Ronde Rings In Lavonte David’s Head
September 29th, 2015
It’s been a rough start to the season for Lavonte David. The $10 million-per-year linebacker ranks tied for 138th in the NFL for solo tackles. He’s perennially been a top-5 guy in that department.
It’s also been two out of three poor outings for the Tampa Bay defense.
Yesterday, David said many times at One Buc Palace and on his radio show that it’s an “easy fix’ to right the Bucs’ ship.
He emphasized on the Buccaneers Radio Network that it wasn’t the mighty Texans running down the Bucs’ throat, it was the Bucs not being technically sound.
David explained that Ronde Barber’s words, a pure play-by-play mentality, are ringing in his head.
“Ronde Barber once told me this: ‘Whatever defense is called, we have to own that defense, and everybody has to do what they’re supposed to do within that defense in order to make it work,'” David said.
Translation: guys must buy in mentally and physically on every single snap. It sounds easy, but it’s difficult for these Bucs.
Joe desperately hopes David is right when he says it’s an “easy fix.”
September 29th, 2015 at 1:47 pm
I hope that LVD is Mentally into this Defense
LVD is tailor made for this Defense
He is a DBrooks Clone and #55 is in the Hall of Fame
September 29th, 2015 at 1:55 pm
Man I am one of Beast LVD’s biggest supporters. My favorite player on the team (THE MESSIAH is making a strong push though). But to see him play the way he has been playing is depressing. $hit! I know he’s getting tackles but I don’t see the same FLASH from him. I’m not in the huddle and don’t know everyone’s responsibilities on every play. I don’t know how much of it is Lovie or Beast LVD. But all I can say is PLEASE! PLEASE! PLEASE! Start FUKN blitzing this man. If I see another Mallet type QB rip them apart and get a $hit load of time to throw I’m going to FUKN barf!
September 29th, 2015 at 1:58 pm
@ Joe….get the audio from Ron & Ian show. Dude from Bleacher Report says Lovies version of the cover 2 is outdated & NFL offenses will continue to exploit it.Imagine that.
September 29th, 2015 at 2:00 pm
David is in his prime and somehow looks pedestrian in Incompetent Lovie Smith’s defense.
Glazers, your incompetent HC is destroying every last bit of this team that is worth a sht. Put an end to the suffering and get some competent football people in here.
September 29th, 2015 at 2:01 pm
This is really puzzling……I really hesitate to blame this on coaching……we are seeing LVD miss tackles….and play with less intensity….
I agree, we should send him after QBs more often…..
Maybe the huge contract is having a negative impact….I certainly hope not!!!
September 29th, 2015 at 2:05 pm
$$$$$$$$$$
September 29th, 2015 at 2:05 pm
Has anyone ever known anyone that came into money that stayed the same.
54 is clearly distracted
September 29th, 2015 at 2:07 pm
87 and I agree !! Good man !
September 29th, 2015 at 2:07 pm
Look Mr. David, you and many others are playing like crap. Other than YOU and Mccoy last year, the whole D played like crap.
Call it scheme, call it whatever. Im calling it the continuing of playing like crap. Congratulations! You and GMC brought your D play down to the level of the rest of the crap players (minus Kwon).
Easy fix my a*s! Guess ya’ll want to be in the running for Bosa too!
September 29th, 2015 at 2:08 pm
So is longoria
September 29th, 2015 at 2:21 pm
Cause you know I’m all about that Bosa
Because you know I’m all about that Bosa
‘Bout that Bosa, no treble
I’m all about that Bosa
‘Bout that Bosa, no treble
September 29th, 2015 at 2:33 pm
Man this is frustrating, LVD has amazing instincts, why not use him more on sneak blitzes, WTF COACHES
September 29th, 2015 at 2:49 pm
Big bucks does it to the best of them
September 29th, 2015 at 2:52 pm
If it was the money, How do you explain last year??? He did not look great in Lovie’s passive system when he was still on his rookie contract!!!!
September 29th, 2015 at 2:55 pm
Lovie says it takes 2 years to learn this defense. So we put a rookie in at MLB? Just asking, does that seem like a good decision when LVD is THERE and has the 2 years under his belt?
September 29th, 2015 at 2:56 pm
@ Realist
Lovie’s “passive” system doesn’t cause him to miss tackles….
September 29th, 2015 at 3:01 pm
@tampabaybucfan
It does not help when the 4 defensive lineman do nothing to disrupt so the running back gets a full head of speed, meanwhile LVD has to stay 6 yards deep to pass protect his “zone” that he now has to make a solo tackle in open space!!!!
September 29th, 2015 at 3:14 pm
LVD is missing tackles he would ordinarily drop for losses. I’m very concerned about his regression. It’s sad to say but he actually played better in Schiano’s scheme.
September 29th, 2015 at 3:16 pm
Nobody on this staff can craft a defense to fit the talents and strengths of the players we have, which the best coaches do. David was best attacking like he did the first two years of his career. If they don’t adapt to his strengths, he will probably be gone soon. Hopefully Lovie gets axed first.
September 29th, 2015 at 3:19 pm
@ Realist
You are so determined to blame everything on Lovie that your bias is beginning to show……LVD is clearly missing tackles that he usually doesn’t miss….
He is making millions of dollars to make those tackles….no matter what system or who his coach is.
I am a huge LVD fan and his lackluster play really concerns me.
September 29th, 2015 at 3:19 pm
Schiano is a better defensive coach and arguably a better HC that Incompetent Lovie Smith. Not a whole lot of missed tackles on his defense. I’m not asking for Schiano back but let’s be clear, incompetent Lovie Smith is worse.
September 29th, 2015 at 3:21 pm
Just waiting on this team to not be a joke anymore
September 29th, 2015 at 3:26 pm
Lovie deserves blame for many things…..but if you want to blame him for LVD missed tackles….you have to ask why Urlacher was successful under his system….and it looks like Kwon will be also.
So…..you have to be a MLB to make tackles…..
I guess the two muffed Rainey punts were Lovies fault….the missed FGs & extra point….the WR drops……Mankins’ false start, grabbing the facemask….Jameis’ interception, and….ASJ’s injury.
By all means…if this is the case….let’s get rid of him immediately!!!
September 29th, 2015 at 3:30 pm
@TBBF…
Be careful; there’s not too many people here who understand sarcasm.
September 29th, 2015 at 3:39 pm
Nine Reasons for Nine Seasons to Fire Lovie Smith, google is your friend.
Starting to look familiar, or at least similar.
Nothing really learned in the basement, was that just a self promoting sales job to the “gazers”.
Not saying I want him fired right now, to early, and really doesn’t matter anyway. But I do want him to succeed, and the talent on this team to succeed before they run off somewhere else and collect rings.
Verner is the latest failure, and he is very talented. He picked this guy up, every decision made is his, but can’t put him in a position to succeed?
Who is the next scapegoat.
David? You going to bench him also Lovie?
September 29th, 2015 at 3:44 pm
Teams are reflective of their coaches. Dude is 3-16 for a reason, he’s ok as a coordinator, bad as a talent evaluator and his rep as a good HC is based on having good d coordinators under him
September 29th, 2015 at 3:47 pm
It dosent matter what system any lb plays in. Tackling is tackling. If lavonte cant cover, then thats pretty sad. The best can do it all. Lavonte is being paid like a top level lb. No excuse for him not to be able to grasp a system.
I would say Lovies biggest flaw is his talent evaluation. I also wonder why there is such a disconnect between players and coaches. Something dosent add up. One group blames Lovie. One group blames the players. But I honestley dont know. The players just dont grasp it. But Lovie needs to do something to help them get it too. He seems to have held players accountable. If that dosent work, then IDk.
September 29th, 2015 at 3:50 pm
It’s one thing to be out of position….it’s another matter altogether to be in positon and miss….
Like I said, I love LVD….but this is on him!!!
September 29th, 2015 at 3:55 pm
Love it how everyone annointed GMC and LVD as the next Sapp and Brooks. Yet neither one has yet to make a difference in a game other than LVD’ boneheaded tackle of Geno Smith to lose the opener vs. Jets a couple years ago and Mr. Potato chip is always injured. But they’re the highest paid stiffs. It’s a Bucs life!
September 29th, 2015 at 4:00 pm
He did miss tackles, but 14 were made. Liken this to the drops by Evans, with all the catches made.
Those are fixable, however will concede if this continues, there is a problem with David.
Tackling is fundamental, and is a Coaching issue also. How many of these missed tackles, and yards after contact are due to this “takeaway” policy, instead of just making the tackle?
Still a problem of the HC, spin it how you want. He won’t be around long when the locker room turns on him.
September 29th, 2015 at 4:00 pm
GMC will be on injured reserve by week 8. Dude is injury prone and can’t finish games or lead. Is a good sound bite for the media though. David looked great under Schiano under Lovie he looks average
September 29th, 2015 at 4:07 pm
@LargoBuc … “Something doesn’t add up. One group blames Lovie. One group blames the players.”
Anytime our team loses, Bucs fans always look for someone to blame. And we’ve gotten pretty good at it … practice makes perfect I guess.
I still believe that you win as a team, and you lose as a team. If one part is off (offense, defense, special teams) you can still win if the other two hang tough. If two parts stink it up, winning becomes a lot less likely. When all three parts fail … well, we’ve seen the result of that already, haven’t we.
Coaching (to include game planning) seems to be part of the problem here. Players’ poor performance on the field seems to also be part of the problem here. In situations like that in my past profession, lack of effective leadership within the organization usually seemed to be most prevalent problem.
Just an observation …
September 29th, 2015 at 4:09 pm
Only the Bucs pay a player millions of $$$ and he forgets how to play in the scheme and tackle. Can’t wait to hear next week’s excuses.
September 29th, 2015 at 4:10 pm
Sound tackling is considered a fundamental part of the sport and needs to be coached like all other fundamentals in the sport. I believe I heard Lovie himself say this week that he needed to coach fundamentals of the sport better. This is a symptom of bad coaching.
September 29th, 2015 at 4:15 pm
@ Dallas
So, you’re saying that LVD forgot how to tackle and needed to be coached up?
Why can’t Hardy Nickerson be blamed then?
You simply despise Lovie…and I can appreciate that, but you, like the Realist are losing track of reality on this one.
September 29th, 2015 at 4:18 pm
@Cc…notice how the bucs deployed a lot of single high safeties with blitzes. Drew bress was thrown off by that before he got hurt. They ran it a decent amount of the game. Week 1 and week 3….they stuck solid and showed the same defense over and over and over. Seems to me like Lovie is pressing his will to run the same defense he ran a decade ago. If he isnt willing to change than I dont see the team changing much either
September 29th, 2015 at 4:25 pm
I agree with the statement by defense rules
September 29th, 2015 at 4:38 pm
@DallasBuc
Maybe if Lovie did not spend the majority of the time at practice focused on turnovers and strips, Maybe the tackling problem and getting 11 men on the field problem will go away.
Of course some of the sheep will blame the players for something else!!!!
September 29th, 2015 at 4:42 pm
Tampabaybucfan- my response is inexplicably being blocked by the admins. Awaiting moderation…
September 29th, 2015 at 4:46 pm
It amazes me how many of these athletes are driven solely by money, they get paid they quit trying. Love of the game my ASS.
September 29th, 2015 at 4:48 pm
Just answer me this…..why is LVD’s problem not the fault of Hardy Nickerson?
September 29th, 2015 at 4:49 pm
When we start excusing players’ poor performance and blame it all on coaching….we deserve poor performance….
September 29th, 2015 at 4:51 pm
Tampabaybucfan- for the record I do not despise Lovie Smith. I only acknowledge that he is not competent to be the head coach of this football team. Evidence speaks for itself.
About David, it is not about him forgetting how to tackle. Not as simple as that. It is a fundamental skill that needs to practiced regularly with proper coaching in order to stay sound or else you tend to see a lot of missed tackles due to poor technique. Same could be said for passers, receivers or any other position. It’s about coaching fundamentals and Lovie himself admitted as much this week. Again, Schiano coached tackling fundamentals very hard and as a result his defenses were one of the most sound tacklers in the league. Comes down to priorities in coaching.
It’s not a personal thing with Lovie. I don’t know the man personally but he seems very nice. Can’t do his job worth a shhh tho. There’s a record to prove that.
September 29th, 2015 at 4:51 pm
It is an easy fix. Just rid your self of the coaching staff.
September 29th, 2015 at 4:53 pm
zzzz…does he put the fear in anybody?…who does on this team…sorry soft owners=soft coach=soft team…
September 29th, 2015 at 4:55 pm
Joes- what’s the deal? No naughty words. No complaints about site issues. Not making fun of the Senile Dog, “…as far as that’s concerned”. Is there a new rule I don’t know about? Can’t call Lovie Smith incompetent anymore?
September 29th, 2015 at 5:04 pm
@joe
Since you won’t do the “Lovie confidence poll” can we get the “Who Will Be The Coach Next Year Poll”
You can pit lovie against 4 other names each week!!!!
September 29th, 2015 at 5:06 pm
Its pretty simple. LVD is clearly having some issues. It may or may not be due to Lovies Imcompetence. But your not looking at the bigger picture which is, it’s not just LVD having issues. It’s all 3 phases are failing every week. And THAT there is no doubt falls on Lovie’s shoulders. Not to mention he is out coached pretty much every week also. I dont remember not 1 single game out of 19 where I can look at and honestly think to myself “Wow Lovie did a good job.” Not 1.
September 29th, 2015 at 5:07 pm
If we get blown out this week at home. And I think thats a good possibility.. The fans are going to go nuts and want Lovie’s head. I don’t see how anybody will be able to defend him, including the almighty Derrick Brooks.
September 29th, 2015 at 5:14 pm
I don’t think many are defending Lovie….I have lost almost all confidence in him.
But….I don’t blame him for every single individual act….or non-act….like missed tackles from a Pro Bowl multi-million dollar player.
If he can’t win at least 3 games at home and 5 or 6 on the year…..he needs to be shown the door.
September 29th, 2015 at 5:14 pm
All-Pro….not Pro Bowl
September 29th, 2015 at 5:19 pm
No question the players need to take some of the blame also. But we know they are good players because we’ve seen them do it. It makes me think that its more due to the poor coaching they are receiving rather than the actual lack of skill. I really doubt LVD just isn’t trying as hard as he use to either.
I remember reading articles about Schiano stressing the fundamentals and people calling him a college coach for it. I dont remember very many Lovie articles where he’s stressing fundamentals, rather just the stripping of the ball. I’ll let others figure out if there’s a connection between the two.
September 29th, 2015 at 5:40 pm
LVD had 3 tackles solo, 11 asst. Not 14 and not a good day for him.
September 29th, 2015 at 5:51 pm
Lovie is the HC with a 3-16 record, not looking good for him any day.
He paid David.
September 29th, 2015 at 6:30 pm
Tampabaybucfan- the Joe’s finally released my response up above.
To answer your question, David’s problem may be in part Nickerson’s fault but really only if the HC is telling the position coaches to spend time on fundamentals like tackling. Just think about it…David is not showing proper technique in his tackling. Does that sound like a guy that suddenly forgot how to tackle or just a guy that doesn’t practice the fundamentals and so on game day it shows. The effort and physicality is there.
Sorry man, this is on the HC. Schianos players could tackle and David as a rook and 2nd year player never missed a tackle under his coaching. Again, think about it.
September 29th, 2015 at 6:31 pm
Joe’s- What’s going on with my comments being held up suddenly?
September 29th, 2015 at 6:34 pm
I have the solution, Winston Moss for HC!!!
September 29th, 2015 at 7:55 pm
Lovie is not the problem. The Buccaneers played a desperate team at home who has better players and the Bucs could have won the game. 3-2 at the bye week. Go Bucs!
September 29th, 2015 at 10:40 pm
You can blame Lovie for quite a bit, but not David’s tackling or lack thereof. I’ve come to the conclusion the David and McCoy are just average players. In other words – on this team, they are the tallest midgets! They are not game changers! Ray Lewis was of that caliber!
September 30th, 2015 at 7:29 am
It’s been an “easy fix” for 3 fugging years now!!
September 30th, 2015 at 11:52 am
The Bucs don’t have the talent to run the style of defense that Lovie Smith wants to run, yet he’s too stubborn to adapt his system and playcalling to the current talent.
Any type of zone defense just isn’t going to work without a strong pass rush from the front 4 defensive linemen. The linebackers and secondary are put in impossible situations when there is no pass rush, so they tend to try to do more, which actually creates even bigger problems.
Unless the Bucs can generate a consistent pass rush with the 4 linemen, they need to abandon the zone and use more man coverage to free up the safeties and linebackers to blitz unexpectedly. Lovie is diametrically opposed to man coverage, so don’t expect that to happen during his tenure.
The good news is that the Bucs should be picking in the top 5 again in the 2016 draft, maybe they can focus on getting some pure pass rushers. Just don’t let Jason Licht select them.