Loving Lovie
November 21st, 2014
Remorse and panic in Chicago
Joe can sense it from not-as-chilly Florida; residents of the frigid windy city are on meltdown watch. If the Bucs can beat the Bears, that town is going to turn not just upside down, but go into full Blackhawks backers.
Joe has received e-mails from old college buddies in that neck of the woods, writing in so many words, “If Lovie beats Trestman… “
A guy who makes no bones about the fact he is a Bears fan is BSPN’s Mike Wilbon. Summing life up for many unhappy Bears fans, Wilbon claims Bears GM Phil Emery made a major mistake after firing Lovie following his 10-win, 2012 season.
If those same Bears fans could make a trade, they would trade Bears coach Marc Trestman and bratty Jay Cutler to the Bucs for Lovie.
Just listen to what Briggs had to say to reporters earlier this week: “Now looking back, defense and special teams, it was a special time.” Not much translation is needed here. Defense and special teams are the two-thirds of football produced overwhelmingly by desire. Passion usually trumps skill when it comes to special teams players. And the emotion on defense and special teams characterized Smith’s tenure with the Bears.
Not coincidentally, in the wake of consecutive historic Bears losses to the Patriots and Packers, where the defense and special teams couldn’t have played worse, Trestman’s teams are devoid of that kind of zealous devotion in a way that can’t be overcome by advanced analytics.
Bears management fell in love with Trestman because they thought he could fix their $100 million quarterback, Jay Cutler, and now that it appears he cannot, it’s probably a good time to panic. Trestman’s biggest supporters, former players who say they know he’s a fine teacher and exceptional offensive strategist, are now ready to jump off his bandwagon because Cutler is no closer to being fixed now than he was three years ago. And if Trestman can’t deliver a Super Bowl-caliber quarterback AND the defense and special teams are going to take a huge step back as they did . . .
You don’t have to search between the lines there to sense the panic in the streets of Chicago. The reaction to a Bucs win might just make Mrs. O’Leary’s cow run away.
As Joe has stated, this is a lost season for the Bucs. But how cool is it the Bucs sparked Redskins fans to absolutely lose their minds, and are on the cusp of sending the second city into freakout mode?
November 21st, 2014 at 11:08 am
redskins lost their minds because they lost to a bottom barrel team.
chicago has nothing to fear. you really think we can contain marshal jeffery or forte? not to mention weather….. LOL
November 21st, 2014 at 11:19 am
@Robert – People said the same thing about us stopping Desean Jackson, Alfred Morris, Jordan Reed, RGIII and Pierre Garcon. That seemed to go pretty well for us.
November 21st, 2014 at 11:24 am
Robert 9…I don’t know. It all depends on if the Skins game was a fluke or the defense has turned the corner. If the Bucs D has turned the corner and they catch a Bears team that has been floundering of late. The Bucs might win this game. It’s not like McCown will be bothered by “the weather”, he played in it last season.
So I don’t know. In my unbiased opinion, I think this game is a toss up.
November 21st, 2014 at 11:26 am
Lovie missed the playoffs 5 of his last 6 seasons in Chicago. I’m sorry but we’d all be demanding that coach be fired too, especially since most of those 6 seasons involved a top 10 defense. The fact Trestman hasn’t been a great replacement doesn’t mean they miss Lovie.
November 21st, 2014 at 11:32 am
bucrightoff…right now I don’t even THINK about the playoffs this season or next season. I’ll take a team with a winning record next season and headed in the right direction. Playoffs won’t even matter to me at all next season.
Hell if the Bucs go 8-8 next season, I’ll be as happy as a clam.
November 21st, 2014 at 11:33 am
Is Garrett Grayson any good? (college QB)
November 21st, 2014 at 11:52 am
@bucrightoff,
Yes he did, but it’s not like they were stinking up the joint. The most they ever lost during that time was 7 games, and 2 of those seasons they missed the playoffs despite having a winning record. I’m not saying it’s great to win 9 or 10 games and miss the playoffs, but it’s not necessarily terrible either. There weren’t any seasons during that time when he was 2-8. That tells me there is something wrong in Tampa that is far beyond Lovie being a bad coach.
The biggest reason Lovie wasn’t highly successful in Chicago was that he didn’t have a QB. Remember, he didn’t have the power in Chicago that he has here. It has been pretty well documented that he didn’t want Cutler, but Angelo insisted on making the trade, and the extension.
With very few exceptions, the determination of how good a coach is is a result of their QB. Mike Shanahan looked like the premier coach with John Elway. Look at Bill Bellicheck. Raheem would probably still be our coach if Freeman panned out. Do you think it’s any coincidence that teams who fire their coach are almost always in the market for a QB?
November 21st, 2014 at 11:54 am
Patrick in VA Says:
November 21st, 2014 at 11:19 am
@Robert – People said the same thing about us stopping Desean Jackson, Alfred Morris, Jordan Reed, RGIII and Pierre Garcon. That seemed to go pretty well for us.
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Plus the weather will be pretty much the same.
November 21st, 2014 at 12:00 pm
HawaiianBuc Says:
November 21st, 2014 at 11:52 am
@bucrightoff,
Yes he did, but it’s not like they were stinking up the joint. The most they ever lost during that time was 7 games, and 2 of those seasons they missed the playoffs despite having a winning record. I’m not saying it’s great to win 9 or 10 games and miss the playoffs, but it’s not necessarily terrible either. There weren’t any seasons during that time when he was 2-8. That tells me there is something wrong in Tampa that is far beyond Lovie being a bad coach.
The biggest reason Lovie wasn’t highly successful in Chicago was that he didn’t have a QB. Remember, he didn’t have the power in Chicago that he has here. It has been pretty well documented that he didn’t want Cutler, but Angelo insisted on making the trade, and the extension.
With very few exceptions, the determination of how good a coach is is a result of their QB. Mike Shanahan looked like the premier coach with John Elway. Look at Bill Bellicheck. Raheem would probably still be our coach if Freeman panned out. Do you think it’s any coincidence that teams who fire their coach are almost always in the market for a QB?
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And his other QBs were definitely legends in their own right. Rex Grossman. The Bears drafted him with Lovie at the helm and yet somehow managed a Super Bowl berth. Kyle Orton, hardly a world beater, a darn good back-up, but not so much a starter. Brian Griese, haven’t we seen how average he was? The QBs that started for him when he took over in 2004 were Chad Hutchinson, Jonathan Quinn, the immortal Craig Krenzel (went 3-2), and Grossman. Lovie getting 5 wins out of that wreck of a QB room and sieve of a roster was nothing short of amazing. Those four QBs make the Bucs with McCown and Glennon look like the 49ers of the late 80’s boasting Steve Young and Joe Montana.
November 21st, 2014 at 12:17 pm
Patrick in VA Says:
@Robert – People said the same thing about us stopping Desean Jackson, Alfred Morris, Jordan Reed, RGIII and Pierre Garcon. That seemed to go pretty well for us.
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We didn’t stop Morris. Could’nt put him on the ground either. Awful arm tackling by the Bucs.
Desean Jackson was so far behind coverage and had two touchdowns easy but was overthrown.
Matt Forte will run over the Bucs Sunday, not around them.
November 21st, 2014 at 12:19 pm
He didn’t have a QB….and whose fault is that? Lovie had basically full control after the Bears made the Super Bowl. So he made the roster his own. The notion that great coaches are tied to great QBs is sort of right, but the guys you mentioned are legends, only 3 or 4 of those per generation. This draft doesn’t have one and no upcoming FAs are even close. So get used to the type of QB play we’re seeing, because believe it or not you can actually win with it, you just can’t be consistently elite without it. And that’s what Lovie believes, and why McCown or some other vet will be the day 1 starter next year.
I mean I keep bringing up Andy Reid but he won whether it was McNabb, AJ Feely, Jeff Garcia, Kevin Kolb, Vick. Great coaches find a way. Mediocre ones consistently finish between 7 and 9 wins.
November 21st, 2014 at 12:24 pm
The Redskins as of today are what the BUCS were around this time last week…… If Lovie has come down harder and is forcing his hand a little more as JOE states then I hope it shows on the field again. When harassed Cutler is known for doing the same thing RG3 does. He gets rattled, and then starts throwing up balls for picks. We have a chance if the D repeats last weeks performance. But those screens to Forte are deadly. And for some reason we always, always fall for it.
November 21st, 2014 at 12:29 pm
I’ll go with the game as a toss up also. A close game anyway.
November 21st, 2014 at 12:37 pm
I watched the game and felt like RG3 almost single-handedly lost the game for them (Other than Niles Paul’s interception pitch). I think the Bucs can win if Cutler has the same type of a meltdown, although I don’t believe that is going to happen.
November 21st, 2014 at 12:41 pm
You better pray to the football gods that LVD plays on Sunday. If not forte will have a field day. Verner needs to get deep on every play. Banks on Marshall is our only chance. Verner needs to commit PI if necessary just don’t get pushed around or burnt. Foster looked lost in Washington. Can Ja smith continue to make our dl look better than it is? Will he get to the QB?
LVD
Banks
Ja Smith
Did we see enough of forte 2.0 (lmao) last week or should we feed him the rock for another 36 yards rushing, smh. Hopefully ME13 continues playing OC and the weather doesn’t effect the Texan now Floridian. Good luck with that.
November 21st, 2014 at 12:46 pm
To Joe’s point, since the season is lost, I’m enjoying watching these other teams freak out at a possible loss to the Bucs. Remember the Steelers PC after that game? Its one sad thing to relish in this otherwise terrible season.
November 21st, 2014 at 1:00 pm
@bucrightoff the same Andy Reid that is also ringless. He was also fired btw
November 21st, 2014 at 1:22 pm
Is anyone else sick of Robert9? Golly man, lighten up. this site is for fans. While I share your frustration at some level…I do like the Bucs.
November 21st, 2014 at 7:42 pm
bucrightoff Says:
November 21st, 2014 at 11:26 am
Lovie missed the playoffs 5 of his last 6 seasons in Chicago. I’m sorry but we’d all be demanding that coach be fired too, especially since most of those 6 seasons involved a top 10 defense. The fact Trestman hasn’t been a great replacement doesn’t mean they miss Lovie.
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lions
packers
vikings
thats a tough division. hard to make the playoffs every year in a division like that.
November 22nd, 2014 at 4:02 am
I’m not optimistic about this game at all. Player for player, we match up horribly with that offense.
November 22nd, 2014 at 11:09 am
Robert. Why are you even here? This site is for Bucs fans.