Might Not Get Better
October 26th, 2017
Trying times.
And Joe thought Raheem Morris and Lovie Smith had garish defenses.
Why, what Mike Smith and his charges have put on the field in recent road games has taken Joe’s breath away. You know, like right before you just start to heave?
The lack of a pass rush (what edge rush?) simply defies logic. There truly are no words. Third down conversion percentage against the Bucs? It makes even Curly Howard run screaming into the woods.
It’s a toxic mix, notes Lorenzo Reyes of USA Today.
There are six players in the NFL who have more sacks individually than the Bucs’ league-worst total of 7. They’re the only team in the league yet to reach double digits.
Tampa Bay is also allowing opponents to convert third downs almost half of the time (49.38 %), which ranks them 31st in the NFL.
Those issues are compounded because the former feeds into the latter. Without an effective pass rush, quarterbacks have more time to throw and an easier outlook on third downs.
And folks, this pass rush will not be fixed barring the Bucs swinging an unprecedented trade in the coming days or Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht bribing DeMarcus Ware out of retirement. Joe just cannot envision the pass rush (what edge rush?) improving, unless Smith gets creative and blitzes Lavonte David on nearly each and every pass play.
Hey, it worked for Greg Schiano!
October 26th, 2017 at 5:19 am
The lack of pass rush is not a function of poor coaching it’s a function of lousy talent. Exotic blitzes are a compliment for when your base front can get pressure. If all you do is blitz because your base front sucks then you will get owned by every OC/QB in this league.
This is a talent problem folks, not a coaching problem. You want to point fingers then point them at the man who is responsible for assembling the talent. Point your finger at Jason Licht.
October 26th, 2017 at 5:20 am
I have faith play with no regerts, and we can get to the playoffs.
October 26th, 2017 at 5:48 am
What we need is some great talent evaluators!!!
October 26th, 2017 at 6:09 am
Look at the guys we’ve drafted, and how many have stayed, how many are actually contributing. Look at the free agents we’ve brought. Jason Lichts roster is starting to resemble annoy so distant one under mark Dominick, whose 5 year reign as GM yielded only 28 wins. So far, Lichts roster has won 17 almost midway through his 4th year as GM. It’s trending bad, Bucs fans. Someone is walking the plank at the end of the season.
October 26th, 2017 at 6:11 am
Correction, 19 wins with Licht as GM.
October 26th, 2017 at 7:14 am
DallasBuc..
You are 100% right!
The GM is responsible for the crappy ass talent and poor FA signings.
He wasted high round draft choices that could have been used for defensive talent.
It starts with the GM
October 26th, 2017 at 7:15 am
I’ve been saying it for weeks about the offense and it applies to the defense as well, we need to stat getting creative with our play-calling.
And we most definitely need to get some better talent in here.
October 26th, 2017 at 7:49 am
Mike Smith has a different definition of creative from everyone else. He’ll be fired and we can get someone who can be taken seriously. If you won’t do more 3-4 because you think it’ll neuter one guy even though everyone is ineffective along the line then no I’m not counting on anything changing since Smith doesn’t believe in exotic blitzes which would be easier and light doesn’t do trades. They should both be fired, if licht couldn’t see this coming when even fans and the Joe’s talked about it all off-season I’d be happy to get an experienced GM… Our head coach and gm job would be highly coveted and everyone who’s anyone would jump at this opportunity these guys have ruined
October 26th, 2017 at 8:03 am
WE passed on Aaron Donald and a whole slew of DE talent the last 2 or 3 yrs. Hate to say it, But I told y’all so..time and time again. Ohhh you said, but we’s got Jameis. Miaim had a guy named Marino who set all kinds of records too..without a superbowl. DEFENSE WINS CHAMPIONSHIPS. Atlanta gave Mr Smith his walking papers over this same type of mess. And I’m predicting the Glazers will give him and his parter in crime, Mr Koetter their walking papers too!!
October 26th, 2017 at 8:05 am
We just might have to go back to the Schiano D. Stunts and blitzes. Couldn’t be any worse off.
October 26th, 2017 at 8:07 am
Remember, it’s losing head coach Koetter who hand picked his buddy Smith as D.C.. Losing Coach Koetter should’ve done some homework before giving his unemployed buddy a job. Shame on Licht for letting him do it, that’s the G.M.’s job. Hopefully losing coach Koetter will be fired along with his buddy, and Licht will be replaced.
October 26th, 2017 at 8:23 am
Get rid of cancer93 and a new GM… problem solved.. I was a licht guy until he wasted fiirst and second round picks on a future pop warner coach and a kicker… aguayo will get the last laugh Sunday… it’s a bucs life
October 26th, 2017 at 8:39 am
There isn’t as much talent on this team as people are saying. Only about 10 guys on this team are worth a chit, MAYBE less. All of the wasted draft picks the last few years are killing us right now. The next 2 drafts need to be ALL defense and a new RB whenever you can get a good one. I am NOT so sure Licht should be the one picking the talent for this team. We need someone who can evaluate the defensive talent and so far Jason has done a horrible job. This team lacks decent players to begin with and has NO depth at ANY position. Don’t tell me the LB’s are in good shape either because they are slacking too. I am glad the Glazers haven’t given Jason a new contract yet because he doesn’t deserve one. We finally have a coach that can get production out of our offense and it’s being wasted because the defense gives up too many points almost EVERY game. It’s hard to say if Smith should go too because you can tell he doesn’t have much to work with. How come some DC’s can come in and turn a team around in an off-season? Wish I had the answer! I just hope Koetter gets a couple more years to turn things around. He’s NOT the greatest HC but at least Jameis is getting better under his leadership. Serious changes need to be made though or we will continue to lose EVERY year. Go YUCS!
October 26th, 2017 at 8:44 am
I’m with Mike. Where did all the #WEAPONS4WINSTON people go?
October 26th, 2017 at 8:58 am
Suck it up locker room crybabies….you are getting your azz beat by opposing players that want it more than you…
October 26th, 2017 at 9:16 am
God this place draws the biggest idiot Bucs “fans” – and trolls galore to boot.
Yes a 3 game losing streak sucks balls. Nobody is happy about it.
But to see so many insist that the best GM we’ve ever had needs to be fired – or that Koetter and/or Mike Smith (with about 30 years of very successful NFL coaching experience between them) need to be fired…
Really???
You’ve all apparently forgotten already that such drastic reactions lead to basically starting over – AGAIN.
We are close. A couple plays here or there and we are sitting at 4-2 and talking playoff seating.
This team will play solid, winning football again this season.
I get it. We’ve been through a lot as Bucs fans over the last 4 decades. A lot of SUCK that is.
This team does not suck. Our GM does not suck. Our coaches do not suck. They just have to all pull together and turn this deteriorating season around.
Disappointing season thus far? Yes very.
But time to over react like a bunch of torch and pitchfork wielding idiots screaming “OFF WITH THEIR HEADS!”?? Apparently….
SMH
October 26th, 2017 at 9:17 am
@MikeJohnson ….. we passed on Aaron Donald but got Mike Evans which was a great pick. So I wouldn’t argue that pick the Bucs made. There are plenty of other bad picks to point out.
October 26th, 2017 at 9:47 am
@Pickgrin
Rich McKay is the BEST GM this team has EVER had, NOT Licht. Jason has brought in a few good players but has wasted a lot of draft picks too. There were STARS on offense (Alstott and Dunn, among others) and defense (too many to name) AND our defense had SO much depth we were winning preseason games too. Just because Licht has brought in a handful of players in 4 years doesn’t make him the best. We had depth at D-Line, linebacker, and our DB’s as well. This team has NO depth at ANY position (maybe linebacker at best). I hate to say I want ANYONE fired but last years draft was atrocious. Did we get anyone worth a crap out of that draft? No more excuses! Playoffs or Bust! Go YUCS!
October 26th, 2017 at 10:24 am
Problem is there isn’t that many good pass rushers in the league. I read an anology recently comparing DE’s to QB’s. It is an elite position. It appears we have lost both of the candidates, Spence and Smith, that management counted on to provide QB pressure, leaving Gholston, Ayers, a few others to do the job. Unless you’re ready to chuck the season and hope you can land an Arden Key, Bradley Chubb, or the kid out of OSU and hope FA will provide some help, you better fiqure out a way to use what you got. That falls on coaching. Imagine if Belicheat were in the same position, he would win. His staff could turn a 3rd string RB into a serviceable pass rusher. We have a lot of talent on this team and the whole NFC south schedule ahead of us. Can’t give up, need to coach our way to wins or maybe get some new coaches.
October 26th, 2017 at 10:47 am
Koetter made an interesting statement that stood out to me….when asked about his defensive staff, he stated we have an excellent defensive staff. It makes me wonder if the coaches and the GM might be where the true friction is lying. Ward, Baker….new signings aren’t happy with their roles….but maybe they were never wanted and the coaching staff feels they are the weakness. Its insanely bizarre that we would cut DE Smith who then gets picked up instantly by the Lions….then put Spence on IR….and not have a backup plan. Why with TWO HUGE question marks at DE, do we build depth at safety and DT? Neither Smith or Spence have done anything that warrants protection from competition…..McCoy either. Nobody’s ego is too big that we should except losing vs stepping on toes. Mike Evans WANTED Jackson here….You dont here stories of McCoy WANTING anyone.
I think what you are seeing is our GM’s inexperience at building a roster….The dude banked on Winston carrying this team with this dynamic offense and its been a total dud.
October 26th, 2017 at 12:09 pm
The scary thing is that the last time Cam Newton got into a press tussle he put up 37 on the Detroit Lions. Well, it just happened again this week with the press and the Lions D is far superior than the Bucs. Looking at maybe 50 against us….that should do the trick in getting rid of Mike Smith. It must be getting close to Halloween, as I used “scary and trick” in my comments above. 🙂
October 26th, 2017 at 12:16 pm
Jason Licht is the DUMBEST GM in the NFL. You totally sucks in pressure the QB. And what does he do? Go out and sign Darryl Crapp. A guy who has 4.5 sacks over the past years with 4 different teams. ….This is HILARIOUS
October 26th, 2017 at 12:18 pm
4.5 sacks over the past 5 seasons
October 26th, 2017 at 12:35 pm
O Townn Back Again..I would have still went with Donald..a game changer on defense. Yes, Evans was a great pick. But what good is scoring 28 points when the opposition runs thru your Defense and scores 30?
October 26th, 2017 at 1:23 pm
Freeney>Trapp
October 26th, 2017 at 1:36 pm
Simeon Rice would be better at 43 years of age
October 26th, 2017 at 2:00 pm
Flawed Scheme. To vanilla. No confusing looks or aggressive attacking LB play. Bucs should move to a 3-4 next year. There will be growing pains but they can’t keep using the played out 4-3 scheme. Copy the Pats, it’s a simple as that.
October 26th, 2017 at 7:11 pm
I don’t get why we never blitz the slot corner like we did with Barber. We cannot get pressure with our front 4, so we need to blitz — creatively. I’d rather blitz and get burned now and then but get some pressure and create some TOs than get picked apart by third rate QBs like Tyrod and Case Keenum…
October 26th, 2017 at 7:39 pm
Pickgrin
Amen brother. I agree completely.
If we’re going to expose ignorance though let’s document some things. You people are smoking some amazing crack when it comes to your views of draft picks and Licht’s or anybody’s for that matter, success rate!
Time and again I read here that the draft is a crap shoot…then the same people turn around and criticize ANY GM for his snake eyes rolls. ALL GM’s crap out on their picks…AGAIN PLEASE READ FOR SOME KNOWLEDGE.
https://www.dailynorseman.com/2017/4/12/15274148/most-nfl-draft-picks-are-busts
Most NFL Draft Picks Are Busts
16.7% Didn’t Play for the Team that Drafted Them.
Most of these are draft picks that didn’t make the team, however, there were a few draft picks that were immediately traded that were of great value- Eli Manning and Philip Rivers for example. But generally these were few and far between so it is safe to say that most in this category (let’s say 16% of the 16.7%) were busts.
37% Were Considered “Useless”
Also known as busts. These are players that had a draft metric of between 0-4, and rarely or never saw the field. Guys like Ryan Leaf, Ryan Mallet and the Vikings’ 1999 1st round pick Dimitrius Underwood, to name a few. These are players that basically did nothing to help the team at all – and represent over a third of all draft picks over the past 20 years.
15.3% Were Considered “Poor”
Still pretty clearly in bust territory. These are players that had underwhelming careers with a draft metric between 5-10, and include some pretty well known busts such as Jamarcus Russell (who scored a 6).
So, if you add up these first three categories of bust (excluding a few draft pick trades that worked out), you come up with just over 68% of all draft picks over the past 20 years have been busts- over two-thirds of all draft picks.
10.5% Were Considered “Average”
This is also not a category that most would consider a successful draft pick, except perhaps a late round pick. Guys like Matt Leinart are in this category, as are Vikings picks such as Nate Burleson, Jasper Brinkley, and Jim Kleinsasser. These are guys that scored between 11-17 on the draft metric scale. These are journeymen that filled a role, but were otherwise undistinguished.
The one thing that comes to mind here is that the draft metric doesn’t consider the round the player was drafted in. A guy like Kleinsasser, for example, who was a good pick, becomes a little less so as a 2nd round pick that was average. As a 4th or 5th round pick, he would have been a much better value- and perhaps where you would pick a fullback these days.
12.3% – Were Considered “Good”
These are solid bread-and-butter players generally, who started many games, did reasonably well but not many accolades. These players scored between 18-35 on the draft metric scale. Guys like Michael Clayton, Carlos Rogers are considered here, as are Vikings picks Christian Ponder (!), Chris Hovan, Dwayne Rudd, Brandon Fusco, Ray Edwards, Moe Williams, and Sidney Rice.
Um, obviously there is a fairly wide definition of “good” used here, but strictly speaking I suspect the number of starts, rather than individual performance stats, had the greatest impact on most of these players being considered in this category. Again, if let’s say Ponder had been a 3rd or 4th round pick, the fact that he started as many games as he did might be more impressive than being picked 12th overall. But having been picked 12th overall, it’s hard not to see Ponder as anything more than a bust- despite being labelled “good” according to this metric.
6.9% Were Considered “Great”
These were picks that started for many years and were also at least above average, but not necessarily elite, at their position. These players scored between 36-80 on the draft metric scale and included players such as Vikings draft picks Chad Greenway, Bryant McKinnie, Matt Birk, EJ Henderson, John Sullivan, and Phil Loadholt.
1% Were Considered “Legendary”
Tom Brady and Ray Lewis are at the top of the heap here, with a draft metric of 160. Both have had long, highly decorated careers with the same team that drafted them, which is why they are ranked so high in this draft metric. These are generally Hall of Famers.
Now can somebody list Licht’s draft choices and where they think they fall in this analysis. Is Licht really far off the mark? Or is he actually ahead?
October 26th, 2017 at 9:01 pm
Here’s some KNOWLEDGE for you. Jason Licht has been a part of 4 drafts for the Bucs. They have drafted 25 players, 9 of them are not on the Bucs current roster. 36% of his draft picks are no longer on the team. All of this has happen in 4 years, 36% of his draft picks are GONE. In 4 short years.
October 26th, 2017 at 9:34 pm
Licht hits on about half of his picks. Unfortunately the D-line has not been a priority and we’re paying for it now.