Creative, But Poor Execution
October 17th, 2018
Breaks down final play — video style!
Man, if only the Bucs could have made that final play work.
Joe is telling you if DeSean Jackson could have scored a touchdown on the final play of the game at Atlanta Sunday, folks across the country would still be talking about the Bucs and how ingenious Bucs coach Dirk Koetter is for coming up with that play.
Former NFL offensive lineman and current NFL talking head Brian Baldinger loved the play too, but hated the execution of it. Baldinger, using All-22 film, believes that play, if run correctly, was a touchdown all day long for Jackson.
From what Joe can tell, either Jameis screwed up not getting the ball to Jackson right away, or Adam Humphries loused up in fumbling the ball and not getting it to Jackson. Of course, Mike Evans’ throw to Jackson bounced.
Jackson was jumping up and down begging for the ball the moment Jameis broke through the middle. After the game, the Bucs said they expected Atlanta to collapse on Jameis thereby leaving Jackson open. That’s exactly what happened.
Mike Evans’ reaction to the whole thing after the play says it all on how the Bucs appear to be in the beginning stages of mentally melting down thanks to the losing streak.
.@Buccaneers @NFL are trying to stop the hemorrhaging and it came down to the final play on the final drive. I give the creativity a 10; I give the execution a very low number. Thoughts ? #BaldysBreakdowns pic.twitter.com/TSepCaoZD7
— Brian Baldinger (@BaldyNFL) October 16, 2018
October 17th, 2018 at 8:03 am
Poor
Just like our pathetic defense
October 17th, 2018 at 8:05 am
Thanks to Jameis not doing what he was supposed to do. You missed it a little there joe, I fixed it for you.
October 17th, 2018 at 8:09 am
I swear to God…… Jamies is such an idiot
Jameis will get Dirk Koetter canned with all of his stupidity
Jameis is not and never will be a franchise QB
October 17th, 2018 at 8:15 am
What ^^^^ Rick said
October 17th, 2018 at 8:18 am
I liked the call from the start. Not sure if Jameis slipped or not and like Baldy said DJax missed the catch. Close to scoring though it just didn’t bounce in our direction
October 17th, 2018 at 8:30 am
Koetters’ fault for making Jackson the target. Winston under threw Jackson. Is anyone else as surprised as I am?
The play was interesting/exciting, but I still think a high throw into the endzone would have been a better option.
October 17th, 2018 at 8:32 am
I keep watching that play over & over, hoping for a different result. So close. Their frustration shows they care.
October 17th, 2018 at 8:34 am
I saw where dirk said it would not of counted bc it hit the ground. Is that true?
October 17th, 2018 at 8:34 am
Lateral is not supposed to bounce. Failed play from that point on. Jameis fitness level is making him a quicker ,more elusive runner. On another running play when Jameis was approaching the LOS He used a pump fake,IMO he needs to put his
heaqd down like Fitz and get the most yards possible at thatpoint.
October 17th, 2018 at 8:36 am
the killer was Mike Evans staying in bounds a few plays earlier.
October 17th, 2018 at 8:40 am
Poor execution…..compare that to the long Bryant FG that forced us to score a TD……the difference in the game…..most games…..we simply don’t execute and THAT, you can’t blame on coaches.
October 17th, 2018 at 8:46 am
would not have counted cuz it hit the ground.
The old fumble forward rule – ball cant be advanced inside of 2 minute warning (both halves) or on 4th down
October 17th, 2018 at 8:51 am
So Jameis not throwing the ball 1 second before he was supposed to (supposedly)then you call him and IDIOT??? Actually if you idiots would look at the film if Jameis gets it to Jackson then there is no way Jackson makes it to the endzone. If might not even have made had he caught the ball when Evans threw it to him. Great call that almost worked. Want to go after someone on this game go after the kicker who can’t even kick a extra point. That cost us the game !!!
October 17th, 2018 at 8:57 am
@bucnole… thanks!
October 17th, 2018 at 9:03 am
Miken,
U r absolutely correct…had ME stepped out of bounds on that play,we would have saved about 16 seconds on the clock in which there would not have been a need for a trick play at the end of the game. A field goal would have sealed it for us.
October 17th, 2018 at 9:05 am
That ball still hit djax ‘s hands and went through his hands and legs. After all that jumping up and down his drops the pass. You can’t drop a pass that bounces before it gets to you. –Joe
October 17th, 2018 at 9:16 am
stupid play call. all those weapons, big guys, horrible ATL defense and they do a QB sneak as oppossed to letting our guys make a play in the end zone??
bad play call based on no confidence in JW
oh, and yeah, JW screwed that play up too…..
October 17th, 2018 at 9:29 am
I’m glad it happened this way because it got smith fired. Gotta take a step back to move forward!
October 17th, 2018 at 9:33 am
It looks like Jameis tried to run the ball in himself. It looks like he was supposed to get rid of the ball five yards before he did. ME was blocking for Djax the whole time. I don’t think the play had anything to do with hump or ME as far as handling the ball. So even when Jameis isn’t throwing the ball, he’s forcing plays…
But I agree that with all the weapons on offense it was a dumb play call, but it also speaks to the confidence the play caller has in Jameis that close to the end zone.
October 17th, 2018 at 9:39 am
I absolutely HATED the call. Could’ve, should’ve would’ve…..B.S.! No professional football team on Earth with as many weapons as we have calls THAT play!
What would the Patriots do? Steelers? K.C.?
October 17th, 2018 at 9:46 am
But I thought this play call was high school nonsense and has no place at the NFL level?
Make your mind up…
October 17th, 2018 at 9:47 am
It was Mike Evans not getting out of bounds and it was Mike Evans with the very poor throw to Jackson. What the hell did Jameis do wrong?? Some of you need to stop blaming him for the Bucs misfortunes so much. This team was 2-14 before Jameis.
October 17th, 2018 at 9:56 am
@shane…. play was over after ball Jameis threw and hit ground. Can’t hit ground inside of 2 minutes… and yes, bone head play earlier on #13. High school play call .
October 17th, 2018 at 9:59 am
Let your 2 tight ends or #13 make a catch in the end zone. I didn’t like the call. Jameis took too long the play before to throw away and #13 choose not to get out of bounds 2plays before that. Bad clock management and a highschool play call to end it.
October 17th, 2018 at 9:59 am
@Turbo,
LOL.
That play was so stupid. Only luck would have made that play happen and with 7 seconds, I’d rather try than pray something goes right. You have to live and die with the weapons we have at WR and TE. If anything, they could have tried a double end around with DJax or use the same exact play Atlanta ran where 2 WRs block the DBs and have an underneath runner scamper in behind the lead blocks. It would have been enough to confuse the defense rather than to try to outsmart yourself. Why have so many moving parts that require precision. Take football, run football.
October 17th, 2018 at 9:59 am
I remember us not calling a time-out during that series and wasted a lot of time on the clock after a big first down. Even the announcers were wondering why a timeout was not called. Seems like when games come down to a bounce our way we just never get those.
October 17th, 2018 at 10:02 am
Shane didn’t you know everything is Jameis’s fault. Come on bro you know this! The kicker missed the EP because we scored to fast and he wasn’t ready, Jameis’s fault. The defense got scored on the first 3 drives cause when Jameis was the backup that week he didn’t give good enough looks, Jameis’s fault. Mike Evans didn’t go out of bounds cause in the preseason Jameis gave him confidence about his YAC, Jameis’s fault. DJax didnt step a half foot foward and catch the ball from Evans cause Jameis was behind Mike and he was worried about getting to close others defenders so he didn’t get touched cause that darn Jameis drew all those defenders in, Jameis’s fault. You see man he is the sole reason for this teams demise.
October 17th, 2018 at 10:07 am
Even the 2-point conversion attempt went haywire. Poor execution….its like we ran these plays back in early August one afternoon. And have never practiced them again. Another sign of weak coaching….
October 17th, 2018 at 10:21 am
Didn’t see a bounce from ME to Djax but I get what you’re saying. Once it hit the ground play was dead?
October 17th, 2018 at 10:22 am
We was running that play when I played for the Lakeland Lumberjacks
October 17th, 2018 at 10:30 am
BucNole
It was a lateral, not a forward fumble…don’t think it matters that it hit the ground…
Joe?
October 17th, 2018 at 10:43 am
It sounds like JW was supposed to turn and throw it in the air (lateral) the ball to one of 3 receivers. Seems like he waited to long to do that and as he was getting tackled did a no look fumble lateral, which may be illegal. Either way, cool play idea, poor execution.
October 17th, 2018 at 10:56 am
Play good for a laugh if nothing else.
October 17th, 2018 at 10:57 am
First of all, I doubt seriously that the lateral by Jameis was supposed to look the way it did. He needed to stop and direct the pitch rather than just blindly flipping it back. Second, I thought if Humphries had secured the ball when he had a chance, he had an opportunity to score. Fortunately Evans was able to correct that and get the ball to Jackson, but by that time a defender was in position to intercept Jackson before he crossed the goal. Do you think Jackson could have scored if he caught the ball? Maybe, maybe not.
October 17th, 2018 at 10:58 am
No one is mixing Dirk “We were done before Halloween” Koetter with the word ingenious. Only clowns would need the game to come down to such a low percentage play. If Winston had touch on his passes he would have thrown a jump ball like every other QB in the league. You know, at least giving your team a chance to win. He basically threw it out of bounds giving his team a miracle chance instead of a smart decision.
October 17th, 2018 at 11:07 am
This is an example of a coach trying to show everyone just how smart he is with this unconventional play call, rather than let his players step up and make a play or not. Those saying Winston wasn’t supposed to run it and flip it to Hump (who could just as easily be late to his spot), please watch the blocking schemes. If he steps back and does anything but run he has three lineman illegally down field. Plays like this, work once every 10 years. They have special names and are remembered forever. See Stanford band and Music City Miracle (called Miracle for a reason) To watch a rugby play (thats what this was) be called and try to work for the final play was just a throw away of an opportunity to win. Even if executed perfectly, the line of Falcon players on the goal line make this a 25% at best.
With the NFL fumble rule inside 2 minutes only the player that “fumbles”, can be allowed to advance the ball. This is why a bad snap is “credited” to the QB (Winston’s other “fumble” btw) so that he can pick it up and still play. A lateral that hits the ground is a fumble by rule so the play is over. If you want to blame Winston, ok.. you just want to blame him, I get it, but that play call, given the NFL fumble rule is abhorrent. This is another example of Koetter not understanding how to handle the big moments of the game.
Does anyone honestly think that was a better option than creating a 50:50 ball with either Brate, Howard, Evans or Godwin??? Spread them out, let Winston force one and either its incomplete, InT or win.
Yes, people win the lottery almost every week, still doesn’t make this great financial planning.
October 17th, 2018 at 11:09 am
Hindsight is 20/20.
October 17th, 2018 at 11:18 am
JW… That is why the head coach position is so important. They must be able to quickly crunch the numbers and make decisions to place a team in a successful situation.
As soon as I saw Marpet lead blocking, I went a little crazy watching it live.
Running a rugby play, on the 20 yard line (outside of the 40 I wouldn’t say a word), is a poor decision.
October 17th, 2018 at 11:21 am
Tnew
If it is a “fumble” why is Baldinger breaking down this play, and saying Djax only had to beat Kazee to the end Zone?
It had already hit the ground once, and the play was still alive.
Forward fumbles are a different thing…Holy Roller style, right?
October 17th, 2018 at 11:53 am
Within the 2 minute warning a “Fumble” or backward pass is dead upon hitting the ground and the recovering team gets the ball at the spot of the fumble.
A.R. 8.64 Fourth-and-four on B9. Offensive player A1 fumbles on the B9 and A2 recovers on the B12 and goes to the
B4.
Ruling: Other player than the fumbler recovered and spot of next snap is the spot of recovery as it is behind
the spot of the fumble. B’s ball first-and-10 on B12.
October 17th, 2018 at 12:00 pm
Man, I dunno. If this play had worked, would all the paid trolls be on here plaguing the place? It would have been a win, so would you cretins be gone?
October 17th, 2018 at 12:17 pm
Only problem is Jameis laterals it at the 10 and Humpheries recovers at the 8, that would’ve been ruled a forward pass had they scored and it would be called back..
October 17th, 2018 at 12:55 pm
I think Dirk called the play after binge watching Friday Night Lights
October 17th, 2018 at 2:19 pm
Evans not getting out of bounds at 46 seconds cost Tampa 17 seconds. If he gets out of bounds Tampa would have had 24 seconds from the 21 yard line. Little things this team does that shoots themselves in the foot.
October 17th, 2018 at 3:50 pm
I still don’t understand why you’re running a trick play from the 20 when you have Evans, OJ and Brate, all big guys who can jump and catch the ball up high – then you still have Hump and D-Jax under who can juke guys to get in. It’s not a hail mary situation and the Falcons can’t put three guys on everyone. Running a trick play that requires a 15 yard lateral, I can’t believe that is the original design, in particular since you have Hump running in from behind, I think the idea is everyone comes up on Winston, he laterals to Hump, who tosses it D-Jax, with the idea being the Falcons are stunned by the moronic play call to the point that they all collapsed on the middle while D-Jax is outside.
Also from the TV view I think the first lateral by Winston, it went backwards, then bounced forward, I think, and thus the entire play was dead anyways.
You know what had a higher chance to win? Throwing the ball up high and letting Evans, OJ or Brate go get it, you throw to however has the least guys on him or you they let D-Jax run wide open at the 5, you throw it to him and hope he can make a guy miss. Any of those options has a higher chance of success than a circus play.
October 17th, 2018 at 4:58 pm
tnew: I’m suggesting JW held the ball as a runner too long, then while going to the ground flipped it back on the ground while not even looking. Was it intended to be a backwards fumble? I doubt it. You can’t control a bouncing football after it hits the ground, but can if you throw it. So I think it was meant to be a lateral PASS in the air, after he ran forwards some distance to draw defenders in. I liked the call, honestly, but it wasn’t executed. IMHO
October 17th, 2018 at 6:50 pm
HomerSimpsonRocks – If you watch the play Humphries is running around behind Winston, that tells me the idea was to lateral to him, and then for him to pitch it out to D-Jax, I believe the idea is that the Falcons will realize it’s not a straight QB draw to the endzone, and they’ll all collapse on Winston and when he laterals to Hump, they’ll think that is key guy, the center of the design, and D-Jax will be wide open. In that regard that is exactly what happened, except for the first pitch didn’t work, which is why it’s a low probability call. From Winston’s standpoint he needs to draw people in as much as he possibly can for the play to have any chance since if the Falcons just stay on their guys the play is over, Winston couldn’t run 5 yards up the middle then calmly pass it over to D-Jax because there’s no way he can get into the endzone since the Falcons wouldn’t have had time to react and come off their guys, which is why, I believe, the idea was for Hump to get lateral because at that point I think they do bite on it.
Without the Bucs fully explaining the play we don’t know, but in any case I still think just a normal straight pass to one of your 6′ 5″ or better receivers with fantastic hands is the route to go against a team playing guys they just signed off the streets.
October 17th, 2018 at 9:40 pm
Rod: I guess we’ll never know for sure, unless they run it again someone and it works. Maybe they called it because the falcons dropped 8 into coverage. Risky call, but exciting if it had worked!