Pillow Time For The D-Line
December 22nd, 2016
Great stuff from Trent Dilfer on the key to a Saturday victory for Tampa Bay in New Orleans.
Once upon a time, the Bucs dumped Dilfer as their starting quarterback and he landed with the Ravens.
There, Dilfer learned different elements of a championship culture and defense. And within a year he was wearing a Super Bowl ring. Part of what Dilfer observed was a star-studded coaching staff with a player-first mentality.
Dilfer told WDAE-AM 620 this week that Dirk Koetter needs to go super easy on his defense all week so they can set the tone against Drew Brees
“I saw Marvin Lewis, Rex Ryan, those [Ravens] defensive coaches, Jack Del Rio, Brian Billick the head coach, they were very, very, very tuned in to the level of energy of our team late in the season,” Dilfer said. “And we played our best defense, we were able to go on that historic run, because we were really fresh. Because you need fresh pass rushers. You need fresh defenders mainly this time in the season.
“I say all this because the Saints are going to have great gameplan. There will be tweaks. They’re going to be going, ‘Oh my gosh, we gave away 200 yards of offense a couple of weeks ago against Tampa.’ But what they can’t handle is if Tampa can get to Drew right away. If the defensive front gets to Drew, disrupts him, make him rush his throws, rush his decisions, now you got a chance to go on the road and win. And that’s all about how fresh your front guys are.”
When Dilfer ran off the names of the Ravens’ stud defensive staff, he forgot to mention the guy coaching the defensive line with Rex Ryan. That guy was Bucs defensive coordinator Mike Smith.
Koetter has said many times that the big, eye-opening thing he learned coaching under Del Rio in Jacksonville was the importance of player health and freshness. This plays directly to what Dilfer said. And defensive tackle Akeem Spence talked to Joe this week about how easy Koetter was going on the defense.
Hopefully, the Bucs D-line will have the juice at the opening whistle. If not, Smith really needs to pull the trigger early on dialing up pressure.
December 22nd, 2016 at 2:40 pm
Good stuff.
December 22nd, 2016 at 2:46 pm
I tell you, the guy couldn’t throw an out-route to save his life but his knowledge of the game and his willingness to share and be candid is second to none.
Great stuff! Hopefully we’ll be hungry.
December 22nd, 2016 at 2:53 pm
Yes…….I need a pillow for this post because reading it is putting me to sleep
December 22nd, 2016 at 3:26 pm
We need to blitz Brees, and often…..he doesn’t perform nearly as well when pressured. Don’t take the play action fakes……Brees will throw on us.
December 22nd, 2016 at 3:27 pm
Sounds like a good strategy to go easy in practice this week. Especially since some are sick. Extra on the mental reps and light on the physical ones will be a good formula as long as the entire team enters the field with fire in their eyes on Saturday afternoon.
Go Bucs! We need you to show up BIG this week Defense.
Hate to say it – but to a large degree, any future successes the team will experience this season rest largely with the Defense. If we can go on another multi game stretch where the D plays like it did against Chicago and KC and Seattle and N.O. – then the floundering offense with an anemic run game and limited options for #3 to throw to doesn’t have to play an “A” or “A+” game to beat a quality opponent and perhaps find itself deep into a playoff run.
“Family” on 3!
December 22nd, 2016 at 4:30 pm
Get em boyz!!!!
December 22nd, 2016 at 4:47 pm
@pickgrin….FAMILY!!!!….GO BUCS!!!!
December 22nd, 2016 at 4:53 pm
Every QB ever played for the bucs has taken a severe beatdown. Dilfer was no exception, He’s spot on about our early Defensive attack though. Brees will Be ready in his stadium. You can bank on it.
December 22nd, 2016 at 5:03 pm
Dilfer won a Super Bowl ring with the Ravens because he was smart enough to know that his role was to avoid making mistakes and let the Ravens defense control the game. Kind of like Brad Johnson in our Super Bowl. This game against the Saints will be similar. Brees will make mistakes; will throw into double coverage. If we get into a scoring contest with the Saints we’ll lose. If we can keep the score down we’ll win.
December 22nd, 2016 at 5:16 pm
That all makes sense to me. It’s a long season, those big guys are so banged up and sore, you gotta make sure they recover properly before heading out to the next battle. But we still need to make sure the energy level and effort is still at 100% at practice. Can’t let guys get complacent.
December 22nd, 2016 at 5:31 pm
Great read. Hope they are following that line of game prep.
December 22nd, 2016 at 6:10 pm
Just how many quarterbacks have we ” dumped ” who now wear Super Bowl rings ? Too numerous to mention/count – the great Doug Williams is my favored Buc of all time – and just for the record me vet had a penalty called on him …
December 22nd, 2016 at 7:39 pm
we are fvked….no dotson
even though it was a good possibility, you knew koetter the clown wasnt practicing pamphile on the right side tackle and evan as the left guard
i knew his player prep and how to useplayers was going to hurt this season. he doesnt know how to adjust and change. im guessing cam jordan is going to feast on our rookies.
damn wanted jameis to have a shot to prove and take the next step. damn it
December 22nd, 2016 at 8:39 pm
Doing a one of those simulated mock drafts. I’ve got the option of Dalvin Cook or Mike Williams from Clemson.
Who would you take?
December 22nd, 2016 at 9:15 pm
Dilfer had no touch on those out routes they were always high and hot
December 22nd, 2016 at 10:02 pm
Kobe…I think George Warhop knows who can and should do what as well as Koetter. Wester hasn’t played much and in many cases, Evan would be better. So you don’t know who was practicing where when the media wasn’t there. And Wester may be doing just fine. I’d say wait and see.
December 22nd, 2016 at 10:39 pm
@ Kurt Rae:
Doug Williams
Trent Dilfer
Steve Young
Steve DeBerg nearly went to the SB with the Chiefs in the early 90’s.
Vinny Testaverde nearly went to the SB with the Jets in 98′.
December 22nd, 2016 at 11:10 pm
Most Everyone thought the Dallas game OR the Saints game the week before was the Bucs’ Test.’
Guess what. THIS is the test.
GO BUCS!!!!
December 23rd, 2016 at 12:02 am
@ kobe your hate on Koetter is ridiculous! Climb back in your hole! Man up and go away like yo said yo would! You couldn’t pass the back ground check for a Pop Warner assistant coach position! Man up and go away like you said!!!!
December 23rd, 2016 at 12:06 am
This game might be the high-scoring affair that many of us thought the first game was going to be. Maybe, the last team with the ball wins. Go Bucs!
December 23rd, 2016 at 12:50 am
http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/national-international/Austin-Man-Fatally-Stabs-Stepmom-Gloating-About-Cowboys-Win-407823115.html?_osource=SocialFlowFB_DCBrand
I Love my bucs probably more than anyone else on earth and I feel a certain way when they loose, but Damn this is just crazy!!!
December 23rd, 2016 at 1:42 am
Interesting take – thanks.
December 23rd, 2016 at 9:23 am
Kobe, not only are your posts completely pessimistic and annoying, they can be highly irrational.
No need to write off any success the line may have Sunday. Next man up mentality allows players that may have not gotten opportunities to display their talents. This could be a blessing in the end. Maybe Pamphile is a monster at tackle. I do know Evan Smith is very good at guard.
Chill out, man. Saints don’t have a great pass rush either.
LET’S GO BUCS!
December 23rd, 2016 at 10:38 am
“Eric Says:
December 23rd, 2016 at 9:23 am
Kobe, not only are your posts completely pessimistic and annoying, they can be highly irrational.”
He’s just a troll who suddenly popped up this past summer after changing names from whatever name he was posting under before. He said he would leave a few weeks back and then didn’t. Soon enough he will create a new username and keep up the trolling.
It’s easy to know it’s him because our school system failed to teach him capitalization.
Just ignore him.
December 23rd, 2016 at 11:14 am
LOL good to know.
I was sincerely worried this guy was a real fan because he was starting to embarrass us by his lack of football knowledge.