“Right Now, We’re A Bad Football Team.”
October 17th, 2017
No spin zone.
My, how things can change in the NFL in the span of three months.
When winning Bucs coach Dirk Koetter welcomed the Bucs to training camp, as documented by the NFL Films-produced “Hard Knocks,” the very first scene in the opening episode showed Koetter standing before his players in the auditorium of One Buc Palace and spoke what has turned into haunting words.
“We have a ton — a ton! — of talent in this room,” Koetter told his players. “Most the Bucs have had in a long time.”
Three months later the Bucs have yet to beat a team with a winning record, squandered a golden opportunity to beat the defending Super Bowl champs at home on national television in prime time, and dropped the mother of all turds defensively on the field at the University of Phoenix Stadium. That’s where a desperate, average team completely boat-raced the defense with a statue of a quarterback who completed his first 13 attempts (!) and an over-the-hill warrior ran as if he was 22-years old.
“Right now, we’re a bad football team,” Koetter said yesterday.
Sunday’s [lack of] defensive effort was and is one of the absolute worst, most complete and total breakdowns of a defense Joe has ever seen. Good defenses do not get throttled like that right out of the chute, spotting an average-talent, struggling-offensive line, aging offense 31 points right out of the gate, scoring touchdowns on their first three possessions.
Joe has seen better defensive efforts in a Pasco County high school seven-on-seven summer league game.
That disgrace of an effort is on everyone associated with that defense from defensive coordinator Mike Smith down to the self-professed leaders of the defense to the Charles Haley of our time, Will Clarke, to the towel boys in the locker room.
The signs were there from the beginning of training camp that things were awry, but Joe dismissed them largely due to it being preseason, and Joe honestly doesn’t think anyone saw the defensive molten meltdown coming — with nine days to prepare!!!
How many times did we hear Koetter grumble about bad practices in August? The offense struggled through the preseason and it has continued through five games. Joe can only think of five quarters this season where the offense looked (at least) average.
(No, Joe isn’t counting what happened when Arizona was playing prevent defense in the final minutes of Sunday’s steel boot kick-in-the-nuts loss.)
How this defense, with Pro Bowlers on every level, can play such ole,’ white flag, half-arse defense is beyond Joe’s comprehension. Yes, Lavonte David and Brent Grimes played inspired football. Takes more than two players to stop any NFL offense.
There just is something not right about this team. Call it chemistry, bloated resumes, complacency, lack of focus, over-inflated self worth, arrogance, selfishness, bad coaching — whatever it is there is something not right about this team. The signs were there in August but were largely ignored and Joe is as guilty as anyone for waving off signs as trivial.
In the same speech Koetter gave to his team that late-July day just before training camp began, virtually in the next sentence that Joe transcribed above, Koetter’s words, now three months after the fact, should scare the life out of Bucs fans.
“Teams are like rockets,” Koetter told the Bucs on training camp report day. “Once the rocket launches it is incredibly difficult to change its course midflight.”
Joe is pretty sure that five games in, the rocket is midflight. And the powers that be at One Buc Palace have scant time to adjust the flight pattern.
October 17th, 2017 at 12:32 pm
eradicate the losing culture and the face of the basement years and things will turn around.
October 17th, 2017 at 12:38 pm
Winning is the best deodorant!!!
……win this Sunday!!!!
Just Win, Baby Win – al davis
October 17th, 2017 at 12:41 pm
^^^ agree w tmaxcon
Let’s thow in the fact that this djax thing isnt working/worth it. We put a turbo boost in a Cadillac. I think we are fine without him
Godwin can be a 2 at this point and get oj involved we are fine.
October 17th, 2017 at 12:43 pm
it’s hard to win when jameis and the other promising young bucs have to not only overcome their opponents but the career losing holdovers and their undeniable lust for giving up the booty and coming out flat. Especially when facing broken down running backs and backup quarterbacks.
October 17th, 2017 at 12:44 pm
The Bucs has been a “bad” football team since 1976. They had a few good seasons in between. But overall they stinks, they smell like cow manure. Dirk Koetter is only stating the obvious. When will the Bucs become a “good” football team, is the million dollar question!
October 17th, 2017 at 12:45 pm
NY Giants replaced their playcaller ….
and ended their winless streak and beat the best defensive team at their homefield with a bunch of nobodies
***Poster Doctor Shroud and Kobe Faker MD
spent all day performing a intense physiological analysis on Milli VH3 Vinilli
we reviewed the results of the blood test and we have diagnosed his strange uncontrollable condition of smiling, laughing, dancing by himself with no apparent reason as…Schizophrenia
joint recommendation…
Sit his Fake A$$
October 17th, 2017 at 12:48 pm
@Lamarcus so funny and so true.
Trade DJAX for picks to a team that knows how to use him and throw a deep ball.
Licht is looking so bad right now. It’s like he doesn’t know his team. He drafts like I draft/ pick up FAs in fantasy, I SUCK AT IT.
Koetter…. don’t get me started. I love the Glazers but then need to sell, to a dedicated football owner, like a Vinik type owner.
October 17th, 2017 at 12:48 pm
This issue the buccaneers are having can be fix. It depend on if the glazers do what needs to be done!! TAKE AWAY THE BENCH!!!!!!!!! Ain’t no sitting down starting or finishing games!!! Every body stand up!! benches get used second in third quarter!! First in last!! I want every body standing up!! Only the play makers get to use the bench!! If they choose!! If Winston is tom Brady he has to override whatever going on wrong with this team!! If he can’t then he must exit!! Fitz may be this years brad Johnson!!!! If pressure can be found on defense!!!! Simple as that
October 17th, 2017 at 12:48 pm
There’s still time to turn things around. Y’all remember when we were 3-5 last year? No one thought we were gonna have a winning season since the 5th loss came from the Falcons putting up 43 points on us on Thursday Night Football. After that, the Bucs went on a 5 game winning streak. I’ll say that if we’re 2-5 in a couple of weeks, then that’s when it’s time to say we should be looking at who we could get in next year’s draft. But I honestly don’t believe that’s gonna happen. The Bucs will get back on the right track, and all the negativity will go away.
October 17th, 2017 at 12:49 pm
Sunday and against the Vikings, we were a bad football team. But at 2-3, all is not lost. Simple things can be fixed. Preparation can be better. Playing smarter is a must. Playing without total effort every single down is inexcusable.
October 17th, 2017 at 12:52 pm
Buccoon
if you are not already a coach; you sure would make a good coach at the juvenile detention center aka High School
TAKEAWAY THE BENCH AND TAKEAWAY THE DOLLS (excuse me Action Figures)
October 17th, 2017 at 12:52 pm
What happened to all the fawning praise for Jameis? Clearly, all the shouting he does before games is just that: shouting. This site, and pretty much all the Bucs fans and coaching staff have blown smoke up this kid’s butt so that he thinks he can pull off comebacks like he did in college. The reality is that he is a sloppy player and all the 5 am arrivals to the gym are clearly not paying off
You do realize Jameis left the game hurt in the first half and is just 23-years-old with solid accomplishments under his belt?–Joe
October 17th, 2017 at 12:53 pm
Take away the bench!! Our players sit to dam much we practice in Florida should no team be beating us look at the dam lightning and that skating playing on freaking ice!!!!! Ain’t no sitting gohard or go home!!! Take away the bench!!!!!!!!!!!
October 17th, 2017 at 12:58 pm
Listen this will work!!!! Trust me!!!!! The players should be better than this these players ain’t just rookies!!! They SHOULDNT need a bench to rest on!!! They grown men!!! If you can take a kneel in play thru adversity as they say!! They can play with out a dog on bench to sit they little puppy tails down on!! Clean this sh!t up take away the bench!!!! Make me stand once our players sit down we just don’t know how to get back up so just take away the bench in that will fix the problem first and forth quarter
October 17th, 2017 at 12:59 pm
How about the real issue here guys?
Where the hell is NOSBOS?
October 17th, 2017 at 1:01 pm
I can still see some hope with our offense. Our OL has enough talent…we have a load of targets…if we keep improving we could still become good.
But the defense really scares me now. Our back four except for Grimes are all suspect…we have good LB’s when we’re healthy…but we have a very limited DL.
The offense seems like a work in progress…Sunday the defense looked like a total disaster.
October 17th, 2017 at 1:02 pm
I am starting to worry about the coaching. Dirk needs to get his head out of his you know what. That was embarrassing.
October 17th, 2017 at 1:05 pm
Kobe Faker, and only Kobe Faker….
not 1 individual, website, reporters….
have been completely adamant that Kwons hamstring pull was because of his lackadaisical, joyful, vacation atmosphere prep at training camp and preseason
how long did kwons hammy last? 1 series?
Kwon spent more time dyeing his hair red than preparing/ramping intensity for the season
“two redheads do not make a right”
Tmaxcon
October 17th, 2017 at 1:07 pm
Based on wards comments…couple young guys need to be benched.
October 17th, 2017 at 1:08 pm
Koetter makes a lot of statements that seem like he doesn’t want to be a head coach here or anywhere else in the NFL.
October 17th, 2017 at 1:08 pm
It starts at the very top folks. The Glazer boys have consistently made bad decisions which has caused over a decade of losing. Let’s take a look: fired Gruden and replaced with Raheem Morris. Raheem had no business being a head coach. He also vouched for Freeman, bust. Glazer boys put Dominic as GM. Awful GM. Glazer boys got rid of Raheem and put Schiano in there. From Rutgers to NFL head coach. Folks said he was brought in to “clean things up”. This is a freaking pro sports franchise. You don’t bring in head coaches to clean things up for crying out loud. Glazer boys fired Schiano and Dominic and replaced with Lovie and Licht. Need I say more about Lovie? And the jury is out on Licht. Licht has wasted multiple high draft picks on busts. Glazer boys are to blame here. It happens with any large corporation, bad executive decisions impacts for years to come. They don’t know what they are doing. They continue to hire coaches and front office staff that lack the expertise needed to build a good football team. I’d be interested to see if Bucs fans started pointing the finger at the Glazers and publicly calling them out, how would they respond. Someone needs to start doing it.
October 17th, 2017 at 1:18 pm
Kobe Faker before the season posted the MVP was the glazer owners
WHY?
Because the whole tampa fan base. all websites and reporters wanted the Glazers to extend Licht beer to a new contract
This tells Kobe that there is a silent consultant that the Glazers are getting input
#1BUC MOLE
October 17th, 2017 at 1:19 pm
I’m having trouble seeing a turnaround. The D has been pretty sad all season. This team needs a shake-up and wake-up. Send someone, it doesn’t matter who really, packing via a trade for a CB or DE. Send them somewhere crappy like Cleveland, San Fran, Baltimore, or Chicago (none of those teams is going anywhere) and see if the others get the message. I just don’t see this team having any heart, soul, or direction right now. Can someone please talk me off the ledge!! I feel like I went to see Elvis, expecting the 1960s version, and got the Fat Elvis instead.
October 17th, 2017 at 1:19 pm
yeah the defense gave up 31 out the gate BUT that sorry excuse for an offense put up a big fat ZERO in that same stretch of time
October 17th, 2017 at 1:23 pm
“Right now, we’re a bad football team,” Koetter said yesterday
NO DIRK!!!!
you are a bad coach….horrible play calling….poor clock management….bad use of personnel….quitting on your team….
the team is pretty good as far as talent wise….all of our issues are based on coaching!!!!….GO BUCS!!!!
October 17th, 2017 at 1:24 pm
Ive said , constantly , for 2 years
If only we had a DE . . .
And so has many others.
Well, That Pidgeon has finally come home to roost.
Cardinals knew exactly where we are hopelessly weak- and crushed us.
As I pointed out many times during the thread- they were triple teaming McCoy!! Triple teaming!!!they Knew Gholsten and Baker are Here as Run stoppers- not rushers.
They were so unimpressed with Ayers and Spence, that they were blocking them with RBs and TEs. Successfully and easily.
And they lined up Fitzgerald on Vernon “The dancing machine” Hargreaves.
And let him single handedly beat the Bucs senseless- with Long completion after long Completion.
And Every team we play from here out, will know the recipe.
Triple McCoy. Block Baker and Gholsten.
Pretty much ignore Ayers and Spence, especially after they are run down.
Then Throw at Hagreaves. Repeat. Repeat
Expect more huge beatings to follow.
October 17th, 2017 at 1:25 pm
The Problem is Fanal34, is that this should be the part of the schedule that we make hay. And if we miss this opportunity, it will only be substantially more difficult as we get deeper into the schedule.
October 17th, 2017 at 1:26 pm
Big euphoria in off season.
Collapse when it counts.
Such an old, tired story.
Buffalo will probably take us apart. We would have to man up and play a tough football game. Not seeing it.
October 17th, 2017 at 1:27 pm
lol Capt Tim’s where I’m at.
Cept it’s NOT funny.
October 17th, 2017 at 1:32 pm
The O looks lost most of the time (playcalling) and the D looks lost from time to time. VHG is a liability right now. Like I keep saying especially with little to no pass rush.
This team has big problems right now. The only one that looks good out there is Bryan Anger. He belongs in the PB.
October 17th, 2017 at 1:33 pm
Joe Said:
Truer words were never posted.
There is a sickness on this team that is difficult to define, and it ain’t talent.
I see a lot of “leadership” with mouths, not deeds.
October 17th, 2017 at 1:34 pm
Buffalo will tear this team apart.
October 17th, 2017 at 1:34 pm
Joe’s, I do wonder where is all the “family” talk and “one heart beat” that was the theme last year when they started to play “as a team”???????
October 17th, 2017 at 1:36 pm
the sickness is not difficult to find at all. it’s right in front of your faces. you just conveniently choose to live in denial. you have been blinded by the dog and pony show known as Cancer93…
October 17th, 2017 at 1:39 pm
Capt Tim that’s a pretty good assessment. I look at it like this:
The offensive struggles can be corrected. There is absolutely talent at every single position. Dirk used to be a great offensive coordinator.
As for the defense, there’s 2 issues I just don’t see improving this year. The pass rush and VH3. Maybe we can generate a pass rush if we start blitzing linebackers and doing more 3-4 alignments, but we haven’t Mike Smith do much adapting or changing so far, despite speaking about that (scheming to fit players strengths) a lot when he was hired.
11 games to figure it out Bucs!
October 17th, 2017 at 1:40 pm
And how many times did I keep saying 6 points. What the hell are they going to do against good teams? Yes the signs were there all preseason long.
October 17th, 2017 at 1:52 pm
Capt Tim, I’m pretty much there with ya too. Our defense is what it is, and it’ll be hard-pressed for the rest of the year to stop any offense that runs the ball reasonably well AND throws a lot of short passes to keep us off-balance. We don’t have the personnel in a 4-3 defense to stop that type of an attack if it’s well-executed. In a 3-4 defense however, we MIGHT be a bit more successful, since our LB corps is probably our biggest strength (and Spence is really a OLB in disguise). VHIII has to either get more aggressive or be moved to nickel … his coverage skills on receivers like Larry Fitzgerald are really bad.
The only REAL hope IMO though is our offense. If it continues like it has we’ll be lucky to win 6 games. But if it can start putting up 30-35 pts/game (which is doable), controlling the TOP (33-35 mins/game) and minimizing turnovers we’ll at least have a chance. Of course then all the media will surely nickname us ‘New Orleans South’.
October 17th, 2017 at 1:57 pm
vh3 moved to nickel… yeah right… vh3 could not even make snoop’s pop warner team… it’s time to move on from yet another first round mistake
October 17th, 2017 at 2:04 pm
Cobraboy Says:
October 17th, 2017 at 1:33 pm
Joe Said:
There just is something not right about this team. Call it chemistry, bloated resumes, complacency, lack of focus, over-inflated self worth, arrogance, selfishness, bad coaching — whatever it is there is something not right about this team.
Truer words were never posted.
There is a sickness on this team that is difficult to define, and it ain’t talent.
I see a lot of “leadership” with mouths, not deeds.
—————————————–
Joe isn’t Jameis the most guilty of leading with mouth? A lot less preacher man and a lot more QB could go a long way
October 17th, 2017 at 2:04 pm
Look!
Tmaxipad and I agree 100% on his last post!
Finally, youve actually identified a real problem.
Even a broken watch is right twice a day!
October 17th, 2017 at 2:08 pm
A defensive phylosophy change is needed. They have to switch to more of a hybrid 3 man front….have to. The college talent coming out these days lends itself more to that style.
October 17th, 2017 at 2:16 pm
Capt.Tim
now once you accept the fact that cancer93 and his love of losing is killing our favorite team then you will achieve euphoric happiness and be able to live a more happy and fulfilled life.
8 years of smiles, excuses and a full time residence in the basement… oh the glorious gmc years. Captain Quitter and his legion of full time excuse makers…. it’s a buc life
October 17th, 2017 at 2:20 pm
Sadly..today on the Buffalo Bills Website (see for yourself), The coaching staff said, Its not hard to prepare for the Bucs. We think its arrogance. But..its truth. Now watch a flagling Buffalo Offense..come to life Sunday. Man, they actually said..its not hard. WOW!! In your face! What you gonna do Bucs?
October 17th, 2017 at 2:24 pm
Heard all the gloom and doom…
Bucs defense have had 2 poor games, it’s clear that Kwon Alexander is mvp of D, Cardinals played like a desperate team in 1st half, unfortunately Bucs offense plays like they’re afraid to make mistakes to start games- no creativity…
still smh over Patriots loss…
We will see what this team is made of – if they get it together like last year, with additional talent, fading hopes of playoffs still possible
Koetter needs to use Godwin more and take advantage of Evans size- teams are stacking the box against the run because they don’t fear Bucs conservative passing game
October 17th, 2017 at 2:52 pm
Losing happens to all teams but Sunday that, THAT was unacceptable from anyone, at anytime, anywhere. This does truly fall on the leadership of this team and yes that includes Jameis. This kind of performance does not just happen on Sunday as it comes from the way the team prepares and carries itself. Jamies, McCoy, Evans, Ayers, Kwon, LVD, Marpet, Koetter, and Smith this entire performance falls on your shoulders as this team was not ready to play a preseason game much less one that counts.
October 17th, 2017 at 2:54 pm
JMarkBuc:
Jameis is not the problem.
October 17th, 2017 at 2:57 pm
There is something not right with this team Joe. I feel the players are not tired of losing! They have to have pride in their body of work. It has to motivate them to excel. And they are not at that place right now. Hate to harken back to the glory days but until Sapp, Brooks, and Lynch reach that point they too lost a lot of games. I’m not calling out specific players but as a team they are not where they need to be in pride, determination and effort.
October 17th, 2017 at 3:49 pm
Gotsta completrly agree with ndog here. Even my wife who barely comments shocked me and said after the 1st qtr..What kind of Sh.. is this? We cut off the tv and went to watch Bladerunner 2045. It was like the AZ cardinals was having a fast paced walk thru on offense without pads. We gotta change people or continue to get laughed at. I’m no longer depressed. I’m just..comfortably numb!!
October 17th, 2017 at 4:47 pm
There is no way u can convince me that Koeter is on top of his game from a playcalling standpoint. I keep pointing out 3rd& 2 from midfield down 14-0 and he emptied the backfield and tried to throw downfield. Why? 2 runs worst case and u movevthe chains. Instead another 3 and out. Djax has ruined Dirk this year. Jameis has many long TD passes that weren’t 50 yards in the air. Stop this madness and get back to ball control and long drives and keep this crappy D off the field or this team will lose 12 games and the entire staff will be gone. If I was Dirk I would do what McAdoo did and delegate playcalling and be a HC, we don’t have any Hall of Famers on D so Dirk needs to be involved on both sides of the ball
October 17th, 2017 at 5:16 pm
Don’t act like the offense wasn’t disgraceful all first half per the usual as well lol
October 17th, 2017 at 5:24 pm
How come if JW hurt his shoulder,why didn’t I see it being iced ? Or did I miss that?
October 17th, 2017 at 6:00 pm
Looking back, it was kinda ominous in the preseason when someone (Evans maybe?) said the defense was kicking the offenses butt all training camp.
October 17th, 2017 at 6:50 pm
At this point in the season his Bills game scares me the most. Bills are looking really good. It could get ugly Sunday if we wait until the second half to play ball.
October 17th, 2017 at 9:24 pm
I just don’t see any fire. No desire. No passion. The offensive line (especially in pass protection) is the only bright spot. It looked to me like the Cardinals knew we were soft from last season and we did nothing to show that anything has changed. Hell, I’ve got talent. But I was lazy and hesitant. And that’s why I don’t make millions doing what I love. These guys are going to continue to get creamed untill they man up.
October 17th, 2017 at 10:56 pm
The writer here calls AP (All Day) an over the hill warrior?
Wow!! He was juking guys 10 years younger than him out of their cleats and outrunning safeties. It’s all about effort and at 32 AP still has it whether the writer wants to acknowledge or not.
They need to change up the offense to more dink & dunk. Fitz was able to hit the deep ball but once he sits on the bench we will be missing connecting those deep balls again.
October 18th, 2017 at 12:30 am
I would really like to see what monken could do calling the plays when koetter can focus on hc duties I think it could probably help it just doesn’t seem like he has the time to coach the players and jw with taking on all the other duties especially being a new hc just a thought idk ?
October 18th, 2017 at 1:18 am
The defense is the problem. You can’t win when you constantly put your team in a hole to climb out of. The offense is not the problem it’s this horrible defense that ranks next to last in the league in sooo many categories.
October 18th, 2017 at 5:37 am
Uhhhh- this guy is so delusional. WHEN exactly were you a “good” football team?? Hard Knocks hype and the ridiculous expectations that were put on the this team by the media is totally crazy. Nothing screams division winner or even playoff team.
October 18th, 2017 at 6:45 am
joe do you think any of this can be traced back to hard knocks?