CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Bucs coach Dirk Koetter might still have a chance to save his job for 2018, but there is mounting evidence that Jon Gruden is preparing for a return to the sideline, and his preferred choice could be his old job in Tampa Bay.
The phrases that have been used around One Buc Place are "there’s still a lot of football to be played" and "let’s see what happens," an indicator that the Glazer family, which owns the Bucs, wants all the information on the 2017 season before it makes a decision about Koetter’s future.
Koetter, 58, has three years remaining on his contract, but with the Bucs at 4-11 after Sunday’s 22-19 loss to the Panthers, it’s nearly imperative that they win or play incredibly well in this week’s season finale. A loss to the Saints would be six in a row to end the season and a winless record in the NFC South.
Meanwhile, there are signs that Gruden, who coached the Bucs from 2002-08 and led them to a Super Bowl XXXVII victory, might actually be contemplating leaving his job as analyst of Monday Night Football on ESPN.
Gruden, 54, has been checking with former assistants to see who might be available if he were to return to coaching next year, according to the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
"As it’s being explained to me, this year may actually be different," Rapoport said. "Gruden right now is going through the process of reaching out to former assistants and friends in the coaching industry just to see if they would be available, if they would potentially come with him if he were able to get a head coaching job. And of course the Tampa Bay Buccaneers do have Dirk Koetter on the hot seat — that would be his preferred destination.
"The Bucs have often swung big. They’d have to give up a lot of money to outbid ESPN and pay Gruden what he would want — something that would be worth it to come back to coaching. As a source close to him told me, this year may actually be different."
It appears that Gruden doesn’t want to look as if he is campaigning for a job that is not currently available. The Glazers got burned going down that road before when they reached an agreement with Bill Parcells to coach the Bucs before Tony Dungy coached his final playoff game at Philadelphia in the 2001 season.
Dungy was fired, but Parcells got pushback from the coaching community and wound up backing out of the deal, which began the search that resulted in the Glazers swinging a trade with the Raiders for Gruden.
In about a week or so, we’ll know if there is anything to all these Grumors.
Stepping up
The Bucs were without two of their favorite targets Sunday with WR DeSean Jackson out with an ankle injury and TE O.J. Howard on injured reserve.
But some young players stood out in the loss. Rookie Chris Godwin started in place of Jackson and had three catches for 98 yards, including a 70-yard catch and run. Rookie Bobo Wilson out of FSU got his first NFL reception, and it was a 17-yard TD pass from Jameis Winston to give the Bucs a 16-12 lead in the third quarter. Freddie Martino had two catches for 57 yards, including a 39-yarder. Of course, that went with Mike Evans’ big day (six for 107 yards), and Adam Humphries (three for 51) pitched in.
"When you give people a chance to do what they do, they shine," Winston said. "Bobo got his first touchdown this year. I told him before the play, ‘Bobo, you’ve got to score.’ Every time Freddie is in the game, he knows that I’m looking for him because these guys are ready.
"They’re perfect glue guys. They play special teams all day and boom, if something happens, they go in and make plays."
Not special
The Bucs have had better days on special teams. After tying the score at 6 on Patrick Murray’s 41-yard field goal, they allowed Damiere Byrd to return the ensuing kickoff 103 yards for a touchdown.
While Murray connected on his first four field goals, he missed the one that might have at least forced overtime.
With a four-point lead and the ball on the Carolina 33, Murray’s attempt from 51 yards was long enough but wide right. It was similar to his missed 54-yarder that would’ve tied the score in Monday’s 24-21 loss to Atlanta.
Instead, the Panthers got the ball in good field position at their own 41 needing a TD to win.
Koetter did not regret his decision to kick a field goal rather than pinning the Panthers deep in their own territory.
"Yeah, it puts you up seven," Koetter said. "We’re playing football. That’s our number for a field goal. It wasn’t short. It was the same as last week. He pushed it to the right. That’s one play in the game, and it was a big one."
Winston’s on the mark again
Winston went 21-of-27 passing for 367 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions. His passer rating was 131.1, the second straight game he had a passer rating of more than 130. Only two other times has a Bucs quarterback been that efficient in consecutive weeks: Josh Freeman in 2010 and Mike Glennon in 2013.