“You Can’t Shadow Box With The Champ.”
November 26th, 2011
Earlier this week, Bucs coach Raheem Morris made his weekly appearnace on “The Blitz,” co-hosted by former Super Bowl quarterback Rich Gannon and popular sports radio personality Adam Schein, heard exclusively on SiriusXM NFL Radio. Naturally, Joe transcribed the interview.
Adam Schein: Coach, welcome back, Happy Thanksgiving to you and the family.
Raheem Morris: Thanks Adam, I needed that to cheer me up. How you doing, Rich?
Rich Gannon: I knew it would take a special effort to win [at Green Bay]. I was impressed with Freeman, with Blount, definitely, Talib… tell us about the effort.
Morris: That is what it is all about. You play fast, play hard, play consistent and try to play smart. I have no problem with that type of a loss. We didn’t get a win but I feel good about that type of an effort and the resiliency from the coaching staff.
Schein: Raheem, before we get into the Xs and Os, we talked about this the last few weeks, I felt like it was the same refrain, the need to talk about getting faster starts, the need to get LeGarrette Blount the ball but it never happened. What changed? Your team responded this week.
Morris: The double-session pads that we had last week, we recreated practice habits and the running game is powerful. LeGarrette responded. He created holes for himself and was running downhill. The defensive backs did well in man-to-man coverages. At the end of the day, they made more opportunites.
Gannon: Coach, tell us about your decision with the coverages on defense.
Morris: You know how good Aaron Rodgers is. If you give him zone coverage he will dice you up. We tried to make tighter windows for him and take away some timing and make him make plays with his feet. But he did scramble a little and made some throws with his feet.
Schein: Why did you go for two the second time?
Morris: We tried to be aggressive. We had a chance to tie the game up, we knew we were going to onside kick the next play. We had to play hard, play physical, play smart. You have to get your team to believe that way.
Schein: What about the onside kick earlier?
Morris: Same thing. We were trying to get good field position. We saw an opening but we got an illegal touch. They had to respond on a short field and they did. We had to throw our punches at the champ. You can’t shadow box with the champ and expect to get a win.
Gannon: I thought Josh had his best effort of the season.
Morris: That may have been his best effort as far as accuracy. He tried to get a big time win for his football team. He made some really good timing throws and decisions. He played pretty well for us. You have to remember this is just his second [full] year as a [starter].
Schein: Raheem, it is interesting. I watched the game on TV, tell me if I am wrong with this take: I saw a guy from last year. I saw a guy that had the most confidence that Josh has played with all season.
Morris: I give you credit for that. The offensive line did a nice job of keeping people off him. The wide receivers did a nice job of winning one-on-one spots which we never had this year and getting LeGarrette Blount going. We need to do that every single week.
Gannon: Why are the Packers so hard to defense against in the pass?
Morris: Well, they have so many good receivers. They have Jordy Nelson, they have Cobb coming off the bench, they have Jermichael Finley, they have a bunch of different weapons that Aaron Rodgers has no problem winging the ball to. You have to match up with their receivers with your defensive backs because if you give them room in a zone, he will dice you up.
Schein: The officiating was interesting.
Morris: I just have to get used to it. It’s too close to Christmas. I need to take care of my money so I can help my family members.
Gannon: Tell us about your remaining schedule.
Morris: It’s one at a time for the next six games. We can still match the record we had last year. It’s just one at a time.
Schein: How pivital of a strech is this for you Raheem?
Morris: It’s more about the organization. you want to be consistent and be one of the better football teams in the league and the only way to do get to that level is to play consistently.
November 26th, 2011 at 6:58 pm
” But he did scramble a little and made some throws with his feet.”
Aaron Rodgers is so good he can throw with his feet.
November 26th, 2011 at 7:23 pm
Morris :…blah…blah…blah…….
November 26th, 2011 at 7:28 pm
Biggers and Lewis were abused badly.
November 27th, 2011 at 12:04 am
I was proud of the way Tampa played, in that game.
November 27th, 2011 at 2:42 am
I hate Raheem. He’s aggressive, opportunistic, emotional and charismatic. Plus he starts Quincy Black and EJ Biggers, and that is obviously his fault. He sucks. Only a terrible coach would lose to the pathetic Packers, Texans, Saints, Bears, 49ers and Lions–moron. The Glazers need to demote him to a quality control coach or maybe to the guy that’s in charge of the people who wave the flags after the Buccaneers score a touchdown. We need a real coach. A coach that can bring free agents in, because dummy Raheem doesn’t want to. We need Cower or Fisher because those guys won tons of Super Bowls immediately and they want to some here because the Glazers would gladly pay them. The media, analysts and experts are stupid for thinking he’s a good coach. What do they know? I know everything–I listen to the Sports Babe show.
November 27th, 2011 at 8:08 am
Damn Anthony – it’s about time you wizened up fellow!
November 27th, 2011 at 8:16 am
I love Raheem. He’s passive, non-opportunistic, unemotional and a great public speaker. Plus he starts Quincy Black and EJ Biggers, players I know have great potential they just need experience!
Raheem’s great. We don’t need a coach that can bring free agents in, because dummy Dominik doesn’t want to. We don’t need Cower or Fisher because those guys won Super Bowls. We want to watch and wait until Raheem gets his first playoff game so what if it takes 10 or more years just think of all the enjoyment we’ll have watching this young team mature together. The media, analysts and experts are right for thinking he’s a good coach I mean we have beaten the Saints twice in 2 years right? I know everything–I listen to the Sports Babe show and I think that Raheem is the way to win in Tampa.
NOT!!!!!!
November 27th, 2011 at 8:54 am
not so caught up in their effort ,its about winning no amount of effort will be remembered in the end of the season only the record .if you want your job rah make big changes or find another job, if you don’t mind …..win today or fire Olsen and start putting out resumes tonight and please stop talking about the lockout every team that beat us had a lockout Dom needs to keep some of u off the radio making fools out of yourself and keep you in the film room and in practice until you win this season and really pissed me off ,effort ,,,,are you kidding me!!!!
November 27th, 2011 at 8:58 am
i ment this season really pissed me off ,, we have to win today we just have to
November 27th, 2011 at 9:58 am
“we have to win today, we just have”
Just wondering, were you stomping your feet and shaking yer, Eyes all squinted up, when ya wrote that. Lol
November 27th, 2011 at 11:52 am
“You play fast, play hard, play consistent and try to play smart.”
We hear these rehearsed lines by Raheem over and over this season, yet here we are in week 12 still wondering which team will show up. In fact, he says this twice in this interview alone with Schein and Gannon. Keep telling yourself this, Rah, while your defense is 31st in the league.
November 27th, 2011 at 1:25 pm
1. We play in a hard division.
2. Have a hard schedule inside and out of our division
3. Lots of injuries
4. One of the youngest team in pros.
And Coach Rah is the problem???????????????????
You people are silly.
Free has played like crap. He is throwing late; lofting balls and throwing into multiply coverage. I “hear” his Wideouts don’t get separation.
Well let’s put that argument to rest!!!!!! If you watched last week Aaron Rodgers threw into tight coverage SEVERAL TIMES BUT threw with confidence to “specific spots”. Brett Favre part of why he was so GOOD and BAD at the same time, is he throws into tight spots with CONFIDENCE. Lots of picks but he also threw tons of TD’s that’s why he won a SB and threw 7 INT’s in another playoff disaster.
This isn’t College D!!!!!
IT’S the FREAKING NFL THERE ISN’T SEPERATION EVERY PLAY!!!
I think Josh in his second season is thinking too much and NOT throwing with confidence. This is hurting our Offense causing slow starts and keeping our young D on the field but that’s another argument. I love Free but let’s put the blame on him he hasn’t played well this year. I know his WR’s/TE’s aren’t catching everything but he is playing bad pretty much the whole year. .
If he starts throwing with confidence I think the D can hold up “enough” to give Free a chance to win every game in the end. But he NEEDs to throw WITH CONFIDENCE early in the game and throughout the game to give our young D a chance to make plays. And our AWESOME Special Teams to do what they do!!!
ONE LAST Thing Olsen isn’t the problem. Free throwing late is. I told all of you about this in the preseason I saw it from the stands. I love Free but he’s in the “Sophomore Slump” let’s hope he breaks out of it for the rest of the season.