Giving Raheem Morris Benefit Of The Doubt
December 13th, 2011
It’s like two different universes for Joe, the 2010 Bucs that lost a playoff-bid tiebreaker to the Packers, the eventual Super Bowl champions, and this season’s Bucs, which are abysmal.
Michael Silver of Yahoo! Sports also can’t believe what the Bucs have become. But Silver is of the mind that Team Glazer is not “delusional,” therefore, embattled Bucs coach Raheem Morris will return for the 2012 season in his “Two Things I Cannot Comprehend.”
How the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, after a promising 2010 campaign, could get so atrocious, so fast. On Sunday the Bucs (4-9) had a 14-point lead against the Jaguars – and proceeded to give up 41 consecutive points to a terrible team that hadn’t scored more than 20 in a game all season. The first 28 of those points came during a seven-minute, 32-second flurry in the second quarter that featured four Bucs turnovers (they had seven for the day). Tampa Bay has now lost seven consecutive games, and the future of third-year coach Raheem Morris is very much in doubt. Morris has one year remaining on his contract after this season, meaning the franchise will likely extend or fire him, rather than letting him stay as a potential lame duck. I’m inclined to give Morris the benefit of the doubt given the impressive job he did in 2010 and the fact that the team’s owners, the Glazer brothers, have been among the league’s least-aggressive spenders the past several seasons. As of last month the Bucs were reportedly $25.1 million under the salary cap after having spent even less in 2010, an uncapped year because of the impending expiration of the collective bargaining agreement. Still, after efforts (or lack thereof) like Sunday’s, it will be tough to sell Morris’ return to an understandably mystified fan base. The Bucs look listless, aimless and anything but precise, a somewhat shocking development after the way young quarterback Josh Freeman’s leadership skills and late-game magic nearly pushed this team into the playoffs a year ago. Morris needs to have his team ready to play next Saturday against the Cowboys in Tampa and in season-closing road games at Carolina and Atlanta. The Glazers may be cheap – at least, as of late – but they’re not delusional.
To be honest, Joe doesn’t know what to guess at what Team Glazer will do with Morris.
As Joe told Child of Bucky, Preston Rudie of WTSP-TV yesterday, as many of Joe’s readers watched on Channel 10, prior to the Carolina game Joe was confident Morris would return. After the Carolina game Joe was not as confident. After the seal-clubbing at Jacksonville, Joe is even less confident of Morris’ return.
December 13th, 2011 at 9:05 am
The definition of delusional is to watch the undisciplined product the Bucs are forcing their fans to watch each Sunday and pretend it has nothing to do with the head coach. The 10-6 season is now looked on as an aberration. An easy schedule and some lucky last minute comebacks did really not define this team. Lack of preparation, lack of discipline and a total lack of accountability which all point to Raheem are the real problems right now. Haley in K.C.’s career almost mirrored Raheems and he has been shown the door. When will the Glazers come down from their ivory tower and put an end to the fans suffering and admit they made an error promoting a defensive back coach who has no right being a head coach??? God only knows!!!
December 13th, 2011 at 9:11 am
i will tell you who is giving Morris the benefit of the doubt. ” The Pessimist ” ! where is that guy??? he was turning out 3 articles a week. Now i will see maybe one every three months. That guy was dancing, laughing and writing every day of Gruden’s last year.
December 13th, 2011 at 9:12 am
There will be a fan revolt if Morris isn’t fired. If he’s staying I hope I get a torch and pitchfork for Christmas.
December 13th, 2011 at 9:16 am
If you have the recording from Sunday, just watch the body language and facial expressions of the defense and especially the offense the first time they took the field. No fire, no excitement and a disinterested look on many of the faces. The offense slowly walked to the line, shoulders slumped. Our coach looked down and out.
December 13th, 2011 at 9:27 am
Enough with this secondary talk of Morris … Primary is the fact that the Bucs are an awful team. Add to that all home games besides one are blacked out. Add to that those of us outside the immediate Tampa Bay area are not familiar with the team as we only see them when the Bucs play away. Add to that when we DO see them play, they come across as quitters. Now, with that said, the NFL is a business based upon a product. Our ‘product’ is built to lose. There are obviously no leaders. The owners will have to decide what product they want. It is up to them to staff the team with a capable head coach and qualified position coaches. So far, we are lacking in that area. There are absolutely NO experienced and proven successful position coaches or coordinators. Further, the owners through the GM and Head Coach are to bring to the team free agents and quality draft choices. Someone once said, the NFL stands for “Not For Long”. If the players don’t perform, they are gone. If the Head Coach and his staff don’t produce a winning product, they should be gone. But, the owners are the ones who determine the quality of the product by what they invest. So far, the investment is too low. And, in conclusion, the Bucs and the NFL are losing supporters by the droves. So, I look beyond Morris to the ownership. If they are content with their product, there is nothing I can do about it, but not frustrate myself by watching this inept group of incompetents.
December 13th, 2011 at 9:27 am
@csidedave….the first time the offense took the field they drove 80 yards for a touchdown dude. The second time they got the ball they scored another. Your point?……
December 13th, 2011 at 9:30 am
The players aren’t stupid, they know it’s over for Morris, it’s not about if but when, they are playing out the string, it’s a job to these guys and they just want to play out the string and get to the off season, where they and the organization can rest and regroup and not even try to figure out what happened, just move forward with a new coach and a new goal.
December 13th, 2011 at 9:36 am
They fired a real coach “Gruden” and hired this a$$ clown for cheap because of the looming lockout. Well the lockout is over and it is time to produce a quality product Glazer boys. HIRE A REAL GD COACH ALREADY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
December 13th, 2011 at 9:37 am
The only thing that makes me angrier than this atrocious season and the state of the team are those that come to the defense of this poor excuse for a head coach. No, its not all his fault. The Glazers bear great responsibility for what this team has become. However, all that aside, the coaching is absolutely horrendous.
December 13th, 2011 at 9:40 am
There will be a fan revolt if Morris isn’t fired.
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What’s gonna happen? Not gonna go to the games? Oooooo, I can see the Glazers shaking in their boots
December 13th, 2011 at 9:47 am
I’m more likely to look at this year as an aberration than last year. I think changes have to be made but I’m still hesitant to throw Raheem under the bus. I would like to see a new OC and a new DC brought in and I would most of all like to see a new QB coach brought in to work with Freeman. These guys aren’t always going to be young. Leaders develop and they develop faster under adversity. We are going to get some very important pieces to this puzzle in this years draft. It’s a very strong class of DB’s and we will probably draft 2 in the first two rounds. If we can get a good MLB in FA and move Foster to the outside and let Watson have the other side I’d like that. With Bowers, Clayborne, McCoy and Price I like our D-line. Offensively we need a speed WR and I’m hoping we an get T.Y. Hilton because I really like that kid. I guess being a business owner I realize that it takes a while to get things rolling and there really is no instant gratification. The worst mistake you can make sometimes is to throw in the towel and start making all sorts of changes just before things are getting ready to take off. Like I said, new OC and new DC because I don’t think a HC should do anything other than coach. You saw the OC get in Tom Brady’s face over the weekend? Well, that’s what we need on both offense and defense…If things don’t turn around next year then It’s time to bring in a new HC and let him change the entire system but I just think we’re very close to seeing all the pieces in place and if you don’t think not having the pieces in place makes that big of a difference….look at the Colts.
December 13th, 2011 at 9:47 am
If they’re fine with an empty stadium at every home game and no merchandise sales then carry on. They do get their TV money even when they’re awful and nobody watches. Stay the course I guess if that’s what the Glazer’s want.
December 13th, 2011 at 9:50 am
@csidedave….the first time the offense took the field they drove 80 yards for a touchdown dude. The second time they got the ball they scored another. Your point?……
Bobby, the point is that this team came in not ready to play and came out with no confidence and no fire. They did get a couple of breaks via penalties in the first scoring drive and then showed some fire. But after the first bad thing happened to them, it was over. They are very fragile mentally. Our two previous coaches preached about continuing to fight through adversity. My feeling with this team is that they know “it” is over.
December 13th, 2011 at 9:55 am
Bobby thinks this year is an abberation…I think LAST YEAR was an abberation. We are looking down the barrel of a 4-12 season this year…Raheem’s first years was 3-13. THATS 7 WINS IN TWO YEARS!!!
I believe that IF the Glazers really wanted to, they could get Jeff Fisher to come in here and work with Dominik. Cowher…not so much, he wants TOTAL control. That has proven not work numerous times in different situations with different teams.
I am pissed that the Bucs have become a laughing stock in the NFL. The Cowboys have already checked the block for a win on Saturday night.
December 13th, 2011 at 10:02 am
The atmosphere is so vile and the water is so poisoned with fan apathy, the humane thing to do is to replace Morris. This has gone further than football and performance, it is getting personal. If I were Morris, regardless of what the Glazers decide to do, I would resign and move on to protect my family from the distasteful rhetoric that is certain to be directed at him regardless of how the team performs next year. Then the fans can redirect their dissatisfaction at Freeman, McCoy, the new coach, whoever, because it will be somebody else. When we make this change, my personal opinion is that we are not automatically going to the playoffs, nor are we going to fill up the stadium. But we won’t have this guy around to kick anymore!
December 13th, 2011 at 10:07 am
I will guarantee that if the Bucs somehow, someway beat the cowgirls on Saturday night, Jerry Jones will fire Jason Garrett WITHOUT HESITATION. Maybe even before Monday.
December 13th, 2011 at 10:10 am
I have been a supporter of Raheem up until a few weeks ago, now I would like him gone. I just don’t like his attitude. The other day he said he only cared about what the glazers and dom think which is true but he can’t publicly state that he is basically saying F you to the fans. The fans are truly what matters and the fans will eventually get what they want.
December 13th, 2011 at 10:13 am
Also, i was watching NFL Total Access this morning and they were asking Brian Billick about coming back to coach because of haley and sparonu firings and he made a good point. He said a lot of jobs in the NFL right now are GM dominated jobs. More and more teams are giving their GM more control and telling their coaches just to coach and nothing else, that sounds like our team right now. Raheem wanted ruud back he didnt get him, raheem has made comments and so has josh freeman about not having speed and the right personell on the field, so part of the blame has to go on DOM. Dom can easily turn this around by signing a few veteran free agents next year however its harder for Raheem because he is what the average fans see, most fans dont think about the GM
December 13th, 2011 at 10:16 am
macabee:
After the Jacksonville loss, the fanbase is anything but apathetic. Joe has never seen Bucs fan almost in unison this irate.
December 13th, 2011 at 10:21 am
My thing is that this is not a new business. It is a solidly based longterm franchise which over the last 15 years has shrugged off its losing mentality for a relatively solid winning mentality. The Glazerhouse family has an obligation to continue as best possible that tradition which has been built. We as fans took the staduim burden on in our taxes and sales of merch and tickets for a solid winning tradition. We had a somewhat competitive team of aging stars prior to Rah. They jettisoned ALL of the vets and aging stars and expected the team to learn from an inexperinced, to say the least, coaching staff which couldn’t figure out up from down from the get go. I knew the Glazers were cheap but I have never been on the bandwagon of “the stupid kickball team is sucking the Bucs dry”. I would have to say if something isn’t changed I would have to start considering the motives behind there cheapness beyond just being greedy. When for as long now as I can remember the Glazers have seem to fought going with any quality FA beyond a kicker. They paid dearly for Gruden and won a Super Bowl then demonized him for not building with youth after they had left him strapped with crap draft positions for almost 4years without number 1’s and 2’s in the draft. Coincidence of circumstance. Unfortunately Chucky had a knee jerk type of mentality when it came to reaching on draft picks or free agents. He conditioned the Glazerhouses to be gunshy on free agents. Now if they wait just long enough they will have a legitiment excuse for not canning Raheem. KC, Miami and Jax have all canned there coach this year. How many top notch coaches will there be left by the time they make there decision to cut ties with the ill maligned Raheem? Will there be any proven and wanted coaches left that we can say will do the trick, put butts in the seats and be able to properly coach up this young team? We can only hope they make a move sooner than later or we will be left with leftovers and then Raheem may be the best status quo choice in there eyes. Yes we need new owners. WOW!
December 13th, 2011 at 10:41 am
Joe, shame on me for using the wrong word to convey my point. I should have used the word “discontentment”.
December 13th, 2011 at 11:08 am
True fans want them to lose the next 3 games to get rid of Morris and get a draft pick.
December 13th, 2011 at 11:10 am
True fans never want them to lose a game, even when it appears likely they’ll end the season on a 10 game losing streak.
December 13th, 2011 at 11:31 am
New coach plus DC plus more spending on FA’s (which any worthwhile coach will require) is significantly more expensive than the status quo.
Replacing Gm and staff even more expensive.
With the TV money in place, they can do nuttin and play in Palm Beach and watch Manu win a Championship. Or, sell the team for a billion like Weaver, or leverage for a relocation.
Have the Glazer boys done anything for the last five or six years or so to give any indication they will do anything other then keep Rah?
I havent seen it.
December 13th, 2011 at 11:37 am
Anyone who can defend Raheem hasn’t watched the Bucs over the past two months. It’s really that simple.
December 13th, 2011 at 11:43 am
“True fans never want them to lose a game, even when it appears likely they’ll end the season on a 10 game losing streak.”
Bullspit!
True fans want what’s best for the team and if you think winning the next three games which may just save RahRah’s job is good for this team, you are more delusional than Michael Silver.
The best thing for this team is to lose out, and RahRah to get run out.
December 13th, 2011 at 11:51 am
I don’t think he saves his job even if he rips off 3 in a row. I will never, ever cheer for us to lose.
December 13th, 2011 at 11:53 am
@Meh,
Which shows why you aren’t a true fan.
See, I love the Bucs…I loved before Dungy, before Gruden, before Brooks…and I was upset when they left, but the team was here before them and its here after them.
So Morris needs to go. I wanted Dungy gone and we got a Super Bowl after it. We aren’t getting a damn thing with Morris except tired of it all.
Winning won’t help. We need him gone.
December 13th, 2011 at 11:53 am
I also think we lose all 3. That is different than wanting us to lose all 3.
December 13th, 2011 at 11:53 am
A true fan never wants his team to lose. Period.
December 13th, 2011 at 12:04 pm
Well one thing Rah was absolutely right about is that the only opinions that really matter are the ones who have a last name ending in G or D.
Well he was kinda sorta right.
And the G’s and D could care less about what any of us think – in spite of what they claim.
Look how the Glazer boys hang in there with Manu with 1000 times the discontent and outright hatred and pressure from those fans. This is nothing.
December 13th, 2011 at 12:05 pm
@Meh,
A true fan wants what is best for his team.
And Morris isn’t that.
December 13th, 2011 at 12:09 pm
The owners have almost lost this team for me atleast. The lack of spending the reclusivness, and the shadiness they deal with coaches is getting a little bit old.
I put up with it but now all one has to do is look across the pond and there are the Lightning and Mr. Vinik. That is how you sell a team that was bad. Bring in a new GM to run things and make yourself visible but do not have your hand in the cookie jar.
The Glaziers are just letting the fans list in the wind while they rake in tv money. Maybe they are so frugal they don’t want to pay two expensive coaches, whatever. They are making it seem like we as fans are worthless.
It is making football less interesting since the Bucs will always be my team and if they are not then I will not watch at all. But then they will still make boatloads of cash next year so I as a fan really do not matter.
December 13th, 2011 at 12:14 pm
Anthony, where have I said I want Morris?
December 13th, 2011 at 12:25 pm
Meh,
you didn’t. And I didn’t say you did.
December 13th, 2011 at 12:35 pm
Ok. I definitely don’t. He should have been fired the day after the Carolina loss.
December 13th, 2011 at 1:41 pm
Look, I remember everyone screaming for Gruden’s head. I remember everyone screaming for Dungey’s head. Now everyone would love to have them back for HC. I know fans are upset and rightfully so. The Bucs have looked terrrible and have shown a slide downhill since McCoy’s injury. The only bright spot after that was New Orleans at home. I’m just saying that the answer isn’t necessarily in a new HC. I would try new assistants before I would try a new HC that had nothing to do with drafting the talent we have right now. New DC..absolutely.
New OC…without a doubt. Like I’ve said before…the ultimate decision lies with the Glazers. I have to chuckle when I hear fans calling the Glazers cheap. This is, after all, a BUSINESS. They are in it to make money. Of course they want to put a good product on the field also and I am certain that they are at least contemplating firing Morris. My guess is they will give him one more year with major changes in the assistant coaching staff. I would guess a new DC will be mandated whether Raheem wants it or not. A new OC is a probability too. I would also expect a new LB coach and a new QB coach. I could be wrong. Morris might be let go If they aren’t at least competitive in these last three games. Only time will tell. One thing is for sure…I don’t want them to lose just so Morris gets fired or we get a higher draft pick. I never could understand that line of thinking. Losing can become a habit and should NEVER be championed for ANY reason.
December 13th, 2011 at 1:57 pm
Losing is alerady a habit.
And in year 3 of a rebuild, we are moving backwards. Time to go.
December 13th, 2011 at 2:01 pm
Give raheem another year its worth the shot
December 13th, 2011 at 3:18 pm
@Bobby:
I understand about putting in better coaches under Raheem to help him improve but to do so you must extend pretty generously a new contract to Raheem( at least 3more years). No decent coordinator will come to TB with a lame duck coach. Then if you really are wrong about Rah’s coaching ability we have damn near 6-7 years of futility and a wasted youth movement. The probability that Raheem could do much better than a proven head coach with a solid coaching staff is minimum. Not to mention the fact that a new proven HC will want specific gaurantees in his contract about personnel decisions. Meaning when the Glazerhouses state that they do not want to pay free agents to fill gaping holes the coach will have some leverage. Honestly do you think Cowher, Fisher, Gruden or Billick along with others will go anywhere just to have there hands tied by cheap owners? If we can’t score a proven coach then I’m all for Raheem staying with a short leash as far as his staff goes. We had possibly an excellent OC and Rah fired him to give dumbass Olsen the job. Smooth move there Rah. Olsen is a never has-been. I just don’t want a team that isn’t at least trying to compete yearly and improves through youth maturing from proper coaching. Not 7 years of futility with a lucky year or two where we had a super weak schedule to get us a winning season. So the choices are take a chance and go full in with Raheem for another 3+ years or start over while the players are still young enough to not be completely ruined by poor coaching.
December 13th, 2011 at 4:20 pm
@Sgt Mike….Anyone who is not coaching in the NFL right now is in that position for a reason……losing. Why would we want that to come to Tampa? Just so we can have someone like Dungey who can maybe squeeze us into the playoffs and then never go any further because we don’t have the courage as a fan base to tough out the down times during a rebuild? This is the first time I’ve seen the Glazers actually commit to building a championship team but they want to do it through the draft. Three years in the fans are rebelling and they expect the Glazers to heed their wishes and do things ‘their way’? If you are the Glazers and you field a 10-6 team and can’t get one lousy game sold out…what on earth would make you think that a coaching change would suddenly fill the stadium???? It’s not even logical and yet the fans posting on here would have the Glazers believe that a coaching change would suddenly bring the fans back in welcome droves. You think they became billionaires by being that stupid?? Anyone with half a brain would see that’s a bunch of crap. Nope. If I’m the Glazers I figure that the only thing that will bring the fans back will be winning and I’ve made a ‘long term’ commitment to that. In the short run the fans may hate me but in the long run I believe my plan will work and I’m not allowing a hollow threat like ‘not buying season tickets’ to make me change course. I give Morris another year and then I reevaluate to see if the ship rights itself. If not, then I may pull the trigger on a new HC. Of course, I’m not the Glazers and they may very well feel it’s time to fire Morris now…I don’t know. I just have a feeling they will wait a year before making the final decision.
December 13th, 2011 at 6:42 pm
@bobby,
Sorry dude but out of the multiple coaches I named only 2 were fired. Both fired coaches had winning records. Anyway tell what coordinator in his right mind will come to work for a lame duck coach. This add a coordinator should have done in year one of Rah’s HC debut. He fired both one, rightly and the other very wrongly. Dom and the Glazerhouses deserve the blame on those as well. They did not step up when first seeing there in experienced HC was in over his head. So once again do we gamble on a 3+ year extension for Rah in order to get him some coordinators or do we start over?
December 14th, 2011 at 11:23 am
And why exactly would no assistants be willing to come in and help Rah if he’s a lame duck coach? Since most head coaches get promoted from within the ranks I think that argument would work in reverse. It would be an enticement for asst. coaches to come to Tampa.
December 14th, 2011 at 12:48 pm
Can you name one that sees it that way. Less than half of the current head coaches are from the staff of the previously fired head coach. Not including current interim coaches that may or may not land the job. I have never heard of a coach saying “if I go here under this lame duck coach I might get promoted to head coach” that is insane. I guess we’ll just have to agree that we disagree in our line of thinking. Raheem has not shown me that he is going to get any better. The 10-6 season was not a fiery well coached season either. It was a raw by the seat of the pants season where Freeman did more than he was asked and won games. Now he is falling behind the power curve and I, as well as most of the local/Nat’l pundits, think so as well. Anyway I think that both of agree on one thing– We want our Bucs to be contenders again.