“Who’s Got It Better Than Us?”
May 2nd, 2018
Lot to work with.
Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh has a famous family saying that he sprung on the 49ers when he guided them to the Super Bowl earlier this decade.
Harbaugh, as folks have seen in the “All or Nothing” series on Amazon, has brought that saying to his Wolverines.
“Who’s Got It Better Than Us?”
It seems from the fingertips of Second Amendment abolitionist, parrot-insensitive, chewing-with-his-mouth-open, soup-gulping, California train-romancing, anti-football proliferation, outhouse-admiring, airline-napping, steerage-flying, Yogi Berra-worshiping, urinal picture-taking, video game-playing, Taylor Swift-listening, pickpocket-thwarting, Bucs-uniform-frowning, Allie-LaForce-smitten, Big-Ten-Network-hating, pedestrian-bumping, olive oil-lapping, popcorn-munching, coffee-slurping, fried-chicken-eating, oatmeal-loving, circle-jerking, craft beer-chugging, cricket-watching, scone-loathing, college football-naïve, baseball-box-score-reading, NPR-honk, filthy-hotel-staying, fight-instigating, barista-training, social activist Peter King of SI.com fame, that could be what Bucs defensive line coach Brenston Buckner will be chanting in position group meetings this year.
King wonders aloud if any NFL team will have a better defensive line.
The offseason has been all about the defensive front: Jason Pierre-Paul in trade from the Giants, and Vinny Curry in free agency from the Eagles; they should be the bookend ends. And Vita Vea with the 12th pick in the first round to play next to Pro Bowler Gerald McCoy. How many defensive fronts will be better?
Perhaps Joe is just numb or has a case of PTSD from watching garbage defensive line play for so many friggin’ years at the Den of Depression, but Joe isn’t about to crown the Bucs as having the best defensive line in the league.
Deep? Yeah, the Bucs should be as deep on the defensive front as any team.
Best defensive line in the NFL? Maybe because Joe is flying to Missouri to go over personal business with his legal counsel this weekend, but Joe is in a show-me frame of mind.
Best defensive line? Prove it first.
The Bucs can start with someone getting 10 sacks (or more).
Joe has heard so much about other teams having a player who can get 10 sacks (or more) in one season, Joe’s beginning to think a Bucs defender collecting 10 sacks (or more) is the equivalent of watching a unicorn play.
On paper, the Bucs should be strong up front .But how about some results first — and wins.
May 2nd, 2018 at 10:42 am
That take should be amended to: “One of the best D Lines, ON PAPER”, unfortunately we don’t play paper football. I used to OWN field goals with those little triangle paper footballs in school. Ahhh the memories.
May 2nd, 2018 at 10:44 am
Prove it first!!!!!!!
no hype train this year!!!!!!
#NOEXCUSESIN2018!!!!!….#PRESSURESONTHECOACHES!!!!!…GO BUCS!!!!!
May 2nd, 2018 at 10:46 am
@Joe … “King wonders aloud if any NFL team will have a better defensive line.” Whoa big fella, whoa. Your second shot at it was spot on though Joe: “Best defensive line? Prove it first.” Some would say we’re 0-0 right now, just like 31 other teams. Others will look back at 2017 and say you’re only as good as your last performance.
At this point I still don’t know what to think about our DLine. With GMC, Vea, Evans & Unrein there’s no reason we can’t keep our DTs fresh, bring gobs of pressure right up the middle, and do great at defending the run. Our DEs as a group are big but not lightning fast. But if our DTs can get the QB moving, our DEs should get their share of sacks and be able to defend the run very well. Lots of P-O-T-E-N-T-I-A-L but still have to prove it on the field.
May 2nd, 2018 at 10:46 am
Is this rhetorical? Because it’s the Rams.
May 2nd, 2018 at 10:47 am
well, there goes the, ” smitty needs to jimmys and joes” to run his defense…..lot of “experts” think he has all the pieces…..
will he produce a good defense?….or produce more excuses?…..
#NOEXCUSESIN2018!!!!!….#PRESSURESONTHECOACHES!!!!!…GO BUCS!!!!!
May 2nd, 2018 at 10:48 am
On paper, yes. The DL looks great this time.
May 2nd, 2018 at 10:48 am
Evans? Oops, how ’bout Beau Allen instead.
May 2nd, 2018 at 10:49 am
Again you can say the same thing about every team. Last year means nothing. Everyone must “prove it”!
May 2nd, 2018 at 10:50 am
Not even the best dline in the division much less the league. Carolina has the best dline in the div and the best DT too.
Next ATL with countless edge rushers and probably the second best tech3 in the div.
Grady and Short make plays to win games in the fourth qrt simple as that.
The Bucs could arguably own the third spot but in no way are Curry or Allen upgrades over Ayers and McDonald.
I’d go as far as to say that they were cut for challenging McCoy. Ayers is the anti-McCoy and McDonald straight up out played McCoy and is just as good off the field if not better. Let’s not forget McDonald was voted captain over McCoy by his teammates.
Anyone and everyone that has challenged McCoy’s soft approach and nice guy on the field play has been run out of town. Including head coaches, def line coaches, players, fans you name it.
May 2nd, 2018 at 10:51 am
That’s right don’t tell me show me!!!! you are what you do, not what you say.
Let your play do your talking!!!!
Go Bucs!!!!
May 2nd, 2018 at 10:53 am
No way we don’t see obvious and vast improvement up front this year. On both sides of the ball!
May 2nd, 2018 at 10:59 am
“Outhouse admiring,…urinal picture taking…, circle jerking…,filthy hotel staying.”.. hahaha- there’s got to be a story behind this- love to hear it
May 2nd, 2018 at 11:02 am
rams…jags…vikes….eagales….Texans when everyone is healthy….hell we don’t even have the best in our division…..lol…..
#NOEXCUSESIN2018!!!!!….#PRESSURESONTHECOACHES!!!!!…GO BUCS!!!!!
May 2nd, 2018 at 11:09 am
I would hope that they are better that last year. There defense was difficult to watch last year without getting sick.
May 2nd, 2018 at 11:14 am
Bradley Chubb and Von Miller coming off the edges for Denver is going to be scary, but on paper for the Bucs – man oh man, haven’t been this excited since 2002
May 2nd, 2018 at 11:26 am
Make your lawyer buy all the beer, Joe.
May 2nd, 2018 at 11:27 am
What ever happened to dbag56 as a poster ? Loved that guy
May 2nd, 2018 at 11:29 am
That’s a lot of storytelling build up to go ahead and not say who actually is better. I’m left unsatisfied.
May 2nd, 2018 at 11:30 am
Arden Key was a major miss.
Let’s see what Gruden will get out of him.
May 2nd, 2018 at 11:44 am
There’s no way we could’ve been worse last year. Only one way to go, up!
May 2nd, 2018 at 11:47 am
Yeah that’s an insane thought lol. I’m hoping the talent we’ve acquired is enough to be a top 10ish unit. That seems more reasonable.
The only way we’re better than that is
1. Vea truly does free up McCoy to get much more pressure; and is able to collapse pockets himself as well
2. JPP’s upward trajectory of play since his hand injury continues; and he pushes 10+ sacks
3. Curry as a pure rusher gets the sacks his old coach thinks he could have had in that role – and at a minimum applies consistent pressure/disruption
4. Noah Spence comes on fire and pushes for 10+ sacks in a full healthy year
If just a couple of those things come true we’re going to be a lot better overall team.
May 2nd, 2018 at 11:47 am
Don’t do this Joe. Forget the ten sacks, just don’t do it man. Wins, only wins. Gaining ten sacks is nothing if we are losing……..If we are losing I don’t want to hear anything about how close JPP or anybody is to ten sacks. Don’t start no sack count with any of these players unless we are winning. I’m not cool with celebrating anything but wins from our basement dwelling franchise.
May 2nd, 2018 at 12:03 pm
We’re already better than we were last year on the DL thru FA and the draft. Like they’ve said, we couldn’t get any worse then we were last year.
May 2nd, 2018 at 12:22 pm
Ten sacks? Thats a meaningless stat. Last year super bowl champs did not have 1 ten sack guy. What they had was CONSTANT PRESSURE. Thats what you need in the nfl. Stop looking for low hanging fruit and look at the big picture.
May 2nd, 2018 at 12:25 pm
Ok i see its a day where every one of my post will be moderated today. I will come back another day.
May 2nd, 2018 at 12:31 pm
What a bad photo of Peter King, he almost looks like our new Dline coach Buckner.
May 2nd, 2018 at 12:38 pm
Pretty sure there are 32 defensive line coaches who would disagree much less 32 defensive coordinators or even 32 head coaches.
May 2nd, 2018 at 12:59 pm
He does — and more.
Often invites Joe to his residence and gets Joe liquored up while grilling steaks or ribs. Least he could do with the rates he charges! 🙂
Once, while encouraging Joe to have another Bushmills, Joe told him, “Are you hurting that badly for revenue you need to drum up more business? Have to drive back to the hotel still tonight.”
May 2nd, 2018 at 1:02 pm
@ joe
Our very own defensive line coach said just that at his introductory press conference. Were you not in the room?
May 2nd, 2018 at 1:04 pm
Said sacks can often be overrated.
Can promise you if asked, “Hey Buck, we may be able to get JPP who has demonstrated he can get 10 sacks in a year or you can work with Will Gholston instead” Buckner would not say, “Nah, we’re good. Gholston can get the job done.”
And yeah, not only was Joe in the room, Joe has spoken one-on-one with Buckner more than once.
May 2nd, 2018 at 1:08 pm
I sure miss the Schiano and Dungy toughness.
this group caters to the softer side of players. perhaps there’ a flag league they could play in
May 2nd, 2018 at 1:10 pm
I agree Joe.
Once I recover from PTSD and received all the treatment I’ve been getting after watching the last decade, then ask me how the D Line looks.
Until then, picturing ______ next to McCoy makes me convulse
May 2nd, 2018 at 1:15 pm
Dont get mad at me because your dline coach said its not about sacks, its about CONSTANT PRESSURE. He said there are 1300 plays if you had 10 sacks but what did you do the other 1290 plays? But go ahead and keep beating the 10 sack drum if you like. In 2015 the bucs had the same amount of sacks as this years super bowl champs but we came away saying our dline sucked and mccoy had no help. What was the difference? The eagles got constant pressure to go along with 38 sacks and the 2015 bucs did not. But sure focus on sacks.
May 2nd, 2018 at 1:57 pm
If we can get an above average push on our d-line consistently it will certainly make blitz packages more effective, and not hang our secondary out to dry.
May 2nd, 2018 at 2:08 pm
We should be stout against the run if nothing else. No more getting pushed around up front.
May 2nd, 2018 at 2:25 pm
On paper, we should terrorize opposing offenses/QB’s.
Like every team this time of year, we need to not buy into any hype and wait and see.
But it looks like one of the best D-lines in the NFL, potentially
May 2nd, 2018 at 2:35 pm
What webster said
May 2nd, 2018 at 2:37 pm
We will see it when it happens. I dont even think the bucs have the best D-line in the state. The Jags are definitely up there!
May 2nd, 2018 at 3:38 pm
Im right with you Joe, until I see the first sack it will be same old Bucs. But it sure does sound good.
May 2nd, 2018 at 5:40 pm
Won’t matter when this consistently injured team loses half of them for a few weeks during the season. The elephant in the room no one talks about.
May 2nd, 2018 at 8:55 pm
Most likely he will play Guard at first and hopefully start. Asking him to back up on all 5 positions is a bit much to ask out of a rookie from a division 2 school. he looks like a long term answer somewhere on the line.
May 3rd, 2018 at 12:58 pm
We definitely have had our hopes of what we thought would be a dominant D-Line in the offseason dashed by reality during the regular season, so it totally makes sense to be a pessimist on this topic. However, if JPP can play up to his normal level, GMC can stay healthy and Vea can push the pocket on a regular basis, and if we can get actual production from Spence on 3rd downs, it should be a lot of fun to watch these guys get after it. And let’s not discount the D-Line coaching change to Buckner. He is going to have his guys ready and attacking.