Sims Is Not An Inside Rusher
September 19th, 2017
Not Mike Alstott.
Two plays in the game Sunday had Joe shaking his head in disbelief.
One, of course, was when Bears punt returner Tarik Cohen tried to pick up a football off the ground that was a split-second from being blown dead on a punt play. He was totally surrounded by Buccaneers.
Cohen couldn’t get a handle on the ball and Cameron Lynch of the Bucs recovered the fumble, setting up a quick Tampa Bay touchdown.
The other mind-numbing play was when winning Bucs coach Dirk Koetter decided to give the ball to Charles Sims up the middle on third-and-one. Of course, that play blew up in Koetter’s face and the Bucs had to punt.
At first, Joe thought maybe Koetter was out in the sun too long. If Sims has proven anything in his days with the Bucs, it is the fact he just cannot run the ball up the middle.
Yesterday in his day-after presser, Koetter tried to explain it wasn’t Sims’ fault.
“We had a mental error, we didn’t block one of the linebackers [who] had a free run at the running back,” Koetter said. “Charles, if he is in there on third-and-one, we expect him to make the first down.”
Well, Joe’s recall may not be the greatest, but Joe simply cannot ever remember a regular-season time when Sims, running up the middle, broke a tackle. Now to his credit, Sims sure can dodge defenders once he catches a pass. But running up the middle? Joe cannot ever recall him dodging a defender.
And Koetter knows better: When has a running back taking a plunge between the tackles to try to pick up a yard and not had to worry about dodging a would-be tackler(s)?
To Koetter’s credit, he is loyal to his players. That’s a fantastic trait. And Joe is confident Koetter’s loyalty to Sims played a part in that decision to try to run him up the middle, which is totally out of Sims’ wheelhouse. Maybe Koetter was trying to build up Sims’ confidence?
(Joe worships Bobby Knight, which is why Joe often quotes “The General.” Once, while coaching Indiana, when Knight kept jerking a guard in and out of the lineup, a reporter asked Knight if he was possibly ruining the guard’s confidence pulling him off the court for every perceived slight. Knight shot back, “What about my confidence?”)
Koetter’s loyalty is wonderful but it should not cloud logic or common sense. Joe didn’t have a problem with the play call. Who Koetter decided to hand the rock to was the issue.
Jacquizz Rodgers? OK. Peyton Barber? Fine. But Sims? C’mon.
September 19th, 2017 at 9:07 am
Maybe he thought Charles “Gregory Hines” Sims could tap dance around the defender to pick up the 1yd.
September 19th, 2017 at 9:07 am
Bucs are tying different things to be less predictable based on personnel. They are trying to make it so that Sims being in the backfield isn’t an automatic tip off for a pass play. But yeah, he’s our 4th or 5th best inside runner. Not that I endorse it, but Jameis can probably run between the tackles better than Sims
September 19th, 2017 at 9:19 am
When will this coaching love for Sims end! He’s awful. Wasted motion with the dances and he can safely be called a fumbler…this isn’t his first miscue…let him walk after this year, i’ve had it watching that extremely overrated “scat” back…
September 19th, 2017 at 9:22 am
…and if your trying to get a yard for the first down, put your f**king head in there and plow forward…one little dance step and it’s over..Love Koetter, can’t stand the calls with Sims…
September 19th, 2017 at 9:25 am
I am very high on our team, the Bucs coaching staff and the front office.
However, I do not understand their fascination with Sims.
He looked awful again. Outside of the fumble he also danced in place on a swing pass he caught and got tackled for a small gain. His running style just does not work in the NFL.
September 19th, 2017 at 9:28 am
Its was catching the defense off guard and it of could of work anyways 3 and 1 or 3 and forever we won
September 19th, 2017 at 9:29 am
Barber > Sims. Simple as that.
September 19th, 2017 at 9:31 am
Pick 6, I think you hit the nail on the head: Koetter is trying to be less predictable. How many Bucs’ fans expected Sims to run that ball up the gut? Not me. Bears may not have thought he would either. Pretty much irrelevant though, it was poor execution … by Sims & by the OLine. Personally don’t think it had anything to do with Koetter’s ‘love for Sims’. Got a feeling that Koetter’s love for winning trumps his love for any specific player. That’s why he’s a great HC.
September 19th, 2017 at 9:41 am
Sims has a future in reality TV after football. One show that comes to mind is Dancing with the Stars.
September 19th, 2017 at 9:49 am
Sims is a waste of a roster spot. How many plays has he made since we drafted him? Maybe 3? Let him go and give someone else a chance
September 19th, 2017 at 9:52 am
He’s the anti-40. 40 could cut on a dime then roll downhill for 20 yards. Can’t deny Sims in the passing game though, if JW didn’t go all Freeman with another missed deep ball, we’d be praising Sims right now!
September 19th, 2017 at 9:55 am
Ooohh Burg that was cold. But funny😁.
September 19th, 2017 at 9:59 am
Kareem Hunt is doing pretty good on the inside runs, catching the ball outside runs, similar to dalvin cook, too bad we were set at RB going into the draft LIcht
September 19th, 2017 at 10:02 am
Mr Shake n Bake had that one great play in Atlanta. Yes he was overthrown in the end zone. He’s a receiver who should sometimes run the ball like a reverse.
September 19th, 2017 at 10:09 am
@Dusthty Rhothdes That pass on Cook I hope doesn’t bite us in the ass.
September 19th, 2017 at 10:49 am
Barber will have a HUGE game in the cool Dome on Sunday
September 19th, 2017 at 10:55 am
Would much rather have seen Cross get that call.
September 19th, 2017 at 11:14 am
What i said when i saw that play was….Dont evwr run sims on 3rd and 1. Lets hope we never see that again. Talk about a timid runner. And a fumble. Cmon Charlie. Go Bucs
September 19th, 2017 at 11:20 am
DK called a play where Sims and Jackson lined up in RB formation behind Fameis. It’s a new one, and they need to work out the kinks in practice. Once they do, it will be a defensive nightmare. Sims makes that play possible. Why? Cos he can catch it out of the backfield. That’s why he was drafted. There are some real mental liteweights on here.
September 19th, 2017 at 11:24 am
DK blew the execution and had to call a timeout. It’s brilliant, and the Bucs have the talent now on O to pull it off. ^^
September 19th, 2017 at 11:36 am
Some one said they hope passing on Cook doesn’t come back and bite them in the ass. I say what about passing on Hunt? Might even be worse.
September 19th, 2017 at 11:59 am
I love DC,but if you reading this my G we pounding that @$$ this weekend.
September 19th, 2017 at 12:04 pm
And mr. Zimmer please do us the favor you did pitt and only give him 12 rush attempts. Which resulted in 64 yards 5.3 a carry.
September 19th, 2017 at 12:06 pm
@pick6…I agree…..but look for barber to be the bell cow sunday(I hope)….GO BUCS!!!
September 19th, 2017 at 5:42 pm
“Well, Joe’s recall may not be the greatest, but Joe simply cannot ever remember a regular-season time when Sims, running up the middle, broke a tackle”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eGN5MTIBkU
2nd play of his highlight reel lol (40 seconds in) – breaks a few tackles for a big gain up the middle. There’s like 2-3 other big plays where he ran the ball up the middle effectively.
107 carries for 4.9 YPC. He was an effective pure RB running the ball in 2015 – both inside and outside- and that season was the largest sample size we have on him. There’s a reason everyone in fantasy football thought Sims would blow up if Martin ever went down.
Maybe he can’t ever do that again and it was a fluke – but it’s not like there is no evidence of this guy ever being able to run up the middle. If anything there’s a large sample size of him doing it effectively (college and full season 2015) than there is sample size of his failures at it – mostly due to injury.
September 19th, 2017 at 5:42 pm
Sims did not look good at all. It doesn’t take much to see that Barber is quite a bit better than Sims. Hopefully Koetter will not be stubborn and open his eyes. Sims fell down on his first carry and it didn’t get much better from there. He has sucked since his rookie season.