Someone Help Out GMC
September 1st, 2014
Someone must help out stud Gerald McCoy.
Joe doesn’t know what to think of the Bucs pass rush, aside from stud Gerald McCoy. One would think having a guy like GMC double- and triple-teamed would open up someone.
Simple math: an offense can only have so many players on the field. If most of the blockers are focused on GMC, then that should allow other pass rushers single coverage, or simply unblocked, right?
So how come there was limited pressure from others during preseason? This is a question rhetorically posed by Woody Cummings of the Tampa Tribune, who offers a series of questions the Bucs must answer in order to see postseason play in January.
Can the front four rush the passer? — Outside of McCoy, who had one sack and two quarterback hits, no one on the defensive front made an impact as a pass rusher this preseason. The biggest disappointment was right end Michael Johnson, who had half a sack. The Bucs got more pass-rush production out of the likes of backups Larry English and Scott Solomon, both of whom had a pair of sacks. That’s not good.
Joe has made this point before but it bears repeating: Many fans want to run defensive end Adrian Clayborn out of town for his lack of sacks, even though he played in a crazed defensive scheme, one in which someone hatched the bright idea that Clayborn should cover one of the quickest players in the NFL, Darren Sproles, in pass coverage. That is simply absurd.
One reason for Johnson’s drop in sacks was, Joe has been told, Johnson was asked to do different things other than rush the passer, you know, like Clayborn was asked to do.
Yet Clayborn damned near had double the sacks of Johnson last year.. Keep that in mind, Clayborn haters, the next time you get thrown out of a bar for scaring women because you are cussing about Clayborn so much.
September 1st, 2014 at 2:39 pm
Thank you, Joe. Good question.
I haven’t seen anything from the other pass rushers, and they got rid of English for some reason. It doesn’t add up.
September 1st, 2014 at 2:47 pm
Compare their pressures on profootballfocus. Night and day. I know you don’t put much stock in their analysis…but neither you nor me pick about every player on every play. I’m taking their word for it.
September 1st, 2014 at 3:00 pm
We should have signed mario williams instead of carl nicks a few years ago!
September 1st, 2014 at 3:02 pm
Hopefully Johnson is one of those players that shows up big in the regular season, If not we will need a change there..
September 1st, 2014 at 3:03 pm
Plus after Geno Atkins went down, there were more double teams on Johnson….but that was then and this is now. He surely hasnt shown much so far in preseason and hopefully that changes quickly!
September 1st, 2014 at 3:04 pm
I would be happy if they can do enough so that McCoy is not TRIPLE TEAMED
every play regardless of how many sacks they get.
McCoy will take care of the rest if he gets a chance
September 1st, 2014 at 3:07 pm
One thing is for sure, we are about to find out baby!!!
September 1st, 2014 at 3:07 pm
Truthfully, I don’t care how many sacks they get, as long as we win the game. Really, that’s the only star I care about.
September 1st, 2014 at 3:08 pm
I think that those ‘Thump, thump’ sounds I hear are the result of folks throwing our defensive ends under the bus.
Just a thought: the season hasn’t started yet. All DE’s in the league have exactly the same number of sacks right now: ZERO.
September 1st, 2014 at 3:11 pm
I love bucs news but I’ll be glad when the season starts. One of the worst seasons of insight on the team ever. The corners were most injured and sacks don’t really matter if you played like this starting defense. They allowed like 3 points in the 3 games and no one could run on them, Larry English just got cut and sacks in the 4th quarter of preseason don’t count especially for a 2009 1st round draft pick
September 1st, 2014 at 3:27 pm
If the center and right guard take on McCoy a majority of the game the means Johnson, Clayborn and McDonald all have one on ones which should give us the upper hand against Carolinas shaky O-line. Cam will have to run all game long which after a while should tire him out, keep him off balance and force him to misread our zone defense. With David, Foster and Hawk Goldson out there the turnovers will come. No way players like Jericho Crotchery and CO. should be able to carve up our underrated back seven. If we shut down the running game and make cam do it all while running for his life we should not only win the turn over battle but also get favorable field position all day.
And by the way I’m SO pumped to be analyzing and breaking down a REAL game this Sunday! It’s finally here guys! GO BUCS!!!!!!!!!!!
September 1st, 2014 at 3:27 pm
Can’t wait for the season to start! Joe, thanks for the great coverage during offseason/preseason.
September 1st, 2014 at 3:42 pm
Ya Joe Thanks for your site, Bucs are the team to beat… Ya baby..
September 1st, 2014 at 3:43 pm
McDonald has his back.
September 1st, 2014 at 3:57 pm
This is why he won’t re-sign. I’m calling my shot. He will get bored being asked to pitch shut-outs to compensate for a poor OL,a pop-gun offense, and no help on the line with him. I think he will be a Patriot, a Packer, or a Niner.
September 1st, 2014 at 3:57 pm
Big difference, Joe. Clayborn is way too slow to get off quick and turn the corner on an NFL LT. He can’t play a wide 9 technique like a RDE in the T-2 is supposed to do. Johnson, on the other hand, was made for it.
September 1st, 2014 at 4:30 pm
I’m a little nervous about Johnson…didn’t see much from him in the preseason, but I’m optimistic he shows a lot more in the regular season. I think Will Gholston steps up and becomes the “Simeon Rice” of this unit.
September 1st, 2014 at 6:11 pm
Brandon, time will tell if Johnson measures up beyond the scouting reports. He hasn’t exactly wowed anybody this preseason.
McDonald may just be the better pickup over time.
September 2nd, 2014 at 6:56 am
I thought Larry English was the best defensive end we had in the preseason at putting pressure on the quarterback and we cut him.