Simplify
October 8th, 2018
This morning, the NFL employee considered a villain in some corners of One Buc Palace shared a chat he had with embattled defensive coordinator Mike Smith.
Joe is referring to NFL Network reporter Ian Rapoport, the guy who dropped a dubious televised report in December of a rift between Dirk Koetter and Jameis Winston. Rapoport was told in advance by Bucs officials that his unnamed source(s) were feeding him garbage, but Rapoport ran with it anyway. Jameis and Koetter denied any issues and Jameis finished the season playing good football.
Today, Rapoport was on WDAE-AM and shared part of a chat he had with Smith before the 2017 season.
Rapoport said they talked about the post-Week-9-bye turnaround of the Bucs defense in 2016, and Smith said simplifying the defense during the bye and focusing on what his players did well was a major key. For those who forgot, the Bucs gave up an average of just 17 points per game in the second-half of 2016, en route to a 6-2 finish. They also finished with the No. 1-ranked third-down defense in the league.
So will Smith simplify again this bye week? He should.
Joe’s a little worried about focusing on what the Bucs do well on defense. That’s a very small sample size.
Joe’s greatest hopes lie in is safety Jordan Whitehead getting healthy, Vita Vea emerging following his first action, Justin Evans learning from his mistakes, and Brent Grimes rebounding to look like his 2016 self. Even three of those four things panning out would mean significant improvement.
October 8th, 2018 at 11:16 am
Haven’t we heard from a variety of sources to include opposing players that we don’t make adjustments and play predominantly single high coverage. Not sure about y’all but that’s a pretty simple defense. There really isn’t a whole lot of masking needing to be done and it’s either man or zone underneath. Idk y’all I wasn’t one to completely throw the towel on Smith, but 2016 is looking more like a fluke.
October 8th, 2018 at 11:17 am
Can’t believe I’m saying this but… Start Ryan Smith over Grimes.
October 8th, 2018 at 11:19 am
1 + 1 = 2
^^^
Mike smith defensive scheme
October 8th, 2018 at 11:20 am
I keep hearing “well who are you going to get to run the defense if you fire Mike Smith??” At this point does it really matter? I think my 2 years old nephew could devise a better game plan than Mike Smith. We are dead last in the league in defense people who cares who replaces him????????????? Sorry to be so cold on this one but the guy is getting paid as much as some head coaches and hes wasting a huge opportunity with the best offense the Bucs have EVER had.
October 8th, 2018 at 11:21 am
The one thing I will say is it really doesn’t matter what defense you call if guys just blow their assignments over and over again nothing is going to work. I saw Justin Evans blow his assignment several times, I say Davis blow his assignment several times, I say LVD look lost several times. I just don’t understand how they can all be so lost out there. It seems like they don’t trust one another and that is the root of most of the issues. If a zone is being played and one guy doesn’t do his job then the whole defense it exposed and that seemed to happen time and time again last Sunday. Just one guy not doing his job spelled disaster over and over again.
October 8th, 2018 at 11:23 am
Also we have arguably two of the fastest attacking athletic linebackers in the league built perfectly for blitzing the opposing QB and getting sacks and Smith wants to play it safe like the prevent defense. Also saw a great piece in Bleacher Report which talked about Smith letting the corners decide whether they want to play press of lay back 20 yards. No Mike you tell them what to do in each situation you are the coach!!!!!!!
October 8th, 2018 at 11:32 am
Jack Del Rio please!
October 8th, 2018 at 11:39 am
Mike Stoops has been fired as Oklahoma’s defensive coordinator on the heels of the Sooners’ 48-45 loss on Saturday to Texas.
The school announced the firing Monday. Ruffin McNeill, who had been the Sooners’ assistant head coach and defensive tackles coach, will serve as the defensive coordinator for the rest of the season.
“I have great respect for Mike,” coach Lincoln Riley said in a statement. “He’s a quality football coach, great man and a close friend. It became time for a change in our program and that happens sometimes in football.
Why can’t Kotter do this to Mike Smith?
Sure seems like pathetic defense in college isn’t acceptable, but iit’s OK with the Bucs.
3 years of garbage defense and Smith still has a job?
October 8th, 2018 at 11:50 am
He has demonstrated that he can’t make in game adjustments.
Now needs 2 weeks to simplify the D based on his players strengths?
Incompetent.
Pistol
October 8th, 2018 at 11:52 am
Damn honestly are you serious? Most of the fans on your webpage have said that since 2016. Did it not dawn on him that simplifying his dense was a key to some success then and he should have don’t that going forward? I hate Mike Smith even more now than before. It didn’t help all that much but they were in the race for a playoff berth until they let Geraldine give his let’s have fun speech against Dallas and they went out and got destroyed which was the end. Nothing smith does should change the fact that he needs to go and should take dirk with him
October 8th, 2018 at 11:54 am
forget 2016!!!!!….those 5games were a fluke……
why didn’t smitty simplify things last year when the defense was trash?……
@dislocated is right!!!!!
the defense is already simple enough…..its already too predictable…..MT had a career day vs this defense, that should tell you how simple it is…..
all I hear is excuse after excuse…..first it was talent….then injuries…..then communication…..now its too complex……that’s complete BS!!!!!!
smittys scheme is outdated and predictable…..
#NOEXCUSESIN2018!!!!….#PRESSURESONTHECOACHES!!!!….GO BUCS!!!!!
October 8th, 2018 at 11:59 am
@ndog … “I just don’t understand how they can all be so lost out there. It seems like they don’t trust one another and that is the root of most of the issues.” Great observation ndog & I also think that’s the root problem. Well, that and no consistent pass rush. I’d almost bet (almost) that the 5 guys we had in the Secondary most of the game last Sunday (Davis, Grimes, Stewart, Evans & Whitehead) were NEVER on the field at the same time in pre-season, and most likely only had ONE practice together before the Chicago game. That’s NOT a formula for developing mutual trust.
@Nick2 … No way our LBs were getting through a 7-man protection scheme UNLESS our DLine blew holes through it. And no, that never happened. But your 2nd observation is spot on: with SEVEN guys defending against 3 receivers, why not beat the hell out of them at the line & just keep pressing? Bucs could’ve run TWO shadows on each receiver & still had 1 defender to spare. At worst it would’ve forced the Bears to abandon their 7-man protect scheme. It’s mind-boggling.
October 8th, 2018 at 12:02 pm
@813bucboy … “all I hear is excuse after excuse…..first it was talent….then injuries…..then communication…..now its too complex……that’s complete BS!!!!!”
The only thing ‘simplistic’ around here is you bucboy. Stop with the cliches and at least make an attempt to figure out what’s really going on.
October 8th, 2018 at 12:02 pm
Blitz on 1st down. mix in zone and man on 2nd, double A gap blitz on 3rd and long. Simple enough!!!!
October 8th, 2018 at 12:09 pm
I know that Kwon and LD looked completely lost against TruBisquit
October 8th, 2018 at 12:14 pm
DR-Stop with the cliches and at least make an attempt to figure out what’s really going on.
I don’t get paid to do that!!!!….that’s smitty’s job!!!!….his job is to figure out whats wrong with his defense, fix it and stop opposing offenses…..
not make excuse after excuse about, communication and simplifying things…..
#NOEXCUSESIN2018!!!!….#PRESSURESONTHECOACHES!!!!….GO BUCS!!!!!
October 8th, 2018 at 12:16 pm
YoungBucs Says:
October 8th, 2018 at 12:09 pm
I know that Kwon and LD looked completely lost against TruBisquit
correct….
they are just the latest to regress under smitty…..look out Justin evans….
#NOEXCUSESIN2018!!!!….#PRESSURESONTHECOACHES!!!!….GO BUCS!!!!!
October 8th, 2018 at 12:25 pm
“Simplify”, “communicate”, aren’t these things supposed to be the building blocks for PROFESSIONALS?! I mean, seriously! At some point you’ve got to play football. Put the players in a position to succeed. How effing hard can that be?! We’re not building nuclear reactors for pete’s sake!!!
Lets try step 1: See ball, hit ball! Any questions?!
October 8th, 2018 at 12:34 pm
@813bucboi Yes I completely agree on Smitty being a failed coach and I tell you what it’s time for him to get his azz on that sideline and start being a “REAL” coach and not a Mr. Eagle Eye air-conditioned press box bum!
October 8th, 2018 at 12:34 pm
DR-with SEVEN guys defending against 3 receivers, why not beat the hell out of them at the line & just keep pressing? Bucs could’ve run TWO shadows on each receiver & still had 1 defender to spare. At worst it would’ve forced the Bears to abandon their 7-man protect scheme. It’s mind-boggling.
damn right its mind boggling and flat out embarrassing that smitty cant make an adjustment to counter what the opposing OC is doing…..that’s incompetent coaching at its finest!!!!!
but somehow, you continue to make excuses for smitty…..mind boggling indeed……
#NOEXCUSESIN2018!!!!….#PRESSURESONTHECOACHES!!!!….GO BUCS!!!!!
October 8th, 2018 at 12:42 pm
youngbucs
folks have been saying that since last year…..get out of the AC and do some real hands on coaching…..
but folks like Defense Rules will have a great excuse as to why he stayed in the pressbox and refuses to make adjustment
#NOEXCUSESIN2018!!!!….#PRESSURESONTHECOACHES!!!!….GO BUCS!!!!!
October 8th, 2018 at 12:58 pm
Here’s the thing about that 5 game win steak / defensive turnaround in 2016… We were feasting on turnovers. Turnovers are the reason the defense was so successful during that stretch.
And we all know that relying on turnovers is not a sound philosophy that can be sustained over the long haul.
October 8th, 2018 at 1:08 pm
Best way for Smitty to simplify, is to stop all the exotic alignments.Too much effort to disguise his defense and apparently his young players are fooled more than the opposing offenses. Might also be too many different zone packages that require more veteran presence than Jason Licht provided.
October 8th, 2018 at 1:09 pm
Can’t root for this team with Smith as the DC. We have no hope. What should we do? Won’t buy another ticket or post another comment. Let’s leave now and root for thePanthers. Let’s go guys!! Sad. Go Bucs!
October 8th, 2018 at 1:21 pm
I still can’t believe this guy is still
Coaching the defense.
October 8th, 2018 at 1:24 pm
Please hire Kirby Smart the Guy never stops coaching players on both sides of the ball . He instantly made Mark Richts players 25 percent better across the board .
October 8th, 2018 at 2:05 pm
Does anyone remember the one time we blitz one of the two fast LB’s we have? I do. Kwon smacked the sh!t outta Foles for a FF turnover. Play has never been called since.
October 8th, 2018 at 2:14 pm
Reach87
I’ll never stop rooting for the Bucs but the Panthers are my most hated team in the NFC South, maybe NFL, with dolphin teeth and most horrific pimp suits dumba$$ millionaires can buy Cam Newton. Just made my spine crawl but so does Smith’s defense at the moment.
October 8th, 2018 at 2:28 pm
How do you simplify stupid?
October 8th, 2018 at 3:10 pm
Mike Smith fails to make any Defensive adjustments during the game. Does he know how? He’s doing the SOS that got him fired in ATL. If he cannot beat his former team?its time for the..Guilutine!!
October 8th, 2018 at 3:59 pm
Ndog….isnt It coaches job to teach guys ad coach then up to know their assignments?
October 8th, 2018 at 4:13 pm
Fire mike smith !!
October 8th, 2018 at 4:34 pm
This team has more problems than Mike Smith
He’s just Jason Licht latest scapegoat
October 8th, 2018 at 5:28 pm
@Lakeland … “This team has more problems than Mike Smith. He’s just Jason Licht latest scapegoat.” LMAO Lakeland. Comments like that might make 813bucboi and Reality-is-a-Beotch stop posting just like Reach87 just promised. Maybe they could all band together & start a Carolina Panthers fan club in Tampa. My 6-year-old grandson would join them … he’s a huge Panthers fan.
October 8th, 2018 at 6:12 pm
We also need to learn to run the ball so that we can play some ball control and keep our D off the field.
I just hope our Coach – takes into account how bad our D is when making in-game decisions. I’m not sure I punt on any 4th and short if we are on the plus side of the 50. We have to either have the ball last and run out the clock or have a 9 point lead with less than 3min to play to win.
October 9th, 2018 at 8:17 am
Secondary talent sucks, we play off coverage too much, we don’t know our assignments, secondary talent sucks… Inept pass rush, secondary talent sucks. There is a recurring theme here.
October 9th, 2018 at 10:20 am
@joe
Love u dogg.
Kendall Beckwith update perhaps?