The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been red hot since Jameis Winston took the starting quarterback job from Ryan Fitzpatrick in the third quarter against the New York Giants.
At that point, it seemed to be only a matter of time before head coach Dirk Koetter would be fired. Now, after almost ten very good quarters of football by the Buccaneers offensively and defensively, you have to wonder whether Koetter will be given a final chance at staying in Tampa for another year.
Obviously, the odds for him to stay are not in his favor. The horrendous start of 3-7 seems too much to overcome. As of now, the only thinkable scenario for him to stay would be if the Bucs end up making the playoffs or at least finish the season with a positive record, which, of course, is a long shot. They would have to win out and keep playing mistake-free football like they did in the last two games.
Even if Tampa Bay turns this season into somewhat of a miracle and finishes with a 9-7 record, they might still not make the playoffs and Koetter could easily be shown his way out despite a tremendous finish. Sticking with Fitzpatrick over Winston after his struggles was a bad decision, a decision which possibly cost the Buccaneers the post season. Would the Bucs have won the games against the Giants and the Redskins if he had started Winston? No one knows for sure, but chances are they would have, which would put the Bucs’ current record at 7-5 instead of 5-7.
No one knows what the future holds for the Buccaneers. However, the only way Koetter deserves another chance to lead this team for another year in 2019 is if the Bucs win all of their remaining four games.
What do you think, Bucs fans? Does Koetter deserve to be back next year? Of course, everyone knows what your answer would have been two weeks ago…but how about now? Leave a comment.
