Energy!
May 28th, 2016
Bucs DC Mike Smith has his charges fired up.
Yesterday, Joe brought word, via Doug Martin, that the Bucs offense has a new vibe, a much different attitude from last year.
Well, it’s not just the offense. Dirk Koetter noticed how the players on the defensive side of the ball seem to have, as Chucky famously said, juice.
“I’ve really been impressed with the energy of our defense in general,” Koetter said Thursday. “Their communication, the way they’re flying around to the ball. I think those guys are having fun out there and they’re making plays.”
Koetter says there are reasons for the juice. One is defensive coordinator Mike Smith. Another is new defensive assistants. And, Koetter noted, it seems the players are totally buying in.
“Well, I think it’s not only Mike, but the entire defensive staff,” Koetter said. “I think those guys are doing a heck of a job coaching those guys and hats off to the players for the way they’ve taken it and ran with it.”
Yes, it seems to be a new day in Tampa Bay. Good vibes are coming from One Buc Palace. But will those vibes translate to wins?
May 28th, 2016 at 8:43 am
And it’s OK to curse in practice again. I mean what a joke Lovie’s ideals were?
May 28th, 2016 at 9:01 am
Hail hail the team is gelling on the same page early. Fresh air and fresh attitudes are contagious. It’s like the smoke has cleared.
May 28th, 2016 at 9:05 am
Sounds like we will never come out in a Lovie induced coma again.
May 28th, 2016 at 9:31 am
Lol NJ😊.
May 28th, 2016 at 9:52 am
That’s not funny at all…….they can come out the tunnel like Mexican jumping beans if they don’t win 10 games I see no improvement!
May 28th, 2016 at 10:41 am
http://m.bleacherreport.com/articles/2642784-why-the-tampa-bay-can-crash-the-nfl-playoffs-in-2016#
Most optimistic bucs article I’ve seen yet. Screw all that 7-9 mess, do you think the players are talking about “oh I’ll be happy if we just get over 500.” ?? NO . The pieces are in place to embarrass the falcons, make drew start to finally show his age with a ferocious pass rush on his @$$ and I speak for everybody when I say the entire team wants to bring it to the Panthers. Jameis had his worse game against them, I’m sure he’s circled that Monday night game. And Mike Evans? Omg the guy dropped 20 balls and still had over 1000 yards receiving. Joe has blessed us with information showing that no time has been wasted on the practice field, receivers are constantly playing catch and working on their hands. I will personally fly down to Tampa from Baltimore and deliver some Odell Beckham Gloves to Evan’s locker if I have to. Trust me, he will terrorize defenses on a regular basis. The bucs are going to the playoffs this season, most likely as the division champs but definitely on a wild card ticket. That Spanish kicker will be driving game winning tie breakers through the uprights against Carolina , Denver & the Seahawks. They disregard us, but this is the year we make them pay for their ignorance.
May 28th, 2016 at 10:57 am
I am optimistic about this year. But I’m trying to remain cautious about this coming season
May 28th, 2016 at 11:57 am
@BigHog
A valid point. Just hope you’re consistent. What if they DO win 10 games. Will you give management and the new coaching staff credit or will you want to claim that Lovie left all the pieces in place and Koetter is winning with “Lovie’s team”.
That dog won’t hunt of course any more than Chucky winning with Dungy’s players. Dungy won with Wyche’s players…Dungy would have never overlooked Sapp’s weed troubles and drafted him…Wyche DID. Bottom line is each coach wins or loses on their own….you are what you’re record says you are.
And so for the Lovie loyalists here is where I’ll let you claim props. Illinois has been a graveyard for coaches and is a second rate program. IF Lovie wins with the “Fightin’ Illini” he’ll have plenty to brag about. I say this before the first ball is teed up. Lovie has NO FREAKING CHANCE at Illinois. I’m not sure which coach would. Therefore IF Lovie wins there he is a freaking amazing coach.
May 28th, 2016 at 12:23 pm
@Bighog they won 6 games 7 would be an improvement 9 would be fantastic. Better take that blindfold off so you can see.
May 28th, 2016 at 12:34 pm
Great, optimistic article Joe. And you didn’t mention Lovie even once. Now if you could just get all our Bucs fans to move on, forget the past few years, and recognize that there’s “a new day in Tampa Bay”. Go Bucs!
May 28th, 2016 at 1:06 pm
With hopefully not too many major injuries, I think energy will translate into wins. Gruden brought energy his first year and we won the SB
May 28th, 2016 at 8:26 pm
“And it’s OK to curse in practice again. I mean what a joke Lovie’s ideals were?”
Ok…I didn’t agree with Lovie’s ideals all the time either but this statement is just wrong. Really?? To not curse is seen as weak or a joke now? Dude my country is lacking morals when we mock a man for NOT cursing.
May 29th, 2016 at 8:19 am
“And the Players are all buying in.” -JOE
That is the key. The players are buying in to the new scheme and coaches. They realize we have a staff that knows exactly what there doing unlike the last staff. That’s where it all starts. If the players don’t buy in, your doomed from the start. I think that was what happened with coach “my way or the highway”. We heard players gripping about it throught the 2 years he installed it. They were not a big fan of it. And I think that was another factor in it not being succesful. This year is a different story, we have a (more simple) scheme and new staff full of coaches that have been successful in this league that all the players believe in and that’s a major factor in the team being successful from the very beginning.