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<\/a><\/p>\nEffort not an issue?<\/p>\n
Interesting if not strange words from Bucs coach Todd Bowles last week in his season wrap up.<\/p>\n
Joe could be wrong but a lot of the consternation on the Bucs this year \u2014 Lavonte David unloading on the team twice, Bowles twice and Baker Mayfield once, all in a span of six weeks \u2014 Joe thought was because the Bucs weren\u2019t giving effort. No killer instinct. Not giving enough of a s(p)it.<\/p>\n
Bowles suggested, in discussing the decision to bring in Jason Pierre-Paul \u2014 which screamed \u201cdesperation\u201d \u2014 was not related to player effort. But when JPP returned, outside linebackers coach Larry Foote said he thought it was to add needed \u201cjuice\u201d to the defense.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think we evaluate differently every year based off what we didn\u2019t see from the year before in our team,\u201d Bowles began. \u201cWe try to evaluate differently and bring guys in that are a little different from the guys that we have.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think the juice factor \u2026 It\u2019s probably not a juice factor. The effort is there. That\u2019s not saying they don\u2019t have juice, but certain guys have a different type of energy when they come in and, probably more from an energy standpoint [or] from an energizer standpoint, probably more of that fact that I think [Larry] Foote was talking about.\u201d<\/p>\n
So, why were players and the head coach himself unloading on the team then if effort wasn\u2019t an issue? Iconic Bucs receiver Chris Godwin himself said players needed to compete \u201charder\u201d and \u201cstrain\u201d more on the field<\/a>.<\/p>\n Strange message from Bowles.<\/p>\n Maybe a lack of sleep from having to prepare for exit interviews had a hand in this?<\/p>\n READ NEXT<\/p>\n