Leadership Lacking Through Final Play
November 30th, 2014
De facto offensive coordinator Marcus Arroyo and his unit have major issues under pressure
On their final play from scrimmage today, the Buccaneers were facing a 4th-and-20 and decided to pass on a shot for a game-winning, 63-yard field.
Ok, so be it.
But what happened next was disgraceful.
The Bucs lined up from their 46 yard line and did NOT throw a deep bomb down the field into the end zone. Instead, the call with 12 seconds left was a 13-yard crossing route to Mike Evans, who was tackled after the catch. Game over.
Why? Why? Why?
Where is the situational football? Did the Bucs expect Evans to break two tackles, get 21 yards and get out of bounds in time? If you’re going to play that game, then throw an out route to Evans or V-Jax and let them try to jump over the defense and get it. At least in that scenario they could draw a flag.
And if you’re looking for a guy to break tackles over the middle, then Joe sure would have put his eggs in Bobby Rainey’s basket.
Much like the Bucs imploded and seemed clueless on a key 3rd-and-1 and then 4th-and-1 in Chicago, they proved again that there’s no offensive leadership.
Joe can only imagine what’s been running through Jeff Tedford’s lately.
November 30th, 2014 at 6:55 pm
Arroyo is the least of this franchises problems…he was thrown into the fire and performed better than most…
November 30th, 2014 at 7:00 pm
^Huh? How is Arroyo, the man in charge of an incompetent offense, the “least of this franchises problems”? Yes, he is doing a job he is not qualified for so I don’t blame him for being awful. However, hiring a competent OC is a top priority of this franchise.
November 30th, 2014 at 7:08 pm
Better odds with the 60+ yard kick……….
November 30th, 2014 at 7:14 pm
I am so tired of the Bucs coaches saying time after time ‘ Its their fault ‘ and taking the blame (today 12 men on the field) and dumb penalties, and not a damn thing being done but lip service, THIS IS BU__ SH_T! DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT INSTEAD OF LIP SERVICE! I PAY $4,000 PER YEAR TO SEE A POORLY COACHED TEAM?
November 30th, 2014 at 7:15 pm
Yeah, the Bucs have perfected the art of snatching a loss out of the jaws of a potential victory. The Keystone Cops of the NFL.
November 30th, 2014 at 7:16 pm
I hate it when the Bucs jump out to the dreaded 10 to 0 lead. They tend to lose every time!
November 30th, 2014 at 7:17 pm
I’m quickly becoming the world’s biggest Raiders fan. I hope our Bucs go 2-14. Bring on the seafood thief!
November 30th, 2014 at 7:18 pm
Arroyo didn’t sign up to be OC. Props to Liar Smith for sitting back yet again with his blank expression staring off into space instead of hiring a more qualified replacement when he could’ve before the season started.
“I didn’t want to put points on the board” – Lovie Smith
November 30th, 2014 at 7:19 pm
Surely there was someone….an advisor……retired OC, College OC….NBA Assistant Coach for the “Dunkaneers”…….we needed to do something to shore up our OC situation early in the season.
Marcus is not qualifed and therefore can’t be faulted….but is still not competent.
Our draft positon may be good enough to not only snag a QB but an OC that will come if we draft a QB for him…..
The choice drafting a QB may not be up to Lovie if that’s the case….
November 30th, 2014 at 7:19 pm
Look a lot of people should be fired for the personnel decisions made by this team. But two things are obvious.
1. There is no QB on this team !!
2. Charles Sims the were raving about, Please this guy is soft soft soft.
Very physically weak and I don’t see the explosiveness either.
Mike James > Sims
November 30th, 2014 at 7:22 pm
Rx…Bucs are able to trade down in the 1st round…TWICE…and accumulate picks for 2015 & 2016….and for you Lovie…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uO26cX7mkoI
November 30th, 2014 at 7:22 pm
In the 3d quarter when Bengals No. 98 jumped offsides and slammed McCown to the ground, when both offense and defense stayed in position. I want to know why no offensive lineman didnt take their helmet off and pummel that guy. That says a lot on what the offensive line says about our QB, they dont think of anything to defend him. In fact I thought I saw one OL actually laughing. Sad, Tampa, sad.
November 30th, 2014 at 7:35 pm
Mike Glennon would’ve been better today.
November 30th, 2014 at 7:54 pm
Is there really a Jeff Tedford somewhere?
November 30th, 2014 at 7:58 pm
Back in ’06 the Bucs beat the Eagles via a Matt Bryant 62 yarder; man they should have let the rookie try to win the damned game. As Joe states, does anyone really trust Arroyo to call anything that would have a chance of success??? That being said, there is a good chance the kick could’ve got blocked, that was about the only ****ing thing missing from today’s collapse…
November 30th, 2014 at 8:02 pm
This team needs more than a QB from the draft. Who is going to protect him?
We need stability. I think the departure of Tedford has hurt more than we realize. But at least we got some semblance of screen passes today.
The situation without a TE hurt. That basically left two receivers. Could one expect Cousins to run a route and catch a ball?
I think that drafting a QB is the least of our concerns.
November 30th, 2014 at 8:03 pm
Capt. Blighe Says:
2. Charles Sims the were raving about, Please this guy is soft soft soft.
Very physically weak and I don’t see the explosiveness either.
Mike James > Sims
You are correct Captain but remember that L&L wasted a high 3rd rounder on Sims so they are going to play him no matter what over James. But running Martin so many damned times is frustrating as well, I think Arroyo is over his head and L&L do not mind as now they have a convenient scapegoat to blame…
November 30th, 2014 at 8:07 pm
Hey Jimbo great question: where the hell is this guy behind the curtains who entrusted this washed out 1-11 Southern Miss OC to run the Bucs offense? Perhaps Joe can tell us where this guy has been cashing his paychecks while the Bucs O flounders!
November 30th, 2014 at 8:07 pm
This team is playing players by contract dollars spent and not from play on the field trying to justify the signings.
which looks worse?
the play on the field by these players or the dollars spent
November 30th, 2014 at 8:25 pm
It way should have been a field goal attempt. That was the second time in the fourth quarter they opted out of a field goal attempt when they should have had a go at it. Clearly they couldn’t block long enough for a real Hail Mary and nothing else was going to get the job done.
November 30th, 2014 at 8:46 pm
RastaMon: man I have not seen a Tom Stimus commercial in over 20 years! Hilarious how he used to get Dusty Rhodes to do them with him and how he put a bopunty out on Khadafy… I can see how he and Lovie are similar in how both can rob Tampa Bay blind with smoke and mirrors and a lot of BS flare; hell Lovie had us all hooked at the start of this season; b@stard would be a devious used car salesman in another life……
November 30th, 2014 at 9:15 pm
ah…the much vaunted but secret Tedford offense…what a joke
November 30th, 2014 at 9:49 pm
I feel bad for Arroyo, because he’s been put in a very tough situation. He is clearly in WAY over his head, through no fault of his own. It’s really nobody’s fault, but it completely killed our season. It was doomed from the start. I know everyone wants to blame Lovie, but that’s ridiculous. Any team would be doomed in this situation. You can clearly see how poorly coached we are on offense, and that last play is indicative of our entire season offensively.
November 30th, 2014 at 10:43 pm
Hello Hawaiian That’s why Lovie, moron that he is, is head coach. It’s his job
November 30th, 2014 at 10:45 pm
His official title “QB coach” not even reconized as inter OC… says it all. I think Murray could have made that kick but no one knows now cause our coach’s are dumbfks!!!
November 30th, 2014 at 10:47 pm
Another thing a vet QB does a head count one would think before he sets the line wtf???
November 30th, 2014 at 11:03 pm
This all can be fixed next year if we get Mariota and then three OL after that and get a good OC. We need to be thankful that at least we are not knocking ourselves out of contention for the first QB in the draft. And the Cowboys were able to play rookies from the draft on their OL right out of the box but the key is to get them in the second or third round not the late round projects Licht picked up this year. Lovie stays because he can put us back in the top ten in defense again–and that is a big accomplishment! Hey let’s be cheering for the Jets and Jags to win some more games. We need the number one pick! That way we don’t run the risk of Cincy throwing out a bunch of draft picks to move in front of us and take Marriota!
November 30th, 2014 at 11:04 pm
@tgreg,
There are certain situations that a team just can’t prepare for. You cannot expect your brand new OC will have a heart condition right before the season, within the process of installing a completely brand new offense. No one else besides Arroyo had any experience with that offense, so he’s the only choice. You can’t install a brand new offense after training camp. Had this been our second or third year in the system, that’s a totally different story.
November 30th, 2014 at 11:38 pm
Our biggest dilemma is that we obviously need a QB, but we have to find guys that can protect him. It is painfully obvious that these guys just aren’t capable, unless they are just coached that bad (which I don’t believe because Warhop has been around for a long time and coached some pretty good players). I would go QB because no other position can have the impact of a QB, but doing so will put the rookie in a very difficult situation.
December 1st, 2014 at 2:54 am
You guys realize the same o line blocking on offense is the very same that blocks on field goals… It would have been blocked by a long shot, our o line is terrible. Murray doesn’t have a strong leg. Lovie hasn’t trusted him with anything much past a 50 yarder. 63 yards with our o line blocking is asking for a blocked kick. 63 yard field goal you need to have a low trajectory. With long armed Dunlop and the rest of bengals d line, the chances of it getting blocked are really high.
The play call on that 4th and 20 needed to be better. Evans for 13 when we needed 20 is ridiculous. Evans needs to be beyond the sticks. Whether it was a comeback or hook or drag, whatever he needed to be over 20 yards down field. No excuse. Put him out there and throw it up. Hope for a catch or wish for a penalty. Or at least hook and ladder or something. But a shallow drag and easy tackle was really pathetic.
December 1st, 2014 at 10:19 am
Arroyo is the least of this franchises problems…he was thrown into the fire and performed better than most…
Thanks for the Laugh!
Arroyo can’t coordinate a real offense, and He’s proved it for 12 straight weeks!