Bates Bemoans Secondary
October 14th, 2009
Jim Bates seems depressed. So Joe is depressed, too.
There was gloom and doom in Bates’ answer to a question about the Bucs’ woes in the secondary. It was asked during his Wednesday news conference.
The veteran defensive coordinator was asked to explain the greatest challenges for the secondary transitioning from primarily playing zone coverage — Monte Kiffin’s scheme — to Bates’ system.
Bates all but said the Bucs don’t have the talent in place at cornerback or the experience at safety. Here is his response unedited.
“The biggest part is bump corners. As far as the bump corners and the safeties also getting accustomed as far as when they can help. Cause it shouldn’t look like every single snap that it’s the corners all the way and they’re out there on an island. When [safeties] can come off and help especially when there is a lot of airtime on the ball. If it’s an under 20-yard route, then it’s going to be the corner’s play over there when we’re in bump. …The corners got to do a good job. Every place that I’ve been fortunate enough to be at, we’ve had really good corners and really good bump corners. And they really take away the deep ball for the most part in all those places. And we’re going to get there. We’re going to get there. But sometimes it just isn’t the corner. The safety has got to be able to know when he can give help, get the depth, get the break on the ball, and when there’s a lot of airtime on the ball we should be making the plays with the safeties, especially on those deep sideline routes.”
The Bucs gave up six pass completions of 40 or more yards during the 2008 season. Through five games this season, they have already yielded eight. This fun fact comes from the Twitter account of eye!-RAH Kaufman, NFL writer for The Tampa Tribune.
It seems Bates overestimated what he had in the Bucs’ secondary, or his fears have come to fruition. Perhaps both.
But Bates obviously thinks his horses in the secondary are second-rate for his system. So unless the pass rush shows marked improvement, Bucs fans can probably expect to see lots more big plays for the wrong team.
October 14th, 2009 at 7:50 pm
You go into games with the corners and safeties you have not the corners and safeties you wish for.
Im just saying.
October 14th, 2009 at 9:01 pm
Wow, way to go Coach. Just throw them all under the bus. That will sure make them want to play hard for you. I, 110% disagree with Bates. E-Mack shined last Season. Ronde may have lost a step, but his instincts make up for it. Aqib got burned a couple times last year, but was pretty darn good for a rookie. T-Jax has always been good. Sabby has a long way to go, no doubt, but he had many splash plays last Season. These are the same players, from the same defense that was 9-3 at one point. THE PROBLEM IS BATES!!! Like Steve says the players we have are here. That won’t change right now. They can get the job done. The Coach needs to adapt and overcome. If he can’t, then he should hit the road. Blaming all the players with an open mic is the wrong thing to do. I give Bate until Monday, and then he’s History. We need a new DC. Derrick Brooks might be a good choice. Sean McDermott (Phili) might make a good Head Coach too.
October 15th, 2009 at 12:26 am
Did you just say Derrick Brooks for Defensive Coordinator? How about letting him be a linebacker coach first.
I’m with Steve on this one. You scheme for the players you’re given. Not the ones you’d like to have.
When Steve wrote his article, I kept telling myself that when Jim Bates talked about the defensive scheme, he’d sound just as knowledgeable about the intricacies of the game. But this quote is nearly incomprehensible. I understand Steve was just talking about the line, but this guy sounds like his system only works when he has the ideal players.
October 15th, 2009 at 9:58 am
The back end basically needs to be totally rebuilt around Talib and Jackson. They’ll need to draft another big bump and run corner with a high pick, sign a suitable nickel back in FA, and decide if Sabby can play or not. In the meantime it’s just plugging in bodies and hoping for the best.
October 15th, 2009 at 10:32 am
What Bates really meant to say was this:
“I came to Tampa bacause after getting booted from Denver I really didn’t have anywhere else to go. I mean I’ve got this really, really really good defensive scheme that I dreamed up. Heck when I was in Miami I had super players and it worked there right.
Well in Denver I decided to tweek my system and the players were fine the system just needed a little work. I know it works because I’ve drawn it up that way.
The problme here in Tampa is that I just don’t have the players I need. I mean I wanted facestomper to play in the middle but they wouldn’t let me sign him.
I know Rhonde Barber is a pro-bowl CB but man he just doesn’t fit into my system. Sure Rhonde can blitz from the corner and he has more sacks & picks combined that any other CB but lets face it folks Rhonde is just over the hill.
As for the safety situation come on. The safeties are supposed to be mind readers and know when to help out the corners but Sabby and the others just don’t cut it. I mean Sabby didn’t do well in the Tampa 2 and my system is light years better…”
Hey Jim don’t let the door hit you on the but on the way out of town…
October 15th, 2009 at 10:50 am
ClarkH, if you think that Brooks only knows about LB play and nothing about the workings of the entire defense, I think your sadly mistaken. It surely makes sense for Coaches to work their way up through the ranks, but that is not the new modis operand i in Tampa. Just a fan, but having watched Brooks play for the last 15 years, he was always making reads and leading the defense. When he was hurt and off the field for plays, he would be out on the field coaching the players. I think DB would make an excellent coach and he knows the Tampa 2 well enough to teach it, coach it, adapt it, and be successful at it. The new “MasterBates” defense sucks, doesn’t work, 2 gap crap, idiocracy. I promise DB would be better than anyone else on the staff right now, but I don’t think that BRAINS is a priority when hiring at 1 Buc Place.