TAMPA, Fla. -- Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Dirk Koetter made his way around the outside of the locker room to defensive tackle Gerald McCoy, then to linebackers Kwon Alexander, Lavonte David and Kendell Beckwith. He patted them on the back and hugged them, one by one.
It was the first time Koetter, a second-year head coach whose Bucs went 9-7 last year and are just 3-6 this season, had smiled during postgame in well over a month. A five-game losing streak will do that.
Koetter is mostly known for being a straight-shooter.