Rust Or Rest?
September 13th, 2017
Phil Simms has thoughts.
When the Bucs take the field Sunday at the Den of Depression, it will be a test.
One, it will be a test of the new Bucs offense, you know, whether #WeaponsForWinston, shines.
But the other test will be if the Bucs are rusty or if they are rested. The Bucs seemed to take the preseason just the way Joe believes the preseason to be: a joke.
After the Preseason Week 3 loss to the Browns, winning Bucs coach Dirk Koetter was scoffing about the game in his postgame presser and he seemed to place a greater importance on getting home in time to watch a pay-per-view fight.
In the final preseason game, Koetter had 36 players in street clothes with a healthy scratch. Please do not misunderstand Joe here: Joe believes preseason games are a waste of time and money. What happens Sunday will determine how correct Joe is in that assessment.
Super Bowl-winning quarterback Phil Simms is of the mind preseason is good for an offense because the offense needs reps in game situations to be prepared. He made this point Sunday.
Joe watched the Steelers-Browns game on NFL Sunday Ticket, the greatest invention since the remote control. After the game, CBS had a postgame show (neither the game nor the postgame show was aired locally on over-the-air WTSP-TV Channel 10, as the station rightly was broadcasting Hurricane Irma news coverage). Simms, who now is a studio analyst for CBS, mocked the Steelers for being sluggish on offense in the first half. Simms all but pointed the finger at Steelers coach Mike Tomlin as the culprit.
“Coach, the Steelers [first team] offense hardly played in the preseason,” Simms said to his co-host Bill Cowher. “You can’t tell me that wasn’t a big reason.”
When America’s Quarterback, Pro Bowler Jameis Winston, takes a snap from Ali Marpet Sunday, it will be the first time in 22 days the first team offense has been on the field together in a game situation.
So this will be the test for the Bucs: Will the team be rested and ready the way Koetter wants the team to be (emphasis on “rested”) or will the team be rusty as Simms suggests the Bucs might be, based on his thought process with the Steelers.
September 13th, 2017 at 2:00 am
Here’s hoping Koetter and Winston have had enough time to work on those red zone plays. Go Bucs!
September 13th, 2017 at 4:15 am
The first two weeks of the season have become the joke that the preseason is supposed to be, only the games count, so they’re not a joke. The Pats looked like a bunch of clowns on opening night, so did the Chiefs, but somebody had to win.
I’ll be surprised if Koetter can get anything more out of our guys on Sunday, but……somebody will win the game, even if only by accident.
September 13th, 2017 at 4:34 am
What’s the status of of the team? Are they back in Tampa and practicing?
September 13th, 2017 at 7:11 am
Give it a rest simms, you’re rusty
September 13th, 2017 at 7:37 am
Joe c’mon man we have a 4 game winning streak at the “den of happiness” thought you dropped the latter name?
September 13th, 2017 at 8:29 am
Q…at least the “Rock Star” and “Johnny Football” monikers are RIP.
September 13th, 2017 at 8:50 am
Good grief Joe if wasn’t for preseason football we’d have a kicker wearing Keyshawn Johnsons #19 jersey again this season. To hear the coaches talk during hard knocks and press conferences the kid could have kicked it through the uprights from Raymond James to i-275. But when the lights came on wearing KJ’s #19 jersey he did what he does best, suck! Zero is a number, he should’ve switched numbers!!! You can’t put a man in 99’s jersey,47’s,40,20,63, and certainly not 55’s!!!! Just as no one will ever put on the #3 ever again!!! Without preaseason joke games the most famous 2nd rounder in Buccaneers history would be lining up against the Bears Sunday to miss his next kick
September 13th, 2017 at 9:19 am
I file all of this under “F your circumstances”.
We are healthy…Tampa Bay and these players and their families and their homes dodged a true disaster….It’s all good!
We either win or lose and I shall not accept any excuses unless #3 goes down with injury…or multiple injuries in one unit. Other than injuries we have NO excuses. Let’s not look for them before the game even begins. Excuses are for the weak minded.
September 13th, 2017 at 10:01 am
The rust v. rest debate will be irrelevant. Considering what Tampa and the rest of Florida have gone through in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma, there will be an outpouring of emotion from Bucs players and fans.
September 13th, 2017 at 10:45 am
Don’t much stock in preseason. I look for execution more than anything. And I thought for the most part, our 1st teamers were fairly sharp. My concern is with our depth at certain positions. But I guess every team feels that way.
We are healthy, fresh and ready to go this weekend. So mission accomplished getting thru August.
September 13th, 2017 at 10:57 am
I also fear rust.
I expect a slow start Sunday but anticipate a win.
September 13th, 2017 at 10:59 am
the only thing that matters is the “W”…..im sure tomlin could care less if they won 49-0 or 3-0….a win is a win….GO BUCS!!!
September 13th, 2017 at 11:20 am
I say we start slow …by half time we will be ballin….my prediction 38-10 bucs make it 5 in a row at home
September 13th, 2017 at 11:31 am
Just hope everyone stands during the National Anthem!!!
September 13th, 2017 at 12:39 pm
In years past with different Buc teams I would expect them to come in as the heavy favorite to beat Chicago and lay an egg. But with the leadership on this team, and how emotional many of the players are, I can’t see Jameis and Kwon not pushing their hardest this week in practice to get their respective units ready. I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see or hear them make this game about an US vs THEM type scenario, as a focal point for the communities of Florida to rally behind. I don’t expect them to come out flat.