Raheem Morris Too Defensive Minded?
December 22nd, 2010
"Hey Olson, I've got enough on my hands with the defense as it is. Do I have to start calling plays on offense for you too? Com' on man!"
A lot of Bucs fans are angry with coach Raheem Morris, thinking he has gone all conservative of late, channeling his inner Father Dungy.
Well, Raheem is a defensive coach. And defensive coaches are, by nature, allergic to taking chances.
Consider that good guy Stephen Holder of the St. Petersburg Times is wondering that perhaps Raheem, also the Bucs defensive coordinator, is letting his defensive responsibilities get the best of him, so Holder wondered on Twitter.
Its fair to ask whether Raheem’s status as def coord might sometimes cloud his opinion of the unit. Just sayin’…
Well, unless there’s something going on Joe’s not aware of, Raheem isn’t the guy calling the plays on offense. If the offense is getting conservative, if the offense benches LeGarrette Blount for no good reason, if the offense doesn’t try to run quarterback Josh Freeman up the center’s rear end on short-yardage situations, don’t blame Raheem.
Point your finger at the guy calling the plays on offense: the offensive coordinator.
December 22nd, 2010 at 8:15 am
it’s simple and it happens to LOTS of coaches in the NFL. they get a lead and sit on it.
Full speed to the metal. I’d rather the bucs do those onside kicks, going for it on 4th and 1 and running Blount off tackle.
Let’s face it IF the Bucs allowed Freeman to run the 2minute offense on a regular basis we’d score more.
December 22nd, 2010 at 8:20 am
I think Olson lacks everything you want in an OC. He is just using a dumbed down, for lack of a better term, version of Chucky’s playbook. The Rookies and sophmores on offense have performed so well that you can see when Olson’s lack of creativity and common sense goes into hyperdrive. While I think noone gets fired this off season on the coaching staff, I certainly think we have a coaching staff that is still showing that it in fact is the weakest link with poor game plan and adjustments almost every game. Our rookies get better every week but our coaching staff does not. Raheem would do well to continue his path of concentrating on the Defense but as a head coach should be looking for a much more experienced OC. Go Bucs.
December 22nd, 2010 at 8:23 am
Ultimately, it all falls back on the head coach, who seems to have a Man Crush on Cadillac.
It took 1/2 of Tampa screaming for Blount for Raheem to finally capitulate, then they bench our best running back when we needed him most. Raheem could have stepped in, and insisted on Blount being in the game, but he didn’t. Silence means consent, so he must accept responsibility for Olson’s decision, if it WAS Olson’s, and not Raheem’s ?
The NY Jets recently beat the Steelers, and LaDanian Tomlinson sealed the deal with a critical first down, as time was running out on the Steelers. Yet Tampa takes our best back out, right when we needed him the most.
December 22nd, 2010 at 9:31 am
You cannot blame Olsen. Many head coaches veto what the OC’s want to do at certain parts of the game. John Fox as one example, they have had several OC’s and it’s always the same – run, run, pass, or run, run, run.
December 22nd, 2010 at 9:45 am
We’ll see what happens this weekend. We now know the defense, with all the injuries, can’t be counted on to hold a lead.
Will they adjust the game plan to be more agressive on offense to try and build a bigger lead? Or will it be more of the same?
It would be nice to see them really unleash Freeman, Williams, Benn and Blount. So far we have only seen a glimpse of what could be.
December 22nd, 2010 at 9:53 am
In reality, seting aside injuries, the defense has made little if any improvement in the last two years.
that is, under any measurable statistical standard. Still near the bottom in rush defense even before any injuries.
The farther we get away from the great defenses of bucs past, the more special those guys look. Will we ever be close to that again?
isn’t that why we hired a defensive coach and expert in the Tampa 2?
December 22nd, 2010 at 10:10 am
Both Holder and Joe are full of bull. Olsen gave the Bucs the lead. And Raheem depending on a defense to stop a crappy offense with a crappy QB with one skilled player for 90 seconds and no timeouts isn’t being “defensive minded”.
The players on defense simply are not good enough. It ain’t coaching.
December 22nd, 2010 at 10:11 am
Just a week or so ago Raheem proclaimed that Olsen ran plays that Raheem wanted him to. That denotes that Raheem is dabbling in Olsen’s Offensive play calling. While I thought that Olsen would be as bad as Raheem last year, Olsen has proved that he is innovative and can run an offense. It’s funny that no one has questioned Olsen’s play calling prior to this loss. Maybe that has been because Olsen has called some great offensive games, and Raheem has left him alone to do so.
Last year Bates defense gave up numerous yards per game and he was fired. This year Raheem’s defense has given up comparable yardage and is Cheered. The “only” reason that the Bucs have won the games they’ve won this year is the innovative plays by Olsen on offense that Freeman & Co. have executed to perfection. So lay the blame where it should be laid when we lose, and that is on Raheem. Not on Olsen!
December 22nd, 2010 at 10:12 am
@Joe: Did you see the video of Raheem Morris on NFL.com? Pretty neat…
December 22nd, 2010 at 10:16 am
Got to agree with Theodore. I think we need 5-6 new starters on D before we ultimately have a super bowl caliber defense. Maybe less if some of the young guys like Bennett and the three tackles grow into real players.
December 22nd, 2010 at 10:16 am
Eric,
Its easy to say ok the Run defense hasn’t improved. But lets take a closer look.
You are right the run D hasn’t been great but…
In 09 the Bucs total defense was ranked 27th and now is up to 20th even after two bad defensive efforts most would agree were due in large part to injuries.
In 09 the bucs scoring defense was ranked 27th and now are ranked 19th.
Granted those are not huge gains but I’d say its pretty good for playing a team full of rookies and practice squad players.
What that tells me is that Raheem, who may not be getting all he wants out of the run defense, is still finding a way to have some success by using the teams strengths.
To say the team hasn’t improved based soley on the run D is misleading. It doesn’t matter how many yards the teams get between the twenties. For the most part up until last week the Bucs have been bending but not breaking and that is an improvement over last year no matter how you spin it.
December 22nd, 2010 at 10:20 am
Oh yeah and the biggest measurable stat that has improved.
2009 through 14 games 2-12
2010 8-6
December 22nd, 2010 at 10:31 am
@eric and d-money, you both have valid points.
I do agree though, with injuries we are not able to count on the defense and we must win games with offense. No sense in holding back the reins now, let it rip. Spread out the defense with 4 wr sets and go into a no huddle against the Seahawks if necessary. Same with the Saints. Saints will blitz so spread them out and force a mismatch. Benn, Williams, K2 – somebody will get a favorable matchup. That becomes your hot read (or could).
December 22nd, 2010 at 10:51 am
The question to ask yourself would a better coach have been able to get us to the playoffs this year with the team that we got?
If ther answer is yes, then we need a new coach.
Just like players are held accountable on the field so should the coaches.
There is not a doubt in my mind that if we had a seasoned coach we would have at least two more wins.
December 22nd, 2010 at 11:50 am
Yeah .. Jo_Mama .. Maybe a little bit more seasoned coach like Mike Shannahan
December 22nd, 2010 at 12:03 pm
Yeah, Shannahan is seasoned with a dash of crazy and a pinch of ego!
December 22nd, 2010 at 12:05 pm
Jo Mama…
To ansewr your question, No.
Real fine job Shanahan did in washington, you wanna trade raheem for him? Wade Phillips is available too! I’m suuuuure that Norv Turner would have gotten us out to a 2-6 start and then lead us to the playoffs with our current skeleton crew as well! John Fox is a pretty “seasoned coach” you wanna call him?
The youngest team in the NFL is pulling off a swing of +5 wins (worst case scenario), and you wanna fire the head coach who led them there? I think its time to embrace a little doubt in your mind buddy. This team has out performed all expectations and are now down to practice squad players starting on the offensive line and all over the defense, and you want to fire the coach. Give me a break.
December 22nd, 2010 at 2:54 pm
your wrong joe ,it was raheems call to go with the ball security back. decisions like that, at crucial points of games, are made by head coaches. sure the exact play calls were made by olson but the decision to have blount riding pine was raheems
December 22nd, 2010 at 3:11 pm
Not only that but Raheem chose the guy to be the OC.
The Buck stops with the head coach in the NFL, can’t hide behind coordinators.
December 22nd, 2010 at 3:39 pm
Well said Eric, in the NFL, a fish stinks from the head down. Not that Raheem stinks either. I just didn’t agree with taking our best back out of the game when Tampa did.
December 22nd, 2010 at 6:53 pm
Jo_Mama, The answer is Yes, we need an experienced Head Coach to run this team.
Leighroy, We would have been a much better team with “any” of the coaches that you mentioned. In fact, Fox is a very good defensive coach that kicked our butts more than a few times when we had a Great Team. The problems in Carolina had more to do with personel than with Fox. But I’d still rather have “The Chin”, thank you.
And Leighroy, you can thank Olsen for those wins, not Raheem.