The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are at a frustrating midway point after 8 games. Injuries have decimated this young team of talented players, beyond recognition to the beginning of the 2016 season kickoff roster. It’s clear this team is lacking in depth, a consistent game plan, and an overall Team identity.
Reading the pages, fans have an abundance of questions. The biggest questions have been asked already. Are we rebuilding, now? Why did we not make any trades? Do we need a new coach, coordinator, and or GM? When will ownership begin to spend money? Why have we not cut this player, or put this player in? How long does it take for us to rebuild?
Why do we never seem to get better? All these inquiries, plus the others not listed I have read are valid. Although, I had to sit back and truly ask, what makes us different from other successful franchises, that are competitive every year. After all in the mid 90’s we seemed to have the formula. The one thing I find that we did, along with such teams today, like the Steelers, Patriots, Packers, Seahawks, and the Broncos do well, is something that takes extreme discipline, and That is trusting the system without changing the laid plans, and the people tasked to execute the ultimate goal.
Ever wonder why, Brady could possibly play the game with a blindfold on, and still make it look not fair. He has been in the same system, with only added advancements to the schemes, under the same coach and coordinator. The cast of characters have changed, but the story stays overall unchanged. Can you name all the Bucs coaches, in order? Hard to do. Now, can you name all the Pittsburgh coaches? A lot easier: Knoll, Cowher, and Tomlin.
The moral of the story is if we want a top tier franchise that every year is competitive for an NFL title and not just a chance of a playoff spot, or a winning season, the plan needs to be allowed to be executed 100%. Says easy, and does hard. Discipline, in having the patience and trust is a must, in order for consistently seeing every year season success. Players are a creature of habit, along with a small window of time to play. So it would be a benefit to having players (starting and backup) walk into One Buc Place, knowing every year, what their job is without question. Not only will there be success in the execution of the system, but deeper depth on the team. And not only will players be able to rely more on their instincts, but the free agents will be more comfortable in coming to a franchise that has a clear plan of action to winning the Lombardi Trophy.
