A Clear Sign Of Dysfunction
November 5th, 2018
Can anyone of sound mind explain to Joe why DeSean Jackson hasn’t returned a punt in three consecutive games?
He is the best punt returner on the roster.
You want a clear sign of Bucs dysfunction, other than the obvious, there’s a glaring one right there.
Last month, Joe talked to special teams coach Nate Kaczor, who shared that there’s extra juice on his return team when Jackson trots out to field a punt. And the juice continues through the play.
Joe also has talked to Adam Humphries about Jackson returning punts. And Humphries, who is the Bucs’ punt returner, is quick to acknowledge that Jackson’s explosiveness and speed is a marvel and there’s no doubt he’s a bit more dangerous than Humphries when it comes to the craft.
Up in Tennessee, in August, Jackson told Joe he “100 percent” wants to return punts. And the Bucs gave him the green light this season.
Koetter subsequently called Jackson one of the most dangerous returners in the NFL and said the Bucs would pick their spots to use him. Jackson had one return in each of the first five games and we all saw the incredible touchdown return against the Steelers, which was called back for an Isaiah Johnson penalty.
And now Jackson has been shut down on punt returns — or has shut it down himself — for three consecutive games.
Joe can’t find a good reason other than there’s serious dysfunction going on.
Where is Jackson on punts? Bucs fans are told that coaches play the guys who give the Bucs the best chance to win. Heck, this is the same coaching staff faking punts to generate a spark.
For those wondering, Humphries’ 6.5-yards-per-return average ranks 17th in the NFL among punt returners with eight or more returns.
November 5th, 2018 at 9:05 am
The Coaches we have are average at best and horrendous at their worst.
November 5th, 2018 at 9:05 am
The Coaches we have are average at best and horrendous at their worst. It’s as simple as that.
November 5th, 2018 at 9:07 am
DJAX, Rick Strouds fav, has not been on a playoff team, he leaves Philly the succeed, leaves Skins & they r in first place, now he’s here,Great!!!
November 5th, 2018 at 9:07 am
After 42 years I am too tired of this. I am done. I can’t waste any more of my life, Sunday afternoons, on such a mess. Gone fishing. Farewell BUCS fans; I am tapping out.
November 5th, 2018 at 9:08 am
Worst coaching staff in the league. So tired of the bozos claiming its the roster. Should’ve cleaned house last off-season. But we didn’t. Because “you can’t keep firing coaches every 2 years”…
Well you should fire them if they’re the wrong coaches. Will our 5-11 record this season convince everyone finally?
November 5th, 2018 at 9:10 am
That is grossly inaccurate. DJax has been on five playoff teams both in Philly and Washington.
November 5th, 2018 at 9:12 am
The Bucs don’t need extra TD’s; they have the #1 offense in the NFL…
November 5th, 2018 at 9:13 am
I’ve been screaming to get this guy in at punt returns. There were several opportunities in the second half yesterday (because there wasn’t much punting in the first) to get him out there for a spark, but nope. It’s like we are against any type of creativity. The most creative play we’ve run all year is a jet sweep. Look at what other teams around the league are doing and then look at what we do. We are playing 1980s football, and I’m really growing tired of it.
November 5th, 2018 at 9:16 am
“The Bucs don’t need extra TD’s; they have the #1 offense in the NFL…”
————–
Pretty sure this is sarcasm, but we don’t have the #1 offense in the NFL. I don’t care what the stats say, the eye test shows that we are far from #1. We don’t score in the first half. We don’t start scoring until we are down 3 TD’s. We can’t run the ball. We can’t pick up a short yardage first down on the ground if our life depended on it. We have no creativity on offense.
November 5th, 2018 at 9:18 am
they did not want him to get hurt in case they were going to trade him.
November 5th, 2018 at 9:18 am
Yes Duke, I quit this sht last year. Sundays are so much fun without the Bucs. The best fishing spots are available. I can’t believe how I so invested in this crap show.
November 5th, 2018 at 9:20 am
Oh this coaching staff can absolutely be fired and should have been last year. I can see if he had some kind of pedigree as a head coach that showed he can be successful with time but to bring him back because they played hard for him at the end of the season even though they were losing was plain crazy. Look how hard they’re playing for dirk now. It’s been a decade glazers time to get someone in here with enough balls to get rid of all the high priced nobody’s and man enough to look at this roster objectively. Extending Donovan Smith is a joke. I bet there is someone on the roster not getting playing time that can do what he does but the only inconsistent players getting bench are at quarterback which isn’t the problem
November 5th, 2018 at 9:21 am
Other teams punt to us?
November 5th, 2018 at 9:27 am
We need him healthy for the playoffs along with Jameis.
As Simple As That.
November 5th, 2018 at 9:28 am
We Got To Get Better
November 5th, 2018 at 9:29 am
Joe are you having fun yet??????
November 5th, 2018 at 9:30 am
Yesterday was great friends, great food, great drinks and lousy Bucs game. Pretty much a standard football Sunday. Everything I had control over was great. I don’t have any control over the Bucs so I am not getting upset over the circus act.
November 5th, 2018 at 9:31 am
Coaches just flat out making the wrong decision. Should’ve cleaned house last year and one can pray it’s going to happen this year. Malcolm brought in Gruden cus he knew he was the answer for the Bucs at that time. Glazer kids have no clue. Firing a playoff coach in Raheem Morris then hiring a HC FROM RUTGERS to take on an NFL job. Then Lovie who was a gigantic bust. Then Dirk Koetter with no HC experience.
Flat out need to spend money on a vet HC that has multiple playoff and Super Bowl apperances. Cowher is a dream situation and can put together a good coaching staff.
P.S. DJax will not be here next year after the clean sweep as well.
November 5th, 2018 at 9:32 am
How about we have a coach that goes for 4th down in the first half deep inside our own territory which lead to an opponents touchdown with an entire half to play. Please get us a real head coach maybe one that has been to the playoffs with a real NFL team as a head coach. Oh yes also one whose best buddy doesn’t coach in the NFL.
November 5th, 2018 at 9:34 am
The losing has almost nothing to do with the offense, DJax, etc. Yeah, they have a couple of holes, but still put up big numbers even when the other team know what’s coming.
The losing is the sole responsibility of the defense.
No one should be expecting miracles after firing Smith. It’s still the SAME “system” just dumbed down by Duffner.
I don’t see this team as a total train wreck as in teams past. Lovie got fired because it was HIS defence that failed Koetter’s offense. Certainly a mistake was hiring Mike Smith because he produced nothing but crap.
I assume that the D talent Licht brought in was not his decision alone, but in consultation with Mike Smith, primarily, with Koetter’s approval. While it may be difficult to hire a new DC and let him completely gut the entire defense with Koetter on the hot seat, I believe that is the most prudent step forward.
Koetter is certainly accountable for the poor defense, but it is not his hands-on direct responsibility and fault.
My prescription: keep Koetter, hire a new DC and require him to gut the entire defense, and cut $40-$50 million of dead cap wood from the roster and stock up the defense.
And, no, Winston would not be in my plan. He goes away. It’s clear the Bucs O is more a “system” offense that a QB-driven offense.
November 5th, 2018 at 9:35 am
It has a great deal to do with the offense. What do you think happens when a team falls behind four scores in the first half? Pretty much have to trash your gameplan.
November 5th, 2018 at 9:45 am
Glazer kids have no clue. People say they don’t care about the Bucs but they obviously do spending lots of dough for players and facility upgrades. Hiring a HC from RUTGERS to take on an NFL job. Lovie that is now in the flamming pits of hell coaching a college team. Then Dirk Koetter that knows nothing about defense so he gave it to his best bud Smith to take care of it for him, for good or very very bad. Hopefully we can clean house and they will go get a vet HC with multiple playoff and Super Bowl apperances. A good GM and Cowher putting together a team and coaching staff here is something I pray for every night before I go to bed. More money will be there when DJax gets cut next year with many others.
November 5th, 2018 at 9:47 am
Joe,
The defense is beyond atrocious.
Jason Licht built a bad D. The scheme can be on the coaches, but the piss poor effort tackling is 100% on the players. Disgusting lack of effort. Inexcusable. It’s one thing to suck and get your ass beat every Sunday, but don’t ever, ever give up. That’s beyond reproach.
November 5th, 2018 at 9:49 am
Oo oo. Pick me! Could it be because our head coach is hands off on everything and stupid? Did I get it right?
November 5th, 2018 at 9:52 am
Does it even matter?
I know it sounds cliche, if there’s so much wrong with this team I don’t even know where to begin
November 5th, 2018 at 9:55 am
LOL
The Yucs are the most dysfunctional franchise in sports
November 5th, 2018 at 9:56 am
this speaks to the incompetence of dirk…..and if djax has shut it down, then that speaks to how soft dirk is…..its not the first time we’ve seen a player do what he wants and as long as dirk is HC, it wont be the last…..
clean house…..
Kris Richard for HC!!!!!!!
#NOEXCUSESIN2018!!!!…#PRESSURESONTHECOACHES!!!!….GO BUCS!!!!
November 5th, 2018 at 9:59 am
The offense is just as bad as the defense
Pittsburgh. 24-7
Chicago-38-3
Atlanta-21-6
Cincinnati- 21-0
Carolina- 35-7
Even Cleveland outscored them 21-7 in the 2nd half
November 5th, 2018 at 10:00 am
Pass,
Trade deadline is long gone.
They prob aren’t letting him cause his attitude sucks and he’s giving minimal effort. Why reward that behavior even if it may help you.
November 5th, 2018 at 10:03 am
The only reason the BUCS have the #1 offense is because of all the yards gained during ‘garbage time’.
November 5th, 2018 at 10:06 am
The 21 offensive turnovers
31st in the NFL
-15 turnover ratio
32nd in the NFL
November 5th, 2018 at 10:09 am
Let’s end all the sturm und drang of this season and just relegate the Bucs to the
Mountain West Conference as its first East Coast member. I can foresee a heated
rivalry with San Diego State.
See? Problem solved!
November 5th, 2018 at 10:10 am
@Joe … “The Bucs don’t need extra TD’s; they have the #1 offense in the NFL…”
Agreed Bonzai … must’ve been sarcasm on Joe’s part. Joe knows that YARDAGE means diddly for one thing; POINTS SCORED is all that matters. For another, when your record is 3-5 then YES YOU DO NEED EXTRA TDs. Elementary school math tells me that the Bucs came up short FIVE TIMES.
November 5th, 2018 at 10:11 am
Pass the Buc is right they didn’t want him to get hurt but they were trying to get to much for him an if we would have traded Djac the same fans crying on this post about how they can’t stand him would be the same fans crying that we traded him an are throwing the towel in does anyone remember what Jameis did when this team had a Running Game I don’t think it’s Tojo how do you go from 1500 in collage to -5 in NFL something ain’t right in that locker Room besides Djack wanting Fitz to play well how did he do yesterday Djac
November 5th, 2018 at 10:12 am
Oops, sorry Hawaiian. I need to pay closer attention.
November 5th, 2018 at 10:54 am
I agree he should be returning punts, but also we should just focus on forcing more punts in general.
This defense is BAD.
November 5th, 2018 at 10:58 am
Not the first time the best player at his position get replaced by an slow avg guy
November 5th, 2018 at 11:00 am
FIRE THE GM!
November 5th, 2018 at 11:24 am
While I would love to hammer the coaching staff and have been saying this for weeks in this case I would not be surprised if Djax said, as part of his pouting, that he did not want to return punts any longer. Remember Joe you asked Koetter earlier in the year why he did not return them last year and he said a player has to want to. Simple as that, and please remember this is no doubt a me first player that is one of the main reasons this team is now more of a disaster than ever. Koetter cant control his locker room and players like, Djax, Swaggy, Ward all have more impact on the culture of this team than the coaching staff and that my friends is THE PROBLEM.
November 5th, 2018 at 11:27 am
Also I love now that they look horrible and lose with Fitz, NOW everyone wants to talk about how bad the defense is or how bad the return game is and how players are shutting it down. This is stuff I have been saying for 3-4 weeks yet it is only once the bench Jameis do people actually want to look at the real problems. But but but I thought it was all the QB and all the turnovers???
November 5th, 2018 at 11:33 am
Joe Says:
Perhaps you misunderstood me.
Of course the D has put the O in desperation situations. That is obvious, except in the first two games where the O struck first and often.
I am thankful the O has enough grit, “heart” and positive play to get back in games. That’s a big + for the O, not the D.
I’m sure I was not the only one who had growing confidence the O could tie the game after scoring and one TD behind with plenty of time on the clock.
I don’t see the O as a problem. It is unrealistic to expect the O to score 6 TD’s+ every game, especially in the NFC South and a tough out-of-conference schedule. The Bucs opponents are 38-25 right now which places those teams in the top 1/3 of the league. Right now, every team but Cleveland could make the playoffs.
This team is weird. It’s like watching evil co-joined twins, one an angel and one a demon.
November 5th, 2018 at 2:38 pm
Humphries is a great returner is why… at least in the preseason against 3rd stringers.