Plate May Be Too Full
October 1st, 2016
Talks Mike Smith’s defense.
Joe remembers being at radio row at the Super Bowl media center in San Francisco and running into a player within NFL circles (not an NFL player, but a guy respected within front office and coaching circles).
The guy is tight with many NFL coaches and suits if not owners.
One of his close friends is Bucs defensive coordinator Mike Smith. The following was told to Joe in conversation. It is harmless but wasn’t shared with any expectation of publication, therefore, Joe is leaving the guy’s name out. (Hang on, there is a moral to the story).
The gentleman told Joe he spoke to Smith just after he was hired by Dirk Koetter. Smith was “so fired up” that he and his staff were literally working from dawn to past dusk daily at One Buc Palace, and about the only time they came up for air was to get something to eat or hit the head. The defensive coaches’ room was literally a bunker and, led by Smith, coaches watched film non-stop and banged ideas off each other’s heads all day (night?). They would turn over every stone in order to repair the Bucs defense.
Joe even remembers John Lynch, when he appeared in Tampa for the January announcement by Team Glazer that he would be inducted into the Ring of Honor, was asked by Smith if he could sit in on defensive meetings. The defensive staff wanted to pick Lynch’s brain while watching film. Lynch was happy to join in, humbled he was asked.
So have defensive coaches been working too hard? That seems to be the hint from Koetter himself.
When Koetter appeared this week on SiriusXM NFL Radio, he was asked by Howard Balzer about Smith and the troubles of the Bucs defense, the NFL’s worst through three games in points allowed. That includes an appalling four touchdowns to a previously impotent Rams offense that hadn’t scored one touchdown entering last Sunday’s game.
Balzer wanted to know when Smith can get this Bucs defense on the right track and when fans can expect to see improvement.
“Well, I’m visualizing it happening on Sunday at four o’clock at Raymond James Stadium,” Koetter quipped. “That is what I am visualizing. But, you know what I think happens with a lot of us coaches is that when we go to a new spot, sometimes – and I am as guilty of this as anybody – you switch to a new team, you try to put in one year what it took you three, four or five years to build at the previous team.
“And then you forget that. You forget that when you started off with that previous team, you didn’t have all of these calls. You didn’t have all of this offense or all of this defense. You had a basic package and then you built on it and it grew into something over a period of time.
“I would just say, I think Mike Smith is a heck of a football coach and we have got a lot of bright, alert coaches around him. Three games I think is too early for us to panic on defense. I trust our players and I trust our coaches. I think that this is all going to come around. We are all impatient. We all want it to happen tomorrow. And I am the head of that list. I think it will get turned here sooner than later.”
So when Joe heard Koetter offer these words, Joe immediately remembered what he was told about Smith in San Francisco. Perhaps Smith was so over-the-top excited about getting back on the practice fields, that he has overdone things, shoveling too much information to the players in too short of a period of time?
Koetter sounds as if he may already have instructed Smith to dial things back and keep things simple, and as his defense masters an element, then he can add more food to the plate.
October 1st, 2016 at 4:23 am
Agree with Koetter. a few years under his belt and he’ll be a good coach. We’re rebuilding this young squad and we have a whole lot of good coaches.
October 1st, 2016 at 5:48 am
Agree with Coach Koetter, but it seems to be just another nail in the ‘lack of continuity’ coffin that’s been the Bucs’ story for years. Greg Schiano set about rebuilding the defense in 2012 in his preferred image, bringing on some players who fit his scheme. Then along comes Lovie Smith in 2014 and changes the image (and scheme), so he brings in players that he wants (yup, hello Ghost). Now Mike Smith comes along in 2016 and has to try to mold this pot-pourri of players into something that fits his image (and scheme). Our defense never gets a chance to mature because we’re always changing drivers. And then some fans wonder why we can’t match up defensively against teams like Arizona and Carolina and yes, even the Rams. I’m convinced that our defense will consistently improve, but I doubt that it’ll be by leaps and bounds. More like a gradual evolution as the season goes on. Hopefully our offense can put points on the board and minimize turnovers in the meantime to keep us competitive.
October 1st, 2016 at 6:04 am
Seven years later and still coaching the Rah, Schiano and Lovie out of these players. Will it ever end?
I foresee a better performance by the defense this Sunday than what these guys had against Arizona, but I still see an ass-whipping coming to Tampa.
They better give Donovan Smith some tight end help all game long or Winston will be pulverized and will be having nightmares about Von Miller the rest of the season.
October 1st, 2016 at 6:16 am
What tyoe of defense did Ltmch play in? Tampa two
What tyoe of defense doesnt works in the nfl.today? Tampa two
Why does our defense suck? Tampa two
Why does Smith ask lynch to come ait in thw film room for advice? He cant coach defense?
Why was Jay Hayes brought to Tampa? Becasue Licht knew Smith sucks but wanted to let Koetter gove him a chance.
Jay Hayes will be our next DC….bet on it.
October 1st, 2016 at 7:12 am
This Mike Smith Scheme has done more to confuse the “Culture” that LOVIE had in place here than it has at confusing Opposing Quarter Backs! 13 games to play with 8 more games to win to show progress! PS Too late to dial things back now, that should have been done after the first game of the preseason!
October 1st, 2016 at 7:57 am
So he’s working too hard. The “trying to do too much” excuse.
It’s the players.
October 1st, 2016 at 7:59 am
I see we’re starting the morning bright eyed and full of optimism.
October 1st, 2016 at 8:24 am
DK is “visualizing” for Sunday’s game. That’s an interesting use of the word. Bet the Broncos’ D is taking his maturing O seriously. Hope the pattern activates tomorrow. Earth to Smith: start/play Banks. Play all the ones left over from the HC shuffling of the past few seasons. Why else did you keep them? There’s nothing to lose playing them in a critical game situation. Watch out for the weather Bucs. Go Tampa Bay Sunday!! 🙂
October 1st, 2016 at 8:43 am
Anyone remember Jimmy Carter……stayed up all night working on decisions he never made or made wrong.
I think we have some serious deficits when it comes to player talent…..we don’t have a pass rush….how does coaching too hard effect that. Our safeties can’t cover….how does coaching too hard effect that?
Unfortunately, we still have a couple of years to develop a championship defense.
October 1st, 2016 at 9:17 am
I agree with TBBF. We just do not have enough talent on the roster to compete with or defeat the upper echelon teams. Coaching I think is not too bad but they seriously need to get better with managing the game clock and those sorts of in game quick decisions which can be tough on a rookie HC.
October 1st, 2016 at 9:28 am
Blaming the players when this scheme doesn’t wrk. Now we have to back the coaching off? Never heard that one. So your coaching is in the way, in other words.
October 1st, 2016 at 9:29 am
@flyboy
Von Miller almost always lines up on the other side but I get your point. Both tackles will need big time help.
October 1st, 2016 at 9:36 am
Ayers injury halted progress in the defense. Pressure is still the issue with our defense. We need more time to jell.
October 1st, 2016 at 10:02 am
Yup… upset confirmed. It’s happening. And then everyone will act like the previous two games never happened. Book it.
October 1st, 2016 at 10:56 am
Nope. No sir. No excuses. All NFLl coaches plates are full. Get her done Koetter. You were all smiles accepting the job as Bucs savior. Get..It..Done! Or..the next fishing excursions leaves from Lovie’s pier in 2018!! Schiano will be taking tickets.
October 1st, 2016 at 11:27 am
Valid point. I believe when Commander Schiano was here the d-line went to him and said “hey, quit running all these stunts, and let us just rush the passer.” Dial it back and the players just play. We have talent at all levels of the defense. GMC and company up front, LVD and Alexander the Great at linebacker, Grimes and Hargreaves at corner, and the best safety tandem in the league ( just kidding). Still, you saw what we did last year on offense with Jameis being held back a little, probably a good idea to do the same on defense.
October 1st, 2016 at 11:31 am
I have always liked Mike Smith. We are not playing very well right now, and Mike Smith has been a stand up guy, who basically said A Fish stinks, from the head down.
I admire him for accepting the blame.
We blitzed Grimes, who has not had a sack in 12 years in the NFL, and that left Tandy 1 on 1 with Tavon Austin, and we all saw what happened. That was entirely on Mike Smith, and he took the blame.
October 1st, 2016 at 11:32 am
I do not want any credit for this take. I’ve used it before but it was BucBonzai
who in my memory at least was the first to bring it up. I thought it made sense then and I still think it’s true.
Many were whining about the Buc’s strength of schedule and indeed it is for the first five games.
But as Bonzai points out…then we get to the bye…the last 11 games should give us a true indication of whether this team is turning the corner or not.
The coaching will be solidly in place…players will have that week to reflect on what they learned from the first five…players will heal…and the schedule is very manageable.
I realize this reality is not exciting in a society that demands immediate gratification. We want to judge this team’s entire season, culture, future based on THIS WEEK!
If we can steal a game tomorrow or next week it will be gravy!
October 1st, 2016 at 12:33 pm
These players are professionals, right? Maybe they should follow Jameis’ example and hit the playbook every night instead of hitting the clubs. Yes, the players are out hitting the clubs. Do you really think ASJ was out by himself?
October 1st, 2016 at 6:39 pm
We need to bring in Rock & Roll Belly Dancer Diana Bastet from the Ukraine to lift the hex from The Den Of Depression. She loves to bump & grind to AC/DC……PERFECT!!!
October 1st, 2016 at 8:39 pm
Can we possibly start by attempting to re-route one receiver; once, EVER! Ditch the 8 yard DB drop! This MAY slow the receivers route by minimally 1/2 second and allow our anemic pass rush a smidge more time to get the QB.
One thing is for sure; giving an NFL QB (even Case Keenum) 5 seconds to find any one of his free-running receivers, will guarantee 30+ points. How about the Safetys keep everything in front of them, while we’re at it? One doesn’t have to burn the midnight oil in his office bunker to recognize these issues, does he?
October 2nd, 2016 at 2:41 am
The Bucs are a dumpster fire as usual
October 2nd, 2016 at 2:42 am
Get back on your school bus and get the hell out of here