Numbers Support Sweezy
June 29th, 2016
Vindicated by former coach.
The PFF tribe isn’t going to like this.
Nothing gets the PFF tribe’s undies bunched up like when you use numbers against their numbers. When pressed with hard, irrefutable facts that undermine their often shaky preconceived notions, the PFF tribe becomes fidgety and starts rapping their knuckles together in frustration.
We all remember how that tribe pitched a hissie fit on Twitter when the Bucs signed free agent guard J.R. Sweezy. It was as if Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht himself e-mailed them a virus that corrupted their Excel spreadsheets.
Well, Monday, Seahawks offensive line coach Tom Cable, who coached Sweezy in Seattle, took to the airwaves of SiriusXM NFL Radio to talk about his charges last year and, indirectly, his numbers were a virtual slap in the face to the PFF tribe.
Tom Cable: Thru 7 games last yr we were abysmal protecting the QB. Last 11 we only gave up 15 sacks. We have to capture the last 11 this yr
— SiriusXM NFL Radio (@SiriusXMNFL) June 27, 2016
Uh, oh. So Sweezy was part of an offensive line that only gave up 15 sacks in the last 11 games (Sweezy missed the final game of the regular season last year)? So if Sweezy was the complete and total turnstile that the spreadsheeters claim he is, how come defenses — remember, Seattle plays in a division with some damn good defenders — didn’t totally blow up and maim Russell Wilson?
Maybe because the PFF tribe has no clue how to evaluate offensive linemen, that’s how come.
In recent days, Joe chatted with a trusted NFL source and the subject of the PFF tribe and offensive line breakdowns came up.
Joe will say this: Some people, when down in the dumps, go to YouTube to watch Chris Rock or Sam Kinison videos for a hearty laugh. Others (particularly those employed in the NFL) read PFF’s offensive linemen grades.
June 29th, 2016 at 5:23 am
How PFF grades JR Sweezy is really of little significance. Only thing that matters is how well he performs this year in the trenches for the Bucs run-blocking and pass-blocking. If he can’t open holes for Martin & Sims and if he can’t protect Jameis he won’t last long. Hopefully he’s 100% for training camp because developing chemistry on the OLine takes time as we’ve all seen.
June 29th, 2016 at 8:01 am
An entire line giving up only 15 sacks in 11 games doesn’t necessarily speak to an individual lineman’s performance.
That being said, I think the combination of great run blocking and a developing pass block with a toughness attitude, work ethic, upside and youth made him a good addition.
June 29th, 2016 at 8:11 am
Jason Licht signed Josh McCown, Anthony Collins, and Michael Johnson in one off season, only to have to cut them all the next year. I’ll be on the Sweezy band wagon as soon as he earns it. Until then PFF could be right, who knows?
June 29th, 2016 at 8:12 am
I’m very excited to see if Warhop can improve his pass blocking skills and become more of a balanced player, if he can do so the we got a steal imo, he’s already one of the better run blockers, and with him still being young and learning things, my be it’s that the bucs are banking on Warhop molding him into a better pass blocker.
And PFF is a bunch of BFS imo. Especially when it comes to grading O lineman. I go by the eye test. Wich is the best way to rate a player, not adding up a bunch of numbers. The eye never lies, but stats do.
June 29th, 2016 at 8:24 am
Sweezy is a BEAST. Simple as that. (<—That phrase actually makes my skin crawl, thanks Lovie)
June 29th, 2016 at 8:40 am
PFF is a joke.
That said, I also don’t like the idea of Winston getting sacked 15 times in 11 games. It might be better than we’ve seen in recent times, but shouldn’t the goal be to have fewer sacks than games?
11 sacks in 15 games…that would be a great goal.
June 29th, 2016 at 8:57 am
Sacks aren’t the only thing that matiers Joe! Besides, Russell Wilson is virtually Houdini and any other qb would have taken way more sacks! I am worried about the ability of Sweeny to pass protect
June 29th, 2016 at 9:25 am
I’ve never used that phrase “simple as that”. I thought it referred to what opposing offenses thought about Lovie’s defensive game plan. RIP
June 29th, 2016 at 9:25 am
Dreambig
Get your facts straight Collins was a licht signing the rest were loser Lovie’s. Lovie set the bucs back years not licht. Who still has a job in Tampa and who has been banished to the corn fields working for a totally irrelevant college program.
Sweezy will be fine.
June 29th, 2016 at 9:51 am
Well…
As Joe has written many times before, he cannot find individual quarterback hits. (If anyone has a link to free individual quarterback hits, please do post the link. Joe is not about to drop $2,000 on PFF.)
Russell Wilson and Jameis had about the same number of hits. Jameis took every snap last season; Wilson did not. Teamwise, Seattle gave up a handful more quarterback hits (114) than the Bucs (109). It’s safe to assume Jameis took as many quarterback hits as Wilson.
Seattle allowed 46 sacks; the Bucs 27.
June 29th, 2016 at 9:55 am
Possibly an unreachable goal. The last time a team had as few as 16 sacks in a season was 2010 (Colts, Giants). Allowing 20 sacks in a season is very, very good.
No NFL team last year had less than 18 sacks (Rams).
One can strive for less than a sack a game. Practicably, not sure it’s possible.
June 29th, 2016 at 11:15 am
Personally, I find PFF almost impossible to read.
June 29th, 2016 at 11:57 am
The styles of Wilson and Winston mirror their sack numbers. Winston throws with timing and anticipation, leading to less sacks by still high number of hits. Wilson is often looking for the deep ball and if it isn’t there he runs around, leading to more sacks (many of which are him running out of bounds) and hits. Personally I would take Winston. Very few offensive lines can contain pressure for more than a few seconds in this league. The rest is up to the QB and the play call.
June 29th, 2016 at 12:07 pm
The only stat that matters is WINS and Seattle won with Sweezy( enough said).
June 29th, 2016 at 12:15 pm
People still read PFF articles? lol!
If you want to know how Sweezy really performed last year, go watch the two Seattle-Carolina games from last year. Dude more than handled his own against the best defensive interior in football.
PFFttttttttttttt lol. These guys are stat idiots, stat geek is too big of a compliment
June 29th, 2016 at 1:23 pm
Any free-agent signed to this team while LOVIE was head coach, LICHT was the one who signed them as he was GM simple as that, now that is a fact that can’t be disputed, you may not like it, you can’t change it but you can put a BS spin on it. And another fact if this team gets the 9 wins I expect them to get then LOVIE didn’t set this team back at all, and if as a team we don’t show significant improvement………….then you can only look at the new regime!
June 29th, 2016 at 1:58 pm
Jason Licht is a CRAP GM in my eye sight, I don’t have time to go into details. Everyone should already know the negatives about him.
June 29th, 2016 at 4:34 pm
Oooohhhhhh Joe sure as hell can. If you believe that Lovie had zero to do with free agents, how much cash did the tooth fairy leave under your pillow last night?
There wasn’t one player on the roster Lovie didn’t want. Not one. None. He had final say on the roster. If he didn’t have that, he never would have taken the job from Team Glazer.
Keep dreaming and wear that brand new Fighting Illini cap — with the tag still on — proudly in public. LOL
June 29th, 2016 at 6:14 pm
The dynamic between GM & HC changes from team to team and from HC to GM….Lovie probably had the much stronger hand.
I suspect Licht is more in control now…..you would have to assume that Koetter could have a player like Roddy White if he wanted him. I expect that Licht had more input in this draft than any others…..but it’s hard to know for sure. Hiring assistants is also something you would think the HC would have more input with…….Mike Smith/Monkin etc.
June 29th, 2016 at 10:38 pm
The numbers never lie Joe.
June 29th, 2016 at 11:56 pm
@Joe: I was simply stating a non disputable fact, regardless of who had the most power, our GM signed, maybe at LOVIE’S request but he did sign them, so I assume you believe Licht had zero to do with those signing then you should check your references and stop with all the blowing of the smoke, who’s name is at the bottom of those contracts? It sure ain’t LOVIE!! One other fact I’m not now or ever will be a Fighting Illini Fan, but if you send me s cap I would wear it, but not with the tag still on it, that’s just not my style!l
June 30th, 2016 at 8:45 am
I’m not even gonna response to that comment Lakeland buc. That was idiotic.
June 30th, 2016 at 9:13 am
(Insert last paragraph)
…or JBF comments’.