Two teams on two different levels. Both residing in the same city. Both with glaring similarities. Why is one undefeated, the other winless?
We are talking about the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and USF Bulls.
As of this writing, Tampa Bay is 0-3 while the Bulls are 5-0.
Let look at these similarities. Each team has a new offensive coordinator. defensive coordinator, young quarterback, pretty darn good running backs, youth, suspect field goal unit, speed, decent cornerbacks, average to above average linebackers, have suffered more than their share of key injuries, and went into the season with luke warm expectations from the prognosticators.
Sound familiar Bucs fans.
Senior QB Matt Grothe suffers a season ending injury, and young B.J. Daniels steps in like a veteran. Fact is, he is better than Grothe. Is Josh Johnson better than Byron Leftwich? We'll see today.
Now for the differences. USF has very good DE's in Selvie and Jason Pierre-Paul. The Bucs don't. The Bulls have a head coach who has been around since day one. The Bucs have a young, ambitious first year head master. USF has a pretty darn good last line of defense in the secondary. The Bucs don't, at least not now. Maybe when Tanard Jackson returns next week, they might.
USF has tempered the less than stellar expectations in pre-season by the national media. They may enter the Top 25 today while the Bucs are stuck in the bottom five in the NFL.
Both these teams have talent. USF's success proves that. Why is the Bucs talent waffling week after week?
It's all very simple. USF recruited and found the right type of players to fit their schemes. The Bucs have not. USF has done a good job of molding the schemes to accent their strengths. The Bucs have not. USF is a tight team. I'm not so sure that's true over at One Buc. They profess it is, but I'm not seeing that edge like I did a few years ago.
So maybe the Bucs need to take a look at USF and call an audible. Dump the Bates defensive scheme and go back to more of a cover2 that fits this team.
Give Josh Johnson the opportunity to let it rip downfield like USF has done with B.J. Daniels. Show faith in the kid. You'll never know until you try.
Most of all, you have to have that commitment to winning. USF has it, most Bucs players don't. Not to the level they need to be.
So we break it down to the difference between winning and losing here.
1. Defensive scheme. Bucs need to change it.
2. Don't harness Josh Johnson. Play to his strengths, which is his arm and his speed.
3. Commit to win. Refuse to lose. It's like when someone says you can't do something. You know that feeling. Who are you to tell me what my limitations are? You aren't me. Then you go out and bury their logic. The Bucs have the talent to turn it around. Do they have the heart?
