Once Upon A Schiano
September 19th, 2016
Postgame criticism of Dirk Koetter has a familiar ring
Oh, that media. They’re coming after Dirk Koetter today.
And it reminds Joe of the early assault on former Bucs commander Greg Schiano.
Tampa Bay Times columnist Tom Jones hammered away on Koetter in his postgame take. Jones found it appalling that Koetter let America’s Quarterback, Jameis Winston, stay in yesterday’s game and take hits trailing by 33 points.
Way too much senseless risk, Jones typed.
Longtime Bucs beat writer Roy Cummings pounded away on similar points.
Koetter’s responded to questions about risking Jameis, saying captains like to go down with their ship and Jameis wouldn’t have wanted to come out of the game. During that postgame news conference, Koetter appeared to smell that he was the blood in the water and the sharks were circling. “You can get mad as you want. He stayed in. Write what you’re going to write,” Koetter said.
Joe would have at least stuck to draw plays and quick releases, if Jameis was to stay in the ball game. But Joe gets exactly why Koetter let Jameis stay out there in fighting mode.
It’s the same reason Greg Schiano demanded his players not tolerate an opposing team’s “victory formation,” if his Bucs were within one score. Those Schiano Bucs were ordered to blow up the kneel-down play and fight for a miracle turnover in the final seconds.
Schiano was forging a mentality — a fighting mindset to shake the endless losing out of the Bucs.
And you know what? Schiano pissed off some of his own players and opposing coaches en route to a 6-4 record during that 2012 season.
Schiano broke the NFL’s code in just his second game, when those 1-0 Bucs entered the Meadowlands to face the Giants. Yesterday, Koetter busted a bit of a code, too, in his second game with a 1-0 team. He dropped his young franchise quarterback back to pass with a game thoroughly out of reach in the final minutes and the opponent blitzing repeatedly.
Sure, Schiano’s ship crumbled, but that early message to fight was sent and absorbed.
Koetter and his quarterback let their team know today that there are no white flags.
And after Bucs fans were soiled upon with a 2014 season that was one giant white flag, and endured a 2015 head coach that quit on the concept of defensive adjustments, Joe welcomes Koetter’s approach wholeheartedly.
September 19th, 2016 at 2:11 am
Still need WR help, and safety, also wouldn’t mind another DLine.
September 19th, 2016 at 2:33 am
Not only would Jameis not want to be pulled, he’s only got 16 starts under his belt, more live reps will help his development.
September 19th, 2016 at 2:35 am
You don’t take winston out sends a bad message. Sign of weakness. Koetter did the right thing. This mindset of playing or coaching scared while coddling players causes more damn injuries. It’s freaking football if your worried a player might get hurt than maybe curling or shuffle board should be your sport of choice…. plus every time Glennon takes the field he looks pathetic. i am still hoping bucs can salvage a 6 or 7th comp pick that being said they need to keep him off the field to retain what very little value he has. Kind of like bighog everyone knows he is a stupid fool then he posts and confirms it. We all know glennon sucks so there is no need for him to enter a game and prove his incompetence to the 31 other teams who also knows he sucks but might take a chance.
September 19th, 2016 at 2:47 am
That is what the bucs need is a fighting/winning mentality. We shall see what the bucs do against LA next week. Go Bucs!!!
September 19th, 2016 at 2:58 am
Would rather have a team that competes than fight in a futile effort. This team needs to be one that can actually be tough, not just act tough.
September 19th, 2016 at 3:02 am
Winston just doesn’t get hurt…knock on wood………..but he doesn’t
September 19th, 2016 at 3:11 am
This article never gets written up if Winston ends up with a season ending injury with three minutes left in the 4th quarter. The play calling in that 4th quarter was atrocious. No blocking adjustments were made which resulted in Jameis taking hit after hit.
September 19th, 2016 at 3:11 am
The qb don’t need to be hit like that.Take him out of the damn game.
September 19th, 2016 at 3:41 am
Honestly would love to have Jahlil Pepper Safety in round 1, and a WR in round 2
September 19th, 2016 at 3:48 am
Beware that Juggernaut QB “Bucs killer Case Keenum” is here next week.
September 19th, 2016 at 4:26 am
TMAXCON maybe he left him in the game so he could coach some more of the LOVIE out of him! Does that sound reasonable to you! 14 games to play 8 more wins to get! That was a very entertaining blow out, game was over at half/time, I would continue but I don’t wanna sound like a stupid fool…….Tmaxcon/JackAss!
September 19th, 2016 at 4:34 am
I like the caption on that photo of our HC at the top of your article Joe … “postgame criticism of Dirk Koetter has a familiar ring”. It sure does, and that criticism is from the very same whiners who’ve assaulted every HC we’ve had since Day One. Lose and you’re fair game for … anything.
It’s the HC’s decision who plays and who doesn’t play. Not the media’s, not the QB’s … it’s the HC’s decision. And Dirk Koetter chose to keep Jameis in the game to the bitter end (and it was bitter) to see if ‘the captain of the ship’ could make something happen … anything happen. Personally I agree with his decision. It sends a message that ‘YOU GUYS RISE OR FALL AS A TEAM’ in my opinion. Bucs players most likely received that message; some in the Tampa Bay media obviously didn’t.
September 19th, 2016 at 4:57 am
Forgot to mention Joe, every Bucs fan needs to watch Jameis’ postgame interview. That’s what a leader looks like … win or lose.
September 19th, 2016 at 5:01 am
Jameis should not have been in the game at that time. There was nothing good that could happen, that was worth risking his safety. This ship had already sunk.
September 19th, 2016 at 5:19 am
Before the season I stated there would be no more blowouts. I was wrong. The Bucs were overmatched and got their ass handed to them. Ok, learn from it and move on. I still believe in Koetter, and I still believe in Jameis. This is not a SB team at the moment, but I’m confident with those two, it will be. Jameis lacks experience. He got some. There’s another game next Sunday.
September 19th, 2016 at 5:54 am
Now that we got that ASSKICKIN out of the way….
September 19th, 2016 at 6:38 am
I dont blame koetter for the loss, I blame Winston and I mainly blane Mike Smith. Soft coverage all game. Same crap different dc. Just let Hayes take over now and cut out waiting the rest of the season to do.it
September 19th, 2016 at 6:56 am
Hey bighog I bet you enjoyed that butt whooping Western Michigan put on your boy Lovie as well plus if he was still here the score yesterday would have been 150 to 7.
September 19th, 2016 at 7:03 am
The Bucs were terrible in all phases. That’s painfully obvious to any Bucs fan who watched any part of the game. In reading thru nearly all the post-game posts on the illustrious joebucsfan.com, what most people seem to be forgetting is that the Cardinals are REALLY good. I mean…REALLY GOOD!!!
Sure Jameis was inaccurate, but I challenge any QB playing in a push-the-ball-down-the-field-type system to not struggle against an elite defense that was embarrassed by a Brady-less Patriots team a week ago.
Lavonte having zero tackles is inexcusable, but why would the cardinals even worry about attacking the intermediate part of the field when their push-the-ball-down-the-field attack was in high gear? And when they did throw swing passes or wheel routes to the backs, did we really expect Lavonte or Kwon or Daryl to be able to run with either Johnson?
Someone mentioned that Charles Simms should have been more effective in the passing game. Maybe that someone is right, but I saw a lot of Cardinals wearing numbers in the twenties and thirties surrounding him today. That tells me that those hybrid LB/DB creatures the cardinals employ are, in fact, no joke.
Bottom line, the Bucs lost to a great team today. A team that, the last two times it counted before this game, walked off the field losers – once last week, and once in the NFC championship game. Or did we forget they were in the final four last year? And that they pretty much have the same team? And the same coaching staff? And the same championship aspirations?
Let’s just move on to the Rams.
September 19th, 2016 at 7:10 am
Koetter wasn’t the one who was wildly inaccurate with his throws
September 19th, 2016 at 7:33 am
Next Sunday will tell me everything I need to know about the direction of this team, it’s coach and culture.
September 19th, 2016 at 8:00 am
Like arguably the best coach in the history of the game said a couple weeks ago, “I don’t know how you get better at playing football without playing football.”
If its good enough for Brady and Belicheat, it’s good enough for me!!
September 19th, 2016 at 8:32 am
Koetter made the right call. That was brutal to watch. Hopefully we get these guys back from injury and come out swinging next sunday. We are .500, with a division win! Still plenty of Football left ladies and gents.
September 19th, 2016 at 8:46 am
Jameis wanted to be out there and its clear he needs the work, so he should be out there. Also, dont spend two picks on a stupid kicker when you know Mike Evans needs help, you have no team speed and you know VJAX is about done… use the picks on WR
September 19th, 2016 at 9:02 am
I don’t know about you guys but I’m sick and tired of the beat downs this team takes just about every year.
September 19th, 2016 at 9:05 am
@Joe
And do not forget the best thing that can come out of leaving JW3 in the game. all those extra looks he we get to learn from. All the tape that they can analyze for the future!!!!
As far as the media here, They go ballistic when they think someone tried to tell them how to do their jobs!!! Even though they write day after day telling people how to do their jobs!!!!!
And Coach Schiano’s ship did not “crumble” there was a RAT on the ship that created a huge hole when that rat lied, drank, partied, did drugs, and did not work hard, and lied some more to sink the ship!!!!!!
September 19th, 2016 at 9:26 am
Um, in case you don’t realize it the backups are part of the team too. That’s why they should have been out there. Had Jameis suffered a torn ACL in the final four minutes of a blowout loss none of you water carriers and lap dogs would be supporting the decision.
There’s a reason why Jon Cooper takes Ben Bishop out of the game when he’s having a really bad night.
There’s a reason why ace pitchers never get anywhere near the 9th inning when they’ve been throttled.
There’s a reason why Phil Jackson would sit Michael Jordan in the 4th quarter for the rest of the game when the Bulls were up by 30 or down by 30.
Many playoff teams throughout NFL history have rested starters for the week 17 game because playing them had no bearing on the outcome.
One day Dirk Koetter will be fired (sorry, he’s not the next Bill Belichick) and Jameis Winston will still be here. The most important player on this team in Jameis Winston and he will be that guy for the next decade at least. Why deliberately put him out there for a few meaningless drives especially when the game plan for the offensive line was suspect? Winston was taking shot after shot for no good reason. Managing the health of your players, but especially star players, is part of the job.
September 19th, 2016 at 9:28 am
Tom Jones should get a job coaching since he knows everything!! I’m not surprised at that response from him though. Hey Tom should we fire him too??
September 19th, 2016 at 9:37 am
Hey let’s pile on eh? Why didn’t Jones and Stroud pick up on the fact that #3 through a GENUINE block on a guy…lit him up so well the guy wanted to get in a fight with #3!!
So when is Koetter going to put #3 on a short leash and tell him to never again throw a block?
NEVER hopefully. This is #3’s game. Aaron Rodgers is not going to throw a block like that…he may try to get in the way but #3 threw and actual block…just as strong as any running back would block.
Pulling #3…forbidding him blocking sends the wrong message and it takes away from #3’s assets.
Remember when the geniuses decided JFRO who was a great runner incapable of hitting simple swing passes…decided JFRO was a “pocket” QB and took the run from him…it basically ended his career.
Go Koetter and go #3!
September 19th, 2016 at 10:03 am
Jameis was in the game to PAD the stat sheet, Koetter is a master of that. He did it in Atlanta with Matt Ryan, he did it last season with Jameis, he did it in Jacksonville. Pad the QB numbers against 3rd stringers in garbage time, but in the end, the only numbers that matters are the WINS. And that’s what got him fired in Atlanta and Jacksonville, QB with over 4,000 passing yards, but a team with a losing record. You can FOOL some of the people sometimes, but you can’t fool all of the people all of the time. But then again, it don’t take much to TRICK some DELUSIONAL fans.
September 19th, 2016 at 10:09 am
@Ndog: I don’t watch that much college football outside of the state of Florida, since LOVIE got Back/Stabbed here I haven’t watch an Illinois game and most likely will not! That Ass/Whipping we took yesterday was enough for all of us Buc fans don’t you think! Now mind your own business!
September 19th, 2016 at 10:15 am
so much for progress…..we’re still getting blown out…the bottom line is we still don’t have quality talent and depth….even though we drafted a cb, de and safety, we still need a cb, de, safety and wr…maybe a rb too, one that can run between the tackles and catch….
the thing that pissed me off the most is dirk abandoning the run so early in the game….once doug went out dirk wanted no parts of the run game….it was obvious to the world that jameis was off so dirk souldve done 2 things to try to get him in the groove….2 minute and continue to run the ball….dirk still has a lot of learning to do…..GO BUCS!!!!
September 19th, 2016 at 10:18 am
Lakeland
Now I have to simply say you are full of manure…not just negative.
Perhaps you’d like to back up your BS with some facts.
And that’s what got him fired in Atlanta and Jacksonville
Do you believe in facts? Smith was 66-46 in seven years with 4 appearances in the playoffs. That includes his bad year of 4-12 and the rebound to 6-10.
He had 20 more wins than losses!!! John Gruden won TWO more games than he lost in his seven years with the Bucs. If Smith is awful for winning 20 more than he lost what is Gruden for winning only 2 more than he lost?
September 19th, 2016 at 10:45 am
Stpetebucsfan ….I never mention “Mike Smith” I mention his LAPDOG ” Dirk Koetter”. Who was 66-84 as an OC, before the YUCS made him their new Head Coach. Koetter believes in padding the stat sheet for his QB, to make him look good. But numbers don’t LIE and the only important number is called WINS.. And Koetter is 66-84 as an OC and 1-1 as a Head Coach, come back and see in December.
September 19th, 2016 at 10:47 am
And BTW Mike Smith, Jack Del Rio, Lovie Smith was fired with Koetter as their OC…Some coincidence Huh
September 19th, 2016 at 11:05 am
Enough with the Xs and Os, the stat geek crap and the protecting the franchise quarterback nonsense. Football is about more than your time in the 40-yd dash, how many times you can bench 225 or your twitch. Often football boils down to attitude, a certain knowledge that you and your teammates will do whatever it takes to win the game.
Jameis has it, he’s not a quarterback, he’s a football player. Hence, we saw him launching his 6-4 frame in the most God awful, and dangerous, front gainers last year to score touchdowns. He’s not a running quarterback and he knows it, but he’s a football player and he’s going to do what it takes to win. So, yesterday we saw Jameis in there to the bitter end, doing as much as he could to win the game, although it was hopeless.
Dirk has the “baller” mentality too, but his is old school. As Yogi Berra once said, “It ain’t over til it’s over.” And Dirk took that mentality to heart by letting Jameis play out the game and get as much done as possible.
Personally, I think that’s one reason Jason Licht brought in Robert Ayers, Brent Grimes and Daryl Smith to teach Bucs defenders that attitude by example. I think that’s a big reason why they keep Luke Stocker and Russell Shepard around because they’re grinders who don’t quit.
Gerald McCoy and Lavonte David are spectacular athletes – among the best in the world in any sport. They’re wonderfully athletic, they study, train religiously and put themselves through off and in season programs that would send most people to the emergency room.
But, for all that, neither would be my first picks to back me up in an alley fight. For that, I want Stocker, Shepard, Gosder Cherilus, Jameis and let’s not forget Miko Grimes people with a bit of swag that will hang with you until the bitter end, because that’s the way they are.
September 19th, 2016 at 11:32 am
Joe I know it fires up your reader base with the SOS comments, But you need to let Schiano and Lovie go man. Release them. Koetter is the man now. We can’t win one game with past coaches. Comparisons nor chatter win games. Koetter got served yesterday. And he will probably get served again. Lets talk about Kicking the Rams A.. A lot of us ole heads did not think we were going to march into AZ and win. They are a top tier team. perhaps in the top 3 or 4. But we do think we can whip the Rams. All they have is a great Defense. This will be a..MUST GAME WIN FOR Koetter and company.
September 19th, 2016 at 12:22 pm
Only, non-competitive, pu$$y people are upset about he tactics displayed by Koetter yesterday.
A bunch of blubbering babies.
September 19th, 2016 at 1:33 pm
The Cardinals imposed their will, the Bucs went along with it. The game was over quickly. I feel no reason to be overly bummed out about it. Been there, seen that. On to the future.
September 19th, 2016 at 2:40 pm
Let me say that Tom Jones is the worst columnist in the Tampa Bay area. I really get sick & tired of these media people who think they know more than the coaches of our sports teams. If anyone should get fired is worthless Tom Jones.