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Tampa Bay Buccaneers fire DC Mike Smith

The first coordinator to be jettisoned in the 2018 NFL season is Tampa Bay Buccaneers DC Mike Smith. LB coach Mark Duffner becomes the Bucs' interim defensive coordinator.

"I have the utmost respect for Mike Smith as a man and a football coach, said Bucs coach Dirk Koetter. "These decisions are always difficult, but our top priority here is to ensure that we do everything possible to help this team 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.