Teaching, Learning How To Miss
June 27th, 2014
The esteemed man who predicts the Bucs are headed to the Super Bowl this year also says Tampa Bay’s defense has critical learning to master first.
Speaking recently on 99.3 FM in Fort Myers, glory days Bucs secondary coach Herm Edwards was passionate about how his friend Lovie Smith will run the old-school, Tampa-2 defense but can’t run it well if his teaching isn’t absorbed quickly.
Edwards gave a fun verbal clinic on tackling in the Tampa-2, and how Lovie must teach the many newcomers to the system — in a hurry.
“You gotta know where your help is at. You have to know where to miss, and that’s why we were a good tackling team in Tampa,” Edwards said. “Guys understood the concepts, of when the coverage was called and where the ball was thrown, where to miss.”
Edwards dove into those conceptual elements, including how cornerbacks can never miss a tackle on the outside of the offensive player.
“There’s always another element running from inside out. You can never miss a tackle from outside in. There’s a seal factor, where you seal the guy with the ball and you make him turn back into the interference that’s running after you. And Lovie’s going to teach that. This defense is predicated that way.
“You gotta play with a lot of eyeballs seeing the ball being thrown. Or, obviously, your gap responsibility when it’s a run. What gap do you have? You know, there’s only seven gaps. You gotta be able to cover a gap. The eighth element will be the strong safety, no different than when John Lynch played for us and that guy’s going to be the free hitter. He’s going to have to make the tackle in space. This is how the defense is run.”
It was great to hear Edwards’ passionate discussion. Joe enjoyed it, though it was nothing hardcore fans and Tampa-2 students had haven’t heard previously. On whether Lovie Smith reached out to Edwards to coach in his new regime, Edwards dodged the question and said he has the best job in the world as an analyst for BSPN.
Since both Dashon Goldson and Mark Barron were hurt and not practicing during spring practices, it’s still unclear which of those two will play the John Lynch role, the “free hitter” Edwards referenced.
Lovie has yet to answer that question. Joe just hopes both are healthy enough to keep that from being an easy decision.
June 27th, 2014 at 9:20 am
Ahhhh the “John Lynch” days!!! I still have his jersey.
June 27th, 2014 at 9:26 am
Which one of the two safeties is better in pass coverage? Serious question – as neither are renowned for it, but you’d figure the de-cleating, beheading, concussionator Goldson would be pretty ideal to play the Lynch role.
June 27th, 2014 at 9:45 am
Listening to Herm’s “Tampa Two” clinic, reminds me of what Derrick Brooks once said about it and other teams that might try and copy it:
“A lot of teams have the recipe, but very few have the ingredients….”
The Sapp-Brooks-Lynch era had wonderful ingredients…..so it’s all going to depend on Lovie’s “ingredients”
Thank-you Derrick Brooks.
June 27th, 2014 at 9:48 am
I think Goldson……
June 27th, 2014 at 10:22 am
McCoy, David, Goldson, Verner our new foundation to take us to the promise land.
June 27th, 2014 at 10:50 am
Defense is the Bucs forte, with only a few slack offs in the past near 20 years. Get that unit back near top notch, with an improved offense and watch out NFL foes. I trust Lovie and company to make that happen.
June 27th, 2014 at 10:52 am
I dont’ think either one of those guys would be timid about prowling up in the box and putting a hat on ball carriers, but I thought Barron was drafted to cover these athletic pass catching tight ends. I still think were gonna have a nice team of safeties if these guys reach their potential, Tandy included, he is the true free saftey ball hawk IMO.
June 27th, 2014 at 10:56 am
Great photo of those 3.
I am more happy that we have Lovie today than the day he was hired.
I like the coach more and more with the professional decisions this team continues to make.
Go Bucs!
June 27th, 2014 at 10:57 am
Call me crazy, but in the midst of the Bucs meltdown last year when it became apparent that Schiano was getting the ax, I actually listed Herm Edwards as a potential (hopeful) HC.
Yeah he’s never had that much success, but I love his intensity and enthusiasm, one of the few people on ESPN I can listen to. That coupled with his history in Tampa led me to believe he would be in Pewter and Red again
June 27th, 2014 at 11:05 am
We’re a paper defense. For now.
it’s going to take the first half of the season to get things sorted on D. Brooks said as much about the old T2 and that group was together for years. It comes down to the the DL creating pressure early on and let the secondary get the coverage schemes down.
June 27th, 2014 at 11:26 am
Who’s the player behind Edwards in the photo? I moved to FL in 97′ and never saw much of the ol creamsicle Bucs to tell you the truth
June 27th, 2014 at 11:27 am
Barron gets the nod as the in box saftey. Goldson will get cut after the season and another free saftey will be brought in to compete with Tandy.
June 27th, 2014 at 12:40 pm
You mean Tony Dungy???
June 27th, 2014 at 2:00 pm
Dungy, Edwards, and Smith, what a great shot!
June 27th, 2014 at 4:20 pm
I vote for Barron
June 27th, 2014 at 8:11 pm
Yes, Hopefully they are both a full go. I hope Goldson can have a big year in that role,To teach Barron, who may step into that role as a younger, less expensive and … Maybe more gifted player.
June 27th, 2014 at 11:24 pm
Tony Dungy the second greatest coach in Buccaneers history.wow.unfortunately he will fall to 3rd after Lovie Smith wins the Superbowl.tampaaaa
June 28th, 2014 at 2:03 am
i remember the old mantra – “spill to the Will”….if you cant make the tackle, force the guy towards your tackling machines, Brooks (now Lavonte) or your safety
June 28th, 2014 at 7:52 am
The T-2 is supposed to have safeties that are interchangeable. They weren’t interchangeable when Lynch played for the Bucs because he was so exceptional at run defense and he was more limited in coverage than the typical college CB turned NFL FS that the Bucs usually put out there (Damien Robinson, Dexter Jackson, Dwight Smith).
Also, FWIW, the T-2 technically is no longer a T-2 when the 4th defender walks into the box… at that point it is nearly impossible to play cover 2. The defense is usually a cover 3 at that point (used more often when using T-2 personnel), cover 1 (with a FS guarding the deep middle of the field), or cover 0 (where everybody has man coverage responsibilities).
Personally, I think because our safeties are so similar, they will be used interchangeably. I believe Barron will see more in-the-box opportunities because he’s younger, has a more palatable contract (ie will be around longer), and that’s where his future is.
June 28th, 2014 at 1:51 pm
Great pic of Dungy’s first year in ’96… Love this kind of old school stuff.
June 30th, 2014 at 12:45 am
Remember that Seattle’s Coach had failed as an NFL Coach before twice, so just because Herm
has had two tries before doesn’t mean he couldn’t be a big winner the third time as a head coach again, and I would love to see him be a position coach for Lovie in between. Great guy!