“He’s Been A Joy To Coach”
September 17th, 2022
Gets love from coach.
Joe isn’t sure how much of this was broadcast on NBC last Sunday night but sitting in the press box from the end zone of Jerry’s World, Joe saw it a lot.
Bucs rookie tight end and sometimes fullback Ko Kieft looked like he belonged.
Playing in his first NFL game, the Iowa native by way of the University of Minnesota was every bit as advertised when Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht drafted Kieft in the sixth round. Kieft brought physicality and an edge to the field.
Joe noticed a couple of times Kieft neutralizing Cowboys linebacker Leighton Vander Esch.
The way Kieft attacked Cowboys linebackers was textbook beauty. Shoulders square, arms and hands well-placed, excellent leverage.
Yesterday, Bucs coach Todd Bowles showed the Bill Parcells influence in him and raved about Kieft’s first at-bat on likely the biggest NFL stage the Bucs will play on this regular season.
“He’s an old-school football player,” Bowles beamed of Kieft. “He works hard. He can play fullback, tight end, he can play the F or the U position as well. He does a lot of things for us.
“He’s good on [special] teams. He can catch the ball, actually, too. You haven’t seen his receiving skills yet, but he’s a hard-nosed, tough guy that comes to work every day and tries to get better.
“He’s always out before practice, trying to stretch and warm up and do things that he needs to work on, and he’s been a joy to coach.”
Oh, trust Joe. Joe’s seen Kieft’s receiving skills at training camp. Kieft may not be the quickest tight end but he has a nice pair of hands. Despite what the draftniks said about Kieft this spring, he can catch.
But damn if it isn’t a beautiful sight to see a fullback take out Pro Bowl linebackers to help spring Playoff Lenny.
Somewhere, Lorenzo Neal and Mike Alstott are smiling.
September 17th, 2022 at 12:06 am
I noticed him late in the game lead the way on the left side with some great blocks while Goedecke sealed to the inside.
Great stuff!
September 17th, 2022 at 12:07 am
Less than 48 hrs until the good guys fight the evil empire. Howard hopes the Bucs offense keeps their heads on a swivel watching for the inevitable cheap shot from the filthiest team in the NFL.
Howard would compare the saints to sewer rats but that’s unfair to the vermin.
September 17th, 2022 at 12:12 am
How about the “French Quarter Donkey Drops?”
September 17th, 2022 at 12:13 am
x2 with Otton.
September 17th, 2022 at 12:14 am
Lorenzo was a monster!
September 17th, 2022 at 12:31 am
He’s a beast, he’s more of a Lorenzo Neal than an Alstott. I saw him deliver a smash mouth hit on cowboys linebacker number 55. Ko is the deal. He plays hard n violent, a true grit old school type player. Watch the tapes, he’s a head hunter on each play. Let’s keep him in for blocks against the saints.Boy if he had about 50 more lbs on him he’d be an elite OT. Let’s Ko!
September 17th, 2022 at 12:32 am
I’m good at playing the FU position too.
September 17th, 2022 at 12:34 am
One day – fingers crossed – we get to see him and Big Red on the field together. Now that’s gonna be a beautiful site.
September 17th, 2022 at 12:35 am
sight **
September 17th, 2022 at 12:41 am
KIEFT’S HOUSE OF PANCAKES
GO KO!!
September 17th, 2022 at 12:49 am
he might factor into the game plan big time on funday
September 17th, 2022 at 12:50 am
HUGE Kiefts!!!
September 17th, 2022 at 12:51 am
I mean imo honestly I’d just park him next to Josh Wells @ LT Sunday. Cameron Jordan is good , but we have Tristan Wirfs and those two should be going at each other back and forth the entire game. Josh wells will need more help in pass protection. Ko with Wells is assurance for Brady on that left side. What it also does is it creates a sense of balance for TB12 while centered in the pocket. Getting comfortable in the pocket is key. I’m interested in seeing what WRs are active for Sunday’s game. Hopefully Scotty Miller. I also hope Russell Gage can gets going. Need some FDs. Not all can be from Leonard Fournette. Gronk is missed. What happened to Kyle Rudolph? He’s on the team still?
September 17th, 2022 at 1:33 am
Ko Kieft should be utilized entire game as an additional lineman to assist in the run game and pass pro
September 17th, 2022 at 1:40 am
D Says:
September 17th, 2022 at 12:32 am
I’m good at playing the FU position too.
Howard is tolerant of all lifestyles choices
September 17th, 2022 at 4:21 am
Ko Kieft fills the needs for Tom that James Develin did in New England. Hardnose attitude and crushing blocker. The hands in the passing game are a bonus. Jason knew the importance of Develin in the Pats offense.
September 17th, 2022 at 6:12 am
Just learned yesterday (experimenting) that YouTube TV has a feature that allows you to replay the top plays if you taped the game (which I had). They focused on 35 plays from the Bucs-Cowboys game & it was a joy to watch some of the blocking (to include Ko). What wasn’t a joy however was watching Parsons blow past Smith & Wells on his 2 sacks of Brady (Goedeke also got taken to the woodshed on those same plays BTW).
September 17th, 2022 at 6:33 am
Hell yeah!!! Unleash the Beast!!!!
September 17th, 2022 at 6:47 am
He has a strange body type.
He looks rock solid. He has a interesting bone structure.
He looks like he was created to play FB.
September 17th, 2022 at 6:50 am
“He can play fullback, tight end, he can play the F or the U position as well.”
Let’s hope a plays a big role in giving the Saints a big “F U” on Sunday.
September 17th, 2022 at 8:07 am
There was one play where Kieft stood up a Cowboys defensive lineman and handled him one on one. That’s the kind of thing Gronk was known for, so good to see we have another TE who can do that if called upon.
September 17th, 2022 at 8:10 am
Didn’t even know Vsndee Esch played……
We are starting to score on later round draft picks…….Tyler Johnson, Scotty Miller, Grant Huard, Justin Watson and ow Ko Kieft.
September 17th, 2022 at 8:20 am
Howard I suspect you are with me in hoping for a Conan the Barbarian performance!
“To crush your enemies, to see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentations of their women.”
September 17th, 2022 at 8:52 am
I don’t know why the NFL ever got away from using full backs as lead rushers!! A fullback sneak is almost guaranteed a first down on that 3rd and 2 to go
September 17th, 2022 at 8:53 am
He definitely belongs here in Tampa!!! KK, kick some major ass on Sunday!!! Take no prisoners!!! LFG!!!
September 17th, 2022 at 8:53 am
Lead blockers I meant to say
September 17th, 2022 at 9:20 am
Speaking of FU, just hope we don’t meet Justin Watson in the SB.
Bad decision.
September 17th, 2022 at 9:44 am
Lambeau, perhaps the release of Justin Watson exemplifies how Brady has too much clout. Instead of giving a special teams speedy stud a second chance, Brady seemed to be the arbiter in that decision.
September 17th, 2022 at 10:00 am
This guy is going to end up being a gem of a find. Hard-nosed “football guy” that is just built for this stuff. He really reminds me of a player that the Ravens like to take. Big, physical, dominate player.
I’d like to see them have Tom in the shotgun with Lenny on 1 side and Ko on the other. Protect the king. That would be the ultimate protection.
September 17th, 2022 at 10:31 am
Kieft was drafted as a ready-made blocking technician as a TE and flashed that ability to pair his motor and use leverage to seal/finish blocks off in both phases of the offense. There’s a play out of 13 personnel we ran against the Colts and Dallas where Kieft gets motioned off the LOS to the Wing and essentially pulled from the right side(behind Shaq Mason) of the formation to seal off the edge to the play side of the run. Both instances resulted in moving the chains and had Kieft not cleared out containment both plays would’ve been stopped dead to rights.
That says the staff trusts Keift not only to make that motion as a puller, but also trust Kiefts’ ability to engage defenders in space and finish blocks enough to spring our backs(and WRs) loose in the run game. One of the Julio Jones sweeps were made possibly by the tandem of Otton & Kieft getting up to the 2nd level and clearing out back side defenders on pursuit. Exciting stuff for two guys drafted this past year to contribute in the run game with the league trending towards pass catchers. It’s like an old breath of fresh air and hard nosed af
September 17th, 2022 at 11:04 am
Of course he can catch! He played for our old coach PJ Fleck in College, and no way you can play any type of receiver for Coach Fleck, if you can not catch.
Hat’s off to Jason Licht who really nailed this last draft.
Goedeke and Kieft are both hard nosed real football players.
September 17th, 2022 at 11:15 am
Keift was killing Cowboys LBs all game. Can’t wait to see him introduce himself to the Saints.
September 17th, 2022 at 11:31 am
Hope the poor saints are whining that the Bucs were hitting them to hard like the cowboys did.
September 17th, 2022 at 1:02 pm
#41 and #88
Just watch them. They are so very polished and Special for Rookies. It is a sight to behold.
#88 went 1 on 1 with the Bad Arse girl that plays in Dallas and put him on the ground. Allowing Brady to roll right and nearly complete a spectacular pass to JJ at the goal line to the left.
If the DB didnt do a good job of grabbing JJ just before he broke on the ball. It would have been a catch, and EVERYONE would be talking #88.
Heck, everyone would probably be talking about that play and #88 if it wasn’t for the fact that the Dallas player was already emotionally distraught and embarrassed. No one want to see a grown man cry like that.
September 17th, 2022 at 6:36 pm
Orton was.in on almost all ST plays. He’s pretty good. Time to show Jordan he’s getting long in the tooth.
September 17th, 2022 at 9:21 pm
I have enjoyed watching Ko so far in his young career. Licht gets a lot of credit on this draft choice.