Lovie’s Bad Luck
December 10th, 2014
How can Joe suggest that the third-winningest coach in the NFL’s bedrock franchise, the Chicago Bears, has been a bearer of bad luck? That same coach is also the current coach of your gunning-for-the-first-pick-in-the-draft Bucs, Lovie Smith.
Bad luck? That’s how good guy Alex Marvez of FoxSports.com deems Lovie’s checkered past with offensive coordinators.
Lovie’s bad stretch continued this season when Jeff Tedford had a heart condition and was never able to resume his duties. Now, Lovie is searching for yet another guy to guide his offense. And if things break right, that post could be a coveted gig, writes Marvez.
NUMBER TO NOTE
I feel for Tampa Bay head coach Lovie Smith, a good man who has unbelievably bad luck with offensive coordinators. Smith employed four of them during nine seasons with the Chicago Bears. The only one who had success was Ron Turner in 2006. After a year out of football in 2013, Smith thought he had the problem solved when bringing former University of California head coach and Aaron Rodgers mentor Jeff Tedford with him to the Buccaneers.
Tedford, though, never called a single play during the regular season because of a heart ailment. Tedford’s responsibilities were given to 34-year-old quarterbacks coach Marcus Arroyo, who had no NFL experience prior to this season. I’m told Arroyo has gotten better as the season unfolded but the Buccaneers (2-11) are still ranked 28th in points scored and 29th in total yards. Smith must now search for his sixth different OC in the offseason since the Bucs announced last week that Tedford won’t be returning. How appealing the job is will depend on whether Tampa Bay finishes with a poor enough record to secure a high enough draft choice for the shot at a franchise quarterback.
That’s just it. Joe cannot imagine a decent offensive coordinator wanting to work with Josh McCown or Mike Glennon. A decent coordinator will want to mold his own quarterback and the Bucs just may be in position to get said quarterback.
If Lovie really does believe that he has his quarterbacks for next year on the current roster, the only new guys he’s find to run the offense are the likes of Marty Mornhinweg, Mike Tice or, God forbid, Ron Turner.
December 10th, 2014 at 11:11 am
I would take Jim Harbaugh, Tom Coughlin.
No to Rex Ryan. He ruins QBs.
December 10th, 2014 at 11:17 am
Go get a Off minded HC so that Lovie doesn’t ruin our franchise qb!
December 10th, 2014 at 11:18 am
Gotta go for the offensive minded HC if we’re going QB. Being around conservative, play it safe Lovie will ruin any QB we draft.
December 10th, 2014 at 11:19 am
Lovie clearly didn’t get enough depth at the offensive coordinator position.
December 10th, 2014 at 11:23 am
You guys are too funny. If our offense is bad, it will be because Lovie wants us to play poorly, so that he can put it all on his defense. He ruins QB’s (because we all know Rex Grossman would have been a Hall of Famer had he not played under Lovie). If we are able to turn it around next year and have a good offense (which will happen if we find a real QB and OC), then those same people will say we were successful only because Lovie doesn’t have anything to do with offense.
December 10th, 2014 at 11:25 am
Hawaiian, 9 seasons out of 10 Lovie has had a bottom third of the league league. There’s only one constant in those seasons….even with Jay Cutler it was a bottom third offense. Lovie knows defense, keep him the hell away from anything involving offense.
December 10th, 2014 at 11:33 am
I want to keep Lovie.
I want a real offensive coordinator.
I want Rod Marinelli as DC.
(and don’t give me that crap that he won’t leave the Cowgirls. He will at the end of this season)
I want a new offensive line coach and a new defensive line coach.
I want our franchise QB in round 1.
I want Oline in rounds 2 & 3. (and one better be a good center)
I want a safety in round 4, and one in FA (for less money).
So far as DE, I would like one, but it depends on what’s available. I still think Johnson can be acceptable if we get someone good on the other side.
December 10th, 2014 at 11:33 am
I am terrified Lovie will find a way to get one more W before the season is over and totally F-up our draft position. Don’t get me wrong, when watching the Bucs play I can’t root against them. But anyone who wants to see them improve long term can see we need our first franchise QB in the worst way. That will only happen if we have one of the top two picks
December 10th, 2014 at 11:34 am
If you have hired 5 OC’s that were bad, it suggests that you do not know what to look for.
December 10th, 2014 at 11:34 am
@bucrightoff
And yet he was a winning coach. I agree, he should be hands off hte offense, but I don’t think he should be fired.
In all fairness, his draft wasn’t all that bad this year either, and it was all offense.
December 10th, 2014 at 11:34 am
Mike Tice? Well he likes it conservative, right up Lovie’s alley…. Also remember that he really likes a OL that can run block; hmm that should work real well with this group of lineman the Bucs got off of the slag heap…. Tice currently the OL coach for the Falcons, their OL not so good but have to admit that despite the injuries he has them protecting Ryan for the most part yet not much of a running game up there but he is getting something out of his guys, something the Bucs staff can not do….. Yeah Mike Tice as OC, if it wouldn’t make so much sense with a stubborn dude like Lovie it would be like a joke that has gone terribly wrong, like this Buc’s season….
December 10th, 2014 at 11:37 am
Any O.C. that would risk the future of his career and reputation by joining with Lovie, after all that has taken place this season and Lovie’s history with O.C.s, will have to be desperate or crazy and maybe a little of both!
This team needs a completely new coaching crew to come in and undo the damage that this season has done to these players or they will develop (if they haven’t already) a mind-set of losing!
If not, Losing w\Lovie for a long time will become the norm!
December 10th, 2014 at 11:37 am
What top notch coach wants to come here to begin with? Just being able to pick his qb and control the offense will not do it. Look at history after Gruden and they almost had to beg to get a HC. Lovie has had problems and so has this team. For years now.
December 10th, 2014 at 11:45 am
Lovie was 12-21 without Brian Urlacher in the lineup, a guy he inherited (along with inheriting Lance Briggs). Whatever it is this guy looks for in personnel including coordinators, it ain’t workin and never has.
Glazers need help so they can tell Lovie who to hire as o-c, and that o-c has to be able to tell Lovie who to take as player talent.
December 10th, 2014 at 11:48 am
Nothing at all can happen till Lovie gets his sit down with the Glazers.
OC first, QB second, OL coach thereafter.
Lovey did the basement sessions with Tedford because he realized he would never have another head-coaching job in the NFL if he did not address his Achilles….. an offense.
December 10th, 2014 at 11:53 am
To those throwing around Marinelli’s name as a potential DC, why on earth would he want to leave Dallas now for this sorrid mess?
December 10th, 2014 at 11:57 am
@bucrightoff,
I would argue that Lovie hasn’t had a good offense because he hasn’t had a good QB. Jay Cutler is pure garbage. He has a supposed offensive guru as a coach now, with a ton of weapons, and he is still garbage. Lovie hasn’t had a QB, similar to how Dungy never had a QB in Tampa. What happened when Dungy finally got a QB in Indy? I’d say his offenses looked pretty good. It’s all about the Qb, no matter how people like to spin things.
December 10th, 2014 at 12:01 pm
As if Lovie cares. Defense comes first, then special teams, Lovie himself said that. Lovie would be happy with Madden (the video game) calling plays.
December 10th, 2014 at 12:01 pm
@Zam,
So are you honestly trying to say the key to Lovie’s prior success is because of Brian Urlacher? Really??? Before resounding, I want you to really sit back and think about that statement, and realize how foolish that is to believe that any player not playing Qb is that important.
If you still believe that to be true, I would point out this – what is Monte Kiffin’s record without Derrick Brooks? If you look at what he did at Tennessee, USC, and the Cowgirls, he was dreadful. Does that mean Kiffin wasn’t a good coach? Good coaches need good players, period.
December 10th, 2014 at 12:02 pm
” Defense comes first, then special teams, Lovie himself said that”
——–
Wow, the word twisting to fit your agenda is in full swing today.
December 10th, 2014 at 12:20 pm
Hawaiian, Jay Cutler is pure garbage to the point Lovie traded 2 firsts, a 3rd and a starter who’s only slightly worse in Kyle Orton. So yeah, thanks for reminding everyone what a horrible talent evaluator Lovie is. Remember who acquired Jay to begin with.
As to the QB part, yeah once Tony got the greatest QB to ever play the game he won…a single Super Bowl. As many as we won with Brad Johnson. If your point is all Lovie needs is a top end QB…welcome to virtually every coach in the NFL. If the QB is all we need, does it really matter who the coach is? If Lovie’s “success” here will be tied to whether he gets a top level QB, how much does his coaching have to do with anything? Chip Kelly’s getting Ws with any QB, thats a great coach right there. That’s where this franchise went south was missing out on Chip.
December 10th, 2014 at 12:23 pm
lovie doesn’t care.
can’t you guys tell when someone has mentally checked out?
the only t’s he’s crossin and i’s he’s dottine are the signature when he cashes his check.
this dude is worse than garbage, he’s ruining careers for the sake of his retirement.
AT LEAST BE A F%$KING MAN AND TRY!!!
December 10th, 2014 at 12:26 pm
bad luck no lovie is as stubborn as greg schiano but everyone who’s thinking that lovie is ruining this team is just foolish and if the offensive coordinator leaves anytime right before the season leaving a damn college qb coach to call plays is going to struggle and to say that it’s lovie’s fault that the offense isn’t getting better is just stupid. it’s like a college team playing nfl players, they have no knowledge of the schemes nfl teams would throw them and even the average fan knows arroyo doesn’t know what he’s doing
the defense is and has improved despite our top guys not playing at the top of their game and a bunch of no name players. that’s lovie’s specialty and trust me you don’t want lovie to have more input in on the offense because im sure if he does that’s when it gets worse
December 10th, 2014 at 12:26 pm
It’s just like when Dungy was here. Dungy always wanted a very conservative offense that ran the ball, ate up the clock and shortened the game. Same with Lovie. In today’s NFL you have to score more points and confuse your opponent with multiple sets and formations. I don’t think that’s in Lovie’s DNA reflecting on his history and past record
December 10th, 2014 at 12:43 pm
Hawaiian,
Just as a small sample how many weeks have Lovie talked about getting more Rush attempts and nothing changes- and he’s the HC!
What makes you think he can manage and nurture a franchise qb to greatness?
December 10th, 2014 at 12:43 pm
the defense is better. how many points did detroit put up? 37?
yeah, their one helluva defense.
December 10th, 2014 at 12:44 pm
This is idiotic… You make your own luck by the choices you make… Lovie chose Tedford… An old ass retired man who has never coached in the NFL and who had major heart problems already… I believe Lovie wanted an OC he could control with ease…That was Lovie’s choice… And a very bad one… Luck is bullspit!!!
I guess the same could be said about the Bucs… Bad luck with head coaches… Morris, Shitonyou and now Lovie… I guess its just bad luck that the Glazer’s pick shit head coaches…
December 10th, 2014 at 12:59 pm
@bucrightoff,
It’s been reported multiple times that Lovie didn’t want Cutler. That was all Angelo. In case you missed it, Lovie wasn’t the GM. Nice try though.
As for the QB discussion, I’m not saying the coach isn’t important. However, I do think a great Qb is every bit as important as a coach, in some cases even more important. We could debate all day on that one. I will point out that Chip Kelly is one of the only coaches I can think of that can truly make a crap QB into a good QB. What he does is nothing short of amazing in my opinion, and I REALLY wish he wouldn’t have backed out on us. I feel safe to say he would still be here, and we would be having a much different discussion right now. Would I take Kelly over Lovie? Abso-freaking-lutely!
If we get a true franchise QB, we will be really good. Lovie will get the defense right, even though i think they are already good enough (if they could just get a little help from the offense). The franchises that struggle year in and year out haven’t had good QB’s, with almost no exception. They continue to fire their coaches, but always get the same results. You can include the Bucs in that circle. Now if Lovie doesn’t draft a QB (or get us a great one in free agency – not likely because they aren’t available), then I’m going to join you on the “Fire Lovie” train. I’ll be the damn conductor. However, if we do draft a QB, I have full confidence that Lovie will get this thing turned around.
December 10th, 2014 at 1:10 pm
mac Says:
Well done! Spot on!
Listen up girls and churls, the mac man has it 100% correct. Joe, the real head Buc, should republish your comment on every website known to man. From here on out “bad luck” for the Bucs will come from the seemingly unseatable team Glazer.
December 10th, 2014 at 1:41 pm
@ROBERT9 AND MR PATRICK- WELL SAID AND VERY TRUE.
December 10th, 2014 at 1:51 pm
I guess lovie dovie isn’t as stupid as I thought he got 5 years pay out of the glazers!
December 10th, 2014 at 5:12 pm
“Bad luck?” Really? Making the same mistakes over and over and over is “bad luck?” Failing to evaluate talent over and over and over is “bad luck?” How about calling for some ACCOUNTABILITY Joe?
December 10th, 2014 at 6:37 pm
he better pull the trigger on a franchise QB AND FIND AN O.C. because if he don.t next season might be his last and it damn sure should be, I know for one if they don’t get his draft right, or at least take a shot on one of the big 2-3 QB’s coming out then I aint watching another game till they fire his dumb ass
December 10th, 2014 at 7:37 pm
Why don’t they simply hire another head coach and demote lovie to waterboy. He would probably quit rather than suffer the humiliation thus we wouldn’t need to worry about paying him 5 million for four more years. Lovie is not the coach of the future!!!!
December 10th, 2014 at 9:37 pm
All great points Joe, and i understand the tight pinch, but I’m terrified of pigeon holing ourselves to a QB at the top of the draft when neither is a sure fire. I just do not believe Winston is going to take us to a Super Bowl. And I think once Mariota is in the league for a while and once the dust of his excitement in the league settles, once we figure out what he truly is, he’ll end up being a potentially successful backup.. and 5 years from now, we’ll be in the same boat.
Now unfortunately the stars have not aligned for us like they did for the dam Colts. A franchise-, all the tangibles, kinda guy is not sitting for the taking at the top of the draft. So i think this puts all the more pressure on scouting to look at what other QBs are in this draft. We’ve got high picks in all rounds (except for the fourth and sixth where somehow we’ve moved back and gave up players in the process), there are better QB’s with less leverage and better heads on their shoulders elsewhere; Every draft has them> Teddy is doing better than all the QB’s picked ahead of him! So where’s the hidden gem this year?
I’m against drafting strictly on need, which is what we’re talking about having to do – and you seem to be a fan of it. When you remove the component of relativity, I honestly feel like the two guys we’re hyping as being our best options at QB are a Geno Smith and Johnny Manziel/Teddy Bridgewater. And Sure Teddy looks good, but he’s not first-overall kinda material.
Even if you draft a QB to impress an OC, you’re talking about starting him the first year, which is a mistake in the first place, and then your run the risk of ruining the development of any potential that might be there!
It’s one big circle, which is exactly what this franchise has done for the past 10 years. If we’re saying were going to keep Lovie after this year in attempt to try and “do things the right way,” then forcing our hand at QB completely contradicts that. It’s just one more “glued-on piece” on this culture-less, pride-less, identity-less football team. I was actually very impressed (against your wishes) that we didn’t go for the popular pick in the first round and get Johnny – and I’m pretty sure you’d agree with that Evans is proving to be a very important piece moving forward. The building has to start somewhere, and I think it’s with the best players that you know will be successful because you can’t afford anymore 1st, 2nd, or 3rd round busts.
December 11th, 2014 at 12:42 am
Blame the offense on bad luck if that makes you feel better. What about the defense ? They rank 27th in points allowed per game. Any way you slice it, Lovie is overrated. He is a terrible talent evaluator and head coach.