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That was fast: After one game Bucs coach Dirk Koetter gives back play-calling duties

Frank Schwab
NFL writer

Last week Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Dirk Koetter took play-calling duties from offensive coordinator Todd Monken, though the offense was fine and Koetter gave little reason for the change.

That lasted one week. Koetter said on his weekly radio show Friday (via Greg Auman of The Athletic) that Monken will take back play-calling for Sunday’s game against the New York Giants. Last week the Buccaneers scored three points in a loss.

Who is calling plays for the Buccaneers obscures the larger picture, and that’s Koetter’s job security.

Dirk Koetter’s game calling plays didn’t end well

Koetter’s strange decision to take play-calling duties didn’t work out well. The good news was they had 501 yards. The bad news was they became the first team in NFL history to have at least 450 yards and three or fewer points. The Buccaneers lost 16-3 and fell to 3-6.

After the game Koetter had no good explanation for taking back play-calling duties.

“Just my own reasons,” he said.

We probably shouldn’t expect an expanded reason for giving the play-calling back.

Koetter could be on the hot seat

The biggest story of the Buccaneers’ season has been Koetter going from Ryan Fitzpatrick to Jameis Winston, then Winston to Fitzpatrick and now more questions about whether Winston will get another shot.

Koetter is 17-24 as Buccaneers coach. He went 5-11 last season, but there will be plenty of speculation about whether he’ll be back for a fourth Bucs season if Tampa Bay finishes with a losing record. Taking over play-calling seemed like a bit of a panic move in that regard.

It’s hard to tell how much trouble Koetter is really in. He was retained after a 5-11 season so there appears to be some patience with him. If he needs a rally to save his job, it’ll have to start with his offensive coordinator calling plays.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Dirk Koetter won't be calling plays again this week, he said. (AP)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Dirk Koetter won’t be calling plays again this week, he said. (AP)

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Frank Schwab is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdown.corner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!

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