“That Wouldn’t Be The Answer”
October 17th, 2018
Dirk Koetter has said a couple of times that he wouldn’t get too involved with the Buccaneers defense led by Mike Smith because he’d probably get in the way and wouldn’t add much value to an experienced staff.
Joe always disagreed, but that’s old news.
Now, Koetter has a new coordinator and is down a man on his defensive staff. So has the head coach’s attitude changed?
The Sage of Tampa Bay sports, Ira Kaufman, asked Koetter today if he’d now invest more time with his defense.
Koetter chuckled and said, “No. That wouldn’t be the answer.”
So there you have it. Koetter has faith in his defensive staff, now down their former top dog. Koetter added that he won’t be bringing in a consultant/coaching friend to put an extra set of eyes on his defense. Joe will have more on that later.
Derrick Brooks takes on the tough questions of the day — your questions — with sage columnist Ira Kaufman.Click below and enjoy this great production from The Identity Tampa Bay and JoeBucsFan.com, presented by Caldeco Air Conditioning & Heating.
Now in his 40th year covering the NFL, Ira Kaufman is the most revered sports personality and writer in the Tampa Bay area. He scored a full-time seat at JoeBucsFan.com world headquarters in July of 2016. Tampa Bay’s only Pro Football Hall of Fame voter busts out columns here every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and his award winning podcasts fire Tuesdays and Thursdays. You can also hear Ira on SiriusXM Mad Dog Radio Wednesdays at 5 p.m. Also a TV star, Ira is part of the FOX-13 Tailgate Sunday NFL show at 10:30 a.m. He’s also on BayNews 9 Wednesdays at 10:30 p.m. “The Sage” enjoys beet salads, Riesling, tennis, Bette Midler, Chiefs victories and needling Joe. …WATCH IRA AND DERRICK BROOKS on the new TAMPA TWO show from The Identity Tampa Bay and JoeBucsFan.
October 17th, 2018 at 6:50 pm
getting my mind right boss, ready for the annual, jan clearance sale, where there’s always a bargain on over, hyped players, has been recycled coaches, apprentice GM’s and a variety of QB’s some old some new, as is no warranty, so if interested send resume to, glazer and glazer at O-U-B-F’d rehash city tampa fl, where winning is not everything, glazer and glazer is an equal opportunity employer of the NFL that’s (not for long) what a bore city somewhere in the state of denial
October 17th, 2018 at 6:58 pm
So there will not be a LBer position coach the rest of the year? I guess Duffner pulls double duty in that respect then…
October 17th, 2018 at 7:02 pm
I don’t understand this. You’re the head coach. And half your team is getting killed. You aren’t going to be involved? What?! I genuinely want Koetter to succeed, but it is stuff like this that makes me think he just doesn’t have what it takes to get this team beyond mediocre. I am still hopeful, but it is fading fast.
October 17th, 2018 at 7:09 pm
If he get involve they will fire him like they fired Rah,Schiano, Lovie
October 17th, 2018 at 7:10 pm
It’s always good to have a scapegoat in your hip pocket
October 17th, 2018 at 7:30 pm
I guess Koetter can’t dance as well as GMC and Kwon. Maybe, Spence can
October 17th, 2018 at 7:42 pm
Proud poppa moment today for me.
My son broke the bully’s nose that had been pickin’ on everyone in class
He got suspended for it.
I just ordered Pizza and Ice Cream for him.
October 17th, 2018 at 7:42 pm
Would dearly love to see this ‘As The Stomach Turns’ drama turned around & the Bucs become ‘relevant’ again. Hard to see how that’s gonna happen this year though (and maybe for several years). Also hard to see how the Glazer Boyz retain Koetter & Company after this year, and most likely Licht too (especially if this team finishes once again in the NFC South basement). Too little CAP space now & too many over-priced players & others due for big contracts at year’s end. No doubt in my mind at this point that the Glazers will bring in a President of Football Operations (or some title like that) BEFORE they make any more major decisions though. They’re in over their collective heads and I’m thinking that they now realize it.
October 17th, 2018 at 7:45 pm
Congrats @SB nobody likes bullies
October 17th, 2018 at 7:46 pm
Amen Buc 50.
October 17th, 2018 at 7:50 pm
SB: Good for you and your son.
October 17th, 2018 at 7:56 pm
True TampaTown. Thanks.
Funny to be glad your son gets suspended but this bully has been picking on half the class. Girls as well. Kid deserved it.
October 17th, 2018 at 8:02 pm
WHY KOETTER HAS NO BUSINESS BEING A HEAD COACH!!!
NO CLUE ABOUT RUNNING A DEFENSE OR MAKING HEAD COACHING DECISIONS FOR DEFENSE!!!
October 17th, 2018 at 8:16 pm
Does Koetter not realize he is responsible for all phases of this team??
This guy is Dead Dirk Walking….
October 17th, 2018 at 8:37 pm
Getting Dirk Koetter a defensive coordinator that could hold teams to 20 points would be the answer!
October 17th, 2018 at 8:39 pm
Koetter did his job, which was to make Tampa Bays offense the best it’s ever been. Now we just need to get him a great defensive coordinator
October 17th, 2018 at 8:43 pm
Perhaps Dirk wants to keep far away from the dumpster fire known as the Buccaneer defense. He is enough in a corner trying to survive in his job as it is.
October 17th, 2018 at 8:48 pm
Agreed Bucs fan 7423… The rams are a shining example. The Super Bowl Buccaneers were another great example. If Licht and the Glazers go get the best damn DC they can find, add some more talent and depth, Bucs become contenders.
October 17th, 2018 at 9:14 pm
Smart move by Koetter. Try your best to distance yourself from that sh1tshow on defense. You are the head coach so it probably won’t work, but whatever you do don’t say you’re involved with coaching the worst defense in the history of football.
October 17th, 2018 at 10:04 pm
I simply can’t believe Koetter said that. Does he realize he is the head coach? He needs to do everything possible to make sure the defense is working and that includes bringing in outside help. The guy is totally clueless. Dead man walking.
October 17th, 2018 at 10:14 pm
SB
Bet that kid keeps his mouth shut Now
Your kid didn’t start it
But sounds like He finished it
Good Job!!!
I’m think field trip to skyzone
October 17th, 2018 at 10:18 pm
Having Dirk get involved on defense is like having Lovie getting involved with the offense.
October 17th, 2018 at 10:30 pm
Lol Atrain! Yeah, I don’t think that kid will mess with him anymore. At 12 yrs old that is the stuff kids don’t forget.
October 17th, 2018 at 10:31 pm
@DR – I want to hope they have finally realized that too, but what makes you think they finally did now? I’ve just never got the sense that the kids really “get it”.
I’m not sure what I make of Licht yet. Obviously he’s hit some studs and whiffed bad on some others. Seems that he’s above the league averages on drafting, but then there’s a bunch of guys who we’ve seen flashes from, but have not seen consistency (especially on defense). So is that on the players (which would fall on Licht), or on the coaches?
I know you were defending Smitty a lot before he was gone. But when I hear multiple experts, ex-pros, and ex-players all call out his scheme, I have to lay the blame at him when we see no improvement. When we actually see it get worse and worse, despite adding more players each year.
Just curious your take on that. I usually find myself agreeing with the majority of your comments over the years, but not so much on the subject of Mike Smith.
October 17th, 2018 at 10:32 pm
@SB – awesome man.
October 17th, 2018 at 10:36 pm
Yeah UB.
Proud Poppa moment. My son has been telling me about this kid for weeks and so has All of his friends. Girls even told me the same thing. He never messed with my son until today.
Now he sports two black eyes! Bet he ain’t what he thought he was anymore.
To ATrain. I posted a thanks but Joe hasn’t let it go through yet.
October 17th, 2018 at 10:37 pm
Well Joe is blocking me now guys so. GO BUCS!
October 17th, 2018 at 10:42 pm
Should’ve let his a$$ go Monday with his buddy! Any coach that flat out says no I’m leaving the defense alone or any other position for that matter does not deserve to be a head coach in this league. Your supposed to lead the team pu$$y. If I’m the GM or a Glazer i would put his Idaho potatoe picking A$$ down the road with his fat faced Steve Martin looking a$$ buddy. Put the confidence poll out on this bastard Joe. I voted confident every time for Dirk but no more. Now you can understand a little better now why you have so called leaders dancing on the sidelines like a bunch of idiots when your about to get your teeth kicked in for the 3rd consecutive game. They getting paid to get there a$$ kicked! No accountability from the head coach down
October 17th, 2018 at 10:43 pm
Me to for some reason
October 17th, 2018 at 10:43 pm
Thanks UB and Atrain.
October 17th, 2018 at 10:44 pm
Yeah not sure what is going on Knoxville.
October 17th, 2018 at 10:45 pm
I’m really pulling for Coach Duff…Dick Lebeau wasn’t a very good HC but he was a d@mn good DC for a long time…I’m pretty sure Duff learned a thing or 2 during his time working under Lebeau…
I’m hoping that Duffner has some feasible ideas that he can implement that can fix this defense…At this point our personnel isn’t going to change, we’re stuck with what we have… Expecting him to come in a turn our defense into a dominant unit isn’t very realistic; that being said, I’d definitely settle for consistently good instead of being consistently bad…The positive is, I don’t think we can get any worst than we saw with Lovie/Leslie and Mike Smith…
October 17th, 2018 at 10:51 pm
at least Koetter can openly admit he knows jack about defense… and if that’s the case, he shouldn’t be a head coach!
The great HCs should either be defensive masterminds or know just enough about defense to know how to put a mastermind in charge of it!
October 17th, 2018 at 10:54 pm
So ok. You’re telling me that the head coach does not want to have anything to do with the defense? That means he is not a head coach. YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO OVERSEEE THE ENTIRE TEAM! What is up with that?
October 17th, 2018 at 11:11 pm
Whatever. 6-10
October 17th, 2018 at 11:44 pm
Congrats SB. Now Rex Ryan or Jack del Rio?
October 18th, 2018 at 6:41 am
Dungy didn’t know a thing about offense, but stuck his nose in it, which caused us to *step in it* week after week, for years, squandering an opportunity at a dynasty. Be careful what you wish for.
The other side of the coin is that a one-time promising defensive minded guy from the same tree has been truly lighting up scoreboards with his tutelage of WRs with a division rival—managing to take a young player like Calvin Ridley and turn him into a star. Does Rah have a greater football mental capacity than Dirk? Maybe—but it’s telling that Rah was able to reboot his career as a WR coach because (in part) of the time he spent coaching people how to STOP WRs.
October 18th, 2018 at 8:17 am
Koetter’s response tells me it wasn’t his decision to fire Smith.
October 18th, 2018 at 9:32 am
This will be his undoing. Any good head coach oversees the coaches underneath him. Any good head coach offensive or defensive minded regardless gets involved on the other side of the ball. To just say he wont have any input is like writing your own ticket out of town.
October 18th, 2018 at 9:36 am
Sorry coach, that defensive turd is still, ultimately your responsibility. Keeping hands off will not save your a**. I sure hope they turn it around, but you have to overcome the culture of losing now.
October 18th, 2018 at 9:44 am
I don’t have a problem at all with Koetter saying that. I take it as him not wanting to micro-manage a facet of the game he doesn’t have NFL level experience with. He obviously trusts his staff and delegates defense to them until it’s (painfully) obvious they’re not getting the job done (see Smith sacking). The sky isn’t falling…there’s a lot of football games left to be played, and if you take the Bears out if the equation the Bucs have had the misfortune of playing some damn good offenses in the first quarter of the season (Saints, Steelers, Falcons, heck Eagles are the defending SB champs!).
October 18th, 2018 at 10:00 am
@Day1….Thanks and I think Del Rio but would rather snag Schwartz somehow
October 18th, 2018 at 11:05 am
Toes
He is responsible for the entire coaching staff, and all three phases. This habit he has of being oblivious to anything but his play call sheet is exactly why we are in this mess.
On top of that, every time he says this stuff he makes himself look worse. Mike Tomlin might not have much to do with his offense, but you wouldn’t here him say that out loud.
#DeadDirkWalking
October 18th, 2018 at 12:03 pm
And if Koetter said he was getting involved the same fans bitching about him letting his assistant coaches coach would be bitching that Koetter is the second coming of Schiano….you know the guy who got ran out of town by some of the same fans crying about him being the little general and a micromanager. Take a breath, and let’s see if the new DC can light a fire under these guys butts. As long as the team is winning games the style of coach Koetter wants to be doesn’t really matter…just win baby!
October 18th, 2018 at 12:36 pm
Actually
I didn’t have a problem with Schiano