Something is wrong in Tampa Bay and is not just at the quarterback position. Drama has been surrounding the team since training camp and most of it surrounds Greg Schiano and the culture in the locker room. So while the Buccaneers used Josh Freeman as their escape goat, former Buc Warren Sapp is placing all blame on the head coach.
Sapp is being critical of the way Schiano and the Tampa Bay front office handled the treatment of Freeman. For those unaware, Tampa Bay was accused of essentially creating a smear campaign against the former starter. There was the issue with the captains vote and then the accusations that Schiano leaked Freeman's confidential information regarding his participation in the NFL's drug program.
"If I'm down in Tampa, I'm questioning this whole thing because it's a mafia style," Sapp said, via NFL.com podcast. "I know [Mike] Glennon is not the quarterback that Josh Freeman is. There's no question about it. The film tells me this. Practice tells me this. Even my quarterback demeanor tells me this. If you wouldn't let [Freeman] throw the ball at the end of the game, why is Glennon throwing the ball at the end of the game?"
With Freeman gone, the big issue now appears to be the coaching styles of Schiano. Cornerback Darrelle Revis was the first to speak regarding the coaching methods and how Schiano takes the "my way of the highway" approach when it comes to the game plan. Tampa Bay is currently winless on the season and Sapp believes it is partially due to the discipline styles of Schiano.
"When you're my way or the highway, you must win now,'' Sapp said. "Because guys don't believe in your way when you're losing. And you lose the way they lost the first two weeks, you gave away those football games. And whenever you've given away football games, that means your style needs to change."
The woes of the Buccaneers are falling on both sides of the ball. In the offseason, the team made one of the biggest trades getting cornerback Revis from the New York Jets. Many NFL analysts predicted Tampa Bay was a team to watch with their potentially tough defense. However, at this point in the season, Revis has remained quiet. The cornerback blames to coaching plan of Schiano not fitting well with his playing style and Sapp agrees.
"Why is Revis standing eight yards off [Larry] Fitzgerald running a slant route and nobody's there? Touchdown. Are you kidding me?'' Sapp said. "Let's lock up our No. 1 corner who we're paying $16 million and then we rotate the coverage. There has to be a plan.''
Sapp is due to be inducted into the Buccaneers' ring of honor on Nov. 11. If he keeps talking like this, that may not be such a fun ceremony for Sapp.
