Veteran Bucs Point To Finger-Pointing
January 17th, 2023
Will Gholston
Joe talked to a couple of guys who have gone through a combined 21 seasons of Buccaneers wars about the totality of this season: Lavonte David and Will Gholston.
Interestingly, each said today that the team sticking together and no pointing fingers in the locker room was a reality to be proud of, and an indicator of the team being on the proper track.
“I think the biggest thing that I take away is no matter how up or down we were nobody in this locker room pointed a finger at somebody else,” Gholston said. “We all held each other accountable, we all stuck together. We all showed the real bond of brotherhood when it comes to wearing that shield.”
When Gholston went there, Joe asked him if that’s rare. Is the norm to have a locker room sniping at each other (Antonio Brown not withstanding)?
Gholston said it is common for those human traits of frustration — “the worm in the back of your ear,” as Gholston called it — to boil over at points during a season.
“But it didn’t creep up. That’s one thing I appreciate, to play with a group of guys like that,” Gholston said.
January 17th, 2023 at 12:19 pm
They did not set their bar very high. Why point fingers when you are all mediocre together?
January 17th, 2023 at 12:21 pm
Yes no finger pointing because all of you played like a clown 🤡
January 17th, 2023 at 12:21 pm
Gholsten is one of the 6 or 7 free agents I would keep. His play has dropped off but his leadership is valuable. He won’t be expensive and is serviceable. You need players like him on the roster.
January 17th, 2023 at 12:23 pm
I’d rather have had SOME finger-pointing, if it produced a few more wins.
January 17th, 2023 at 12:23 pm
That would be damn impressive if that were the case as so many instances of the offense turning it over or a quick 3 and out putting the D right back out there over and over…
and then when the rare instance of offense came, the D was pooping the bed.
in reality all fingers should be pointing to the head coach who HAD the ability to demote lefty midway through the season and chose to be stubborn which seems to be his favorite trait.
January 17th, 2023 at 12:24 pm
Bowles and Leftwich. They are the problem. Without Arians they didn’t know what they were doing. Bowles is a good(not great) defensive coach. NEVER will be a good HEAD COACH. He just doesn’t have it. Leftwich is not a good OC and may only be a good assistant coach. they both need to go. they wasted Brady’s final season in Tampa. He goes to Miami in 2023.
January 17th, 2023 at 12:27 pm
Leftwich never did any finger pointing either, but his finger was always busily up his nose.
January 17th, 2023 at 12:27 pm
So everyone was content with embarrassing themselves every week in one of the most painful seasons in recent memory?
Every stuck together for 8-10 huh?
Awesome!
FIRE BYRON & BOWELS!
January 17th, 2023 at 12:27 pm
Blow it up !!!
The downfall started a year early. And already $40 million over cap fo next year. It was a great 3 year ride everyone!
Now we’re back to $35 bucs tickets
January 17th, 2023 at 12:28 pm
A passive team for sure.
January 17th, 2023 at 12:29 pm
Strong locker room with leaders. I have to warn Joe about writing any articles about firing Leftwich. The pitchforks are out. I would hate to see Joe canceled by the Woke crowd.
January 17th, 2023 at 12:33 pm
Losers lose. Finger or no.
January 17th, 2023 at 12:33 pm
Leftwurst fired yet?
January 17th, 2023 at 12:36 pm
There should’ve been finger pointing going on all through the year. What a wasted season.
January 17th, 2023 at 12:37 pm
No one pointed fingers because everyone was responsible for this crap
Our pass d ranked 24thand we were in a division with Dalton, pj walker and desmond ridder… really bad!
January 17th, 2023 at 12:38 pm
Love you Joe and your blog but please don’t refer to a game as War.
January 17th, 2023 at 12:38 pm
Can the bucs afford lamar jackson?
January 17th, 2023 at 12:40 pm
There aren’t enough fingers!
It’s a team FAIL.
January 17th, 2023 at 12:41 pm
Accountability was lacking–especially for 3 years of Leftwich; everybody is responsible from Arians to Bowles to GM and ownership. Joes had it right.
January 17th, 2023 at 12:42 pm
This was garbage football all season from a bunch of old dudes wishing they were younger
January 17th, 2023 at 12:42 pm
He is a good man and I am happy for the career he carved out of his opportunity in the NFL
January 17th, 2023 at 12:44 pm
Jackson can’t stay healthy and on the field. Why would anyone want him to begin with???
January 17th, 2023 at 12:46 pm
Nice environment to not point fingers. But I’m not sure Warren didn’t during our defensive glory years. In fact, I seem to remember him saying something like, you on the other side of the ball just score 17 points. And we on the D will make sure we win the game.
January 17th, 2023 at 12:48 pm
If Brady goes, I think we need to bring in a couple young QB’s, with high upside, and let them compete for the job with Trask. Unless, of course, a great young guy falls in our lap in the draft.
January 17th, 2023 at 12:50 pm
I don’t see where either side of the ball had the right to point fingers. And last night was a group effort and lesson in ineptitude.
January 17th, 2023 at 12:52 pm
TIME FOR BOWLEG & LEFTODONK TO WALK THE GANG PLANK!! ARRRRRRR
January 17th, 2023 at 12:56 pm
I think they should have pointed fingers more.
January 17th, 2023 at 1:00 pm
Bucs need players who want to win and are embarrassed to lose. The rest can pound sand.
January 17th, 2023 at 1:04 pm
They all got their a$$ kicked, and know it.
It’s very respectable, no one is pointing fingers.
January 17th, 2023 at 1:06 pm
All played badly. Bucs tackling near the line was sloppy, in this important game. Fire Leftwich.
January 17th, 2023 at 1:07 pm
I’m so lost and don’t know how we get this defense better. They need some studs on the DL
January 17th, 2023 at 1:07 pm
The fingers should be pointed at the coaching staff. Look what Leftwich did to the offense and Bowles to the defense. Recall the D effort against the Rams last year and how the D was NOT prepared for the Cowbays last night. Bowles AND Leftwich need to go!!
January 17th, 2023 at 1:22 pm
Liverwurst and Bologna need to go.
January 17th, 2023 at 1:24 pm
Maybe they should have…
What a wasted year.
Butts need to be held accountable
January 17th, 2023 at 1:25 pm
I am finger pointing, pointing my middle finger straight up.
January 17th, 2023 at 1:29 pm
Not many people on the roster played well enough this season to point a finger at someone else.
January 17th, 2023 at 1:29 pm
We’re is the leadership
January 17th, 2023 at 1:33 pm
D front 7 manhandled, O Goedeke and Donnie manhandled
January 17th, 2023 at 1:43 pm
That’s a good sign of a good team sticking together
January 17th, 2023 at 1:48 pm
They should be pointing the finger at the wretched coaching they got all year. Other than game one, when they went up against a talented roster, the defense got smoked. Same on offense. When you ask a 45 year old QB to throw the ball in under two seconds, you can’t coach. They had their share of injuries, but it’s no excuse. We all should’ve seen this coming a mile away. I talked myself into believing they had a chance.
January 17th, 2023 at 1:57 pm
Guess we needed Suh, JPP, and Gronk? DOH!
January 17th, 2023 at 2:02 pm
Byron Winston Leftwich needs to go!!!
January 17th, 2023 at 2:14 pm
Point it square at the gm
January 17th, 2023 at 2:18 pm
GUYS WHO SHOULD BE POINTING FINGERS AT THEMSELVES …
1. Leftwich. Is he the worst OC in Bucs’ history? With the talent he had, yes!
2. Bowles. Is he the worst HC in Bucs’ history? You can make an argument.
3. Licht. Why didn’t he make coaching changes at the break?
4. Donovan Smith. Terrible almost all year. His penalties cost Bucs at least 2 wins.
5. Devin White. He checkout of so many games. Zero leadership.
6. Hall and Goedeke. You suck. Good luck.
7. 4Net. New contract. No production. What’s with his tippy toe BS?
January 17th, 2023 at 2:23 pm
Anthem…or… more likely the sign of a poor team sticking together.
January 17th, 2023 at 2:36 pm
So, Bowles gets to fire Leftwhich? No argument there. He helped waste one of Brady’s final playing years with zero creativity, tons of predictability (screen pass to Godwin 3 times per game) and high school level play design. What about Bowles giving up huge points to San Fran & Dallas like a deer in the head lights and big points against other mediocre teams. He was an abject failure in New York as a head coach and this year, well you know what they say about old dogs…
January 17th, 2023 at 2:38 pm
Rough end to a rough season. Hope the 1st three picks are all offensive lineman because that is our biggest weakness by far. If we can shore that up, we can still compete. Goedeke was just awful and our LT D. Smith is a penalty machine.
January 17th, 2023 at 2:44 pm
Yay!! No one fought in the room or on the field. Bravo!
Accountability? Start with the coaching staff first. Hold them accountable
January 17th, 2023 at 3:05 pm
It is admirable that the team did not resort to “finger pointing”. However, it sounds like they did not hold each other accountable either. This stinks of a locker room which lacks accountability. I can see why, Todd Bowles refused to take accountability for himself or his coaching staff, accountability starts with coaches.
January 17th, 2023 at 5:11 pm
I think we need to jump on the Dr. Pepper coaching carousel & pick a coach.
January 17th, 2023 at 7:56 pm
The team looked like there was focus on a greater goal. Neither the offense or defensive side of the ball were on the same page.
Brady was never on target except for Godwin, which is a freak of a receiver. Brady never synced up with one other receiver,
The secondary looked like it’s coverage was scripted for a different defensive line. We bring the heat and the corners are giving up 10-12 yards off the line. Never in position to jump the route?
Gholston is a stud, look at his rookie pics to the cat he is today. He has truly dedicated himself to the monster of the athlete he is today and this team. He can play any position up and down the line either on a 3-4 or a 4-3. Truly a unselfish teammate.
January 18th, 2023 at 9:32 am
More finger pointing was needed….there were several obvious people who needed special training ( #76?) And attention…..the rest needed some pep pills…..and the coaches sucked and that took the life out of even talented players thru the year.
January 19th, 2023 at 10:15 am
“Stuck together” or “Sucked together”?