Raheem The Dream Explains Horrid Run Defense
November 16th, 2009
Head coach Raheem The Dream dished out a sobering assessment of his shoddy run defense
Joe had a moment of pride in his colleagues down at Raheem The Dream’s news conference at One Buc Place today.
Raheem The Dream was absolutely cornered by a couple motivated members of the MSM to explain why the Bucs’ run defense is allowing five yards per carry on the season and consistently getting pounded at key moments.
Raheem The Dream was quick to explain. He said the Bucs don’t have the talent.
“We’re just not made right now to knock people back. That’s not how we’re cut,” Raheem The Dream said. “We don’t have big intimidating linebackers or big intimidating linemen. We gotta hit you. We gotta be perfect. …We don’t have the big people, the big personnel that you need to knock out runs. The physical person up front who just absolutely dominates the block and gets a tackle for a loss for a 3rd and 13. Which we’ll get there. We’ll find them guys. We’ll go out there and get them.
“Right now, we have to play with the guys we have. They gotta to continue to play like they did yesterday as far as having five series three-and-out, having two series four-and-out, and having two big turnovers. …We gotta get the big guys in there and let them play a little bit. …We’ve got to make decisions at the end of the season once we get there. Right now. That’s who we have. That’s the guys. They’ve got to get better. We’ve got to get better with technique. We’ve got to get better. We’ve got to see somebody make a play that we talk about like that. We’ve got to see somebody make a splash play. Hopefully we will this week.”
Joe is quite certain the Bucs will find the studs to overhaul the defensive line and upgrade the linebacker corps quickly.
But once they find them, will they pay them?
November 16th, 2009 at 4:00 pm
Ok I have to ask this question, is this REALLY what you want to say with seven games left? Exactly how are the guys we have, you know the guys who we need to play well in order to win any of those games, supposed to take that. I suppose some folks might argue that it will motivate them but I am not so sure…
November 16th, 2009 at 4:02 pm
One more thing worth pointing out, our safeties have missed more tackles in the run game than any other group on our defense.
November 16th, 2009 at 4:05 pm
No. 21?
November 16th, 2009 at 4:10 pm
Sometimes Raheem needs to learn to not speak the truth.
November 16th, 2009 at 4:20 pm
Well now we know he doesn’t like our linebackers.
November 16th, 2009 at 4:22 pm
Here’s a thought:
There are defenses that can be crafted where one doesn’t need a physically overpowering beast.
November 16th, 2009 at 4:33 pm
Here is another thought:
Look at other teams that run a 4-3 and DO have huge guys in the middle. Im talking the the Packers, the Patriots, the Vikings. And then try to find even one of them that NEVER not EVER plays their weak tackle over the center.
Cmon I dare you…….I double dare you!
November 16th, 2009 at 5:04 pm
Maybe they should have made a play for Ray Lewis in free agency, oh yeah they wanted to go with a youth movement, hey Raheem how is that working out for ya!?
November 16th, 2009 at 5:45 pm
So the guys who Monte kept in the top 10 lost a lot of weight or something OR are we trying to play a scheme that we’re not geared for? Is this guy an idiot?
November 16th, 2009 at 6:18 pm
Joe, Your last sentence says it all. I think the answer is No. They will not turn loose of to much money for anyone. I think with this owner ship if the league continues to give the Bucs big market teams at home like this year the Glazers will be very happy.
November 16th, 2009 at 7:39 pm
Sabby has issues, but he is trying very hard, just in over his head and ability. Our LB’s also have problems. Black is great on Special Teams but misses tackles too, and when they make them, they often are behind and drive runners 2 or 3 yard further up field. I like Brandon Spikes and think he wold be better than Ruud. Ruud looks out of shape and slow. His arms are small and he looks weak, plays weak. Maybe he is spending too much time with his woman or maybe a drug problem. i don’t know, but he isn’t the same player. For every good play he makes 2 bad. The Wr’s have been loafing and not running as they should. I think our D line has potential, but you have to throw in a blitz now and then to create diversity. We were too predictable again on the D line, and that is Master Bates’ fault.
November 16th, 2009 at 7:54 pm
Hey Big Steve,
I agree with you about not knocking your players down when you need to build them up. Didn’t Tony Dungy and the Colts win the Superbowl with an Undersized Defense? That Bob Sanders is a Giant. LOL
I know Davin Joseph was a wrestler and likes MMA. Me too. I think Brock Lesnar is a beast and would destroy Fedor Emelianenko. I would love to see Davin in MMA, say on Ultimate Fighter. I think Davin might just be a future UFC Heavy Weight Champ. He is so big and Strong with a huge neck. Too many guys neglect their Traps when they workout.
November 16th, 2009 at 8:02 pm
Steve,
I told you several weeks back I felt it was just as much lack of talent as it was scheme. You say the safeties have missed tackles. which is true, but the line isn’t even in position to be able to make a tackle half the time. That being said, I agree with you that even if that is how Morris feels, he needs to keep it to himself. This team has too many problems for the coach to single out a certain group in the media.
November 16th, 2009 at 9:14 pm
@lightningbuc
I noticed you didn’t come by last week after the defensive line played well. Hmmm I wonder why. But here is the thing, I tried to be nice about it the first time you tried to argue talent but this time I have to say you don’t know what the hell you are talking about. The scheme of this defense isn’t even about the defensive line being in position to make a bunch of tackles. The whole reason they have the tackles two gaping is to keep the offensive line off our linebackers so THEY can make most of the tackles. That you don’t know that speaks volumes about how little you understand what is actually going on when we are on defense.
Now you can believe this bullsh*t that you are being sold about our talent level but I can promise you that the scheme sucks a lot more than our players do up front. And if they ever decide to actually get back to putting our players in the gaps and allowing them to come off the ball and hit people in the mouth then our whole defense will be much better. Until that day we are gonna suck against the run and I don’t give a damn who they bring in here.
November 16th, 2009 at 9:54 pm
Hey Steve,
I wanna get your opinion here on something, on that last drive Miami had to win it; knowing that the front wasn’t getting pressure all game would you have only rushed 3 down linemen an brought in a extra corner in that situation knowing Miami had to pass most of the way?
I’m just having a problem with the whole talent level speak when good coaches adjust their schemes to fit the players they have. Bates hasn’t had one game so far where I can be like “wow you can tell he really schemed for this team”. This defense he’s running right now reminds me of something out of Tecmo Bowl.
November 17th, 2009 at 1:49 am
Hey Steve, have to agree with you on the talent, Monte didn’t have a problem using undersized personnel to stop people (well, he didn’t until he said he was going to Tennessee and the defense quit on him). My questions are: if Raheem’s been around defenses most of his short career, why can’t he recognize that Bates isn’t adjusting his defense to fit the personnel, that we’re getting killed with this two-gap crap, or that Ruud is getting crushed by centers who don’t have anyone in front of them to stop or at least slow them down?
November 17th, 2009 at 1:57 am
Another thing, running the same defense week in, week out and continuously getting run over is kind of like cutting yourself just to see if you’ll still bleed. Only morons practice bleeding, so why won’t these idiots change up the damn scheme?
November 17th, 2009 at 8:40 am
@Bucsfan5
I don’t believe in using a 3 man rush unless there is about 30 seconds or less to go in the game and the other team has to go over 50 yards. The truth is I would have actually gone the other way. I would have run the 2 man coverage but I would have delay blitzed the back or the tight end if it was an empty set. What I mean is which ever backer was in for that series would wait about a half a second and act like they were dropping into coverage, wait for the blocking scheme to unfold on our front four then find a hole and run through it.
Chad Henne isn’t some sage veteran, he is still a young guy. But we treated him with kid gloves in my opinion by not sending pressure after him. This was particularly egregious because we didn’t have our best past rusher playing on Sunday. On several of the throws Henne makes on that last drive he steps up into the pocket and to his right and then delivers. If you send a delayed blitz on the left side of our defense its very likely that he ends up stepping up right into it. I would have liked to have seen him get hit in the mouth a few times and then try to get up and march them down the field. But that just didn’t happen.
November 17th, 2009 at 8:44 pm
Thanks for the insight Steve, I was just irritated that we were allowing big chunks of yardage but doing nothing to pressure Henne.