The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have fired defensive coordinator Mike Smith following Tampa's loss to the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday. The Buccaneers have one of the worst defenses in the NFL, allowing 34.6 points per game (32nd), 355.6 pass yards per game (32nd), and 439.8 yards per game (31st). Tampa has only 9 sacks on the season.
“I have the utmost respect for Mike Smith as a man and as a football coach.These decisions are always difficult, but our top priority here is to ensure that we do everything possible to help this team succeed. As I have said in the past, the issues we have had as a team are never one person’s fault. During good times, as well as the bad, it is a collective effort between the coaches and the players. We all understand that this is a result-based profession and our results to this point have not met our standards. I want to thank Mike for all the hard work and passion he has displayed here on a daily basis and I wish him well moving forward.” - Buccaneers head coach Dirk Koetter
LB coach Mark Duffner will replace Smith as the interim defensive coordinator. The Bucs host the Browns in Week 7.