Defense Still Learning
November 24th, 2016
Details how defense still work in progress.
Not long ago, Joe got fooled.
When the Bucs defense played well against the defending Super Bowl champions, Joe thought the defense had turned the corner. It was the fourth game of the season and Bucs defensive coordinator Mike Smith had stated it would take four games for his defenders to learn his defense.
Then, the Bucs go out and get throttled by Oakland and Atlanta.
Turning the corner? It was more like an old lady punching the gas pedal by mistake with the car accidentally in reverse and slamming into a coffee shop.
Last week was a perfect example of how the Bucs defense is still learning, and perhaps is catching on.
Remember the pick by Chris Conte in the end zone, the play of the game? Conte explained to Joe it was a result of learning what different wide receive routes mean for his coverage.
On the play, Chiefs coach Andy Reid called for a play-action pass into the end zone. Reid almost threw a hissie fit after the game saying Conte was supposed to bite on the fake and that in every similar play the Bucs defense has faced, Reid said, Conte would bite on the fake.
To hear Reid, it was almost as if Conte was the beneficiary of dumb luck, that he made a mistake which turned into a pick. Reid was so confident in the play he forbade Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith from checking out of the play.
“I think [Reid] was a little upset with how the game went and the situation and it was on a play that he thought he had and a play we knew [of] because of the defense we run,” Conte said. “It was something we practiced for. It was part of the learning process of being in a new system of learning what routes are going affect you and what routes you will get and how to defend them. It has been a process through the weeks.
“It seemed from the start [Smith] was going there no matter what. He didn’t really look, he just threw it. Luckily it went in my favor.”
Has the defense turned the corner? Joe isn’t sure. If the Bucs are able to contain the Seahawks, then Joe would be more of a believer.
But to hear Conte, it’s getting there.
November 24th, 2016 at 7:10 am
Joe, I think you misunderstood Coach Smitty!!! There is huge difference between starting to know and Knowing a defense!!!! The defense has shown life and sparks in almost every game!!! If you want to point out a “turn” I think it came when they almost shut out the Raiders offense in the 5th quarter for almost the full quarter!!!! That was a huge “gut-check” for them when they should have folded many times but did not!!!!
Go Bucs!!!!!!!!
November 24th, 2016 at 7:22 am
I don’t know about the rest of you, but letting Paxton Lynch look like John Elway in his prime did not seem like turning the corner to me. Especially when you consider he went out the next week and looked like a full blown rookie of Ryan Leaf proportions.
November 24th, 2016 at 7:42 am
I don’t know about “dumb luck”, but it’s hard to get too high on a play in which the QB “didn’t really look, he just threw it”. We won’t get that situation too many times, so I don’t know if we’ve arrived just yet. Loved the play and it was huge. Not taking any of that away from Conte or the DC. Just saying that I don’t know that it’s indicative of anything just yet.
November 24th, 2016 at 8:52 am
Theyve turned the corner against average or below offenses. Lets hope they turn it against the hawks sunday. Go bucs
November 24th, 2016 at 9:01 am
Cry babies stop whining is thanks giving stuff your mouth with turkey and just wish for a win.
Go Bucs!!!!!
November 24th, 2016 at 10:28 am
No comment at this time!
November 24th, 2016 at 11:19 am
I think we are all in the same boat of being cautiously optimistic. Every time it looks as the team is turning the corner, we get a big slice of hubble pie. But hopefully some time soon we can all have confidence when the team takes the field and not be viewed as underdogs. I think that it’s worth noting that per NFL Network, the Seahawks have the “easiest strength of schedule” for the rest of the season. That should be motivation to our guys if nothing else.
GO BUCS!!!!
November 25th, 2016 at 8:55 am
Have to give the defense credit for stepping up earlier in the season when turnovers forced them on the field with their backs against the wall.They have also played good enough at times to win,with injuries to key players.As a long time Buc fan that is rare,injuries to key players were synonymous with losses.
Plenty of room for improvement,but they do seem to be playing together.
November 25th, 2016 at 12:16 pm
So then don’t get high on the big plays turned in by Conte the past two weeks or the off the chart play of #3 at times…again he created a highlight reel with that racing around and then finding Mike Evans on the bomb.
Some people believe games turn on the play makers and those two certainly made game changing plays. But over the long haul I like to also be the better team.
If you look at our performance against KC we were simply the better team..we looked deeper and more talented. And we made a ton of Buc like mistakes with stupid penalities and failure to score TD’s in the first half. Yet we were so clearly better we weren’t going to lose.
This team is on it’s way. The Seahawks will be a great barometer to measure where we are.