Dirk Koetter And The Secondary
September 28th, 2017
Interesting words.
One thing Joe really likes about winning Bucs coach Dirk Koetter, he is a straight shooter. Ask a question, and rarely does he dodge.
But since the chain-whipping at the hands of the Vikings, Koetter seems to be taking veiled jabs at his secondary. At least that is what it appears.
Yesterday, Joe brought word of interesting remarks from Koetter when he was asked about the secondary in the absence of stud cornerback Brent Grimes, who missed last week’s game at Minnesota with a bum shoulder.
“Every team has injuries and we are no different,” Koetter said. “You have different levels of players. You have the best of the best and every player [in] this league is pretty good. When you have weaknesses in certain positions, it’s our job as coaches to try to cover up those weaknesses [and] try to play to our strengths.”
Again, Koetter wasn’t specific. Joe can’t say for sure if the above quote mocked his corners or some other position on the team, though the quote came from an answer to a question about the secondary.
Then yesterday, when Koetter was asked if he has seen improvements in practice since Sunday’s debacle, Koetter invoked Vernon Hargreaves’ name in a sort of a flippant comment.
“There was a deep ball thrown in practice today and Vernon Hargreaves made a nice interception,” Koetter said. “Is that progress? I’ve seen Vernon Hargreaves make a lot of interceptions in practice. Everybody is trying to fix the things they need to work on from last week.”
Again, Joe isn’t sure what the reference to Hargreaves means, if anything more than what Koetter stated. Joe is of the mind Hargreaves’ failures Sunday were more the result of a faulty defensive gameplan than his ability.
Koetter later said in his press conference that cornerback Ryan Smith had to play better and that it would be unfair to single out Hargreaves for a less than perfect game.
As you will hear later today on the “Ira Kaufman Podcast,” one of the Joes is really concerned of what may come this Sunday at the Den of Depression, not liking what was seen both on and off the field at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.
September 28th, 2017 at 5:33 am
So maybe I’m right on VH3, he didn’t have an awful day (unlike Ryan Smith was terrible). I think, and maybe Joe you’ll get a chance to ask or already did and I missed it, why VH3 is playing so far off – is that coaching or is that on him? Also on those long balls where VH3 was playing so far off I think, from watching the TV angle so take it for what it’s worth – that VH3 was at or near where he was supposed to be but Beckwith wasn’t getting deep enough on his drops.
The question on VH3 is he had 2 nice catches made on him, the opening one with the white kid and the Diggs TD, but he was right there on both, it wasn’t like it was terrible coverage, he just didn’t get it done – but if on the plays he was playing back on his own – why in the world would the coaches not correct that?
September 28th, 2017 at 6:24 am
Our secondary depth Rules!
September 28th, 2017 at 6:31 am
rod love yall but……
you actually think the coaches are holding shutdown VH3 from playing man press on the LOS ????
VH3 is marcus peters and smitty is forcing him not to play man2man on the line??
the reason VH3 isnt playing man but 10 yards off is because he CAN NOT play press. he doesnt have the recovery press skillsets to play that scheme. he isnt quick or fast enough. he gets blown off even giving 10 yards. Vh3 is a nickle corner and plays better against physical slower players. he cant defend quick fast route runners
September 28th, 2017 at 6:36 am
Mike Smith is this teams biggest problem. It’s going to be this way as long as he is here.
When Mike Smith was coaching Chicago, and Dirk Koetter led one of the NFL’s deadliest offensive attacks as the play caller….the defense was the ONLY thing keeping that team from winning a Super Bowl.
The two worst defenses in the league at that time were the Bucs, and the Falcons. Mike Smith couldn’t step in and save his own job. Mike Smith gave that defense his seal of approval. He was the worst hire this team could have made.
Y’all keep holding your breath every Sunday for a showing like this 5 very opportunistic games last year. AINT GONNA HAPPEN!!!!!!!!! Replace Smith or they don’t stand a chance
September 28th, 2017 at 6:47 am
Thank you Kobe. Rod is still looking for yet another scapegoat for Sunday’s loss. This time it’s Smitty, with a little of the rookie Beckwith thrown in for good measure.
And Joe, you’re reading way too much between-the-lines about what Dirk Koetter says. That’s probably why most coaches take the politically-correct say-nothing approach in their press conferences IMO.
Oh and Rod, ‘white kid and Diggs’? Seriously? If you bothered to learn the ‘white kid’s’ name it’s Adam Thielen. And he’s actually quite good. As in caught 9-of-10 for 157 yds against the Saints. As in caught 5-of-6 for 44 yds against Pitt. And as in caught 5-of-8 for 98 yds against us. (We actually defended him quite a bit better than the other two).
September 28th, 2017 at 6:50 am
I will sum it up quickly Hargrave was a poor pick and some of us, cough cough, said not to draft him in the first round. But we also thought we should draft a runningback and DE this year but what do we know. But let’s not forget we got a great 3rd string safety in round 2 this year, that sould help right?
September 28th, 2017 at 6:57 am
I’m waiting to hear that actually GMC was the sole cause of Hargreaves and Ryan Smith’s coverage problems…..If GMC had simply pressured the QB more then poor coverage could be successful. I’m also waiting to hear the solution….since GMC is totally ineffective on he line….put him in coverage.
September 28th, 2017 at 6:59 am
also, minny let off the petal on the 2nd half
they tried to slow down and played the clock ….they intentionally stopped abusing VH3 and “it might as well be ryan griffen” smith
mikos boytoy is going to play great and force licht beer to extend his contract for 2 more gureenteened years because we have no choice with our other shutdown corners
yes a 40 year old corner is better than what we drafted
“40 is the new 25”
miko grimes
September 28th, 2017 at 7:30 am
Bucemup
I dont recall smitty coaching in chicago. Try again. Cmon back Brent Grimes. N lets not fear this Giants offense. They scored 21 in the 4th the other day. Other than that a bunch of goose eggs. Without a running game, an offensive line and the bucs defense at home, Im expecting a shut down effort this week. Of course they gota play the game but if they get torched by this offense then Ill be concerned. Go Bucs
September 28th, 2017 at 8:37 am
329.5 yards per game and ranked 31st in pass defense.
It’s pretty obvious what part of the team is not good.
September 28th, 2017 at 8:38 am
And I am sure we don’t even have to guess who he picked!
September 28th, 2017 at 8:48 am
It’s only game three but I think there is a high chance that this game will set the tone for the rest of the season.
If the Bucs play well and win I think all of their goals will be there in front of them but if they loose at home to an 0-3 Giants team after playing awful in Minnesota then I think this team will struggle to win 8 games.
September 28th, 2017 at 8:48 am
ITS HARD TO HAVE GREAT COVERAGE WITH NO QB PRESSURE HARGREAVES IS A GREAT CB THEY DONT PLAY TO HIS STRENGTHS D-LINE NEEDS TO STEP UP HONESTLY WE JUST NEED TOG ET EVERYONE HEALTHY MISSING KWON AND LAVONTE IS GOING TO SUCK
September 28th, 2017 at 10:26 am
If Vernon Hargreavesw played any farther off the line he’ll be out of the end zone.
September 28th, 2017 at 11:24 am
Hargreaves’ failures Sunday were more the result of a faulty defensive gameplan than his ability.
IT AINT VHG….ITS SMITTY….
you guys act like smitty said we’re going to play man and VHG went against the game plan and played 10yards off….he was following the DC’s game plan….DC says play off, you play off…not much he can do about that….
hold the coaches accountable!!POOR GAME PLANNING SHOULD NOT BE AN EXCUSE…GO BUCS!!!!
September 28th, 2017 at 3:10 pm
I am on the bandwagon with “one of the joes” the one that is really concerned after the Minneappolis beatdown. Jameis will have to play an excellent game along with all of the offense for us to stand a chance.
September 28th, 2017 at 3:22 pm
Kobe – That’s not what I was saying at all – the Bucs were playing a zone, I think, or it was the most lose man coverage I’ve ever seen. VH3 was playing more than 10 yards off, he was like 15 yards off, I just can’t see how a player chooses to do that on their own and the coaches don’t fix it. To my eye from watching the game, with TV angles so take it for what it’s worth, that VH3 was playing at or near the 1st down marker and Beckwith had the underneath. Beckwith does not have Kwon’s speed, he’s a bigger/stronger guy, but also slower. So the question was on those plays where the padding was there, was that on VH3 for not being in the proper place or was it on Beckwith for not getting deep enough in his drops. To my eye, again using TV angles not coaches film, it looked like Beckwith wasn’t there underneath. If VH3 was playing man on those then I haven’t a clue what was the idea, and I don’t get how the coaches wouldn’t be all over VH3 to play up closer to the line. It happened multiple times which is why I have to believe it was schemed that way.