Invisible Pass Rush & Ineffective Blitzes
December 1st, 2013
Joe really couldn’t stomach watching the Bucs rush the passer today. It was like watching one of those bad Geico ads over and over when the guys play the banjo to close the commercial. You could just play that damn music while the Bucs defensive line stunts over and over again.
Is there a reason first-round pick Adrian Clayborn can’t rush off the edge? It’s 100 percent clear to Joe the Bucs don’t believe he can.
Clayborn now has four sacks in his last 17 starts, much of them playing alongside a beastly defensive tackle in Gerald McCoy. At what point do we stop making excuses?
The Bucs didn’t sack Cam Newton today, who had averaged just under three sacks taken coming into this game. Despite true studs in their secondary and strong linebacker play and countless blitzes, the Bucs aren’t good at getting to the quarterback. Whether it’s coaching (see line stunts) or subpar defensive ends, it needs to change.
Bucs defensive ends now have seven sacks in 12 games. That’s darn ugly, and Joe’s including one by Dekoda Watson rushing with his hand on the ground in Detroit.
And speaking of Watson, why wasn’t he back rushing the passer today? His athleticism could have helped contain/chase Cam Newton, too.
What sickened Joe most is that a Mike Shula offense — Mike Shula! — seemed to know when and where the Bucs were blitzing. Did Mike Shula just outfox the Bucs’ defense? The Panthers did an awesome job picking everything up.
Joe gets that the Bucs are going to ride with their blitzes. If Greg Schiano returns next season, then Joe sincerely hopes he and rockstar general manager Mark Dominik can find some better blitzers.
Joe will always remember asking Carl Nicks who were the toughest pass rushers he faced and studied in his career. Nicks included Ronde Barber in his answer. Barber, he said, had such refined pass rush moves when he blitzed. Perhaps Ronde can come back for a visit and teach some better blitz techniques.
December 1st, 2013 at 5:47 pm
Sheridan needs to go.
Didn’t the giants get rid of him because of all his ineffective stunts?
December 1st, 2013 at 5:48 pm
Why they have AC standing up on most plays is beyond me. I get that they want to stunt him but its largely ineffective, and yet we keep doing it. Let him put his hand in the dirt and see what happens. Certainly cant be any worse than how they are using him now. On a positive note, Spence had a pretty good game.
December 1st, 2013 at 5:53 pm
it has to be the coaching…we’ve seen clayborn do it before with 7.5 sacks his rookie season…last year he’s given a pass since he was hurt. bowers and clayborn should be tearing it up, but our coaching isn’t getting it done because they both have the skill
December 1st, 2013 at 6:09 pm
DE should be the 1st round pick. Offensive scheme and strategy is too conservative. Coach Schiano’s philosophy is play not to lose instead of playing to win. Think I want Lovie w/ a O coordinator w/ a dynamic offensive scheme
December 1st, 2013 at 6:22 pm
Impotent pass rush…AGAIN. AC is embarrassing to watch. What a bust.
December 1st, 2013 at 6:24 pm
This defensive system has only looked good against bad teams with bad O-Lines. And yes, Sheridan’s stunts and bad play calling is what got him run out of NY
December 1st, 2013 at 6:28 pm
Running stunts and dropping the guy into coverage doesnt generate sacks. Lets see what he does next year on healthy knees before labeling a bust.
December 1st, 2013 at 6:47 pm
I’ll start blaming our coaches. The defense lacked completely, no containment and pressure. I say we trade for JJ watt .
December 1st, 2013 at 7:40 pm
There has to be someone more qualified out there than Sheridan.
December 1st, 2013 at 7:53 pm
With 4 games left and nothing to lose, can we see what Bowers has!! Start him and play the crap out of him! If he doesn’t produce then move on. AGAIN NOTHING TO LOSE!
December 1st, 2013 at 8:13 pm
Where was our all pro DT the past 2 weeks ? Oh yeah. Better offensive line units. McCoy is invisible. He beat up on the weak Peter Konz and whoever Miami’s back up G was. Then all of a sudden he was this ELITE DT.
He dissapeared the last 2 weeks.
Our dline as a whole stinks. Clayborn is nothing but a run defender who overpuruits every play almost. He has no pass rush moves except a bull rush. It could work if he plays on the LDE side. Spence is decent and getting better but he offers no pass rush ability. Gholston has impressed me as of late, but he’s a rotational guy at this point in his career.
If McCoy is to be this all world pass rusher, we need to :
a: Get a big bodied DT to play next to him.
b: Get a legit pass rusher on the right side.
I hear Raji and Greg Hardy will be available. I’d sign them both. Carolina and Green Bay are cap strapped.
December 1st, 2013 at 8:16 pm
First, if the defensive line is soooo dreadful, who brought them in here? Hmmm? Yes GMC is a stud but way, WAY too many misses elsewhere. Secondly, as much as I like his fire, what do you expect when you have a linebacker as your d-line coach? Add to that a horribly failed Def. Coordinator whose defense couldn’t rush the passer with the Giants regardless of them being stacked on the line. Is there any wonder why the Bucs pass rush SUCKS?
#FireSheridan #Cleansweepfrontoffice!
December 1st, 2013 at 8:24 pm
this is why Schiano needs to go. He is stubborn to a fault. GMC and Co. have shown they don’t need stunts and blitzes and once we have some success (3 wins), Schiano thinks he is so freaking clever that he can go back to his prized stunt pkgs.
RiDICULOUS!
December 1st, 2013 at 10:05 pm
And why is Claiborne dropping back in pass coverage? I’ve been seeing this a lot for the past few weeks. It’s like the Steelers from the mid-90’s. The guy was drafted to pass rush! And Bennett seems to be recovered from his injury out in Seattle.