The Morning After

October 3rd, 2016

koetter-and-jameis-1003If Joe wasn’t working and covering the Bucs for a living, Joe would have checked out of that Bucs game yesterday long before the lightning delay.

Joe’s guessing many Bucs fans threw in the towel about the same time.

So let’s not waste any time and dive right in.

Koetter Added To Losing Culture

Yes, a lot was made about Bucs coach Dirk Koetter punting midway through the fourth quarter down 20 with the ball at the Denver-46.

Koetter, in so many words, didn’t have confidence in the offense and he said that’s why he punted hoping the defense could create a turnover and give the Bucs a short field.

Right.

First, Koetter surely has watched Mike Smith’s defense the first four games. To paraphrase his comment to reporters about punting, Joe isn’t sure why anyone would think the Bucs would get a takeaway there watching this defense this season. The Bucs have a grand total of two takeaways through four games. Even as vicious as Denver’s defense is, every offensive play is a chance to score. Keyword: chance.

So if Koetter really didn’t believe his offense had a prayer: 1. Why didn’t he have Jameis take a knee every snap in order to punt the ball quicker; and, 2. If Koetter really didn’t believe the Bucs had a chance to score, then what the hell was Jameis in the game for getting the living tar beat out of him? Koetter’s excuse simply doesn’t add up. Averages? Bull!

Punting sent an awful message to his team: I don’t trust you to succeed. Even though you guys have worked like dogs for weeks since July, and are getting the holy crap pounded out of you today, I’m quitting on you. Not exactly the best way to keep harmony among players. You can’t tell Joe guys weren’t looking at Koetter sideways, like a dog hearing a shrill whistle, when he called for a punt.

Koetter talked a lot last week about a losing culture in the Bucs locker room. Well, he just helped cement that.

At best, Koetter’s decision to punt was letting his frustration get the best of him. At worst, he may have lost his team with that stunt. Koetter quit on his offense Sunday.

Pull A Jimmy Johnson

The favorite piñata of the moment for Bucs fans is safety Chris Conte. Joe is always asked why Conte starts. Simple: the Bucs trust him more than his backup. Need an example? Look back at last week where Keith Tandy played patty-cake with Tavon Austin and Austin scored a critical touchdown. All Tandy had to do was shove him out of bounds. That’s why Conte is playing.

Joe doesn’t have an ax to grind with Conte but the Bucs were trying to potentially pull within one-score early in the third quarter. The Bucs seemed to have forced Denver to punt or try a long field goal attempt after a third down pass by Paxton Lynch fell incomplete. But no! Conte was called for holding. Denver gets a first down and is able to march inside the Bucs-5 for a chip shot field goal and a 20-7 lead.

You talk about a loser mentality, there you go. Make a dumbarse penalty when your defense would have been off the field. If Koetter was Jimmy Johnson, he would have cut Conte for that alone and sent a message to the team: We are losing with you; we can lose without you. Be dumb and play dumb? Then go grovel for a job where you need an ice scraper every morning beginning in a couple of weeks instead of hanging by the pool with a cold beer after yet another loss.

It seems Koetter has already sent a message by cutting ASJack@ss. So why stop there?

Time For Jameis To Act On His Words

Yes, America’s Quarterback, Pro Bowler Jameis Winston, had a rotten game. He now has eight picks this season. The only quarterback with more picks is horrid NFL vagabond Ryan Fitzpatrick of the Jets.

Enough!

Each week, Jameis says he has to cut down on the turnovers. If one keeps saying that but still throw turnovers, then either he is conning fans and really doesn’t care about turnovers, or he is pulling an ASJ and offering empty words.

It’s time for Jameis to start heeding his own voice. You know, sometimes it is OK to throw a pass away rather than force it through a crack in a window for a pick. He’s no longer playing Wake Forest, in case Jameis hasn’t realized this yet.

Tidbits

* After the touchdown drive that ended with Jameis running the ball in (why couldn’t he have done that last week against Los Angeles?) the Bucs converted but 2-of-13 third downs the rest of the game.

* Jameis absorbed 16 quarterback hits.

* Joe is sure the anti-GMC rabble will point out with glee the team had four sacks on a day GMC was lost in the first half with a calf injury (GMC himself had a half-sack).

* When three of your top five tacklers are defensive backs, that’s not good.

* Why exactly did Jacquizz Rodgers only get six carries? He averaged over four yards a carry? Was Koetter that stubborn to stick to a (flawed?) gameplan that called for Charles Sims to be the bellcow, he of 1.9 yards per carry?

Gameballs

Clinton McDonald and Akeem Spence: No Jacquies Smith, no Gerald McCoy, no Robert Ayers, no Noah Spence. Yet these two guys, instead of laying down, balled out and had their best games in some time. McDonald was a beast with 1.5 sacks, eight tackles, two for a loss and two quarterback hits. Akeem Spence had five tackles, a half-sack and a quarterback hit.

Quotes:

“I’m very concerned.” — Dirk Koetter on Jameis’ play the past three games.

“At times, I do try to do too much and that’s a part of the problem. I’ve just got to do my job and let the players play.” — Jameis.

“I’m feeling hurt. We’ve got to do better, we’ve got to pick it up. I know you all get tired of hearing the same thing over and over, but we’ve got to do better. We’ve just got to go in – you’ve got to do extra, we’re not doing enough, we’ve got to do extra. The leaders have to step up.” — Kwon Alexander.

“It was a combination of everybody. Offensive line, tight ends, running backs, everybody can do a better job. I don’t think it’s a one-person point, but it’s definitely a unit that’s not getting it done.” — Demar Dotson.

“They were just better than us. We just couldn’t do anything against them. They’re a simple defense and we were getting the looks we thought we were going to get, we just couldn’t beat them.” — Mike Evans.

“I wouldn’t say it sucked the life out of us. To me, when I see Gerald go out, it makes me want to play harder because now I know one of my brothers is down, one of my brothers is out of the game. He can’t do anything but cheer from the sidelines so now I have to do even more, just because I want to do even more to let him know we’re going to be good without him. I pray and I wish he was out there, but when he left the game, we just had to go harder for him.” — Bradley McDougald.

Punts:

Random quick thoughts not necessarily NFL-related.

Only 14 percent of teams that start out 1-3 since 1990 have made the playoffs. … Since 1990, only 21 teams have made the playoffs after starting 1-3. … The Den of Depression: The Bucs are now 17-39 in home games played in Tampa since Chucky was fired in January 2009 (the Bucs have played two games in London classified as home games). And some folks wonder why Bucs fans less and less are going to games? … The Bucs have a takeaway/giveaway ratio of -9. The only team worse is the Jets. The Bucs have an average of -16 point differential in games this season, the worst in the NFL. … Is there a more exciting sport than college football? Look, Joe loves the NFL, but college football delivers week after week after week. Rarely does a Saturday go by wihout a thrilling game. Often, there are several like on Saturday. Pound for pound, Joe doesn’t know of any other sport that delivers like college football. And it doesn’t need fantasy football to keep it floating. … So the Cardinals missed the playoffs by one game, first time this decade. It always irks Joe when, early in (any sport) a season, someone says, “It’s just one game.” Yeah, that one game can cost you big time, even while playing a 162-game schedule.

50 Responses to “The Morning After”

  1. Rojas Says:

    Mcdougald ” I have to do more ” what exactly have you done ? An it seems Dotson gets a holding call twice a game, every game.

  2. Tampabaybucfan Says:

    “They were just better than us. We just couldn’t do anything against them. They’re a simple defense and we were getting the looks we thought we were going to get, we just couldn’t beat them.” — Mike Evans.

    That is a very tough thing to admit but it’s the simple truth. Bad teams make turnovers and commit stupid penalties. Bad teams can’t get pressure on the QB or cover receivers. Bad teams’ receivers can’t get open and running backs can’t get yards.
    Bad teams usually have good punters and use them too often.

  3. 1gr8Bucfan Says:

    I know it is going to take time to turn this team around, but geez this is like watching a glacier move.

  4. scott Says:

    Jameis is losing us games, straight up.

  5. Tampa Tony Says:

    Maybe those 16 hits Jameis took knocked some sense in him to protect the ball and give your team a chance. So much for all the pre draft hype of a QB with Manning like smarts. I won’t say he’s a bust but he might not be the answer either

  6. EA Says:

    I was expecting a 1-4 record leading into the bye week but was hoping for 2-3 ( still doable ). Look, it’s not the the losses that are more frustrating but the way they lost these 3 games.
    After the bye, the schedule gets somewhat easier, hopefully they get their act together and string some wins, NFC south seems to be winnable this year.

  7. iamkingsu Says:

    We need to start with oline. Move smith to RT or kick him inside to guard and draft a left tackle. Then we need to draft speed offense and defense. At every position besides LB because we have speed there.

    Speed is something you just can’t adjust in game if you’re not going up against in everyday in practice. Thats why the Bucs defense looked so good all off-season is because they weren’t going up against top tier NFL speed.

    If you’re not worried about getting beat deep you can be extra aggressive against receivers and jump routes. Which is what every defense is doing against us.

  8. Tampa Tony Says:

    Every team on the Bucs schedule has them penciled in as a win. When you are as bad as the Bucs the schedule doesn’t get any easier

  9. iamkingsu Says:

    For the thousandth time JAMEIS is fine.

  10. scott Says:

    Jameis is not fine right now, hes playing at a bottom tier level. Picks, stupid decisions, and inaccuracy all on display

  11. Tom Edrington Says:

    If you told everyone the Bucs would have the same record as Carolina after four games, there would be rejoicing on the site……yes, before the season EVERYONE would have taken that…..

  12. scott Says:

    other teams are winning games with short passes. Why do we continue to force it down field and throw the games away?

  13. iamkingsu Says:

    @tom Edrington

    Not me. After they let Norman go and Harper go mostly Norman. And if you watched week 1 with their secondary continuously missing their run fits vs Denver playing in that scheme. Sheesh

    I knew they were horrible but I didn’t know they were 300 yards to one receiver horrible.

  14. iamkingsu Says:

    @scott

    Other teams have multiple smaller quicker receivers that can create separation quickly. And are shifty after the catch.

  15. Bob in Valrico Says:

    @joe
    agree on the play of spence and Macdonald.also think Gholston played hard.
    If Jameis doesn’t set the table for two touchdowns,then this game is at least
    respectable. He has to learn from this.The main reason Jameis was besieged is because we got behind early.
    Down by 20 with 7 minutes left is a bad place to be and I don’t fault Koetter for using common sense.Absolutely no evidence Jameis was going to turn it around with this defense.see 4th and 45 on the following drive.Jameis has to stop forcing passes and earn his HC’s trust again.
    think we should be looking for a veteran QB backup that can be a sounding board for Jameis. Our two QB’s have only 15 wins between them in 4 years.

  16. Chris Says:

    The question the Bucs need to ask themselves: why are guys like Carson wentz , Dak Prescott having success? They’re moving the chains and completing short to mid range passes and not turning the ball over. Trevor semian ? The last qb taken in 2015 is playing at a higher level than Winston.

    Let’s turn back to 2014 class. Derek Carr and jimmy garoppolo were the guys I stated were the first and second best qbs in the draft. But I was laughed out of a room. Both guys have quick releases and can go through progressions quickly and hit receivers on time with accuracy. Teddy bridge water may not be a sexy selection and is out but the guy manages an offense better than Winston.

    Winston does not fit in today’s league. And in any past time. People want to say he’s a gun slinger like Farve. LOL. Jay cutler is a gun slinger. So is Stafford. So was freeman.
    I watched Winston weekly. And watched several games of him at FSU. He has poor habits of staring down receivers constantly. His mechanics are poor and they reminiscent players of leftwich who’s mechanics hurt him enough that balls sailed on him overthrowing wide open receivers. We’re seeing a pattern here with Winston. He’s missing open throws. And I mean wide open throws. His accuracy is sloppy. He was stripped by Quinn because of his baseball /Tebow/leftwich windup. Had it been held higher with a quicker motion, ball would not have been stripped.

    Teams are looking for qbs who don’t turn the ball over. Who are accurate and have clean mechanics. Winston lost one game in college but he didn’t possess any of those traits. Brady never won a national championship in college yet he’s a 4 time super bowl champ. Sometimes winning a national title in college doesn’t translate to the pros.

    I was concerned with Winston coming out of college with his poor vision and thinking he can make every throw. Turnover prone qbs in college don’t usually correct those issues.

    Unless something drastically turns around I can see a new qb search in Tampa forth coming by 2018.

  17. orlbucfan Says:

    The Denver Broncos didn’t beat the Bucs; the Bucs beat themselves. Simple as that, frustrating, and not the first time. And to let a creep like Aqib T pick off 14 points: talking about rubbing our faces in it. He is a lowlife, no doubt about it. Good riddance then and now.

    KNOCK OFF the Musical HC Chairs. 5 HCs in 7 years???? Gruden, Morris, Schiano, Lovie, DK. Who would want to work for an outfit as unstable as this team? Not me! Hopefully, smarter heads will prevail as this is a major problem.

    Conte got a stupid/major penalty at the wrong time. Didn’t hear Banks’ name throughout the broadcast. That one’s on Smith.

    So now on to Charlotte. With our luck, Hurricane Matthew will make landfall right as the game starts. Anywho, go Bucs!!

  18. Robert Says:

    If you want to see a real NFL quarterback look at Dak Prescott for Dallas.
    Go Dawgs! Look it up.

  19. AceofAerospace Says:

    Oh, there was another lightning delay. I wouldn’t know. I tuned out at halftime. I couldn’t take anymore. This is old, already.

  20. Destinjohnny Says:

    We don’t have the players to compete.
    I think the punter is really good though

  21. D-Rome Says:

    Yesterday was the first time I took pause and wondered if Jameis is a franchise QB. Franchise QBs don’t have 8 TDs and 8 INTs through four games.

    I’m somewhat amused by all of this to be honest. Yes, this sucks but all last year most of you were saying the problem was the head coach. All last year I was saying the team wasn’t talented enough. The Glazers actually listened to the fan base (which they are prone to do) and now we see a head coach making more bone headed decisions. On top of all that the team *STILL* isn’t talented enough.

  22. old man says Says:

    Jameis is not the our answer and Mike Smith is not our answer

  23. Frank Pillow Says:

    The Sims 3rd and 1 was an abysmal play-call. Every week, season after season, I see coordinators devising creative ways to utilize their personnel and matriculate the ball down the field. Not us, not ever.

    Why can’t we ever coach guys up to execute? These are smart coaches. They’ve been in the league a long time. There’s no excuse of for the crappy game-planning that’s going on and equally lousy in game management. Punting was 100% the wrong decision—I don’t care how Dirk tries to spin it. I was a loser, amateur move.

    Some of Talib’s post game comments about Jameis and the O were damning. Every CB in the league knows there’s one target, Evans. Brate is serviceable, but no one is going to scheme to take him away. VJax is a non-factor, so all you have to do is put your best CB on him= neutralized. Humphries can run between the 30s all day ( and who cares). Jameis’ options are beyond limited. Let’s also call a spade a spade—this OL is average. Marpet was abused yesterday. Smith too. None can open holes in the running game or get push off the line of scrimmage.

    On a deeper level, this roster is simply hot garbage. Just like punting is indefensible, so too is the kicker selection, the FAs we’ve signed (nice job on damaged goods Sweezy) and the lack of speed and fire from 48 out of the 53 players on this roster.

    This season is lost 4 games in—just like the last 8 seasons before it. We are the “Yucs”…this team isn’t equipped to win more than 4 games in any year. Look at the freaking Raiders. THAT’s a QB and a franchise that is building something. They’re flawed, but they look like they’re years ahead of us. We weren’t even remotely competitive for vast stretches of the game yesterday.

    On top of the poor personnel decisions, Xs and Os there is a deeply sinister cultural problem here. Losing is the only thing this team does well. Too many of these player seemingly do what they want, at the level they want to b/c the believe they’ll just outlast this HC, just like they have the 3 before him.

    Rather than molding talented players from passionate rogues into a team-first guys, we jettison them…never thinking it’s the environment and total lack of leadership that has poisoned the well. I’m not saying ASJ, Talib and others weren’t problems…I’m just saying other teams seemingly figure out how to harness and develop talent. We’re adrift.

  24. Youngbucs Says:

    McDonald and spence are better because spence can beat double teams just look people

  25. Kobe Faker Says:

    Chris disagree with you

    There is no wide open reveivers

    Our slop receivers cant beat man coverage and you add the deep downfield pass routes , you van see the outcome faced with great pass fefence like denver has

    Yes look at the other qbs and their routes. It is short rub/pick plays. Alot of the OCs try to get their playmakers in open space against the worst pass defenders

    Dirk stubbornes. Stop throwing to evans if he cant get open vs a shutdowm corner. Did everyone know that the 1st game, new england vs arizona never yhrew against patrick peterterson. We should have used evans as decoy and let him take the doubleteam/safety away and throw underneath all damn day

  26. Dusthty Rhothdes Says:

    cut or trade vincent jackson he is useless, try shepard in there, jameis has no legitimate weapons to throw to

  27. Chris Says:

    Kobe:

    I disagree with you. I’m seeing guys get open. Jackson ran free a few times. Winston didn’t even see him. Week 1: Evans ran free a few times, one he was wide open in the end zone and Winston may have over thrown him by 10 yards. Thinking that wasn’t a big deal, see the next three weeks.

    I’ve seen Winston in Arizona over throw a wide open Evans who beats Peterson on a slant. Peterson drops the pick Bc the throw was so bad he probably didn’t expect a 6’5 receiver to be over thrown. And he was beat badly on an inside route.

    Winston is inaccurate. He’s careless with the football. He has his moments of dropping dimes but he can’t do it consistently to be recognized as a franchise qb. I hate to say it but on the field he’s Freeman right now. Not seeing open receivers and inconsistency and stupid turnovers that put this defense in a hole.

    I don’t want to hear coaching or no open receivers. Koetter himself told us he didn’t design the “sims pitch”. He wanted to know why Jameis was calling for the ball and why sims listened.

    Everyone wants to blame coaching. But the players stink. Koetter and smith have had tremendous success in this league and are high valued. Great coaches. Yet fans want to hang the coaches but the players , most of them look unmotivated. The decision making has been poor in the front office for years. Now it’s in question with sims and ASJ busting after three years and guys that we could have taken instead are flourishing. If you wanted a receiver in round 2- Jarvis Landry and Jordan Matthews and Allen Robinson were there we took ASJ.

    We took sims over Devonta Freeman. And yes you have to play this card.

  28. Tnew Says:

    Shocked about how many are willing to turn the page on Jameis already, seems to include this website which has taken a really abrupt turn on him over the past couple of weeks. Koetter said all offseason he wants to go downfield with Jameis, well, maybe you should have given him at least one downfield weapon that can create seperation. With this roster, giving up two potential starting players to draft a kicker (I would say this even if aguayo was perfect) was questionable. Licht thinks this is a “playoff ready”‘group. I just don’t see it. Our top paid players are not producing. McCoy is disruptive, ok great, make more plays. Sweezy, hurt. Ayers, hurt. VJax,???old? Quit? Martin, his pattern of play after contract years continues. But wait, it’s all jameis’ fault.

    Didn’t begin this as an indictment on Licht but as I wrote this the licht bulb came on.

  29. Richard Says:

    Garbage never rolls up hill. When are fans going to understand that this starts with ownership. More Broncos fans than Bucs fans in the stadium yesterday! I felt like I was in Mile High!

  30. USMC-BUC Says:

    Seasons over. The loss last week was worse.

    We should be 2-2 having played 2 of the best teams in the league already and looking at a down Panthers team with a chance to go 3-2.

    Now we get to play Derick Anderson (The original Bad QB Buc killer) I say he goes 29-35 4 tD’s and 425 yards against this team.

  31. Tampa Tony Says:

    If Winston is the answer I don’t wanna know the question

  32. Conte Piscateli Says:

    Here are two points from my observations. Aqib Talib beat us. Sadly one former Buc made two plays that won the game for his team. Early in the game the defense was doing a good job, but the two picks deep in our territory gifted them points which affected both teams games plans. Hats of Aqib.

    Ever wondered why we never play 4pm games in Tampa? Because there in a thunderstorm every freaking evening. Duh, anyone who ever lived there knows this. Now after back to back game delays perhaps NFL schedulers will too.

  33. Conte Piscateli Says:

    One note of the Panthers. They tried to let a rookie CB go 1 on 1 with Julio Jones. 300 yards later they are licking there wounds. Shanahan saw this miss match and destroyed it. I wonder if we will try to do the same. That kids confidence has to be zero right now. If we don’t try to exploit him or coaches aren’t doing their jobs.

  34. Kobe Faker Says:

    I guess because jameis missed 2 open receivers in the first game vs atlanta means our receivers are running wide open all game long for the rest of 15 games

    I blame the 3rd and 1 playcall on koetter. Not all in atlanta loved koetter playcalling but jjones covered alot of warts

    Koeetter is very stubborn which is a terrible quality to have.

    Making sims carry continuously thru the middle 1st and 2nd down is going to stop our offense

  35. Chris Says:

    To echo fellow Chris’ words. Jameis looked tentative after the first half. That picture of Talib talking smack to Jameis was telling. I saw a QB hitching, unwilling to pull the trigger. Those of you who are arguing for Jameis, look deep inside yourself and put your FSU homerism aside. Is he progressing? Is there something to be worried about? Until this game, the line had blocked well for him. We’re 2-8 our last ten games, Jameis playing like garbage in most of them, the only two wins, against Atlanta.

  36. Buc1987 Says:

    I pray and I wish he was out there, but when he left the game, we just had to go harder for him.” — Bradley McDougald.

    That’s what it takes to play harder?

    Such BS.

  37. DallasBuc Says:

    Maybe Free Pass Licht should start jumping in a lake with his suit on every time his carefully crafted roster gets humiliated.
    Cue the excuses…

  38. Chris Says:

    Two? I won’t get into this Kobe. You read what you want. You can even call me a hater as you can’t see through homerism.

    I’m not a hater or a homer. I’m a Bucs fan who will give my straight up honest evaluation. If Jameis Winston was not the number 1 pick or a first round pick even in 2015, he would be benched right now.

    Go ahead and criticize me for my opinion but his play is reminiscent of Freeman right now. Missing open receivers, poor awareness and inaccuracy. The only thing he has is a different work ethic. Always first in and last out. But you then wonder, is he even progressing ? I mean he doesn’t even notice open receivers or when an offside penalty on the defense means take a shot for a free play. The good qbs to elite ones do that. I’ve never seen him in 20 starts take notice.

  39. Cobraboy Says:

    These guys, including #3 and #58, just need to STFU and let their performances speak for themselves.

    I give them no props for admitting they sucked.

    I, for one, never expected more than 2-3 in this stretch in the first place. There is still “hope.”

    It could be worse. How would you like to be a Kitties fan right now?

  40. Buccaneer Bonzai Says:

    @Cobraboy

    I think two wins was dreaming…and I said so before the season started (in the first 5 games I mean).

  41. Bucsfanman Says:

    It’s tough to watch! It LOOKS like Jameis is regressing through 4 games. Our defense is still putrid, and the play-calling has been terrible!

    Why? Why on 3 and 1 week in week out do I see teams completely out-think themselves? It’s crazy! Shotgun formations, one-back sets? Line the RB behind a FB and travel north and south. DO YOU HEAR THAT SIMS?! NORTH AND FREAKING SOUTH!!!!!!! You are not Barry Sanders!
    I am going to lose my mind if I see Sims juke nobody behind the line of scrimmage again!

  42. Buc4Lyfe79 Says:

    @Joe
    Sure, lets throw the good HC under the bus for punting in the bottom half of a game in the 4rth qrtr when his offense already had 3 entire qrtrs of play to do something different then what they had been doing…and at the end of that games final few plays, who REALLY GAVE A F!CK if #3 was out there or not, I DAM SURE DIDN’T…only talking head blood suckers who don’t have a job unless they’re trying to stir up a sh!t storm do. How bout you guys don’t go that route?

  43. 813bucboi Says:

    @youngbucs…I agree…we started getting pressure with a.spence, c.mcdonald and even ghloston got into the mix….

    jameis has to stop turning the ball over and make better decisions….the first pick was a bad throw and should’ve never been made…the second pick he was baited by talib…

    dirk has to figure it out….we are coming out unprepared and uninspired…mixed that in with the poor coaching decisions he’s making, inability to run the ball, and his buddies trash @$$ defense we’re in for a long season….GO BUCS!!!!

  44. 813bucboi Says:

    @JOE…CONDIFENCE POLL PLEASE!!!!!…..GO BUCS!!!!

  45. LakelandBuc Says:

    The great WONDER GM ( Jason Licht ) put this great team and great coaching staff together. Kudos to him, for his amazing ability to build a football team.

  46. BigStinky Says:

    “I’ve just got to do my job and let the players play” – Jameis Winston

    What does that even mean? What kind of excuse is that? NO, what you need to do is STOP turning the ball over and give us a chance to win. Giving the other team 14 points the last 2 games has cost us the wins. That Denver game should have been 13-7 and we would have had a chance to win. And, the Rams game WOULD have been a win if he didn’t have that fumble for a TD or Sims giving up that INT which gave them 7 more points. JW is doing his job (AND getting paid) but he is NOT doing it very well. It’s going to be a shame next year when Glennon is gone and JW is needing to be replaced.

  47. ruggyup Says:

    You know it’s bad when we get posted Dotson quotes.

  48. America's Commenter Says:

    Winston is forcing the ball just like Testaverde used to do. Vinny threw 35 INTs in only 15 games played his second year back in 1988. Winston is on almost the exact same pace.

    The throws those guys got away with in college, where their receivers were just more talented than the opposition, are interceptions in the NFL.

    Some guys, like Peyton Manning, learn to throw the ball away. Others, like Vinny Testaverde and Jeff George, never learn.

  49. mike10 Says:

    I’d love for you to repost the article from the preseason where fans on this site were lauding Koetter saying he wanted to encourage Winston to air it out, at the expense of turnovers.. I got blasted for calling (maybe by tmax?) that a fine line, accusing my of being a Mariota apologist (which is stupid in itself). That history would write the result of Koetters “cautious” endorsement. Well here we are calling it a softmore slump

  50. OnlyGodnoles Says:

    @old man you seem to have the answers when it comes to who is not the answer, do you have the answer to who is the answer then. You seem to be the answering type. Thank God Mariota is not lighting it up with the Titans otherwise this blog would be unbearable. Your QB has been in the league less than 2 years and folks are already losing their collective minds. Someone please tell me how long Matthew Stafford/Andrew Luck/Jay Cutler have been in the league no one is call for them to run out of the league. Give the kid a break am not expecting miracles in the second year.