“Our Defense Was Keeping Us In The Game”
September 20th, 2016
Dirk Koetter has data. So does Joe.
Dirk Koetter was armed with lots of stats on his radio show last night.
A couple of highlights:
First, Koetter noted the Tampa Bay offense was “5-out-of-8” converting third downs before finishing 0-for-5 to finish the game. Not exactly a slow start on the road, though the Bucs were crippled by turnovers.
On the other side of the ball, Koetter heaped hefty praise on the early showing by Mike Smith’s defense.
“At one point in the first half, when it was still a two-score game. It was still 10-0. I think Carson Palmer was something like 10-of-22,” Koetter said. “That goes back to [our offensive] turnovers. Our defense was keeping us in the game. Our offense just couldn’t keep up.”
To be more precise, Palmer was 8-for-16 through Arizona’s first five drives. That was good for 10 points.
Early production like that from the Bucs defense on the road was damn stout. They came to play. They just couldn’t sustain it.
Worthy of note, Palmer moved to 8-for-18 throwing the football, and then defensive end Robert Ayers injured his ankle on the next snap. It was all downhill from there for the Tampa Bay defense.
September 20th, 2016 at 11:38 am
It’s not that difficult. 5 turnovers to none will ALWAYS decide ANY NFL game.
We can debate the cause and poor play of those turnovers. But the D was playing well. At some point pick sixes and horrid field position are just too much.
This was one of the top four teams in the league. NO defense…not even the Broncos can hold up if their offense turns the ball over five times…that was just too much.
In the first quarter I watched both lines play. We were NOT getting pushed around and we were winning the battle of the trenches in terms of push.
Hopefully this will be the final day of dissecting that game. It was the perfect storm. Great opponent…in their house…angry after snatching defeat from the jaws of victory when a snap on a FG attempt prevented them from beating NE.
The ball did not bounce our way…off two players to a 3rd for a pick six…a fumble from an RB running into the QB which was lost not recovered by us.
Injury to our star running back early in the contest…
It goes on and on and on. And we should simply move on!
September 20th, 2016 at 11:47 am
@STPETE Agreed!
We are still in first place and the rams are coming. Time to reload and siege the day! Lets make Joe change the name of the stadium in these JBF pages with dominant production. Let get those home wins starting this Sunday!
Go Bucs!!!
September 20th, 2016 at 12:06 pm
I was at the Browns/Titans game in 2000.
Tennessee had 3 fumbles, lost all 3, and McNair threw 4 picks and the Titans still won 24-10.
Now the Browns did suck then as they do now, but 7 turnovers in a single game and the Titans still won by 2 TD’s.
September 20th, 2016 at 12:11 pm
Look I get what Koetter is trying to say…..also I want to be a believer in M. Smith’s def. But the Bucs have given up 24 and 40 pts in two games. Lets hope it gets better, the run D has to get stops and those safety’s need to help out a little more in pass coverage. Just my two cents for what it’s worth. Go Bucs!!
September 20th, 2016 at 12:18 pm
Verner was balling out and really impressed me.
Even without much pressure the defense was hanging in there.
Arizona capitalized on a few missed opportunities by the defense and turnovers by the offense and they went in for the kill! That’s what good teams do and that’s what the Bucs need to do when they are given the same opportunities in the future.
The game wasn’t as bad as the score indicated and that’s why I’m not freaking out about it.
They MUST learn from this loss and move on. Can NOT let the loser mentality “here we go again” bullsh*t infect the 2016 season.
Go Bucs!
September 20th, 2016 at 12:22 pm
Rigged sports week 2- YouTube it. He gose by Zach Hubbard.
September 20th, 2016 at 12:33 pm
Wait hold on. Go back to week 1 of the preseason Bell fumbles and Bucs give up 7. Next possession turnover inside redzone Bucs give up 7 again. It’s a such thing as holding your opponent to 3 points. Did we have to give up TD’s??
September 20th, 2016 at 12:34 pm
I didn’t watch Sunday but apply it to Arizona
September 20th, 2016 at 12:35 pm
@ElioT
I agree Verner looked like the CB we thought we were getting from Tennessee. He broke up a few passes thrown his way and seamed upset he didn’t get the pick on one. Then the cards stayed away from him. Here was my only real bright spot from this game.
September 20th, 2016 at 12:40 pm
The game was lost on turnovers.
September 20th, 2016 at 12:43 pm
I’m about tired of trying to find Silver linings with this team. Bottom line is going in the desert was a test to see how we match up against a proven good team. We didn’t even give them a fight that was embarassing…….again
September 20th, 2016 at 12:46 pm
David Johnson is a stud and alot of defenses and coordinators will have difficulty bottling him up
Arizona is very lucky they drafted him. they would be in a total different level of a legit team without him. teams need to luck out in the draft. Minn is fortunate to get stephon diggs at the 4th round. But the key is to draft them and not a god damn kicker
September 20th, 2016 at 12:52 pm
Observation
Can we swap Hargreaves and grimes now?? I’m not saying bench him just swap them. Gordon got him, Sanu got him, Fitzgerald should’ve gotten him twice. I know that they’re around the same height but Hargreaves got him by about 10-15 pounds and Grimes is getting bodied for TDs
September 20th, 2016 at 12:56 pm
We got Benjamin and D. Thomas on deck
September 20th, 2016 at 1:08 pm
I didn’t think Grimes played all that horribly. Most of the passes that he was defending were perfectly thrown balls.I still don’t know how the one in the middle of the end zone got through Grimes.
But when I see Brent playI see that he is providing good coverage and is step for step with his receiver. If he continues to cover. He will make plays for this defense
September 20th, 2016 at 1:12 pm
If I’m going to single out anyone player on defense and has to be Conte. He got abused on Sunday. Go back and watch the replays of the touchdowns that went night right over his head. He looks dazed and confused on the field. It’s obvious the guy can’t read the passing game.
September 20th, 2016 at 2:10 pm
Buccaneers…I said this yesterday on another site. Conte is steaming sewer trash. Has been since he got here I dont know why no one else saw it. I want Jabrill Peppers in round 1 this year. Verner, VH3, Jude-Adjei, and Peppers could make this a dominant secondary. Then because I like Ryan Smith so much we can test him out at his traditional CB position and see if anything happens there.
September 20th, 2016 at 2:28 pm
@SOEbuc
For every “good” game conte will give you, he will also give two bad games!!! (no wonder coach my scheme liked him)!!!! The biggest issue was that you can only fix so much in one offseason, but I will be surprised if he is a starter for the Bucs next season!!!!
Go Bucs!!!!
September 20th, 2016 at 2:42 pm
Stick Johnathan Banks in the DB lineup, Mike Smith. It sure can’t hurt. My one area of concern was DL depth. Whew, no more Buc Luck bites aka injuries, please. 5 turnovers equals 15-35 points. In the hands of a playoff tested team versus a young growing one w/rookies everywhere including coaches, it equals wipeout. Hence 40-7. The ’99 game in Oakland was a LOT worse, believe me. The game in Tampa this Sunday (weather permitting) will be fun! Go Bucs!!
September 20th, 2016 at 2:43 pm
The defense could not keep it up and I don’t blame them.
they had plenty of forced punts or held them to FGs in the beginning.
Eventually, though, with the offense turning the ball over constantly to what was the highest scoring offense in the NFL last year, it was bound to catch up. This loss is all on the offense, and mostly on JW because the OLine was great
September 20th, 2016 at 3:23 pm
As I watched the game on Sunday, I couldn’t help but be pissed at Jason Licht for not at least getting ONE Speed WR for Jameis. The Bucs receivers are so slow and create absolutely no separation. We dumped all this money into Vincent Jackson and he has clearly checked out. To add insult to injury, you draft this bum kicker in the 2nd round!
September 20th, 2016 at 3:26 pm
Bucs defense held their own pretty well against the mighty Cardinals offense for the first few series.
But the offense could not score points and the turnovers started piling up and the route was on from there.
It would have been a very different game if the Offense was playing their “A” game instead of their “F” game.
September 20th, 2016 at 4:34 pm
Those last 3:12 mins just before halftime was a back breaker. They were on the 30 yd line down 10-0 when that fumble occurred and everything snowballed out of control from there.
September 20th, 2016 at 5:38 pm
There is absolutely no doubt that the turnovers killed our drives and eventually affected our defense…..and we didn’t perform when we had the opportunity (Grimes)
We seemed to improve with penalties.
September 20th, 2016 at 6:57 pm
The Bucs are about 2 safeties from being a threatening defense. Chris Conte simply can’t, and Bradley McWho? Where was either one besides getting burned?
September 20th, 2016 at 9:18 pm
The fact that Koetter said this is TERRIFYING, because if he really believes it, it proves he just doesn’t know much about football. If you have a REAL defense you can overcome turnovers, most often BY FORCING YOUR OWN.
Anyone who watched the game WITH THEIR EYES knows that defense was trash