Hayward Says Bucs Took Detroit Lightly
May 29th, 2011
Joe and every other Bucs fan knows the tough December home loss to the Lions crushed the Bucs playoff hopes. They win that game and they end up in the playoffs and the Packers aren’t in the postseason dance.
Today, Bucs linebacker Adam Hayward joined Tampa Bay Sports Central and shared somewhat troubling insight into that tough loss, during the WTOG-TV Ch. 44 show hosted by J.P. Peterson.
“We weren’t playing like ourselves. We went in there kind a flat. We were thinking, ‘Oh this is Detroit,”” Hayward said. “That’s how you get your butt wupped.”
Hayward went on to explain the Bucs learned a valuable lesson about playing consistently and not playing up or down to their competition, which Hayward said was an issue during the 2010 season.
Yeah, Hayward’s comments are old news from a great season, but it’s troubling nonetheless. How could the Bucs have possibly taken the Lions lightly after almost miraculously squeaking past the Redskins the previous week and needing the game to get in the playoffs?
If Hayward’s take is accurate, then Raheem Morris and his players really dropped the ball.
May 29th, 2011 at 1:06 pm
can’t say we played up and down to different opponents when we only won one game against a team with a winning record – and a game that barely meant anything for the saints too
what is worrying though is biggers/barber couldnt stop megatron and only drew stanton was throwing to him..
May 29th, 2011 at 1:14 pm
You shouldn’t have admitted that, Adam Hayward. Id rather just keep believing you got beat….with the help of that screwjob.
May 29th, 2011 at 1:16 pm
The great raheem morris allowed his young team to take a game needed for a playoff spot for granted. Blasphomy! Impossible. I am sure that many of you will find a way to blame this on Jim Bates or Todd Wash or Barrett Ruud – or one of the typical non-rah scapegoats.
May 29th, 2011 at 1:24 pm
LOL.
Or perhaps the ref that butchered a touchdown call that was so awful, the NFL apologized for the error.
May 29th, 2011 at 1:26 pm
It is always a possibility, with a young team. I personally think that is just one young man’s take( Hayward). I’m sure other Bucs would say it was the Screwjob that cost us that game. Hayward has been here a while. Think he is starting to feel” now or never time”, as far as winning a starting position. So heating up the starters is a way to go!
I would like to see Adam at Wil, actually. He has great speed. And is faaaarr more violent than Geno. – he might pull it off. I think he could!
May 29th, 2011 at 3:13 pm
Joe: a wise football coach once told me:
“there are about 130 plays in a typical football game and to blame losing the game on 1 call no matter when or how it occurred is the byproduct of why you lost in the first place.”
They lost this game bc thry were outplayed at home by a team with its 3rd string qb and the playoffs on the line. Legit contenders don’t lose that game, nor blame losing on one judgment call by an official.
May 29th, 2011 at 3:32 pm
Dear sports-fans-who-were-born-yesterday,
Playing flat occurs to every professional team in every season in every sport. Even undefeated teams get scares by inferior talents whether it be a half or a game. No team plays it’s absolute best all of the time. If that were the case you wouldn’t watch or pay to see it. If you were under the impression that is not the case, I suggest you watch more sports and grow up.
May 29th, 2011 at 3:49 pm
Dear Tom,
Being a playoff caliber nfl team requires that you not have let-downs at inopportune times, especially late in the year games at home and division games. You CANT be a playoff level team and lose this Detroit game. Further, the comverse of your argument also holds true: even shitty teams play well sometimes and win games they shouldnt. This happened last year a few times.
May 29th, 2011 at 3:56 pm
“a wise football coach once told me:”
———-
Sorry Thomas, I couldn’t ready anything after that statement – my eyes were watering from laughing so hard.
May 29th, 2011 at 3:59 pm
“read”, not ready. See, I still can’t see too well.
May 29th, 2011 at 4:06 pm
A wise football coach would say “keep your eyes and head in the game” and if all of us kept our eyes on that game we would have seen that the Bucs played a good football team that beat the superbowl champs and had a pretty good record down the stretch. We lost that game because they were a good team despite their weakness at QB and they got a favorable end zone call which the NFL acknowledged. Plain and simple. And, I might add, Detroit will not be an easy win if and when we play them in the opener.
May 29th, 2011 at 4:27 pm
Thomas:
Totally agree, but like in life, there are no absolutes. That horrible call took points off the board. That horrible call enabled Detroit to get into overtime and win the game. That horrible call cost the Bucs a win.
NOT — as some try to twist — because Aqib Talib was hurt. :^/
May 29th, 2011 at 5:12 pm
I disagree. We did need Talib out there on Megatron. While Talib wouldn’t have shut him down, he would at least would of given us a better option in dealing with him and kept Elbert Mack off the field.
May 29th, 2011 at 6:13 pm
I blame that game on 3 things:
1. Any given Sunday.
2. Zebras hate pirates.
3. Barrett Ruud (sorry I couldn’t help it)
May 29th, 2011 at 8:43 pm
How about this:
Last years Bucs would not have made the superbowl regardless, so if they needed to learn that lesson, last year was the time to do it.
People tend to forget that a young team has to learn from it’s mistakes.
Personally, I find it encouraging that Hayward is admitting this…or do you all not remember the 97 Bucs (who were young too) saying the same sort of things?
It’s called accountability…and it’s a good thing. It builds leadersan d winners.
May 30th, 2011 at 8:43 am
for some reason I doubt Josh Freeman would agree with Career backup Adam Heyward .. I believe players like Freeman and Winslow took this a serious as it could be .. Didnt the Bucs nearly get beat by the crappy Redskins the week before this game ???
Maybe heyward said hey its just the Lions .. I dont buy the whole team went into a playoff race game with that mentallity … Comments like that earn players spots on new teams