If you are the head coach and you are looking to win a game to go into the playoffs, how are you designing a game plan to “fit” an opponent.
Scheming to take advantage of an opponents weakness is great. But we had our full compliment of receivers, every damn RB, and a mostly healthy OL. And…the Panthers have the 17th ranked pass defense. There was so much more we could have done with play action. Body blows are great once you have a lead but, man, we left so much on the table yesterday. Also, Baker can’t make that throw.
Lose one of the next two and the offseason is going to be one for the ages as we fire Bowles, and make hard decisions on how talented this roster truly is.
Baker/Evans/LVD and to a lesser extent Dean are all big off-season stories.
Also, we need Styles in Tampa come hell or high water with our first pick in April.
If you are the head coach and you are looking to win a game to go into the playoffs, how are you designing a game plan to “fit” an opponent.
I thin k you accurately described the Bucs FAILED plan.
Inside the 20 in the second quarter the Bucs go RUN, RUN, pass, RUN, RUN, RUN . . Field Goal
They start both of the next two drive running . . both series derailed by O-line penalties. Both punts.
Even the 3rd quarter scoring drive is heavy run, but at least they score a TD.
Their game plan was to kill the game, protect the D and ST weaknesses and run over the Panthers. FAIL
Bowles proving it was his idea and its a totally wrong idea
"“They don’t play well when you rush over 30 attempts per game, statistically speaking,” Bowles mentioned. “I think we had some runs in there, we had a chance to throw it, but we controlled the time of possession and the clock all the way down until the end.”
The Bucs get the 30+ rush attempts by lighting them up in the second quarter and first series of the 3rd quarter . . . and then run it from there to kill the clock. Its running because you have a multiple score lead in the 3rd quarter.
The game plan was a joke and that is an understatement. Through 3 quarters I think they threw about 10 passes that were behind the LOS or screens. The entire game they used PA maybe twice? They telegraph what they are doing almost every drive. Its laughably predictable. They acted like it was a race to 30 rushing attempts as if its some magic number that leads to success.
Rachaad had 5 carries for 45 yards. Every time he seems to get some momentum he's immediately rotated out for the sake of splitting the carries and this isn't the first time this year.
The INT is just an awful combination of events. Mike thought Baker was scrambling and changed directions and Baker was already in his throwing motion when he stopped. The fact is the offense needs to be perfect every game or they lose. They are 0-7 when they turn the ball over at least once?
Yeah, no team can survive critically timed turnovers.
Tampa has some soul searching to do. I don’t envy the owners but, we can’t continue like this. I think if we are being objective, Tampa has a top 10 roster in the league.
Tampa? Only non-Bucs fans, national media, etc. call the Bucs "Tampa."Yeah, no team can survive critically timed turnovers.
Tampa has some soul searching to do. I don’t envy the owners but, we can’t continue like this. I think if we are being objective, Tampa has a top 10 roster in the league.
The INT is just an awful combination of events. Mike thought Baker was scrambling and changed directions and Baker was already in his throwing motion when he stopped.
exactly
The problem with the turnover is the timing. It comes during a must score drive they should not be in to begin with.
I think if we are being objective, Tampa has a top 10 roster in the league.
Offense. Sure.
Overall. No.
I think if we are being objective, Tampa has a top 10 roster in the league.
Offense. Sure.
Overall. No.
Okay. I think it’s fair to say that another coach could have our defense playing a ton better in its current state.
Getting more out of our offense would assist our defense in doing that.
I think if we are being objective, Tampa has a top 10 roster in the league.
Offense. Sure.
Overall. No.
Okay. I think it’s fair to say that another coach could have our defense playing a ton better in its current state.
This is why I'd keep Licht, but he'd still be on the hot seat.
Is it more coaching, or actual personnel?
I think if we are being objective, Tampa has a top 10 roster in the league.
Offense. Sure.
Overall. No.
Okay. I think it’s fair to say that another coach could have our defense playing a ton better in its current state.
This is why I'd keep Licht, but he'd still be on the hot seat.
Is it more coaching, or actual personnel?
if it’s Belechick we would find that out quickly. (A name Florio floated on PFT)
Licht went with Grizz with no experience
He gave Bowles 5 years when he's done nothing to earn it
He used 20m on David and Reddick and they've been atrocious
He didn't try to get us a cheap LB via trade or bring in a vet like Kendricks. He made us stick with Dennis
He doesn't have a viable backup QB after spending a 2nd on a QB that can't even make an active roster
He built the worst front 7 in football
He gave Godwin too much money
He signed Dixon who is atrocious
So he wasted what, 40m this year on Godwin, Reddick, and David who had very minimal impact?
Also, the 6-2 tweet that looks foolish now
Now for Bowles
He has a ton of talent in the secondary but he uses them incorrectly..we have a team built for man. We have 2 good safeties underperforming. Our corners lack fundamentals
His play calling is predictable
He doesn't play to our strengths
We are awful in the 1st and 4th quarter
We are awful closing our the half
We are consistently flat and lack energy
He can't manage the clock to save his life
He can't make in-game adjustments
...
So in my mind, Licht earned enough to be on the hot seat.
Bowles and Grizzard earned a pink slip
There's 10+ players that need to leave or retire
Licht went with Grizz with no experience
He gave Bowles 5 years when he's done nothing to earn it
He used 20m on David and Reddick and they've been atrocious
He gave Godwin too much money
Loyalty - it's the way Licht operates and why he's well liked, but loyalty can be a bitch sometimes.
Licht was loyal to Bowles over Coen. He was loyal to Bowles to go along with the Griz hire because Griz was our guy. He was loyal to Godwin to resign him with no injury clause because Godwin had stuck with the Bucs when he was twice tagged.
Licht will be loyal to Baker by signing him to a long term deal because Baker has done a lot for the Bucs and he's been a great member of the community.
Sometimes a GM has to be cold hearted, make difficult decisions. Sometimes the GM has to override. It's not always a group consensus. But that's not how Licht operates. That's what makes him stand out and receive praise - because he doesn't operate with a "my way or the highway" approach.
But it's long past time for Licht to start cleaning up the mess he's made because of his loyalty. He'll need to do some unpopular things - one thing in specific- don't sign Baker to a long term deal.
Licht went with Grizz with no experience
He gave Bowles 5 years when he's done nothing to earn it
He used 20m on David and Reddick and they've been atrocious
He didn't try to get us a cheap LB via trade or bring in a vet like Kendricks. He made us stick with Dennis
He doesn't have a viable backup QB after spending a 2nd on a QB that can't even make an active roster
He built the worst front 7 in football
He gave Godwin too much money
He signed Dixon who is atrocious
So he wasted what, 40m this year on Godwin, Reddick, and David who had very minimal impact?
Also, the 6-2 tweet that looks foolish now
Pretty sure Licht is secure and should be, but ya never know . .that 6-2 tweet might be the final straw! :-)
* * *
I know its the silly "blow it all up" season, but the Bucs GM is not going to get fired by the owners for Godwin money or David money or going with Grizz (promoting from within) or following the HC's desire to try Dennis etc.
The Bucs just won multiple division championships while offloading $80 million of Biggs PPP money of dead cap, generated while Licht engineered a Super Bowl victory. Pretty sure he's still got quite a bit of goodwill built up.
So in my mind, Licht earned enough to be on the hot seat.
Bowles and Grizzard earned a pink slip
Agreed. I don't think Licht should be fired, but he should be put on notice by the owners. He's signed players to over $650M in contracts since Bowles took over in 2022. I would probably be curious as to why I wasn't getting more bang for that buck in a shitty division.
