A Nauseating Pattern
November 10th, 2016
New defense looks like old defense.
Be careful, Bucs fans. Joe has to pass along information that might just make you sidearm your mug of coffee against the kitchen wall.
No NFL team the last two seasons has a turnstile defense in the second half worse than the Bucs’. It is almost as if someone high up with the Bucs wants to run off fans in the third quarter, or hear the clicking of remotes in the third quarter, or to hear the howls of upset fans by mid-afternoon on Sundays.
Jenna Laine of ESPN did some digging and found no team in the NFL, with the exception of the futile 49ers, allows three-score leads late in the game like the Bucs.
Since the start of 2015, the Buccaneers have been down by at least 20 points in the fourth quarter seven times, which is tied with the 49ers for most in the NFL, according to ESPN Stats & Info. Only one time in the team’s history have they overcome a deficit of more than 20 points — back in 2008 in a 30-27 win against Kansas City.
When is this madness going to stop? Someone Joe trusts texted him recently stating the lack of a pass rush is really hurting the back seven. You mean all of these NFL sophists hired to coach the defense didn’t know the Bucs were without a pass rush prior to the season?
Were they convinced rookie Noah Spence would come in and get 12 sacks? Did they not see Jacquies Smith get hurt (again)? Did these same coaches not notice Robert Ayers was hurt?
While not having a pass rush is a logical reason why receivers are running through the secondary like deer in an Illinois cornfield, did these same coaches actually believe a team that didn’t have a pass rush to begin with, and who lost defensive linemen through the first few weeks of the season, was suddenly going to transform into the Steel Curtain?
That’s either a helluva lot of arrogance or a helluva lot of naivete, Joe isn’t sure.
Joe also thought defensive coordinator Mike Smith was going to adjust to form a defense to fit his talent. Can’t remember the last time Joe saw Smith flash a 34 front with Spence coming off the edge, for example.
Of course no pass rush is hurting the defense.
If a guy sitting in the upper deck on the east side swilling $10 lukewarm Miller Lites can see this, how come one of the defensive coaches didn’t notice and adjust accordingly?
November 10th, 2016 at 5:10 am
It matters little the scheme, you have to have the talent to run it. The Bucs don’t and if the current pattern continues won’t ever have the talent. They are simply a terrible collection of players who are too dumb to learn their plays, (see the OC comments), too slow, and too self-absorbed to be even a mediocre team. At least they’ll be in the top 10 or top 5 to pick college talent in the draft again, and again, and again….
November 10th, 2016 at 5:26 am
Did they believe we had good WRS? Or safeties? Well at least we got us a great kicker ma!
November 10th, 2016 at 5:49 am
I was never convinced this DEFENCE would all o sutton turn it around ….it takes time to learn a new SCHEME….then it takes time to learn how to play together in that NEW SCHEME! Keep bringing in the talent and sooner or a later it will come together I hope! GO BUCS!
November 10th, 2016 at 6:43 am
richbucsfan & BigHogHaynes, thank you … my sentiments exactly. Too many fans & media keep pointing fingers at Mike Smith because he can’t seem to scheme his way around mediocre talent. Bucs DLine simply doesn’t have the horses to create a viable & consistent pass rush. I personally love GMC & McDonald, but Big Mac especially can’t seem to stay healthy. Akeem Spence is an average DL, but after that? Nada. (Playing DEs like Will Gholston or Robert Ayers in the middle may be necessary at times, but against OLines like the Raiders have that outweigh them by 60 lbs average they’ll get chewed up fast).
Not impressed this year with our LBs at all, especially their pass coverage skills (their tackling skills haven’t been anything to write home about either). Our CBs are too short & too slow (bumping at the line only works I think if CBs have the speed to recover quickly … ours don’t). Bucs safeties have been beaten up even more in the media than they have on the field … again, too slow and don’t seem to have the chemistry with our CBs that’s needed). Add in a pronounced lack of depth at all positions that severely limits rotating quality backups into key positions on the DLine plus an overabundance of injuries and voila … you end up with a mediocre defense. Licht needs to improve the talent level on defense dramatically before the Bucs can be consistent winners.
November 10th, 2016 at 6:59 am
Old scheme was passive so is this one. What do the best defense’s have in common? They challenge every yard and are aggressive unlike smith who refuses to blitz even after its successful
November 10th, 2016 at 7:19 am
I agree with the above comments. Scheme is less important than players. And instead of drafting another DE, we took a friggin kicker we did not need at this smoment. Makes perfect sense
November 10th, 2016 at 7:48 am
How do you pile on and make a team look worse,, you throw in lovie’s stats and records!!!! LOL!!!!!!!
And when the Bucs win this Sunday, Joe will go from the “seasons over”, and “draft pick central”, to the “playoff hunt” and how the following road game at Kanas City is a “Must win” “Season on the line” “legacy defining game” for First year Head Coach Dirk Koetter and the Bucs!!!!
GO America!!!!!
And GO BUCS!!!!!!!!
November 10th, 2016 at 8:26 am
This just in. We haven’t had a pass rush since 2007. Crazy how clean the other teams qb stays. I remember the beginning of the end. Dallas at Tampa. Raheem the dream to Dirk. It’s been an awful ride. Leadership comes from the top. We miss you Mr Glazer. It hasn’t been the same.
November 10th, 2016 at 9:17 am
@realist…you pile on stats by giving up 3 blowouts and carr’s 500yards passing…..that is directly tied to dirk and smitty….GO BUCS!!!!
November 10th, 2016 at 9:25 am
BEARS 35
bucs 7
November 10th, 2016 at 10:30 am
It dosent matter if Koetter is a rookie or a nine year vet, it’s win or go home. And that’s just how the majority of the league works.
November 10th, 2016 at 10:38 am
@largobuc
How did lovie get 2 years then??????
November 10th, 2016 at 11:14 am
@realist…if dirk goes 3-13 will he be retained?….I doubt it….that clear regression…..JIM TOMSULA…..GO BUCS!!!!
November 10th, 2016 at 11:15 am
Derek Barnett in round 1 solves all the DE problems we’ve had for 10 years.
November 10th, 2016 at 11:20 am
Somewheres in the city of Atlanta, Ga. Theres an NFL owner named Arthur Blanks, looking at the TB Bucs going, I’m so happy I fired Smith and Tampa Bay scooped him up as Defensive Coordinator!
November 10th, 2016 at 12:06 pm
What happen to the 18 starters on defense, that Mike Smith was brainwashing these delusional fans with before the season? Before the season, these fans thought Mike Smith was the second coming of Jesus. And now, less than 10 weeks later, all we hear is excuses, week after week.
November 10th, 2016 at 2:03 pm
The best defenses are 3-4. Blitz a different linebacker on every down.
You still have a 4 man rush but create the element of surprise on every down. THE TAMPA 2 IS DEAD & SO IS THE 4-3.
November 10th, 2016 at 2:09 pm
Agree Big Irish. Too many fast teams with extreme talent these days for the tampa 2 or 4-3 base.
November 10th, 2016 at 3:06 pm
I also agree about the 4-3. This was supposed to be some sort of hybrid “flying downhill” defense. Our DBs are STILL lined up 10 yds off of WRs AND we STILL have no pass rush.
Get it together coach! Get it together Bucs!
November 10th, 2016 at 3:33 pm
Maybe just maybe we need to stop blaming the coaches and start looking at the players ?? How many coaches and GM’s have we been through now since chucky?? The lack of effort from the players need to be questioned. Any scheme can be successful f the players execute. For far too long now we have ben changing coaches for now performance I think these players have some explaining to do I do not see the effort on the field they just tune out every coaching staff and get away with it. We need heart on this team and sadly I do not see it.
November 10th, 2016 at 9:50 pm
Bad coaching can make every phase of a defense look terrible, from the D line to the DBs. Last year it was coaching but this year, with more talent, its the talent.