Rotten Tackling
July 7th, 2012
Joe has gone on record several times calling the Bucs’ 2011 linebacking corps the worst linebacker unit in all the NFL.
And it wasn’t close.
When teams ran the ball at the Bucs, once the ballcarrier got past the first level, it was quite simply a jailbreak, snap after snap, the way opposing running backs ran wild on the Bucs.
Since it is early July, the unofficial dead season in the NFL calendar until training camps begin later this month, the football eggheads at ProFootballFocus.com decided to study tape of the last three years and they camp up with the worst group of tacklers playing linebacker in the NFL.
Not surprisingly, two Bucs were in the top (bottom?) five, Geno Hayes and Quincy Black.
In 2,563 snaps, Hayes had more missed tackles than assists. So did Black, logging 1,833 plays.
Following hot on his heels in the list are Hayes and Levy, both of whom have racked up misses and whose ratios are only marginally behind that of Weatherspoon’s.
Hayes’ teammate in Tampa, Quincy Black also notched his fair share of missed tackles, as the entire Buccaneers defense seemed to be engaged in a competition last season to see who could miss the most.
Unless Sam Monson, who did the research, was totally off in his study, Joe has no earthly idea how any defensive player can have more missed tackles than assists. Hell, you just fall on a guy who is lying on the ground and you get an assist.
Yes, Joe knows Hayes is gone, but Black is still among us. Still, this is a disturbing thought that such a sloppy tackler remains in the Bucs’ starting lineup as training camp approaches.
No wonder new Bucs coach Greg Schiano said his No. 1 goal is to somehow fix the defense and to stop the run.
Joe will give Black some slack this season as this is a new regime and from all the whispers coming out of One Buc Palace, Black wasn’t coached up (along with many others, apparently).
July 7th, 2012 at 11:14 am
Hence the reason Schiano is doing tackling reps in every practice.
July 7th, 2012 at 11:24 am
I can believe this one.
But I also understand that Schiano and Dominick could not change the team in one season…not completely. A position had to wait until next year, maybe two positions.
Since Black had so much money coming to him, it would have been stupid to pay him for not playing. Geno Hayes once had promise…this year we’ll find out if his bad play was the result of bad coaching, ineptitude or a combination of both. I would not be surprised if we see more linebackers brought in next year in the draft though…along with at least one CB.
July 7th, 2012 at 12:06 pm
@joe.. Why in the hell would you give Black a break? He sucks and the ONLY reason they didn’t kick his arse to the curb is because the great idiot known as Mark Dominik signed him to a stupid contract. Just like we would cut the idiot Wright if not for our great GM making his stupidity show again . Come on Joe call it like it is and quit making excuses for this moron.
July 7th, 2012 at 12:11 pm
I am just glad that after 2 NFL seasons, and between 20 and 30 million dollars – someone has decided to teach Gerald how to tackle.
Did DomDom commit 60 million to a DT who admittedly did not know how to tackle? LMAO
Maybe that is why the pro-Dom media created the disruptive concept, since Gerald admittedly didn’t know how to get ball carriers on the ground. It really didn’t matter though since he was almost never in the same area code of the ball carrier.
July 7th, 2012 at 12:40 pm
There’s Thomas with his predictable asinine comments. Now we can start the troll mobile rolling. Next we have Stevek, Eric, and others jumping on board to add their negative bile. Ahhhhh yes. I love the smell of morons in the morning…
July 7th, 2012 at 12:44 pm
The Rock Star, Mark D. <—– finds a way to get rid of ANYONE who is a potential threat (Media or Staff Members at One Buc Place….In my opinion)
Ge acting like a true Rock Star…..so don't question his decisions or you are OUT of THE BAND
July 7th, 2012 at 1:47 pm
Bobby,
You are casting the first stone (undeniably from your self doubt in your man crush GMC). Change your sheepish and childish attitude, and STFO.
Quincy Black’s situation clear, pay him this year,we don’t have a choice, and see what we get.
July 7th, 2012 at 1:51 pm
@Bobby “Next we have Stevek….” haha nailed it.
July 7th, 2012 at 1:54 pm
I think many of our guys just plain quit on Raheem last year.
Heck, many were seen laughing on the sidelines behind Raheem, when we were getting our azzes kicked in Tampa.
July 7th, 2012 at 1:55 pm
Bobby,
You are a bonafyde Turd. Your sheepish and narrow views are poor interpretations of reality. You need to open up your eyes to the whole picture of GMC (consuming 10% of our salary cap), and quit name calling because you disagree (and get your homer feelings hurt)
Suh in 2011= GMC’s career output; Suh>GMC (not even frigging close)
July 7th, 2012 at 1:56 pm
@Have a Nice Day,
I was replying to Bobby’s “moron” name calling, and yeah I am here lol.
July 7th, 2012 at 2:57 pm
Don’t have my hopes up if team is full of quitters.
July 7th, 2012 at 4:50 pm
I cant wait to cut Quincy next after this season is finished and sign a first riund LB next year.
That would give us 3 young LB’s to grow together. And hopefully, a true MLB somwe can move Mason to SLB.
Imagine that!
Yes, I am already thinking about iur next draft. Especially with Quincy on the roster! He does nothing!
July 7th, 2012 at 5:11 pm
Unfortunately, and do to our DomDom GM, those who argue that Jane is a virtual lock to make the team and start are correct.
DomDom committed too much $ to cut Jane after the first year of the deal with a regime change.
I think this is a detriment on the field. Foster needs to play outside and that isn’t a realistic option, I guess, because Jane is the presumptive starter at Sam do to his contract. So now let’s play a terrible Sam and a Mike out of position at 2 of our 3 backers.
If $ were no issue, I would start David at Will, rotate Foster on run and Watson on pass downs at Sam would evaluate Goode at Mike and bring in some vet competition there and cut Quincy “Jane” Black and hope his boy Rah picks him up to further screw up the Redskins D.
July 7th, 2012 at 5:11 pm
Just too predictable! LOL!
July 7th, 2012 at 5:12 pm
I apologize in advance for grammatical errors b4 someone blasts me
July 7th, 2012 at 5:49 pm
I think all the coaching in the world cant help quincy at this point. I hope im wrong though. he was by far the worst linebacker I have ever seen play last year, college or pros, and that is no exaggeration. Hayes was a much better linebacker that black, and yet hayes was the one that kept getting benched last year. never understood that.
July 7th, 2012 at 8:18 pm
Stevek – Suh > GMC… um, ok, what’s your point? Same goes for 2010. Fact is, we NEVER had an opportunity to draft Suh. Drop your man-crush on this guy or jump on the Lions/Felons bandwagon. Suh was gone when we drafted GMC, get over it. We’re also talking about extremely early in their careers, so neither is a lock on the HOF, nor is either denied yet.
Thomas/Raheem – Again, gifting starting spots on the team to unproven late round rookie picks over other players. Now it’s Goode over Foster at MLB. I can accept David at WLB, since Hayes has generously vacated that spot. But Goode over Foster doesn’t make sense until I see him on the field and proving he deserves it. Sorry, but YouTube highlight reels (yeah, they call them “highlight” reels because they only show the highs, not the lows) don’t show me enough to gift Goode the starting MLB job. Oh yeah, and let’s bump Parker up to #2 WR since he’s got great hands and never fumbles like other players…. (Blount?)
July 7th, 2012 at 10:52 pm
Well, we didn’t block, but we made up for it by not tackling
July 8th, 2012 at 7:00 am
Unfortunately the Panthers, Falcons and Saints have improved their teams so we are in for a rough ride.
July 8th, 2012 at 7:58 pm
Quincy was always decent on special teams along with Hayward. Hayward missed some tackles last season as well, but prior to that he’s always filled in well. Dakota Watson hopefully can step up this year, and I look for Quincy to get pushed back down to special teamer. Still, I’m trying to keep an open mind on how Schiano will shake things out. I hope he can turn it around, and with a healthy GMC and Barron back there with Ronde they may tighten up.
July 8th, 2012 at 9:55 pm
2.2,
Man – this article is about Black and Hayes and missed tackling. Why the hell do you need to chirp in and complain about Gerald????
Everyone of this site knows you dont like GM. We get it. We got it last year. All you do is repeat the same vile and negativity time in – time out with every single post.
I simply scroll past your comments without reading as I know you’ll be bitching and moaning like a 16 year old girl who just had her heart broken for the first time about GM.
I am now hoping that McCoy has a MONSTER year not only for the Bucs sake but so I can spend the months following the season stickin it down your craw.
July 10th, 2012 at 7:57 pm
Interestingly enough, Black was one of the highest-rated OLBs in FootballFocus’ estimation in 2010, & IIRC, was the Bucs’ ”hidden treasure.” So this year we shall see which is the real Quincy.
The whole defense was in a state of malaise the last two-thirds of the 2011 season. Been watching the NFL since Van Brocklin QBed the Eagles, & I have never seen anything even approaching that collapse.