McCoy just seems to be tired

McCoy just seems to be tired Gerald McCoy has faced double-teams since he joined the team. JASON BEHNKEN/STAFF MARTIN FENNELLY COLUMNSPublished: November 20, 2015TAMPA — A subdued Gerald McCoy met briefly with reporters Thursday at Bucs headquarters. A subdued McCoy is such a letdown. McCoy can light up a room with one smile or a few words. Thursday was low wattage.Maybe McCoy is recharging his battery, down-tempo and all, before playing the up-tempo Eagles.Maybe he’s bothered by the shoulder injury that has slowed him. Yes, another injury. After 4.5 sacks to start the season, he has five tackles with no sacks over his last four games.Maybe he’s worn down by all these games, all these seasons, fighting double-teams.Or maybe McCoy is simply tired of talking about this team turning the corner, because the Bucs have never turned one in his six NFL seasons under three head coaches.Sunday at Philadelphia is a chance to get back to .500.“Everything’s close, within reach,” McCoy said. “We just have to make sure we’re steady moving forward. We don’t want to take a step backwards with this game.”He has taken too many of those.Who wouldn’t be tired at this point?The Bucs defense just played its best game of the season.Corner turned?“No,” McCoy said.He thinks they can improve.“A lot,” he said. “We’ve just got to get better.”McCoy has been waiting for true help around him on the defensive line since he arrived in Tampa Bay. He’d never say that, or moan about injuries — that’s not who he is — but those double-teams, well …“You get tired,” McCoy said. “It’s the NFL, though. That’s what comes with it.”No one’s going to sympathize with someone who signed a $63 million contract out of college and then a $98 million extension. McCoy knows that. But you sense that this guy just wants to be on a winner, sooner rather than later.I have “later” in the pool. I have Gerald McCoy as Paul Gruber — who worked and worked, but waited and waited, for franchise success to arrive. It’ll make a guy tired.Is McCoy the best player on the Bucs defense at the moment? No. Rookie Kwon Alexander might be having a better season. I can’t even say that this is truly McCoy’s team anymore, his and his alone to lead. There’s another rookie, at quarterback, and this team is following him.Back to the state of McCoy’s game.“Gerald’s position — the three-technique position — sometimes you’re just not going to see 10 sacks, two sacks, but you can still help your football team win (by) being in your gap,” head coach Lovie Smith said. “Gerald played sound football this past week. We’d like more splash plays out of everyone. … Gerald played good ball. It allowed us to have our best defensive effort. You can’t do that without your three-technique being where he’s supposed to be the majority of the time.”If I’d been provided with as little help up front as McCoy — failed draft picks and bust signings — I’d bang my head against the wall. It would drive me mad.“I think for some guys it could, but for Gerald, this is the way it’s been,” defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier said. “He’s faced this type of attention throughout his career. He’s made plays despite people turning the protection to him, keeping a back in to chip on him. He’s still been able to make plays. It’s been a little bit tougher this year. But those plays are still going to be here. He’s still effective, he just hasn’t come up with some of the splash plays, but this is par for the course for him, it’s nothing new.”“Everybody knows he’s hurting,” Bucs defensive tackle Akeem Spence said. “But him just out there giving his all makes me work harder, just so it’s not all on him. He’s the best under tackle in this league. He’s going to demand double- and triple-teams. It’s frustrating, but Gerald isn’t that type of guy, not one to point fingers. And that’s what a lot of guys admire about him.”Do I think McCoy is a good player? Yes. Do I think he takes over games like Bucs Hall of famer Warren Sapp did? No. Do I think he intimidates like Sapp did? No.On the other hand, McCoy can’t sign or trade or draft help for the defensive line. Don’t forget that.The Bucs need to win. McCoy needs to win. It’s the NFL. That’s what comes with it.Guy looks tired sometimes.