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It’s the bye week for the Buccaneers, so we’re handing out grades. We’ve already graded the offense and the defense. Now it’s time for the coaches. Lovie Smith was seen as a savior by many fans when he was hired in January. But he already has been drawing criticism after a 1-5 start. I say it’s still way too early to judge Smith. It takes time for a new system to take hold. I keep thinking things will turn positive for Smith the way they did for his mentor, Tony Dungy, later in his first season. Still, it’s hard to overlook what has happened so far. Although his defense has been getting torched, Smith has steadfastly stood by the Tampa 2, even though critics say that scheme is outdated. On offense, the Bucs have been conservative and predictable at times and they struggled to get into a rhythm early in the season. Speaking of the offense, Smith and the Bucs drew a tough break early on. Offensive coordinator Jeff Tedford had to have heart surgery at the end of the preseason. He was supposed to come back quickly, but that never happened. Tedford has taken an indefinite leave of absence and the Bucs are going on the assumption that he’s not coming back. That’s put quarterbacks coach Marcus Arroyo in a tough spot. He’s only 34 and this is his first year in the NFL. Arroyo has taken on the play-calling duties with the rest of the offensive staff helping out. Arroyo has made the most of his situation and I think his play calling has gotten better since Mike Glennon replaced the injured Josh McCown at quarterback. But the bottom line is the Bucs are 1-5, which means that the coaching hasn’t been very good. GRADE: D-minus
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