The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have responded to the disastrous performances of their Defense by dismissing Defensive Coordinator Mike Smith. The decision was made by the franchise the day after the 29-34 defeat to Atlanta Falcons.
“I have the utmost respect for Mike Smith as a person and as a football coach,” said Bucs head coach Dirk Koetter in a statement. “These decisions are always difficult, but our top priority is to make sure that we help this team succeed.”
In the first game after Bye Week, the Bucs sold 416 yards to Offense on Sunday and gave the Falcons touchdowns from all three Red Zone trips. After a furious 2-0 start to the season, Tampa run the risk of losing the season after three defeats in a row.
Prior to Bye Week, the Bucs lost six touchdowns to Chicago in a demoralizing 10-48 defeat. It was one of the most painful defeats in the tenure of Koetter and Smith in Tampa.
The Buccaneers’ defense was already one of the worst in the league in the previous season. Tampa lost 378.1 yards per game, more than any other team in the league. No team also had fewer sacks than the Bucs (22).
In the off-season Smith was allowed to keep his job and Tampa invested in the defensive line to increase the pressure on opposing quarterbacks. In the meantime, with 88 million dollars, you pay the sixth highest budget of all teams for your defense.
But apart from slightly better bag numbers, almost nothing has changed. Tampa is last in the defensive categories Points per Game (34.6), Passing Yards per Game (356), Red Zone Touchdown Percentage (94 percent) and Opposing Quarterback Rating (80).
It was questioned whether Koetter Smith would ever be released because of their shared past. Both already worked together in Jacksonville in 2007 and at the Falcons from 2012 to 2014 and are expected to hold each other in high esteem.
Tampas Linebacker’s coach Mark Duffner will assume the role of Smith, who took office in 2016. Duffner is the most experienced assistant in Koetter’s team and has been with the NFL for 22 years. He was Defensive Coordinator of the Cincinnati Bengals in 2001 and 2002.
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