Old School Bucs
December 12th, 2016
Noah Spence prevents Drew Brees from getting a pass off smoothly. (Photo courtesy of Buccaneers.com)
Joe knows Warren Sapp is smiling somewhere. And hollering to whoever is within earshot.
Why would Sapp be smiling? Well, of course the Bucs won yesterday and are still tied for first place as we inch toward Christmas — who woulda thunk that? Sure, that makes Sapp smile.
But Sapp, Joe is confident, is beaming with pride how his Bucs have suddenly transformed into his kind of defense — kick offenses tails, take no names, and stomp on their throats.
It’s almost as if the Bucs are honoring the old school guys like Derrick Brooks, John Lynch, Sapp, and yes, even Lee Roy Selmon, the way they are suffocating opposing offenses at home in this glorious five-game win streak. It’s a win streak that hasn’t been seen since Brooks, Lynch and Sapp strung together five straight wins… on their way to a Super Bowl win.
As Sapp said to Joe after the Seahawks game, the Bucs are choking out elite quarterbacks. That is just insane. In the past three home games, facing bratty Jay Cutler, Russell Wilson and Drew Brees, the Bucs have allowed one touchdown through 12 quarters. One! And that was to Cutler, a 50-yard bomb.
The word is out: This defense is something to be feared.
Even USA Today, in a column detailing 40 things about this weekend in the NFL, said it is the defense of the Bucs that is the 500-pound gorilla, not America’s Quarterback, Pro Bowler Jameis Winston.
13. Jameis Winston might get the headlines, but it is the Tampa Bay defense that will make if famous. Proved that again on Sunday.
This is really cool to read but beginning next Sunday night at Dallas on Sunday Night Football — hello Carrie Underwood! — this same Bucs defense will need help from the offense. Whatever the reason why this offense was stuck spinning its wheels in the second half, Dirk Koetter and company better find a fix soon.
The Bucs are going to need touchdowns eventually. We cannot count on this defense to choke out offenses like this every week, can we?
December 12th, 2016 at 5:03 am
Why not? If they can do it to Brees, they can do it to Prescott.
December 12th, 2016 at 5:16 am
Just how Koetter said to the staff after the ATL loss that they had to change things up he’s gotta apply that thinking to his offense
December 12th, 2016 at 5:23 am
I think the Giants gave us the recipe on how to stop Dallas. ..not that we needed it because we are 5-1 on the road,held the #1 offense to 11pts,and ARE IN A 5 GAME HOTSTREAK BABY! I’ve been telling everyone that’s a Dallas fan,Dallas has no defense,Prescott and Co. cannot beat playoff teams,i.e. Giants and now Tampa Bay! Dallas has just been playing teams under .500 and beating them.they have five the Giants TWICE and lost. I’m confident our defense is putting fear into the entire league! If they keep it up I believe they will get us veeery far in the postseason. #GO BUCS!
December 12th, 2016 at 5:24 am
1979, 1997, 2016. This franchise has been built on defense. If you don’t like defense to close out a game you haven’t followed this franchise.
https://youtu.be/PWVqm7mNZVQ
December 12th, 2016 at 5:42 am
Good to see the Bucs defense getting the kudos they deserve. One player though who doesn’t get much praise but who really deserves it is Clinton McDonald. This 5-game win streak started when Clinton came back from his injury. He’s played a boatload of snaps each game and I think is a real difference-maker on our DLine because teams can’t just key on GMC in the middle when he’s in there. His return has been huge for the Bucs. Our DLine has relatively little depth … 5 players (GMC, McDonald, Ayers, Gholston & Noah Spence) have gotten almost all of the DLine snaps for the 4 positions. The pressure on the QB that the DLine has been able to generate is all the more impressive because I doubt that any of those 5 are at 100% right now.
December 12th, 2016 at 6:11 am
2002 Bucs offense didn’t really get going until late in that season, remember the running game “the hedgehog” Michael Pittman
December 12th, 2016 at 6:33 am
i was about to say we might not be able to stop the elusive dak prescott but when i think about it i think the last time i check russell wilson did it better and we seen how that ended for him. but we can’t come out flat on offense to a pretty pissed off cowboys bunch.
December 12th, 2016 at 6:39 am
What the amazing thing is, Is the fact of all of the top ranked offenses that this defense has faced this year!!!!! Seeing this team line up against top talent and competing into the 4th quarter is something that I wanted to see!!! To see them win is just an added bonus at this stage!!!! What Coach Smitty has done this year is amazing and we all would be extremely lucky if he stays for next year to see even more of his defense!!!!!!
Go Bucs!!!!!
December 12th, 2016 at 6:50 am
Joe,
Could you possibly dig up the Bucs defensive stats ?….as in turnovers, sacks, etc. Can’t find them anywhere else.
December 12th, 2016 at 7:07 am
As good as last week was with everyone losing to help the Bucs, this weekend could not have been any worse as far as getting help from other teams. All our competition for the last wild card spot won their games. We are going to have to find a way to beat Dallas and them getting knocked off by the Giants didn’t help us at all. Koetter has got to find a way to get the offensive line playing better. Yesterday we couldn’t run the ball and Jameis had no time to throw.
December 12th, 2016 at 7:15 am
Old school Bucs offense sadly
December 12th, 2016 at 8:29 am
I agree with your Joe. Coach Koetter & Company better find a way to fix the offense. Because you going to wear that defense out. We can’t depend on them to always play great. The odds are that they are going to have a bad game. So we need our offense to step up and make plays to win games. Play complimentary football. Go Bucs.
December 12th, 2016 at 9:13 am
The recipe is out. Make dak play from the pocket and that offense is useless. 12 of 18 for 139 yards the previous week,17 of 37 for 168 a couple picks and no touch last night. Don’t Make me even mention they’re porous defense.
December 12th, 2016 at 10:51 am
“Old school Bucs offense sadly”
——-
Apparently you didn’t watch the old school Bucs, because this offense is NOTHING like those offenses. Granted we didn’t score a lot of points, but we are moving the football, which gives the defense an opportunity to rest. Back in the day, we would celebrate a first down. Nowadays, I’m shocked if we go 3 and out. Penalties are still an issue, but we are far from the offense of years past.
December 12th, 2016 at 11:07 am
I liked the play of J Elliott (DB): 3 games to play with 1 game to win to show improvement over last year’s team! I’m thinking we get there! I ask the question, can we beat the Cowboys? That is why we play the game! Go Bucs!
December 12th, 2016 at 11:53 am
agree about Elliott BigHog! I’m thinking he may have taken Jude’s spot.
Can you explain your thinking on why we need to win 9 games to show improvement over a 6-10 season? When this year’s schedule is more difficult than last year’s? You have said this before and if I missed the explanation I apologize ….
December 12th, 2016 at 12:08 pm
Pick it up offense. WE GOTTA PLAY COMPLEMENTARY FOOTBALL!!!!
December 12th, 2016 at 12:37 pm
Buc2015: I have always said that I would have expected the same from LOVIE if he were here, I’ve said it takes time to build a team, the talent needed to advance this team has been spot on except for Sweezy! We must continue to build. Unlike others here I think LOVIE did an ok job with what he had to work with, He is no longer here….Coach K and his staff is one win away from showing me the money! At this point I really have a a feeling we could win the last 3 games we have left! But I’m willing to let that play out!! GO BUCS !
December 12th, 2016 at 4:30 pm
Like I said the PRINCE of PASS RUSH Noah Spence! Optimus Grimes! HardGraves, and Just like Tandy! JE Heartbreak is the truth he flipped Carson Wentz in the Preseason. I know JE can tackle he got hit with a stiff arm by Melvin Gordon last week. Beasting is the key to the engine. Every since Rob got to one Buc we haven’t been getting PUNKED. We have been punching the bullies in the mouth. Go Bucs!
December 12th, 2016 at 4:59 pm
The Cowboys running game is what scares me. Prescott is good, for a rookie, but he doesn’t frighten anyone, yet. If we can slow down the running game, we have a good chance to win.