What a crappy time for a bye week...

[JavaRay]

It's so early in the season, they are just getting started, the team has almost no injuries to guys who need a week off, and they finally seem to have generated some offense in the 2nd half of that Skins game.   

Terrible time for a bye week.

[Benchwarmer#1]

Right after the game I thought the same thing. Freeman finally starts showing schiano why passing is so important, then bang, end-game, bye week.

There is a good side to this though. Maybe schiano adjusts to allow freeman to play like the 4th quarter all the time? Maybe he stews in it and changes his offensive philosophies a bit while he has some time to work with the team. Blount, martin, and a fast paced offensive philosophy would make them a formidable team if the defense keeps playing average or better.

[michael89156]

Bye week comes at good time for stuggling Bucs

 RICK BROWN, Lakeland Ledger


 Published: Tuesday, October 2, 2012 at 5:47 p.m.




LAKELAND LEDGER PHOTO / JEREMY MAREADY
Buccaneers fans react to a series of calls by the referees during the second half of play as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers faced off against the Washington Redskins Sunday at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa.





  The first quarter of the NFL season is over, and for the Tampa Bay Bucs, it hasn't gone exactly as they had hoped.

While the club has been competitive in all four games, Tampa Bay has come up with just one victory.

For those who are counting the Bucs have now lost 13 of 14 dating to last year. That includes the 10-game skid that ended the 2011 NFL season and led to the firing of Raheem Morris and his entire coaching staff.

Now, Tampa Bay enters the bye week on a three-game losing streak, under a rookie head coach.

It is natural to wonder if this could be the beginning of another long season.

But this doesn't have the feel of last year's team, which handled adversity like butter handles a steam bath.

This team seems to have a stronger desire and a stronger will than last year's version of the Bucs. That should be encouraging to fans.

While most teams hate early bye weeks, this one comes at a perfect time for the Bucs. The team can use this week to self scout and re-evaluate the direction it is going.

After having the youngest team in the league the previous two seasons, Tampa Bay has a bit more experience this year. Six teams have squads that are younger than the Bucs. That isn't much, but the added experience of Vincent Jackson, Eric Wright and Carl Nicks can only help when adversity strikes.

And it already has.

Injuries to key personnel have prevented Tampa Bay from lining up the team it envisioned on both sides of the ball.

Injuries are part of the game. Last year, the Bucs weren't able to overcome the downward spiral. This year, they appear to be mentally tougher. Plus, the overall talent is better, which doesn't hurt.

Tampa Bay simply has to be more consistent on both sides of the ball during the second quarter.

The one constant has been kicker Connor Barth, who is 9-of-9 this season. But in order for a team to be successful, the kicker can't be the MVP.

Offensively, you see spurts. Quarterback Josh Freeman has looked good at times and horrible at others. Rookie Doug Martin seemed like the second-coming of Ray Rice one week and like your average Martin the next.

And this is just offensively. Defensively, the unit can go from bad to good and back to bad in a matter of plays. At times, the defense can look like the 1985 Chicago Bears and later resemble the 2011 Bucs, the worst defense in franchise history, according to statistics.

But you see glimpses. You see spurts of where this team wants to be, like Freeman connecting on passes of 54 and 65 yards against Washington.

You see the direction where the team wants to go. Little things, whether they were penalties or missed assignments, kept the team from having a successful first quarter.

Correct those and get consistent play, and Tampa Bay will find better fortunes during the next quarter.
 



NOTE:

Bucs signed tight end Nate Byham and released defensive end Jeff Charleston. Byham spent the last two years with the San Francisco 49ers.

[SunnyD]

Agreed.

Every year I think "They will make some adjustments over the bye"

Past 3-4 years, not even close.

[Bayfisher]

Freeman and the receivers need to work on timing and position.  They need to have fall back plays mastered. Someone badly needs to step up and be Ike Hilliard.  These two weeks are also important for figuring out the running gameplan. I'm curious to see how  Schiano handles adversity after the stiff arm from the East. 

[The Anti-Java]

It's so early in the season, they are just getting started, the team has almost no injuries to guys who need a week off, and they finally seem to have generated some offense in the 2nd half of that Skins game.   

Terrible time for a bye week.

Eric Wright disagrees.

[JavaRay]

For that to be the only injury has to be the least number of injuries the team has ever had during a bye week.    And Wright took a knee to the head last game.   Chances are great he would play.

[Pewter Pirate]

Especially with KC as the next opponent

[Benchwarmer#1]

We get a break after facing some tough opponents. The downside is that against the weaker teams during the rest of the schedule, there won't be a break. If the bucs come out of this first part with two wins, it's not so bad, but being 1-3 going into the bye is bad.

They can overcome it, but it is a SOB.

[JavaRay]

We get a break after facing some tough opponents.

Really?   Even though they beat the Bucs to pad their record, how many of those teams have a winning record?

(none of them)

[BucNY]

It's so early in the season, they are just getting started, the team has almost no injuries to guys who need a week off, and they finally seem to have generated some offense in the 2nd half of that Skins game.   

Terrible time for a bye week.

Well we don't really but I'm sure guys like David, Wright and Benn are at least a little sore and would appreciate it. I would rather have it later in the season though.

[JavaRay]

Personally, I think it's a terrible time for a bye week.   They could hardly have chosen a worse week for it.

[JavaRay]

Later in the season would be far better - without a doubt.

[tatmanfish]

Personally, I think it's a terrible time for a bye week.   They could hardly have chosen a worse week for it.

Your reasoning for this opinion was explained so eloquently and thoroughly, I have no choice but to agree. 

[JavaRay]

It was explained in the thread that was started yesterday on the same topic.