Still On Top
October 12th, 2020
For a while back in 2015, veteran Bucs head coach Lovie Smith had his team challenging for the most penalties ever recorded in one NFL season.
Those Bucs at least had a few excuses for their messy play, a 21-year-old quarterback, two rookie offensive linemen and two more starting O-linemen signed off the street in late summer, in addition to a new offensive coordinator and a head coach who shook his head at the idea of bringing in referees to practice.
Those Lovie-guided Bucs led the 2015 NFL season in penalties with 143, tied with the Bills and with about 50 percent more penalties than they expected.
The Bucs cleaned up their act quite a bit under Dirk Koetter in 2016 and 2017, but got messy again in 2018 with 117 penalties, fifth-most in the NFL. Ironically, Koetter’s locker-room theme that season was “discipline-driven.”
Bucco Bruce Arians marched in last year with an experienced coaching staff and his famous accountability sheets and taskmaster approach, even eliminating music from practice for greater focus. The Bucs proceeded to lead the NFL in penalties with 133 in 2019.
And they haven’t improved; the Bucs are on pace for 134 penalties this season.
After yesterday’s slate of games, Tampa Bay still sits atop the NFL in penalties with 42 accepted penalties and a whopping 410 yards assessed.
Joe’s hands are thrown in the air. Arians’ teams in Arizona were rather well disciplined, including in his first season there (97 penalties in 2013).
For those wondering, Todd Bowles’ Jets team was highly-penalized during the final two seasons of his four-year reign of terror with New York.
October 12th, 2020 at 10:00 am
It’s simple. The Bucs have so many penalties because they are not that good. This is an 8-8 team. 8-8 talent. They have good WR’s and LB’s. That’s it. The rest are lower end NFL players. Constantly overcompensating for a lack of talent
October 12th, 2020 at 10:05 am
I have for awhile thought the referees have always gone against the bucs in many ways. we can look back at history and yes we have been penalized plenty of times because our players have done some mistakes, however I also can say the refs haven’t given us any breaks whatsoever for the last decade. their has been so many calls in past years that have gone against us that are highly questionable. again I dont want to sound like a conspiracy theorist here but I can give you so many examples of BS calls. Bruce Arians as a coach needs to let his players know that as a buccaneer you do not catch to many breaks, as a result they have to make sure they are as disciplined as possible.
October 12th, 2020 at 10:18 am
When Tony Dungy was HC, the team was one of the fewest penalized in the league. I always remember in the 70’s Don Shula coached teams being mentioned for low penalties. And of course Bill B coached teams in NE do not play stupid football. This has nothing to do with talent, but caring enough about what you are doing as a player to play smart. Penalties because effort are 1 thing, but boneheaded penalties are another story, just plain selfish crap.
October 12th, 2020 at 10:29 am
Anderson Fa Gonzalez
Not that I can do anything about it but I feel the same way. Week by week for years you see crushing Bucs penalties that are very questionable or did not occur. That Barrett roughing the passer sealed the win for Chicago. That penalty in the league is total BS today. These guys get paid $500 million to take hits and sacks like everyone else. It’s all about keeping top tier QBs safe for the safety of their TV ratings and Fantasy, not player protection. Way under thrown PI.Refs should be allowed to come together as a group more and discuss and be more flexible reversing penalties. I’m not just saying this cus I’m upset the Bucs lead in penalties every year. It’s because I see so many BS flags that makes you think of these things. But like I said. What the hell can I do?
October 12th, 2020 at 10:30 am
Continuing to be number one in penalties is on the coaches.
October 12th, 2020 at 10:44 am
3 OLinemen have more penalties than the entire Patriots’ team.
Only Marpet has 0 penalties.
D Smith is a highly paid veteran – there is no excuse for his penalties, especially if he’s giving up sacks as well.
Wirfs is a rookie.
Evans is on pace for 16 penalties for the year.
Bucs beating Bucs.
October 12th, 2020 at 11:14 am
I have to believe that when evaluating players in college there must be a way to determine whether or not a player is prone to getting penalties. I’m talking about an objective way to determine would would be more prone to getting penalties at the pro level.
This is an organizational issue and it’s been an issue across five different head coaches. Perhaps players need to be fined by the organization for penalties. It’s probably against league rules. Players care about getting paid above everything else and the team needs to take drastic measures to get the message across.
October 12th, 2020 at 11:21 am
Maybe I am wrong but it seems to me the coach used to be able to fine players for things like that. Of course if you started fining the guys who committed stupid penalties Donovan Smith wouldn’t have much of his game check left.
October 12th, 2020 at 11:27 am
Bull squid, maybe I’m the only one seeing it but to have back to back possessions with like 5 consecutive calls in a row to push us out of points range is beyond bad discipline. There’s a hold, facemask, etc ON EVERY PLAY! I just watched a bitter Sunday of football with eyes peeled for this and saw it almost on EVERY PLAY! But guess what, they didn’t call it on every play… I’m telling y’all if you don’t think for one second that Vegas has it’s fixes in on NFL football think again. Don’t look now bout for the 2nd time in as many franchises the Vegas Raiders are leading the way to a probable super bowl season just like their NHL neighbors did their first year in Vegas… it’s not a freaking coincidence guys, it’s called MONEY.. and the money in sports goes through Vegas. Sorry guys but it’s sad and it’s true…
October 12th, 2020 at 11:46 am
Fining players for penalties, I believe, is not permitted by the rules negotiated by the teams & players union…..but, I think there are ways for teams to set up “kangaroo” courts to fine players.
A good idea is to have a player pool set up for charities……
I know this would hurt….but sitting a player out a week after an unnecessary penalty would probably work…..the problem…..there are so many of them.
October 12th, 2020 at 12:09 pm
Seems to me like the ref’s ineptness at getting pass interference correct, when given the opportunity to be challenged, had reeled them in a bit for all calls. This year, however, for some nonsensical reason, that challenge has been eliminated and a return to getting it wrong has been proudly reinstated.
Since then, like all year to be precise, the ref’s seem emboldened to call everything, when and against any particular player or team they desire –aka Bucs. We all know there’s holding on every play. Therefore, it should be called for the only most egregious infractions. But it’s not and I don’t think there’s a fan out there that thinks it’s not ruining the game.
I’d need DR to give me stats to back that up, but I sure seem see more yellow cloth laying on the ground than in recent years past.
October 12th, 2020 at 12:40 pm
I dont mind some of the penalties. I would rather a team play a little over aggressive than under aggressive. The ones that get me are the mental errors. Offsides, late hits, illegal formation type stuff and some pi where you arent beat but get handsy. The holding stuff gets to me when its not even between the teams. The N.O. game 1 was very strict calls but even. The chicago game was not. That hurts.
October 12th, 2020 at 1:40 pm
I agree. I remember years ago then Bucs coach Greg Schiano said he wanted his teams to be middle of the pack when it comes to penalties. His reasoning is that if your team is at the bottom when it comes to team penalties then you’re probably not playing aggressive enough which can lead to less time of possession and less opportunities. Say what you will about Schiano but I think he had a good point.
October 12th, 2020 at 4:18 pm
The Bucs SB team played with the mindset that they had to beat the refs as well as the opposing team. Wouldn’t hurt for this team to learn the same. ‘Cept for Methuselah, of course.
October 12th, 2020 at 5:18 pm
Bucs first series of the second half, refs miss face mask of punt returner Mickens. He runs to the 35, Bucs should be at the 50. Next play ROjO runs for 37 yards, next play Brady sacked. Field position makes a difference here possibly (but the refs missed this HOW and why isn’t BA bringing this out in his presser, he can afford it – surely this tape had to go to New York
October 12th, 2020 at 5:39 pm
I do believe that there are certain officials in the NFL that are doing a very bad job. Roughing the passer calls have to be right. When a quarterback releases the ball if they are hit cleanly (not leading with helmet, not going for knees) at the same time the ball is coming out and the pass rusher doesn’t pound him to the ground by falling on him with all their weight there should never be a penalty called. The call on Shaq was textbook quarterback pressure, nothing flagrant, no harm, no foul!
There are some holding calls you see against the Bucs that look very innocent but they are flagged. Its true that some of the crews call excessive penalties on the Bucs.