Confusion on the defense has reigned supreme for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this season and coach Raheem Morris finally threw in the towel on defensive coordinator Jim Bates.
Bates has been demoted by Morris according to reports in The St. Petersburg Times. Bates was informed of the decision by Morris Monday night.
Morris will retool the defense and return to the Tampa Two as the base defense.
The decision is indicative that Morris and general manager Mark Dominik made mistakes during their "hiring process." Former offensive coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski was fired before the season started and now Bates will basically be breaking down film.
It's no secret that the Buccaneer defense has been horrible. It ranks 26th overall in the league and dead-last against the run.
Bates has been unable to adapt and improvise his defensive schemes to fit the existing personnel.
This latest bombshell is an indictment of the Morris-Dominik regime.
This season has been earmarked with poor decisions starting in the OTAs and training camp and the resulting product on the field has produced the 1-9 record.
It became apparent early that the defense was ineffective against the run yet it was allowed to get worse rather than better as the weeks went by.
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