Sacks Are Nice But Picks Are Better
December 11th, 2013
Rookie Will Gholston explains
Joe knows this is a hot topic for Bucs fans since the end of last season. Throughout the Tampa Bay area, fans slam pints of beer bars and holler at no one in particular, irate the Bucs can’t breathe on a quarterback (unless it is the bungling Bills).
Ex-Bucs players scream on radio about all the prancing stunts the Bucs employ, which take players out of position to put a quarterback on the ground. It is a never-ending irritant for these former Bucs stars.
Bucs defensive lineman Will Gholston likes sacks just as much as the next guy. But partially due to a coaching philosophy with the Bucs, sacks are cool but picks are so much better, so Gholston explained to Joe and other members of the Tampa Bay pen and mic club this afternoon.
“I really think the ultimate goal is to win first and to play within our defensive scheme and then let everything else come,” Gholston said. “So far, that has been happening. Maybe our sack numbers haven’t been high but we have been pressuring the quarterback and causing a lot of interceptions. I think we are top-five or top-three in interceptions and lead the league in turnovers.
“It is really not an individual game but a team game. We can contribute in other ways on the defensive line.
“On defense, your No. 1 goal is to get the ball. We want the ball back in the offense’s hands. That’s one of the main things that we do.”
So there you have it. In fact, it does make a bit of sense. The chance of getting a ball back from an offense on a turnover is greater with a pick than hopefully jarring the ball loose on a sack.
And with the interception, there’s more of a chance of a good return or even a pick-six than there would be gaining field position off a sack and a fumble.
The more Joe thinks about this, the less angry he is about such putrid sack numbers.
December 11th, 2013 at 4:43 pm
The funny thing is that the sac number are up. They already surpassed the total of the last 4 years.
December 11th, 2013 at 5:33 pm
Is it just me, or does Gholston look a helluva lot like Freeman? Not really relevant, but I found it funny.
December 11th, 2013 at 6:06 pm
no, because Gholston showed up for the picture, Freeman’s pic would just be the wall in the background.
December 11th, 2013 at 6:51 pm
WTF are we teaching the def linemen? How about we teach the d-line that sacks are the best and teach the DBs that interceptions are the best. I hate this coaching staff with a passion.
December 11th, 2013 at 7:06 pm
Turnovers is the game. Sack fumbles are usually easier than getting a pick
December 11th, 2013 at 7:06 pm
Turnovers is the game. Sack fumbles are usually easier than getting a pick
December 11th, 2013 at 7:10 pm
To repeat myself from previous posts, the Bucs’ first DC, Abe Gibron, said a couple times that pressures were better than sacks because you could get a takeaway from a pressure (IIRC, the QB had to be tackled w/ the ball back then for it to count as a sack).
December 11th, 2013 at 7:12 pm
Agree gus. It all about consistent pressure and sack. That rattle the best qb to play like a high school JV qb. We just haven’t been able to hit the qb enough due to scheme and player flat out getting dominated.
December 11th, 2013 at 7:29 pm
I do like this kid Gholston. Playing inside or outside he always seems to be involved in the play. I would like to see the Bucs put him at RDE for the rest of the season and see what he can do there
December 11th, 2013 at 9:14 pm
Listen up sheep……we run stunts to stop the run on run downs, and to open blitz lanes on pass downs. But why? Because, as Schiano pointed out yesterday, our front 4 can’t get the job done alone. DTN can’t rush the passer, and Clayborn and Bowers haven’t been healthy enough to rush the passer. So you must blitz. Watch the tape, all if those inside blitz’s from the back 7 come right up the middle, often unblocked, because of the stunt. You put a pair of pass rushers on the outside and as Schiano said himself, you rush 4 and let the back 7 cover and get picks, but we just aren’t there yet.