Player Of November
December 6th, 2017
Maybe his best season.
With Tampa Bay looking square at a 4-8 record in the face, it’s hard to suggest any Buccaneers are having one of the best seasons in the NFL at their position.
But linebacker Lavonte David just might be. The guy has been a total gamewrecker and without his forced fumbles, Joe doesn’t know if the Bucs would have three wins.
The numberscrunchers over at FootballOutsiders.com, a thinktank Joe respects because Joe knows how those guys think (and the pale ale they drink), have an interesting stat on David that makes a Bucs fan wonder just how truly bad this No. 31 Bucs defense would be without him. FootballOutsiders selected David the NFL’s best right outside linebacker for the month of November.
Led NFL with 12 defeats in November, including 4 TFL and six tackles to prevent third-down conversion.
Football Outsiders defines a “defeat” as one of three plays:
* A tackle that results in a loss of yardage, including sacks.
* Any play that results in a turnover, including tipped passes which are then intercepted.
* Any tackle or tipped pass that leads to a stop on third or fourth down.
If cornerback Brent Grimes is not the defensive MVP of the Bucs, then David surely is.
December 6th, 2017 at 9:08 am
Sorry. He is on the cancercon list. The list of payers you blame for losing until they are gone. Then you just add other names to try to explain why this franchise is a loser.
December 6th, 2017 at 9:11 am
Overall, he’s had a good year. It’s not hard to stand out on this defense though!
December 6th, 2017 at 9:14 am
he has played much better this year. the grip cancer93 on his protege must be loosening.
Joe,
there are no positives in a 4-8 season when the expectations were to compete for a playoff spot. career losers all of them.
December 6th, 2017 at 9:21 am
No Defensive player should be rewarded with any type of recognition. Sorry… I hate bad defense and we are a Bad, passive read and react Defense.
December 6th, 2017 at 9:29 am
CHRISTIAN WILKINS! CHRISTIAN WILKINS! CHRISTIAN WILKINS!!!
December 6th, 2017 at 9:57 am
You put perfume on a pig its still a pig and giving up that crap to Green Bay, there is no one on this defense that is worth keeping, 54 reminds me of the broderick thomas days
December 6th, 2017 at 10:26 am
Grimes is no defensive mvp. Grimes is bring protected. As a soppose “STAR” I would be livid not getting to cover JJ. Apparently, grimes is NOT.
He rather loaf in the run game, slips and slide everywhere and most embarrassing the ankle breakers he endures every game.
Mvp my are
Lvd is by far that mvp
December 6th, 2017 at 10:44 am
Mama there goes that man again!
Although to be fair he’s been ghost these last 2 games well at least vs gb he was ghost. Must have touched captain mcghostcream and got all soft. Occupational hazard. Worse the cte.
Who’s your favorite player? Mr.#54
December 6th, 2017 at 10:44 am
And for grimes fanboys. Playing hush on grimes cuz of Miko grimes is a tail between the legs approach. Idc what Miko got to say. She is not on the team and her opinions don’t matter as much as mines.
December 6th, 2017 at 11:51 am
Unfortunately Lamarcus, Grimes is the best we’ve got at DB. I cringe to think what this defense would look like without him!
MVP? I vote Patrick Murray!!!
December 6th, 2017 at 11:59 am
Whoa. Look at all the LVD haters come out. I thought we were all suppose to be pissed off at this god awful scheme of Smitty’s? In this terrible scheme and this terrible team he has for sure been our defensive MVP of the year. Man can’t do it all in a dog poop pile of a defense. Slow your rolls LVD haters. If we can get this defense rolling, he would be a big piece of the puzzle.
December 6th, 2017 at 12:47 pm
If that grimes is the best we got (scratchING my head) then that example the 400 + yads per game.
December 6th, 2017 at 12:56 pm
Minkah Fitpatrick or Derwin James could improve our secondary pretty quickly … but unless Hargreaves turns into the player the Bucs projected him to be … and unless we get some semblance of a pash-rush we are going to need to turn into the old Saints and just throw 45 times a game and try to win shoot-outs … and that didn’t work for Drew Brees as he missed the playoffs in 4 out of 5 seasons after that SB …
December 6th, 2017 at 1:12 pm
LB job #1 is to stop the run, he or they haven’t done that. NOT his best season by far.
December 6th, 2017 at 1:12 pm
Tampa LB most over rated bunch outside of the WR group.
December 6th, 2017 at 2:03 pm
You could trade LVD to 31 other teams right now…as bad as this season has been, let’s actually appreciate someone who plays hard each and every down…
December 6th, 2017 at 2:39 pm
-LD54 – Excellent year – but he missed 3 games so that hurt our abilities early
– GMC – Very good year – one of his best so far – but one very good DT does not a pass rush make…
– Grimes – Good year but not as good as last year – he’s been hurt and also missed 3 games. Will be 35 next year and this is the final year of his 2 year deal with the Bucs.
– Kwon – worst of his 3 years here so far. Missing 4 games didn’t help at all. Still sometimes over-reacts to play action – still out of position and/or unable to break away from a blocker too often. Love the guy but he’s got work to do in the offseason on some of these aspects of his game.
There’s our 4 best Defensive players. Quite a few games missed by 3 out of those 4 has not allowed this Defense (back 7 at least) to develop much chemistry and advanced communication since there are multiple new faces around them.
Aside from McCoy and Spence if he can ever get healthy – there is a lack of starting talent up front. Ayers, McDonald and Baker are all OK players and could be considered very solid and experienced back-up players IMO – but only McDonald’s salary matches up with that description – and this is the final year of his deal. So I’d guess at least 2 if not all 3 of those guys will be gone after this season. Time for a youth movement up front. Starting now in fact. Start bringing any DL players up from the PS to see what they have in real games – and/or start raiding other team’s Practice Squads – and give those young players a look see in real games. Might just find a hidden gem that way and lessen the DL needs a tad heading into the offseason.
Aside from that – the D’s “youth movement” is already in progress.
Beckwith – Very nice rookie year. Especially the way he was thrown to the wolves – forced to start the 2nd game of his NFL career at a position he hadn’t gotten many pro reps at – and played very, very well for a rookie – leading the defense at MLB and making plays when both LD and Kwon were out for 3+ games. Almost seemed like there was little drop off from Kwon’s results when Beckwith was in there – In some cases – perhaps even better results –
Hmmmm. The kid seems like a natural football player with very good instincts. I can see him in the middle and Kwon over at Will whenever the time to move on from LD comes.
Justin Evans – another pretty encouraging rookie player. I like that the coaching staff is letting him play all the snaps. It will greatly enhance his ability to get ahead of the “learning curve” and reach his potential sooner than later. The kid’s speed and range are impressive and the couple times he has gotten both hands on the ball – he squeezed it for the INTs in impressive fashion. Athletic and fast with ball skills is a major plus at safety in this league. Some off-season attention on coverage details and tackling fundamentals will have this young safety looking like a very nice 2nd round pick sooner than later most likely. He will have plenty of tape to examine and the coaches who are letting him play through the growing pains in order to become a solid safety more quickly must be applauded for that decision.
Ryan Smith – Well maybe. I can kind of see him as a starting CB in this league. He does have the unteachable intangibles of speed and some height. Needs quite a few more reps to feel completely comfortable and has suffered just a tad from his trial by fire baptism in this – his 1st NFL season at his natural position of CB. Stay tuned. The kid may well be a keeper. He has shown progress with playing time this year and has held his own on quite a few plays.
Hargreaves – Dude – this year – You can’t ball. WTF happened???
I know VH3 has been injured for awhile now – but he looked bad out there for multiple games early this year. Not just bad – REALLY bad. Talk about your Sophomore Slump… Looked OK as a rookie and the assumption was he would improve. yea – not so much… We need Vernon to bounce back and become at least a serviceable CB. Maybe he will do better playing full time at slot. I’m definitely a Jason Licht supporter but aside from Aguayo, VH3 this year is trying to steal the title from ASJ as Jason’s worst draft pick. Get it together Vernon. Next year could literally be a make or break season for your football career (see Johnthan Banks for reference). Hopefully VH3 comes back from injury this year and gets a chance to put some good solid plays on tape –
something – anything to build on moving forward.
We need 2 DEs, A DT and a CB for the defense this offseason. Good ones! Make it so Mr General Manager.
December 6th, 2017 at 3:18 pm
Beckwith needs to go back to the middle, Kwon is underwhelming at Mlb and Beckwith is Unlockable and more downhill. Kwon is trade bait. lol
December 6th, 2017 at 3:28 pm
Garbage, the whole lot of em. Not one player is safe on this defense. But please, only ask Gerald nice questions
December 6th, 2017 at 6:39 pm
No question lavonte is best player on defense.
I feel bad for him cause he is going 100 mph and other guys are just jogging to the ball
December 6th, 2017 at 7:36 pm
Can we not wast this man’s career please?
December 6th, 2017 at 7:43 pm
Pickgrin, nice analysis without all the crying and personal attacks many posers on this site spew. Much appreciated.