Deeper Look At Penalties

September 16th, 2020

Joe already noted that on Sunday night, former NFL executive Scott Pioli stated there are deeper problems for the Bucs than park-violating, home-invading, NFLPA-ignoring Tom Brady and his picks.

Tuesday Pioli took to the airwaves of “Good Morning Football,” seen and heard weekday mornings on NFL Network. There, Pioli went a little deeper

Penalties as a major concern for Pioli along with downright dumb plays. Specifically, Pioli mentioned the blocked field goal and the dumbarse stunt by Mike Edwards on special teams.

And Pioli was right. Those two plays cost the Bucs 10 points. What was the margin on the scoreboard? It was 11 points. So the Bucs were right in the game, perhaps with a chance to win, even with Brady’s picks.

The penalties alarmed Joe. Yes, the Bucs led the NFL in penalties last year. And they lead the NFL in penalties after Week 1. Stretch that out to 16 games and it comes out to 144 penalties, 11 more than last season.

So Joe wondered if this was a Bruce Arians thing or a Bucs thing. Off to the internet Joe went.

And it seems this is a Bucs thing. When Arians coached at Arizona, he pretty much had the same coaching staff.

The Cardinals, with Arians, were one of the least penalized teams in the NFL. Certainly they were more often in the bottom half of the league than the top half.

And in 2015, the Cardinals had the third-fewest penalties in the NFL. (The Bucs that same year had the second-most.) There are still a handful of players on this year’s Bucs roster from the 2015 season.

Is this penalty thing just a Bucs thing or are there enough players on the team that don’t (and never will) have it in them to stop making bonehead penalties?

Meanwhile, you may view Pioli’s remarks about the Bucs in the NFL Network video below.

25 Responses to “Deeper Look At Penalties”

  1. RioDeJaneiro Bucs Fan Says:

    Penalties and ST are the major concerns.
    Bucs Defense faced a top-3 offense and made a statement. Brees= 160 y, Michael Thomas = 17 y, Kamara = 16 rush y.
    The two rookies played above expectations. One of the Joes typed here that he would be ok with 2 sacks by Cam Jordan. The result = 0 sack (isn’t that good?).
    The offense will click. The talent is huge. Tom Brady will figure it out. It’s just a matter of time. We’ll see improvement week by week. They’ll be at their best in 3-4 more weeks. Donovan Smith was abysmal last Sunday, but he’s not garbage. I think he’s an overpaid average LT, but good enough to get the job done as the season unfolds.
    I expect some bumps against the Panthers, but the Bucs’ll get a double-figure win.
    No need to push the panic bottom. We’ll be just fine. 11-5 or 12-4. Go Bucs!!!

  2. Joe in Michigan Says:

    I appreciate your positive attitude, RioDeJaneiro Bucs Fan! Looking forward to the game on Sunday!

  3. JameisAlmighty Says:

    That’s an ambitious total for wins for this seasons. I respect ur take, but no o line, no productive QB. Plus Brady can’t run the ball. Whether is is Famous Jameis Winston or Tom Brady, this is just a not special team. Famous Jameis aka Mr. Excitement knows his worth, and his worth this year will be making sure the Saints win the South and win the big game. Licht’s 2 biggest mistakes were not picking Derwin James Jr or Dalvin Cook. Shame on you Jason Licht.

  4. Bucked up Says:

    Hey Yo !

  5. Joe in Michigan Says:

    I’m going to start calling the people who cry about the Bucs draft picks the “Spilled Milkers”. You know, like crying over spilled milk?
    Meaning: There is no use in being upset over situations that have already happened and cannot be changed. Example: What’s done, is done. There is no point in crying over spilled milk.
    If you love Dalvin Cook and Derwin James more than you love the Bucs, feel free to follow their NFL teams. Just stop your whining!

  6. JameisAlmighty Says:

    Oh. And Vita Vea is soon to be a curse word (no pun intended) around the Bay Area.. I’m of full belief that if Derwin James Jr would’ve been picked, he would be picking off more passes and leading a fantastic modern defense. Instead Bucs fans suffer and pass the blame. Can’t Blame Jameis this year. Blame Brady! This franchise has been done since Licht took over as GM. Brady’s seat is hotter than a rooftop at noon and the networks will make every excuse for him. Bucs are a joke. Hope the Bolts don’t choke.

  7. JameisAlmighty Says:

    Joe In Michigan. Being in Michigan, you should know very well about a bad GM named Matt Millen or however u spell his name. Jameis is the only reason this team was exciting and competitive. Licht’s incompetence has sunk the Bucs ship.

  8. JameisAlmighty Says:

    Joe in Michigan. Nobody told the Jameis Bashers to stop their whining. But bash Jameis all you want while Brady targets Scotty Miller and Makes Godwin and Evans look like they are irrelevant. And don’t get me started of the WWE 24/7 champion Gronk. I can’t wait for Gronk to get hit and then a player rush over with a 1, 2, 3 count to take the wwe 24/7 title from him. Licht and the younger Glazers have turned the Bucs into something to whine and complain about. Life is really serious right now. It’s better to worry about things that don’t natter much, which would be Buccaneer football.

  9. adam from ny Says:

    vita is looking a little heavier and more out of shape right now…he’s moving a bit slower too…

    has anyone noticed this?…

    i know it’s only week 2 and no real camp and all…but he was moving in slow motion in the dome sunday

  10. Mike Johnson Says:

    Look guys, give it up for them Saints. They played faster and smarter. Their team simply looked and played hungry. They were everywhere. Their running and passing game were mixed up quite well. We had far to many penalties, lackluster special teams play and our QB throw 2 key interceptions which lead to TD’s. Our O line got beat like a drum..period. Brady’s going down quick unless we can keep our pocket from collapsing. On to the Panthers. They will be ready. We had better be as well. Now back to my..Don Julio.

  11. Joe in Michigan Says:

    JameisAlmighty: I liked Jameis when he was a Buc. I try not to bash him, my thing is he’s gone now. I’ve moved on. I haven’t, however, thrown in the towel on this season after one game.
    Yes, Matt Millen was terrible. Licht has made some bad picks, but I’m not saying Vea was a bad pick, just yet.

  12. Joe in Michigan Says:

    Fun fact of the day: In 1962, George Blanda threw 42 interceptions on the season. His team, the Houston Oilers, went 11-3 that year (only played 14 game seasons back then). That’s crazy.

  13. Bucsfanman Says:

    The Bucs have to first stop beating themselves before they can become a perennial winner.
    I have less of a problem with an aggressive PI penalty than I do with an offsides on 4th and 2. THAT is sandlot pee-wee garbage! And I hope that BA put his foot up those DL arse!

    I can’t seem to recall a time when we had good special teams. And, I don’t buy this crap that you shouldn’t play starters there. Ronde always played ST, just off the top of my head.
    And a return man?! LOL!

  14. Clean House Says:

    Why should nobody question how Bruce coaches? He’s been successful? When?

  15. Bucsfanman Says:

    Clean- First off, hope you’re feeling better. It’s a rough ride for some. My friends in L.I. got “put on the ropes” with it.

    BA is not, and should not, be immune from criticism. While I am a staunch believer in “players play and coaches coach”, there has to be some accountability for the penalties on the coaching side as well.

  16. Alanbucsfan Says:

    9 of the LEAST penalized 15 teams LOST last week.
    12 of the top 14 in turnover differential WON last week.

    You tell me what’s More Important- penalties or turnovers.

    It’s true, Bucs were not sharp vs Saints and penalties were a factor, but the turnovers put them in a 17 point hole in the 3rd quarter.

  17. The Coroner Says:

    Total lack of focus and consequent Division III effort.
    “Dumb-ass” play was actually a very nice way of your putting it, Joe.

    In high school we would have had to run laps until we could only crawl off the field. What do the Bucs do? Oh, yea. Give them full paychecks on Monday. Yep. Accountability.

  18. Scotty in Fat Antonio Says:

    Now if Jimmy Johnson were coaching this team, Mike Edwards would have been cut and would have been looking for his own way home after Sunday’s game.

  19. HeyItsAdam Says:

    Getting rid of Jameis was supposed to fix all this.

  20. Buccantors Says:

    Let’s just let the chips fall before we make judgements. We won against NO two years ago and how did that season turn out? It’s probably a good thing we lost against a great team in week 1. We had many positives along with some boneheaded plays. Let’s give them a chance to correct the mistakes and judge them in a few weeks. We could easily be 4-1 after the next four games if they pull it all together

  21. Paul Says:

    The Childishness continues:

    park-violating, home-invading, NFLPA-ignoring Tom Brady

  22. Brandon Says:

    For those want to start looking at week 1 stats and making projections to the end of the season… Tom Brady is on pace to rush for 16 TDs… that would be a record for him… and it is utterly ridiculous to use one week for a sample size.

  23. JameisAlmighty Says:

    J called Vea a bust from the day he was picked. He may be a great guy, but he’s a bad NFL football player. Vea and his agent should start looking to sign somewhere in the XFL or CFL…. that’s where he’s heading if those teams even want him.

  24. JameisAlmighty Says:

    Jameis wasn’t the problem. The fans will figure this out shortly.

  25. Joe in Michigan Says:

    JameisAlmighty: Come on man, if the Bucs cut Vea (which they wouldn’t) he’d be claimed in less than 5 minutes. Don’t let your dislike of VV blind you.