Buccaneers: What Are the Most Important Improvements After the Bye?
The Coach and the Quarterback
Sitting at 2-3, the Bucs have plenty to work on during this bye week. Getting healthy, continuing to learn Mike Smith’s defense, and spending extra time studying the 49ers are all things that jump to mind.
The most important thing, in my opinion, is to get Dirk Koetter and Jameis Winston back on the same page. Koetter has said over and over again that he has unwavering trust in his quarterback, but actions tend to speak louder than words. Koetter’s approach to the final drive in Carolina was and remains baffling, and while the drive ended in a victory for the Bucs, the means of getting there weren’t ideal. Running two straight plays to begin a drive in those circumstances suggests you’re playing for overtime and afraid to put the ball in your quarterbacks hands.
Winston must hold up his end of the bargain as well and start to reign in his accuracy and decision-making so that Koetter isn’t afraid to execute a 2 minute drill with him. The relationship between coach and quarterback is the most important on the team so Winston and Koetter must get theirs back to where it was after the Atlanta game.