McCoy Notches Sack No. 7
November 30th, 2015
Lost in the Bucs’ anemic pass rush yesterday was frequent fan punching bag Gerald McCoy recording his seventh sack of the season — with five games to play.
McCoy ranks tied for 10th in the NFL in total sacks, and he’s tied for second among defensive tackles. Bengals star Geno Atkins has eight. Young Rams beast Aaron Donald also has seven.
For those wondering, Ndamukong Suh, the defensive tackle drafted one spot ahead of McCoy in 2009, has four sacks this season.
McCoy also anchors the best run defense in the NFC. The Bucs allow just 3.5 yards per carry to top the conference. That was on display big time yesterday, when the Colts had just 27 yards on 26 carries.
Joe sure hopes McCoy finds his way to 10 sacks, which would make him the first Buccaneer to hit double digits since Simeon Rice 10 years ago. That should shut up a few haters.
November 30th, 2015 at 10:17 am
@Joe
Can you also tell us how many meaningless yards more until VJ and ME are “The Best WR Duo in the NFL”!!!!!
November 30th, 2015 at 10:36 am
McCoy is quite literally the least of our problems. Winston’s accuracy and the Oline (not unrelated) are at the top of my list.
November 30th, 2015 at 10:37 am
Welcome back Realist! Where did you disappear to last week?
November 30th, 2015 at 10:45 am
The Bucs won a game and showed improvement. That’s what happened.
I have no issue with GMC but losing Clinton MacDonald has hurt the front four. They simply were not good enough yesterday. It doesn’t matter if the Bucs run a man scheme or a zone scheme (people love to blame the “Tampa 2”) without pressure and hits from the front four there is going to be a breakdown in the secondary.
November 30th, 2015 at 10:54 am
Alright now. Stop throwing out this best run defense stuff Joes. I was called out the other day and sure enough we’re ranked #5 in the NFC.
November 30th, 2015 at 10:56 am
Joe you can’t possibly overlook the fact that the very next play after his sack he jumped off sides and gave the ball right back. He just is not worth the #3 overall pick in the NFL draft. Just like Mike Evans is not worth the #7 pick in the draft. Those two need to step up big time for this team to take the next step.
November 30th, 2015 at 11:05 am
@ndog…McCoy is not the problem. The problem is that NO ONE else can beat their 1 on 1 matchup and get to the QB. For crying out loud, if McCoy is being double teamed then someone ought to be able to get to the QB. Our DE’s take horrible angles and always end up running right behind the QB as he steps up in the pocket and delivers a completion.
November 30th, 2015 at 11:19 am
Ok, I se what you did there….3.5 yards per carry does top the NFC….but atlanta is 3.7, seattle 3.8, carolina 3.8, and st louis is 3.9. The total yard stat is what I was looking at…thats where we’re not #1.
November 30th, 2015 at 11:24 am
It’s refreshing to see a well reasoned opinion around here.
ndog, who would *you* have taken with the 3rd pick in the draft in 2010? McCoy was a can’t miss draft prospect in 2010. Everyone in the NFL would have laughed at the Bucs for passing on McCoy especially when they needed help in that position. He’s currently tied for 2nd in the NFL in sacks and yards lost for a DT. Gerald McCoy has been a force on that line for a few years now.
November 30th, 2015 at 11:32 am
I don’t believe I said anywhere I wouldn’t have taken him but that doesn’t mean he Is playing well or didn’t deserve criticism. He is not having the impact that a#3 overall pick should be having period. Besides the ONE play he made in Atlanta name me another he has made in the last 3 years that has been a differance maker in A game.
November 30th, 2015 at 11:34 am
GMC is tied for 9th with 4 other players in sacks!! Come on man.
http://www.nfl.com/stats/categorystats?seasonType=REG&d-447263-n=1&d-447263-o=2&d-447263-p=1&statisticPositionCategory=DEFENSIVE_LINEMAN&d-447263-s=DEFENSIVE_SACKS&tabSeq=1&season=2015&experience=&Submit=Go&archive=false&conference=null&qualified=true
November 30th, 2015 at 11:37 am
And for the record I liked Eric Berry more in that draft but was not against McCoy as I don’t want to rewrite history and act like I was mad because I wasn’t and I like McCoy and want him to do well he just vanishes way too often for my taste.
November 30th, 2015 at 11:47 am
@waterboy
Snow Skiing in Colorado, then the Turkey day with the Family!!!
November 30th, 2015 at 11:55 am
But that hair highlight tho.. So in right now
November 30th, 2015 at 11:56 am
Agree with DRome’s take.
As far as the “anemic” pass rush..it was Hasselbeck who made our pass rush look anemic while #3 made the Colts look like a highlight reel.
Joe you were at the game and didn’t see the stats on TV but when they put up the hurried/hit/sack stats there wasn’t a great deal of difference.
Let’s go to the gold standard then the stat we can all look up easily and the point of this piece…SACKS. Hasselbeck was sacked 3X Fameis 5X…but at least two and I think perhaps three were totally on #3.
This game was the total illustration of a rookie versus a vet. Hasselbeck would look at our D..figure out where the pressure would come from and how fast..if he saw he’d have no time he hit his hot read or THREW IT AWAY.
Fameis…understandably..he’s still a rookie and he’ll eventually figure this out…hung on to the ball way too long and did not hit his hot reads. Perhaps that is on Koetter if there were no hot receivers but Fameis danced around back there far too long…Hasselbeck did not. Hasselbeck threw the ball away when there was no play…Fameis flash backed to his FSU days and ran around like a chicken with his head cut off instead of…hit the receiver..or throw it away. It’s the NFL not the NCAA but Fameis is a very smart kid and he’ll learn that from yesterday.
Hasselbeck is on fire! He’s a wily vet. He simply played well. Give them some freaking credit and stop diminishing their talents and abilities by being sore losers and whining how we lost this game.
This was a game we could have won…but it would have taken our A game..the Colts are the second best team we’ve faced all year…obviously the Stinking Panthers are better..after that the Colts were far and away the best team we’ve played. They’re riding a nice win streak and we simply got BEAT. We need to take it like men and move on.
As for GMC’s sack…it’s emblamatic of where this team is right now. It’s the Bucs season in a microcosm. GMC gets a sack…and the very next play he jumps offsides negating the lost yardage from the sack.
The brain dead penalities…MUST STOP!!! How does ME13 jump offsides at WR.
GMC is right over the ball…wait till it’s snapped!!!
November 30th, 2015 at 11:57 am
My bad D-Rome….yes tied for 2nd “as a DT”. I need to slow down my reading….too much going on sorry.
November 30th, 2015 at 12:12 pm
NDOG said it….
Sack..loss of 4 yards.
Next play, offsides … 5 yard penalty.
That’s what we call the Buccaneer Two-Step. 4 yards back, 5 yards forward.
November 30th, 2015 at 12:13 pm
By the way the “great” Hassleback onetime threw the ball away and didn’t get it back to the line of scrimmage which should have been a penalty but of course it was not called. Also how about the false start that they called off sides on us? Oh yeah the phantom “interference call” which cost us a turnover. Or the OPI on Evans where he was getting mugged downfield. This game was much more that some bad plays by us this was also a garbage game by the officials. The NFL sure would like Andrew Luck in the playoffs wouldn’t they?
November 30th, 2015 at 12:15 pm
The Bucs were just not in sync. The second half start was just crap on a shingle.
November 30th, 2015 at 12:16 pm
Yeah, and to all the whiners and squawkers on here: GMC has played hurt most of this season. Yet, he’s still near the top at his position. We lost yesterday cos Colts out-played us at QB. Methusaleh had it all over famous Jameis. Factor in bad ref calls and that sums up the ballgame. Some of the posters on here are just plain stupid!
November 30th, 2015 at 12:29 pm
@StPeteBucs, Thanks for bringing sanity to the conversation, as usual your posts are quite refreshing and spot on. I’m usually not one to waste my time going back and forth with some of the people on here who refuse to see improvement in this ball club for whatever reason. With defensive help in the next two drafts the Bucs will be a team to be reckoned with. Go Bucs!
November 30th, 2015 at 12:48 pm
The best Defensive Tackle this year only has one more sack than he does. That kind of puts his doubters in a tough spot.
All he needs is 3 sacks to reach double digits (finally). Hope he gets them.
In fact…over the next 4 games, I predict he will reach 12 sacks.
You heard it here first.
November 30th, 2015 at 1:12 pm
… then immediately jumped offsides on the next play.
November 30th, 2015 at 2:36 pm
The haters will hate. The guy jumps offsides and that’s all that matters to you? 1 penalty in how many games? Whatever.
Worry about the fact that they have no DEs and need DBs. The DTs are fine.
November 30th, 2015 at 2:45 pm
Colts passed 42 times, and in the second half we applied virtually no pressure. The Colts had guys running free in our secondary, which resulted in their success. On the other hand, our OL did not protect Jameis as well in the second half. Jameis also failed to throw several balls away and took sacks instead. He also threw inaccurately a few times. But as usual in the NFL, this game came down to a couple of plays. The ME drop, and the hold on Martin’s TD, which was a terrible call. If those two plays go the other way then we win. Simple as that.
November 30th, 2015 at 4:37 pm
I would rather see him get a sack in crunch time aka 4th quarter….GO BUCS!!!
November 30th, 2015 at 5:48 pm
BucFan since 76
But as usual in the NFL, this game came down to a couple of plays. The ME drop, and the hold on Martin’s TD, which was a terrible call. If those two plays go the other way then we win. Simple as that.
That’s a very valid take. I would only take exception with the “as usual in the NFL” I agree as usual with relatively evenly matched teams. But the Bucs have been so far out of so many games that we’ve needed more than a single play.
But we have come a long way and I agree with you. We are now finally at the point where if we make some critical plays..sometimes only two plays..we can win some against even good teams on the road.
November 30th, 2015 at 7:23 pm
Donald has 47 total tackles to McCoy’s 24. Sacks are great. Tackles changes the downs from 1st to 4th. Which mean Jameis get to lead the guys to a touchdown or field goal.
Sapp in 2002 had 47 total with 7 1/5 sacks. Sounds like Donald is more Sapp like this year. I would take Donald’s productivity now. (Everyone is hurt now. Some more than other. Our opponent don’t care if McCoy’s hurt. Either produce or take a seat. No excuses.)
And we are talking about take that haters when he has just “2” total tackles. REALLY! Heck Spence has 3 total tackles. I’m not crazy to say Spence is better than McCoy. Plus it’s after a lost. Boy our standard for greatness is low.
The same folks that bring up lack of talent around, are missing the fact he reach a legit Pro Bowl with basically the same d lineman. The same crazy talk that McCoy is doubled “all the time.” (Which isn’t true that he’s double all the time.)
I’m not advocating getting rid of GMac, but the all talk and not showing it on the field is getting old. I’ve support GMC from the beginning when many here call him a bust. No one with eyes can honestly say he’s playing the best he ever played since we drafted him.
November 30th, 2015 at 7:26 pm
All I want to see is 1 tackle a quarter. At least it’s some productivity for four quarters.
November 30th, 2015 at 10:02 pm
Joe, you compare McCoy to Geno Atkins and Aaron Donald, but when you includes McCoys salary in the comparision big bubba is a bust. The expectations for McCoy is to be elite. Seven sacks when you need three is not cutting it for an elite. If you are comparing McCoy to the others to say that McCoy is not elite, which is the actual results of the comparison, then I agree.
December 1st, 2015 at 2:48 am
By my count, there are only a handful (about 7) 3-tech defensive tackles in the league. Most teams play a 3-4 defense or a hybrid. Most teams do not have a 3-tech defensive tackle that plays 90% of the defensive snaps. Saying that McCoy is the best defensive tackle means nothing when he is competing for that spot with about 7 other guys.
McCoy is not a game changer. He does not make big plays when needed. He racks up the vast majority of his sacks in the first half of games. He only had 1.5 sacks in the second half all of last season. I can only recall one sack in the past 6 years that helped us win a game. The rest have pretty much been fluff. Like the sack Sunday against the Colts. It did absolutely nothing for our team but certainly padded his stats. Plus it was immediately negated by the off-sides penalty McCoy got on the very next play.
Great players make those around them better. McCoy does not do that. Since McCoy has been on the team, our defense has not broken the top 15. Suh and Atkins have both led defenses in the top 5.
Suh and Atkins have both been to the playoffs. McCoy has never gone.
I guess if this were an individual sport like ice skating then McCoy would be pretty good. But since this is a team sport we have to look at it in that context. In that context, McCoy is far from great.
Interesting that you would bring up stats to try and prove how great McCoy is when you are constantly deriding people for using stats. Should we start referring to you as “Stathead Joe” now?
December 1st, 2015 at 11:52 am
Sure…he got a sack but promptly jumped offsides on the very next play giving whatever he gained with the sack back to the Colts.