More Takeaways Whining
December 23rd, 2015
Lovie still believes lack of takeaways causes losses.
In a rare Tuesday presser by Lovie Smith (Bucs are on a slightly wacky Christmas schedule this week), he began the briefing sighing over his favorite subject, takeaways.
At this point, it’s an old, tired and goal-post-moving line of reasoning for the losing.
“We talked about how we haven’t taken the ball away,” Lovie said. “It’s really hurt our football team, not being able to do that. We need to create some takeaways on that side.”
Joe is tired of listening to this con job.
At best, it is Lovie trying to push a false narrative, a shell game to distract and hide the fact the Bucs’ defense – Lovie’s defense – has been downright pathetic of late, and for much of the year it has struggled.
Let’s think about this: Just how in the hell is a defense supposed to get takeaways when the secondary lets receivers run through a defense like Usain Bolt running through a community Turkey Trot? Just how is the defense supposed to get takeaways when a quarterback has so much time in the pocket, he can Christmas shop with his Surface?
What ever happened to building a defense that can stop a team on three plays and force a punt? That’s just as good if not better than a bend-but-don’t-break defense that allows opponents to get downfield and maybe turn the ball over.
The fundamental elements of football are getting an opponent’s offense (and your defense) off the field, not to get turnovers. Why has the Bucs defense struggled so much in second halves? Because they were gassed from an inability to force punts.
C’mon Lovie, quit covering up for your defenses’ many holes. If you had a halfway decent defense, the Bucs would still be in a playoff hunt, and you wouldn’t have lament takeaways like a lost winning lottery ticket.
This nonsense about screaming for takeaways when the defense is such a sieve is like a little kid screaming for icing without the cake.
Often, a good defense creates turnovers. Hard to force an offense into a mistake when the defense basically throws up a white flag each possession. Put together a competent defense first, and maybe then you can complain about takeaways. This is the ultimate example of putting the cart before the horse.
Who was it who ran off Darrelle Revis?
Who was it who turned Alterraun Verner from a Pro Bowler to a scrub?
Who benched the guy who had the most picks on the team last year (Johnthan Banks)?
Maybe it is about time to quit blaming. After a while, after you have run through so many players (Toast Jenkins, Loaf Jennings, Hey Jude, Leonard Johnson, Banks, Revis, Verner) in the secondary with no success, it may not be the players. It just might be what they are being coached (or not coached)?
Focus on the matter at hand, which is improving your defense, not games of chance (takeaways), damn it!
December 23rd, 2015 at 8:05 am
Never wanted Lovie….
He needs to go
December 23rd, 2015 at 8:16 am
Agreed, the game has passed him by. Lose Lovie, keep Dirk
December 23rd, 2015 at 8:21 am
I say the takeaway nonsense is a problem too. Instead of making the tackle, or breaking up a pass, they try to punch the ball out, or make a bad play on the ball that goes for tons of yards.
December 23rd, 2015 at 8:24 am
Loser Lovie has no clue
December 23rd, 2015 at 8:26 am
Pathetic is putting it lightly
…..I have a few choice stronger words I can’t post on here
December 23rd, 2015 at 8:43 am
If Lovie does stay, I can’t believe that we will have to put up with a whole other year of this!!! (If lovie stays) After Thanksgiving next year we will all be arguing over which head coach the Bucs will sign!!!!
December 23rd, 2015 at 8:48 am
The Bucs are going to have yet another losing season and he’s talking about takeaways???
Goodbye Lovie.
December 23rd, 2015 at 9:05 am
I agree, a punt is a takeaway.
December 23rd, 2015 at 9:06 am
How does ownership accept this level of excuse making? Turnovers are great, but right now that would be like putting a silk hat on a pig, and trying to pass it off as a super model.
Lovie just basically said he doesn’t believe in fundamental defense, and his only works when it gets turnovers. That’s not something that can be relied for 16 games, and it definitely doesn’t travel well, as takeaways are less common on the road.
This clown has got to go.
#FireLovieNow
#GoBucs
December 23rd, 2015 at 9:07 am
It does. Simple as that
December 23rd, 2015 at 9:09 am
True story: We have more takeaways than Houston or Seattle or Dallas or New England. They are all considered significantly better defenses than ours. If your defensive scheme needs turnovers to not be awful, your defensive scheme pretty much sucks.
December 23rd, 2015 at 9:21 am
Koetter > Smith
You can take that one to the bank, Glazers.
December 23rd, 2015 at 9:23 am
Im frustrated by the defense also. Lovie has damn near neglected it the past two years. But I realize that if we had used our resources more towards defense, we wouldn’t have had the offensive turnaround. Koetter played a big role in that. So did Jameis, who has made the o line look alot better than I imagined, thus helping the running game. However, our weak defense also lives and dies with our rookie qb because its weak. When Jameis struggles, very rarely are you going to see that defense dig deep and hold points off the board. There are a few exceptions, but Thursday was not one of them. Thursday, our players were lost. Now is it because Lovie preaching turnovers made them forget how to tackle? I highly doubt it. Somedays the defense looks like spit sometimes, its damn near good. But I dont think one little excerpt reveals the full extent of what goes on behind closed doors. But I can understand the questioning after such a bad performance.
Look, some people want and need answers, and blaming the hc answers their questions about why the team is not performing the way they had hoped, even if its wrong. Im not here to say Lovie is some hof coach, I dont think he should be fired, but I wouldnt be mad if he was either, because essentially nothing will have changed. Unless the new hc cleans house on defense, the product on Sunday will look the same.
December 23rd, 2015 at 9:29 am
Atleast he knows the def needs sacks and turnovers once we get those , we r playoff bound , a good def draft can change the team a lot this year
December 23rd, 2015 at 9:35 am
Who was the fall guy last year? So Lovie takes over himself and it is just as bad or worse. So who should take the fall? Not Lovie? Just excuses like injuries and Kwon gets suspended at the wrong time.
December 23rd, 2015 at 9:37 am
Come on Joseph!!! How does forcing turnovers NOT HELP YOUR TEAM WIN?!?! There are a lot of things to blame for the defense playing so poorly. I admit it… Lovie is one of those things! I blame Lovie for only drafting ONE defensive player in the last two years!! You can’t rebuild a defense through free agency!! I understand that we also had MAJOR HOLES on offense, but you would figure that a “defensive minded” coach like Lovie would at least try to address the defense first, but it’s been the exact opposite!!
Who was it who ran off Darrelle Revis?
-Evidence that the Bucs went into “rebuilding mode”. Please stop trying to convince yourself that the Bucs had the personnel/talent to make a run at winning the super bowl with the team that Lovie Smith inherited last year. You’re not only embarrassing yourself, you’re making this fan base dumber!
Who was it who turned Alterraun Verner from a Pro Bowler to a scrub?
-Alterraun Verner turned himself into a scrub. He was getting BEAT playing zone and Man to Man consistantly!! Sure, you can blame or lack of a pass rush, BUT if he was SO GOOD, then why did the Bucs get him at a discount compared to all the other elite CB’s in the league!?!?
Who benched the guy who had the most picks on the team last year (Johnthan Banks)?
LOL, you’ve been sucking Jonathan Bank’s WANG since the beginning and I STILL DON’T UNDERSTAND WHY!!!??? Because he had ONE decent game against Calvin Johnson!?!?! Most of Jonathan Bank’s INT’s were thrown RIGHT AT HIM!! He didn’t make plays on the ball, he was just in the right place at the right time!! Jonathan Bank’s is just ANOTHER BUST of the Mark Dominik dynasty..
I know you have to try and feed your “Hate crowd” to generate traffic for the holidays, but I expect better from you Joseph… I truly am disappointed in you…
“It’s as simple as that” – Lovie Smith
December 23rd, 2015 at 9:42 am
I’ve said this from the first time he used takeaways as an excuse. It’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard. Good defensive schemes walk into takeaways by their nature of being GOOD. Not the other way around.
December 23rd, 2015 at 9:55 am
OneLove Says:
December 23rd, 2015 at 9:37 am
Come on Joseph!!! How does forcing turnovers NOT HELP YOUR TEAM WIN?!?! ______________________________________________________________
Clearly someone can’t understand the difference between forcing turnovers, and needing turnovers to not have your defense get abused non-stop. The Bucs defense needs turnovers in order to not be embarrassed, not to actually be good. Sort of a major difference.
December 23rd, 2015 at 9:59 am
Takeaway’s are but one phase of the game. Granted they are important and often factor into who wins the game but I think when they occur have as much to do with winning as quantity. One thing that eats at me about this defense is when you watch our receivers, the defender in right on top of them contesting the catch. They don’t “give” us anything. When our defenders are in play it seems like we give their receivers a 5 yard cushion to catch the ball and then we tackle them. So if the QB is having a good day, we can hang it up because we don’t contest catches. Anybody else see this?
December 23rd, 2015 at 10:35 am
i’m sure when the coaches see the film they see more than lack of takeaways. but i think lovie is better off in a press conference talking takeaways instead of offering up candid views on how a defense featuring orie lemon, danny lansannah, and several other players not good enough for more than band-aid duty and special teams in the NFL is not poised to stop anybody. the bucs are still cycling through the weak class that has made it to free agency the last 2 years and trying to find more useful parts for this defense. this team is still a couple drafts away from what fans are hoping to see, because despite all the cap space, quality starters and leaders are hard to find in free agency. teams keep those guys and let some other sucker pay the michael johnsons and eric wrights
December 23rd, 2015 at 10:36 am
Lovie getting the bad Santa treatment from his throngs of admirers.
December 23rd, 2015 at 10:36 am
It is a sad state for Buccaneer football when Lovie gets the opportunity for a third year when Raheem and Schiano won more with MUCH less, and didn’t get the opportunity for a third year.
I just don’t see how Lovie’s defense is going to get better?
Schiano could recognize talent, but sucked at game days. Lovie can’t do squat and he sucks.
Schiano even took phone calls from fans on the radio show, Lovie can’t handle that because he knows that he would get called out for his dinosaur like defensive principles, and not wanting to score points at the end of the half.
December 23rd, 2015 at 10:40 am
So our team is worse, win percentage, with Lovie, but that SOB gets a bird year? Why? Because he is a nice guy?
Lovie needs to win another game to even think about staying for next year. If Lovie loses the next two games we will have closed our season out with a four game losing streak.
Lovie took over the defensive play calling and we suck worse? Please help me understand how Lovie Smith is not holding this team back? I just don’t see it.
The cosch from Rutgers had our team more disciplined, albeit with a QB meltdown and Mrsa.
December 23rd, 2015 at 10:49 am
Love how are coach takes accountability instead of making up excuses to cover up his flaws as a coach…
Another thing he forgets to mention is how we cant even stop 3rd and longs. Thats not a talent issue. Thats a fundamental issue that our defense seems oblivious to. Once again, not talent, thats on the coaching. But of course Lovie wont own up to this.
December 23rd, 2015 at 10:49 am
our coach*
December 23rd, 2015 at 11:37 am
1. Jameis.
2. Tripled (at least) number of wins from last seaosn.
December 23rd, 2015 at 11:59 am
as long as lovie continues to progress he will be our head coach….please say hire dirk as the hc….HELL NO…dirk will start throwing the ball down field 3plays in a row if we’re down 3-0 in the first quarter….doug should be the nfl leading rusher but dirk continues to show why he got canned last year and why he’s only a OC…GO BUCS!!!
December 23rd, 2015 at 12:58 pm
Lovie Logic should also blame the opponent not missing field goals or committing penalties as other excuses/alibis. Sigh….this won’t end well or soon enough.
December 23rd, 2015 at 1:36 pm
That’s how he won in Chicago, turnovers and Devin Hester returns. He’s living in the past, game has passed him on. WHAT A CONTINUALLY STUPID STATEMENT! WE WILL NEVER BE WINNERS WITH THIS COACH. PLEASE CUT THE CORD NOW GLAZERS!!! THE SOONER THE BETTER!!!
December 23rd, 2015 at 3:11 pm
51 had a pick 6 he dropped if he makes the play the game game would’ve turned out different. That’s what Coach Lovie is talking about we get people to make the play when u get the chance . I believe in Lovie .
Let’s rock #3.
December 23rd, 2015 at 7:43 pm
SteveK… I can’t argue against the points you laid out.
December 24th, 2015 at 12:39 am
Actually the bucs have rarely been torched on big plays. Last week was the first time that I could remember all year that our CB got truly toasted deep for a touchdown. Sure we have been picked apart and have given up big yardage. But Usain bolt hasn’t been flying through these parts. Not like it was during the schiano years, where cbs were constantly getting roasted for huge gains and for touchdowns. This year we get roasted on 7-10 yard passes leading to a touchdown. Not that either way is worse than the other. But I’m just saying we haven’t been really torched much this season.
Turnovers are a big part of winning games. You think it’s a coincidence we haven’t won a game when we haven’t gotten a turnover? More than just a stat on a sheet of paper, it totally shifts the momentum of a game. In a 1 score game it could be the difference between a win and a loss. Turnovers are usually a big part of any win, for any team. So although we have a lot of issues with the defense, lack of pass rush, lack of coverage, lack of tackling, etc. The lack of turnovers is the biggest one, because it takes all of the above to get them. When you have good coverage and get good pass rush, balls have to be fit in tighter Windows. And when you have a QB getting pressured he is more likely to make mistakes. So when Lovie is saying he want his defense to get more turnovers, he isn’t just hoping for a lucky bad snap fumble. He is wanting his defense to be disruptive and cause the QB to make a mistakes, or for his front seven to put a nasty hit on the running back and knock the ball loose. It takes a collective effort from the defense to get turnovers. And it should be what all defenses strive for.
December 24th, 2015 at 6:49 am
you guys are full of crap you simply do not have the talent there on defense. you have maybe 4 guys who could start on a good team. you need one or two damn drafts and you would need to get at least four contributors out of the next two drafts. I started watching the bucs because of jameis, and was shocked how bereft of talent that team is.