Raheem Stands Behind “Best-In-The-NFC” Tag
October 25th, 2010
"Yes. We are the best."
Speaking now in his Monday news conference, Raheem Morris is standing very tall behind calling his team the best team in the NFC following yesterday’s comeback win against the Rams to give the Bucs a 4-2 record.
“Right now, we have the least amount of losses,” Morris said. “We’re the best team because of that.”
Pressed later about the statistical shortcomings of the Bucs in relation to being the “best team in the NFC,” Raheem fired back that “stats are for losers,” and that the Bucs are “counting wins.” This exchange sent the questioning reporter into a stammering mess.
Joe’s not sure if all the bravado is a good thing. But surely Raheem couldn’t walk away from yesterday’s strong statement. Joe knows that if the Bucs win next week in Arizona, they might very well be the best team in the NFC.
October 25th, 2010 at 12:12 pm
Lolz, I like it. I wouldn’t say it, but I like hearing it. Rex Ryan said something similar at the beginning of last season and he was laughed at, how did that turn out?
October 25th, 2010 at 12:21 pm
I love me some Rah but this smells like him boosting up Clayton last year after the Dallass game (I think). This is something you keep in the locker room…unless he wants to fully commit to the new bravado.
October 25th, 2010 at 12:22 pm
I cringe every time I hear that. I just don’t have that much confidence yet. Unless it’s near the end of the 4th quarter and Freeman is leading us downfield for the game winning score. Dude is cold blooded. Time for my Freeman jersey.
October 25th, 2010 at 12:26 pm
This is a good way to make everybody in the locker room feel like they can rest knowing they have fufilled raheems expectations and approval. This is one thing you should NEVER DO in coaching, until its factual- and then this statment could be made right after a NFC championship game…
October 25th, 2010 at 12:48 pm
If you don’t believe in what you do, you will eventually fail.
Pretty simple overall. Coach Morris believes in his team.
This team plays hard, united and deserve some praise for standing up late in the game yesterday.
That comment was directed specifically at the players, not for us fans.
and a plus is…you know what most talking heads will say this week…
Now the team responds …
it’s almost genius… almost.
October 25th, 2010 at 12:51 pm
Posey99- that’s a good point. But with a team this young, meybe it is the right thing to do. The biggest issue with a young talented team is confidence. Meybe Raheem realizes this team really is very talented, and just needs the confidence to play to their abilities! I dunno, but it certainly is uncharacteristically cocky. He’s been talking about staying humble all season. This is a real departure from that philosophy. Makes you wonder what he knows that we don’t? Well, he seems to really have his hand on the pulse of this team, we’ll see how it turns out. I keep wondering what it would take to beat the cardinals. Not a game I thought we’d win, but they aren’t the team they were last year. If our running game carries it’s momentum to that game, its possible. Who could be a hater at 5-2?
October 25th, 2010 at 1:05 pm
@Not A Rocket Surgeon – agree, but now it will be on opposing teams locker room walls…
Do we really want a target on our chest? I like flying under the radar. We were targets in two big games, battle of the undefeateds vs Steelers and for the division vs Saints – epic fail on both.
October 25th, 2010 at 1:11 pm
I’m not so sure Raheem was thinking his team was the best in the NFC when he was wandering the sideline like a senile 70 year-old during that first half.
October 25th, 2010 at 1:14 pm
This team has gotten a taste of winning and are learning how not to lose.
Winning with a target on their chests only makes them tougher… flying under the radar has been getting old for a while.
In the future, I’d much rather have the Bucs be that team that you know what’s coming and cannot do anything about it… the under-the-radar thing was good for a while, but as a fan – I’d say it’s time for a change.
There’s a reason our humble coach said it… and frankly it’s not about us.
Huge risk/reward. ARZ will speak volumes about it…
October 25th, 2010 at 1:21 pm
How do you know the Bucs won on Sunday? The hater’s club disapper from this site, even with a juicy Morris quip to comment on.
October 25th, 2010 at 1:30 pm
JimBuc-lol ! Yeah, where’s Eric, Thomas, RadDomdaracisistBucyou, Tampa2, and all of the other “mentally challenged posters ” on this one? They are to ashamed ta post, but they gotta be clawing their own eyes out after reading that quote!! I almost thing Raheem said it just ta torture the haters! He does read JoeBucFan, so it’s possible!
October 25th, 2010 at 1:42 pm
Raheem was speaking through the media to show how much confedence he now has in his young squad. Rah is just a natural born leader. 5-2 is just around the corner and then we head to Atlanta
October 25th, 2010 at 1:47 pm
This team can truly be special. It has been a long time since I felt like this. We killed ourselves in this game. It should have been a blowout. Amazing how even an average running game helps our offense.
Exactly right jimbuc and capt Tim. They all going into hiding after every win. Feels good.
October 25th, 2010 at 1:54 pm
I see nothing wrong with Raheem’s statement. One of the oldest football sayings is “You are what your record says you are.” Right now, the Bucs are tied for the fewest losses in the NFC. In that respect, stats are “for losers” because wins and losses are all the matters at the end of the day. We’ll see what our record says in the coming weeks, but as for right now, I have no problem with Raheem’s statement and I think it motivates the players, who are buying what he’s selling, to back up their head coach’s comments.
October 25th, 2010 at 1:57 pm
Rah can get away with this because the NFC is such a mess right now. I don’t think any NFC team would crack the top 5 if you ranked teams in the NFL. You have to hand it to the Bucs. They keep putting up Ws and it doesn’t matter how pretty they look. I fully expect the Bucs to beat the Cards. The big test will be the Falcons on the road. If they want to be taken seriously in the division and in the NFC, they have to win that game.
October 25th, 2010 at 2:06 pm
if you tell your team they are the best, then why would they feel the need to get better? its a poor coaching strategy when coaching young inexperienced players. I understand you want to build thier confidence, but their confidence gets built by winning games more so than what comes out of the coaches mouth. bad move raheen, nobody is the best until they win that NFC game. Love your enthusiamsim though
October 25th, 2010 at 2:10 pm
I dunno about best team in NFC, but they have a knack for winning so far this year. Not sure how since it sorta defies conventional wisdom but hey its working.
Can’t see it lasting, but i have been wrong to this point.
Give the man his due, four out of six is not an accident.
October 25th, 2010 at 2:24 pm
With the “Charlie Foxtrot” known as who is best in the NFC this year…..WHY NOT?
October 25th, 2010 at 2:25 pm
I’m not buying the “your team has nothing to play for if the coach says they’re the best” theory. How about a Super Bowl? How about a division title? How about finishing above .500? How about winning enough to sell out the stadium? I think by Wednesday the players will have forgotten Raheem ever said this. I don’t think during Sunday’s game that Mike Williams is going to think, “Gee, I don’t need to run this route, coach Ra said we’re the best in the NFC.” They have plenty to play for. The season is 6 games old.
October 25th, 2010 at 2:36 pm
Many have been critical of Raheem, especially me. It is his time to shine, like a proud Papa, and maybe his way of telling me, and all the Raheem bashers to STFU !
There is nothing I would like to be told better then to STFU about Raheem, because it means My Tampa Bay Bucs are winning. Raheem is 4 and 2, and he has the right to talk smack, he earned it! You go Raheem ! You adapted in the second 1/2, and you put Blount in the game.
October 25th, 2010 at 2:38 pm
I think Raheem is doing the right thing. He is demanding the players visualize themseleves as the best and strive to play that way. Whatever reservations I have about his gameplan decisions I believe he is one of those guys who will always get the best out of the players he has with his motivational skills.
October 25th, 2010 at 2:43 pm
Nice ta see ya here Eric, though you are rarely a true hater. Show up! Us koolaide krewe guys were there after the Steelers and the Saints! At least when you’re wrong, it means the team won! So you get thrown on the mercies of a happier crowd! Like I said, Raheem has Bern preaching Humble, so this is a real change- let’s see how his team responds!
October 25th, 2010 at 2:44 pm
KJ Says:
October 25th, 2010 at 2:25 pm
I’m not buying the “your team has nothing to play for if the coach says they’re the best”
KJ, who are you quoting i couldnt find that statement on this thread?
October 25th, 2010 at 2:48 pm
I hope the Bucs beat the Cards. Any road trip across the country is tough! But, if we have the ball, with about 4 minutes left, down by 6, I sure would be feeling pretty good about life
October 25th, 2010 at 3:19 pm
I like the statement made by Coach due to the youth of our football team. Anyone who has played sports at a decent competitive level knows that confidence allows you to play and not second guess your decisions on the field; playing fast as coaches like to put it. The more confident our young guys are the better i say, its a physical and MENTAL game.
October 25th, 2010 at 4:08 pm
I see nothing wrong with his words. He should think they can win every week…..just as every player should. if they were doubting themselves or using excuses I’d be much more concerned.
October 25th, 2010 at 4:20 pm
Holy crap is Eric becoming a Rah fan?
October 25th, 2010 at 5:19 pm
Nah, Eric can’t really say anything now, so he’ll post a couple feel good post. He’s just avoiding persecution, hanging around until we loose again. Lol
October 25th, 2010 at 5:20 pm
Yeah d-money, enough winning will make anyone a fan. Im surprised by how many people take so much offense to the consistently negative posters. In places like Philly the entire town is ready to lynch a player or coach for every little thing.
October 25th, 2010 at 5:20 pm
So we’re (Raheem) back to saying stupid $h!t again. Grella must be on vacation. Good thing the best team in the NFC doesn’t have to play the Giants this year.
October 25th, 2010 at 5:39 pm
You can only draw on 15 so many times before it blows up.
Its not how you start but how you finish………………could just as easily be 1-5.
October 25th, 2010 at 7:00 pm
I think this is how Raheem talks to his players all time time. If you tell somebody something enough, eventually they are going to believe it. This is true in life also.
October 25th, 2010 at 7:02 pm
Eric, I guess I could be wrong but I think the Bucs have a better record than the “on the cusp of winning a Super Bowl” Dolphins and their “2 second round picks” guy, Marshall? Is that right?
Oh wait, doesn’t Mike Williams (a 4th round rookie) have more TDs than Marshall and a better average? Ouch, the Bucs got Mike Williams and Benn and Price and still have a 2nd round pick next year, but they could have traded it all for 1 TD through 6 games!!! What a deal you would have taken (and that is not even counting the “I’m frustrated” blowup that is right around the corner for Marshall).
October 25th, 2010 at 7:04 pm
I like the statement. What is he supposed to say, we’re not a very good team we’ve just got lucky 4 times!? Ultimately, it really doesn’t matter and I doubt it will have any effect on the remaining games, but confidence can be a really good thing. If the players like and respect Raheem, statements like this should make them want to win even more. Hopefully that will translate in them watching a little extra film, coming a little early to practice, and staying away from the sticky icky the night before a game.
October 25th, 2010 at 10:20 pm
The Bucs had 2 2nd round picks. The Bucs could have still taken Price and traded the 2nd 2nd round pick for Marshall. So the Bucs could have had Price, Marshall and Williams. I would take that any day of the week. The offense would be lethal with the combo of Williams, Marshall, Winslow and whoever. Marshall is still relatively young and would have fit into their “youth” movement.
October 26th, 2010 at 12:06 am
Eric S. – Marshall is the kind of thug that will probably end his career with off the field issues before an injury does, ala Jerramy Stevens.
October 26th, 2010 at 12:42 am
Eric S,
I thought it would be nice to have Marshall last offseason as well, and he went to Miami. I think the point being made is not that we wouldn’t still have Price, of course we would, just not Benn. I agree that Marshall would be better than Benn is right now too. The difference is we’d have given up a 2nd rounder next year as well. That’s the kicker. I’m not sure I’d want to give up a 2nd round pick next year. We still have too many holes to fill. We need O-line help. We need DE help/pass rush. We probably need a new MLB. It’s possible we’ll want a new Safety. Grimm is playing pretty good, Sean Jones is ok, and Tanard won’t be coming back in all likelihood. We need those picks. Beyond those positions, this team needs more depth.
October 26th, 2010 at 1:38 am
The original poster made it sound like it was Marshall or all those other players. That just isn’t the case. I watch all the Bucs and Phins games. I can tell you that Marshall is a difference maker. He’s a great player. The reason he only has 1 TD is that they hardly throw to him when they are near the goalline. Bucs fans will clearly remember something like that happened with KJ several years ago. This offense would be a lot better with Marshall and Williams as the wideouts. More single coverage for Williams. I can only imagine what his numbers would be in that scenario. The Bucs offense is 29th in the league in scoring. The running game has been nonexistent until last game. Marshall helps the running game with his blocking and the passing game with his catching and attention he draws. Yes the loss of the 2nd round pick next year would be tough, but when you have a chance at a difference maker like Marshall you do the deal. It is ridiculous to cheer this offense on when it struggles so mightily to score points.
October 26th, 2010 at 8:22 am
While we can all agree Freeman is going to be a really good QB, it’s great to see Raheem soaking up all the Glory off of Freeman’s inate ability for the comeback. But lets look at Raheems defense! How is that #1 DT doing for ya? And that runstuffing, violent defense that Raheem runs? Was that the 4th runningback in 4 games that went over 100 yards on Raheems “dream” defense? It’s great to win the game, but the reality is that Raheem is still the amateur! If anything, I am in awe with the abilities of Freeman. And I am slowly gaining respect for the OC. But the DC still needs to be fired!