Numbers Suggest Defense Played Lights Out
August 25th, 2012
Two weeks ago the Bucs started their game with Tennessee with three three-and-outs. Last night, the Bucs starting defense was smothering.
How smothering? Consider the stats pumped out by CBSSports.com’s Bucs Rapid Reports Twitter feed.
@CBSSportsNFLTB: Impressive showing for #Bucs D last night: Patriots starting O had 8 drives vs. Bucs’ starters, and only 1 drive went more than 14 yards.
Now consider how the Bucs accomplished this and just who it was against. Starting middle linebacker Mason Foster was a late scratch due to a slight hamstring. Three plays into the game, starting defensive tackle Gerald McCoy was on the receiving end of a borderline dirty low hit at the knee. He returned, but just briefly. Then, Adrian Clayborn went down with an elbow/scrotum injury.
So the Bucs did this without three key starters.
Then you look at the opposite side of the line of scrimmage and you see a big Patriots offensive line and All-World quarterback Tom Brady.
Impressive, indeed.
August 25th, 2012 at 2:04 pm
LOL…elbow/scrotum injury.
August 25th, 2012 at 2:10 pm
Not sure Foster is the starter at Mike. Not sure that Glass Gerald is key.
August 25th, 2012 at 2:40 pm
Yes…it wa good to see….reset…the Pats have played 3 PS games in like 10 days..Freeman is 24 years old and has a LONG way to go…jury is still in…for 2 years….
August 25th, 2012 at 2:44 pm
Thomas 2.2: and that’s why you don’t coach in the NFL
August 25th, 2012 at 2:58 pm
Looking at how Price is gone, and that Benn is fragile as can be, maybe we should’ve traded up for Suh?? Not like we got anything out of that 2nd round of 2010. McCoy’s injury may not be serious, but he didn’t get any healthier either. He has to be there for us this year and not on the sideline again. HAS to be. Please.
August 25th, 2012 at 3:03 pm
Detroit never would have traded the #2 overall pick, especially since Bradford was a lock at #1. It doesn’t matter how many #2’s the Bucs offered. Now, the Bucs could have traded their number #2 picks and more to trade up with Detroit for Calvin Johnson, a few years ago, that was an offer on the table. We know what happened with that; Gaines (RIP) and Sabby (Ugh). I think I’m going to be sick.
August 25th, 2012 at 3:20 pm
I think Hayward stepping up is showing he very well could be the MLB and a veteran one calling the plays .. Allowing us the freedom to move Foster to SAM. I think would still be an upgrade. Black showed up a little bit last night but i think Foster would be better there, If Hayward can keep playing like he did last night!
August 25th, 2012 at 3:40 pm
However it pans out Thomas, wasn’t it a beautiful thing to see all of Dom’s draft picks stepping up and playing so well??? Those of us who knew he was a rock star are feeling validated.
August 25th, 2012 at 3:52 pm
It was a great night for the d….but some of the guys on 2nd team will have to play lots in 16 games and the final score 28-30 not that great
August 25th, 2012 at 3:59 pm
The number geeks are not so bad anymore huh joe?
August 25th, 2012 at 4:08 pm
Just curious which of DomDom’s draft picks played so well last night?
Heyward? Not a DomDom draftee.
Martin, Barron? Nope Schiano picks.
Bennett? Nope a free agent signee.
Glass Gerald? Nope – 4 plays and injury.
Barber? Nope.
Talib? Nope.
DomDom’s picks almost entirely did not contribute or did not play well, ie Free.
Price – a bear.
Benn – injured.
Lewis – horrible.
Grimm – in trouble.
August 25th, 2012 at 4:11 pm
I actually agree with Thomas Hayward played better last night than Foster ewe has. Why not have them both on the field with Foster at his natural position not having to worry about play calling just going after the ball? In a huge fan of Gerald but the kid is a china doll looking more like a bust every day.
August 25th, 2012 at 4:12 pm
“ever”
August 25th, 2012 at 4:19 pm
I was happy with the team last night all the way around. Great play calling. Great effort and hustle. They do everything as a team now. “Greg Schiano and the Tampa bay Buccaneers”. No stars any more, one voice, one team. Awesome warmups, very structured, no downtime, from start to finish very impressive even with key injuries.
I’m thinking they may want to give Trueblood a shot at RG for Davin. He has to know the poistion and Dotson can play next to him at RT. Donald Penn even tweaked an ankle or something last night. It was bad on the injury front but they hung together as a team. I think the practices with the Pats really helped the Bucs last night and the lopsided result may have been a slight aberration. I still think the Bucs are immensely improved and headed in the right direction.
Thomas can whine and cry all he wants. He doesn’t know Jack $h!t about it. All mouth and hot air.
August 25th, 2012 at 4:20 pm
Hayward is my guy and it was nice to see him rise up to the challenge.
August 25th, 2012 at 4:22 pm
@Patrick Its too easy to look back and say we should’ve done this or that. There’s an entire study of the effects this kind of thinking has on people and society. Following that logic, why didn’t we draft Tom Brady?
You can’t make all right decisions all the time. Trading up or down is a gamble because you can’t foresee the future. You can make calculated decisions on the worth of picks and players, but there is no guarantee with anything.
Sure, it looks like we should’ve traded the world for Suh several years back and people who wanted him feel like they have confirmation, but it is misguided.
What if we did make that trade and the Patriot lineman fell on him? Suh’s body is different and he could’ve torn every ligament and muscle in his leg therefore forever limiting his playing ability.
Now he is an average player at best with whom we traded an entire draft.
You can see the calls for Dom’s head at that point?
August 25th, 2012 at 4:36 pm
Yep, Dom makes the personnel decisions so it’s the team Dom built. In the coming years I can only see the lights getting brighter… I’m particularly glad that Schiano was as impressed with Barron after Dom showed him the tape. Not that it would have mattered, Dom calls the shots. Then the FA picks of Nicks, V Jax, and even Eric Wright who most people said was a terrible pick is turning out to be a perfect fit for this system. Yep, with Dom picking the talent and Schiano coaching them up….the future looks bright.
August 25th, 2012 at 5:19 pm
Bobby: what were you designated speedo washer from DomDom’s high school swim team? DomDom’s personnel record is abysmal.
The smartest thing you just said was admitting that Schiano made the decision on Barron – I have heard that very early on Schiano said he wanted T Rich first, and if not Barron.
After T Rich went, Dom made the deal to trade back by ensuring Schiano that Barron would still be there – that is why Schiano was SO nervous when Dal traded up in front to get Mo. Dom and his high school buddy Hickey provided info, but Schiano picked the players. Period.
Schiano will be a star.
August 25th, 2012 at 6:51 pm
Before we get too giddy, it should be noted that apparently New England played without a starter or 2 on the front:”The offensive line concerns could be moot with the return of LG Logan Mankins and RT Sebastian Vollmer, as well as the hopeful return of RG Brian Waters. For now, the players who are out there have a way to go both physically and mentally.” Mankins played about 10 snaps.
http://www.profootballfocus.com/blog/2012/08/25/first-impressions-patriots-buccaneers-2/
August 25th, 2012 at 6:56 pm
Thomas 2.2, I think maybe Hayward would be starting at Sam if Black didn’t have that guaranteed money for 2012.
August 25th, 2012 at 7:09 pm
I think Thomas has a thing for men in speedo’s. He sure talks enough about it. Don’t worry Thom, I’m not asking, so you don’t have to tell, the obvious.
August 25th, 2012 at 7:53 pm
Don’t worry Thomas….Dom will take care of everything. It’s going to be alright.
August 25th, 2012 at 8:06 pm
THomas 2.2 …. amazing how your whole motive in life is to place blame on others for anything and everything you can think of…. must be an Obama supporter, he tends to do that alot too.
August 25th, 2012 at 8:09 pm
So Dom gets all the blame if a draftee under him is just okay but if they play welll, it was the coach? Interesting. Some people just see what they want to believe.
As for McCoy… that is not being “injury prone”
THAT was a play that should have been banned 10 years ago but the NFL, who claim to be all about player safety, for some reason does not care about 300 lb man rolling anothers knee.
BUT, have a safety accidentally roll into a QB…. penalty and fine him!
August 25th, 2012 at 8:10 pm
Does anyone else think Hayward may have changed the outlook of what our MLB situation will be?
August 25th, 2012 at 8:20 pm
In my opinion, Adam Hayward is the kind of leader we need in the middle. He seems like the kind of guy who is respected in the locker room and has taken on a leadership role on & off the field. Schiano even said he is one of the “core” guys on the team. I remember early in camp everyone was saying Hayward was no where to be found in the rotation early part of camp. He is beating out Goode and was essentially the next LB off the bench with Watson playing more rush downs. Hayward can play all 3 roles but did a very good job on checks and changing coverages last night. He was on par with checks with tom brady while really helps out our defense. Foster would benefit in not having to think as much and just going out there and hitting someone. He’s not meant to be a middle linebacker. He’s a hard worker and is trying his hardest to grasp the concepts, but Hayward just seems a little cerebral than Foster. Foster should start at SAM and Quincy needs to take a seat. For being so fast, I really don’t understand how he’s so bad in pass coverage. He’s never in the right spot.
August 25th, 2012 at 8:22 pm
David: Good point. If any sorts of helmet gets anywhere by a QB knee its an automatic fine and 15 yard penalty. If player safety is going to be so strong enforced then it needs to include the other 21 players on the field.
August 25th, 2012 at 9:33 pm
hey david, are you another idiot republican?
August 25th, 2012 at 11:19 pm
Schiano was known for his blitz packages at Rutgers, be interesting to see that in action once the real bullets fly in Sept.
August 25th, 2012 at 11:21 pm
Thomas, you sir are a liar (Barron comment). There you go making things up again.
Btw…if you can say Schiano made those picks that means Raheem made picks as well. Can’t have it both ways.
David Says: August 25th, 2012 at 8:06 pm
THomas 2.2 …. amazing how your whole motive in life is to place blame on others for anything and everything you can think of…. must be an Obama supporter, he tends to do that alot too.
.
It amazes me how Republicans make those accusations…in order to place the blame off of themselves. The truth is much different than the media and party members lead us to believe. I could name EVERY lie by both sides. Because both sides have lied. Visit my webpage and message me. I will find the truth behind any claim for or against Obama or Romney.
We’ll learn the truth together.
August 26th, 2012 at 2:37 am
I agree Minh
August 26th, 2012 at 4:04 am
haywards lb play was the best lb performance ive seen in a bucs uniform in a good 4 years