The Bucs are looking for another blocked punt against Carolina

It was a stray, almost cocky one-liner at Greg Schiano’s closing news conference last season: “You’re not supposed to be able to do that in the National Football League,” Schiano said.

The head coach was referring to the Bucs blocking punts — and decisively leading the NFL last season in blocked punts.

After blocking a punt in each of the past two games, Joe thought he’d ask Schiano who told him he couldn’t block punts in the NFL and to talk more about his punt-block philosophy.

“I don’t know if it was, you know, an individual who said that to me, just the overall feeling was that this was a return league. The snapper and the punters got it off so quick that you couldn’t get there,” Schiano said. “They do. And people adjust to us. So they know we’re a punt-block team they get the ball off more quickly. So it is harder for us as time goes on. But that’s ok, too. If they change or alter their timing because of what we’re doing, then usually that brings a good result.”

Schiano went on to say it’s most critical to be a “block team” that doesn’t open itself up to getting burned by fakes. Atlanta pulled one off against the Bucs that still has Schiano shaking his head.

The head coach went on to note that the Bucs are among the leaders in the NFL in punt-return success behind Eric Page, which is great when combined with the two blocks. “If you can do both, that really becomes a weapon for you,” Schiano said.

Something to keep in mind today; the Bucs had a blocked punt against Carolina last season, a great angle taken by helmet-wielding, cabbie-slugging, Adderrall-popping, coach-cussing, referee-charging, pistol-friendly, granny-hassling Aqib Talib.