Top Offensive Task
February 19th, 2018
Get him the ball.
Joe has a hunch about the biggest project for Bucs coach Dirk Koetter this offseason.
And no, it’s not fretting about a guard.
The Bucs are expected to drop some $11 million into the lap of speedy wide receiver DeSean Jackson this season. And based on last year, that’s a gross over-payment.
In fact, over at The Sports XChange, Jackson was listed as the most disappointing Bucs player in 2017.
There were a lot of candidates. Kicker Nick Folk. Defensive tackle Chris Baker. But through no fault of his own, the most disappointing player was wide receiver DeSean Jackson. A big-time play-maker his entire career, the Bucs simply couldn’t get the ball to Jackson down the field. He finished with 50 catches for 669 yards and his 13.4 yards-per-catch average is more than four yards shy of his career mark.
Yes, Joe knows Jackson wants to win and wants to produce. That’s not the issue. The issue is there is more than one way to skin a cat.
The Bucs tried to force a long ball to Jackson, it seemed, and that usually failed (helps to have a quarterback with a healthy throwing shoulder, too).
What Joe hopes Koetter is working on is letting Jackson use his wheels. He doesn’t always have to be a target on 40-yard pass attempts. Get him the ball in space and let those fabulous wheels take over.
Short passes, bubble screens, passes over the middle, whatever.
Get Jackson the ball more often and watch the offense take off like that rocket Koetter talked about in last year’s “Hard Knocks.”
February 19th, 2018 at 9:12 am
Jameis struggles with accuracy on the deep ball. When he does complete it its more due to ME13’s ability to go up for it. Not sure how much stock you can put into his shoulder injury after he lit up the Bills with said injury.
February 19th, 2018 at 9:16 am
Yea it’s only the coaches jobto design plays to get a playmaker the ball and the qb’s job to get it there. I blame Winston for the timing issue but doesn’t matter, preparefor another season full of Adam Humphries targets and Charles Sims. Meanwhile Mike Evans will continue to get 1000 yards and be told he had a down year. A top flight running back is the only thing that will save dorks job, no faith in him because he’s turned out to be Lovie coach my scheme clone and Doug Martin is to dork koetter what Mike Jenkins was to lovie Smith
February 19th, 2018 at 9:19 am
Here’s a better idea, cut Jackson sign Watkins (if he hits the open market).
February 19th, 2018 at 9:28 am
A good run game sure will bring those corners in a little so Djax can blow by them. Question is if Winston is on target.
February 19th, 2018 at 9:34 am
I’d say odds are good that we will see numerous long hook ups between Winston and DJax in 2018.
February 19th, 2018 at 9:37 am
Try & trade Jackson. Godwin waiting to take over.
February 19th, 2018 at 9:46 am
How can “he” be the biggest disappointment????? He was open!!!!!!!!! sounds like others were a “disappointment!!!!!!!!! At least we are not hearing crazy idea’s like ignore the deep ball because the QB can’t make the throw!!!!!! If the QB can’t make that throw, what is he doing on the fiield????????
GO Bucs!!!!!!!!!!!!!
February 19th, 2018 at 9:50 am
@Joe … “helps to have a quarterback with a healthy throwing shoulder.” Really Joe? You’re gonna play THAT card? How about the ‘Jameis deep ball accuracy needs work’ card. How about the ‘play design sucked’ card. How about the ‘lack of a running game hampered the deep threat’ card. And that’s just for starters. DJax isn’t blameless either. $11 mil for 50 receptions works out to $220,000 per reception. Hmmm, nice work IF you can get it. But like Pickgrin, I expect that the Jameis-DJax connection will improve significantly this year. Assuming that Jameis’ shoulder is healed of course.
February 19th, 2018 at 9:55 am
Such a bad signing for both sides, feel bad for djax coming here, the signing makes no sense esp then drafting OJ and grabbing godwin, but its par for the course w licht and him not having a clue how to build a competitive team
February 19th, 2018 at 10:01 am
Winston seems to only be able to throw to a spot but is not accurate enough to lead receivers. Jackson has been a hero on other teams but not here-its a bucs life .
February 19th, 2018 at 10:09 am
I like Jameis…but let’s be real Joe, Jameis had trouble with downfield throws when he had a healthy shoulder. We need to get the ball to Djax short & in space. Hard to get YAC on an incomplete pass.
February 19th, 2018 at 10:10 am
I disagree…..I think the most disappointing player is martin…..djax I knew would take some time to gel but martin had no excuse….he got paid and was given a second chance….
but the most disappointing “PERSON” at one buc place is dirk…..failing to have this team prepared week in and week out was unacceptable…..his play calling was predictable….abandoning the run game too early and often…..not committing to the run game and barber….not holding the defense accountable…the list goes on and on…..
with that said, there’s a number of people that were disappointments in 2017….staff and players included….
#NOEXCUSESIN2018!!!!….GO BUCS!!!!
February 19th, 2018 at 11:04 am
Biggest off season project is Jameis…..
February 19th, 2018 at 11:10 am
813
Agree with your observations and two are clearly connected. Doug Martin WAS the most disappointing player…2.9 ypc when the other guys were right at 4 ypc.
And that backs up your other point…Koetter might have been the most disappointing “person” for sticking with Martin.
In addition while I am largely a Koetter fan aside from the ASJ situation he’s perhaps too much of a players coach. Somebody should have made an example out of Swaggy early on. Belicheat or Tomlin would not have tolerated Swaggy’s BS. We can always blame cancer93 LMAO or our lack of locker room leadership but at some point the coach has to put his foot down. BENCH the bad actors.
This is why I do not want to see L. Bell or any head cases added to our team…we’re not strong enough yet in the locker room and again as much as I like Koetter…on the positive side his team did not quit on him…I think he has their attention…on the negative…Koetter does not seem to be able to deal with the Swaggys and Wards of the league.
February 19th, 2018 at 11:15 am
If you watched the play offs and the SB……that is how the top QB’s throw the ball…if a QB can not make those throws he won’t last as a starter long….
February 19th, 2018 at 11:17 am
DeSean Jackson is a waste of money.
Jameis is not accurate on the long ball.
February 19th, 2018 at 11:25 am
BTW @Jameis bashers.
I’m not an obsequious sycophant when it comes to #3. I LMAO at myself and the perception of different guys here.
Some think I’m a Jameis hater because I dare to comment on the AZ situation.
Others think I’m crazy because I’m always defending Jameis on the field stuff…not the bonehead plays but his overall progress.
So let’s take a look at the incorrect bashing of #3.
His long ball is no good and he’s inaccurate overall is a major charge. He hasn’t worked to improve on that. That second part is just bunk…he’s worked VERY hard on accuracy. He’s worked hard on decision making. Has it shown up?
Well when you travel the nation for orthopedic advice from famous shoulder surgeons chances are as a QB you’re not going to have your best year….but in fact Jameis improved in many of the categories “some” people here have trouble crediting him with.
Accuracy? His overall completion % is now 60.8 for his career. His first year it was just 58% he improved to 60.8 and last year he jumped it again even with his bum shoulder to 63.8% He IS clearly improving. His interception % OTOH has been dropping. 2.8 to 3.2 to 2.5 last year in admittedly an off year for #3 and the entire team.
His long balls have been more consistent with his career longest last year at 70 yards. His passes over 40 yards have also been pretty steady as have the 20 yard + passes.
Sorry 813 but there are also some legitimate excuses. DJAX dropped one TD and a stupid penalty erased another…some here can perhaps remember other TD’s that were blown.
The ONE stat I do not understand and since I try to be balanced I concede that #3 HAS TO IMPROVE is in ball security. His fumbles have gone from 6 his first year ten his second and 15! last year. % wise those are pretty big jumps based on a decent number…what happened?
February 19th, 2018 at 11:29 am
Chris Godwin came on strong last year. Cut DeSean Jackson and save 11 million. Use that for a top defensive player or young stud RB.
February 19th, 2018 at 11:47 am
Coroner..
“DeSean Jackson is a waste of money.
Jameis is not accurate on the long ball.:….that is a F’d up conclusion…
February 19th, 2018 at 11:52 am
I was watching Bucs vs NE last night. You guys talk about accuracy but if you look you will find out that these receivers can’t always catch or adjust to the ball. His first 3 incompletions went straight through receiver hands or bounced off their hands. Receivers aren’t adjusting to the ball too many one handed attempts even when they have room to adjust and go up for the ball with both hands attack at its highest point they don’t. Stuff like that I blame directly on munchkin. Fundamentals are key. You gotta catch the ball first!!!!
Oddly enough the biggest pass play went to Djax on a 5 yard cross that he took 50 yards downfield and if he could have gotten 1 block he would have taken it to the house.
Don’t sleep on bobo or Martino. Martino have been avg 17+ yards per play for like 2 years now and all bobo does is catch touchdowns. Lol.
February 19th, 2018 at 11:56 am
STPETE
drops and penalties are a part of the game just like injuries and turnovers….blaming a drop or a penalty on the outcome of a game or season is making an excuse…..
your right about dirk….he’s too friendly….he needs to bust some balls and have them practicing during the peak of heat…..that soft TC crap aint work….
#NOEXCUSESIN2018!!!!….GO BUCS!!!!
February 19th, 2018 at 2:22 pm
we can continue to keep making excuses for him, but Jameis needs to be more accurate, period.
His deep ball has been an issue since he joined the league 3 years ago. Coming into the year we thought there “was no way you could overthrown Jackson.” Yet Jackson’s numbers were horrible and for the first time in his career didn’t have a TD of greater than 40 yds…
JW has got to be more accurate.
February 19th, 2018 at 2:23 pm
And I don’t want to hear excuses about Jameis not being healthy
February 19th, 2018 at 4:28 pm
Winston needs to improve his ball security. Its NOT an excuse when SPBF presents numbers showing his accuracy has improved…its evidence his accuracy has improved. Simple as that. It will get better. Jackson is a Buc next year (I hope he is), he’ll have better numbers as part of more diverse offense. Sustain or improve what you do well…focus on what you don’t do well and that other teams exploit (our defense). Last month of the season our offense was executed well. Go Bucs!
February 19th, 2018 at 4:36 pm
The fired Jon Gruden sure knew how to get 1000 yard seasons out of Joey Galloway by throwing him quick slants. C’mon, Dirk.
February 19th, 2018 at 4:40 pm
I have said it a thousand times, Jameis didn’t seem to have an issue hitting anyone else deep. He hit Hump, he hit OJ multiple times, he hit Godwin, he hit Evans. So while yes Jameis 100% to be needs be better with his deep ball I lay blame at the haphazard running of routes by Djax as well. Afterall he is know for speed not his route running prowess. Jameis is a timing thrower so if the route sucks his passes are going to be off period. And BTW who is the only WR not in OTAS last year again?
February 19th, 2018 at 7:14 pm
DJax is a decoy … Godwin is the star in the making imho
February 19th, 2018 at 8:39 pm
Joe you should know better, Jackson going over the middle and risk being plowed by a db just licking his chops?
He wouldnt even lay out for one throw within arms reach on one of those 40 yarders.
Shoulda signed Kenny Stills. More grit, younger. He would have paired nice with Godwin and Evans. Ajax doesn’t wanna get dirt in his mani pedi work. The guy has lost his young heart and has cashed in relaxing and enjoying the big payday.
February 19th, 2018 at 10:58 pm
Priorities for Buccaneer victories in 2018:
1. Pass rush, specifically edge rush that is at least league average.
2. Starting RB
3. Deep Ball Completions
4 No more excuses, just win baby!
5. Jason Licht and staff to not bungle Free Agency, again.