By JEFF CARLSON
JoeBucsFan.com analyst

Former Bucs quarterback Jeff Carlson writes the weekly QB Blast column here at JoeBucsFan.com. Joe is ecstatic to have him firing away. Carlson has TV gigs in the Bay area and trains quarterbacks of all ages via his company, America’s Best Quarterback.

“Eight men in the box” has become a household phrase, but “eight men on the LOS” (line of scrimmage) hasn’t. That’s because nearly every NFL team wouldn’t risk the consequences of the “quick six” that most teams would put up against an all-out blitz look.

The Bucs, however, weren’t able to exploit that blatant challenge by the Eagles defense.

Don’t look for the “Eight men on the LOS” to become a mainstay in the NFL. Buddy Ryan, the former head coach and designer of the Bears’ famed “46” defense, tried to recreate his success of QB pressure with six on the LOS, but teams learned to defeat it with the Redskins’ “counter-trey” running game and quick passing to the receivers in one-on-one coverage.

Unfortunately, the Bucs couldn’t or wouldn’t move their pocket to buy time for the receivers to shake their defenders (even though they have one of the most mobile QB’s in football history) and they couldn’t catch the ball in key situations to move the chains.

If any Buccaneers coaches happen to read this, using motion of a receiver behind or near another receiver also gives you an advantage in man coverage and gives your young QB a little bit bigger window in which to throw.