I think the Bucs blow that game.
They needed that FG that Cantanzaro shanked, and when it sailed left I felt my gut sink. I knew Brees could put the ball in the EZ with relative ease, and sure enough, it happened.
It was tough to watch. Heart attack inducing. It would have been a loss akin to the MNF game against the Colts. And the “Leaping” penalty.
That said, the defense was absolutely a sieve and whatever Smittys doing is not working. It hasn’t worked last season, and it won’t work this season either; it is a busted scheme, Brees or Newton would shred it. Doesn’t matter. He can’t even utilize his off coverage style to run the clock out effectively as most of those schemes tend to do. He gives up HUGE amounts of chunk yardage. He doesn’t generate mismatches, he seems to get sucked into them.
Do you guys think Mike Smith will last? He is clearly not a good defensive coordinator and my gut tells me he might not make it to next season if he doesn’t change something up dating back to last season. And no, if Koetter wins 8, and Mike Smith’s sieve defensive scheme makes it through all 16, he will get his walking papers. He has had years to get the guys ready for that garbage, and they still play it like it was designed. Hot garbage. Dirk stays, Smith goes. Whoever said they are tied at the hip is dead wrong. Koetter won’t walk from this gig because his buddy cannot design a defense that doesn’t look like a group of high school kids covering all pros.
Bucs would most likely have had an overtime game and a coin flip would have been the deciding factor. But with that huge of a lead, it is absolutely inexcusable. Mike Smith is awful.
