Fansided

Johnthan Banks destroys former head coach Lovie Smith

By John Buhler

Dec 17, 2015 St. Louis, MO, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Johnthan Banks (27) against the St. Louis Rams at the Edward Jones Dome. The Rams won 31-23. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 17, 2015 St. Louis, MO, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Johnthan Banks (27) against the St. Louis Rams at the Edward Jones Dome. The Rams won 31-23. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports /
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Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Johnthan Banks is going hard in the paint with his hatred for Lovie Smith. 

While the Glazer Family’s decision to fire head coach Lovie Smith after two years on the job with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this offseason was largely met with mixed reviews, one of his former players in Tampa Bay in cornerback Johnthan Banks is excited to not have Smith as his head coach heading into 2016.

Banks may have a new head coach in former Tampa Bay offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter, but that didn’t stop the former great corner from Mississippi State throw shade at the former Buccaneers head coach and current leader of the Illinois Illini in the Big 10.

Part of what led to Smith’s undoing in Tampa Bay was that he was using an antiquated defensive scheme, ironically the Tampa 2 Defense of former defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin, that didn’t appropriately account for slot receivers and routinely put its defensive backs in less-than-opportune coverage schemes.

Banks was often benched by Smith for not seeing eye-to-eye in former defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier’s Tampa 2 scheme. Banks seems reinvigorated to have a great campaign playing in former Atlanta Falcons head coach and new defensive coordinator Mike Smith’s defense.

Smith doesn’t run a terribly complicated scheme, but has had great success in at least three different NFL cities (Atlanta, Baltimore, and Jacksonville). Smith is at his best as a coach when he gets his player to buy-in. He was terrific in his first five years as head coach of the division rival Falcons (2008-12) and could help ignite a turnaround in Banks’ once promising NFL career.

Banks may still harbor some animosity towards Lovie Smith, but may find the success that has otherwise evaded him in the NFL in playing for a new Smith in Tampa Bay in 2016. If Tampa Bay can sort things out in the secondary, the Buccaneers can contend for a NFC Playoffs berth as soon as this fall. They are that talented offensively and in the front seven defensively to do so.

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