Long Way Away
January 26th, 2016
Seems like a lifetime ago.
On this date 13 years ago, NFL history was made. Chucky led the Bucs to the franchise’s lone Super Bowl title.
It seems like a century ago.
The Bucs are a long, long way away from that glorious season. In fact, the Bucs have made the playoffs but twice since, and have yet to win a playoff game since. Sad.
A new BSPN feature looks at what teams need in order to get over the hump and win a Super Bowl title. As one can imagine, it’s not pretty for the Bucs, writes Mike DiRocco.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: The Bucs appear to have found the most important piece in quarterback Jameis Winston, who was just the third rookie QB to surpass 4,000 yards passing. There are playmakers on offense in wide receiver Mike Evans and running back Doug Martin (if he returns), but the Bucs have to fix defensive issues on third down (30th in 2015) and in points allowed (26th) before they can make a serious run at the playoffs. Playing in the same division as Carolina doesn’t help either.
Could Dirk Koetter finally break the curse and get the Bucs at least a playoff win? Only time will tell.
But Joe cannot express how comforting it is to know the Bucs finally have their quarterback. That’s a major first step.
January 26th, 2016 at 1:12 pm
The pieces are falling in place…starting at the top with Licht…continuing with a good coaching staff at last…and some really talented young guys to build around on both sides of the ball.
i’ve grown to appreciate Cam Newton. Never liked him until the past year or so but I gotta give it up to him…he’s the real deal. Let’s see how he handles Denver’s D which is the best part of their team and the ONLY reason they are in the SB.
I think the NFC South could become the marquee division in the next couple of years. We might see some epic battles between #3 and Newton.
One thing that would bother me if I rooted for the Stinkin Panthers is Newton’s Superman theatrics. He flys more often than he needs to. It looks good on tape but if it’s not totally necessary why risk the injury.
Newton is a double edged sword…yeah he’s a physical monster but sooner or later if you run the ball in the NFL enough you’re going to get hurt. Ask Marshawn Lynch or Eddie Lacy. Admittedly Newton doesn’t pound the rock like these two guys but he can get a little reckless with his body at times.
Of course I sometimes have the same worry about #3!
January 26th, 2016 at 1:14 pm
Look!
The Lombardi trophy is on fire!
…..so is chucky’ hair!
Lol
January 26th, 2016 at 1:22 pm
Can anyone believe the Glazers fired Gruden for Raheem?
January 26th, 2016 at 1:28 pm
^ They fired Gruden because he and Allen deserved it. Raheem was just the wrong choice.
January 26th, 2016 at 1:31 pm
Seamonster
Agree with your first sentence disagree with the second. Rah was not the wrong choice from the Glazers perspective. He was the ultra cheap fill in willing to put up with absurd budget restraints simply to get the job. The Glazers needed money for ManU and no respectable coach would have taken the job…hence we got Rah and Schiano…like throwing stuff up against the wall to see if it sticks.
Rah and Schiano were both hires made for $$$ reasons
January 26th, 2016 at 1:45 pm
Uh-h, let’s do some math here: The Bucs played in the Super Bowl in 2002. It’s now 2016. Isn’t that 14 years? Just sayin’ …
The game was January 2013, after the 2002 season. –Joe
January 26th, 2016 at 2:03 pm
We are a long way from the SuperBowl, but we should be in the playoffs next year! With a roster full of 20 somethings, we have a chance to have to be contenders soon assuming we draft well and Jameis continues to grow.
January 26th, 2016 at 2:06 pm
StPeteBucsFan Says
“i’ve grown to appreciate Cam Newton. Never liked him until the past year or so but I gotta give it up to him…”
Same here. I really like how he treats the fans too. If you ask me…all home teams should give TD footballs to kids in the stands. It would create a lot of good will among the fans.
January 26th, 2016 at 2:06 pm
Actually they fired Allen, because he refused to fire Gruden.
January 26th, 2016 at 2:07 pm
I don’t think Rah was hired because he was cheap. I think the Glazers were afraid of losing what they thought might be the next Mike Tomlin (which was simple minded). If he came cheap, it was due to his prior experience. Plus, they had to keep paying Gruden. Then, when Rah was canned, they were ready to sign Chip Kelly, which would’ve been a decent financial commitment. They settled on Schiano, who still made decent money. The cheap head coach theory holds no water. I mean, when it’s the guy leading the organization, no owner is going to balk at paying a few million more per year to hire the right person. That makes no sense, especially in light of the amount spent on player payroll. No, the Glazers just have no f**king clue what they’re doing.
January 26th, 2016 at 2:22 pm
@salish. Yes they thought they had another tomlin, but they went cheap. They fired Gruden bc he wanted to spen. 2006, real estate started going down and by 2009 everything was in trouble. The Glazer lost huge in real estate holding and had just bought MANU. They had a financial strain. The had to issue more MANU shares to the public and had a bond offering just to have cash flow. The Bucs were in the bottom 5 in spending from 08-2012. Money wasn’t the only the but it played a big role.
Thankfully we are spenders again.
January 26th, 2016 at 3:05 pm
Seems like yesterday to me.
Chucky was absolutely brilliant in all the playoff games that year. And the big one.
January 26th, 2016 at 3:12 pm
the argument that the schiano hire was made for financial reasons just doesn’t hold water. the bucs looked at multiple coaches who were likely to be very costly, and after committing to a 5 year contract worth $15 million (with 1 year of Gruden’s $5 million and multiple years of Rah’s deal still to pay) they went ballistic in free agency
as for raheem….yes, money was tight and he was the league’s cheapest coach in addition to doubling as the DC. BUT during that time they signed mike clayton to stupid money, fired 2 more coordinators, overpaid derrick ward, and were willing to pay gruden $15 million to not coach the next 3 seasons. i think those moves indicate that the product on the field did matter to them, or they would have just let bad coaches coach out their contracts and ignored the W-L record.
January 26th, 2016 at 3:14 pm
*gruden was NOT a bad coach, although he was serially failing at building an stable and improving roster. the bad coaches were the 3 guys who followed him and the armies of coordinators in their wake
January 26th, 2016 at 3:18 pm
Joe
Do you think the Bucs can win the NFC South within the next couple of years
January 26th, 2016 at 3:20 pm
The Bucs handed the keys of the franchise to Mark Dominick. The guy was in way over his head obviously. He couldn’t find a HC worth a salt. And the only good players we drafted were surely just luck as they were so few.
Lovie got here and turned this franchise around with hiring Licht Koetter and others. It has led to really good young players via draft and if it continues this franchise is playoff bound.
Thank you Lovie for setting all the pieces for the franchise!!!! Just sorry your failures from the sideline would not have been enough to overcome and take us to glory!!!
January 26th, 2016 at 4:12 pm
Screw Cam.
January 26th, 2016 at 4:28 pm
Oh you know the owner (Richardson) has to be loving it. Every single kid he’s given a ball to has become a Panthers fan for life. Those kids will be buying tickets, jersey’s, etc for the rest of their lives
January 26th, 2016 at 5:02 pm
Sorry but I still kinda well up with tears seeing that trophy in the air. Just the site of it brings out too many emotions. Yes I know…over a silly game.lol
The DVD still turns me to mush to this day.
January 26th, 2016 at 5:06 pm
Raymond Jameis Stadium…lol I found out who was the true originator of your screen name while I was searching through the archives. It was me way back in November 2014. Then some other poster came on here about 3 months later claiming he coined the name. I never challenged it, I was just happy it stuck.
It was tough times back then. Scroll back through the archives people if you get bored some night or day. Those were some seriously heated battles. Most of the posters aren’t around anymore. Probably from shame I suppose.
January 26th, 2016 at 5:14 pm
Licht might just be the most important Bucs hire since Jon Gruden,
His drafts are turning this team around despite Lovies incompetence. Then, he has the balls to recommend the glazers fire lovie for an actual coach in Koetter, pieces are really falling into place. I got extra high hopes for the defense too.
Verner and Banks could really be decent if coached properly. Kwon and LVD and GMC are Studs. draft/FAsign a good CB for insurance, 2 DEs and 2 Safeties, 1 speed wr and we are ready to dominate
January 26th, 2016 at 5:45 pm
Jolly you’re happy we have Licht as am I. Be sure to thank Lovie for bringing him to our team. You may also thank Lovie for Koetter too.
Oh, and you may thank Lovie for all the draft pick we made the last two seasons. While Licht may have been the mastermind behind the evaluation it was Smith who was given personnel power by the Glazers……….so you may thank Lovie for using his power to ensure good draft picks were made.
Of course Lovie failed on the sidelines. But I given the good he did,as stated above, calling him incompetent is innacurate.
January 26th, 2016 at 6:36 pm
Gruden was an excellent coach, to say otherwise is not worth arguing. The reason why he was fired had more to do with him having a strong desire to spend money in Free Agency. The Glazers acquired ManU in May of 2005. There was no way to build a roster with the amount of money allocated. Gruden wanted to spend to the cap which they previously had done. I remember chatting with Gruden at a golfing event for a little and asking about his plans for the team. He candidly stated he wanted a more balanced cap situation, that it was to defensively oriented. I don’t know the year. I haven’t done the research but in 2005 we were restructuring deals as we were over the cap. By 2007 the bucs where in the middle of the league in spending. Gruden was vocally unhappy about this. When you say “he deserved to be fired” Not sure that I can agree with that.
Raheem was woefully over his head but the Glazers knew that he wouldn’t cause a big fuss about the cap (IMO). I remember going to games and watching the bucs warm up during the Raheem era, then looking across the field and watching any other team do the same. No comparison. I agree that the Glazers thought they had another Tomlin but this is what happens when non football people make football decisions.
January 26th, 2016 at 9:06 pm
@tnew
Your wasting your breath.
The idiots who ran Jon out of town will never admit they were wrong.
January 27th, 2016 at 7:26 am
I read the article that Joe quotes and in a way it is fair; it puts the Bucs on the level of teams like the jags, Giants and Niners as far as what the author thinks what they need to do to make the big jump and he does put them ahead of teams like Cleveland and the Tiatns but no one else in fact he thinks the raiders, Fins and bears are closer to enlightenment than our Bucs….. If I was politically incorrect I would dismiss this blurb as Canadian but unfortunately it probably carries weight in the internet market otherwise Joe would have ripped it up more……..
Only thing the Bucs can do is prove this cat wrong and win big! Much like what the Bucs did with a young ungrateful Pat Yasinkas who in 2002 predicted a 0-16 Buc season under Chuckie from his new desk at the Charlotte Observer; nice that he owned up to his arrogance but I would love it if Joe could find out WHY he predicted that: bitterness about leaving Tampa, kissing up to Carolina or some very bad Zephyrhills shrooms?????
January 27th, 2016 at 8:02 am
We will be in the Super Bowl within 7 years
January 27th, 2016 at 2:56 pm
I miss coach Gruden best bucs coach ever before anyone debates we have 1 Superbowl thanks