Harsh Blame Fired At Dirk Koetter
October 6th, 2016
NFL insider says they have the wrong head coaches
Just four games into his career, Dirk Koetter was clubbed with very harsh, big-picture criticism yesterday from a noted NFL voice.
At least equal-opportunity blame was tossed at Titans head coach Mike Mularkey and the regression of Marcus Mariota.
Former NFL Network insider and current CBS Sports NFL guru Jason La Canfora gave the beating. He’s quoting NFL sources off the record and more.
The Buccaneers and Titans each had an opportunity to make a bold, innovative hire last offseason when they opted to part with their former head coaches. Instead, they hired from within, settling on journeymen coordinators who had few, if any, other viable head coaching opportunities. Both franchises made the conservative decision figuring that the best thing for their young, potential franchise quarterbacks was to maintain the status quo as much as possible as it pertained to that vital position.
Through the first four games of the season, that appears to be a big mistake.
Rest assured, back in January the collective football world met the decisions by Tampa to promote Dirk Koetter and Tennessee to make interim coach Mike Mularkey the full-time hire were met by a collective shrug. Mularkey had been a repeated failure in that role, and Koetter was hardly viewed as an “it” guy or candidate-on-the-rise. However, given the relatively myopic scope of the respective coaching “searches” it was also among the worst-kept secrets in the NFL that these franchises were going to essentially stay in-house with the hiring and neither process ever had the air of a broad, wide-ranging, free-thinking pursuit.
There’s more via the link above.
Man, Joe thinks La Canfora is being awfully brutal. Aside from being only four games into the season, if America’s Quarterback, Jameis Winston, simply was more accurate to a wide open Vincent Jackson in the end zone on the final drive against the Rams, then the NFL is freakin’ celebrating the Bucs’ 2-2 record right now.
Joe’s not hitting a panic button yet — certainly not one on Dirk Koetter. If the Bucs go, say, 2-6, then Joe might entertain La Canfora’s theories.
October 6th, 2016 at 11:27 am
Meh. Take little stock in what La Canfora puts out there.
October 6th, 2016 at 11:37 am
If you take away the (one) win and losses and evaluate Koetter on his head coaching decisions alone one can see he has not been very good. The clock management, the play calling, the lack of adjustments, the cowardice when he decided to punt on 4th and 6, allowing Jameis to take an unnecessary beating. So he’s great for a post-game quote. Who cares? People who are overly optimistic on Koetter (apparently over 27% of the readers here) are blind and are not basing that opinion on the actual job he’s done so far.
But hey, according to most of you a 1-3 start under Dirk is somehow better than a 1-3 start under the previous coaching staff (though every statistic shows otherwise). Progress!
October 6th, 2016 at 11:37 am
Joe, why is Jameis held at lower standard than Mike Glennon or Josh Mccown? If either led the team to abysmal records with a lot of turnovers and low completion percentage , they would be boiled in oil. We make excuses for him, but not for other low performing qbs. Shouldn’t he be held to a higher standard as a number one pick as apposed to two journeymen qbs?
October 6th, 2016 at 11:39 am
Maybe they just aren’t as personable, they don’t look good enough or as funny and charismatic
October 6th, 2016 at 11:40 am
shouldn’t Jason La Canfora be busy putting together his power rankings according to each team’s record each week??????????
October 6th, 2016 at 11:42 am
Joe,
The scary thing is Jason Licht is also attached to this. There are so many moving parts within this season and things can go from bad to worse or bad to well mediocrity.
We have been bad for a long time and only mediocre a few times but winning is a deodorant.
This franchise needs an identity and I’m not sure the organization or the team and fans included know what that identity is.
October 6th, 2016 at 11:45 am
When you consider what you have seen out of Josh McCown and Mike Glennon can you really argue that Jameis Winston isn’t better? There are things Jameis can do on the field that both of those guys cannot.
That being said I do think Bucs fans were extremely harsh on McCown and Glennon especially when McCown and Glennon went the entire season without a proper offensive coordinator.
October 6th, 2016 at 11:51 am
I agree that if Winston had performed during that last series against the Rams…..all would be just fine. There is a thin line between success & failure for new coaches and developing players and teams.
October 6th, 2016 at 11:54 am
I’m not hitting the panic just yet mainly because I never thought this was a very good team to begin with. They have some pieces in place and seem to be moving in the right direction even if the record doesn’t show it but still have a lot of holes to fill. Winston’s turnovers aren’t helping much and making the team look worse than they actually are but I think that can be fixed if the coach realizes that he’s working with a 2nd year quarterback that’s not ready to carry the team just yet and more creative with his play calling and run/pass balance.
Mularkey on the other hand has proven several times to not be a good HC but he did do a great job grooming Matt Ryan in his early years so I would expect him to know how to get the best out of Mariota. Their problem I think is Mariota had most of his success in the pistol last year where as Murray is better suited for an offense where the QB is under center. Another thing I’ve noticed is teams are starting to sit on those slants and screens that Tenessee likes to throw.
October 6th, 2016 at 11:54 am
Yeah and Vinny Testeverde could throw a ball 80 yrds, where did that get us?
October 6th, 2016 at 12:13 pm
One of the things that rubs me the worst is how these “pundits” are NEVER FREAKING ACCOUNTABLE.
Jim Rome is supposed to be such a hot figure. I gave up on him when he kept pimping for Ryan Leaf. Genius eh? Worst of all he ranked on Peyton Manning as potentially one of the worst draft choices possible…calling Manning with first names from famous draft failures like “Piscarcik” Manning etc.
And what price did Rome pay for being so INCREDIBLY WRONG? Nada!
I wish the PFF guys would expand their stats to pundits. Let’s just see how many times LaConfora has been as freaking stupid as Jim Rome. I wish we had a Politifact of sports that would rank every pundit’s proclamation from brain dead to spot on with a category for debateable.
If that was in place would some guys hesitate to shoot their mouths off.
October 6th, 2016 at 12:17 pm
Former NFL Network insider and current CBS Sports NFL guru Jason La Canfora? NFL guru? La Canfora is touted as an analyst, but he never played any pro sports that I can see. Looks like he’s been a writer since college, covering the Detroit Red Wings and the Washington Redskins before joining NFL Network in 2009. There are a number of TV personalities I’d call ‘gurus’ (our ex-HC Jon Gruden among them), but not impressed with La Canfora taking shots at Dirk Koetter based on a whopping total of 4 games.
October 6th, 2016 at 12:30 pm
Defense Rules Says:
October 6th, 2016 at 12:17 pm
“La Canfora is touted as an analyst, but he never played any pro sports that I can see. Looks like he’s been a writer since college,”
EXACTLY! You cannot be an expert or a guru unless you have actually played or coached. Sportswriters like Canfora, Rome, et al. are nothing more than journalists with better access than the average fan. Why anyone would put stock in their assessments, I don’t know. Unless they are quoting someone with actual experience and knowledge, there is no need to put any stock in their opinion.
October 6th, 2016 at 12:43 pm
It’s shocking to me how quickly everyone is turning on Jameis. He’s a second year quarterback who just lost the running game. It’s on the coaching staff to figure out how not to hang him out there by having to throw almost every down. Some of the Int were not on him btw. Fine weather fans.
October 6th, 2016 at 1:13 pm
4 games in and people are ready to pack it in? Winston has not played good overall, but I don’t think it’s been all doom and gloom. Coordinators have spent an offseason watching tape on these QB’s and are exploiting things that both will need to improve on. Jameis seems to have a good work ethic and seems to want to improve, I think he’ll start making better throws and decisions as the season progresses. Koetter is a first time NFL HC, the team gave a supposedly competent and experienced L. Smith two full seasons to field one of the worst sh!t shows in Bucs history (that’s saying something!), at least give Koetter a year to get the ship heading the right way before putting up FIRE KOETTER! signs and driving out yet another potentially solid HC too soon.
October 6th, 2016 at 1:45 pm
Wanted Josh McDaniels, or Matt Patricia. But now that Koettor is the coach I’ll stand behind him. You have to give a coach more than 2 years unless he’s awful, and you seen no progress like Lovie.
October 6th, 2016 at 2:10 pm
wasnt koetter the OC of the jags offense when they almost made the superbowl and then again when the falcons were cruising at the start of matt ryans career? ya so koetter all of a sudden caught a dumb gene, koetter is a very good coach and will get the ship righted
October 6th, 2016 at 2:29 pm
I am fairly certain that JW hasn’t been playing in the secondary or at defensive end, so blaming him for everything is unfair. One thing is certain, JW’s offense can score points and that is the primary mission. This team is still learning and growing. We need to see progress by the end of the year, but this team is still not talented enough to challenge the playoff teams. I am patient.
October 6th, 2016 at 2:44 pm
@d-rome…I agree everything you said….the scary part of it all is that jameis as well as the team in general seems to have regressed….GO BUCS!!!
October 6th, 2016 at 3:05 pm
You’re right D, I’ve never seen them throw 4 ints in a game. That said, I would love for him to be a franchise QB, he hasn’t shown it yet
October 6th, 2016 at 3:14 pm
Great article. When was Tampa good? They went and spent money on the best coaches out there. Tony Dungy and Gruden.
October 6th, 2016 at 3:20 pm
I place the blame on the head of where it should be..DIRK KOETTER. HE’s suppose to be the..offensive genius. maybe he’s put to much on Winston’s plate? He brought in his Defensive guru who Mr. Blanks fired in ATL. I don’t fans are packin it in. But there are signs this team is nowhere near the hype it was given. Better be ready. Cause Carolina will have..no mercy.
October 6th, 2016 at 3:48 pm
It kinda looks like this team is unraveling. Koetter better do something quickly because once you start losing consistently, it’s hard as hell to stop. It becomes the norm and doesn’t taste as bad to players.
October 6th, 2016 at 4:40 pm
I guess your team really blows if the collective NFL world is celebrating if your 2-2.
October 6th, 2016 at 5:41 pm
He has a point where was Koetter going?? And Jason is the best in the business at what he does.
October 6th, 2016 at 6:25 pm
Just wow.
Tampa fans are pathetic. Our entire culture is pathetic. Are we seriously discussing whether Koetter is the right coach for the team 4 games into his tenure. That is pure stupidity. No, it’s worse than that – it’s INSANITY. sure, let’s fire another coach after 1 or 2 seasons and hire ANOTHER one. Yeah, that’s the ticket. You want the truth…?
I grew up in Tampa and have since lived numerous years in New York City, Miami, Los Angeles and several other big market sports towns. The mentality of the local sportwriters and the fan base in tampa is without question the worst… whiny, sad, woe is me, always expecting gloom and doom. It’s ridiculous. The team is surrounded by that apathy and to coin a term from Joe “depression” and it is a GREAT reason why they haven’t won in a decade. You ever wonder why rookies burst on to the scene here sometimes, only to regress in seasons 2 and on?? It’s because the contagious losing mentality seeps into them. Stop it fans. Just stop. If you think this isn’t a reason for the Bucs’ lack of success… then explain to me why home field is so crucial to most OTHER teams and why crowd noise affects road teams so much and inspires the home players. It matters. Kids brought up in nurturing and positive environments FLOURISH. Negativity destroys. Look at very article about Jameis now… regression, slump, doomed, in trouble, worried about him, etc. We have a great player here folks, and if he and the team aren’t fully supported without all of the doom and gloom Tampa is known for (Yes, nationally Tampa is known for empty stadiums, fair-weathered fans, and a doom and gloom outlook) – history will continue to repeat itself.
October 6th, 2016 at 6:55 pm
Hey Tony you go spend your hard earned money to sit in Tampa Stadium and bake your ass off to watch a suck ass Team lose every single weak if you want! And take yourself back to New York city !
October 6th, 2016 at 8:08 pm
I do feel you Tony. Hell, I have been wishing and hoping so long…Now I almost know we will lose. My brain has becomed conditioned to losing. I actually laugh at it now. So many yrs, so many coaches, new schemes, Players going and coming, coulda/woulsa/shoulda after every game. Tampa fires coaches, cheers the oncoming of new ones then..lynch them in 2 yrs. Its the Buc way. And then you got these fans…not really seeing what happening. truly sad dude. Truly,,,SAD.
October 6th, 2016 at 8:44 pm
We just had to have this guy who had previously generated zero interest by anyone to be a head coach.
Sad.
October 6th, 2016 at 8:51 pm
Ive heard it all. Now the fans are responsible for the losing. You have got to be kidding.
October 6th, 2016 at 9:25 pm
Wasn’t he a lovie apologist?
October 6th, 2016 at 10:37 pm
We are 1-7 during our last 8 games, enough said.
October 6th, 2016 at 11:16 pm
Admit it joe: You got the blame game wrong. Koetter has already thrown Jameis under the bus.
October 7th, 2016 at 12:34 am
Like the great Hal Holbrook once said in the movie “Wall Street”, “Sometimes good things do take time.”
La Canfora is the epitome of the ADD give me everything now society that we live in. Fact is the one game we were healthy and firing all cylinders was the Falcon game which was nothin short of outstanding on the offensive side of the football. Every game since we have done nothing but continue to lose key players. That combined with VJAXs disappearance act and you have what we are witnessing now.
Doug Martin is the key, as our whole offense is predicated on the play action pass. Where I disagree with Koetter is how he manages the backfield after the injury to Martin. He should have inserted Rodgers in Martin’s spot and kept Simms in his natural position as 3rd down back. I understand he was hoping for Simms to transition into bellcow but it has failed and now he’s hurt.
It sucks because with a healthy Martin we could beat Carolina. We will need a miracle but once we get healthy we will be a rising team again.
Who we’ve lost in order in 4 games:
*VJax – wtf?
Jacques Smith
Doug Martin
Robert Ayers
ASJ
Ceicel Shorts
Luke Stocker
Gerald McCoy
Noah Spence
Brandon Myers
Charles Simms
Clinton McDonald
October 7th, 2016 at 9:11 am
Defense Rules is right…I SICK to DEATH of listening to radio and hearing a dozen “experts” each week paraded out and telling us what they PREDICT…I dont give a pound of parrot poop whether this guy likes our coach or not.
I had never heard of Tony Dungy when he was hired and he began 1-7 and had Brooks, Sapp & Lynch.