Did Gibbs Make the Wrong Call?

This is when Brunnel needs to be able to audible. He sees the bucs stacking for the run and he changes the play to a roll out option.

But I don't think this lost the game. It was the defense this game.

It's a damned if you do, damned if you don't scenario. Gibbs chose to keep the clock running which is what he'll do 99% of the time. I'd rather not pick this decision apart when there are bigger fish to fry like the defensive breakdowns and the turnovers.

It was 3rd and a LONG 2. Closer to 3rd and 3 in my book.

It was exactly 2 yards.

I totally believe its the right call. You are trying to eat up the clock, we are up by 7 and deep in our own territory. You dont want a pick in that situation, and if its incomplete thats an additional 25 to 35 seconds Tampa has. turns out they didn't need it, but you still run the ball there. If you can grind out 2 yards in those situations, then you should be forced to punt and live or die by your defense. Which by the way is looking awful the last 3 or 4 games.

I don't disagree with keeping the ball on the ground, but do something creative not straight up the middle three times in a row, we did the exact same thing last week three straight up the middle and turned the ball back over to the eagles and they drove right down the field fortunately we got a play from our D at the goal line. We had been driving the ball all game by mixing it up why do the exact same play with the box stacked. If we can see the same run in previous games don't you think other coaches see the tendancies every game in that situation dive in the middle of the pile with no success. I don't care that we ran on them all game, we do the same thing over and over again when we need to run the clock out, how can anyone say it is the right call when we have not been unsuccessful with running out the clock and converting in nearly everygame this year. Tell me when the last time you saw someone even if they new it was coming stop Cooley or Sellers in the flat for a score or a first down. Where was the stretch play let Portis pick his gap.

I'd rather not pick this decision apart when there are bigger fish to fry like the defensive breakdowns and the turnovers.

Matty -- if we get that first down. Game over and we get a W.

Exactly, skins052. Even dating back to last year we put the game in our defenses hands seemingly not even trying for the first down to kill the clock. While an incomplete pass would have left them an extra 30ish seconds I doubt it would have mattered. Taking a high percentage pass instead of running the exact same play three times in a row is the way to go for me. Or at least try to show a new look besides everyone but Portis on the line.

You can always second-guess these things, and like someone previously said, you want to say we should have passed, simply because the run did not work out. Bottom line, Portis was running well & at the time the run was the right call. You can't win them all. Given our proclivity for heart-attack inducing close games, it was just a matter of time before one went the other way. Lets now focus on taking down the Raiders in our house with the 12th man in full force.

It wasn't a bad call. If C-Po makes the first down, game over. An incomplete throw on 3rd and 2, and the clock stops, giving the Bucs even more time. However, a play action pass would have worked nicely here, and could have given Brunell enough time to find an open Cooley, Kozlowski or Royal in the flats for the 1st.

Hindsight is a lovely 20/20.

It wasn't a bad call. If C-Po makes the first down, game over. An incomplete throw on 3rd and 2, and the clock stops, giving the Bucs even more time. However, a play action pass would have worked nicely here, and could have given Brunell enough time to find an open Cooley, Kozlowski or Royal in the flats for the 1st.

Hindsight is a lovely 20/20.

I agree with you, but I still think it was a good call. especially because how productive portis was yesterday

Matty -- if we get that first down. Game over and we get a W.

You can say that about anything that happens during a game.

If we don't turn it over twice and spot them easy points it's a different ball game.

If we don't jump offsides and give them the chance to go for two, perhaps it's a different ball game.

If the refs don't call that horrible force out call perhaps it's a different ball game.

If the defense doesn't keep giving up big play after big play, it's a different ball game.

It's convenient to boil the game down to one play, but the game wasn't decided on that one play.