What Was Kwon Alexander’s Punishment?
August 22nd, 2016
After a season full of brain-dead penalties, a year in which the Bucs flirted with the NFL single-season record, there was too much bang-your-head-against-the wall stuff early against the Jaguars on Saturday.
Kwon Alexander’s first-quarter, first-down personal foul on Blake Bortles was dreadful.
The Bucs sent six men at Bortles, including a delayed blitz by Brent Grimes. Mission accomplished. Bortles froze when he realized he couldn’t step up in the pocket smoothly and scrambled left.
Bortles was heading out of bounds and Kwon drilled him.
Joe will turn it over here to Jaguars color commentator Mark Brunell, the former NFL quarterback for 17 seasons and five teams.
“That makes no sense. There are foolish penalties, but there are really stupid penalties, too,” Brunell said of Kwon’s illegal hit.
That penalty came seven minutes into the game. But the Bucs already had endured a false start by Demar Doton and a return-killing block in the back by linebacker Jeremiah George on special teams.
Dirk Koetter said this kind of stuff was going to end. Defensive coordinator Mike Smith led Falcons teams that were among the least penalized in NFL history. Smith also spent two days a week for 10 weeks during last season working with NFL officials in New York, Smith told Sirius NFL Radio recently.
It was part learning, Smith said, and part getting access to game film and camera angles when he was unemployed.
The point is Smith is a master at getting a team to play clean football. Joe wants to know how Kwon was dealt with after that play, not necessarily in the game, but afterwards.
Something has to get through to the Bucs if they want to win more than they lose. The Bucs don’t have enough talent to overcome a season full of dumb penalties.
August 22nd, 2016 at 10:19 am
I would say 8 penalties for 68 yards was a step in the right direction after the the disaster in Philly.
August 22nd, 2016 at 10:24 am
This is how it will work, That we will see improvements in small increments!!! Every team has some penalties!!!! But they want to eliminate the DD69 false start and out of bounds strip tackles!!!!
about the out of bounds hit that KA58 made early in the game!!! That was exactly what we were saying when some of the players needed the “lovie” coached out of them!!! You could tell that was from all those drills of the coaching of “turnovers”!!!! It will take time to deprogramming the brain washing they have had over the last 1/2 years for some players!!!!!!!!!
August 22nd, 2016 at 10:26 am
I have not watched a replay of that play. It looked really close when I watched it live.
August 22nd, 2016 at 10:29 am
D-Rome, unfortunately that hit was pretty egregious as far as being out of bounds and late. Kwon had time to pull up since Blake was going directly for out of bounds. Ugh. Love the passion though, just need a dab of smarts in there too.
August 22nd, 2016 at 10:36 am
Kwon will learn from his mistakes. It was a bad decision on his part and not even remotely close. The player that is going to kill the bucs with penalties is Dotson the pre-snap drive killer. Dotson is popular and just got paid but he get’s no free passes for his penalties which seem to be a very regular occurrence.
August 22nd, 2016 at 10:43 am
They got at Winston .. Favor returned
August 22nd, 2016 at 10:51 am
Preseason.
August 22nd, 2016 at 10:57 am
It was a dumb penalty. What was Kwon thinking, he can’t make a correct decision there for what reason? I hope he cleans up that action.
August 22nd, 2016 at 10:59 am
Sounds like 54 on Geno Smith a couple years ago. Live and Learn Kwon.
August 22nd, 2016 at 11:02 am
He’ll be fine. Remember when lavonte had that personal foul to begin the 2013 season? What a bust he turned out to be! (Sarcasm)
August 22nd, 2016 at 11:46 am
“This is how it will work, That we will see improvements in small increments!!!”
Agree with this sentiment. You don’t typically go from the worst to the best at something in 1 year and even if you do it doesn’t happen by week 2 of the preseason.
We had way less penalties than week 1 which is good. We didn’t have many pre-snap penalties which are the ones they’ve really stressed on. I feel fine.
August 22nd, 2016 at 11:56 am
Bortles said he baited the hit. Should not have been a penalty in that case. Also, he was hit in bounds.
August 22nd, 2016 at 12:06 pm
Players play and that play was ignorant. Taking the “tough guy” mentality on this is inexcusable.
Yes, it will take time to rectify being an undisciplined team but putting this on anyone other than Kwon is absurd.
BTW, I love Ronde calling the game. Some of you coach blamers should really listen to what is said. Coaches coach, players play.
It’s preseason. This is where you work out the kinks.
August 22nd, 2016 at 12:08 pm
His punishment was to read this comment section and then listen to TW’s FF podcast. Ouch babe.
August 22nd, 2016 at 12:15 pm
LovieBall… thats the same thing I contend that happened on the Kwon hit in that opening loss to the Jets in the past. But this time it seemed a clearer penalty to me. This hit out of bounds was pass the point of a borderline call.
August 22nd, 2016 at 12:27 pm
Bortles could have turned it up field he was so far from the sideline, Kwon I’m guessing thought that too, when he makes contact with Bortles they are still in the field of play. QBs can hardly get touched now. Flag football is coming soon!
August 22nd, 2016 at 12:33 pm
Worth noting that was the only defensive penalty of the game…
August 22nd, 2016 at 12:41 pm
@joe….lol….GO BUCS!!!
August 22nd, 2016 at 12:44 pm
I think it was borderline…He was still in bounds when contact was initiated. How are you supposed to believe the quarterback? Soon QB’s will fake the out of bounds and run down the sideline when the D pulls up. This is the NFL! In ten years it will be flag football. So stupid.
August 22nd, 2016 at 12:47 pm
Didn’t notice I just regurgitated what shouldhavedrafted said. Sorry.
August 22nd, 2016 at 1:26 pm
These are the Bucs, things won’t change. Dirk just better come up with plays to compensate for the penalty yardage. Dotty has been FSn his whole career and still doing it.
August 22nd, 2016 at 2:46 pm
It was a learning moment for Kwon and I’m glad it happened in pre-season as opposed to what happened to a young LD54 at the end of a game that counted a few years ago which resulted in a loss.
August 22nd, 2016 at 3:14 pm
This is how it’s gonna work, we’re gonna need at least 3 more games to coach the LOVIE out of these guys…..such a stupid statement from someone who claims to know so much about football! Play hard but play smart and leave that lame LOVIE excuse in the corn fields of Illinois! Please Realist!
August 22nd, 2016 at 4:22 pm
Say it loud BigHog!
August 22nd, 2016 at 5:47 pm
Kwon should focus on actually tackling players INBOUNDS, the man miss more tackles than any player in the NFL.
August 22nd, 2016 at 6:19 pm
This gives us an opportunity to turn Grimes wife into an asset. Anyone who commits a stupid penalty has to spend an hour with Miko in a locked room.
August 22nd, 2016 at 7:25 pm
Looked like Bortles was inbounds when first contact was made. Also, Kwon was trying to strip the ball but agree he should’ve pulled up when going out of bounds.
August 23rd, 2016 at 12:11 am
Hey Joe,
For some of us, out in the boonies, who don’t get the game; we would love replays with the stories. ie this play, VH3s picks and others.
Thx for all your hard work.