Tough Love Needed?
January 1st, 2016
Bucs DC Leslie Frazier not happy with mentality of defense last week.
Refreshing words yesterday from Bucs defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier, who really isn’t known for strong words.
Yesterday, Joe shared that stud defensive tackle Gerald McCoy said the wiped out interception by Will Gholston that would have given the Bucs the ball deep in Chicago territory Sunday crippled the team mentally. Mind you, the Bucs still had the lead and after the penalty and the ball was at midfield, yet the Bucs’ defense put their tail between their legs.
Asked about this mental collapse yesterday at what may have been his final presser with the Bucs, defensive coordinator-in-name Leslie Frazier all but said, grow a pair.
“You just have to play through it,” Frazier said. “It happens. We have to be able to rise above it and come up with a takeaway somewhere over the course of the game. It was still relatively early in that ball game, so we had other opportunities over the course of the game and we didn’t get it done.”
Frazier is as soft-spoken as they get. For him to talk directly like this, wow. Speaks volumes.
Let’s remember Frazier played for Buddy Ryan with the Bears. You imagine what that nasty SOB would have done if a player or players said they couldn’t get over the mental fatigue of having a takeaway called back in the second quarter with a lead? He would have run them out of the building!
January 1st, 2016 at 9:16 am
Finally starting to smell the coffee Joe.
Nice.
January 1st, 2016 at 9:44 am
McCoy is now finishing his 6th year. This is his prime, and unfortunately he’s never tapped into his endless potential. Hopefully he comes back healthy next year and has one true all-pro year before his play falls off, but we’ve been hoping for that since the offseason of 2009 and it hasn’t happened yet.
Gerald McCoy is an above average football player. Nothing more. Nothing less. He is not Warren Sapp. Gerald McCoy has never had 10 sacks in a year and has topped 35 tackles ONCE in his career. Warren Sapp had 97 tackles as a 34-35 year old slug in Oakland.
Gerald McCoy in six years here:
78 starts, 35.5 sacks, 142 tackles 43 assists, 4 forced fumbles.
Brad Culpepper in six years here:
80 starts, 33 sacks, 204 tackles, 87 assists, 6 forced fumbles.
On a very basic level, Culpepper made 4-5 plays a game based on real world stats. Mccoy makes 2-3 plays a game.
McCoy at his best wouldn’t have started for us from 1997-2002.
January 1st, 2016 at 10:16 am
From what you just posted i see more sacks in less games. He has less tackles because people can afford to run away or towards a different part of our defense they couldnt afford to do that culpepper.
January 1st, 2016 at 10:18 am
@what
You are right on the head here. GMC is a good player, nothing more. I would say McDonald is more valuable yup the team from a leadership standpoint. Because GMC was drafted high everyone wants to believe he is a superstar, and maybe he is the best D lineman on our team, that isn’t anything to brag about. I don’t think we will need to make room for #93 in the Ring of Honor.
January 1st, 2016 at 10:43 am
@what? … Great post. Everyone compares GMC to Sapp, but no one ever compared him to Brad Culpepper that I’ve seen. Interesting.
I thought Coach Frazier’s comments were right on target. Seems like all he said was that it’s a 60-minute game and there can’t be any quit … players (and coaches) need to put bad plays behind them, move on and git-er-done.
The more I think about what’s happened to the Bucs this year the more I just shake my head at some of the bizarre happenings (like GMC’s comments about the Bears game). Too many excuses, and that’s not a prescription for winning consistently.
Also think that the defensive coaching staff that Lovie has assembled isn’t working out. Looks to be a ‘coaching-by-committee’ approach with Lovie at the head of the committee. Doesn’t look like it has as much to do with the Tampa-2 defensive philosophies as it has to do with the quality of the defensive coaches and their ability to work together as a cohesive team that’s capable of getting the most out of their existing players.
Giving this particular set of defensive coaches some shiny new toys to play with after the draft doesn’t make any sense. They’ve already shown that they’re unable to maximize the potential of some pretty good players. And by the way, Leslie Frazier and Joe Cullen aren’t the problem IMHO.
January 1st, 2016 at 10:44 am
Ring of honor.
RING OF HONOR?!
Simeon Rice came in here and had 67 sacks, starting 79 consecutive games for us after we signed him. You never heard of a decline in play because of injury, which is par for McCoy’s course.
Simeon Rice is the difference between a good Buc D and a legendary one.
If 67 sacks (and 206 tackles – BUT HE DOESN’T STOP THE RUN) in 79 games for Simeon doesn’t get you Ring of Honor, 35 sacks (142 tackles) in 78 games shouldn’t.
People questioned Simeon’s attitude and toughness? C’mon, man.
January 1st, 2016 at 10:49 am
Rice forced 19 fumbles in six years here, too. Warren Sapp forced 4 fumbles in ’99, which is what McCoy has done in six years.
Gerald McCoy has all the talent in the world, he’s quicker off the ball than anybody I’ve ever seen. But he’s inconsistent, injury prone, and is proving to be a bit of a malcontent once he’s seen his ineffective authority upsurped.
He is to DT what Desean Jackson or Mike Wallace is to WR. Full of talent and potential, signifying nothing.
January 1st, 2016 at 11:14 am
Mccoy basically needs a strong one tech next to him. He’s not strong enough to get through double teams and if his timing off the snap is just a little late, he’s out of the play. He’s a good player, just not a game changing type that you would expect after being drafted third overall.
January 1st, 2016 at 11:34 am
Geraldini has the ability but doesn’t have the dog in him. Plain and simple. Name a game he took over or dominated like Aaron Donald did against the Bucs. He makes a play here and there but is mostly invisible.
January 1st, 2016 at 11:42 am
With the exception of less than a handful of players, this team is chock full of quitters. It’s sad.
January 1st, 2016 at 11:57 am
Id be willing to trade McCoy, he could yield a low first or a high second.
January 1st, 2016 at 2:04 pm
IF Lovie wants to enjoy then nice weather of Tampa Bay pass 2016? HE should fire Frazier immediately after the Panthers game. Bring in a tough DC. Who? I don’t know. But I do know, Mr Smiley..Frazier is not the answer. And fire his son along with a couple of Defensive secondary coaches as well. Smartest thing lovie could do.
January 1st, 2016 at 3:13 pm
Gene Chizik!!!!!!!
While at Central Florida in Orlando, Chizik frequently visited practice sessions of the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers studying the Bucs’ defensive scheme developed by then-Bucs head coach Tony Dungy, defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin and linebackers coach Lovie Smith.
Chizik later employed a very similar scheme at Auburn, where he served again as the defensive coordinator and secondary coach from 2002 to 2004. During this time, he had some of the greatest successes of his career to date. He coached in three bowl games, the 2003 Capital One Bowl, 2004 Music City Bowl, and 2005 Sugar Bowl. His 2004 defensive unit led the country in scoring defense, giving up 11.3 points per game, and the total defense ranked 5th, which is the same ranking the 2003 team recorded.[7] He garnered the 2004 Broyles Award, which is given each year to the top assistant coach in the nation. The 2004 Auburn Tigers football team finished 13–0 that year, won the SEC title, and defeated Virginia Tech in the Sugar Bowl. It placed second in the final AP and Coaches polls.
In 2005, Chizik was hired by Texas to serve as their co-defensive coordinator, assistant head coach, and linebackers coach. During his time at Texas, the team won the 2005 NCAA Division I-A national football championship by defeating USC in the 2006 Rose Bowl.
January 1st, 2016 at 3:16 pm
In his first year, Chizik led the Tigers to the 2010 Outback Bowl, a fairly quick turnaround for a team that went 5-7 the year before. The next year, he led the team to a 14-0 record and the BCS National Championship—the first undisputed national championship in school history.
January 1st, 2016 at 8:45 pm
I was disappointed in McCoy’s pregame speech. All that
, “Let’s go have some fuuun!!!” talk pissed me off. I think he needs more intensity. Ok…worry about “fuuuun!!!” when we’re winning dammitt! Let Jaboo do the damn pregame hype speeches from now on.
January 1st, 2016 at 10:36 pm
Pay attention to how many times McCoy is on the ground each game. He rarley uses a power or counter move to set up his speed. Its the same with Jack Smith. There has been not development in their game. I sick and tired of the excuses, I have wanted McCoy to be great, but he is not. The only thing he has passion for is Super hero movies and having fun. With that being said McCoy will likely excel om a team where he does not have to be the leader.