Before we get to the questions of why the Bucs fired Lovie Smith, there is another question at hand.
Why the timing?
No, not why after two years, although the Bucs look particularly reactionary this morning after going through Raheem Morris, Greg Schiano and Smith in a five-year period. After only two wins in 2014, how many games did the Bucs imagine themselves winning in 2014?
But why 10 p.m.? Why via a phone call, as is being reported? Why at a time for the evening news and Criminal Minds reruns? Why wait two days after Black Monday, the day when the NFL normally cans its coaches?
Was there a last-second snarl in discussions about the future? Did ownership demand Smith replace some of his assistant coaches, and Smith’s sons are on the staff? Was it merely a factor of the owners reviewing film of the team’s paltry pass rush? Was it the penalties? The drops? The game management?
Did all of Smith’s shortcomings take three days to review?
Smith is gone now, and except for the timeline of coaches biting the dust around here, it’s hard to defend him. Smith won three times as many games in 2015, but that’s manageable when the standard is two games.
A new coach will have to build a defense on the fly. The team is dreadful at the pass rush and worse in pass coverage. It is on a four-game losing streak, which is a particularly dangerous move for a Tampa Bay coach. Jon Gruden lost his last four. Raheem Morris lost his last 10. Greg Schiano lost three of his last four.
As for Smith, ere is the bottom-line question. When is the last time you looked at the Bucs and thought “Now, there’s a well-coached team.” Isn’t that the point? Somewhere along the line, don’t you have to get the feeling this team is knocking at the door?
Two years is a shame. Of course it is. But if the Glazers were convinced they had the wrong guy, why wait? If they were afraid that Dirk Koetter might leave for another head coaching job, and they preferred him to Smith, why be patient?
It is has been a long time since the playoffs. The question is whether this firing puts the team closer or not.
