"Coach, may I ask if there will be any changes to the team's starting quarterback this week?"
"No, it won't."
Jim Hubble's answer was concise and decisive, leaving no room for loopholes. Such an answer was not surprising; but such a certainty made the reporters slightly surprised.
After experiencing a defeat, every team must find the reasons, sum up experience, and then get back on the track of victory; and on the football field, the offense, defense and special teams may all become burdens. The responsible party, but in the final analysis, the coach and quarterback are still the positions with the most concentrated firepower.
The starting quarterback of the San Francisco 49ers is an undrafted rookie, not to mention that the team also has quarterbacks like Alex Smith to choose from. The undrafted rookie naturally becomes the best choice to shirk responsibility.
On the official media day on Wednesday, the reporters' first question was so pointed and sharp; unexpectedly, Jim cut off any possibility without any hesitation.
"During last week's game, the team just experienced a defeat. Hasn't the coach considered starting Alex Smith again to change the team's offensive rhythm?"
"No." Again, Jim gave the answer simply and clearly without any hesitation.
But this time, looking at the commotion of reporters in front of them, it was obvious that they would not give up, so Jim added, "Our offensive team is working well, and the loss in the last game was just a hair's breadth; as the starting quarterback , Lu Ke’s performance is still outstanding, and I believe he is ready to meet this week’s challenge.”
The support and trust from the head coach is undoubtedly the treatment that every starting quarterback dreams of.
For Jim, who just joined the San Francisco 49ers this offseason, he has no direct descendants or close confidants. Everything starts from scratch. Therefore, every time the starting quarterback is changed, Jim does not hesitate too much. Showing his decisive side, from Alex Smith to Colin Kaepernick to Lu Ke.
Now, after four games of running-in and adjustments, the West Coast offense advocated by Jim has gradually taken shape. Lu Ke's performance is not perfect and has obvious ups and downs, but it does fit Jim's tactical design and tactical conception. Therefore, he did not hesitate He gave his vote of confidence to Lu Ke.
The internal strife, controversy, doubts and chaos that the media speculated on have never appeared at all. Although Jim is a coach who is not good at managing the locker room, and his iron-clad approach hardly knows how to compromise, advance or retreat; but similarly, he will not doubt his own judgment and decisions when he employs people and does not use them when he doubts them——
In the preseason, Kaepernick's performance was a disaster, and Jim never thought about replacing the starting quarterback, but chose to go all the way. If it hadn't been for Kaepernick's concussion, Jim still wouldn't have changed the starting quarterback after the start of the regular season; unless things were really hopelessly bad.
Now, the same is true.
"Coach, can we understand that you are full of confidence in Lu Ke?"
"Yes, that's it." Jim's answer remained unwavering. The reporters in the room also looked at each other and continued to dwell on the issue of the starting quarterback. It seemed that there was no point in it anymore. It was time to change the question.
"Before the start of the season, everyone thought that the San Francisco 49ers' schedule this year was relatively simple; but after the start of the regular season, the San Francisco 49ers' opponents seemed to have a new look, and their competitiveness was greatly improved. This week's Tampa The same is true for the Gulf Pirates, what do you think about this?"
For the first time, Jim smiled, "I think this is the charm of the NFL. The Buccaneers are a very respectable team. I watched the videos of their past two games. To be honest, their performance was really good." It's eye-catching, this week is definitely a challenge for the 49ers. But, we are ready."
As the reporter said, before the start of the season, the San Francisco 49ers, who ranked third in the National League West last year, had a schedule that was considered moderately difficult, and their opponents were generally in poor shape in recent years -
Except for the Philadelphia Eagles, who played a masterpiece last year, the Seattle Seahawks, Dallas Cowboys, and Cincinnati Bengals are far from top-notch.
But after entering the new season, except for the Seattle Seahawks, who are in a sluggish state, the other three teams have shown strong strength, with all records of two wins and two losses, and the two lost games were very, very close. It is definitely A tough nut to crack.
Everyone says that the San Francisco 49ers have recovered, and as a result, their opponents have also recovered strongly at the same time; coupled with the personnel changes before the regular season and quarterback injuries, it is difficult for the team that is working hard to get back into the playoffs. For the 49ers, it can definitely be called a fateful year.
In the fifth week of the regular season, the San Francisco 49ers will face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at home.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, located in the South Division of the National League, are a very, very young team. They were founded in 1974 and entered the league in 1976. They reached their peak in 2002. With their terrifying and tough defense, they gained the team. The only Super Bowl championship in history.
At that time, the Buccaneers' defense truly demonstrated the style of the Iron Army. Their ability to create ball transitions, defensive scoring ability and special teams scoring ability all reached the top, even comparable to the 1976 Pittsburgh Steelers, 1985 Chicago Bears and 2000 The Baltimore Ravens went down in history.
A simple look at two sets of data will tell you the capabilities of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' defense.
First, during the regular season, they limited their opponent's quarterback's average rating to 48.4. The full score is a quarterback rating of 158.3. When facing this defensive group, the average quarterback rating of opponents in sixteen games was not even a fraction.
Second, in the three games leading up to the championship in the playoffs, they completed nine interceptions, four of which were returned for touchdowns; they also received 11 sacks.
Absolute dominance! Really reaching the top.
However, great things must come true. After their peak, in the nine years from 2002 to 2010, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers only entered the playoffs twice in 2005 and 2007. At other times, they were in a weak position in the division and were unable to compete. Far less powerful than the New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons.
Last year, the Pirates had a good season with 10 wins and 6 losses, but unfortunately, the internal record in the division was poor, which resulted in only third place in the division and unfortunately missed the playoffs.
As history has it, the Buccaneers have always been a team that is better defensive than offensive. But in the past three years, their defense has not been as courageous as it was in the past, and has become fragmented and intermittent. Weakness at critical moments always causes them to lose games; on the contrary, the offensive team, which has always been weak, has shown signs of recovery.
In the nine years since winning the Super Bowl, the Buccaneers' starting quarterback has been changing. No quarterback could even start a full season here until 2010, when Josh Freeman ( The emergence of Josh-Freeman ended this embarrassing history.
Josh Freeman, the 17th overall pick in the first round of 2009, is a traditional pocket quarterback, but his ability to move the ball at critical moments can often create miracles.
In his rookie season, after the Buccaneers lost 11 games in a row, they finally couldn't bear it anymore. In the game against the Green Bay Packers, Freeman started the game. He successfully led the team to complete the reversal and became the youngest player in the history of the Buccaneers. The starting quarterback is also the youngest quarterback to win in team history.
Last season, Freeman became the starting quarterback and completed a full season. Although he unfortunately missed the playoffs, Freeman performed well and became the starting quarterback in Weeks 5 and 17. The NFC's best offensive player and became a backup quarterback in the Pro Bowl.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers firmly believe that Josh Freeman is their ace quarterback and can create their second glory.
After the start of the new season, the Buccaneers' performance seemed to prove this. After losing to the Detroit Lions in the opening game, they achieved a complete victory in the next three weeks, including a victory over the Atlanta Falcons, their rivals in the same division. The victory now puts the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in first place in the NFC South.
In the past four games, the Pirates have shown enough toughness on the defensive end. The average loss in the four games is only 15 points. Although there is no comparison with the peak period, they are indeed recovering and are in the league. Also at the forefront.
On the offensive end, Freeman's performance began to become unstable. He only scored two touchdowns in four games, but the 2010 undrafted rookie running back LaGarrette-Blount broke out. Incredible energy, four touchdowns in four games, and the winning touchdown two weeks in a row.
The current Tampa Bay Buccaneers have grown into an opponent that cannot be underestimated among all teams in the National League.
Last year, the 49ers and Buccaneers both ranked third in their divisions. According to the schedule, these two teams need to play a game this season; this year, after four weeks of the regular season, the 49ers and Buccaneers both occupied their own places. First in the division.
Therefore, the reporter's question just appeared. For the San Francisco 49ers, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers may be the hardest bone to crack so far. Although both teams have been weak in the past few years, both teams have shown signs of recovery this year. This can be regarded as a strong matchup in a certain sense.
"Yes, we have just experienced a defeat. For young players, this is a necessary process. Now, we can temporarily put down our baggage and invest in this week's game to welcome a new beginning. The season is very long. , every opponent cannot be underestimated, the Pirates are our current goal, but victory is still our pursuit, and we will go all out."
During the media interview, Jim concluded by saying, showing the unity of the team.
