Week 6 Best Buc Fans Could Ask For

by Douglas O'Connor
follow on Twitter @Ren_Daxt

     The Buccaneers are playing couch potato's this Sunday but their time off couldn't of gone better. Atlanta lived on the west for a week to play the Seahawks while the Saints and Panthers faced off to see who could stay out of the cellar in the division.

     Here is what happened in both games and what it means for the Bucs going into week 7.

Atlanta Falcons fell just short of their comeback bid on the west coast. Dropping them to 4-2 but still in control of the division. Atlanta feels like they were robbed of a chance to win the game with a late field goal due to a 4th down pass interference no call. They need to shake off the loss quickly with the San Diego Chargers coming into town. Whom have been one of the best teams in football through 1st   3 1/2 quarters of every game.


New Orleans Saints won with a last second field goal and have climbed out of the cellar. You can sum up the Saints by reading the back of a shampoo bottle. Score a lot of points, give up a lot of points, repeat. Tough road game vs Kansas City will be a great gauge to see if New Orleans can compete against good teams.


Carolina Panthers are looking around in the locker room and wondering what in the hell happened. Gone are the on field team selfies, and the 10 second long handshakes that took all week to learn. Replacing them with a rancid secondary and a leaky offensive line. A 1-5 start and 0-3 in the division has the Panthers season an eyelash from being essentially over. The bye week couldn't come at a better time. The Panthers need to circle the wagons and start over. Unfortunately for them they don't have the players to run the defensive scheme they want to. It's bad, real bad.

     So lets recap. The division leading Atlanta Falcons were robbed out of chance to win a game. The 3 time reigning division champs Carolina Panthers have lost 3 straight division games and appear to have no answers. The Saints won but without a defensive turnaround they aren't a threat to win the division.

      All in all not a bad week.

Buccaneers Right Where Most Fans Thought They Would Be

 
by Douglas O'Connor
follow @Ren_Daxt

  When the Buccaneers NFL season schedule was released to the public some fans initial reactions was one of dread. The divisional rotation had the Bucs playing NFC West this year. No small hill to climb with the Seahawks and Cardinals being recent annual playoff contenders and the newly moved LA Rams owning a 4 year 4 game winning streak against us. Toss in back to back games against the 2 teams that played in the most recent Super Bowl and Buc fans were left scratching their heads wondering where the 9th easiest schedule was.

    When you breakdown an NFL schedule most of us look at in quarters, 4 mini seasons. Since the Bucs bye week is scheduled for week 6 it was natural to include the 5th game when predicting how the home team would come out of the gate. Below is a look at what the majority of  fans thought would happen and what actually did happen.

Atlanta Falcons Neither fan base could feel confident that their team would get a W in this week one match up. The Buccaneers finished last season losing their last 4 games. Totally overhauled their coaching staff and brought in 4 free agents and drafted 3 rookies that were inserted as starters. Atlanta also finished last year in a tailspin, after starting 6-1, the Falcons ended with a 8-8 record, including 2 losses to the Bucs.
Fan Expectations: Fingers crossed
Fans Reaction: We've turned the corner. Playoffs here we come.
Record: 1-0

Arizona Cardinals The Cardinals are a popular pick to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl, but had a bad week 1 loss. The Buccaneers are riding high off of their big road win.
Fan Expectations: We'll probably lose but we could sneak out with a victory.
Fans Reaction: That was ugly! No offense! No Defense! Koetter's an Idiot!
Record: 1-1

LA Rams Home opener for the Bucs. Rams haven't scored a touchdown yet but somehow they have a win.
Fan Expectations: This one's in the bag. We need this one with Denver then Carolina on the horizon.
Fans Reaction: Same ole Bucs. Lovie's defense wasn't this bad! Call an ef'en TIMEOUT!!!!
Record: 1-2

Denver Broncos Time to circle the wagons for the Bucs. Leagues best defense coming to town. Denver hasn't missed a beat undefeated and flying high.
Fan Expectations: This could get ugly. We need to run and protect the ball. C'mon D get some pressure.
Fans Reaction: Once again we made a inexperienced QB look like a Hall of Famer. Jameis is regressing! Why don't you go eat some crab legs!
Record: 1-3

Carolina Panthers Head Coach Dirk Koetter tells the media that he is very worried about Jameis turnover problems. Injuries have decimated the Bucs defensive line and running back positions. Carolina is shelled shocked about how the season has went. Just gave up 300 receiving yards to Julio Jones, also league MVP Cam Newton is on the bench in with a concussion.
Fan Expectations: I'd love to beat the Panthers at home on Monday night, but we always let no name quarterbacks beat us. Defense is in shambles. Season my already be over.
Fans Reaction: He made the kick! He made the KICK! He make the FRICKING KICK!
Record: 2-3

     So we swap out the Rams loss with the Panthers win and here the Bucs are at 2-3 just as you thought it would be and that's okay with me.

     The Buccaneers have a very winnable 4 game stretch coming up after this weeks bye. What do you think the Bucs record will be? Biggest surprise in the next 4 weeks? Please feel free to put your thoughts and comments in the space provided below. Also if  you like what you read give the blog a follow, makes it easier to find when we put up new content.

     As always thank you for reading and Go Bucs!



   

Jason Licht And Staff Come Up Big In Monday Night Win

by Douglas O'Connor
follow on Twitter @Ren_Daxt

     Draft week is the Super Bowl for NFL General Managers and their staff. The spot light is shining bright on Buccaneers GM Jason Licht and his 31 other counterparts  during this 3 day prime time event. While some fans grade their GM's performance on the draft alone the true measure of a scouting teams salt is their undrafted free agent (UFDA) work. When a starter gets injured or a Pro Bowler goes down, usually it's up to these type of players to keep the train a mov'en and salvage a game or even the season.

     With the Bucs decimated with injuries at the defensive line and running back positions a number of these players were called upon to play, some significantly. Here is a breakdown of some of said players and their contributions that helped pull out a victory against Carolina Panthers.

Jacquizz Rodgers No surprise he makes the list. Signed back on September 13th to be the 3rd string running back. Offered a contract mostly because of his familiarity with Dirk Koetter's offense back in their Atlanta days. Thrust into the staring role after a Doug Martin hamstring injury and a surprise IR move with backup Charles "Chuck" Sims. Easily the biggest contributor with over 100 yards on the ground and 5 receptions.

Alan Cross A UDFA pick up right after the draft. Alan has been filling in for Luke Stocker as the Bucs blocking TE. He caught his 1st  NFL pass on Monday and made a highlight reel block, picking up the blitzer, giving Winston time to throw his only touchdown pass of the game.

Peyton Barber Also found by Jason Licht's staff immediately after the draft. The running back from Auburn received his 1st NFL playing time in the win. Spelling Rodgers for a few plays and picking up some tough yards.

DaVonte Lambert Yet another early UDFA signing that was forced into a big role. With 3 of the 4 starting DLmen out for Mondays game. Lambert played 96% of the defensive snaps and caused a fumble that the Bucs recovered.

John Hughes III Unemployed literally 1 week before seeing NFL action. Hughes didn't play much, just 17 plays but he gave DT Akeem Spence much needed breathers. Spence made the tackle for loss on the Panthers last offensive play forcing them to punt. I like to think that Hughes made an assist on that play.

     Feel free to comment on this article below. We ALWAYS respond and love talking Buccaneers football. Who is your favorite non drafted Buc? Did I miss someone? Also check out other articles that interest you in our archives on the right. Finally give us a follow, makes us easier to find when we post new content.

     Thanks for reading and as always Go Bucs!



   

3rd And 9 Run Made Sense

 by Douglas O'Connor
 follow on Twitter @Ren_Daxt

       Buccaneer fans were all up in arms about Head Coach Dirk Koetter's play calling during Monday nights narrow victory over the Carolina Panthers. No play received more attention from the Twitterverse than a 3rd and 9 run call late in the 4th quarter.

     The game was tied with under 4 minutes to play the Bucs had the ball inside the Panthers 40. Jameis had just thrown into what appeared to be double coverage and given the season long struggles of placekicker Roberto Aguayo, fans really wanted a first down. What they got was a run play to the right that produced little to no gain. Followed by another Aguayo miss and the tweets started to fly.

     First I was right there with the armchair quarterbacks. Fantasizing of being outside of One Buc Place with my pitchfork. Screaming for Dirks head due to his lack imaginative play calling. Then I remembered something Chris Myers said while doing the TV coverage for Buccaneers preseason games. "Aguayo likes the ball on the right hash mark". The skies parted, the sun shined and I was okay with the play call. In fact I think it was the right call.

     Coach Koetter was putting his team, our team, in the best position to win the game. The run to the right main objective wasn't to pick up a first down. It was to put the ball on the right hash. Giving his kicker the best chance to make the kick and take the lead. Handing the game over to his defense to get one stop and essentially win the game.

     We all know that Roberto missed that kick, but Dirk put him in position to succeed and the plan almost worked out the exact same. The defense did get a stop. The Bucs did put the ball on the right hash mark and Aguayo did make the game winner. Just 3 minutes and 35 seconds later.

     Kudos to you coach Koetter. Your play calling proved to be spot on and your team executed for you. Well, at least the second time.    

Tonight Can be The Turning Point

Losing has been the common thread for this team the past three weeks and the biggest culprit has been themselves. Turnovers and mental breakdowns have cost this team the last two weeks which is a big reason they are 1-3. Injuries are another factor as the Bucs depth has been tested and will be tonight as several key starters won't play. Excuses can't be made as every team has injuries and this team has to overcome them. Tonight is about getting this season back on track and getting to 2-3 before the bye.

It's a big division game against the Panthers who are also 1-3 and are hurting as they are without some key players including starting Qb Cam Newton. A win tonight would send the Bucs to 2-0 in the division and put the Panthers behind the eight ball. Bucs need to come out with urgency and play smart football by protecting the football and avoiding mental errors. Jameis Winston needs to let the game come to him and take what the defense is giving him, and know it's okay to punt and play defense. He needs to get the ball to his playmakers in Mike Evans, Vincent Jackson, and Cam Brate and allow them to make plays on the ball.

Bucs need to bring their best football tonight as Carolina is going to bring it because they are in the same boat as the Bucs. Expect the Bucs defense to improve as they have shown signs of breaking out, they just need to put it all together. Stop the run and don't allow the big play are keys tonight for the defense. They need to create 3rd and long situations as well by winning on first and second down more, that way they can create more pressure on the Qb.  As for the offense, there is one key and that is protect the football as turnovers have killed this team so far. If the Bucs want to have a chance to turn this season around, they have to win tonight or else it will be time to start looking at the upcoming draft. Let's get an winning streak going for once, go Bucs!

Panthers Secondary is Wounded

The Panthers secondary was a know weakness coming into this season after losing Josh Norman and Charles Tillman. This past week Falcons Wr Julio Jones had a monster game against the Panthers, racking up 300 yards in receiving. James Bradbury who is a rookie corner got injured will not play Monday, and this morning the Panthers cut another corner via Steve Reed.

BREAKING: Panthers have cut CB Bene Benwikere and promoted Zack Sanchez from the practice squad.

— Steve Reed (@SteveReedAP) October 7, 2016

So the Panthers secondary is not looking to be in great shape as they will be playing two rookie corners this week against the Bucs Wr Mike Evans. Expect the Bucs offense to move their receivers around to create mismatches and let Jameis attack them all over the field. Bucs need to use timing routes against them as it seem that is what gives the Panthers secondary the most trouble. Vincent Jackson, Adam Humphries, and Russell Shepard need to step up and be precise for Jameis. Game plan should be to get the ball out quick and with timing allowing some yards after the catch opportunities.

Big Division Game

Yes the last three weeks have been tough as losing sucks, but it's in the past now and this team is 1-3. The good news is the Bucs have an huge division game against the NFC champions in the Carolina Panthers who by the way are 1-3 as well. Both teams are dealing with injuries, inconsistent play, and are looking to jump start their season. Coach Koetter says this game is double important because it's a division game and a chance to be 2-0 in the NFC south via buccaneers.com.

“Exactly like Week One. We would be the only undefeated team in the division if we could get the victory and also having two road wins in the division would be huge. Right now, Atlanta has jumped out, they won at New Orleans and then they beat Carolina. Of course we got the win there, so Atlanta is 2-1 in the division, the rest of the teams are sitting there at 1-3. There’s a long way left, there’s a lot of division games coming up, but a chance for us to be 2-0, it’s like a double win, we talked about it in the meeting this morning.”

Bucs need to bring their best on Monday night as a win would be huge for this team, giving them much needed confidence going into the bye week. Bucs have lost the last 6 meetings vs the Panthers which should be plenty of motivation for this team to come out ready to play their best on Monday night football. No better time than now to put together your best game and get a huge road division win and possibly changing the outlook of the season.

Panthers Team Model

The Bucs are no doubt on the rise and have high ambitions moving forward but every team has someone they model themselves after and head coach Dirk Koetter wants to look like the Panthers. Courtesy of Rick Stroud of Tampbaytimes.com

"Time will tell how much we narrowed it,'' Koetter said. "Shoot, I think Carolina is a great team for us to model. I’ve said that multiple times. If you look, they drafted their quarterback, they drafted their middle linebacker. We’ve done the same thing. They’ve kept their coaching staff. I hope we keep our coaching staff. They’ve developed in the system, they’ve drafted well, they’ve hit on their free agents. They’ve kept their guys.''

Koetter is saying all the right things and has a nice young foundation with Winston leading the offense and Kwon the defense. He is right with the continuity of keep the staff together so that the team can grow as a unit. That was the biggest reason I wanted Koetter above any other coaching candidate, not only for Winston but for the team as a whole. The team has gone through so many changes in the last 5 years and are begging for consistency.

The biggest difference between the Bucs and the Panthers is a dominant defense. If the Panthers are the model, then the Bucs have a lot of work still in order to fix this defense. There is talent on that side of the ball with McCoy, David and Kwon but after that there hasn't been much contribution. Hopefully with the additions of Grimes, Ayers, Smith and help from the draft this defense can begin to shape up. They have the right man in charge with Mike Smith who will bring an aggressive style of play that Tampa hasn't seen in years.

Licht is doing his part in bringing in the talent its up to the coaches to get them to their full potential. Tampa is begging for something to root for again, as the endless losing seasons has run the fan base away. The ship is sailing in the right direction and Tampa will soon have the team they have been waiting to root for again.

Be Simple When In the Red Zone!

The Bucs were much improved as an offense in 2015 ranking 5th in total yards, 5th in rushing, and were much more explosive than in previous years. However, they were only 20th in scoring offense as they averaged 21.4 points per game which is just average in comparison with other top ten offenses. The offense needs to score at least 24 points per game in today's NFL, but more importantly it must be more effective in the red zone. The Bucs scored a touchdown on just 52% of its red zone attempts which is decent but it needs to be closer to 60%. This is what made the Panthers so effective as they had a 69% touchdown efficiency in the red zone which is excellent.

The Bucs shouldn't have a problem scoring in the redzone with the weapons they have as they should keep it very simple. Its either run it in with Doug, fades to Evans, slants to Jackson, or up the seams with our tight ends. Too many times last year the offense got away from just being simple and instead tried to be too cute by over thinking it. Some of this was due to having a rookie qb who at times didn't pull the trigger when he needed to costing the team potential touchdowns. The good thing is Koetter knows the offense needs to score more, and he is going to figure it out. Why so confident? Well he has to if he wants to win or else he will be gone too. Here is Koetter from one of his weekly press conferences:per pewterreport.com

“We got to get off to a faster start,” Koetter said. “The last two games, we’ve ran the ball okay to start the game, we’re moving the chains, but when I say get off to a faster start; moving the ball, moving the chains, getting first downs, that doesn’t get you points on the scoreboard. We’ve got to finish drives. We’ve been playing from behind and from an offensive standpoint we have to take that on ourselves. ‘Hey, get off to a fast start. Let’s get the lead and play with the lead.’ Come out of the gates and get points on the board sooner. That’s one thing we definitely need to get better at.  … The bottom line is, on all these stats we talk about in here, the bottom line is get more points than the other team and we haven’t done that.”

So for 2016, it is real simple score touchdowns in the red zone if you want to win more. This team needs to learn how to finish drives to really be a top notch offense. With the talent they have on the team, there is no reason they shouldn't be.

New OC Is Going to Bring Fun

New Bucs offensive coordinator Todd Monken is fired up and wants to bring more explosive plays and have fun doing it. Monken who work with Koetter when they were with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2007, was known for bringing energy and having fun with his players.  Now with Tampa, he wants to bring the fun back and a winning attitude as well.

"I like having fun. I don't know why it has to feel like such drudgery," Monken said. "I just don't. I've never understood that. I want a fight song. We don't even have a fight song, I don't think. I want a fight song. Is there a fight song? Cool. You get to sing a fight song. Call me a college guy. When I was in Jacksonville they called me a college guy. That's great, I love it. I love coaching, the excitement of it, why can't it be fun?

 "Watch the Carolina Panthers. They have fun! That looks like fun to me. I wanna have fun. I want our quarterback to have fun. I want our guys to have fun doing it together. I want the locker room to be fun. Is that harder in a pro setting? Yes, because of the change. You have so many different pieces that change, you gotta make that blend together, and guys that play for more than just themselves. Which is difficult in a pro setting because of the money, as we know.

Completely agree with coach, as this team can use some fun and why not copy a Superbowl team like the Panthers. So far looks like coach Monken will be great addition to the team.

Potential fight song for the Bucs?

Create a Winning Culture

Shortly after losing 38-10 to the Carolina Panthers, Jameis Winston was furious in how the team played down the strecth to end the season, losing the last 4 games to finish with a record of 6-10. Winston said its time to create a winning culture and get this team to believe its going to win everytime.

“We’re going to create a mindset this offseason – a winning mindset. I guarantee it,” Winston said. “A mindset that you will never give up, a relentless mindset of being able to persevere over adversity. We’re going to have that next year.”

Winston went on to say he is going be himself by leading this team back to winning football.

 “I’m going to be me,” Winston said. “That’s me. I persevere. I’m relentless. I want to win and that’s what I’m going to do. I’m going to protect the football. As a quarterback, you lead.”

 I think the Bucs have listen to Winston already with some of the moves they have made so far this offseason. I will have more on this later today, but for now enjoy the video below of Jameis Winston talking about what needs to take place this offseason.