Schiano: Revis’ Knee Doesn’t Dictate Coverage
October 19th, 2013
This seems to be the hot-button issue to distract Bucs fans from the ugly fact the team is circling the drain, losers of 10 of its last 11 games: the defensive coverage of superstar Darrelle Revis.
Some noted and respected football analysts, like Greg Cosell of NFL Films, suggest the Bucs are almost exclusively running zone coverages. The Bucs dismiss these charges. Some claim Revis playing in a zone defense is a waste of his talent and a significant waste of Team Glazer cash.
Bucs commander Greg Schiano discussed this subject Friday, and he seemed to dismiss any notion that Revis not being 100 percent recovered from major knee surgery is a factor in what coverages the Bucs call.
Sort of.
“He and I talk all the time and he tells me he’s not all the way back, but I kind of expressed in here, whatever percent you want to put on him – I think that’s kind of hokey sometimes, how does a guy know I’m exactly 97.5 [percent]? Whatever he is, he’s a good player and he’s played really well for us in five football games,” Schiano said. “[He’s] another guy though that the first time he walked out on a game field since he tore his knee was the opener, [against] the [New York] Jets. What are we talking about five games? He played 50 something [snaps] in that game, now he’s played more each game. He’s just going to get more and more comfortable. I thought this week’s practice was the best week of practice he’s had since he’s been here. I really did and he’s just fun to coach. This guy understands ball, he’s physically and mentally talented and he loves it. It just a matter of time. He’s already made plays, it’s not like I can’t say he’s not made plays, but I think once he starts really feeling it – and who knows when that’s going to be? I like what we have now, I look forward to liking it even more when he’s 100 percent.”
This seems kind of wishy-washy and Joe isn’t quite convinced the Bucs are trying to get the most out of Revis despite the fact Revis isn’t the old Revis.
If that is the case, isn’t that a smart move?
What if Revis was forced to play press man for a full game but couldn’t handle it physically, and he re-injures his knee or starts getting roasted like Myron Lewis late in a game? Would that be a smart move by Schiano?
Joe doesn’t think so. Besides, it’s not like the defense is the Bucs’ Achilles heel this season.
October 19th, 2013 at 8:13 am
Maybe they are doing a lot of zone for reasons other than Revis. Not sure what that could be, but you really don’t hear any coach talk too much about specifics since they don’t want anybody knowing anything.
October 19th, 2013 at 8:25 am
@Joe
The defense hasn’t being able to hold on to the lead in 4 games. If that’s the strength of the team we’re doomed.
It’s as simple as this, Schiano doesn’t have a clue what it takes to win in the NFL or college for that matter. He try to implement systems, both on offense and defense, that didn’t have a lot of success in college yet his delusional self think that if it worked 20 years ago it should work now as well.
Fire that piece of sh!t coach and get someone in there that has a clue…
October 19th, 2013 at 9:06 am
Revis will be just fine…and is the least of our concerns…its the other side of the ball (offense) that needs to improve.
October 19th, 2013 at 9:16 am
I personally think Schiano and Sheridan don’t know how to alter their defense to put Revis on an island by himself, with no safety help. For all of Rex Ryan’s faults, he is one hell of a defensive mind. I can’t say the same for Schiano and Sheridan. These guys will shove square pegs in round holes come hell or high water, and probably lose their jobs for it.
October 19th, 2013 at 9:18 am
Being a fantasy football nerd, I know if a running back tears his ACL or MCL, you don’t draft him the next year. They don’t come back to form until the second year after surgery. So we really can’t expect Revis to be fully back until next year. Or even Davin for that matter. So it doesn’t surprise me that they understand it normally takes a while to come back to form, and are being careful with him. Adrian Peterson ruined it for every player coming off a torn knee.
As much as I hate Schiano right now, I really can’t blame him for how he is handling Revis
October 19th, 2013 at 9:21 am
The reason that they are forcing Revis to play zone, and wasting his incredible talent, is that they Suck.
October 19th, 2013 at 9:26 am
Hey Sheridan, chirp chirp chirp….Like I said before the Saints game, go after TE (Graham)….and here we are again, TE is about all they’ve got….chirp chirp, cover Gonzalez like you’re trying to cover your ass right now…..thats all u need to do tomorrow, chirp chirp!
October 19th, 2013 at 9:40 am
Bad team bad coach bad season all just bad
October 19th, 2013 at 9:44 am
All that’s fine, and you can allow that they don’t want other teams to know which players are injured.
But don’t then go say that fans are too dumb to know when they are in man coverage.
October 19th, 2013 at 10:58 am
Let me ask you Revis fanatics something….when they had Revis Island in New York how was the run defense??? Revis Island is nice and all that but I’d rather have a balanced defense. Last year our run defense was great but our pass D sucked. Now we seem to be more balanced and we have a top 10 scoring defense. I don’t really care how we’re using Revis as long as our run and pass D is balanced. Right now we’re kind of right in the middle but our scoring D is fine. That is what really matters. The offense needs to step up, not the defense.
I’m sure as Revis gets healthier they will use him more in man to man when we play teams that have a Fitzgerald or Julio Jones, etc. Right now I have no problem with them letting Revis work his way into that.
October 19th, 2013 at 11:20 am
Im with you on that Bobby….and now since everything we do from here on out is “experimental”, Im ok with going easy on some of our guys, and even sitting some of the injured/recovering 1st stringers to see what we have as backups.
October 19th, 2013 at 11:27 am
if we would have kept our two best players from last yr ( bennett and talib) we would have a much more solid d with depth. Now we expect too much from unproven/injured players. Good teams are consistent. Consistent with schemes, coaches, personnel, game planning. Over the years the Bucs are Consistently inconsistent.
Bring back Gruden for the long term and a good d coor – Lovie or the like…
October 19th, 2013 at 12:29 pm
Head coach SHE you got rid of Freeman, you suck and so does your defensive coordinator. You let chip Kelly make you look foolish. At least raheem had to lack of talent excuse, freakin Sean Jones at safety, Cody Grimm torn mcl, no McCoy and lost Jeff faine with torn biceps one decent pads catcher in Mike Williams.
Idiot schiano you suck, we know what the hell zone vs man coverage looks like college boy, dumbarse it’s the defense you played last year
October 19th, 2013 at 12:37 pm
And people still think we’re losing because we lack talent….it’s the front office because davin Joseph got hurt in week 3 of the preseason so why is he still looking unhealthy over a year later? Revis trusted our training staff. Somethings gone wrong in-house and I can’t wait for that to leak. Sure is obvious by what’s hidden and what’s being leaked
October 19th, 2013 at 12:37 pm
Quit being butt hurt about Freeman already
You should rename yourself
Free4lyfe cause your sure as hell are not a Buc4lyfe
October 19th, 2013 at 1:08 pm
@buc4lyfe…..please stop the whining. Toddlers don’t cry as much as you do. Freeman’s gone so try to get a spine about it and move on.
October 20th, 2013 at 7:17 am
Here’s whats’ causing the losses: Schiano isn’t a 100% coach. Our defense, and whether Revis is in zone or man, isn’t the cause of the losses when the offense can’t even muster 17 points a game. What happened to the offense of 2012 is a real mystery. As Gruden would say, “There needs to be an investigation.”