“Whoop The Man In Front Of You”
May 17th, 2018
Direct talk.
Football is a simple game.
That sentence is what Brentson Buckner preaches to his troops. The Bucs’ new defensive line coach has no need to get fancy. No need for exotic techniques. Just beat the SOB in front of you and win the game. That’s all Buckner wants.
When asked yesterday during a pen and mic club session, Buckner didn’t hold back during a pen and mic club session what are his core beliefs he teaches his players.
“The thing I want them to take [away]: Don’t make football a science,” Buckner said.
“Don’t make it bigger than what it is. Football’s a sport that’s based on pure fundamentals: tackling, running, blocking, using good technique. And that’s what we work on. A Mercedes is still a Mercedes whether you’ve got rims on it or not. It’s still a very expensive car that gets you where you want to go. We don’t have to have all the bells and whistles. We want to play technique-sound football.
“We want to be true to the game. They hit me all the time – I don’t do a bunch of drills. I do what helps you in the game. The basics: get-off, hands, knowing what’s going to happen to you before it happens to you. Now it’s just about, whoop the man in front of you. I’ve told them before, ‘If you can do that, I’m going to be happy.’
“You’re going to win some and you’re going to lose some; just make sure you win more than you lose. Then we’ll come back, we’ll look at it and we’ll go over it again. But we’re not going to make it something bigger than what it is.”
Now time only will tell what kind of results Buckner can squeeze out of a unit that has largely been dreadful rushing the passer since Simeon Rice was released. Last year, the Bucs’ front line stopped the run just about as well as they rushed the quarterback.
As sad as the pass rush has been around these parts for far too long, if someone gets 10 or more sacks, Joe just might organize a parade in Ybor City for Buckner… or any other neighborhood that wants to host a beer-swilling fest.
May 17th, 2018 at 9:19 am
On a different note Pro Football Focus has an article today that says Jameis Winston was the number one QB in the NFL in fantasy points scored over the last month of the season(weeks 13-17).
May 17th, 2018 at 9:24 am
I want to believe. Really, I do. But I have to agree with Joe, why were there not changes to the D coaching staff? We had the worst D in the league. The team results were so bad that there were many rumors of sweeping coaching changes. But in the end, all the D coaches (but one) got to keep their jobs?!
I hope the influx of all the new talent does the trick, I really do. But I hated what I saw the coaching doing last year, like the soft DB coverage, and no changes were made. But we have new hope, so I sincerely HOPE (4 letter word) we have results – the talent is there!!!! As 813 would say #NOEXCUSES
May 17th, 2018 at 9:24 am
I like Buckner….but he’s got a little Raheem Morris about him. Lots of great quotes….good energy…..however talking the talk and walking the walk are two different things. I do like that he’s played in the league at a high level and believes the trenches are what make or break you.
May 17th, 2018 at 9:28 am
I don’t know if Buckner is any good but we surely needed some new blood, and fire, in our coaches. IMHO more then just Buckner.
May 17th, 2018 at 9:31 am
Beat your man…….what a unique concept…..never heard that before…
May 17th, 2018 at 9:38 am
Every year same BS about being tough yet gmc and company give up leads and melt like Obama snowflakes first time they are hit in the month. Everyone has a plan until they get hit. Shut up and Prove it!
May 17th, 2018 at 9:38 am
Sometimes, you just have to make it simple…..”beat your man” works for me.
I like the complete rebuild of the D…..obviously, the Owners & Licht….perhaps Koetter wanted to keep as much continuity with the coaching as possible…and the failure was due to the lack of talent or lack of motivated talent.
All you have to do is look at all the new faces to understand that.
May 17th, 2018 at 9:41 am
Even mediocre coaches can have succes with top talent. Bucs D line on paper is a top 10 unit. Perhaps even better. And the one really solid coach we have on D happens to coach our best unit. Stud D lines hide the sins of the secondary. Praying this comes to fruition.
@Joe – do you agree?
May 17th, 2018 at 9:41 am
I haven’t attended the draft party the past couple years but I will definitely fly down from Chicago to celebrate our 10 sack guy this season!
Buckner is the only reason we have hope in the defense this year lets hope it comes to fruition.
May 17th, 2018 at 9:44 am
Bobby M,
Raheem went 10-6. Think about it!
May 17th, 2018 at 9:48 am
The longer we get from that, the more astounding that little fact is.
Josh Freeman (who couldn’t read a clock) throwing to tackling machine Mo Stovall with Hall of Famers like Stylez White and Cody Grimm starting on defense, came a whisker away from the playoffs.
May 17th, 2018 at 9:49 am
There is too much to unpack here for Joe to tackle this early in the day.
Nothing like trying to highjack a thread about the defensive line right away with a Tribe article about fantasy football. smh
May 17th, 2018 at 10:01 am
What a fun interview- Buck seems like the kind of coach we’d all want to play for. Interestingly, during his own presser, Smitty seemed a little teeny-bit annoyed that Buck was getting lots of attention/praise and spent time talking about all of the other D coaches on staff that have played in the league too.
May 17th, 2018 at 10:02 am
The best quote of Buckner was ‘I don’t care about a double-digit sack guy. I care about double-digit wins!’
AMEN!
May 17th, 2018 at 10:05 am
Per your own description of your site:
“Joe’s a crazed Buccaneers fan who lives, breathes and craps football.”
I’m not trying to hijack a thread, but your site is about all things Bucs and PFF is one of the top sites regarding the NFL. PFF has an article that came out this morning about the Bucs QB and even though your article is about Buckner
I thought Bucs fans may be interested, but I apologize you didn’t want me to post about it.
May 17th, 2018 at 10:09 am
Coaching staffs have a lot to do with team chemistry and managing the locker room and meeting rooms.
I like the balance of personalities right now and Buckner seems like a great addition. A little fire to go with Smitty’s even temperament.
There is at least ONE major difference in Buckner and Raheem. Buckner had a very respectable 12 year career in the league. He’s done it!!! He played on that terrific Panther DLine that got Carolina to the SB. There’s a certain credibility that comes with that success.
May 17th, 2018 at 10:15 am
I hope that Joe is not over hyping the guy!!!!!! I think we will see an improved D-line, but some might starting putting this guy way to high on the pedestal!!!!!!! I am iffy on these quotes, But I will LOVE good results!!!!!!! I know joe and the sheep get over hyped by talk and reality tv shows!!!!!!! Some questions still linger until “REAL” football starts!!!!! Why did Calais Campbell have his best year after leaving Buck???? Why was he Buck available????
I will give all year to see the hype turn into results!!!!!!!!
GO BUCS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
May 17th, 2018 at 10:24 am
Make sure you win more than you lose.
Pure gold.
May 17th, 2018 at 10:44 am
Finally! Simple football: win in the trenches, and everything else will fall into place.
May 17th, 2018 at 11:23 am
I don’t care if someone gets 10 sacks.
I will be happy if the starting front 4 and the rotational front get 5 sacks each.
And the line backers get 4 or 5 each
And the linebackers get 2 or 3 interceptions each
and the CB and Safeties get 2 or 3 interceptions each.
and maybe 1 interception for the ball boy
May 17th, 2018 at 12:14 pm
I watched Buckner’s presser and came away intrigued and excited. If he teaches the way he spelled it out then I think he will get everything out of his guys while leave nothing on the field on gamedays. He got me pumped up.
May 17th, 2018 at 12:36 pm
He bares a resemblance to Kimbo Slice.
May 17th, 2018 at 2:20 pm
@Wausau hellz yeah…. Starting in Buffalo JW was going off. Cant wait to see how he works out with GMC. Hopefully he coaches him to save his bull rush for 3rd down not second. Got tired of watching RB get 5+ yards running in GMCs wake or Kwon get swallowed up in blocks. God that defense was awful last year.
May 17th, 2018 at 7:26 pm
Joe your hoorahs for Bretson Buckner are a bit disingenuous when you also keep banging your drum about double digit sacks from one player when Buckner has said that’s not what matters.
Frankly, I agree with Buckner. One player accumulating double digit sacks, doesn’t matter. What matters is that each d-lineman that’s playing on any given play “whoops the man he’s facing.” Second the Bucs must stop the run first, because even in a QB driven league stopping the run opens up the pass rush per Buckner. Finally, who cares if we amass 40 sacks, the average number for last year’s playoff teams, by having five men get eight sacks each or ten men get four sacks each, it’s the team total that’s important to the won-loss columns and that’s what’s important not that any single Buc gets 10 sacks or more.
Let’s focus on wins more and not so much on individual stats.
May 18th, 2018 at 11:12 am
Buckner is the best offseason move the Bucs made. I love this dude.