Porous Bucs ‘D’ leads to firing
Broncos seek answers after placing Leary on injured reserve list
TAMPA, Fla. — Mike Smith is out as defensive coordinator of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, replaced by linebackers coach Mark Duffner.
Riding a three-game losing streak and not showing any signs of being able to fix a porous unit that keeps undermining the team’s chances of winning, the Bucs dismissed the former Atlanta Falcons coach Monday after yielding 92 points in the first half of consecutive losses to Pittsburgh, Chicago and Atlanta.
Tampa Bay, which has the NFL’s second-ranked offense and No. 1 passing attack, rallied to make two of those games close, however pressure on coach Dirk Koetter to make a change had been mounting since Mitchell Trubisky threw a careerbest six touchdown passes in the Bears’ 48-10 rout of the Bucs on Sept. 30.
The day after the loss to Chicago, Koetter said he had no intentions of dismissing Smith because the defensive woes were not the fault of any one person.
The Bucs had a bye after that game, but having an extra week to prepare for Atlanta didn’t turn out to be an advantage. The Falcons gained 219 yards and scored touchdowns on their first three possessions to open a 21-6 lead before holding on late for a 34-29 victory that apparently sealed Smith’s fate.
“I have the utmost respect for Mike Smith as a man and as a football coach,” Koetter said. “These decisions are always difficult, but our top priority here is to ensure that we do everything possible to help this team succeed.”
Through five games, the Bucs (2-3) are 31st in total defense at 439.8 yards per game. They’re last in pass defense (355.6), while also allowing a league-high 34.6 points per game.
Opponents have scored 30 or more points four times, including 40-plus twice.
“I thought it was important that both sides of the ball be able to go through the self-scouting process during the bye week to see if we could make some adjustments that would help us play better as a football team,” Koetter said, explaining the decision to keep Smith after the loss to Chicago.
“I do think we had a good plan on defense for Atlanta. We did a lot of things we planned to do. We did some things differently. It just didn’t work out that way,” Koetter added. “This is a production business. We have to play better on defense. We have to play better as a football team.”
Smith coached the Falcons from 2008 to 2014. He sat out a year after being fired in Atlanta, where Koetter served as his offensive coordinator, and joined the Bucs when Koetter succeeded Lovie Smith as Bucs coach after the 2015 season.
Duffner, 65, was the logical choice as a mid-season replacement for Smith, primarily because of his experience. He’s in his 22nd season as an NFL assistant, third with the Bucs.
Duffner has also coached in Miami, Jacksonville, Green Bay and Cincinnati, where he was defensive coordinator for two years.
BRONCOS: Denver is hurting in the trenches, where it lost its best offensive lineman, guard Ronald Leary, to a season-ending torn Achilles and is the first team in NFL history to allow backto-back 200-yard rushers.
The Broncos (2-4) have allowed 593 yards on the ground in their last two games, leading general manager John Elway to say Monday on his weekly radio show on Orange & Blue 760 that they’ve gotten “very soft in there.”
Elway said he’s looking for a roster replacement for Leary, who got hurt in the second half of Denver’s 23-20 loss to the Rams on Sunday and was replaced by Max Garcia, who began the game as Connor McGovern’s replacement at right guard.
With a game Thursday at Arizona (1-5), Elway said whoever comes in won’t be someone who can provide immediate help.
DOLPHINS: With quarterback Ryan Tannehill nursing an injury to his throwing shoulder, it was uncertain Monday whether Brock Osweiler will get another start for Miami.
Osweiler thrived as Tannehill’s replacement Sunday, passing for a career-high 380 yards and three touchdowns to help beat the Chicago Bears. Tannehill was ruled out only hours before kickoff but might return for Sunday’s home game against the Detroit Lions, coach Adam Gase said.
Tannehill first hurt his shoulder in Game 3, but didn’t miss any practice time until last week. Gase said he didn’t know whether there was a chance the injury could be a long-term issue, but said he’s confident Tannehill will play again this season.
The coach quashed any potential quarterback controversy by saying Tannehill will return to the lineup when he’s healthy.
FALCONS: Atlanta kicker Matt Bryant is expected to miss the next game against the New York Giants after straining his right hamstring making a 57-yard field goal that helped Atlanta snap a three-game losing streak.
Coach Dan Quinn said Monday the Falcons are going to bring in another kicker this week to fill in for Bryant. Giorgio Tavecchio, who was with the team at the end of the preseason, is among the candidates.