Bucs Allowing 4.9 Yards Per Carry
November 6th, 2011
Back during the heinous Jim Bates Experiment, the Bucs’ run defense was sliced and gashed repeatedly up the gut.
Nothing worked. And Joe trashed numerous remote control devices.
The Bucs then sent Bates packing and went with Raheem Morris’ vision of the Tampa-2 defense. Still nothing worked against the run, with the likes of Ryan Torain, Maurice Morris, Jason Snelling and other future Hall of Famers having career days against the Bucs.
The Bucs showed real flashes of stopping the run this year, but Tampa Bay is now allowing a whopping 4.9 yards per carry in 2011, up from 4.7 yards per carry last year and 4.8 yards in 2009.
For some perspective, over the past 20 years, the worst the Bucs allowed per carry before the Raheem era was 4.3 yards in 1996 and 2008.
During a recent interview, Derrick Brooks talked about the defense needing a mentality of fighting for every last blade of grass. With the lousy tackling the Bucs have shown of late, it’s pretty obvious the Bucs are light years from the good ol’ days to which Brooks was referring.
November 6th, 2011 at 7:34 pm
And Greg Olson sucks?
This is the hypocrisy that disgusts me. The offense is putting up yardage numbers rarely see in this organizations history and the sheep bash Olson.
The defense is on a record horrible pace in rushing and sack stats and the sheep refuse to attack rah with the same vigor. Olson has done a better job. Olson can’t execute in the red zone for this team. The only real flaw with this offense is red zone where execution is key.
November 6th, 2011 at 7:38 pm
If this defense could stop somebody, even just a little bit, maybe Olson’s crappy vanilla offense could win some games. does that make you feel better?
November 6th, 2011 at 7:41 pm
Oh please Olsen ran Blount 13 times even though he was averaging 5.5 yards. That Johnson play? Garbage. That Benn end around? Garbage. Way too much Lumpkin. Way too much Lorig. Both in the passing game? Garbage.
The defense is an embarassment too right now, but Olsen shouldn’t get a lick of sympathy. He’s terrible.
November 6th, 2011 at 7:41 pm
Somewhere, Jim Bates is enjoying chicken at a fast food joint with a big smile on his face.
November 6th, 2011 at 7:44 pm
Allow…is too kind
November 6th, 2011 at 7:45 pm
Just fire the whole coaching staff! They are in the bottom 5 in the league but their paychecks prove that so the Glazers are simply getting what they pay for. I hope we lose our next 8 straight so they’ll be FORCED to fire the YOUNGRY crew. Problem is they’ll probably hire someone working at a local Rec Center for Head Coach once Raheem’s gone.
November 6th, 2011 at 7:48 pm
Olson’s game plans suck 2.2 Not saying raheems are too much better. But it’s hard for the D to stop anyone when the offense goes 3 n out every drive to start the game. The offense doesn’t start until the second half where we play our best D to sustain drives. The offense sucks in the first half where they get their leads and the D is gassed because how long did we have the ball after the coin toss? a minute maybe? Its simple if our offense could at least sustain drives in a first half then our D would be better. Especially when olson has way more talent then the Defense. The D is injured and the olb’s are terrible along with a ss whose trash and bad cb’s other then barber. Olson is a bad coordinator and needs to be fired the bigger the situation = the dumber the playcall. FIRE OLSON NOW
November 6th, 2011 at 7:48 pm
i heard one of the janitors at onebucplace is pretty good at madden, so maybe the glazers could give him a shot, they like to keep things “in house”.
November 6th, 2011 at 7:57 pm
That Miller guy must have a sore neck from turning it to watch the running back rip untouched into the open field.
November 6th, 2011 at 7:59 pm
@bucfanlostiniowa
That one brought tears to my eyes………….
November 6th, 2011 at 8:01 pm
Olson sucks!!
MCoy is made out of glass!!
November 6th, 2011 at 8:06 pm
I’m actually pretty fed up right now.I thought Raheem sucked and thought he should be fired his first year. Then the NFC west came along and gave the bucs a winning record, I have to admit I was fooled, i was wearing the pewter colored sunglasses, I was drinking the koolaid, i was one of the sheeple, etc. etc. etc. No more my friends I have seen the light, the veil has been lifted this coaching staff sucks it’s time for the cheap ass glazers to show them to the door.
November 6th, 2011 at 8:09 pm
Wow…..anyone notice that Capt. Tim is no where to be found on here tonight? You know things are bad when the most positive fan on this site is absent
November 6th, 2011 at 8:10 pm
eric that miller comment is one of the funniest i have seen in a while. ROFL
November 6th, 2011 at 8:19 pm
Just food for thought, I do believe this is the last year the Glazers are paying Gruden. I think Rah will return, but the last eight games could determine a lot.
November 6th, 2011 at 8:21 pm
Capt Tim, Hawaiian – where are all of the sheep? This was coming off of a bye – 13 days to prepare for the season’s biggest game – and this.
November 6th, 2011 at 8:44 pm
Why isn’t Joe writing anymore , “Brian Price is a warrior” articles ?
November 6th, 2011 at 9:15 pm
What is REALLY amazing is that anybody on the bucs played hard enough to get hurt…outside of “glass” McCoy. At least no one has had to tell him to shut his mouth lately or for the rest of the year for that matter.
November 6th, 2011 at 9:29 pm
We need some serious linebacker help. The defense is only the secondary and the line. There is no linebacker help
November 6th, 2011 at 9:30 pm
roy miller is absolutley horrid saw this dude get ran I MEAN RAN OVER multiple times by pierre thomas…its not like the dude is a big bad power back its pierre thomas for sakes and with mccoy getting injured again i see us hitting the dline again in the draft or free agency if we ever get a free agent …..BILLLLL COWHEEEER going to start it now
November 6th, 2011 at 9:31 pm
Bottom line… FIRE BOTH COORDINATORS!!!!
November 6th, 2011 at 9:34 pm
That article/post speaks for itself, but the issue is more than coaching. We have one of the worst OLB pairs in the league, and obviously DT depth is an issue with the injuries that are constantly occurring. Throw in Clayborn and Bennett who are both poor against the run and not making it up for it as pass rushers, and you see that our defense has a lot of problems.
Tackling, scheme and penalties are definitely issues that I blame on Raheem, as well as constantly getting burned by screen passes. I think we need a new OC and DC (or co-DC), offensive playmakers at RB and WR, and more LB draft picks (Kuechly and Spence). Those are all very feasible options that will instantly launch us to the top of the division. Raheem has shown flashes of being a top-notch 4-3 DC but we get exposed on the ground and on 3rd downs too often. It’s obvious that he needs another experienced guy to help him mold the defense.
November 6th, 2011 at 9:34 pm
3 and out on the first series to start the game with a full two weeks to script it. thats very telling to me.
November 6th, 2011 at 9:35 pm
@rickster
We’ve need linebacker help for the last 3 years!
November 6th, 2011 at 9:39 pm
that look on morris’ face right there is the same exact look that i’ve been seeing way too much lately. that’s the look of a guy that has no answer to a very important question. how to get his team back?
November 6th, 2011 at 9:46 pm
Could coaching be to blame? I don’t even know who the lb coach is?
November 6th, 2011 at 9:50 pm
Our outside linebackers shouldn’t be playing in the NFL. Period. Missed tackles from every which way. Raheem didn’t miss tackles, his defense did.
November 6th, 2011 at 9:50 pm
The scariest thing about this defense is that Ronde Barber could be the best player on it.
He’s 36 years old….
November 6th, 2011 at 9:54 pm
Damn so corner or olb in the draft??
November 6th, 2011 at 10:12 pm
our rookie Mason Foster is our best LB…… and we NEED to get a change of pace back
November 6th, 2011 at 10:14 pm
@Patrick,
Not only is Capt Tim nowhere to be found but BecklesHeartArse is nowhere either. I love it because he showed his butt two weeks ago attacking anyone that didn’t kiss the Bucs butt, now the Bucs showed their internal makeup two weeks in a row and he disappears. Hell, at least I don’t jump on board when the Bucs win with smoking mirrors.
November 6th, 2011 at 10:15 pm
Dr. Buc, we need a lot. The glass is half empty due to regression from the players that weren’t overly talented from the jump/.
November 6th, 2011 at 10:16 pm
@Fear The Glo
And I’ll be really sad to see Ronde go. Whether it’s after this season or after the next one. He’s the remaining piece of our super bowl team and really one of the few players on this team that I really respect. I think he’s still solid for his age.
It’s sad when you look at where our team is right now. And Ronde is the only guy left from our glory days as a team.
November 6th, 2011 at 11:06 pm
this is more of tha same. Poor playcalling, execution, tackling along with dumb penalties and finally getting some help from tha refs and we only muster 16 pts. I’ve said it b4 and ill always say that tha Bucs need a player with SPEED at RB/WR 2 create mismatches. It’ll be tha same game, different team. Also, Freeman is still staring down receivers like strippers.
November 6th, 2011 at 11:10 pm
Lets face facts. As a diehard Bucs fan I have to admit that we are terrible on both sides of the ball. I’m starting to believe that a large % of the problem falls on Rah and the defense that can’t stop the run. And Olsen who’s play calling has pissed me off to the point where I can barely watch. This team right now the way they are playing will finish in last place in the NFC South. Im really getting tired of the excuses. We suck week after week in the first half. Raheem needs to get his act together or we need to find somebody who can get the job done. I think the players that we have are not as bad as the people coaching them.
November 7th, 2011 at 12:29 am
Also, get rid of Lumpkin! This guy is providing NOTHING TO OUR RUNNING GAME!!
Promote Chad Spann to the roster, the guy had a great college career and could be the next Blount!
November 7th, 2011 at 12:36 am
Wah! I want my mommy!
What a bunch of posers you people are.
Some of us understood that the defense would struggle from the start this year. If you people bought into the playoff level defense just because we drafted well, its your own faults you are mad right now.
Name one one time in league history when a team has had their defense excel when starting two first year players and two second year players on the defensive line, AND A FIRST YEAR MIDDLE LINEBACKER!
Even the last generation defense, which was among the best in league history, took 3 years the gel. And you “fans” who know so much about football thought it would be done this year??? Please!
If you were paying attention in the off season, some of us stated that we would be doing well if the bucs are .500 by mid season…that’s what we are seeing!
Now, I said it before and I’ll say it now…from week 9 on, we will start seeing the defense click. It might only be in one or two areas each week, but eventually they will all start to thrive. It just takes timre.
And newsflash, people…the coaches both called good games. Its the players that fell short. The oline failed big time.
The coaches only called a couple bad plays…the rest? Blame the players. It doesn’t mean the players suck, it means they are still learning. So get over yourselves. Most, if any of you posers, don’t even buy tickets to support your team anyway. A fanbase supports a team…it doesn’t whine about wasting money that they don’t even spend.
When you believe in a team enough to buy tickets with the full knowledge that you can’t even go, then you have a right to complain. But as far as I’m concerned, you all fall short. This team isn’t failing us, we’re failing the team. The team is improving. They are just learning through trial and error.
And that right there makes my case. Grow up into a real fan of chose a different team to have that attitude with.
AS TO THE GAME
There are plenty of things to work on. Both lines were dismal, secondary is horrid…even with Talib there. The plyers have the training and skills to execute, but they need to actually start doing it. Biggers should not be a starter at this point. Foster played well considering it was on him to stop every run because the dline was too weak.
Freeman actually played decently. He didn’t make many mistakes, and we could have won the game if not for the penalties.
One thing…I knew Raheem would have discipline issues with the players because he was too wasy on them Too friendly. He needs to bench Blount and Talib for a game. It will hurt, but they deserve it after throwing punches and ruining drives.
All the gassers in the world won’t stop the penalties. The team should fine the players for each penalty…get them where it hurts. The wallet.
November 7th, 2011 at 12:39 am
And, btw…Raheem does need to get the defense scoring as well.
November 7th, 2011 at 1:02 am
@Pete,
I respect you for coming out and defending your beliefs. No argument with your opinion. I personally see more to it than just youth as an excuse because right now Cincy and San Fran are showing what good coaching gives you. Pete your opinion is valid be I am taking a different approach. I just don’t want the excuses. Bench someone, one of the veterans need to show some leadership like Steven Jackson did last week on his Olineman for penalties. Now that was a great display of leadership from a guy that has been on a bad team for a long time and never made excuses. Pete I have no doubt they have some players in place to play good football but some others are just collecting checks. We all agreed that if everyone played with Clayborn’s fire we would be deadly.
November 7th, 2011 at 1:03 am
@Pete Dutcher
Yeah, yeah…..we’re tired of hearing the “young” excuse. You ever think that our team is just not that good?
Not all of our players are young. Many of the ones that the fans are calling out have been here quite a while.
Black-5th season Hayes-4th season Biggers-3rd season Miller-3rd season. Not everyone is a rookie or 2nd year player.
We’re in year 3 of the Morris-Dom “rebuilding” era. We should be a playoff team by now, it’s not 2009 anymore. They’ve been here for a while.
As for McCoy, we have a right to be disappointed in him. 2nd year in a row that he’s had a season ending injury and we spent a 1st round pick on him. Plus he’s the highest paid player on the team.
What game were you watching? Olsen’s playcalling was HORRIBLE! I could go on and on about the stupid plays he called. Yeah, maybe a couple plays weren’t their fault, but many were.
I agree with you about Freeman. He was solid, and some aren’t seeing that.
As for the discipline issues, there’s no excuse for it. But much of is tied to the fact that we have no veterans on this team. Seeing how severely immature and undisciplined this team is, we need people like Ronde Barber around longer. And he’s probably still our best cornerback!
November 7th, 2011 at 1:36 am
Watch Out!!! The sky is FALLING!!!
Fire the coaches, bench the starters!!! That’ll fix it for sure!
Um, we’re 4-4, not 0-8. The sky is not falling. Our chances of making the playoffs are diminishing, but not gone. Firing coaching staff at this point of the season will not improve our chances of making the playoffs this year.
Also, young is not an excuse, but young does need to be coached up. Usually that “coaching up” happens in the off-season workouts that we didn’t have this year. A lot of those fundamentals like tackling and discipline in run defense are coached up in contact drills. Has anyone else noticed that the new CBA has severely limited contact practices this year (and in the future)? These guys don’t get fundamentals in college because the coaching restrictions are even greater there. League wide there is an increase in missed tackles, but look close and you’ll see it more prevalent in younger teams. Other things like pre-snap discipline and mental penalties are coached out for the most part in the non-contact off-season workouts. We didn’t get those this year either.
During the season, most of the work will be in regards to game plan. Which still leaves a very limited time to work on fundamentals and discipline. I know all fans want these things corrected NOW, but it’s just not that simple. Maybe they could have done that during the bye week when they have extra time to work with the guys…. oh wait, the CBA mandates a minimum of 4 consecutive days off during the bye. Effectively limiting the ability to get together and work on these types of things when the team actually has time to do so.
Yeah, the coaches get some blame. The players get some blame too. Even the front office and ownership probably take a hit as well. But the fix is not so simple as “fire the OC” or “fire the HC”…
November 7th, 2011 at 2:11 am
Exactly BamBam. The sky is falling after EVERY loss to these Buc fans. After a win it’s “OH GEE WE WERE SO SLOPPY WHAT AN UGLY WIN”
November 7th, 2011 at 3:06 am
Mauha Deeb:
Joe — both of them — can promise you we are not the culprits.
One Joe has two jobs aside from working on this site. The other Joe has a job and takes care of a family of five.
If you believe either one of us has the extra hours in a day to write fake comments, well, Joe — both of them — has swamp land in Arizona to sell you.
November 7th, 2011 at 4:14 am
Thank you Pete for defending our team against these haters or what you might want to call realists. I’m as down as anyone right now but I will not bash my team on this forum or any other.
Every Dungy year, as stressful as they were, the plan was to go .500 the 1st half and then make a playoff run. Our Defense couldn’t sniff those guys’ jocks (except our senior Ronde) but our offense is much better. Its a different era but I’m just saying don’t count us out just yet.
That fake qb draw was pure genius. Yes, I know it was Tebow-esque. Can’t completely bash Olsen’s playcalling. He comes through huge at times. Besides, any play should work when executed properly.
November 7th, 2011 at 5:04 am
No one is enjoying this loss more than Thomas – how pathetic, but expected. And for the record Thomas, I was working today, so I didn’t have time to rip on the Bucs (or defend them). But guess what, they are still my team, I will still cheer for them, and I still support them. Baaaaahhhhhh.
I didn’t read all of the comments, but I have skimmed through and found that some of you people are complete morons. First of all, we are 4-4, and all 4 teams we have lost to are pretty damn good teams. They will probably all make the playoffs, so it’s not like we are losing to scrub teams. Also, ask yourself this: do any of you think we have better players (currently, not in 3 years) than any of those teams? I sure don’t. We are obviously still a work in progress, and it shows. Yes, you can blame the front office, but in a couple years you will be praising that same front office and swearing that you were behind this team all along.
I hate these losses just as much as any of you. It seriously ruins my entire week every time we lose. However, I’m not an over-emotional little girl like a lot of you, and I understand that it takes time. You can’t play in the SB every year, and you can’t go around firing the coaches just because you don’t. It is so amazing to me that people can be so stupid to actually believe in their little pea brains that they have enough knowledge of NFL football that they are qualified to determine whether or not a coach should be fired. You don’t know a damn thing, yet it’s funny how those are the ones that talk the most. Some of you should seriously be embarrassed. You probably think you could solve hunger, or fix the country’s economy too! What a bunch of jack arses!
November 7th, 2011 at 5:18 am
And I don’t blame one person for our struggles. The blame should be shared by everyone – players, coaches, and front office. And yes, Thomas, Raheem definitely deserves his share of the blame. But stop being a moron and implying that it is all his fault. Our offense is struggling more than just in the red zone. We had 6 first downs in the first 3 quarters!!!! Both sides of the ball are playing pretty poorly right now, and I think the two go hand in hand. The offense can’t move the ball, which puts the defense on the field for longer. The defense can’t stop anyone, which puts more pressure on the offense to move the ball. They are both to blame, period.
November 7th, 2011 at 8:27 am
jb Says:
Just fire the whole coaching staff! …
…I hope we lose our next 8 straight so they’ll be FORCED to fire the YOUNGRY crew.
And that right there makes my case. Grow up into a real fan of chose a different team to have that attitude with.
Hey Pete Dutcher….
jb is a 35 year season ticket holder! I’ve earned the right to call out horrendous coaching when I see it. You’re dumb enough to believe in a coaching staff that is clearly in over their heads? That’s fine with us. But don’t chastise people you don’t have a clue about simply because they don’t subscribe to your HOMER Ideals.
November 7th, 2011 at 8:28 am
The offense is on pace for a franchise record in total yardage or very close to it still. Cant move the ball, you must not be watching the games since you are at work.
November 7th, 2011 at 9:29 am
We move the ball , we just nullify all our progress with bone-head penalties.
November 7th, 2011 at 12:57 pm
Yeah Thomas, the offense is great. Are you an idiot? Did you watch the Chicago game? How about SF? Detroit? The first half of Minnesota? I don ‘t care about yardage records (especially from an organization that has never had a very good offense). Most of our yardage comes late in the game when we are down. Anyone who watches the games knows our offense is not playing well, and red zone execution is only a small part of it.
Again, you jump on others for giving Raheem a free pass, then you go and do the same thing for Olsen. What a hypocrit.
November 7th, 2011 at 1:08 pm
And by the way arse hole, I haven’t missed one snap of a Bucs game in close to 10 years (preseason included). I had to work right after the game numb nuts. So STFU about things you know nothing about, especially when it pertains to me.
November 7th, 2011 at 4:49 pm
At least I’m not the only one who is proud to be a homer 😉
Sorry, JB, didn’t know you were an old man. That explains it…we all get grouchy when we get old.
Well said as usual BamBam & Hawaiian Buc.
Some others made good points as well.
Some.
You make a good point about Black and Biggers. I can’t stand Biggers, but unfortunately we didn’t go after a CB in the draft this past year.
I had high hopes for Black, but 22 tackles over seven games is horrible. He’s averaging only 3 per game…and some of those are assisted.
McCoy may have come back too soon…I don’t know. But its no different than Caddy. I like him and believe he has what it takes, but we can’t wait for it.
Miller is not bad…for a backup player, which is what he is. You can’t have starting calibur players as backups, at least not often.
Okam is a rookie. He’s big and he might just become a good run stopper by mid-season next year.
Yes! That’s what I’ve been trying to tell everyone for months! They are NOT as good as last years record led people to believe.
BECAUSE they are still in development. And when I addressed the young guys, I clearly said the Dline and MLB…and it all starts up front.
Am I saying that excuses all the bad play? Nope. Biggers is a disaster. Talib is not playing well at all. Our OLBs are invisible.
Some people SHOULD be replaced, yes, but maybe its because certain players just cannot rise to the challenge…like Biggers, our OLBs and a few others.
This team needs the defense to start scoring. We’re almost set up front. They just need time to develop. And hey, if someone comes in and takes the starting spot from McCoy, it’s a god thing. While he’s healing up, someone is getting an opportunity. It’s up to them to capitalize.
We need a good young CB oposite Talib (and he’s even having a bad season).