“We Got Away From Making The Simple Plays”
January 13th, 2016
Derrick Brooks speaks, and will speak again at 4 p.m. today.
At 4 p.m. today on WDAE-AM 620, it’s a pretty sure bet that Hall of Fame linebacker Derrick Brooks will break the “Silence of the Icons.”
But it will not be the first time Brooks will have addressed and summarized Tampa Bay’s challenging 2015 season.
Brooks did that last week on WDAE during his Tampa-2 show, just hours before Lovie Smith was fired.
Joe found one of Brooks’ takes on the defense particularly interesting.
“We got away from making the simple plays,” Brooks said of the four-game, end-of-season collapse. “You know, whether two guys letting a guy fall forward when you got him hit and it’s going to be 2nd-and-8, and all of a sudden you let him fall forward and it’s 2nd-and-5. Now the play-calling changes all around.
Brooks gave other examples of down and distance failures because of tackling failures. “Those small details that you just have to tighten up,” he said.
Keep in mind Brooks has spoken for years about how the great Bucs defense had an “every-blade-of-grass” mentality. They were wired to not give up any free inches. That’s very much about desire and the famous “want to,” not positioning or skill.
Joe thinks Brooks, in the comments above, found a nice way to say the Bucs’ got soft with the season on the line. They came on the heels of him blasting the team’s mentality and attitude against the Rams.
Did Lovie Smith take the fall for too many weak-minded players? Good chance.
January 13th, 2016 at 2:08 pm
Brooks would make a good head coach, or at the least DC. He’s got that old school, “Ditka-esque” mentality when it comes to playing. Doesn’t seem like he’s interested though. Or maybe he’s just put off by the Glazers running of the team.
January 13th, 2016 at 2:10 pm
A coach has to set the expectations and challenge his players. The defense was soft. No denying that. And all Lovie ever talked about was getting turnovers.
I would love to see 55 on the next Bucs coaching staff. He would add so much knowledge and leadership for this young team.
January 13th, 2016 at 2:15 pm
Forget having DB55 as a coach, the Glazers need to hire him to be the CEO of the Buccaneers. Those clowns have turned the Bucs into a three-ring circus, as clowns are prone to do, and it’s time to clean out the executive leadership of the team because the results on the field smell like the steaming piles of manure that circuses leave behind.
January 13th, 2016 at 2:16 pm
No he did not take it for the players. Lovie made more than his share mistakes and bad decisions. It’s the fans and media that have consistently given too many players passes. This team will have many new starters next year, when the new coaching staff watches the film. Several starters will be sent packing.
Believe It.
January 13th, 2016 at 2:27 pm
I saw us many times us tying to take the ball away instead of making the tackle….when you have your arms wrapped around the runner’s arms instead of his body or legs……he gets extra yardage.
As for Lovie taking the fall for soft players…..absolutely….they got him fired….but it’s the coach’s responsibility to instill toughness in his players….so, what goes around….
January 13th, 2016 at 2:43 pm
Well Brooks led a soft defense his last 4 games here so he definitely knows what he’s talking about
January 13th, 2016 at 2:49 pm
January 13th, 2016 at 3:09 pm
Lovie was probably beyond frustrated when he gelded Leslie Frazier. it’s a pretty dangerous position without a scapegoat.
January 13th, 2016 at 3:25 pm
Lovie took the fall for the product he produced. Simple as that.
January 13th, 2016 at 3:58 pm
One word for that question Joe. ………NOPE!
January 13th, 2016 at 4:02 pm
You know TT you have short memory because that collapse was on the heels of Kiffin bolting before the end of the season and that defense was not soft they gave up I think to get rid of Gruden
January 13th, 2016 at 4:02 pm
talent is one thing, but i can’t think of a single head coach worth a lick in any sport who, after 2 years, has failed to get his players playing his way. i’m not talking about playing above your talent level, i’m talking about playing with urgency and executing points of emphasis. the discussion about “want to” applies as much to coaches as it does to players. say what you want about schiano (i thought we were consistently the lesser coaching staff every sunday as long as he was around), but he had everybody playing his way and was willing to take the consequences for demanding that of them. and within weeks, everybody was playing a certain type of football, as stupid as it was. lovie’s schtick has been to look around the locker room for a hall of famer and jump on his shoulders.
January 13th, 2016 at 4:37 pm
Add DB55 to our shopping list… Along with a modern, fiery head coach, a tough as nails D. Coordinator, Muhammad Wilkerson from the Jets at edge, Emmanuel Ogbah at the other and a double young ball Hawks in the secondary to back those two monsters up… We’d feast on the NFC for years to come!!!
January 13th, 2016 at 5:09 pm
Yes, he did. And he should have. It’s the coaches responsibility to have his players frothing at the mouth on Sunday’s, particularly on the defensive side. When you come out flat in a home game in December against a division opponent with a playoff spot on the line, you’re damn right the coach should take the fall.
January 13th, 2016 at 5:13 pm
On a side note, Clemson CB Mackenzie Alexander announced his eligibility for the NFL draft today.
Would not be surprised at all to see his name being read off the card at #9 come April
January 13th, 2016 at 5:14 pm
If he did take the fall for weak minded players, they were “hand picked”. He is soppose to be the motivator and not let guys lose that fire. Especially in a playoff hunt, that should be the easiest time to motivate plyers when it there for the taken. We went from 2nd place in the division to last place real quick!!! I dont lose any sleep at night knowing he’s gone. I just hope they really do there homework when selecting the next head coach. We can’t have another 2 and done run. I dont think there’s many appliances let in my house for me to smash.
January 13th, 2016 at 5:34 pm
It’s looking like this Lovie thing is getting more and more bizarre with each passing day (slow news time in Tampa Bay?). Now Lovie’s defensive players threw him under the bus? Not hardly. The defensive scheme, the quality of the players and what they were asked to do in the scheme was screwed up. That’s all on the coaches. Switching players around weekly certainly didn’t help since no chemistry ever seemed to develop.
The more I’ve thought about the Bucs going all offense for 2 straight drafts, the more foolish it seems. Forced us to rely exclusively on (1) the players we already had on defense; (2) questionable FAs; and (3) undrafted rookies. Some of #1 were the same players who led to Schiano’s downfall. Most of #2 FAs were considered expendable by their previous clubs and didn’t pan out. And #3 undrafted rookies are anything but a sure bet and will take several years to develop. The Bucs defense was marked for failure it’s looking like from Day 1 of Lovie’s hiring.
January 13th, 2016 at 6:02 pm
Sounds like he’s questioning the “why” of certain players… Sounds familiar
January 13th, 2016 at 6:08 pm
Would Hardy Nickerson coach UNDER DB55?
If so imagine…Koetter HC…Bajakian OC (under Koetter’s guidance early)
Cullen DL coach…Hardy LB coach and DB 55 DC…
Dont’ know if it would work but all of these guys at least at times in their careers have been successful and know what it takes to win.
January 13th, 2016 at 6:10 pm
The TBBF plan:
Draft…..Rounds 1, 2, 3, 4…….DE, CB, CB, S (or 2 DEs CB, S) or (2 S, CB DE)
Positions totally depend on players available at the time of the pick.
Use the Glennon pick, Rounds 5, 6 & 6 to trade up……
We should then have 3 or 4 new starters on Defense
Retain Jaquis Smith, Howard Johnson, William Gholston, Spence, McDonald, Conte, Banks & Moore Retain all 3 starting LBs
Try to restructure Verner
Perhaps bring in a Kickoff specialist….(don’t shoot me, but even a Brindza who can punt, FG but certainly can boom the kickoffs. Carry 3 kickiers
Offense
Try to restructure Vjax
Sign Martin
Keep 3 TEs ASJ Brate, Stocker (Perhaps add a FA TE)
FA…..2 WR/ one KR/PR with speed, Young Olineman upgrade….Upgrade the FB positon to include a short yardage back, receiver RB
Many of the remaining players could be upgraded through remaining FA money (we have plenty to make improvements)
January 13th, 2016 at 6:21 pm
What in the world makes anyone think that DB55 can coach? He’s a great dude, he has some experience in front offices…as far as I know he’s never coached a day in his life
January 13th, 2016 at 6:45 pm
Rams move to LA. The city of St Louis has given them nothing but solid support and never less then a sellout crowd. The fans there could have done nothing more rather than sign over their power of attorney to the owner himself. The owner will ship out for a chunk of money, further evidence that we fans are truly meaningless. We are never seen as people to these shrewd businessmen. They see us piling into their stadiums and $250 a head.
They don’t care that football is life’s outlet for many fans. Diehard fans naively marry their teams with a “til death do us part attitude”. All the while the NFL views us as an ugly girlfriend. They will drop us the soon as a long legged beut bats her eyes at them.
They have no loyalty and they have no care. Fairness is only fair if its worth more dollar. If a one man boycott could make a difference I would spend my Sundays picketing.
Worst of it all is the talking heads in TV glorifying this betrayal.