Buccaneers - Titans 17-23 - Turnovers, run defense knock Tampa Bay out of Wild Card contention
by Sander on Nov 27, 2011 5:39 PM EST
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PrintGoing into today's game, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers had an outside chance at the playoff. They would need the right teams to lose a couple of games, and they had to win six straight games. The Bucs were fighting for their playoff life -and they failed.
The game was ugly, make no mistake about that. Both teams combined for nine turnovers. There were eight total fumbles, and six of those were lost. Neither team could muster a run defense, as the Bucs rushed for 122 yards on 25 plays, while the Titans rushed for a ridiculous 202 yards on just 35 carries. The Bucs allowed Chris Johnson, coming into the game averaging just 3.2 yards per carry to go off for a season-high 190 yards on 23 carries, giving him 8.3 yards per carry on the game.
And on offense, the Bucs couldn't get anything going either. The Bucs failed to score a first-quarter touchdown yet again, and had about one good drive all game. Despite being gifted good field position due to one interception and two recovered fumbles on defense, the Bucs offense failed to score more than 10 points.
Instead, they fumbled the ball four times and Freeman threw a late interception to boot. The quarterback was responsible for two of those fumbles, while Blount was stripped of the football twice, losing one, and Mike Williams lost another fumble. Meanwhile, the defense was responsible for scoring as many touchdowns as the offense as Aqib Talib ran back an interception for a touchdown.
But ultimately, the lack of any run defense has to outshine the good things the Bucs defense showed in the passing game. When they needed stops late in the game with a four-point lead, they couldn't stop a very mediocre offense and a horrible running game. Tackling was once again an issue, but gap integrity may have been the biggest problem on the day as Chris Johnson kept gaining the edge and finding gaps in a run defense that at one point this season looked pretty good.
Meanwhile, Freeman had another bad game, routinely throwing passes behind his targets and throwing a very ugly interception on a possible game-winning drive near the end of the game. Freeman ended the day completing 18/33 passes for 199 yards, and about fifty of those yards came on the final drive when the Titans were in their prevent defense. While his offensive line did not have a good day, Freeman was simply inaccurate yet again and was not good enough to win the game.
Normally, special teams would provide a bright spot. But with a half-blocked punt, another bad punt and a kickoff return for a touchdown allowed even that unit failed to show up today.
To make matters worse, the Bucs lost Brian Price to an ankle injury. According to Stephen Holder it was a sprained ankle, but those can vary in severity from just a few days of inactivity to effectively a season-ending injury.
I'll leave you guys with one final quote from Titans DE Dave Ball on tackling Legarrette Blount:
"It's like trying to tackle a greased up, naked guy in the shower."
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Not Just You
I was yelling offsides at the restaurant as well.
It's not like I need to post any observations anywho...
Time to shamelessly plug my book and short story!
To lose to that Titans team is truly another reason to fore the poor excuse some people
want to call coach Rah. All the Titans had was Chris Johnson who’d done zippo all year till the mighty Bucs led by Rah and his famed defense.
More penalties including false starts which show lack of discipline and attention, make Dominick and the Glazer’s decision easy—good bye Rah
follow me on twitter @sternfan10
Rah is not going anywhere
He is under contract through next year, i dont know how much longer after that. They are still paying Gruden. What proven head coach is going to come to tampa where the owners dont like to spend money on free agency. The bucs ownership reminds me of a poor division 1A college football program who doesnt have the money to pay for a good coach or attract recruits so you have to deal with up and commers
by Stormin Monkee on Nov 27, 2011 6:44 PM EST up reply actions
Next year is the last year under Raheem's contract
And Gruden’s payments end after this year.
I disagree about ownership, and think you can explain a lot of the lack of spending through other ways than “They’re just cheap”.
no, the glazers are just cheap
no other way around that sander
by Carlitin1988 on Nov 27, 2011 6:50 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
Sure there is
They want to build a young team through the draft. Lots of teams try that. Yes, that’s cheaper , but that doesn’t mean the motivation is to save money.
Their lack of spending money so far has been perfectly consistent with the philosophy of building through the draft. The same philosophy the Packers have used for the past decade.
the pack have mike mccarthy leading the way
we cant even buy out the remaining tickets to a home game
by Carlitin1988 on Nov 27, 2011 6:53 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
Mike McCarthy was a cheap hire when he was hired
Offensive coordinator for a terrible offense. Packers were criticized for being cheap for four years, and even after winning the Super Bowl fans were pissy they didn’t spend in free agency.
What are you talking about?
Last I knew Packer fans were quite happy with the way their team was built and the coach they chose to take over. McCarthy pretty much made Farve relevant again after years of mediocrity, which is the only reason it was such a big deal to let him go play for the Jets. The entire Tampa area and surrounding know that the Glazers are just cheap and the Bucs are only one of many money making businesses. Look at our payroll and say that we’re not cheap.
Rahiminik building a dynasty! Stephon Gilmore, Dre Kirkpatrick, Cliff Harris, JayRon Hoseley, Alfonzo Dennard, Morris Claiborne, Vontaze Burfict, or Mark Barron.. Are one of you guys the final piece to the puzzle here? Lots of QB's and OL this year, someone has to fall! ATL & NO don't have picks bwahahahaha
No, their fans had their complaints about their organization and staff.
All of that goes away when you start winning though.
Up until they won the Super Bowl, Packers fans complained
Mostly about being cheap/not being active in free agency. It’s pretty hard to complain after you win a Super Bowl, though.
And, again, the low payroll is perfectly reasonable if you look at the long-term plan of building through the draft. And the Bucs aren’t the only ones to follow that plan. The Glazers weren’t cheap until, say, ’03.
I hope your right
Do you think this year will change their mind about dominick and raheem’s philosophy of building through the draft? Do you think they tell them to go bring in two or three free agents that will help the team
by Stormin Monkee on Nov 27, 2011 6:52 PM EST up reply actions
@ sander, yeah your right i guess
but i don’t think raheem is a lock for next year, i mean if we win 5 or 6 games all season long o think hes in trouble. this team has taken a huge step back
by Carlitin1988 on Nov 27, 2011 7:06 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
@ sander, yeah your right i guess
but i don’t think raheem is a lock for next year, i mean if we win 5 or 6 games all season long o think hes in trouble. this team has taken a huge step back
by Carlitin1988 on Nov 27, 2011 7:06 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
I think so.
It takes 3 yrs to rebuild a team and it’s the 3rd yr now so next season jobs will be on the line i’m sure. No way I can see this team stand pat and just relying on the draft for improvement.
by Brian Ahmed on Nov 28, 2011 10:02 AM EST up reply actions
Not hearing good things about Burfict.
They say he is very immature and he got benched for two straight personal fouls.
Get it to Winslow. He's open!!!!
Atleast
Prices injury is just a sprain. Even if it takes a few weeks to heal that’s fine at this point. We aren’t playoff bound so he can rest up for next year all he wants. I like the future of the DLine at this point, but we desperately need better play from our LBs. We need to draft atleast 1 this year to replace Black and give Foster some help. I think we are a LB, CB, OC away from being dangerous. Possibly a WR but it usually take a few years for them to develop into legitimate NFL threats anyways and Benn and Williams are only in their 2nd year.
It's like trying to tackle a greased up, naked guy in the shower
Well, Dave, at least you don’t have to worry about doing it all that often, and definitely not on 3rd and short. The Offensive Coordinator MUST GO NOW!!! How many balls thrown over 10 yards down field? 3rd and 2 while we have the lead and we line up in the shotgun?
If Raheem is protecting this horrible, horrible, OC, then he needs to go as well. Anybody who thinks this fool can lead the offense needs to be removed from their decision making positions. Olson turned the greatest show on turf into a convention of clowns and quite probably was a root cause for Detroit’s recent record of failure. Come on Glazers, don’t waste away the careers of some promising young talent by allowing this fool to remain in charge of the offense!
Well said jrscott!
Just who is in Freeman’s head telling him that he’s a better quarterback this year than last? Obviously either Olson or Van Pelt, neither of which have a track record worth jack crap. Get used to this type of mediocrity on offense unless we make a change at the top. Morris needs to swallow his pride and give up DC duties as well. Absolutely pathetic on that side of the ball also.
Rahiminik building a dynasty! Stephon Gilmore, Dre Kirkpatrick, Cliff Harris, JayRon Hoseley, Alfonzo Dennard, Morris Claiborne, Vontaze Burfict, or Mark Barron.. Are one of you guys the final piece to the puzzle here? Lots of QB's and OL this year, someone has to fall! ATL & NO don't have picks bwahahahaha
Well said
The offense as a whole is underperforming from Freeman to the wide outs. How do we keep ignoring Blount when he’s running well. We hardly use Benn but use overuse a tight with hardly any wheels left yes K2 I’m talking about you. Then there is the head scratching play calling we seen almost 3 seasons now. No way he comes back unless Rah isn’t worried about his own job.
I didn't watch the game but I can tell that it was ugly
sometimes as fans we feel a little biased towards our own team but today I’m ready to accept the fact that the buccaneers just suck ass. we need a new coach a new offensive cordinator and possibly a new quarterback
by Carlitin1988 on Nov 27, 2011 6:48 PM EST via mobile reply actions
It was a good thing I was distracted with putting up my Christmas tree ornaments during the game...
for the brief period I logged in to find out how the game was going (I refused to watch, fearing I would be a jinx again), it looked like the Bucs were playing well. But this was early in the Third Quarter, before more mistakes occurred to ruin the afternoon.
This feels a bit like 2004, when the Bucs were just lackluster, mistake-prone. Whereas the team then was an aging unit falling apart, the 2011 Bucs are a young team unable to put itself together…
Time to shamelessly plug my book and short story!
I was working at best buy so I couldn't see the game
but I was able to catch the last 4 minutes of it and wanted to cry. were done with the tough part of our schedule I’m not really sure why were losing still, I just come to realize that this team is not as good as I thought it was. gruden was fired for going 9-7 in his last year remind me why raheem is still here
by Carlitin1988 on Nov 27, 2011 7:15 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
I watched the game and wish I hadnt.....
For the last 5 sundays, I have had nothing to cheer about. I’m so over the whole coaching staff and want wholesale changes made in the offseason….
Good thing you were working today… You would have been dissapointed like the rest of us. I even refused to blog during the game thinking thats got to be it!!! Boy was I wrong. The bucs still have a lot of holes on this team to fill. Unfortunately!!!
East Coast Fan
by Bucfan on Nov 27, 2011 7:41 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
Gruden was fired for not winning ONE of the four games at the end of the season to make the playoffs.
We want the ball, and we're gonna score!
I place that blame directly on DC Monte Kiffin...
and WHEN he decided to announce his leaving. If he waited until the end of the season (like he should have) we probably win 2 or 3 of them and make the playoffs.
by Cracker Ball on Nov 29, 2011 5:40 PM EST up reply actions
1st round pick?
If Trent Richardson, Justin Blackmon, or Kalil from USC is there. In that order.
by BUCSwillDOMINATE on Nov 27, 2011 7:56 PM EST via mobile reply actions
kalil would be nice blackmon too
but cb in the first
by Carlitin1988 on Nov 27, 2011 8:03 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
Im with getting richardson
and if not the get the next best player. whether is cb or linebacker
Get it to Winslow. He's open!!!!
I may get beaten down by this
But if RG3 comes out this year and we can get him, take him. I like Freeman, but Griffin is a special talent.
by flash_kiley on Nov 27, 2011 9:46 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
Something has to be up with Freeman injury wise.
At least that’s what i’m hoping. But we would need to draft another backup QB as i’m sure Johnson will be out of here. It would be interesting where we draft a QB and who we could get…
Still waiting for the day that the NFL comes back to LA...
He does have that strained thumb
But that doesn’t explain the bad reads (although he’s gotten better in recent weeks).
Claiborne or Kirkpatrick should definetly be a top that list
even if they get a top 5 pick.The Bucs need a corner back. Even if they keep Talib and he doesnt go to jail, Barber may retire and is on the decline, and as shown recently, Biggers is good but not starter good, and Mack and Lewis just suck. You can always find a servicable running back in FA or even later in the draft.
No matter how much they are hyped, my teams always find a way to disappoint.
by thedudeofdudes on Nov 27, 2011 10:20 PM EST up reply actions
Have to agree with this
though I doubt we’ll pick in the top 5. Top 10? Looking more and more likely. Cornerback is our biggest need, followed closely by outside linebacker. If we somehow miss out on both Claiborne and Kirkpatrick (which seems more doubtful with every game we lose), I’d say we look at Zach Brown.
A defense ranked #31 does not inspire confidence in one's defensive coordinator. Any head coach knows this: own up to it, Raheem- hire a full time DC and put your full focus on ONE of your jobs.
by RookTakesYou on Nov 27, 2011 10:32 PM EST up reply actions
We are gonna have high picks.
The first three rounds need to start. Whether that be at CB, LB, SS, LG, C, WR, or even QB (sorry, I’m on the RG3 bandwagon). This team needs a lot of help.
by flash_kiley on Nov 27, 2011 11:45 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
No to QB, please
"I'm a little dysfunctional
You're the problem, Please don't awakin me
And I'm that way cause back in the day
Most have forsaken me"
what if freeman sucks again next year?
do you think about drafting a qb, or do you go the clayton route and just keep holding on, hoping he’ll return to that one good year?
RAHEEM IS A JOKE! OLSON IS GARBAGE! THE GLAZERS SUCK!
by bucfanlostiniowa on Nov 28, 2011 12:19 PM EST up reply actions
I say we talk about that at the end of next year
At this point, Freeman’s had one good and one bad season (forget the first half season). He’s proved he has a high ceiling. We’ve got receivers playing terrible, and an offensive coordinator that couldn’t out call my dog (although to be fair to Olsen my dog is pretty smart).
Let’s get some real coaches in here, give Freeman at least one more year, and then re-evaluate.
Yugly.
a lot of these young players are going down the drain fast because of bad coaching
my biggest concern is even if a new coaching staff is brought in will it be too late for some of these guys
RAHEEM IS A JOKE! OLSON IS GARBAGE! THE GLAZERS SUCK!
by bucfanlostiniowa on Nov 28, 2011 12:32 PM EST up reply actions
Agreed completely on the young players + bad coaching
I’m not on the ‘give Raheem one more year’ train. I’m on the ‘cut our losses and move on now’ train.
Also, I think we need a real hardass for our next coach. This team is too young for the buddy-coach. We’ve proved that convincingly.
Yugly.
the glazers need to realize the raheem morris experiment is a total disaster
youngest coach+youngest team=epic fail.
RAHEEM IS A JOKE! OLSON IS GARBAGE! THE GLAZERS SUCK!
by bucfanlostiniowa on Nov 28, 2011 12:52 PM EST up reply actions
I'm not sure CB's are routinely drafted in the top 5 so you never know.
Still waiting for the day that the NFL comes back to LA...
They are, if there's enough talent there
QBs, OTs, DLs and WRs tend to get the most burn as top 5 picks, though.
High cornerback picks over the past decade: Patrick Peterson 5th overall last year. Joe Haden 6th in 2010. Pacman Jones 6th in 2005. Antrel Rolle and Carlos Rogers 8th and 9th in 2005. Deangelo Hall 8th in 2004. Dunta Robinson 10th in 2004. Terence Newman 5th in 2003. Quentin Jammer 5th in 2002.
I doubt tampa ends up with claiborne
He is projected to go top 5. Unless tampa makes a trade he wont fall. Kirkpatrick is more likely if tampa drops 3 out of the last five. The sad thing is both sides of the ball are playing bad but if you look at the experience and talent level the offense should be carrying the team. Oline is good, qb is good, rb is a beast, receivers young and talented. Defense: dline young up and coming, lbs suck, secondary weak
by Stormin Monkee on Nov 27, 2011 11:52 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
Only 6 teams have a worse record right now
And one of those 6 is the panthers who will be ahead of us if they win next weekend. We could still get top 5, although I don’t think we will. I’m starting to see 6-10 as the likely spot (and I thought 10-15 was worst case a month ago).
Yugly.
Stephon Gilmore or Alfonzo Dennard are both nasty and more fluid in the hips than Kirkpatrick..
I love all four corners but I would go Claiborne, Gilmore, Kirkpatrick and then Dennard… Gilmore is so physical at the line with the press and he can help our mediocre return game. Kirkpatrick has the size but I really think he gets aided by a ridiculous surrounding cast where with our team he could end up a Myron Lewis clone…
Rahiminik building a dynasty! Stephon Gilmore, Dre Kirkpatrick, Cliff Harris, JayRon Hoseley, Alfonzo Dennard, Morris Claiborne, Vontaze Burfict, or Mark Barron.. Are one of you guys the final piece to the puzzle here? Lots of QB's and OL this year, someone has to fall! ATL & NO don't have picks bwahahahaha
It really does not matter
who we draft or what free agents we bring in here. This team is not going anywhere untill we bring in a new OC, DC and possibly a new HC… Success starts in the front office with owners, managers and coaches.. And this team is all sorts of screwed up in that area…So untill that gets fixed we aint going nowhere fellas.
I disagree.
As shown with the Dline, play improves when you actually get talent. Olson needs to go regardless though.
I think management will bring free agents this offseason.
No way they stand pat after this yr. I guess they got complacent because of the sucess we had last yr. I don’t think were screwed up there because we can at least say we drafted well since Domanik has been here.
Olsen must go I think we stated the obvious there. Rah deserves 1 more yr but just give up the play calling on defense.
Why does Blount get zero touches in the red zone?
I just don’t understand. Sure, he had some ball control issues today, but I don’t think it will be a recurring issue. It’s like Olson is banging Lumpkin’s mom or something. The kid does not belong in the NFL. Give it to Blount.
Also, that idiotic hold by Winslow and the two subsequent false starts really killed us. We were in field goal range and I think it would have made a big difference to walk away with three right there.
"Few things are harder to put up with than the annoyance of a good example." ~ Mark Twain
Olson isnt baning anybody...
Dude is one of the most hated men in Tampa
Rahiminik building a dynasty! Stephon Gilmore, Dre Kirkpatrick, Cliff Harris, JayRon Hoseley, Alfonzo Dennard, Morris Claiborne, Vontaze Burfict, or Mark Barron.. Are one of you guys the final piece to the puzzle here? Lots of QB's and OL this year, someone has to fall! ATL & NO don't have picks bwahahahaha
Two years. Two first round draft picks. Two second round draft picks.
190 yards given up to Chris Johnson, who is arguably the worst starting RB in the NFL this year. Unbelievable.
Before you start telling me that it isn’t their fault because of injuries, don’t. Injuries happen to every team. Can’t cry bad luck. The defensive scheme isn’t working. If Raheem doesn’t have the balls to admit he needs help with defensive coordinating then maybe he doesn’t deserve to be head coach.
"Few things are harder to put up with than the annoyance of a good example." ~ Mark Twain
The defensive scheme just isn't working out. We need a new DC.
Still waiting for the day that the NFL comes back to LA...
Didn't get to watch the game
I was on a road trip in New England this afternoon, and no radio station was carrying the game- all things considered, I’m glad I missed it. We’re playing for pride at this point, and there’s not much to be proud of. I keep dialing back my expectations for this team- -right now 7-9 looks to be the best we can expect, and 6-10 is looking more and more like where our expectations should be. A win against Jacksonville should still be possible, although I’m beginning to get very uneasy about what MJD could do to our run defense. I think we can manage to split the series with Carolina, but I can’t state with confidence that we’ll take both. And wins against Dallas and Atlanta? We can hope, but there’s no reason to believe it’s going to be accomplished. Disappointing on every level.
A defense ranked #31 does not inspire confidence in one's defensive coordinator. Any head coach knows this: own up to it, Raheem- hire a full time DC and put your full focus on ONE of your jobs.
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