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Jordan Shipley’s gaffe was not tolerated

Fumbling punts in the New Schiano Order seems to get one a pink slip.

Preston Parker is looking for work, and now Jordan Shipley joins him. Shipley, after fumbling away a punt in Dallas on Sunday, was cut today in favor of former Buffalo return man Roscoe Parrish, who spent seven seasons with the Bills.

Somewhat ironically, Parrish muffed two punts this preseason for the Raiders, who proceeded to cut him.

Joe’s not surprised by the Bucs kicking Shipley to the curb. At this point, Joe wonders whether Parrish will step right into the punt returner role or whether Michael Smith or Arrelious Benn will get a shot there.

Just seven catches by Bucs tight ends this season makes one wonder how the Bucs plan to use the position as a weapon.

Interestingly, former Bucs tight end Dave Moore, the Buccaneers Radio Network game analyst, is quite fuzzy on this subject.

Dallas Clark has been used sparingly and didn’t look too sharp in getting free against man coverage at Dallas on Sunday.

Moore was asked about Clark during a WDAE-AM 620 interview Monday, and Moore said he was unsure how the Bucs would use Clark and wondered whether the Bucs expect him to be much more than a locker room leader, a Luke Stocker mentor, and an occasional contributor. 

“It’s hard to say with the scheme of offense. You brought in a completely new offense,” Moore said of the Bucs’ use of tight ends. “The West Coast offense under Greg Olson and Jon Gruden really involves the tight end. We haven’t really sen how much this offense stems from New York. [The Giants] have gone through a number of tight ends the last three years.

“I watched the [Giants] play last week. They have that Martellus Bennett they’ve targeted a few times, but it’s not the Jimmy Graham or the [Rob] Gronkowski type guy that you need in this offense.

“Dallas Clark was brought in here to be a leader, a guy to be able to contribute. I don’t think he did extremely well against the man coverage [Sunday]. Maybe not quite his strength is beating the safeties in man. Luke Stocker did catch his first touchdown on a play-action [Sunday]. So he’s really the young guy and the guy-to-be. And I think Dallas has really bought in to be the mentor to teach this guy how to play at this level. You know, I’m not really sure what the expectations are out of him. So I don’t know if I disagree or agree with your statement other than the fact that when they signed him, I’m not sure exactly what their expectations were. Did they expect him to be like Kellen Winslow? Or, did they want to bring him in to be that run/play-action tight end. You’re talking two different styles of tight ends all together.”

Joe finds it interesting that Moore didn’t have a clear picture of Clark’s role given how well versed Moore is in all things Buccaneers Xs and Os and knowledgeable of the tight end position.

Joe suspects that if Moore is still working on figuring out the roles of the Bucs’ tight ends, then Mike Sullivan and company are going through the same process, as well.

There’s a pattern developing here, and if one is to believe what one sees and what one hears, the non-stop pounding of rookie running back Doug Martin between the tackles isn’t getting the job done.

(Now before haters go wilding, let Joe emphasize that he really, really likes Martin. What is there not to like about the Bucs’ Muscle Hamster?)

Martin is averaging 3.4 yards a carry which, in NFL circles, is almost OK. Meanwhile, the running back so many locals love to loathe, doghouse-living LeGarrette Blount, has scant carries this season, despite his 4.6 yards a carry career average.

In one of the few times Blount touched the ball Sunday at Dallass, he broke off an 11-yard run and damned near leap-frogged for much more.

Bucs coach Greg Schiano prior to the season spoke in whimsical terms about having a two-headed monster of a running game with Martin and Blount. That hasn’t been the case.

Bucs roadgrading left guard Carl Nicks wishes it was so. Speaking on “Total Access” yesterday, heard on the Buccaneers Radio Network flagship station WDAE-AM 620, Nicks was asked if he would prefer the Bucs use a two-headed running attack to try to mix things up and hopefully spring the running game.

Nicks, though he initially hesitated to answer the question out of fear of hurting someone’s feelings, agreed. Emphatically so.

Chris in Bradenton: It seemed like very similar plays are being called over and over. I have a question: Would you like to see a two-back system like what Carolina runs, utilizing Blount more often, a more even split in the carries? Do you think that would have helped in the [Dallass] game?

Carl Nicks: I find myself in kind of a predicament answering that question, but, being how I am a little older, I am just going to keep it real with you: I would love to see that, have Blount and Doug share carries, kind of mix it up, thunder and lightning as I like to call it. I would absolutely love to see it. Love to see it.

Joe is starting to wonder if the false rumor about Mark Schlereth doesn’t actually apply to Blount. Sure, Joe knows he can’t block. Understandable, but damnit, when the guy gets warmed up he can break loose; but not if he is given the ball two or three times a game.

Look, again, Joe likes Martin, but as much as he is pounded between the tackles, Joe fears when Martin hits that inevitable rookie wall, he’s going to hit that wall hard.

That is not a good thing. Lightening the load a bit for Martin and allowing a guy who averages over four-plus yards a carry to get warmed up doesn’t seem to Joe to be treasonous.

To hear the entire Nicks interview, click on the little arrow below.

Joe loves the passion and true love of the Bucs that Justin “The Commish” Pawlowski brings to his commentary during the Gary and The Commish Show on 98.7 FM each weekday.

The Commish bleeds pewter and red, and he bled orange going back to his days as an oversized infant in Tampa 30 years ago.

So it’s no surprise that The Commish still has smoke poring from his ears when he thinks about the Bucs’ playcalling against Dallas on Sunday. And that’s the reason why today he was bellowing through the airwaves, “Get it through your thick skulls!”

Commish was absolutely enraged that Mike Sullivan and company didn’t take repeated shots down the field. And not because Dallas was down to playing two backup safeties, but primarily because the replacement officials are calling all kinds of pass interference penalties this season and the Bucs repeatedly were drawing man-to-man coverage on the outside.

Per The Commish, it’s just criminal foolishness that the Bucs didn’t look to capitalize on that opportunity.

Joe finds the angle of the replacement refs intriguing. But even without that, it was mind-boggling that the Bucs didn’t do more downfield. All those first- and second-down runs should have set up at least a few more deep shots.

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Is a lack of discipline and attention to details hurting the Bucs?

Absolutely.

That seems like an impossibility under the New Schiano Order. But the Bucs’ last two losses, where the Bucs came up short and made mistakes and questionable moves in the final two minutes, has Joe thinking.

It was the ol’ ball coach himself, Raheem Morris, who defended his Bucs team as being a disciplined program last month. And the very first defense Raheem offered was the team’s success late in games in 2010.

“We won a bunch of [2010] games in two-minute when you have to be disciplined. You got to do all the right things, things have to be executed exactly the right way in order to win those tight games and those close ones, which we did,” Raheem said. “You know, last year we weren’t able to accomplish those things, so you’re undisciplined.”

It was a fair point by Raheem. Precision execution is required to win late in games. It’s not magic, unless the referees give the you game or snatch it from your clutches (see last night or Bucs-Lions 2010). 

So far, the 2012 Bucs are 1-2, not only in the standings, but also in the late-game details. For Joe, the Bucs lost precious time and timeouts with how they handled their final drive in Dallas. Inexcusable stuff.

Yes, Joe believes Schiano runs a toes-on-the-line program, but details and discipline have killed the Bucs the past two weeks. Joe’s just glad it’s a not a lack of talent or effort that has cost the Bucs. That means the Bucs woes should be fixable quickly with proper coaching.

How would you have liked to be Dekoda Watson on Monday? What a sick feeling must have been swimming through his stomach.

Watson missed a gift-wrapped blocked punt opportunity, unblocked at the line of scrimmage he over shot the mark and barrelled into the Cowboys punter on the Dallas 21 yard line.

The play was an absolute killer in the Bucs’ 16-10 loss, and that wasn’t lost on Greg Schaino, who didn’t discount the play’s impact Sunday.

“It really is a 10-point swing there,” Schiano said of Watson’s miss on WDAE-AM 620 yesterday. “As free as we come, that should be a touchdown. You block it, you score.”

Ouch. Joe likes that Schaino doesn’t hold back from identifying the impact of mistakes, versus saying “it’s just one play.” As fans remember, Jordan Shipley fumbled the punt away and Watson’s 15-yard roughing penalty (see photo above) was tacked on for Dallas, which drove for a field goal.

Former Bucs tight end and current radio analyst Dave Moore also came down on Watson for the mistake on WDAE-AM yesterday. Moore said players are coached to rush to where the punter’s foot will release the kick and Watson acted unaware of the target spot.

If the Bucs were only on that detail, fans likely would be fired up for a 2-1 team.

A number of Bucs fans have become positively unhinged since Sunday after the Bucs lost a close game to Dallass, where Bucs quarterback Josh Freeman turned in a lackluster performance.

As Joe pointed out yesterday, there were Bucs fans who not just suggested Freeman be benched (for Dan Orlovsky of all people), but some went so far as to argue Freeman should be cut, in part, to give the Bucs a chance of drafting Matt Barkley.

Well, while not exactly addressing Freeman’s job status (because that would be absurd), the leader of the New Schiano Order went to bat for his now-beleaguered signal-caller telling listeners on WDAE-AM 620 Monday that not only does Freeman have the option of changing plays at the line of scrimmage, but Freeman will be a stud NFL quarterback and is “going to have a great year.”

Warren in Orlando: How much latitude does Josh Freeman have [to check out of a play] once the offense is lined up and do you think he has improved since the preseason?

Greg Schiano: I will answer that backwards. No. 1, I do believe he has improved since the preseason. I think he will continue to improve. This is a new offense to him. In fairness to Josh, he is learning and executing a new offense against top NFL defenses. I think we will only get better and better in executing. His freedom to check things at the line of scrimmage — often times he has that ability. There are certain plays that are run where the purpose to just call it and to not check those plays. There are a lot of plays where Josh got us in the right play on Sunday. He needed to identify that front and to check and he did a good job of that.

Schiano went on to say that Freeman checked out of a play at the line into a new play Sunday “quite a bit more than five times.” He also said Freeman “has the green light to tuck and go.”

To listen to the full “Greg Schiano Show” from Monday, click the little arrow below.

Amid the agony of the brutal, painful loss to the Cowboys yesterday, there were legitimate bright spots.

Even the leader of the New Schiano Order was pumped up talking about tackling stats (no, they’re not for losers) on his radio show this evening on WDAE-AM 620.

“It was the least number of missed tackles in our three games. We ended up having 11 TFLs (tackles for loss). That’s a good day,” Schiano said.

No, coach. Eleven tackles for a loss is a phenomenal day. Plus the Bucs defense forced three turnovers.

There’s no question that Schiano has fixed the Bucs defense when it comes to tackling and run defense. Perhaps it’s time now for Schiano to move his executive expertise to the offensive gameplan.

Anthony McFarland, the man known as “Booger” who patrolled the Bucs’ defensive line alongside Warren Sapp when Tampa Bay won the Super Bowl, says Doug Martin looks like a rookie on the field and his game needs work.

Speaking on The Todd and Booger Show on 98.7 FM today, Booger said game film reveals Martin is lacking patience and vision.

“He’s missing a lot of cutback runs and he’s not letting his blocking develop,” Booger said of Martin.

Martin, as Joe noted yesterday, is averaging 3.4 yards per carry over 63 attempts. Something isn’t working. And while Joe can’t say with certainty that Booger is on the money with his assessment, it doesn’t surprise Joe to learn that a true expert sees that Martin needs polishing.

Not every back can burst onto the scene as a rookie and run for 1,007 yards on 201 carries in 13 games behind a patchwork offensive line. Those guys are rare and very special.

As the Buccaneers and their emerging defensive line mourn the apparent season-ending knee injury to Adrian Clayborn, one must wonder how DaQuan Bowers’ recovery from an Achilles tear is going.

Thankfully, Bowers was in the locker room today and provided an update.

Bowers said he feels good, that his greatest challenges are mental and not physical, and he has “four weeks to go” and would be ready to play then if coaches give him the go-ahead.

Joe admires Bowers’ spirit and determination, but Joe doesn’t see the value in rushing back Bowers even if he’s cleared by doctors to get off the physically unable to perform list and start practicing. Maybe it would make sense if the Bucs were in some sort of legitimate playoff chase. Maybe. 

Let Bowers really heal fully and come back hungry and healthy next season.

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“Let me tell you something about this coaching staff and the guys upstairs. The reason I love them so much is that, you know, they welcome us with open arms, and everybody’s door is open whenever we need them. We’re allowed to go up there and make requests and talk to them about things. And me being the captain, and being a defensive linemen. I just to coach and made a few requests and sat down and talked to him about things and we discussed what we discussed. And he set up a gameplan and it worked for us.”  — Gerald McCoy on asking for changes to defensive playcalling before the Bucs-Cowboys game.

Earlier today, Joe brought you McCoy’s quote to his hometown newspaper, The Oklahoman, explaining that he wanted the Bucs to drop the defensive line stunts and play a more direct style against Dallas. McCoy said he asked coaches to make a change last week and they did.

The quote above in italics is McCoy elaborating on the topic today at One Buc Palace.

Frankly, Joe’s most impressed that the New Schiano Order obviously had great communication with McCoy and valued his input. That runs contrary to the view floated by many that Greg Schiano is a near psychotic control freak who wouldn’t kindly accept these kinds of demands from a young player, or any player.

Now Joe wonders who on the Bucs offense might take this kind of leadership role in preparation for the Redskins. Joe suspects there are a few who could call a better game than Mike Sullivan did Sunday.

With Adrian Clayborn on the shelf with a busted up knee, who’s going to play right defensive end for the Bucs?

Daniel Te’o- Nesheim, Sunday’s replacement?

George Johnson, the Rutgers holdover from the Raheem era who wasn’t activated yesterday?

Michael Bennett will be happy with either one of those guys there, as long as it’s not him at right end, so he told Joe this morning. Bennett also said Te’o-Nesheim is a guy who makes plays and just needs an opportunity like this.

“Daniel is a very impressive player. He was a third-round pick and he just needs the opportunity. Every time he gets the opportunity he makes a couple of plays,” Bennett said.

“I’m more comfortable playing my same position I always play. I don’t really want to go to the right end. But if they want me to go there, I’ll go there. But I really want to stay at the left side.”

Bennett went on to say he’s one of the versatile players on the defense and can play right end, and he rushes inside and lines up at linebacker.

Joe can’t blame Bennett for wanting to stay in his comfort zone. First, what player wouldn’t? And with the pace Bennett’s on, he’s going to collect a king’s ransom as an unrestricted free agent after this season. Legitimate NFL pass rushers make the big bucs — always.

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Joe has read it on Twitter, heard it on sports radio: The Bucs somehow have to overcome the lackluster play of Bucs starting quarterback Josh Freeman and the playcalling of offensive coordinator Mike Sullivan, who some fans believe is as predictable as yesterday’s newspaper, if not sleep-inducing.

But hold up, says Woody Cummings of the Tampa Tribune! Freeman’s struggles and Sullivan’s penchant for running Doug Martin up the middle for three yards on first down is actually masking the true flaw with the Bucs this season:

The Bucs simply cannot run the ball, so Cummings Twittered.

@RCummingsTrib: The biggest problem facing the Bucs: they want to be a running team, but right now they can’t run the ball.

This is an element that Joe believes is very important and should be monitored. There is nothing that opens up a passing game like a running attack and right now, it sure seems like Freeman is petrified.

Trying to run Martin up the middle simply isn’t fooling anyone nor is it getting the job done. Two years ago when the Bucs unleashed LeGarrette Blount (who is now chained to Greg Schiano’s doghouse), Freeman’s passing attack opened up and it proved to be Freeman’s best season to date.

The Bucs, however, went all in on a bruising running attack. It isn’t working as well as planned. Sooner or later, if Martin continues to average three yards a carry, the Bucs will have to open the offense up to score more than a touchdown a game.

Arguably McCoy’s biggest detractor is now smitten by his play

Among Tampa Bay media types, former Bucs guard Ian Beckles has long grabbed the reigns when it comes to cracking a whip on Gerald McCoy. 

Essentially Beckles, via the airwaves of WDAE-AM 620, has found various ways to explain that McCoy doesn’t make plays there’s no evidence he’s “a good football player,” just a guy with great get-off and the dreaded “potential.”

Well, it now seems like Beckles has done a complete about face after seeing the 2012 edition of McCoy.

“I’ve seen him make guards miss completely. Whiff!” Beckles said today. “You don’t see that. I haven’t seen that since No. 99. I don’t want to say [Sapp’s] name to jinx it. You play like that, you go to Hawaii.”

McCoy now has proven to everyone that he can be an elite player. The reamining challenge is for him to remain consistent and healthy, two qualities necessary for greatness.