Tampa Bay Buccaneers fires Mike Smith replaces coach Mark Duffner

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers fired defensive coordinator Mike Smith on Monday, replacing him with linebackers coach Mark Duffner.

"I have the utmost respect for Mike Smith as a man and as a football coach," head coach Dirk Koetter said in a statement. "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."

Tampa Bay sits 31st in the NFL in yards allowed (439.8) and dead last in yards per play (6.9) and points allowed (34.6). Offensively, the Bucs (2-3) are second in the NFL in yards per game (448.6), first in yards per play (7.2) and eighth in scoring (28.2). They also lead the league in passing yards per game (368.4).

Epitomizing the Bucs' season thus far, quarterback Jameis Winston made his first start of the season on Sunday and threw for 395 yards and four touchdowns. But Tampa Bay lost at Atlanta, 34-29.

Duffner is in his 22nd season as an NFL coach, his third with Tampa Bay. He has worked primarily as a linebackers coach but also served as the Cincinnati Bengals' coordinator from 2001-02.

Smith had been with the Bucs since 2016. He was the Falcons' head coach from 2008-14. Koetter was Atlanta's offensive coordinator in Smith's final three seasons running the Falcons.

(With inputs from agencies.)