Who Is “Upstairs?”
December 15th, 2014
Joe brought word yesterday when Lovie Smith stated on the Bucs-Stinking Panthers pregame show that inconsistent left tackle Anthony Collins was getting benched and right tackle Demar Dotson would shift to fill Collins’ spot.
After the game, Lovie said it was a “coach’s decision.”
It seems Dotson believes the call came from higher up the food chain.
Per the “Custodian of Canton,” eye-RAH! Kaufman of the Tampa Tribune, Dotson dropped a curious source of the order that moved him to the left side.
“The decision came from upstairs and I bought into it,’’ Dotson said after the Bucs rushed for 151 yards in a 19-17 loss to Carolina at Bank of American Stadium.
“They asked me at the beginning of the week and I embraced it. I think the last time I was at left tackle was a few years ago in training camp, when Donald Penn had a calf injury.’’
So, the move was an order from “upstairs?” In NFL vernacular, that generally refers to the front office. Yet Lovie is the one who has final say in all football matters, hence why he is overlord of football operations.
So did general manager Jason Licht pull a power move on Lovie? Or did Licht persuade Lovie that they better begin looking to the future and see if Dotson can play left tackle if they need to wash their hands of Collins?
Or was this a well-thought out scheme where Licht, in effect, would play the fall guy so Lovie didn’t have to play the heavy with Collins, even though he publicly said it was his call?
Or did the command come from higher up the ladder than Licht?
This is all very curious to Joe and, frankly, it is adding much needed drama and intrigue to such a lost season.
December 15th, 2014 at 7:15 am
The call came from me. I said about 3 seasons ago that it would be a wise decision to switch Dotson and Penn as Penn got longer in the tooth. Then after the signing of Collins I called for the switch… it’s just a shame that I addressed my letters to Hugh Culverhouse and John McKay instead of the Glazers and Lovie, it could’ve been sooner.
December 15th, 2014 at 7:32 am
I think you’re looking too far into his wording
December 15th, 2014 at 7:33 am
It’s obvious the “real” decision came from the Joe(s), the site, and the legion of observers who ALL KNOW that Collins is totally inept!!!
Final signoff came from Captain Obvious.
December 15th, 2014 at 7:46 am
As Hillary Clinton once said, “At this point, what difference does it make?”
December 15th, 2014 at 7:49 am
I wonder if they’re already talking with the next OC.
December 15th, 2014 at 7:54 am
If I was team owner, I’d have been making better judgement calls than lovie. I know GMC wouldn’t be out there playing on an injury in a meanless game to save that scumbags job.
December 15th, 2014 at 8:13 am
So Lovie will mix up the O-Line, but continues to stubbornly trot McCown out there, when a superior QB is on the bench??
December 15th, 2014 at 8:27 am
He’s talking in religious terminology if you get my drift.
December 15th, 2014 at 8:38 am
PFT did an interesting piece this morning where they suggested that the Bucs go all in on creating a completely stacked defense and lean on the running game on offense. Using a run first QB, build a stout Oline that blocks the run well and deepening our backfield. They suggested trading away Vjax and Evans for picks, which I can’t get behind, especially since Evans is in his rookie deal and I don’t know that this draft is deep enough to say we need to dive headlong in to it. It’s an interesting thought though because while conventional wisdom says that it’s a passing league, perhaps if we build a team that has an approach that most teams are not built to defend we may be able to take advantage of teams not being able to adjust well over a week’s time. I’m not sold but it’s fun to consider
December 15th, 2014 at 9:01 am
Trade VJax and Evans for picks? LOL LOL LOL
PFT wants our best players in better markets. That’s it. This isn’t a plan for the Bucs, it’s a plan for the patriots.
December 15th, 2014 at 9:12 am
I don’t agree with those trading scenarios but the philosophy that they propose is interesting. Washington had a lot of success with that approach, until they decided that RGIII was going to be a pocket QB. If we go in to it understanding that we don’t want a pocket QB so much as another running option who can throw sometimes and focus more on solid blocking and really good RBs then it’s interesting to think about. Having Evans and VJax will keep the defenses honest
December 15th, 2014 at 9:39 am
I think the conversation went something like this:
Lovie: Man, our offensive line sucks. Did you see McCown get killed last week? You couldn’t pay me enough to take that kind of a beating.
Licht: Yeah, I agree. Watching your team play is painful but at least it’s not “lose an internal organ” painful.
Lovie: Well, heck, Jason what are you going to do about it? You can’t sign someone off the street now?
Licht: Look, Anthony Collins is a disaster. We can use his elbow as cover to sit his holding, non-blocking ass down. How about moving Dotson over? He probably sucks less than any other tackle on the roster?
Lovie: Yeah, that can’t be any worse than than what we have today. I cannot believe you put this O Line together. It’s terrible. I’m glad I have a 5-year contract. Simple as that.
December 15th, 2014 at 9:50 am
RGIII had to become a pocket QB or he was going to be making an annual IR visit. As will Manziel, as will Mariota if he doesn’t turn into a pocket QB first. The bigger problem is college football is ruining pro QBs with the spread. Only a handful of college offenses are still running a pro style offense, and you’ll notice two of them are in the playoff in Alabama and FSU. Drafting a spread QB is a risky proposition, but finding a good pocket QB coming out of college is very difficult too
December 15th, 2014 at 9:56 am
My hope is that Lovie is called upstairs and is Fired.
December 15th, 2014 at 9:56 am
I dont give a flying FUKKKKKK who the call came from. Just keep Collins and Gilkey off the field please.
December 15th, 2014 at 10:05 am
Licht has a much better track record than Lovie judging talent just look at the Cardinals this year and the other two teams in his recent history were consistent playoff teams. Glazer clowns gave the wrong man control and given the fact that Lovie burnt through OC’s in chicago it’s not like the Glazers were not aware of this yet those clowns still gave Lovie a blank check. SMH…
December 15th, 2014 at 10:14 am
Oh, yes, I’m sitting on pins and needles over this. The Dow Jones is teetering on the news of this “drama.”
Drama?
Please, Joe, spare us the hyperbole. If you want to write like a teenage girl, OMG, just put everything on Twitter.
December 15th, 2014 at 10:53 am
Right now we don’t have an attack on offense because of the many reasons we have all mentioned adnausium (sp). So if went to a run only they would only stack the box and we could grind it out, but errors happen like fumbles, penalties, etc. and we many not have the time to grind it out, plus our defense would not get much practice against the pass, so we need a balanced attack that could favor the run or the pass as necessary.
All we need is a HC, OC, OL, and a QB plus someone in the ownership with the balls to pull the trigger and make it happen.
December 15th, 2014 at 10:59 am
Dotson was a loyal signing of myself Marcus Crassus Dominus Dominik. Collins was brought in by that ingrade one year fill in Light. I Marcus Crassus Dominus Dominick am Light years ahead of Jason muahahahha.
I will give the Glazers a discount to return and save the team, remember when I gave a record setting contract to Kellen Winslow, and made Michael Koenen earn more annually then Aqib Talib and Michael Bennett. I’m a genius and will be happy to return as imperator.
December 15th, 2014 at 11:11 am
@OB – Your point is well taken and I agree that we certainly couldn’t do <85% running, but I think that rather than giving the play number focus to running we allocate our resources so that the running is more effective. We throw enough to keep the balance in place but we only throw it when it's open and there for us. Low risk throws. Then, we pound the ball effectively so that they have to keep their front 7 in run stopping mode and it opens those low risk throws up for us.
As for the practice thing, I'm pretty sure that they practice against the scout teams anyway so we just have the backups do the pocket QB thing
December 15th, 2014 at 11:21 am
Reading too much into things again Joe
December 15th, 2014 at 11:49 am
probably came to from “the man upstairs” to Lovie during one of his daily “please God let me keep my job” prayers
December 15th, 2014 at 11:52 am
its called the seahawks!
December 15th, 2014 at 12:01 pm
maybe the glazers hired a real head coach and he is working out of glazers office. lol!
December 15th, 2014 at 12:27 pm
As bad as Collins is I would try him at RT & get rid of that worthless Couzins & the OL coach as well. As a matter of fact the whole coaching staff needs to go starting
December 15th, 2014 at 12:36 pm
You guys are hilarious hahahahahahaha~
December 15th, 2014 at 12:37 pm
Imma say he was talking about God
December 15th, 2014 at 1:09 pm
If it truly came from upstairs, then it came from Mrs. Lovie as she knows more about football than the head coach. Lovie could not find his butt with both hands in the dark even if someone moved the Big Poodles hands first!
It is clear that for Lovie nothing is clear! No matter what pick the Buc’s get in the draft and who starts at quarter back, it just not matter!
The Buc’s need an entire new coaching staff like Jim Harbaugh or Bruce Ariens or anybody!
JIM HARBAUGH COULD TAKE ANY ROSTER AND BEAT THE OTHER GUYS ROSTER!. HARBAUGH COULD THEN TAKE THE OTHER GUYS ROSTER AND BEAT OUR ROSTER! THAT IS THE COACH WE NEED! FIRE LOVIE! STOP THIS NON-SENSE NOW OR IT IS JUST GOING TO BE THE SAME NEXT YEAR