Dave Moore: Unknown Grade For Pass Rush: Absolutely Stick With Fitz
September 11th, 2018
Whoa! Strong chatter on the QB front from a true insider and straight shooter at One Buc Palace, ex-Bucs tight end and current Buccaneers Radio Network analyst Dave Moore.
Moore hopped on WDAE-AM 620 this morning and was hit with the inevitable do-you-stick-with-Fitzpatrick questions — if he’s playing well.
In short, Moore said you absolutely stick with Fitzpatrick in favor Jameis Winston if the offense continues to roll. Momentum, confidence and winning tops all else, Moore said, citing the rise of young Shaun King following an injury to starting QB Trent Dilfer in 1999.
Dilfer, as many fans forget, was a Pro Bowler in ’97 but nothing special in ’98. The Bucs got off to a great start in ’99 and Dilfer’s injury put King in the spotlight. King stayed on at quarterback even after Dilfer returned healthy that season, which ended in the gut-wrenching NFC Championship game.
Joe is not comparing Dilfer to Jameis, just sharing Moore’s commentary as a guy who played 16 years in the NFL and loves the Bucs.
Out of Sunday’s game, Moore also explained that he can’t grade the Bucs’ pass rush because Drew Brees simply was getting the ball out to quickly. Lots of catch, rock and throw out of the shotgun, Moore said.
Joe’s only buying that to a point. The Bucs’ pass rush was nowhere close to good enough.
They dumped Brees once in 45 attempts. Last year, Brees went down about once every 29 attempts through a great season when he was balanced by a running game.
September 11th, 2018 at 1:36 pm
STICK WITH FITZ!!! And let’s be done with Winston. Forever. FITZ is the MAN!!
September 11th, 2018 at 1:38 pm
Totally agree….if he’s out due to an injury then I say let him have the conn when he’s healthy.
But, his absence is self inflicted a non-injury.
Transparently, I just want us to win.
If that’s what Fitz gives us then let it be!
Maybe me but it seemed like the O Line had his and barber’s back throughout the game.
Really like Jensen throwing people around.
Pistol
September 11th, 2018 at 2:01 pm
If the Fitz led Bucs score 40+ the next 2 games – then by all means – let him have that 4th game as well. And if the team is 4-0 heading into the bye week – you gotta consider riding that horse as long as its galloping.
But lets not have any illusions as to who is the more talented NFL QB between Fitz and Winston first of all.
And secondly – unless Fitz is somehow going to lead this team to 13 or more regular season wins and into the playoffs still playing hot as a pistol – This team has got to play Winston sooner than later in order to determine if he really has made the big jump in capability and decision making that he displayed end of last year and in pre-season this year.
Fitz is turning 36 this year and is obviously close to retiring. Jameis is 24 and has at least a dozen years left to play this game.
Contractual decisions and commitments regarding Winston’s future with the Bucs must be made by sometime next year.
A legit QB “controversy” at any point this year is a nice “problem” to have – because it means the team is WINNING!
But realistically – Any/All of the above is HIGHLY unlikely.
Fitz play will come back to earth (or worse) sooner than later and Winston will return as the starter for game 4 and show everyone (haters included) why he was the #1 overall pick and the only true franchise QB the Buccaneers have ever had…
September 11th, 2018 at 2:02 pm
FITZY, FITZY, FITZY!!
September 11th, 2018 at 2:06 pm
Thankfully it wasn’t Gene doing the interview. FITZ!, NO WINSTON! NO IT”S GRIFFIN PLAYING RUNNING BACK WEEK 7!
September 11th, 2018 at 2:07 pm
well said pick.
September 11th, 2018 at 2:09 pm
Common folks, one game is just that one game. In the real world, you do not replace a 24 year old (that has not even scratched his potential) with a 35 year old journeyman. Congrats to fitz for having a career game! Don’t forget that Jameis was red hot during the preseason. I could see this offense building in the preseason with all 3 qbs. So far that seems to have carried on to the season. Still the d and kicking game is shaky.
September 11th, 2018 at 2:13 pm
Remember people… Fitz is streaky.
When he’s hot, he’s reallllllly hot.
…and when he’s cold, even Jon Snow couldn’t save his arse.
September 11th, 2018 at 2:22 pm
LOL Cannon
“Winter is Coming” for Fitz in the form of the Eagles and Steelers defenses.
Maybe Fitz can find and bond with his own personal dragon and wage his own form of scorched earth policy against those formidable defenses. But that seems just a tad far fetched obviously – because this is Tampa Bay – Not Westeros….
September 11th, 2018 at 2:24 pm
Dewey,
Word, dude. Deckerhoff’s inane babbling grates on this fan’s last nerve. Bad enough that I’m out of market and have to rely on a radio stream, but Gene, ‘Bubble brain’ just adds to the pain. All the same, kudos to our Pewter Pirates for blistering the Saint’s D. Go Bucs!
September 11th, 2018 at 2:28 pm
Got to ride the hot hand IF it continues over the next few weeks. Even if they lose and the offense is clicking but the defense is getting carved up you have to keep rolling with Fitz.
September 11th, 2018 at 2:31 pm
Jameis is our guy.
September 11th, 2018 at 2:33 pm
Gene may be getting a bit old, but he is a Tampa Bay legend. He was great back in the dark days still firing us up as we had to listen on the radio. Jesse Ventura was in there for a couple years with him, that was great. He did a fantastic job, even when we played the Vikes twice a year. I get Gene’s not on his game like the old days, but no need to insult a Bucs legend. Just saying.
September 11th, 2018 at 2:45 pm
LMAO here. One game and our Bucs are world beaters. Philly will be ready. They will study Fitz hard. Don’t expect 48 pts people. Expect a real tough physical brawl. And our DEFENSE had better be better than they were against them Saints. Defense is the key. Not our Offense. We will score. But who can we stop?
September 11th, 2018 at 2:45 pm
Anybody who has played team sports knows what its like to have a game where the whole team is on fire. Its an amazing experience when it happens. For me it was basketball but the thrill is the same in any sport. BUT, only elite teams can pull that off consistently. If the offense can maintain the same level in the coming weeks we will be contenders if the defense raises its game too. Too soon to tell but that first game was a hoot! As for Fitz, the guy with the hot hand deserves to play unless he falters. And a lot of QBs get injured so having either guy available is a big plus. Our receivers are as good as any in the league. But the D has to make stops. We can’t win many games giving up 40 points. Reality might bite hard the next two weeks. But win or lose I will still stick with the Bucs!
September 11th, 2018 at 2:46 pm
As I commented yesterday on one of Joe’s posts – if Fitz wins one of the next two games and doesn’t stink up the other, or if he wins both, he will start against Chicago in Week 4. Jameis will be the starter after the bye week, so they have two weeks to evaluate his readiness and prep him for the Falcons in Week 6. Any wagers?
September 11th, 2018 at 2:47 pm
has Winston ever looked as good as Fritz hitting receivers in stride ?? never!!
September 11th, 2018 at 2:49 pm
What Pickgrin said in his first comments!
_________________________
Nothing against Winston, but I would love to see Ftiz lead us to a 4-0 start.
Reality, says this the NFL, remember! Rolling over the likes of both the Eagles and the Steelers isn’t likely. In spite of the outcome of their game with the Packers, we had better not overlook the Bears either.
The Eagles have a top notch OL and and a strong defense. We won’t catch them by surprise. One game at a time please.
_________________
Go Bucs!!!!! Wreak Havoc!! No Excuses!
September 11th, 2018 at 2:59 pm
Mike, I think we can stop their run game. I hope we can impact their passing game as well. I am counting on us to to do much better in the red zone than the Falcons could in order to win this one.
We shall see!
____________
Go Bucs!!!!!!
September 11th, 2018 at 3:14 pm
If you are Koetter and you know your job is on the line and it’s imperative to continue winning and you have your veteran QB Fitz getting the job done then how in the world do you expect him to just say “Ok, bring in Jameis”. I’m sure Koetter wouldn’t want to throw his young hurler under the bus but realistically wouldn’t it be more prudent to go with the hot hand to secure his own job for the future. If Fitz cools off then bring in the 50/50 ball gunslinger
September 11th, 2018 at 3:30 pm
Seems like everyone shined up their crystal balls, I needed a good laugh.
September 11th, 2018 at 3:39 pm
@ ben
Has fitz ever looked as good hitting receivers in stride?? NEVER!!! Thats why he is on his 8th team. Thats why it was called a CAREER DAY as in it never happened before.
Hey ben
Has jameis ever played behind a line that gave him all day to throw for an entire game? Many fans blamed koetter and his long developing plays because the oline could not hold up. They did on Sunday which was new.
This is truley the dumbest fan base. A journey man had a career day and all of a sudden that is supoose to erase the 14 years of play and fitz is the man? Said by no other fan base but this idiotic fan base.
September 11th, 2018 at 3:44 pm
@Tc … “Don’t forget that Jameis was red hot during the preseason. I could see this offense building in the preseason with all 3 qbs.” Your last line there is the key IMO Tc. With this TEAM in front of them, all 3 QBs did very well in the preseason games. Really is amazing how having solid protection & outstanding weapons seems to make a difference in QB productivity.
Joe, was thinking earlier that our new high-powered offense practiced against our “trainwreck” defense in the OTA & training camp, and from what I remember reading in your articles, it sounded like our defense held their own on most days. Given that Vea & Unrein were out most of camp, and Brent Grimes didn’t practice all that much, it makes me wonder what happened to the defense on Sunday. It’d be easy to say “Drew Brees happened to them”, but this defense went against Jameis & Fitz all summer. Something’s not adding up because this 1st team defense looked a lot better IMO in preseason. Hopefully they rebound this Sunday against Philly. Curry & Allen should be able to give us a pretty good leg up on being able to defend the Eagles’ offense I would think.
September 11th, 2018 at 3:45 pm
There is a world of difference between a QB controversy on a winning team and a losing team.
Let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves. That N.O. D may have serious suck this season.
One. Game. At. A. Time.
Even the front office would agree: ride the hot hand until it cools.
Jameis created this problem and Fitzpatrick may just fix it.
I just hope Winston is sitting home, stunned, and watching the game Fitzpatrick is playing: cool, mature, not too excited, takes what is given, forces nothing, sprints downfield if nothing is there and slides down before contact.
To me, the best stat line from this last game was “0” turnovers by the Bucs QB. Jameis, pay attention. If YOU don’t turn the ball over, the TEAM has a much higher probability of winning.
September 11th, 2018 at 3:46 pm
Fitz is not the QB of the future and no one is saying that. But he has shown that, with the offensive talent on this team, a poised, capable, experienced QB can deliver. So One Buc Place has a bridge if they choose to cross over, and it’s not only a matter of talent, but baggage to consider. These next three or four games will be interesting. Final point: We don’t know what Fitz will do in his next game, anymore than we know what Winston will do in his next game.
September 11th, 2018 at 3:53 pm
Here is one thought:
What if what the coaching staff says is true, that Ryan Griffin is an excellent QB and quintessential passer? He certainly didn’t look like a back-bencher in preseason.
Might a decision be made, in light of numerous factors including $$$, an argument could be made to keep Fitzpatrick around as a serious mentor to Griffin and spend the $$$ allotted to Winston elsewhere?
That said, the Bucs have already picked up Winston’s 5th-year option, so that needs to be factored in.
It will be interesting to see how this all plays out IF…and it is an elephant-in-the-room IF…the Bucs offense continues to a force to be reckoned with in the NFL…
September 11th, 2018 at 4:21 pm
#TheAmishRifleIsFree
The QB decision will be made solely based on Koetter’s desire to be employed. He will start the QB who gives him the best chance of winning TODAY, followed in consideration by the QB who gives him the best chance of winning over the next 3-4 weeks on a rolling basis. For him to give one iota of care to “discovering” if Jameis “has what it takes” for his big contract next year (…four years in…) is ludicrous. The man is fighting for his income. As I stated months ago before the suspension came to light, I think there is a high likelihood Koetter would have benched Winston coming out of the bye in favor of Fitz if the Bucs started 1-3 or worse. Koetter is in survival mode.
#FreeTheAmishRifle
September 11th, 2018 at 4:28 pm
Fitz starts week 4 either way if he’s healthy due to the short week- no way Koetter inserts a rusty Winston.
September 11th, 2018 at 4:40 pm
webster
you’re the type of idiotic fan this fanbase can do without. Piss on you
September 11th, 2018 at 5:10 pm
Off topic but could anyone else not stand that ladies voice calling the lions jets game last night. My wife made me turn to espn2 and watch it in Spanish. She ssaid that ladies voice was driving her nuts. Nails on a chalk board. I am all for equality but a women that sounds like that yapping all night during a prime time nfl game is horrid. Keep her on the noon Indiana football games please. I hope she isn’t on the bucs Steelers Monday night game.
September 11th, 2018 at 5:12 pm
The fans and the two dudes on this site who are always instigating $hit in tampa are insane. The way the Oline blocked in the bayou and how those receivers beat their coverage all day you could have just about anyone back there and then they’d be y’alls hero just the same. Absolutely stupid to think that Fitz is anywhere close to Winston in the way of talent and he had a great game of course but The Eagles will knock his teeth out. Steve and the fair weather fans will be crying like little Pu$$ie$ next week for JW to be back behind center the second he’s eligible to come back
September 11th, 2018 at 5:15 pm
Two points here. First, if Ryan Fitzpatrick continues to make the offense hum, ya gotta dance with the one what brung ya, meaning we stick with Fitzpatrick even once Jameis Winston comes back. After all, winning trumps everything else and if Fitzpatrick get done in weeks two and three, let’s not rock the boat.
Second point is about Joes qualms about the pass rush. First, let’s remember the primary goal for the defensive line as set by Jason Licht then by Brentson Buckner is to stop the run which they did by allowing the Saints only 42 yards on 13 carries for a paltry 3.3 yards per attempt. And, the D-line stopped the run against Alvin Kamara. What going to happen with a more “average” running back? Second part of this point focuses on the pass rush. The Bucs’ D-line was going against Drew Brees and his natural quick release, a quick release that is being used in an offensive scheme Brees has been playing in for over a decade and is obviously designed to take advantage of that quick release. Still the Bucs got one sack when Vinny Curry overwhelmed the Saints’ left tackle with a speed rush. Lastly, before the game Gerald McCoy said the D-line still has to develop a “feel” for one another. So, let’s save the evaluations of the D-line and its pass rush capabilities until a few games have passed.
September 11th, 2018 at 5:16 pm
Winston is the starter it was great to watch Fitzpatrick light it up.if He does it against the Eagles and Steelers I believe you ride him until the magic wears off. I don’t think jameis sitting and learning is a bad thing. But he is the future at qb. But either way I just want to win. So as long as one of the qbs are playing great I’m happy. The last thing you want is jameis taking over starting and have a couple turnovers. Then all the media and fans will be asking coaches and players 1000 times a week should Fitz be starting. And that is no good for the team. But the way the offense looked Sunday it looked like any qb could have had a career day. Every play there was a guy wide open. And now that Godwin is in the picture who do you double team. And if you roll a safety over the top of the wide receiver O.J. Howard will have the middle of the field wide open. Exciting time to be a buck fan. Wouldn’t you agree reality is a beotch
September 11th, 2018 at 6:18 pm
Trench war
No sir you are the idiot fan im talking about. I read your stupid post. Dont get mad at me for calling you butt hurt mariota lovers out. Oh by the way he sucks and is hurt again!!!! So you butt hurt mariota cling to this dream that a 36 year old journeyman on his 8th team will all of a sudden turn into dan marino in order for the bucs to cut winston. Gtfooh. Yes im calling out that stupid s#!+. I can dont care who the bucs play or dont play and that is why you dont see me trolling this team or our players on every article. I cheer for my team and call out all you butt hurt mariota lovers. You are a disgrace trench war and all of the posters with you idiotic agendas.
September 11th, 2018 at 6:19 pm
With your idiotic agendas
September 11th, 2018 at 8:22 pm
Dewey Selmon Says:
September 11th, 2018 at 2:06 pm
Thankfully it wasn’t Gene doing the interview. FITZ!, NO WINSTON! NO IT”S GRIFFIN PLAYING RUNNING BACK WEEK 7!
^^^LMAO I love Gene tho!
September 11th, 2018 at 8:31 pm
Seems like everyone’s drinking the Kool-Aid you guys got to remember that was the same old bucs they just happened to win this time. One pick and everyone will be begging for Jameis.
That defense is still god awful.
Fitz and the offense put a flower on the turd so its not smelling so bad but bro its still a turd.
September 11th, 2018 at 8:49 pm
If FITZ performs well for all three of Winston’s eff-up suspension, ya gotta stick with FITZ. And if people are still hollerin’ “Ya gotta put Winston in!!’…then you’re not Bucs’ fans. You’re Winston fans. Big difference.
September 11th, 2018 at 10:30 pm
JimBuc2, that “inane rambling” is music to my ears, personally. To each his own.
September 12th, 2018 at 11:21 am
Fitz is more accurate on deep passes, runs smart and fast, reads the field quickly, and is very smart in his decisions, and stays cool under pressure and therefore doesn’t start out overthrowing receivers. He also can pickup short yardage with a QB sneak. Most significantly, he has no trouble scoring in the red zone. Now we saw in the second preseason game, sometimes he can go into a slump, but the answer to that is simple, put in our other QB. Jameis was red hot in the Preseason but if Fitz has won our first three, put him as the starter for Chicago. From there on start Fritz til he slumps. Even when Jameis takes over if he turns over the ball or is still bad in the red zone, put Fitz in.