The more things change for the Bucs....
The more they stay the same. How many times have you heard lines like this from the Bucs, over the last several years?
“We got to play desperate.”... Mike Evans after Sunday’s loss to Buffalo.
“It’s something we preach every week. Can’t have turnovers.”...Adam Humphries after his fumble late in the 4th quarter led to Buffalo’s winning field goal.
“That’s football and we’ve got no one to blame but ourselves.”...Dirk Koetter on the “self-inflicted” mistakes the Bucs committed in Buffalo.
So many post-game quotes from Sunday, sound like the post-game quotes from the Sunday before, and the Sunday before that...er, excuse me, that Sunday was the Thursday loss to New England.
No matter who the coach has been over the last 9 years, the Bucs keep on making the same mistakes...too many penalties, can’t finish off teams in the 4th quarter, the defense can’t hold a lead, the offense turns the ball over, can’t convert on 3rd down. Now, it’s not all these mistakes every week, but one or two of them almost every week is just enough to mean another loss. Three points short of beating the Bills, five points short of beating the Cardinals and the Patriots before that. They’re a good team, they’re keeping games close, but the mistakes are the difference between winning and losing.
And now, there are more whispers about Head Coach Dirk Koetter being in jeopardy of losing his job if things don’t improve. After all, it’s Koetter’s second season as the head man, and that means death for a Glazer-owned football team.
Plus, there are rumblings in the locker room…mainly from one of the new guys, T.J. Ward…about playing time.
And I still don’t know exactly what to make of Gerald McCoy. Yes, he’s an excellent player, now in his 8th season as a starting defensive tackle for the Bucs. He’s made 5 straight Pro Bowls, despite being constantly double-teamed.
But he had one tackle on Sunday.
He’s playing under a $95 million contract, earning over $13 million this year.
And yet, he’s been on just 2 winning teams in his first 7 seasons. His Bucs are 44-74 during his tenure, and they’ve never made the playoffs.
Is he worth that kind of money, also considering the defensive line still can’t muster a consistent pass rush?
So, here the Bucs sit. After six games, they realistically need eight wins in their final 10 games to reach 10 victories and a chance at a playoff berth.
Does this sound like the same ol’ Bucs song to you too?
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