“We Can’t Have 22 Sacks”
February 28th, 2018
The Bucs were just horrid rushing the passer last year.
For Bucs fans, this has largely been Groundhog Day every season since Simeon Rice left. A brutal slap in the face to fans annually.
Well, it seems Bucs coach Dirk Koetter is fed up. In speaking to Bucs reporters late this morning, Joe asked Koetter if red zone offense or slow starts offensively was the key issue to losing 11 games last season.
Koetter leaned toward the red zone offense and offered up thoughts on slow starts and then stated with authority, “We can’t have 22 sacks!”
One could argue that every defensive lineman not named Clinton McDonald and/or Will Clarke regressed last season. It’s not a good thing if one or two regresses, but when virtually the whole line regresses when rushing the passer, that’s bad.
Want to know why Jay Hayes has time on his hands these days? Koetter’s quote says it all.
February 28th, 2018 at 12:30 pm
Well he should also say that we cannot rotate guards, we cannot rotate safeties, we cannot stick with a clearly ineffective running back for the whole season even though it is clearly to everyone he is horrible. But accountability what’s accountability? Look in the mirror Dirk
February 28th, 2018 at 12:34 pm
Keep Ayers (consistently created pressure and top 20 DE in the league at total pressures)
Dump Gholston (useless one-dimensional DE who wasnt even good at his one dimension last year)
Take a flyer on someone in FA and see if we can find our Greg white (as Joe suggested in a prior article)
Draft 2 DE’s or 1 DE & 1 DT, most likely a 2nd or 3rd + a 4th round pick (Chubb will be off the board, a trade down with BUF could change this situation)
Cross your fingers that Spence is healthy.
Bonus round – Switch to 3-4 D. GMC & Ayers as DEs, (VEA? as NT) Spence, Beckwith, Kwon, LVD, and a draft pick or two mixed in as LBs
February 28th, 2018 at 12:34 pm
NDog. You have nailed it and have absolutely evaluated last season to a T!!!! How Koetter and Smith and Licht hung on I will never understand.
February 28th, 2018 at 12:35 pm
Mike Smith needs to take a HUGE step back. Let Buckner mostly run all Dline obviously, and the front 7 entirely. Screw Smith’s “system”.
Spend some $$$. Let Buckner chew some asses. Koetter stay out of the way.
Go Bucs!
February 28th, 2018 at 12:35 pm
We can’t set up for fg when jameis can clearly throw TDs to WRs down the sideline.
Just a reminder that if not for Jameis ignoring Koetter and calling his own play the Bucs would be a 3 win team. Brate v Giants and Goodwin v Saints.
And if only mclovin could stop a dive play up his gap then the Bucs would be at least an 8 win team.
February 28th, 2018 at 12:35 pm
Jay Hayes another quality coach who regressed after arriving in nfl version of the black hole the glazer circus aka nfc south basement dwellers bucs
February 28th, 2018 at 12:37 pm
Man whenever you dude figure out that Geraldini is the problem things will be a whole lot better around here.
February 28th, 2018 at 12:40 pm
“We can’t have 22 sacks!” No sh!t captain obvious! Really Dirk??? That’s some ground breaking revelation. Well if your boy Licht would bring in the TALENT this team needs and if your other boy Smith would get his head out of his a$$, maybe just maybe we would have a hell of a lot more than 22 sacks. Every time I hear these imbeciles give their analysts to the media on why this team sucks, I laugh. Like the media or we the fans can’t see it. Hey Clueless Koetter, we see it every week!
February 28th, 2018 at 12:47 pm
Pewter
Are you certain that any talented top pass rusher would choose to play here? Are you certain they would want to play near captain ice cream? For all the love he gets I don’t see ANYONE trying to play with him. Coincidence?
February 28th, 2018 at 12:52 pm
WE can’t do any kind of rushing it seems, RB rushing, LB rushing, DL+DE rushing, Bum rushing, water rushing……you get the picture.
February 28th, 2018 at 1:00 pm
“We can’t have 22 sacks!” Well you did!! And your boy in the booth is the direct cause. Now be the leader you are supposed to be and fire his a$$. Bring in Ron Rivera- he may save your job unless you insist on settling for FGs and running the clock out at HT.
February 28th, 2018 at 1:13 pm
So Mr. Koetter..Why didn’t you hire a DC who can get you more than 22 sacks? Why? Because you think you owe Smitty when there is/was better available. Smitty gonna be the yoke that brings you down…or up..in the pressbox with him.
February 28th, 2018 at 1:24 pm
You guys with the GMC “love”! ONE guy had more than 1/4 of the teams entire sack total. There are 3 other starters and I don’t even know how many back-ups we went through, but ABSOLUTELY Gerald is THEE problem.
Can we all just agree that this defense stunk out loud?! Can’t we all agree that the d-line needs to produce more?!
February 28th, 2018 at 1:25 pm
You cant sack the QB when the ball is out less than 2 seconds
Every opponent QB was completing over 70% because the recievers had a 10 yard cushion.
The defensive lineman needs more time for the QB to hold the ball and wait for the reciever to get open from tight press coverage
“we need the Bucs to hire poster Lakeland as defensive scheme coordinaator and poster tmaxcon as GMC personal lifecoach”
Kobe Faker
February 28th, 2018 at 1:26 pm
In 2008 the Cincinnati Bengals had 17 sacks with Jay Hayes as their Defensive Line coach.
February 28th, 2018 at 1:27 pm
We can’t have two kick off returns in back to back weeks, we can’t miss FG’s that the average Joe (no pun intended) who is an NFL kicker makes but we still have our ST’s coach.
Maybe the defense gets 2 more sacks if they get a chance to defend…
February 28th, 2018 at 1:27 pm
Lol Kobe
February 28th, 2018 at 1:27 pm
Let’s get wilkerson
February 28th, 2018 at 1:34 pm
Also Mike Zimmer was the Defensive Coordinator of that 2008 17 sacks Bengals team. Marvin Lewis, Mike Zimmer, are good defensive coaches, that was just a bad year for them.
February 28th, 2018 at 1:35 pm
Muhammed Wilkerson was just released, go get him Licht!
February 28th, 2018 at 1:37 pm
No Dirk, you can…and did. Should have told that to mike smith in week 2. Maybe he would have googled safety and corner blitz. Maybe he would have sent 2 linebackers at once, considering they were just sitting in zone coverage watching qbs go montana. Maybe.
February 28th, 2018 at 1:37 pm
well hayes was part of a dline that help win 9games last year…..I doubt he was the direct cause…..
dirk is fed up now?……he should’ve been fed up after we got embarrassed by the cards!!!!!…..
#NOEXCUSESIN2018!!!!!…..GO BUCS!!!!!
February 28th, 2018 at 1:39 pm
if Big Mo cant produce next to GMC than no one can……
#NOEXCUSESIN2018!!!!!….GO BUCS!!!!!
February 28th, 2018 at 2:07 pm
813bucboi
Jay Hayes wasn’t the direct cause, he was part of the problem. The Bucs entire coaching staff is the cause of the 5-11 season.
February 28th, 2018 at 2:15 pm
This will be Mike Smith’s last year as DC. I think his power as far as scheme and game plan will be phased out this year and the assistants on staff will have a heavier hand.
Getting pressure with the front 4 isn’t the only way to put pressure on the QB, but you have to be able to when the situation calls for it. I have zero problem with having the base defense be a 4 man front, but for the love of all that is holy, please be creative and bring in players that can play multi-scheme.
February 28th, 2018 at 2:20 pm
I would take greg spires
February 28th, 2018 at 2:25 pm
Lakeland says:
“Marvin Lewis, Mike Zimmer, are good defensive coaches, that was just a bad year for them”
Wonder why more can’t take this viewpoint of Smitty as well. Its like not being able to see the forest because of all the trees.
Mike Smith has 19 years of NFL coaching experience under his belt. Mostly successful years. Some VERY successful years. He was awarded NFL coach of the year 3X by sporting news as head coach in Atlanta. The man did not “forget” how to call a good defensive game for gods sake.
In fact – that 5 game stretch towards the end of 2016 was by FAR the best defense I have seen played by a Buccaneers team for any stretch of games in at least a dozen years!
Smitty was under manned talent wise to begin with on Defense last year – and THEN after the 1st game – lost Spence for the season – Grimes for 3 games – Kwon for 4 games – LVD for 3 games – none of them once back were actually “healthy” until later in the season. Ayers was out for 4 games. McCoy was hurt for more than the 1 game he missed. VH3 was just starting to get a little confidence back after a bad start and was then out with a hammy the rest of the year. Gholston had that scary neck injury and missed games. McDonald was out a couple games. Baker was useless and in fact a detriment. Same goes for Ward.
2017 was a BAD year for the Buccaneers defense.
That doesn’t mean we can’t bounce back quickly though.
Baker – GONE. Ward – GONE
Sign a couple good free agent DBs and a couple of the best DL players you can afford – then draft heavy in both areas over the next 2 years.
If the Bucs can jump to just middle of the pack defensively next year – our offense could very well carry us to playoffs and beyond (assuming OG and RB upgrades are also accomplished this offseason).
Glazers did the right thing in giving Koetter and Smitty another year to right this ship IMO.
February 28th, 2018 at 2:45 pm
anyone thinking the bucs ship will be salvaged this year are as dumb as the kool aid drinking Jim Jones nut jobs…
February 28th, 2018 at 2:56 pm
could happen – much to your chagrin I’m sure maxi
February 28th, 2018 at 4:03 pm
Muhammad Wilkerson is available, he’s got talent and 3.5 sacks last year is more than Baker and Gholston combined… Offer him a one year prove it deal — can’t be any worse than we currently have
February 28th, 2018 at 4:20 pm
Eagles starting defensive ends:
Brandon Graham – 1st round draft pick
Vinny Curry – 2nd round draft pick
Build through the draft
February 28th, 2018 at 4:41 pm
Buy saying that it will go away
February 28th, 2018 at 10:55 pm
MO WILKERSON!!!
February 28th, 2018 at 11:34 pm
I think drafting a safety like Derwin James should change that for us. I can’t say it enough James is limited to a box but he can be a box. Ideal safety and game changer for a struggling defense. Also I think we should draft Sweat from FSU as well he’s that speedy rusher we need plus I think our scheme is what he needs for a long productive career.
March 1st, 2018 at 1:25 pm
Leave it to moronic Buc fans to blame McCoy. Sapp was right.