“This Would Be Such A Kneejerk Reaction”
December 6th, 2017
Defends Bucs coach.
The Bucs are having a rough season.
What many thought was a playoff team in the summer has been anything but, and after a series of agonizing, gut-punching losses, the Bucs are spiraling towards a top-10 pick in next spring’s draft.
A vocal mob of Bucs fans wants America’s Quarterback, Pro Bowler Jameis Winston, run out of town on the first available Uber ride.
It has been that kind of season.
And it seems there is a hysterical sect that can’t wait for Koetter to receive his walking papers. But hold up, says chewing-with-his-mouth-open, California train-romancing, anti-football proliferation, outhouse-admiring, airline-napping, steerage-flying, Yogi Berra-worshiping, urinal picture-taking, video game-playing, Taylor Swift-listening, pickpocket-thwarting, Bucs-uniform-frowning, Allie-LaForce-smitten, Big-Ten-Network-hating, pedestrian-bumping, olive oil-lapping, popcorn-munching, coffee-slurping, fried-chicken-eating, oatmeal-loving, circle-jerking, craft beer-chugging, cricket-watching, scone-loathing, college football-naïve, baseball-box-score-reading, NPR-honk, filthy-hotel-staying, fight-instigating, barista-training, social activist Peter King of SI.com fame!
Making his weekly appearance with the one and only Chris “Mad Dog” Russo on “Mad Dog Sports Radio,” heard exclusively on SiriusXM Radio Tuesday, King believes if Team Glazer cuts ties with Koetter in a few weeks, it would be an incredibly rash move.
Chris “Mad Dog” Russo: I think Dirk Koetter could be in some trouble, you agree with that?
Peter King: Well the problem with Koetter is that, now you you look at Greg Schiano, [20]12 and [20]13, he’s out after two years. You look at Lovie Smith, [20]14 and [20]15, he is out after two years. Another coach out after two years? This would be such a kneejerk reaction from this organization. So, I don’t know why, I think [Team Glazer] will reverse their history and not fire Koetter.
No, this has not been a good season for Koetter and the Bucs. No one knows this better than Koetter.
Guys he hand-picked have either done an awful job [Mike Smith] or have had very limited success in developing talent and/or getting production [Jay Hayes]. At some point, the buck stops with the head coach.
It’s not like Jameis has turned into Brian Hoyer. If Koetter had a decent kicker to begin the season and just a half-arse defense instead of full-blown-arse defense (31st in the NFL) it is entirely possible the Bucs could be 6-6 right now and no one outside of someone snorting bath salts would be screaming for his scalp.
December 6th, 2017 at 8:04 am
Agreed! We can’t let the sheeple, aka sour fans, continue to have this team reset.
StIck to your guns and work through it. Koetter isn’t that bad. Our Pass rush is the worst situation in the NfL by a long shot.
December 6th, 2017 at 8:07 am
The Bucs are having a rough season.
it would be more accurate to state the bucs have had a Rough Existence outside of 1 year.
based on the lengthy history of failures by glazer clowns nothing suggests they will figure it this time around. bucs will never win another meaningful game until the glazers get a real football guy and and stop trying to relive a failed past with has been ex coaches and players that underachieved
December 6th, 2017 at 8:13 am
Why are you okay with Smith getting fired but not Koetter? They should both be cut loose since Koetter’s offense has greatly underachieved just like Smith’s defense.
December 6th, 2017 at 8:13 am
if if if… yeah, I guess if we could be 6-6 but if we lose the next 4 we are 4-12 and even if we won those games its 6-10. I think a lot comes down to how we finish and who we could get. If we can’t get Gruden or mcdaniels, then what?
This team has really underachieved and they have not lost in all 3 phases. Also, I’d hate to keep Dirk because we have the reputation of firing guys too soon. Those last 3 coaches fired needed to go.
December 6th, 2017 at 8:14 am
tmax,
I agree but who do you want as a coach?
December 6th, 2017 at 8:15 am
Still Joe,King would have to admit 4-12 with 0-6 to finish up has to get Koetter canned. Even if the Bucs go 5-11 but only get that win over a Saints team who is playing in exhibition week 4 mode if they have locked up their playoff seed the Glazers woiuld have to look at that whole body of work that included a 1-7 road record, 1 0-5 stretch and another which will be 1-5 or 0-6 to finish 2017. Yeah Koetter might win 2, but everyone thought Tampa MIGHT beat the Pack, Bills, Cards, Pats etc. and the team choked each game away. Winning a couple of those and well, Koetter would have been safe but remember that Lovie probably would have been safe IF he beat the Skins in the 24-0 meltdown games. It could be argued that Koetter’s team has underachieved even more than Lovie’s 6-10 2015 squad… Potential Ws and ifs only strengthen the argument for dismissal as they highlight the numerous mistakes, mismanaged timeclocks and inability to hold a lead. Koetter is dead man walking unless he gets 2 Ws; tough to do without the Fins, Chicago, SF or a NY team up on the schedule and the Buc were fortunate to get their 4 wins from the just mentioned fellow bottom feeders. Nobody likes to see someone fired but Koetter pretty much did this to himself with the numerous gaffes and his allegiance to one Mike Smith….
December 6th, 2017 at 8:19 am
OrlandoJoe
i have not wasted time on who i want as a coach. With glazers in charge it will be either some pathetic attempt at reliving a failed past or some washed up NAME that people recognize. I have lost all faith in this franchise. 4 good years and 1 great year in 42 has finally worn me down.
December 6th, 2017 at 8:20 am
2016
Bucs defense 23.1 ppg, ranked 15th in the NFL
Bucs offense 22.1 ppg, ranked 18th in the NFL
2017
Bucs defense 24 ppg, ranked 21st in the NFL
Bucs offense 20.2ppg, ranked 22nd in the NFL
So the defense (so far) has gotten worse by .9 pts a game, and the offense is 1.9pts worse, But it is all Coach Smitty?????? The buffoonery of some’s “eye-ball test” continues!!!!!!!!!
Go Bucs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
December 6th, 2017 at 8:27 am
King isn’t always anti firing. I think that he isn’t unlikely to have better sources than the local media
December 6th, 2017 at 8:31 am
C’mon Realist! You need to dig deeper on those stats. Are you saying that it’s “not so bad!” That somehow through the blatantly obvious garbage we see on the field, that it’s the result of a “couple” of injuries, that only YOU can see.
You know, YOU led the charge in complaining about Lovie not adapting his scheme. Now, CLEARLY we have the same issue, and you want to stick your head in the sand!
Mike Smith’s defense HAS to go, and everyone knows it. This defense is SOFT!
December 6th, 2017 at 8:32 am
So he’s suggesting we can the GM?
December 6th, 2017 at 8:36 am
So here’s my thinking…
Instead of blowing this whole thing up and starting over again, why not take a page from (and I hate to say this) the Jaguars. It may be too late to sign Calais Campbell, but the other thing they did this past offseason was bring in organizational help in the form of Tom Coughlin.
I think it would be a brilliant move to bring in Jon Gruden as a team President. He can help take some of the time obligations that Koetter complains about off his plate and allow Koetter the time and space to continue as the play caller, which we know he is good at when he focuses on it. And he can help direct Light a little better in free agency (as long as Chucky doesn’t f*ck up Lichts draft process, sorry but we don’t need anymore Dexter Jacksons).
So that’s it, don’t give up on this core of coaches/players/gm just bring them in some help. Bring gruden in as President of Football Operations and allow this core to continue to develop under some consistency and experienced direction.
December 6th, 2017 at 8:36 am
tmax,
Why are you critical if you don’t have an actual plan for what you think would be better?
December 6th, 2017 at 8:37 am
Pete,
I think that Gruden wants to be an actual coach again though.
December 6th, 2017 at 8:38 am
team in a shambles…if there is no better option, Dirk gets a do or die year in 2018…I think Licht needs an extension. Minus the Aguayo gaff he’s done a great job with the draft….
December 6th, 2017 at 8:45 am
Bucsfanman: the lack of adjustments are maddening! Smith’s D is soft and he has his guys playing 10 yards of the receivers when he knows he has zero pass rush so the Bucs get picked apart week after week. Smith allows Julio Jones to get almost 300 yards receiving but it never occurred to him to double the guy up or at least move Grimes over? Every other team in the league (well maybe not the Giants, Bears or Browns) make adjustments, its like the Bucs are still in week 2 of preseason while the rest of the league has moved on. Koetter’s stubborness with martin is another aggravation, its like the egos on the coaching staff are preventing thee right decisions from being made. Lack of adjustment is simply another flaw in a long list when one describes how the Bucs have been coached.
WyldKat: good question, Licht certainly has done little in the way of job security when you look at his free agent acquisitions and the 2016 draft headlined by Hargraves and that FSU kicker pulls his draft grade down as well as neglecting to draft an RB until round 5 this year and not getting any pas rushing help at all. So he doesn’t by the groceries well and Koetter/Smith would probably turn filet mignon or a porterhouse into a burnt $0.50 hot dog at Circle K anyhow….. Changes are inevitable, 4-12 is unacceptable after all the expectations so coaching and/or the GM will be held accountable as the Glazers have to hang the blame somewhere.
December 6th, 2017 at 8:49 am
Bring in Saban as GM and let him pick the coach. The Glazers have no business picking coaches ever. The Glazers need to stick to strip malls and kick ball. The Bucs have a massive culture issue within the building. There is a sense of complacency that players fall into with no sense of urgency. How many times over the last 10 years have fans watched 3 quarters of piss poor football. The 4th quarter starts and suddenly the Bucs want to win.
December 6th, 2017 at 8:50 am
“If Koetter had a decent kicker to begin the season and just a half-arse defense instead of full-blown-arse defense (31st in the NFL) it is entirely possible…”
Joe, please, IF my grandmother had tubes she’d be a radio. “If” is a big word, and means nothing. Koetter is responsible for everything that goes right or wrong, he’s the coach. That’s why coaches get fired, not the whole team.
December 6th, 2017 at 8:50 am
Jameis Winston throughout his NFL career will be an NFL head coach killer by never living up to expectations or his over hyped potential
December 6th, 2017 at 8:52 am
This is going to sound crazy, but if I couldn’t fire Koetter or Smith, I would want Smith as the head coach and Koetter back in the booth as the OC. Then hire a defensive coordinator.
I know that is unheard of but Smith is way better when at a CEO role type and Koetter is better as the OC.
I’d rather start over with another coach, but if I was forced to go one more season, that would be my approach.
December 6th, 2017 at 8:53 am
Licht is the sole reason this franchise in shambles, he has NO PLAN he has not put a stamp on an identity of this team, look at jvile they have built a defense in the same time period, what has licht bult, a lousy OL, lousy DL, lousy secondary, lousy run game and a losing record, time to send the whole group packing hire a serious personnel guy and then go get gruden or josh mcdaniel
December 6th, 2017 at 8:54 am
OrlandoJoe
I have earned the right to be critical. Simple as that..
Every year these fools make bad moves that we get all fired up about. our dumbarses actually think this year will be different. then we receive a quick nut punch followed by draft talk by October… life-cycle of a bucs fans season each year. reality sucks no matter how much the foolish optimists try and sugarcoat it. there is NO hope under the glazer clowns.
First, it’s not going to be easy for the glazers to attract anyone decent. It’s not a desirable destination. There are junior college jobs that carry more prestige than working for the glazer clowns. Bringing Gruden back who is partially responsible for current playoff drought with his inability to work with a gm to build a consistent winner is pretty damn stupid but it is right up the glazers alley… so is bringing in a has been player and putting them in a role which they have ZERO nfl experience is also another dumb knee jerk move that fits glazers style. Glazers simply do not care about winning. they also understand the TV money is going to be drastically reduced and that the gravy train is in for some rough seas ahead… they don’t care about the team nor winning.
December 6th, 2017 at 8:55 am
I wanted Sherm. Too late for that. At the very least his pressers would have been epic.
December 6th, 2017 at 8:56 am
dang it, Herman Edwards.
December 6th, 2017 at 9:00 am
All true Peter ,,,,, but you have a head coach that can’t identify his best RB , which by the way is a free agent pick up !! Heck he was fourth string ! A coach that is afraid to step in on his D Coord . A Coach that for two years hasn’t improved his QB and his short falls!! A coach that has got the #1 pick and Qb absolutely pounded over the last two years , I mean pounded,,,,, Let’s be clear on this and I Mean This Must be clear to all, Tom Brady would have worse numbers than Winston if he took the pounding Winston Did !! Don’t even start to think differently , the Numbers support it 100 percent.
These are just things that you just can’t accept and they say an awful lot about the ability to turn things around.Schiano was stubborn, was learning the pro game but he made players better , he was stubborn and learning but wasn’t inept . The Glazers should have as a boss helped him, they didn’t !!They Should have helped Gruden with his lil white lie problems , they didn’t !The Glazers can’t help the overload Koetter can’t handle and they couldn’t help clueless Lovie !! We all Like Dirk but clearly he isn’t the man for this Job !! Let Me Introduce Lane Kiffin as the next Bucs Coach , see the Glazers can help Lane with any weaknesses he has but Football and Coaching isn’t one of them !!! Lane is a mix of Schiano and Gruden . Schuden 2.0 Your next bucs Coach !!!
December 6th, 2017 at 9:01 am
No excuse acceptable for this teams backsliding. They’ll all be fired.
December 6th, 2017 at 9:05 am
#92 Golston #58 Alexander #51 Beckwith on 3rd and I think 8 to 10 Hudley runs a zone read #51 hits the B gap over the back side of the play . 58 hits the C on the front side and what 92 should of done and what he did were 2 different things . What he should of done was maintain front side leverage and allow 58 and 51 to make the play as it was called . However he bit down looking for the splash play and allowed Hudley to run for the 1st.
Did anyone see the final play of the green bay game ? Well if you did you will notice #21Evans didn’t contain the outside leverage and ran into the b or c gap to make a splash play . Result was a game winning TD.
Point is splash plays lose games never win them that’s why coaches don’t call for them only undisciplined players do . Everyone see stats and place the blame on the obvious choice . Both those plays were great coaching calls on defense just bad execution on the players behalf . #notasmittyfan
December 6th, 2017 at 9:11 am
@MTM
I view Complacency as a complement
December 6th, 2017 at 9:16 am
We gave Koetter the job for two big reasons….because the Offensive system he implemented showed promise, in spite of lower tier talent, and because Jameis was off to a good start and it seemed he had the answers to developing Jameis.
Neither seems to be true at this point in time. This is more Offensive talent than we have ever had…and it isn’t getting the job done. And Jameis is treading water.
Therefore, I predict Koetter and Smith will be gone. If he had “inherited” Smith, a D replacement might be in order. But what great potential D coordinator will come into an organization where the GM and HC are on thin ice?
December 6th, 2017 at 9:23 am
Do not agree with his take take unless you keep the battery mates (Licht and Koetter) together…which means how long would the Glazers re-up Licht for?
However, losing confidence in DK…
December 6th, 2017 at 9:40 am
@FortMeyersDave- As far as Martin goes, I’m going to reserve judgement until I see Barber repeat his success from Sunday. When that decision was made, Martin was/is a more complete back. I do think that they could’ve incorporated Barber a little more during the season especially considering that Martin will be gone anyway.
December 6th, 2017 at 9:45 am
The offense struggled to score points in 2016 and the team was carried by a fluke defense to a 9-7 record
Weapons were added in the offseason to give the offense some more juice. Which was the right thing to do.
The offense is still struggling to score points.
December 6th, 2017 at 9:46 am
So what reason is there to believe that things will improve if we keep the same offense next year?
December 6th, 2017 at 9:55 am
IMO Koetter has done a worse job than Smith in maximizing talent. Not sure why Smith gets the blame as much.
Our D-line / defense has been trash for years and it would have been unrealistic to expect them to be an elite unit given the roster. The defense also took on a ton of injuries early – the biggest being the loss of Spence for the year – our only legit pass rush threat; and then our 2 stud LBs for a month+; and missing Grimes and VHIII for games as well; along with various S. Pretty much every level of the defense was hit with injuries and we had no depth – especially the D-line.
That’s why we need a legit 7-8 man D-line rotation of beasts and need to focus on that as the #1 priority in the off season. Regardless of coaches – if you have a sh1t D-line that can’t create pressure with just the front 4 on the QB; you are never going to have a top 10 type defense.
The offense – on the other hand – has been pretty damn healthy outside of Winston’s shoulder and had the horses to think we should be an elite scoring offense – but Koetter’s game plans / play designs/ play calling have been absolutely terrible; along with red zone execution.
December 6th, 2017 at 10:00 am
That a guy who has proven to have a winning season with no running game and just one reliable receiver just might be able to figure things out. Not saying Koetter has done a good job. He hasn’t (this year). Willing to give him a chance to correct things.
December 6th, 2017 at 10:13 am
If Koetter is fired a campaign to have the Glazers sell the team should be the focus, the Glazer brothers are the ONLY common denominator to the failure of the team since the firing of Gruden.
December 6th, 2017 at 10:28 am
Nothing matters til we get a better QB than Winston.
December 6th, 2017 at 10:36 am
JON GRUDEN PLEASE
December 6th, 2017 at 10:42 am
@ Orlandojoe
living the past??????
if it wasn’t for the offense Gruden brought you a superbowl and 2 playoff appeareances …..chris simms losing to the redskins and Garcia losing to the superbowl champs
GRUDEN was run outta town by lame reporters and 1 or 2 players who didn’t like him (simeon rice) …..what team did he go to after and shine on
after 2 9=7 seasons GRUDEN got fired and oh….like koetter…..he wasn’t that bad smh
December 6th, 2017 at 10:46 am
Chucky got run out of One Buc Palace because he ignored the persistent pleas from the family that signed his paychecks to draft and develop a quarterback. Joe can promise you that there isn’t one reporter (or two or three or five) that sways the mind of Team Glazer.
It is never smart for job security to ignore the wishes of the folks who cut your checks.
December 6th, 2017 at 10:55 am
@lord… exaxtly right. This D is pretty good in terms of points given up. You can not have a good D in the NFL if you can’t get to the qb. We can’t and haven’t been able to rush the passer in years. We went in to the freaking season with one hope… spence was going to be simeon Rice 2.0. How dumb was that but we do it every year. We need bunch of legit pass rushers. Should have done everything possible to sign Campbell then also draft a de. Look what jacksonville is doing… they are leading the league in sacks and then they go trade for Darius. I don’t care who your d backs are, if you can’t get after the passer, you are in trouble.
December 6th, 2017 at 10:59 am
How about we start with we rotate left guard every other series, we rotate 3 safeties for some unknown reason, we play a running back who is completely unproductive and hosed his team last year by being selfish and we run a offense that was popular back in the mid 80’s. Those are pretty good reasons to get fired and oh yeah we lose to anyone who is .500 or better!!! BTW the Lions have not had a 100 yard back in forever, I bet that changes this weekend.
December 6th, 2017 at 11:06 am
Anyone who complains about the Glazer ownership must not remember the Culverhouse era very well.
December 6th, 2017 at 11:46 am
I think it’s pretty obvious that Koetter isn’t the right guy. I don’t think keeping him around another year is going to help.
December 6th, 2017 at 12:10 pm
@Joe
It shouldnt take a good coach 3 seasons to “figure it out”
December 6th, 2017 at 12:56 pm
It would be wise to give Koetter and Winston one more season together. If Winston is still making the same bonehead mistakes he made in college a year from now, then it’s time to clean house. Licht, Koetter, and Smith should be fired and Winston along with anyone else with any trade value should be moved for draft picks.
There’s been one common thread with this team, the Glazer sons, and they’ve ruined this one-proud franchise since Malcolm fell ill and passed away. They should strongly consider giving up power or even selling the team. The most difficult thing to fix is bad ownership.
December 6th, 2017 at 1:00 pm
The Bucs SHOULD be 7-5 not 6-6 … they had the Pats beat and Jameis gave them late leads against both the Bills and Packers before the defense collapsed … those 3 wins would make us 7-5.
I’m not going to be upset if Koetter returns next year but I will pretty ticked if Mike Smith does!
December 6th, 2017 at 1:02 pm
As Max Kellerman says, “every team is basically an 8-8 team and if they’re lucky they win 10 games or more and if they’re unlucky they win 6 games or less … and only a few franchises are just “better” than everyone else, the Pats, Steelers and Seahawks” … and I agree with him.
I mean listen to Tony Dungy, Rodney Harrison and many others talk about the Titans … they consider them a garbage team that has just benefitted from a super easy schedule … but hey, they’re 8-4 …
December 6th, 2017 at 1:25 pm
@joe….during the press conference where the Glazers announced that John Gruden was being fired, the Glazer kid (I think it was Joel) said they were letting him go because they “had their finger on the pulse of the fan base,” a fan base that was falsely riled up by your buddy Big Dog.
December 6th, 2017 at 1:53 pm
sickofit….don’t know “his buddy” could be labeled as having “caused it”. But many of us remember those days loud and clear. And he did seem to have a crusade against JG. Was it because the way he treated Mikey? The way he treated sports personalities? Because he said one thing to some players, changed his mind, and did another. I don’t know…but it was pretty obvious that there were strong feeling there. Secondly…remember…no first and second round picks for years…shackles on FA spending…and yes..that is absolutely true. I remember Allen on sports radio talk about us signing big time FA’s…he basically promised it. And our management signed no one…did nothing. And still , Gruden seemed to turn an aged and torn silk purse into a competitive team. Then Monte drops the proverbial bomb during the hotest part of the season to announce he is bailing to join (save) his sons HC efforts at USC. So please…put it in perspective. No other HC has had so many obstacles to overcome since Hugh owned the team.
December 6th, 2017 at 1:56 pm
Nut…what talented DC would take that position with Kiffin and Licht on the hot seat next year, if not this year? No one wants to take on a task like that and receive their walking papers less than twelve months hence.
December 6th, 2017 at 2:07 pm
The Bucs will be having this same conversation next season in December. I don’t see any hope of them competing in the NFC South. Garbage will be garbage, and that will never change.
December 6th, 2017 at 2:34 pm
Last years wins were smoke and mirrors..
They probably could have lost at least three games with a different bounce of the ball…so what win from last year did they win convincingly?
Maybe Atlanta at Atlanta / and Seattle at Home…other than that??????
We need move on…
December 6th, 2017 at 2:49 pm
Agree with King for once.
Koetter must be given a legit chance to turn this team back into a winner. He needs to win another game or 2 this year though and assuming he does – Dirk better also have a pretty detailed plan as to how the team will improve moving forward when that end of year meeting with the owners comes around…
December 6th, 2017 at 3:21 pm
This is year 3 for dirk, not year 2 and is offense is ranked 23 in points.
December 6th, 2017 at 3:44 pm
I’m kinda hoping the Glazers are smart enough not to fire Koetter/Licht.
December 6th, 2017 at 5:25 pm
Koetter and Licht need 2 more years- it’s not their fault that 3 of their no 1 picks are starting for other teams. Need to upgrade defensive line (like Tennessee did after drafting their qb), move Marpet back to guard and draft or sign quality center and tackle.
Bucs trench talent is not playing winning football
And mr no 1 pick in the draft needs to stop making dumb ass plays
December 6th, 2017 at 9:30 pm
NFLNut says: I mean listen to Tony Dungy, Rodney Harrison and many others talk about the Titans … they consider them a garbage team that has just benefited from a super easy schedule … but hey, they’re 8-4 …
Their run this year is remarkably like Rah’s 10-6 squad and a bit like the 2016 Bucs, easy schedule and some wins which could have been Ls with a bit of bad luck or the other team making a play. They got to beat up on the Colts and Texans 4 times this year and also got teams like the Fins, Browns, Bungles, and SF….. Mariota looks to have regressed as much as Winston and is even more injury prone. Put the Titans in the NFC South and they’d be cellar dwellers.