Greg Olson Is Living In Fantasyland
April 5th, 2010
"Look kid, if Dan Fouts could throw downfield all the time, so can you."
Joe has already written today about how a coach can create an explosive situation by trying force feed a team a specific type of scheme when said team doesn’t have the horses to run that particular race.
After being a first-hand witness from the sidelines at the trainwreck that was the Jim Bates debacle, one would think Bucs offensive coordinator Greg Olson would have leanred something.
In an article typed by eye-RAH! Kaufman, of the Tampa Tribune today, it appears Olson may have been oblivious to the Bates disaster last season.
Olson, per Kaufman, wants to install a pass happy offense.
Greg Olson wants the Bucs to move into the passing lane of a quarterback-driven league.
Tampa Bay’s offensive coordinator said he won’t abandon the run this fall, but he can’t help noticing how the NFL is increasingly turning into a showcase for elite quarterbacks. And with second-year pro Josh Freeman on the rise, Olson believes he has the triggerman to fling the ball downfield with positive results.
“I’m still a believer in running the football, but I can tell you this—you’d better be able to throw it if you want to get deep into the playoffs,’’ Olson said. “The last five or six years, teams in the playoffs have had to have a pretty strong passing game. We’re going to find ways to run, but to stick to it wholeheartedly and say we’re going to be a run-run-run football team … if you look at the teams that do that, we’re going to have to be darned good on the other side of the ball, too.’‘
Olson went on to say he won’t be stubborn about his offense.
Look, wanting to pass the ball is fine. Joe’s not sure Olson has glanced at the Bucs roster in recent days, but who the hell is going to catch the ball?
Tight end Kellen Winslow, who had more than double the number of receptions than any wide receiver currently on the Bucs roster, will very likely see double if not triple coverage. Just the fact a tight end has twice as many catches as a receiver is a frightening concept to Joe.
Now that teams are aware of Sammie Stroughter, defenses likely won’t let him run free.
Has blocking icon Michael Clayton done anything the past four years to warrant a modicum of confidence? Mo Stovall?
And let’s be honest, Freeman has great intangibles. But if memory serves, aside from brief glimpses, when Olson tried to open the offense up for Freeman, he turned into an interception machine and Olson had to dial down the offense. The kid is still learning.
Yo, Greg! You have a number of good — not great — running backs and your offensive line seems to be OK with run blocking. Use them!
You have arguably the worst set of receivers in the NFL. Don’t get stupid and think you can pull off an Air Coryell stunt here. Not now. Not yet.
Oh, and burn that Chucky playbook, will ya?
April 5th, 2010 at 2:14 pm
Look Joe, we all know the needs of this team. The draft is coming soon (18 days) and we may see some type of free agent stuff, but great googly-moogly dude, there my be some surprises coming, maybe not. Lets see the daft play out before we decide there is no life in this team. Come on Joe, have a cold Caybrew, a good cigar and take a deep hopeful breath. Besides, there are no good comedy shows on TV, so the Bucs may provide some good Ha-Ha stuff to get our minds off this crappy economy.
April 5th, 2010 at 2:17 pm
Sounds like a plan Kirk. 🙂
April 5th, 2010 at 2:22 pm
I read on BSPN that the 12 playoff teams averaged 25 points a game. The Bucs averaged 15 points per game, earning the 30th place ranking in that category.
They failed to re-sign their second most productive offensive player, replacing him with a hasbeen.
Now, the OC is running his mouth as if they have the slightest hope for an effective passing attack, given the personnel.
This kind of BS is exactly why, after the pending total disaster, they all need to be fired and not given more time to screw things up even more!
April 5th, 2010 at 3:35 pm
I don’t like what I read, however neither our RBs nor our O-line is capable of run-run-run, we just don’t have the ammunition in the backfield whatsoever. It all needs to start with the defense, if the D plays good and gives us the cushion to run the ball, take it. If not we are going to be pass happy anyways, as we do not have explosive playmakers in the backfield. I would love to see Best or McCluster in Bucs uniform though, they bring youth and another dimension in running and passing game.
April 5th, 2010 at 5:35 pm
“stick to it wholeheartedly and say we’re going to be a run-run-run football team … if you look at the teams that do that, we’re going to have to be darned good on the other side of the ball, too.’‘
And Olsen is correct in this statement. if our D cant stop anyone anyway we will always be in catchup mode, that “mostly” is pass, pass, pass. But we can’t Run this type of offense right? We don’t have the players. If your down 14+ are you running much anyway? Why not prepare the players we do have with this form of our offense learn to use this game-plan early and often then it is the other team who is in the BAD position of pass, pass, pass… not us we can then maybe we can run and run and run like they appear to do on us.
Just a thought from my side of the fence anyway. What do i know?
April 5th, 2010 at 5:41 pm
Maybe Olsen knows something we don’t : The Brandon Marshall trade is a done deal.
(wishful thinking)
April 5th, 2010 at 7:23 pm
Hell, just bring back Joey Galloway! He’s 37, but at this point when you look at our scary receiving corps, do you really care? At his old age, i’m 100% he would beat out our current WR corps on the first day of camp! The guy could still produce for us. He did have three straight 1,000 yard seasons until he was 36 years old.
April 5th, 2010 at 8:02 pm
Olson is an idiot. He is the weak link in this Chain. I just hope they fire him sooner than they did with Bates and his fiasco. If by week 3 of losses, 50 passes and 15 runs, shitcan his ass. He is way over his head and was promoted to his level of incompetence two jobs ago. Maybe they will fire him 1 week before opening day. Save us the pain and fire him now. The guy sucks.
April 5th, 2010 at 8:22 pm
@BigMacAttack
Not only can’t we fire Olson before the season, but even if the team goes 3-13 we have to bring him back the following season in the interest of continuity!!!!!!!!!!!!!