Bucs Got Too Cute At Wrong Time

November 6th, 2011

Now Joe has no problem with the Bucs trying something novel once in a while to mix things up and catch defenses snoozing.

No, reaching into the Jeff Bowden playbook and calling for an end-around by Arrelious Benn every game is not being creative. It. Does. Not. Work.

Earlier this year against the Dolts, the Bucs brought in backup quarterback Josh Johnson to run an option, which Joe thought was cool. It was very different; had not been seen before and got a first down.

With the Bucs offense trying to swim upstream and down 14-3, the Bucs were deep in Saints territory and had a very makeable third-and-four on the Saints-23 just inside the two-minute warning.

With LeGarrette Blount starting to warm up, with receivers finally getting open, the Bucs brought in Johnson on third down.

WHAT??? Look, even people walking with white canes could see this would be a running play, a run to his right. It’s not like the Saints never saw this play before.

Of course the Saints held him to a one-yard gain, forcing a field goal.

FOX analyst John Lynch immediately said, “I hate to be critical but I don’t know about that play. You take your best player off the field to run a gimmick on a makeable third down.”

Lynch was right. Using Johnson on an option on second down, Joe’s OK with that. But not on a critical third down when you are trailing on the road to the Saints when field goals won’t get the job done.

Wrong place, wrong time for trying to outsmart the Saints.

10 Responses to “Bucs Got Too Cute At Wrong Time”

  1. Buc Neckid Says:

    Too Cute = Too Stupid

  2. d clark Says:

    Olson needs to stop worrying about how much gel he puts in his hair and get his head out of his a$$. The bigger the play is = the stupider the playcall gets. FIRE OLSON

  3. Brad Says:

    Worse play call of the day. Olson should be fired for inability to get this offense going.. Not going to Blount enough… Not going to Benn enough.. Worse red zone offense.. Not scoring in the 1st qtr this year.. Not scoring more than 7 in the 1st qtr all of last year.. The dumb end o rounds with Benn.. And that dumb play with Johnson today.. This guy is clueless IMO.

  4. Tom Says:

    I friggin hate second guessing coach’s and player’s decisions. Let’s be honest we aren’t on the field, we don’t know what they do. In this case I will agree with Joe and John Lynch. This play was a joke. Now, I sort of thought Josh J. had some sort of read on the play. It looked like he hesitated for a moment, like he was making a decision. I would have been more in favor of this play if Josh J was a distraction for a different look. Too bad.

  5. Meh Says:

    If one play could get you fired, that’s the play.

  6. Denny Says:

    I feel Greg Olsen should be fired on the plane ride home this evening for this exact thing…. Who the hell runs the Wildcat during a two minute drill ????

  7. Captain Stagger Says:

    Team looked horrible in every facet, that play was just the antithesis. Poor play call, poor exicution.

  8. Bucnnole Says:

    Fire both coordinators. They both suck.

  9. MichiganBucsFan Says:

    worst thing about it was that it wasn’t even an option, just a QB sweep. terrible play call, I’m so done with Olsen he needs to be gone

  10. stimpy Says:

    This was a good call since Freemand cant scramble…oh wait…

    FAIL!