Bucs special teams coach Thomas McGaughey.
Few fans or media have been unnerved by the play of the Bucs’ special teams more than Joe. And in a way, it’s sad.
All is not bad on the Bucs’ special teams. For the first time in years, the Bucs have revived an otherwise too-long dormant punt return game.
And what can anyone add to the exploits of Chase McLaughlin? He’s just got in the NFL record books for the longest outdoor field goal in NFL history, and he followed up that record 65-yarder on Sunday with a 58-yard kick.
But that’s what’s made Joe sad. For as good — very good — as those two elements of the Bucs’ special teams have been, the rest has been untreated raw sewage that likely cost the Bucs its lone loss.
The overall stench of the special teams has dragged down and overshadowed its best aspects. That’s how bad it has been.
So yesterday, when Bucs special teams coach Thomas McGaughey had an opening statement — Joe can’t recall any Bucs assistant coach with an opening statement of any kind for any reason — confessing the buck stops at his desk when it comes to poor special teams play, Joe was overly impressed.
That was a stand-up thing to do. No stammering. No hiding behind the podium.
What a contrast McGaughey’s move was compared to 13 or so years ago when then-Bucs defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan was fielding questions at one of his weekly press conferences. He was informed how Bucs fans were howling about his poor defense (remember when Eli Manning hung 510 yards passing on Sheridan’s defense?). Sheridan flippantly said if fans want to know why he called the defense the way he did, he would be happy to sit down with them at 5:20 a.m.. Sheridan said he would show the fans film and explain his ways.
“We even have free Cokes!” Sheridan sarcastically said.
Well guess what? The next morning, fans were waiting at the gates of One Buc Palace to meet Sheridan, hoping they could have his promised film breakdown before his day got going.
What did Sheridan do? He rolled down his window just enough as he drove past the gates to look down his nose at the fans, giving them a sarcastic smirk and a wave goodbye as he drove past them.
Asshole.
What an opportunity lost for a 20-minute piece of public relations gold — for the defensive coordinator to turn public opinion and get fans on his and the team’s side. In fact, Team Glazer should have read the guy the riot act for that stunt.
(It’s somewhat ironic that Sheridan now works as a senior defensive advisor for the Jaguars.)
What a contrast between McGaughey and Sheridan. McGaughey basically said his special teams; his fault.
Sheridan? He basically gave fans the finger.
Props to McGaughey for being a professional.
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