not out of the playoff hunt. Yet. But they need five wins in the next eight games to have a prayer. Not impossible, but it is going to be hard to do.
The Cowboys are vulnerable. The Saints just lost to the Titans, they are beatable. Blaine Gabbert – Blaine Gabbert! – beat the Dixie Chicks. The Rams are far from a juggernaut. The Bears are beatable. The Stinking Panthers will likely be resting starters to prep for the playoffs when the Bucs travel to Carolina.
The season is not over, but finding ways to puke games away must end if the Bucs have any prayer of playing meaningful football in January.
Gerald McCoy Losing His Grip
Joe will have more on this in an hour, but the drumbeat of wondering about what is going on with Gerald McCoy is getting louder, and it is not just coming from hysterical fans and lazy radio jocks. It is now beginning to seep into the mainstream.
Last night, two local TV sports talking heads took out a baseball bat of sorts on GMC. And both were fair critiques.
If the Bucs defense is to improve a shade more than it did yesterday, then GMC has to emerge from hiding. No more whining about double-teams. Every two-bit defensive tackle gets double-teamed. Fans don’t want to hear about it. And McCoy is not always double-teamed. Results are necessary. You know, like something a bit more than one tackle a game.
Akeem Spence Freakout Overblown
Yes, yesterday when Akeem Spence freaked out and threw Giants offensive lineman Weston Richburg to the ground after Spence claimed he was blasted in the grill with a fist, it wasn’t smart and it hurt the Bucs. Spence was flagged 15 yards.
It was hardly the play that killed Tampa Bay. That happened on offense. Multiple times.
It was cool in a bad way, Joe guesses, that Bucs coach Lovie Smith – for him – flipped out on the sidelines screaming for Spence to “get out” and when Spence approached the sideline, he grabbed Spence by the jersey and briefly scolded him.
That was the most Joe has ever seen Lovie get mad. Joe’s seen Lovie emotional quite a few times, but never on the sideline where he is the model of stability. Yesterday, Spence must have really gotten under his skin.
Time For ASJ To Suit Up
Joe is pretty sure GMC is playing hurt. Less than 100 percent. Hell, Ali Marpet blew out his left ankle yesterday and did his best to get back on the field. Last week, Evans had to come off the field several times to have his injured groin worked on so he could return to the field of play. Joe is confident others are playing hurt, too.
But not good ol’ Austin Seferian-Jenkins.
ASJ, a gifted tight end, stated last week he didn’t think it was fair to his teammates if he couldn’t play 100 percent. That’s weaksauce to Joe.
The Bucs, as the receiving corps showed yesterday, needs ASJ on the field, even an 80 percent ASJ is better than none. He is practicing, so it is not like ASJ is an invalid.
Lovie is very protective, for the most part, of dinged-up players. It’s the point of the season guys need to man up and get out there to help their team. Joe will never, ever criticize a guy for getting hurt. No one wants to be hurt.
At some point, however, you have to be dependable. If you are always injured – ASJ has played in only 11 games out of a possible 24 since he was drafted due to some ailment or another.
The Bucs need him. If he is too hurt to play, then he should be placed on injured reserve. Right now ASJ, who hurt his left shoulder in Week Two at New Orleans, is just eating up a roster spot.
The Stop Zone
The red zone, both offensively and defensively, is hurting the Bucs. No more so than yesterday when the Bucs entered the Giants red zone four times. They got but one touchdown.
On that touchdown, America’s Quarterback, Bucs signal-caller Jameis Winston, went all Walter Payton and sailed into the end zone after going airborne from the Giants-3.
Why are receivers not getting open, not even on fades? Not even on lobs in the corner?
Of course, man that he is, Jameis took all the blame for the toe-stubbings in the red zone. But at the end of the day, the Bucs must figure out a reason why they are unable to score touchdowns.
Trying to beat teams with field goals the way the Bucs play defense is fruitless.
NFL Thoughts:
Bengals: All Andy Dalton does is win. And the Bengals, the undefeated Bengals, are rolling.
Bills: Sammie Watkins had a career game, dashing for 168 yards. So much for the Dan Campbell era in South Florida.
Stinking Panthers: The best team in the NFC this year after throttling the Packers yesterday. Cam Newton is making a serious case for MVP. Oh, and why is Dom Capers thought of as some mad genius of defense?
Vikings: Dirty Rams with a cheap shot elbow to knock Teddy Bridgewater both out cold and out of the game. Vikings still prevailed.
Patriots: Blah, blah, blah… Tom Brady…
Titans: If anyone has a worse defense than the Saints, that is saying a lot. Marcus Mariota had his second win and his second big game of the year, but the Saints literally gave that game way defensively. How does Bad Santa Rob Ryan stay employed?
Jets: This time it was the offense for the Jets. Blake Bortles went crazy for Jacksonville but the Jets used the future Canton tandem of Ryan Fitzpatrick and Chris Ivory to rally and doom the Jags.
Steelers: Great throwback game between two bitter, bitter old rivals with the Steelers prevailing in overtime against the Raiders without Big Ben, who sprained an ankle and may be out five weeks.
49ers: Beat the Dixie Chicks behind Blaine Gabbert. No, your caffeine-less brain is not playing tricks on you.
Colts: Who said the Colts were dead? Andrew Luck rises from the ashes and beats the sainted Peyton Manning with help from braindead Broncos corner Aqib Talib.
Eagles: Beat the Cowboys in overtime and now next Sunday’s game at the Den of Depression is a must win. For both Dallas and the Bucs.
Non-NFL Thoughts:
* Michigan State got jobbed by the refs in a loss to Nebraska, all but ending Sparty’s dreams of a national title. Why is college officiating that incompetent when replay is available? With the millions of dollars on the line for big schools, can’t conferences pay someone a nice piece of change who understands the rulebook and can watch an HDTV screen in slow motion to make reasonable calls?
* Speaking of replay in college, there should be an NFL rule: Each coach has up to three challenges a game. If a call is not overturned, said team loses a timeout. Too many plays are either reviewed when it is clear what happened, dragging down the game, or not reviewed at all when they should be.
* No question in Joe’s mind Clemson should be No. 1. The way they suffocated Florida State, their long-time nemesis, showed a lot to Joe. And one of if not the best running back in the country, Dalvin Cook, aside from one run was held in check. Impressive.
* Uh, oh. Could Oklahoma State crash the party? The Cowboys are undefeated and just knocked off TCU.
* Sorry, but Oklahoma State and LSU pass the smell test before Notre Dame. For that matter, so does Sparty.
* There is still a prayer that Jim Harbaugh and Michigan could still squeeze into the college football playoff. Don’t be shocked.
* Why is nobody talking about Baylor wide receiver Corey Coleman and his 30 – yes, 30! – touchdowns?
* Something to keep in mind Bucs fans: Penn State defensive end Carl Nassib, a senior, is 6-7, 272 and has 15.5 sacks with three games left to play not counting a bowl game. Not even Tamba Hali had that many.
* Joe can’t remember so many undefeated teams going down in one Saturday this late in the season. Four that Joe is aware of (LSU, TCU, Sparty and Memphis) as he is typing this here article at 3:50 a.m. Monday morning. Five, if you count Toledo Tuesday night. Wild day/week of college football.
* Man, with news that Frank Beamer is stepping down, a lot of good jobs are available. USC, Miami, Virginia Tech. Yes, Virginia Tech is better than South Carolina. The Washington, D.C./Virginia area is much more fertile recruiting than South Carolina. Plus, Joe has a hunch if/when the SEC next expands, they will cherry-pick Virginia Tech.
* If Joe had to guess, the other school ripe for an SEC kidnapping is NC State. Joe could never imagine North Carolina ever leaving the ACC.
* So Bret Bielema wants to hop on his wife? Who could argue?
November 9th, 2015 at 7:07 am
Jameis is showing up in games now! Love his confidence.
Sterling Moore should be a starter from now on.
Sims is playing like a complete different player from last year
And Lovie showed emotion and I loved it
Only positives
November 9th, 2015 at 7:13 am
GMC, is such a whiny baby and evans is getting up there with crying about PI after every pass…GMC was blocked one on one for much of the game and then just stood around and watched the pile…
November 9th, 2015 at 7:25 am
It’s all Lovie’s fault….the drops, penalties, fumbles…..players not playing to their potential……scoring in the red zone…..missed field goals…..losing coin tosses.
All Lovie’s fault…all this will clear up when he is gone…..we will be a winner then.
November 9th, 2015 at 7:26 am
I think that they just played a “Grown man team”!!!!!!!
November 9th, 2015 at 7:27 am
@aristotle
I agree with everything you said. Spot on.
I still don’t understand why we refuse to move GMC to Defensive end from time to time. It may allow him to get fewer double teams. I recall Reggie White moving to DE and that worked out pretty good, besides we are much deeper at DT than end even without McDonald.
November 9th, 2015 at 7:38 am
GMC was overrate by all you. EVERYONE wanted to extend his contract and give most of that money because the bucs had the cap. GMC has played vs poor OLINE and thats why his stats. stop crying because we will get that same GMC the rest of the season
Lavonte david is the one who has change. A concussion or something else. Maybe Alexander is take some of his role.
November 9th, 2015 at 7:48 am
Bout dam time someone other than me and DB call out Aunt Geraldine. Finally, everyone is seeing what I’ve been seeing a long, long time ago. Tired of all the excuses. Double team my a$$. The guy is average. Not worth all that money. I can only imagine how his crying a$$ is going to act next year when they rip that undeserved “C” off his chest.
November 9th, 2015 at 7:49 am
If you want to see who the real leader is on this team, I encourage you to go watch the press conference with Jameis. They should strip the C from Levonte and GMC and place both on Jameis.
November 9th, 2015 at 8:06 am
Evans should start training with Beckham and elite receivers who catch the ball
November 9th, 2015 at 8:07 am
If you had told me Saturday that the Bucs would lose to the Giants by a TD (excluding the final play), I would have said that was about right. But the way it happened was sickening. Stupid penalties, dropped passes, red zone field goals, a missed field goal, no pressure on Manning, a total Houdini by Geraldini. Yikes.
This still looks like Raheem’s defense out there.
November 9th, 2015 at 8:35 am
Hey news flash Beckham had a couple balls bounce of his hands too. One fell in Sterling Moore’s lap. Not excusing Evans day but lets stop with the ridiculous Beckham love. He is good but not the second coming of Jerry Rice. Hell Evans still had a better game statistically even with the drops.
November 9th, 2015 at 8:43 am
@Joe … “No, the defense didn’t cough away the game. It was the offense.”
Great article Joes with lots of good analysis. But … don’t let the defense off the hook. They stunk, period. No pass rush at all, giving Manning all day long to find open receivers. LB play was marginal at best (Manning kept hitting open receivers behind the LBs and in front of our CBs all day consistently). The CBs played way off the receivers, and allowed them to continually catch the ball 3-5 yds in front of them. Conte looked good at times, but at other times left me scratching my head.
The Giants 35 mins time-of-possession was the defense’s fault, not the offense’s. Our D only forced the Giants to punt ONCE during the whole game (and we only punted TWICE which is a kudo to our offense). And when we needed them more than ever to stop the Giants (last 5 mins), they couldn’t rise to the challenge.
Settling for FGs stinks, but not ever being able to stop the other team from scoring stinks even more.
November 9th, 2015 at 8:47 am
rumor is we forced two punts in the 2nd half…. 2! Way to go D.
Redzone O killed us yesterday. We really miss vjax and too bad ajs is a china doll. Evans missed some big plays with drop and man he looked exhausted from the 2nd quarter on.
November 9th, 2015 at 8:47 am
even though he missed one, the guy is money. Why did we ever cut conor barth?
November 9th, 2015 at 9:06 am
Destro- Beckham went over and showed his frustration after missing his spot on the field. Evans just looks for flags and isn’t clutch.
November 9th, 2015 at 9:12 am
Lovie doesn’t get much blame for the loss. That said, the Lovie era isn’t any different from the Schiano era, or the Raheem era. Just like those eras, we’re a bad team. And as a bad team, we constantly find ways to lose games.
The defense played it’s best game of the year yesterday and…the Giants had 10 minutes more of possession, converted over 50% of third downs and outside Eli’s horrible first pick, had all but one drive end in Tampa territory. It was a C- performance…still the best of the season which says a lot. Offense wasn’t good enough either. Basically another team loss. Because we’re still a bad team…that always will find ways to lose.
November 9th, 2015 at 9:28 am
Also ODBJ is widely regarded as one of the best Wrs in the league, and while he isn’t a lock for Canton yet, he has a couple records already, and many Franchise Records. The guy is a beast who owns his mistakes and consistently catches and gets RAC.
November 9th, 2015 at 9:28 am
Sign.
Nick.
O’Leary.
I’m pretty irate over the drops. Can’t pin this on Jameis.
November 9th, 2015 at 9:33 am
It’s hard to believe Dallas has lost 6 games in a row since Romo went down. Can the Bucs lay another loss on them Sunday or instead be the medicine the Dallas doctor ordered. The Bucs are good at nursing bruised opponents ego’s.
November 9th, 2015 at 9:35 am
Bottom line! Jameis needs receivers who can catch!!
Our D has holes, but if we dont set Jameis up with a receiver through the draft or during off season, we’re wasting his talents!! Give him the weapons he needs. The D will eventually be addressed and adjusted…..but dmn give JW someone who can catch the ball!!
November 9th, 2015 at 10:12 am
I have to admit, I have not been in the Winston side of the argument but he is making it hard not to like what he’s doing on the field. As a Bucs fan I really hope his development and trajectory continues.
I will never be a Lovie fan though. I understand you can’t go through 5 coordinators/systems but we need to move on before it’s too late. Lee Dirk as the coach…see what he can do. Keeps the system and gets rid of the bad coach
November 9th, 2015 at 10:34 am
“No question in Joe’s mind Clemson should be No. 1. The way they suffocated Florida State, their long-time nemesis, showed a lot to Joe. And one of if not the best running back in the country, Dalvin Cook, aside from one run was held in check. Impressive.’
I’ll give props to Clemson, but OMG did anyone see that blatant horse collar by Clemson late in the game when FSU returned the kick off out to the 50? The Clemson defender held onto to the back of his neck for about a good 10 seconds. Yes it was THAT long and right in front of the ref as well. I kept rewinding it back over and over again just to make sure I wasn’t missing anything. Also saw an FSU WR pretty much get thrown around like a rag doll after he was out of bounds. The ref was right there as well and no flag. I usually don’t complain too much about refs, but it was quite obvious to me in that game, that Clemson had just a little bit TOO much home field advantage. Some of the spotting of the ball was pretty pathetic as well.
Again props to Clemson, BOO for the refs.
November 9th, 2015 at 10:36 am
Yes Mariota had a another big rookie record day against a bad saints defense but the Giants defense has been just as bad… Mariota’s accuracy is the big difference…. if JW can improve his accuracy he can be an elite QB, but not sure if his mechanics can improve that much. I like JW and Mike Evans but still can’t help but think about what could be with Mariota throwing to Beckham for our Bucs Wow! P.s Michael Evans is too talented to turn into another michael Clayton!
November 9th, 2015 at 10:36 am
Tampabaybucfan Says:
November 9th, 2015 at 7:25 am
It’s all Lovie’s fault….the drops, penalties, fumbles…..players not playing to their potential……scoring in the red zone…..missed field goals…..losing coin tosses.
All Lovie’s fault…all this will clear up when he is gone…..we will be a winner then.
———————————————————————
LMAO!
November 9th, 2015 at 10:46 am
OneLovie….you won’t hear complaining about Lovie as much anymore. Them only complaint I currently have with him is he has no balls on 4 and goal near the goal line. This settling for FG’s sh!t HAS to stop. If you think your D is so good that you can just kick FG then GO FOR THE TD. If they don’t get in pin the Giants or any other team at the 1 yard line.
That’s the type of shyte that’s really wearing on me. saw it in the Skins game where a TD meant we won the game. Saw it yesterday in my end zone when there was so much time left on the clock in the game. It’s GOT to stop!
November 9th, 2015 at 10:48 am
Tampabaybucfan Says:
November 9th, 2015 at 7:25 am
“It’s all Lovie’s fault….the drops, penalties, fumbles…..players not playing to their potential……scoring in the red zone…..missed field goals…..losing coin tosses.
All Lovie’s fault…all this will clear up when he is gone…..we will be a winner then.”
LOL you said the same thing about Schiano as well though…
November 9th, 2015 at 10:57 am
Offence this time, defense last time…
Bad teams find ways to lose…
November 9th, 2015 at 12:38 pm
87… I found myself pulling for FSU to beat Clemson. I don’t think they are winning the whole thing, someone will trip them up.
November 9th, 2015 at 12:46 pm
Fantasy Sub Pick of the Week
Matt Cassel, QB Dallas Cowboys
November 9th, 2015 at 1:20 pm
I was surprised that the Titans beat the Saints and that the 49ers beat the Falcons. I like it when our division mates lose. New Orleans and Atlanta are both overrated.