What Worked?
November 5th, 2017
Hopes last week turning point for defense.
Last week the Bucs defense, which was truly horrid through much of the first six games, perhaps played its best game of the season against Carolina.
Problem was, the offense was hungover in one of those cheesy tourist trap motels in Clearwater nursing a hangover, or so it seemed.
What happened with the defense? Why, with Brent Grimes out, did the defense suddenly flip a switch?
Fan favorite Chris Conte had interesting thoughts.
Conte had a helluva game. He had a pick and some outstanding open-field tackles. So Joe asked him this week what was going on.
“Guys were just making plays, that is what it comes down to, doing your job,” Conte said The defense was “preparing during the week, communication, all of that comes together and when you execute all of those things on Sunday, then you will have a good game
“When you let things slide during the week or you haven’t brought the right mentality into the game, that is when things can go wrong. Maybe guys were more prepared? Who knows? But we came out and made plays and we have to build on that.”
Joe asked Conte if the defensive performance against Carolina may be a turning point for the team.
“Hopefully,” Conte said. “I think we made improvements. It is a confidence thing, a mentality. How you carry yourself on the field. Guys just need to believe in each other and themselves and when that happens the game slows down and we can play fast and build off each other’s enthusiasm and playmaking and when that starts to happen, it is like a water current, it flows.”
Bucs cornerback Ryan Smith seemed to echo Conte.
“We were just communicating and knowing the defense and trusted in each other,” Smith said. “That is all it really was.”
Joe sure hopes this is the turning point. Very interesting insight there from Conte.
November 5th, 2017 at 12:01 pm
They played a mediocre at best offense. Thats what happened. There was no miracle remedy. They didnt figure anything out. Cam Newton made the secondary look good. Thats it. Simple.
November 5th, 2017 at 12:02 pm
test….or moderation here too…jeeze Joes ive been away for a while.
November 5th, 2017 at 12:06 pm
Sounds a lot like last year when they suddenly became a good defense. how about somebody hit Brees , get off the field on 3rd down, and get a couple of turnovers. Hopefully they will play like they are pissed off !
November 5th, 2017 at 12:19 pm
I’m tired of it! i miss the Sapp Brooks lynch days. Bad defense is unacceptable in Tampa. We are wasting GMCs career with scrubs around him. Re treads and guys that didn’t work for the skins and giants around him isn’t going to get the job done. When Sapp got rice we pressured the qb. 90 million dollars wasted on the d line with scrubs around McCoy. The secondary sucks what was the point of signing t ward a huge part of the Denver no fly zone if he isn’t starting? Conte hasn’t been relevant since he played for lovie in Chicago. Grimes has been average at best and don’t get me started on Vernon! If we spend one draft pick before the 5th round on offense next year I’m done with this team. What’s up with wearing white every week? Are we the cowboys?
November 5th, 2017 at 12:19 pm
I’m tired of it! i miss the Sapp Brooks lynch days. Bad defense is unacceptable in Tampa. We are wasting GMCs career with scrubs around him. Re treads and guys that didn’t work for the skins and giants around him isn’t going to get the job done. When Sapp got rice we pressured the qb. 90 million dollars wasted on the d line with scrubs around McCoy. The secondary sucks what was the point of signing t ward a huge part of the Denver no fly zone if he isn’t starting? Conte hasn’t been relevant since he played for lovie in Chicago. Grimes has been average at best and don’t get me started on Vernon! If we spend one draft pick before the 5th round on offense next year I’m done with this team. What’s up with wearing white every week? Are we the cowboys?
November 5th, 2017 at 12:19 pm
I’m tired of it! i miss the Sapp Brooks lynch days. Bad defense is unacceptable in Tampa. We are wasting GMCs career with scrubs around him. Re treads and guys that didn’t work for the skins and giants around him isn’t going to get the job done. When Sapp got rice we pressured the qb. 90 million dollars wasted on the d line with scrubs around McCoy. The secondary sucks what was the point of signing t ward a huge part of the Denver no fly zone if he isn’t starting? Conte hasn’t been relevant since he played for lovie in Chicago. Grimes has been average at best and don’t get me started on Vernon! If we spend one draft pick before the 5th round on offense next year I’m done with this team. What’s up with wearing white every week? Are we the cowboys?
November 5th, 2017 at 12:27 pm
@Chris Conte … “When you let things slide during the week or you haven’t brought the right mentality into the game, that is when things can go wrong. Maybe guys were more prepared?” Letting things slide? Not bringing the right mentality? Not prepared well enough? How about ‘Not impressed!’
@Ryan Smith … “We were just communicating and knowing the defense and trusted in each other.” So by implication, communication was lacking? Y’all didn’t know the defense well enough? Didn’t trust each other? Even less impressed.
This kind of ‘stuff’ is supposed to be ironed out in OTAs and in preseason training camp. Sounds like 4 preseason games weren’t enough. Maybe upping that to 10 would give them enough time to get it together?
These were 2 defensive guys giving their perception of what needed to be corrected for this team to play better. Now I’m wondering if the offense has been letting things slide during the week also. Or maybe they’re not bringing the right mentality to the game, or aren’t preparing properly. Or maybe they just don’t know the offense well enough. Interesting insight all right Joe, but it just leaves me shaking my head.
November 5th, 2017 at 12:45 pm
Everyone talks about the wind messing up jameis but not cam. The defense knew it would be hard to throw so they sold out to stop the run. The defense didnt play much better, the wind made the difference. At least mike smith finalllllly made the corners get up in the wrs face. I expect the saints to pile up the points today, this defense is bad. I would say i hope the bucs offense can also pile up the points, but at this point i think i prefer new coaches and higher draft picks.
November 5th, 2017 at 12:51 pm
Wasn’t it a communication thing last year too?…………….
November 5th, 2017 at 12:57 pm
Let’s see what happens today before we start blowing the defenses horn. Carolina is not very good.
November 5th, 2017 at 12:58 pm
You know what they say about hope…
November 5th, 2017 at 2:22 pm
Chris baker is the most pathetic player and represents a nice team that wants acting jobs on hard knocks more than playing football. True embarrassment to the game.f
November 5th, 2017 at 2:23 pm
Keep your head down Jameis. Go back to Florida state and get an education.
November 5th, 2017 at 2:26 pm
Look at jameis on tv on the bench. No confidence. Failure. Keep him on the bench and bring in the hotdog guy. Not a leader.
November 5th, 2017 at 2:53 pm
YOU HAVE GOT TO READ THIS LINK. JUST AS I HAVE BEEN TELLING YOU GUYS. YOU CANNOT BE A PREACHER BOY WITH A BUNCH OF GROWN ALPHA MALES.
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000871849/article/jameis-winstons-pregame-speech-leaves-bucs-silent
November 5th, 2017 at 3:10 pm
Well boys that defense looks good so far huh? Y’all been wishing instead of being real!!! This whole damn team offensively and defensively have shut down for the season. Start looking for a new Coach. Ship those that quit on us, keep the ones with heart. Hire a new GM that knows what the hell he’s doing and that can evaluate heart and talent and start over.. That’s the only solution to this cluster screw!!!
November 5th, 2017 at 3:16 pm
Just like i said before the game, this defense didnt get better last week. They played a guy who cant throw well and it was 25 mph winds all game. Once again dirk GAVE up in the 3rd quarter. The team gave up on him. Fire dirk tomorrrow please glazers. I know u havnt done it in season yet but make an exception. N mike smith has got to go too! Please! 30-3 in the third quarter and paytons gona try n run up the score because the yucks are sore losers. Dont blame him. This team is soft. Booooooooooooooo
November 5th, 2017 at 3:39 pm
A fg attempt down 30-3 in the 4th quarter dirk? After passing up a fg attempt down 24-0 in the 1st half of the cards game. That fg would have kept the bucs in it, this fg does nothing. Well didnt make it anyway. Did someone drop dirk on his head over the summer? I pointed it out at the time..when dirk quit on the team during the 1st half of that arz game, his team then quit on him. He has no voice in that locker room anymore, nor should he. GLAZERS PLEASE HIRE AN AGGRESSIVE DEFENSIVE COACH AS HC. Tomorrow would be a good time. Your hc quit on his team before they quit on him. Seems a no brainer to me. Please dont wait until the seasons over…officially over that is, as we know its over now. Boooooooooooooooooooo
November 5th, 2017 at 4:08 pm
No pass rush,no creativity on offense,nno comraderie,no heart ,no pride! Right now they are better at starting fights than getting first downs and points.