Buccaneers Extra Points: Another lost season…Now what?
COACH DIRK KOETTER
SHOULD HE GET A THIRD SEASON OR BE LET GO AFTER TWO SEASONS?
The last three coaches prior to Dirk Koetter taking the helm coached for two seasons (Lovie Smith 8-24), two seasons (Greg Schiano 11-21), and three seasons (Raheem Morris (17-31) before being fired with a total record of 36 wins and 76 losses (.321).
Coach Koetter’s first year as the Head Coach did not start out very well as after eight games the team had a terrible 3-5 record before going on a five game win streak to push them into the playoff hunt at 8-5, and then lost two of their last four to finish out of the playoffs but with a 9-7 record giving the Buccaneers their first winning record since 2010.
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After being on HBO’s Hard Knocks during training camp, the 2017 season looked promising for the Buccaneers but started out with a hurricane postponing their week one game against Miami to week eleven giving them a bye in week one.
After a 2-1 start the old nemesis of … kicking issues against the Patriots at home on Thursday Night Football gave them a loss in a game they should have won, and then they proceeded to drop the next four games giving them a 2-6 record at the halfway point and basically unable to lose another game if they wanted to make the playoffs. Then … they went on to lose three of their next five games and are out of the playoff hunt again and that is where we are now.
So besides some boneheaded play calling decisions every once and a while, like throwing a twenty yard pass on fourth and one against the Falcons, is this all Coach Koetter’s fault and should he be fired for this disappointing season after such a promising season in 2016?
Well at one point during the season the Buccaneers had the number one passing offense and the number three overall total offense, and actually so far this season have had better seasonal average offensive numbers in passing yards per game (2016 – 245.4 yards, 2017 – 262.0 yards/game) mostly due to playing from behind in most games.
Buccaneers seasonal offensive numbers that are worse though are total offense (2016 – 346.4 yards/game, 2017 – 353.5 yards/game), points per game (2016 – 22.1, 2017 – 20.3), third down conversions (2016 – 44%, 2017 – 39%), and the running game has been atrocious (2016 – 101.0 yards/game, 2017 – 91.5 yards/game). With Koetter being an offensive minded coach and the one who calls the plays this is his area of expertise right?
Prior to Koetter the last three Buccaneers coaches were defensive minded coaches in Morris, Schiano, and Smith and the offense was not focused on at all, and all three were fired in their second (or third) season after having a lengthy losing streak during that season … The Buccaneers went on a five game losing streak this season and are currently in a three game losing streak.
So again I ask do the Glazer’s just decide to clean house after two seasons again or do they just make a few minor coordinator changes, and if they do clean house who gets hired?
Jon Gruden’s name has been mentioned as a returning coach but aside from the Super Bowl season he is just over a .500 coach and had a winning record four out of his seven seasons with the Buccaneers, but he was been away from coaching since 2009. Now granted the last time the Buccaneers were a playoff team he was at the helm but still not sure if he is the answer or if he would leave his cushy MNF gig.
Speculation is really going to get ramped up as he returns to Tampa to be inducted into the Ring of Honor this Monday night, so hold on fans.