CBs Cushions Not Dead Yet
May 12th, 2018
Major props from Bucs coach. (Photo courtesy of Buccaneers.com)
Some Bucs fans may have read too much between the lines.
When the Bucs drafted defensive backs that seemed to demonstrate an ability to jam guys at the line if not play press coverage, many Bucs fans rejoiced thinking the days of giving eight-yard cushions to receivers was a thing of the past.
Better slam on the brakes.
When lauding second round draft pick cornerback Carlton Davis after underwear football rookie minicamp practice today, Bucs coach Dirk Koetter cited Davis’s ability to play off a receiver as why he’s had such a good start.
“After looking at the tape last night, Carlton probably had one of the best days on defense of anybody out there [Friday],” Koetter said. “He did a good job. We already knew he was a good player in press coverage, but we wanted to see him play some off coverage as well. He did a really good job. His form tackling for football-on-air was good. We were fired up about the way he played [Friday].”
Well, Joe is fired up that the coaches are fired up the way Davis practiced in his first day on the job.
So maybe folks jumped to conclusions a bit too quick? It seems the days of allowing softer cushions than you could find at a pillow factory in Minnesota are not quite dead yet.
May 12th, 2018 at 6:38 pm
Do we still have the same defensive coordinator?
Same defensive backs coaches?
Then this doesn’t surprise me at all, unfortunately.
However it’s just rookie mini camp and this doesn’t necessarily mean we won’t see a change in the CB play when the season actually starts. At least that’s what I’m hoping…
May 12th, 2018 at 6:44 pm
I hope it wasn’t Lee that wrote this post, I love the Joe’s but that dude reads between the lines more than anyone I’ve ever seen/read….. keep up the good work guys, love the website.
May 12th, 2018 at 6:50 pm
Play to the players strengths.
Grimes likes to play off cause he is on smaller side and likes
To read quarterbacks and jump the route.
Let Carlton be Carlton. They say he was a little grabby in College which won’t fly in the pros. However. Hope they are just coaching to be better all around player who can do it all?
But yes. It’s roominess minicamp underwear football
May 12th, 2018 at 6:51 pm
Rookie ^
May 12th, 2018 at 7:00 pm
Hopefully, the new “rebuilt” DL will take up slack and give time for these guys to progress. That and the coaching drastically improves.
GO BUCS!!!!!
May 12th, 2018 at 7:07 pm
I didn’t know the Bucs had a DB coach. Sure can’t tell by the way they’ve played. Since they do have one now, I’m sure he will turn these rookies into busts by week 3 or 4. Jk
May 12th, 2018 at 7:15 pm
I thought we couldn’t develop young CBs…….looks like Licht decided to draft a few instead of Joe’s punters.
I guess we will finally find out if Joe is right…..we have some developin’ to do.
May 12th, 2018 at 7:34 pm
Yea, when I seen him say that…bout lost my sh!t. Off man? Really?
No disrespect to Grimes at all…Off man CBs are not my kind of players.
No Excuses 2018
#TRENCHWARFARE
May 12th, 2018 at 7:36 pm
Lol funny that unfortunately I knew this article was coming. It’s rookie mini camp and I’m glad they are simply learning the scheme and not playing press at a meaningless time of year and end up hiring someone who could have contributed.
They aren’t going to win by playing press every single snap and we know Grimes won’t play press at all so I’m glad they are making sure the corners can do it all because even if we are converting to press you want to know they could adjust and play off ball if needed.
Better than having to use 18 different coverage for one guy. This is the way to early article, should have saved this one for training camp
May 12th, 2018 at 7:38 pm
Let’s see an article about how the bucs are so horrible at developing corners they decided to get guys in the second round who have actual talent. Love what I’m hearing about the corners but it really means nothing until Evans and djack step on the field, that’s when someone will earn a starting job
May 12th, 2018 at 8:05 pm
#JIMSCHWARTZ2019, don’t Bucs fans Schwartz plays attacking defenses plenty off press man coverage
May 12th, 2018 at 8:12 pm
If we play these guys in off coverage all year then every coach deserves to be fired. 90% of our corners excel in press coverage, but it seems as if it will be the same ol $hit. If they would let him press VH3 would be able to play on the outside. And don’t give me that crap about $hitty Smitty letting them play as close as they want. That was him using VH3 as his scapegoat.
May 12th, 2018 at 8:13 pm
That was my biggest complaint on defense was us giving recievers 8 to 10 yard cushions over and over again no matter the situation. Everybody that played us ran drag and slant routes on us all day carving us up at will.that’s why we need to let mike smith GO even if we retain the services of Dirk koetter next year. Dirk should do himself the team and all of the buccaneers fan base a huge favor and let your buddy mike smith GO! Just my thoughts GO Bucs
May 12th, 2018 at 8:33 pm
Complain complain complain. Jesus, its called giving an offense multiple looks. You cant play man to man every play, you cant play zone every play and you d@mn sure cant play press coverage every play. You have to be able to do it all. Any fan or journalist that thought the bucs would never play off coverage again are idiots. You cant be predictable and one dimentional in this league. Its really a non issue/story. I get it though, you got to give chum to the trolls.
May 12th, 2018 at 8:43 pm
Honestly the fan issue over coverage is blown out proportion.
One look at this defense reveals they didn’t do anything well.
-Couldn’t stop the rush. -Couldn’t pressure the QB. -Our tackling(especially in the secondary) was atrocious. -Defending the pass to all areas of the field.
The coverage scheme can just get in line among everything else we couldn’t do well. Changing the coverage isn’t going to do anything if you can’t cover to begin with anyways.
May 12th, 2018 at 9:16 pm
Had we hired a new Defensive Coordinator, perhaps our schemes would be different and fresh. I’m watching Smitty closely this season. He had better improve this Defense. He’s got all of the tools. Koetter is placing a lot of faith in him. Hopefully for his sake, he is right.
May 12th, 2018 at 9:17 pm
Who cares if they don’t want to fix it leave
May 12th, 2018 at 9:26 pm
Always thought Mike Smith’s defense needs a solid 4 man front in order to be successful. His defense needs to have the front line be able to get to the QB with just 4 guys and no help.
If he don’t have that front 4 his defense is not going to work.
Go back and look at any game this defense was successful and they have one thing in common……excellent pressure on the QB with steady 4 man fronts.
May 12th, 2018 at 9:53 pm
If Davis is a legit #2 CB, this defense could be scary good … imagine that …
May 12th, 2018 at 10:05 pm
Just like VH3, coaching will ruin him here. I heard Koetter say that and just closed out of the video at that point because I knew.. That’s it. I can just see the comments now. VEAS A BUST, JPP IS OLD AND WASHED UP, VH3 STILL SUCKS, CARLTON IS A BUST, FIRED JASON LICHT.
All because of a never has been dc too stubborn to admit his coaching is wrong, soft and useless. A head coach that doesn’t want to hurt his bff feelings. Yep it’s a bucs life!!! WE SUCK AGAIN!!!!!!
OH AND JAMEIS, everyone will blame him as well for not carrying the 3wnd ranked defense. Only bad thing is that when Smith goes, it will likely get everyone fired and Jameis will have to hope he gets a good OC
May 12th, 2018 at 10:07 pm
Speaking of a pillow factory in Minnesota, is anyone else concerned that the My Pillow guy is now hiding in the bathroom?
May 12th, 2018 at 10:44 pm
I believe in running the same thing on offense or defense until your opponent can beat it or stop it. Koetter is the worst when it comes to this. He would run the ball down a defense’s throats for 3-4 plays in a row, gain 40 yards, and then have 3 incompletions. Miss a field goal. Press coverage disrupts timing, especially with a team like the Saints. I’d do it every play until they beat it.
May 12th, 2018 at 10:47 pm
I don’t understand why people freak out year last year we had no pass rush An our CBs gave up a lot of yards well our whole DLine is new and a lot better idc how the corners play as long as they stop them which our Defense will do this year with pressure on the QB which makes our Secondary way better
May 12th, 2018 at 11:05 pm
Mike Smith said that the cushion the DBs give is up to them, not the scheme. Can we stop blaming the defense and start blaming VHIII. The play call is the play call. The cushion that the DBs give in that call is up to them.
May 13th, 2018 at 1:12 am
VhIII lost confidence cuz he got burned hopefully he gets it back cuz he’s better than last year. As for the db cushion if they do like last year ima need a cushion for my remote my beer n anything else I could accidentally throw through my big screen or buy a nerf ball for those blown plays joe LMAO n SMFH 😂😂🤣😎😲😫😓😭😢😤
May 13th, 2018 at 1:34 am
@ buccaneereric
I have made that argument on these boards multiple times but it has not stopped the whiny complainers from stating its the scheme. Unfortunately our fans are not very bright.
May 13th, 2018 at 8:04 am
Everyone keeps trying to point out that the defense couldn’t stop the run, but fail to consider that the front four are not the only ones stopping the run, it’s the lbs, the safeties, everyone has a part and when the entire secondary, not jus the corners but the safeties are playing so far back the lbs are forced to stay put for the short slants routes that ate almost guaranteed to be thrown due to the extra soft coverage. Moving everyone up to play more aggressive and letting the corners press everyone now and then will do a lot of good for this defense
May 13th, 2018 at 8:44 am
The coverage can work well if you have the right talent for it. Mike Smith obviously is committed to it.
Maybe with the defense finally upgraded, it will start to work.
May 13th, 2018 at 8:46 am
BucEmUp, the LBs and the DL should be all they need to stop the run.
May 13th, 2018 at 12:06 pm
@Webster and Buccaneereric it’s scheme in terms of playing zone or man coverage. In zone you usually play off, you can’t get stuck at the line of scrimmage trying to bump and run in a zone scheme.
May 13th, 2018 at 3:46 pm
What’s really good news is that he can do both, press, and give cushion. This allows Smith flexibility in his defense. If we have a commanding lead (which is rare) or have them in long passing downs, playing a cushion keeps plays underneath not giving up big plays. Whereas close games with the defensive line with their ears pinned back and press coverage jam the receivers and disrupt timing routes to avoid the rush. I like what I’m hearing.
May 13th, 2018 at 5:53 pm
Thats terrible if they do the same thing expecting different results