Defense Gradually Improving
October 31st, 2014
Lavonte David and the Bucs defense had a good outing Sunday. However, several Bucs say there is a long road to travel to become a good defense.
Yes, Joe thought it was a kick in the nuts the way Tampa Bay lost to the Vikings. A rookie quarterback drives his team down the field for a game-tying field goal to get into overtime, where the Bucs coughed up the ball, and the game.
A decent defense does not let a rookie quarterback do such a thing. Still, holding an opponent to a mere 13 points in regulation more often than not will win you a game.
Given how the Bucs defense has been seal-clubbed time and again this year, Joe thought the 13-point effort was extraordinary, and maybe a sign the Bucs have turned the corner in building the defense.
Joe spoke with several Bucs defenders this week and none agreed. However, they told Joe it was a step in the right direction.
“We are trying to,” linebacker Lavonte David said. “We are trying to be that defense we want to be. But you have to be able to finish the game. We still have work to do. We are trying to take steps.”
David said the 13-point effort was a sign the Bucs are getting a hang of things and are comfortable in Lovie Smith’s defense.
“Yeah, not just me, a lot of people,” David said. “We’re buying in. We’re understanding. We are getting there.”
Fellow linebacker Mason Foster believes the Bucs can be a lot better defensively.
“We are getting better and better but there are still a lot of things that we need to clean up and need to work on,” Foster said. “Guys went out and played hard. I think that showed. We need to sharpen up, execute better here and there from everybody. If we get a little better from everybody, it doesn’t come down to the last few seconds. We can make it tougher on teams.
“We can do a lot better — the whole team — running to the ball. Gang tackle and try to get takeaways more, at least be conscious of it. Sometimes, you may be out there playing hard but you miss a strip attempt that could change the game. We have to go ball-searching.”
Joe asked Foster how the Bucs under former commander Greg Schiano were fourth in the NFL in takeaways, but with basically the same players, under Lovie Smith they are nowhere near as good forcing turovers. Foster seemed puzzled. He thought it was a combination of the Bucs not taking advantage of opportunities and opponents are taking better care of the ball.
“I really don’t know,” Foster said. “Some quarterbacks stick to checkdowns and take care of the ball. It is what they are coached to do. Quarterbacks are good. Running backs are good. They know what can change games so they do their best to eliminate” turnovers.
Cornerback Alterraun Verner wasn’t buying that the Bucs have turned the corner on defense.
“I wouldn’t say that just off of one game,” Verner said. “We played a lot better as a unit. But, no stretch of the imagination, one game isn’t won or lost on one play; the defense hasn’t found themselves just because you had one decent performance. We didn’t play good enough to get the win and that is what we are looking at. We have to build on it.”
Fellow cornerback Johnthan Banks seemed to agree with Verner. Yes, he said, the Bucs played well last week, but there is still a hill to climb.
“We are getting better but [there are] a lot of things we need to work on,” Banks said. “As a unit, we are getting better. We still made a lot of mistakes that we shouldn’t have made. But as a whole, it is coming together.”
October 31st, 2014 at 8:02 am
Except for the fact that the 13 points is the second most scored by the Vikings this season…
October 31st, 2014 at 8:18 am
Against teddy and the vikings is hardly a measuring stick.
October 31st, 2014 at 8:21 am
Exactly. The vikings were held to 13 points because we played.. the vikings. The players agree on that. People expect us to make an example against these really good defensive n offensive teams. When our team is struggling to find an identity offensively n defensively. We aren’t consistent, period.
October 31st, 2014 at 8:24 am
Way to go D, updraging from F- to a straight F. Maybe next week if we’re lucky we’ll get a F+ performance.
October 31st, 2014 at 8:32 am
Sure, keep telling yourself that…..held a REALLY AWFUL Vikings team to 13 points, it’s like bullying some grade school kids and telling yourself that your martial arts skills are improving.
October 31st, 2014 at 8:33 am
13 points against another mediocre opponent at your place is nothing to get excited about, nor is losing in OT.
October 31st, 2014 at 8:35 am
Google ole DebbieDowner aka Bucrightoff. Really, an F. When someone asks you if the glass of water is half full or empty, toy grab the cup, drink the water and then announce loudly, OMG, the planet has no more water.
An F. What a jerk.
Catch the ball next time Edwards. Untill then, shut up till u a play.
October 31st, 2014 at 8:54 am
ddneast should avoid commenting until he can prove he can speak the english language at a poor level rather than a sub-retardation level. Alas, he’ll still hurt our brains any way.
October 31st, 2014 at 8:57 am
lol
they played the friggin vikings with a rookie qb and no AP.
thats the only improvement. they suck, but not as bad as the coaches.
someone needs to donkeypunch the coaching staff
October 31st, 2014 at 9:08 am
bucrightoff,
Soon ddneast will be calling you a racist, like he did yesterday, for saying negative things about the defense.
October 31st, 2014 at 9:23 am
Still thinking too much instead of playing with instincts… I’m not a fan of the excuses especially when we have a few former great Buc players comes by whenever they want… I mean you got Brooks, Ronde, Lynch, and Sapp who mastered the Tampa 2 with a great player at every level you would think during the off-season when they had to stay away from OBP they would be constantly having them at their undisclosed location for practice since they don’t officially work for us and along with Dungy.
I think they huddled up during the off-season to watch the Marvel movies instead of digging deep into those playbooks… SMH
October 31st, 2014 at 9:40 am
“Defense Gradually Improving”
My ass. Just about any performance looks better than that humiliation at home against the Ravens. Stop putting sugar on this turd.
October 31st, 2014 at 10:00 am
ddneast Says:
October 31st, 2014 at 8:35 am
……..
Catch the ball next time Edwards. Untill then, shut up till u a play.
————————————————————-
Kadeem Edwards is a guard. Why should he catch the ball?
Has he even been in a game yet?
tickrdr.
October 31st, 2014 at 10:07 am
I agree with Verner. We’re not there. We played against a rookie QB. Unfortunately I feel like even a decent QB would’ve gashed us for more. Hopefully I’m wrong.
October 31st, 2014 at 10:16 am
Could you imagine AP playing? Would not have been only 13 points. Stop the sugarcoating. STOP IT!
October 31st, 2014 at 10:47 am
Yeah… holding an anemic Minny offense with a rookie QB to 13 points is a huge improvement.
Wait till the Browns hang 35 points on this steaming pile of shyte.
“Coach” has this thing on the rails fer sure.
October 31st, 2014 at 11:13 am
News Flash:
The Bucs Defense is averaging just over 31 points allowed in 2014….that is third most for ALL teams since the NFL has been playing 16 games per season!
So, not to be a skeptic or anything, but my teams averaged considerably less points allowed per game over my two seasons and I was not a Defensive Guru with the Big Dog’s lips pressed constantly to my backside!
Give me a break…turning the corner..improving. by the way…that 31+ points allowed per game average includes last weeks 13 points!
Fire Lovie….bring in a College Coach!! Chip Kelly….we need ya!
Greg Schiano
October 31st, 2014 at 11:14 am
Clarification….the Big Dog is still in the middle of his Lovie fest…..if Lovie ever comes to an abrupt halt, he will have an immediate Big Dog colonoscopy!
Greg Schiano
October 31st, 2014 at 11:26 am
I have full confidence in my Bucs to go 2-14 this season.
October 31st, 2014 at 11:31 am
We’ll have our own rookie QB next season and the Bucs will be a much better team with an improved defense and offensive line and of course Jameis Winston!
October 31st, 2014 at 12:22 pm
A Tampa-2 should be expected to keep the opponent out of the end zone. It shouldn’t be expected to prevent field goals.
Even in the heyday, other teams would get big chunks of yards, but they wouldn’t get many points for two reasons: turnovers and red-zone defense forcing field goals.
Turnovers are hit and miss, and in fact we had the chance in several games to win it. That only comes after players are so familiar with the system that they can react and not still be thinking. That does take time.
So the defense let up a field goal. Big deal. That’s how this defense works. And if you can’t win when the other team scores 13 points, the problem isn’t the defense.
I’ve heard talk of the Tampa-2 being a pass defense, but it’s most effective in its results against the run and when in the red zone. If you go back, the Bucs and other T-2’s will rank very high or at the top in preventing rushing yards, but not preventing passing yards.
The difference again is stopping TD’s and forcing turnovers. Which the system did quite well last Sunday I’d say.
October 31st, 2014 at 3:41 pm
The fact that we couldn’t score more than 13 points against the Vikings says enough for me.