Hearing The Early “Hot Seat” Screams
January 12th, 2018
Potential storm brewing.
Joe’s media brethren already are screaming “hot seat” for Dirk Koetter in 2018. They smell blood in the water.
They’re bellowing playoffs or a pink slip for the pride of Pocatello.
Some are gearing up to verbally launch Koetter by Halloween and are thinking about his potential replacement. Joe is not joking. This is what’s happening on sports radio and elsewhere.
Joe’s response: calm down and deal in reality.
The 2017 Buccaneers were a bad football team and Team Glazer blessed the leadership to return. You really think if the Bucs march their way to 9-7 after opening, say, 4-4, that Team Glazer is going to be salivating to drop the hammer on Koetter? No chance. Wake up.
Team Glazer is smart enough to know the Bucs possess the worst starting quarterback in the division (no shame there) and are battling against three other head coaches with Super Bowl experience. Oh, and those guys are leading excellent clubs with limited weaknesses and lots of youth.
Who in their right mind, right now, expects the Bucs to pull off a playoff-bound turnaround in 2018? That’s the equivalent of thinking Doug Martin was going to run for 1,000 yards in 2017.
Perhaps the Bucs’ only shot is to be very bold in free agency and bold in the draft, as in drafting a running back very early in hopes he can be a instant-impact guy like a Cadillac Williams, Todd Gurley, Leonard Fournette, Ezekiel Elliott, Kareem Hunt, etc.
To bank on a rookie defensive end to be high-impact guy is statistical long shot. The Aldon Smiths and Joey Bosas of the world don’t come around often.
Of course, bold desperation plays in free agency and the draft are rarely in the long term interest of the franchise — unless you do what the good teams do: pick the right guys.
January 12th, 2018 at 1:48 pm
Or Alvin Kamara…man I wanted that guy.
January 12th, 2018 at 1:54 pm
joe, IMO your above article and reading between the lines regarding Dirks chances with the Buc’s reflect a healthy perspective for all of us. Fact: 2017 is over and we know that both Koetter and Licht are on on the hot seat. Fact: We are in a tough division. Fact: If we are sitting at 6-2 at the half way mark fans will happy and the Glazers will be happy. Fact: Player Changes will occur. So my take away from your article is to sit back and enjoy the ride and hope for the best.
January 12th, 2018 at 2:00 pm
I expect a playoff berth this coming year joe I think I might b the only one.
January 12th, 2018 at 2:04 pm
I think a lot of Bucs fans don’t realize how far the Bucs are away from the other teams in the NFC South.
January 12th, 2018 at 2:07 pm
Never know who’s gonna make the playoffs next year when the previous year isn’t even over with. Jags and the Bills made the playoffs this year (don’t play in NFC South). Jags had the best defense in the league. You just never know until you know.
January 12th, 2018 at 2:07 pm
What if Barkley falls? Take him yesterday. I bet he goes #1 to Cleveland.
January 12th, 2018 at 2:08 pm
After 9-7 the previous year, silly me, I expected improvement. All I saw was backsliding. I expected to at least be competing for a playoff position, not playing for the first overall draft pick. I’m sorry, if you’re not competing for a playoff spot, then stop selling game tickets. Give them away, if you can.
January 12th, 2018 at 2:08 pm
They’re not that far away that the thing….the defense just needs to go from worst to 16th ranked….and thats on coaching. Any team across the league has holes or areas where they can improve…all of them. The difference is the once who are coached better. The teams offense is fine and will only get better with the weapons they have. The defense is the ONLY thing holding this team back.
January 12th, 2018 at 2:12 pm
Now the division is too hard.
My how the standards have changed.
January 12th, 2018 at 2:14 pm
This article makes me sick. It reeks of “be content with your place.” This is attitude is why Blackberry went out of business.
January 12th, 2018 at 2:18 pm
@BucEmUp
“Any team across the league has holes or areas where they can improve…all of them. The difference is the once who are coached better.”
DILLY! DILLY!
January 12th, 2018 at 2:24 pm
BucEmUp
Sean Payton 11 seasons with the Saints
Ron Rivera 7 seasons with Carolina
Dan Quinn 3 seasons in Atlanta
Those teams has systems, with veteran players who has been in the system for a long time. They help the rookies/young guys learn the system
The Bucs don’t have that. What is the Bucs system? What is the Bucs identity?
January 12th, 2018 at 2:36 pm
Main probs were RB and pass rush!
Fix those and we have a chance…..which also means cutting slag …. Baker, Martin, etc.
January 12th, 2018 at 2:36 pm
8-8 is pushing when it comes to expectations of this coaching staff. What’s the plan here? Winston is only 24 so let’s wait until Matt Ryan and Brees are to old to do anything lol. Here’s the guy until they find a big name to take his place, the only reason he will be the head coach is if the option is to hire some other unknown coordinator. Swing for the fences, hiring another hot coordinator is just pointless.
This coach can’t compete with these coaches, they already have good defenses, they already out coach him. Personally I think the worst offense was Panthers and we still couldn’t beat them. Watch them get a new coordinator and light up the scoreboard
Mr play for the field goal will always strive for winning record not playoffs
January 12th, 2018 at 2:37 pm
Lack of pass rush = why the DB’s were playing so far off of their target.
Fix the pass rush, play man press and watch us win more…..its not rocket science!
January 12th, 2018 at 2:46 pm
No playoffs=Fired! Licht is running out of time!
January 12th, 2018 at 2:50 pm
I see somebody here has already started the..early Friday smoke toking Sayn we are playoff bound next season. Start the Hype people. Hell you do it every year!
January 12th, 2018 at 2:55 pm
The league changes so much year to year. No one knows “how far” anyone one really is from anything.
Did anyone think that after the Saints finished 11-5 in 2013, that they were 3 7-9 seasons away from being legit SB contenders again? Did going from 7-9 3 straight years to a SB contender this year take 3 off-seasons of additions or did it really just take 1 really good off-season? Or maybe something in between? Their defense was sh1t for years before this season.
Did anyone think the 49ers were a Jimmy G trade away from becoming a top tier team? (will be interesting to see how that goes next year now that teams will be preparing for Jimmy G all off-season)
Did anyone think the Rams would have one of the top offenses in the league this year lol? I mean it’s one thing to say they had talent on defense – but this became an offense lead by guys like Robert Woods and Goff who was like the worst starting QB by far in 2016. No one saw the Todd Gurley MVP season coming – otherwise he wouldn’t have been a consensus round 2/3 pick in all fantasy leagues.
This idea of anyone really knowing how far any team is from anything is kind of ridiculous to me – given the unpredictable and volatile nature of the NFL.
January 12th, 2018 at 3:00 pm
LakeLand Says:
I think a lot of Bucs fans don’t realize how far the Bucs are away from the other teams in the NFC South.
I realize it NOW. Hope was kept alive by a team that continued to play hard and try to win, but the fact is this team is just not there………yet.
January 12th, 2018 at 3:03 pm
awaiting moderation Says:
January 12th, 2018 at 1:54 pm
Fact: 2017 is over and we know that both Koetter and Licht are on on the hot seat. Fact: We are in a tough division. Fact: If we are sitting at 6-2 at the half way mark fans will happy and the Glazers will be happy. Fact: Player Changes will occur.
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Easy there Dwight Schrute
January 12th, 2018 at 3:04 pm
@ Lord Cornelius –
Great comment, to add to that, who knew Carson Wentz would be the real deal?
That Case Keenum could fill in for Bradford & Bridgewater.
That Jax would put together an awesome defense.
That is why I love the off season, it fuels the hope that this team can excel into the next level. Wait and see.
January 12th, 2018 at 3:05 pm
Mike Johnson
Dan Quinn has totally rebuilt Atlanta defense in 3 short seasons with draft picks and free agent signings. 6 starters came from the draft, another 2 from free agency. In 2014 ( Mike Smith last season) they were ranked 27th, giving up 26.1 PTS/G. This season they are ranked 8th, giving up 19.3 PTS/G.
January 12th, 2018 at 3:09 pm
It sounds like you’re already setting the table for your arguments to keep Koetter should the Bucs start off poorly. Previous coaches received far less slack.
January 12th, 2018 at 3:27 pm
The worst stat for the Bucs
Team Opponent Points Per Game On The Road
New Orleans | 18.2
Carolina | 20.9
Atlanta | 21.6
Tampa Bay | 29.2
The Bucs are only giving up 18.5 PTS/G at home, 2nd to Atlanta
That’s why the Bucs only won one road game (Miami)
That’s why the Saints win didn’t impress me, it was at home
January 12th, 2018 at 3:33 pm
@Ghost
For sure man. I mean the Jags have loaded up on defensive talent the last couple off-seasons – not just 2017; so I could see that as something that had to give eventually – especially in the sorry division that is the AFC South.
But still – I think the presence of Coughlin had about as much to do with it as anything; and I think Calais Campbell was a way bigger impact signing than Malik Jackson for example.
Wentz wasn’t something everyone predicted either. But that team is also just good in general.
The Giants were probably one of the most talented teams in the league on paper – at least on defense – and even just their defense seemed pretty f*cking “far away” in 2017 lol
January 12th, 2018 at 3:33 pm
Carolina was in same place as us last year and this year they won 11games
January 12th, 2018 at 3:42 pm
Wow so now the Bucs Err sorry Joe is already making excuses for a lousy 2018. Seems that Joe and the Glazer clan are already planning on how they can beat sell the team for 2019. The more I read the more I come to realize the truth… as go the Bucs so does Joe to a lesser extent. The less excitement the less the team is worth and also the less readers Joe gets henceforth the less advertising dough Joe gets. It’s all simple math.
January 12th, 2018 at 3:56 pm
That’s why the Giants fired the GM and the Head Coach.
January 12th, 2018 at 3:56 pm
@Lord C and Ghost
“The league changes so much year to year. No one knows “how far” anyone one really is from anything.”
Amen guys!!! There are about a half dozen teams that are fairly predictable due to the stength of their organizations…I’m thinking Pats…Steelers…Packers…but even Pack went down the crapper without their world class QB. The rest you can throw a blanket over and toss darts.
And this crap about us being doomed by coaching. So was Sean Payton rotten when he finished 7-9 three years in a row? Would we have been angry if the Bucs had signed him? Koetter has had one winning year one losing year let’s see what he comes up with in year 3.
January 12th, 2018 at 3:57 pm
This will be the last year for Licht/Dirk and maybe Jameis if the suspended for groping and had a bad year on the field also. Just win baby!
January 12th, 2018 at 3:58 pm
cant get any new asst coaches as you pointed out on iras show and its getting late to get good ones so, its the ones we have unless smitty gets a HC job, 2019 its a new day in tampa bay
January 12th, 2018 at 4:03 pm
Carolina added a DE, who gave them 11.0 sacks. They also added a rookie RB, who gave them over 1,000 yards of offense. Luke Kuechly and Cam Newton was healthy this season. The Bucs need to add a DE, who can give them 11 sacks. They need to add a RB, who can catch 80 passes and give them over 1,000 yards of offense.
January 12th, 2018 at 4:06 pm
@Lakeland
For the Falcons the D turnaround definitely took 3 off-seasons of draft picks mostly.
They were completely depleted by the end of Smith’s tenure; and I’d blame a lot of that on their GM. After the Julio Jones trade they lost a lot of draft capital and basically let the defense become an aging over-the-hill unit. No coach would have produced great results with it.
Hell the defense was still not even average under Quinn his first 2 years – with the 25th best ranked unit last year… And that was a defensive coach who got to use all his capital on defense for the most part after arriving. Took him till his 3rd season to see results because of the talent deficiency. That’s why it’s funny ppl say Mike Smith Ds sucked in Atlanta – as if Quinn is the reason for the turnaround.
New flash – it sucked under Quinn too until this year; and the reason for the turnaround is less Quinn and moreso:
Desmond Trufant / Robert Alford / Ra’shede Hageman / Vic Beasley / Grady Jarett / Keanu Neal / Deion Jones all being drafted over a few years of drafts… That’s not listing any FAs.
Defensive draft picks since we’ve had Koetter or Smith? No where close to that haul.
With our roster my hope is we can get to being an average middle of the pack defense overall immediately. That’s the formula imo for the Bucs to realistically get to the playoffs next year:
-get the defense from bottom of the barrel to middle of the pact
-get the run game going and by default that should
-get the offense scoring more in the red zone and Winston playing more efficiently – to the effect of a top 5-10 scoring offense that is putting up 25+ PPG.
That is what I think is realistic with our roster and available resources- in terms of what the goals should be for 2018. The offense moved the ball well enough to be a top 10 scoring unit; and that was with a terrible run game. Fix the run game and the scoring should come a lot easier as we won’t be forced into long pass attempts to the end zone as often vs more effective play action / actually being able to run it in.
January 12th, 2018 at 4:06 pm
Dirk is absolutely on the hot seat and he’s currently coaching to keep his job until the first bye week of the season for the Bucs. If he’s 4-4 when that comes then no, he won’t get fired. But if he’s 2-6 or 1-7, he’s done mid-season – although personally I’m not a fan of mid-season firings as nothing good comes out of them as another coach on the team might have a short hot streak and turn that into a gig for the next year and most of the time those teams are then awful again.
I still hate that changes aren’t being made, like promoting Mike Smith to “assistant” head coach so Dirk can concentrate more on the offense and then that would leave the door open for the Bucs to hire a real defensive coordinator. Mike Smith is a proven head coach and Dirk is a proven OC – both men are out of position and you see it week in and week out.
January 12th, 2018 at 4:28 pm
Lord corn,
If you look at the Jags run defense before and after the signing of Marcel derious,
there’s a strong case to make that He is the difference maker. Yes in the passing game Campbell is obviously a impact player and a huge off season acquisition.
But look at the run avg with and without MD. The fact that He came cheap isn’t all that great to think about as light missed a great deal and secured a useless bag named baker.
January 12th, 2018 at 4:50 pm
In Dan Quinn 1st season with the Falcons in 2015. The Falcons defense gave up 21.6 PTS/G after giving up 26.1 during Mike Smith last season in 2104. They gave up 25.4 last season. And they gave up 19.7 this season. They have 3 starters left over from Mike Smith years. And they all play in the secondary.
January 12th, 2018 at 4:53 pm
Who in their right mind, right now, expects the Bucs to pull off a playoff-bound turnaround in 2018?
————
This is exactly why Dirk should be on the hot seat. He is just as much a reason as the depth excuse as to why we have low expectations once again. Expectations werent low this time last season. As a coach, he has not shown enough to warrant another season period. But hey, I get accepting mediocrity around here for the sake of stability is the cool thing to do. To hell with winning! GO BUCS!!!
January 12th, 2018 at 4:56 pm
To face the brutal truth . . . We have tough games next year something like 8 playoff teams from this year , as much as I like dirk and licht it will take a Yuge turnaround this offseason to have a chance next yr . . . Even after a bad season (next) I would say we keep licht and give him one more hire mostly every gm gets two hires. But not seeing playoffs next yr
Of course we will pick up RB DE CB safety this year thru FA or draft but doubt that will be enough . . . The offense can put up 20 pts a game it comes down to whether the defense can hold them to below 3 TDs.
We are betting next yr on mike smith being able to right the ships. That’s a heck of a Vegas gamble. Regardless of what joe(s) say this guy ain’t getting pick to dance anywhere. . . like the nerd in the corner at the highschool prom (might have been joe)
January 12th, 2018 at 4:57 pm
LakeLand Says:
January 12th, 2018 at 2:24 pm
BucEmUp
Sean Payton 11 seasons with the Saints
Ron Rivera 7 seasons with Carolina
Dan Quinn 3 seasons in Atlanta
Ron Riviera frist two seasons were a train wreck….everyone wanted him gone with two losing seasons to start his coaching career with the Panthers.
Third season, he started of 0-2. Then he decided to adjust and has done a pretty damn good job since.
I don’t think Koetter has established himself or set his roots yet as a head coach, and when that happens I think its going to be a beautiful thing. However I don’t see that happening if Mike Smith stays around. Guess time will tell.
SOE – DILLY DILLY!
January 12th, 2018 at 5:02 pm
The thing that still sticks out to me from Hard Knocks is when Dirk says Winston needs to do less, and Winston asks the obvious question – what does that mean exactly? Winston says he wants to understand what it means to do too much on a play, what exactly should he not be doing?
Dirk has no answer because he speaks in cliches – he didn’t actually know what that meant and fumbled for words while delaying and delaying before saying that Winston needs to play like Aaron Rodgers and that he’s not like Tom Brady.
Huh? What are you talking about Dirk? It’s obvious Dirk didn’t have a clue about anything he was saying.
Now again I’m not the biggest Gruden fan, but if Gruden said the same thing for example to Winston, and Winston asked what that meant, I’m certainly Gruden would have given like a 30-min lecture on the subject and probably had 50 examples of exactly what he’s talking about.
That is the difference between a head coach and a guy who should be a coordinator and who is clearly in above his head.
Watch this clip again in the mindset of what we saw this season…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3QlHoBX3nQ
January 12th, 2018 at 5:25 pm
The Glazers are not going to cut Dirk mid season….
January 12th, 2018 at 6:02 pm
Lakeland u have been most consistent along with me of seeing what a gilded aged team this has been under licht, to be a championship team you have to get the non glamour positions solidified like OL/DL and licht has ignored the DL and cheaped out the OL and now the bucs are 3 years from competing so, they should trade GMC now, he is 10 years in and build the defense right now, licht and koetter will be gone hope the new regime has a plan not just throwing crap against the wall
January 12th, 2018 at 6:16 pm
Dirk should just confront this head on and do it with the perpetrators…the local sports media. I get why the media does it and I largely enjoy our area sports guys. But this story will have a life of it’s own and will certainly not enhance the team in any way.
So if the media gets picked up and it becomes conventional wisdom that Dirk’s on his last year imagine the FA’s who be wanting to come here. The locker room?
I say Dirk should just laugh at the media and bring a Directoer’s or some portable chair to training camp. On the back in clear letters….HOT SEAT.
Whenever it’s brought up he should just joke it off…he could even look at the guys and say what % of NFL HC’s retire and what % get fired. Have you never heard the saying NFL coaches are hired to get fired?
I get that players and coaches in the league are not morons. WE ALL know that DK is in what amounts to a probation year. This is NOT news. It’s freaking obvious. But if it’s applied day after day after day it creates expectations for DK’s firing and offers support for his enemies.
January 12th, 2018 at 7:02 pm
StPeteBucsFan – If Dirk did what you said then he should get fired on the spot for being a boring hack.
January 12th, 2018 at 7:27 pm
I do not see this coach leading men he was sheepish in his mid season after game pressers and i thought he might cry looking down not making eye contact . how can you expect anything from this guy and alot of fans think this guys great and i for won have never been so down on next season there is nothing to look forward to
January 12th, 2018 at 7:51 pm
Just a sample of course, but looking at the “Nine Coaches on the Hotseat” article from a year ago this time: 1 and 4-8 survived (Bowles, Jackson, Lewis, Harbaugh, Payton and O’Brien, respectively). Only 2, 3 and 9 were fired (Pagano, Fox and Caldwell). One could argue about whether Lewis and Jackson really deserved another year and whether the author is an idiot for including Harbaugh and Payton on the list, but imho Koetter earned (pretend “earned” is italicized) his spot on this year’s lists where only Joseph and Jackson have earned (italicized) places above him. I dislike this trite expression, but “It is what it is” seems apropos for this situation.
January 12th, 2018 at 7:53 pm
When Joe Maddon took over the rays he said ‘ we have to learn how to win first, than we can compete”.
Bucs don’t know how to win yet, let alone compete in the division.
January 12th, 2018 at 9:41 pm
Lord corn- thankyou dude. Sick of hearing how far away we are. It’s the NFL. Every year in this division alone a team is worst to first
January 12th, 2018 at 9:47 pm
Dusthty Rhothdes
I agree with you 100%
January 12th, 2018 at 9:50 pm
chickster – I agree with you, Emo Dirk looked like he was about to break down on a weekly basis and we already know he quit on the team last year in the Denver game. Then at the end of the year he got punked by Sean Payton and did nothing except wish him the best. Dirk just isn’t head coaching material.
January 12th, 2018 at 11:01 pm
At some point the Bucs need to win. We all can see the reasons why they are losing, but at some point we have to say winning should be realistic.
January 13th, 2018 at 1:42 am
Jameis is BETTER than Matt Ryan and FAR BETTER than Cam Newton … he’s not on Brees’ level yet but he’s not the worst in the division.
1. Brees
2. Jameis
3. Ryan
4. Newton … by a lot
January 13th, 2018 at 9:17 am
LOKOG
wow
January 13th, 2018 at 10:16 am
So let me get this str8 Joe,
Just because this year has been an anomaly of the past,
and 3 teams made the playoffs in the division ,
where last year the saints sucked,
We are not supposed to aspire for making the playoffs anymore now
…….like we are back in jameis’ rookie season and a youngry team of raheem days
Ugggggh…..this has what losing does…
Keeps you in a recessive backwards thinking mentality
PLAYERS ….dont think like THAT…canti
Nate Dubb
January 13th, 2018 at 2:39 pm
Yeah dirt got bitched by payton and did nothing but act like it didnt happen this guy does not know how to fix this team
January 13th, 2018 at 3:20 pm
@rod
It was clear to me that Koetter was saying ,don’t take too many risks early in games and get your team behind. You were able to do that in college ,but Koetter
mistakenly felt the defense was going to keep us in games. This little talk smacks of being staged because you gotta think Jameis is smart enough to figure this
out on his own.