TAMPA — Throughout his nine seasons as head coach of the Chicago Bears, Lovie Smith walked into NFL stadiums knowing his special teams units were among the league’s best.
But now, on the brink of Tampa Bay’s 2015 opener, a potential winning edge has turned into a scramble for reliability. There’s a good chance the Buccaneers will entertain the Tennessee Titans Sept. 13 with new faces at kicker, punter and kick returner.
By releasing veteran Michael Koenen on Tuesday, the Bucs virtually handed the punting chores to untested Jacob Schum, who was waived by the Jets two weeks ago.