Raheem Clobbered By Mike Lombardi
August 24th, 2011
NFL.com scribe and NFL Network talking head Mike Lombardi, a former player personnel executive, isn’t in the Raheem Morris fan club.
Lombardi clobbered Raheem on NFL.com yesterday, taking Raheem’s comments after the Patriots’ beating and saying they’re evidence Bucs’ players have lost confidence in Raheem because he’s blowing hot air, among other negativity.
Morris had the perfect opportunity to be more demanding on his team using the Patriots approach as a symbol of excellence, but he chose to dismiss the Patriots style and allow his team to not be accountable. Do you think his players really believe Morris’ approach is better than that of a three-time Super Bowl winning coach? Morris missed his chance to take his team to another level.
The worst thing any coach can do — whether it’s Mike McCarthy of the Packers or Bill Belichick of the Patriots — is to be satisfied based on preseason play. A coach must keep his team focused during preseason, keep them working to improve and keep their full attention. Therefore, when a team plays poorly, or below that level, a coach has the opportunity to make the corrections needed and refocus his team, which is exactly what Reid is going to do this week.
Joe suggests you click through and read the whole blast from Lombardi, who contrasts Raheem to Andy Reid and his reaction to the Eagles’ brutal loss last week.
Joe’s stunned because Lombardi is writing as if Raheem’s postgame message to the media is exactly the same as the one to his players. Why is Lombardi so sure of that? Geez, Lombardi worked side by side with Chucky. One would think he’d be intimately familiar with how coaches say one thing to players and one thing to media.
Plus, it’s half a preseason game when the Bucs didn’t scheme against the Patriots. Who cares?
Joe suspects Lombardi was all too eager to blast Raheem, giving no respect or benefit of the doubt to the rightful coach of the year in 2010.
August 24th, 2011 at 11:06 am
Boo Hoo Hoo. Lombardi can join Thomas 2.2 in the club of guys whose opinions don’t matter to me. Lets see Thomas thump his chest about how the “experts” agree with him !!! Even though %99 of the “experts” absolutely love what Raheem and the Bucs are doing.
August 24th, 2011 at 11:06 am
I believe alot of Buc fans think RaHeem`s answer was a cop out. He just flat got out coached and the players were not ready. This will be the downfall of the Bucs this year. They will not be able to cross over to be a playoff team
August 24th, 2011 at 11:15 am
I’m not sure Lombardi’s opinion matters at all. In fact I’m quite sure that the opinions of ALL these self professed “experts” are as meaningless as a Kardashian wedding to fans with brains and some hope.
FAR too many “experts” who at the end of each and every season look like fools with their “predictions.” LOL
August 24th, 2011 at 11:15 am
Why did he totally ignore the fact that Raheem cancelled the Bucs weekend-off and got them right back to work? He was not satisfied with the team’s performance, and he called out several players and position groups in the days that followed the game. Lombardi is taking one quote totally out of context. The Bucs WILL be a playoff team, and Coach Morris will be a big reason why.
August 24th, 2011 at 11:21 am
Whether last year was a fluke with an easy schedule is still very much an open question.
I suspect fluke.
August 24th, 2011 at 11:22 am
QbMan- no off season training camps, no work with new line coaches , only two weeks of training camp. And you expect a team full of rookies and first year players to be as prepared as a Vetern team that has been more or less intact for 5 straight years, with the same coaches??? Really??
You don’t really follow the game much, do you?
The Patriots can walk in after the lockout, with no communication from their coaching staff, and run their offense at mid season form. They have been doing it for years together. The Bucs obviously, have not.
The game wasn’t that big of a surprise.
August 24th, 2011 at 11:33 am
Couldn’t the same have been said for the Chiefs’ approach in the first preseason game?? Where was Lombardi’s scathing analysis of that game??
August 24th, 2011 at 11:36 am
Lombardi only cares/writes/talks about the Patriots. Not sure why he works for the NFL.
August 24th, 2011 at 11:36 am
Lombardi’s comments aside, I listened to Morris’ presser right after the NE game, and his machine-gun style of explaining everything away leaves me a little unsure if things are really as OK as he sounds. Price is coming along, next man up if Talib is suspended, I’m pleased with the way training camp has gone, no excuses – it is what it is, etc. He’s got a lot of young people to keep motivated, but he has to be believable to fans and the media. I’m a solid supporter – just saying I understand where some of the criticism comes from.
August 24th, 2011 at 11:37 am
WTF was that all about! I usually really really respect Lombardi and appreciate his work whether I agree or not but damn!!! That came out of no where…It’s Preseason!!! Must be a slow news day?!?
August 24th, 2011 at 11:40 am
Lombardi also tweeted that the Raiders were perfect spot for Pryor…who cares? Go BUCS!
August 24th, 2011 at 11:45 am
Cannot fault with Lombardi. He is an outsider and he only knows so much about Raheem and his way of responding to media. I am sure Raheem was very critical and demanding of his team after the game in the locker room. If that is not the case, some thing is terribly wrong, but it is a big if.
August 24th, 2011 at 11:49 am
Another thing to remember is back in the 80’s / 90’s the Redskins went 0-4 in the preseason in a couple of their SB winning seasons. Gibbs was never critical of his players in the media but he was hard on them in the locker room. Wait and see how they play this week and in week 1 against the Fish.
August 24th, 2011 at 11:50 am
Week 1 against the Lions. (what a clown)
August 24th, 2011 at 11:50 am
When will people learn:
Raheem is going to be Mr. Positive in the public eye and when it comes to the media.
What he says in the private with the players, especially on an individual level, is what matters.
There are alot of ways to caoch, sorry Raheem does not do it the way you think he should Mr. Lombardi…. but that does not make either of you right or wrong.
August 24th, 2011 at 11:56 am
And Lombardi says Penn is the best tackles in the league…I love Penn, but he most certaintly is not. A team as young as the Bucs should not be handled or treated the same way a verteran team like the Eagkes should be anyways.
@ Dave
Nice point BTW
August 24th, 2011 at 11:58 am
Hey Lombardi, go suck on a Lemon!!!
August 24th, 2011 at 12:15 pm
Lombardi is just blowing smoke. He just shares the greatest last name in Football, that is it.
He is clueless, maybe all that hooting and hollering worked back in Vince Lombardi’s day, but the times have changed. RAH is the next generation, and IMO Lombardi is old news.
August 24th, 2011 at 12:24 pm
Lombardis is fat
August 24th, 2011 at 12:25 pm
Ripping a coach for a post-game press conference in the pre-season. How lame.
Coach Morris- Don’t change for no one. Stay true to yourself.
August 24th, 2011 at 12:28 pm
A guy like Mike Lombardi lets his bias show from time to time in his professional work, be it on a podcast with Bill Simmons or an article like the one Joe posted. The fact that he is a Gruden guy also plays a part, let’s not kid ourselves here.
It’s the preseason, Lombardi isn’t in the locker room and he’s gone a little over the top in the article. Let’s wait to see how the team responds against the Dolphins, before we start the crazy talk about losing the team.
j.
August 24th, 2011 at 12:33 pm
It’s only pre-season why so serious? Lombardi can have the opinion that he wants but to imply the Bucs aren’t buying into Raheem is non-sense. I guess he would know being that the Bucs stopped buying into what his colleague was selling. I guess it’s easy to judge but the truth will begin Week 1 in Tampa.
August 24th, 2011 at 12:35 pm
All I have heard from the players since that game have been “we need to step it up”. None of them are talking like it is defining, but none of them are taking it lightly. Lombardi just needed something to write.
August 24th, 2011 at 12:42 pm
QBMAN Says:
August 24th, 2011 at 11:06 am
I believe alot of Buc fans think RaHeem`s answer was a cop out. He just flat got out coached and the players were not ready. This will be the downfall of the Bucs this year. They will not be able to cross over to be a playoff team
++++++++
Yes, you are right on the money. Losing a preseason game has to be the biggest, worst thing that could have possibly happened here. Raheem got outcoached by one of the greatest ever in a preseason game… that should NEVER happen.
EVERYBODY knows, that the most important games of the year are played in preseason! Playoffs? Playoffs?! Playoffs! No, it’s about the preseason football… legendary NFL coach Steve Spurrier knew that. Whomever has coached the Lions the past 10 years knew that. These are teams GREAT in the preseason, and that is what matters most!
The Colts have lost 8 straight preseason games and is proof that they stink! The Redskins under Joe Gibbs in the 80’s routinely went 1-3 in the preseason during years they went to the Super Bowl… what an awful coach!
Anybody that doesn’t take preseason more seriously than any other games, should be fired on the spot! Andy Reid obviously didn’t have the Eagles ready to play Pittsburgh last week, Sean Payton got embarrassed by the Texans… both men should pay with their jobs! They are a disgrace!
August 24th, 2011 at 12:46 pm
Seriously, preseason is a glorified practice session. If the score mattered teams wouldn’t bench their starters 15 plays in or halfway through. There is not real point in scheming in weeks 1, 2, or 4. Just get some reps and don’t get hurt, that is the name of the game… other than make a name for yourself and put some good plays on tape if a guy is trying to catch on.
August 24th, 2011 at 1:16 pm
Yeah, because we all know the best thing to do is hit the panic button to the media (and thus the fans) after a preseason game. I used to be in favor of the preseason, but with all the idiocy after these two, I am starting to lean the other way.
@Brandon, love the sarcasm! Well done.
August 24th, 2011 at 1:21 pm
There has only been one Lombardi who knew anything about football, and his name was Vince, not Mike.
Stick to what you know, kid, go whip up some spagetti and Meatballs, then cry over a damn soccer match . Right after that, STFU
August 24th, 2011 at 1:57 pm
LOL at some of you. This was never about losing the game, That is no big deal. It is just pre-season. But to stand up in front of Tampa and say I had no game plan I just threw the Polayers to the wolves is a Cop out. That is bad Coaching.
Pre Season isnt about wins or loses, but you must have a plan going into every game..
August 24th, 2011 at 2:03 pm
More and more experts chiming in on my side of the equation.
August 24th, 2011 at 2:05 pm
Oh really? Try explaining that to Todd Haley or a bunch of other coaches who didn’t prepare game plans this preseason but instead used it to evaluate individual player performances to determine the best 53. Some of you have no knowledge of what most coaches use the preseason for. Go home.
August 24th, 2011 at 2:07 pm
Let’s see how the first four regular season games go and we’ll see how many pessimists are still rattling on about “game plans”. You guys are a bunch of fools.
August 24th, 2011 at 3:37 pm
Thomas,
You are the same person who said preseason games mean nothing after the Kansas City game. You said coaches don’t try to win. Before the New England game, you stated that we would win because teams besides us don’t try to win. Go ahead and deny it, and I will waste my time and find the quote. Then after the game, you dramatically changed your tune. Now you are jumping all over the Bucs for a preseason loss. Don’t you find that incredibly contradictory? But go ahead, try to justify your stupidity some more. We all get a kick out of it.
August 24th, 2011 at 4:17 pm
Your equation? Ok…
Spin doctor times ten plus repetitiveness divided by contradiction equals Thomass!
August 24th, 2011 at 4:25 pm
@Oar,
EXACTLY, lol.
August 24th, 2011 at 5:17 pm
Thomas,
Congratulations, you are not the first, nor will you be the last person “drinking hatorade”.
Preseason is preseason.
August 24th, 2011 at 5:25 pm
Come on Thomas! Are you still trying to figure out a way to twist what you said around to make it appear as if you are not a fool. Good luck with that.
August 24th, 2011 at 5:57 pm
Hey Thomas your a negative bitch
August 24th, 2011 at 6:07 pm
Why do some of you insist on being negative. This team was by far the worst team in the league talent wise 2 years ago and now were one of the best young teams in football. And now your panties are in a bunch over a preseason game. Go kick rocks. Your lives must be miserable.
August 24th, 2011 at 6:46 pm
For Thomas, preseason doesn’t matter when Raheem looks good, when he looks bad preseason is the Super Bowl. Don’t talk Thomas, everybody is sick of your attention-wanting comments.
August 24th, 2011 at 8:09 pm
THomas- No there aren’t more experts chiming in on your side. Lombardi and who? %99 of all these national media guys are just as excited about what Raheem is doing with these young Buccaneers as we “sheep” are. You should look into some pyschiatric meds to bring you back to some form of lucidity dude.
August 24th, 2011 at 8:36 pm
Joe- can you fish my last comment out of the filter? Nothing innappropriate about it.