Kwon Being Kwon
September 13th, 2018
Never slows down.
Shot-callers with the Bucs always refer to middle linebacker Kwon Alexander as the “Jameis of the defense” because of his unrivaled passion for the game of football.
Alexander is an easy guy to pull for. He’s always hustling and hits like a jackhammer.
We all remember the play he made as a rookie at Atlanta where he hustled downfield, caught up with Julio Jones and stripped the ball from Jones in a key takeaway in a key Bucs upset win.
Well on Sunday, Kwon was doing Kwon things. Just check out this clip from an All-22 angle of Michael Thomas fumbling on Sunday which was recovered by Ryan Smith. Alexander made the play and he made the play because he was busting his arse off.
The Bucs are likely going to have to make some ugly decisions this offseason with a bunch of guys expected to get paid including Alexander. After watching him make plays like this, it’s hard to imagine Alexander not coming back.
.@kwon is a perfect example of all gas, no breaks. Guy has a non-stop motor and this forced fumble is all effort. Winning football #Bucsfilm2018wk1 pic.twitter.com/yBx0VIMtVh
— Steven Cheah (@CHEAH_SAY) September 12, 2018
September 13th, 2018 at 3:35 pm
He’s definitely been a liability in the run game at times; but it seems like for every couple missed tackles he has he forces a turnover to make up for it. Always loved the guys demeanor and energy
September 13th, 2018 at 3:39 pm
Adios muchacho…
September 13th, 2018 at 3:40 pm
Alligator mouth clapping Kwon seems to be too hyped at times which leads to his miss tackles. He will be ok but the rest of the day??
September 13th, 2018 at 3:40 pm
Sorry….rest of the defense?
September 13th, 2018 at 3:42 pm
Love it!
You gotta give props to #56 Worthy as well. He was right in the mix, wayyyyy down field for a big fella.
September 13th, 2018 at 3:45 pm
Any news on Rojo Joe?
September 13th, 2018 at 4:24 pm
Watched that clip several times and it always turns out the same. Michael Thomas is so wide open IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FIELD it’s unbelievable. That area was cleared out because LVD got dragged from the left side to the right side covering his man, and Kwon got dragged from the middle to the left side covering someone. Monstrous gap in the middle … and I saw that a bunch of times Sunday (Brees went short middle 6 times, short left 15 times & short right 16 times … total of 37 short passes with 32 completions). I definitely don’t understand what our LBs were trying to do. But I do know that it was leaving gaping holes in underneath coverage. BTW, the DTs on that play were Worthy (298 lbs) & Gholston (281 lbs) … good luck trying to get to Brees like that (like “Where’s the Beef?”).
September 13th, 2018 at 4:39 pm
Here’s the deal with Phili; Jordan Hicks. That defense feeds off of him. Find a way to neutralize him and you will beat that defense. Blast him with tight ends and whatever it takes to get him off his game. They have many really good players but if you beat Hicks, you’ll beat the Eagles.
September 13th, 2018 at 4:46 pm
Defense Rules
Drew Brees hit Michael Thomas on all of his 17 passes to him. Thomas dropped one of his passes. Brees hit Alvin Kamara on 9 of 12 passes. You take away Thomas and Kamara, the Saints don’t have much left.
September 13th, 2018 at 4:56 pm
Random fun fact:
Tom Brady has played the Bucs 3 times, in those games he has 6 TDs vs 4 INTs.
Aaron Rodgers has played the Bucs 4 times, in those games he has 8 TDs vs 7 INTs.
Meanwhile Foles has played us twice and has 7 TDs (2 rushing) and 0 INTs.
September 13th, 2018 at 4:59 pm
Defense Rules – If you see a huge gap like that it normally means a safety isn’t where they should have been, which I’d assume means Chris Conte screwed up. Or when you see someone that wide open, to me, the first place I always look is to see what Ryan Smith is doing if he’s on the field, and he was. I don’t have Gamepass this year so I can’t look at additional angles, but it’s certainly a busted coverage of some sort.
September 13th, 2018 at 5:07 pm
what’s the word with Beckwith? Never hear anything about his recovery. Kwon would play better on the outside and Beckwith would play better in the middle. Simple as that.
I could see Kwon being the big time money guy to be let loose next year. Get a LB in the first round. Bucs were talking with his agent last week. Could’ve been about an extension or trying to get an early look at what he would be asking for.
September 13th, 2018 at 5:09 pm
SOEbuc – Kwon is a pro-bowl MLB with excellent range, you don’t move him out of position because some guy with a handful of games under his belt is too slow to play outside. I think Beckwith will be fine, if he plays again, but he’s not good enough to start messing with Kwon.
September 13th, 2018 at 5:10 pm
I hate seeing wide open catches against us but at the same time Drew Bress will complete bombs all day if you let him.
We made Drew Bress try to beat us by using a lot of passing plays. He was very effective but their offense made two humongous mistakes during all those plays and that was the difference.
I don’t think Mike Smith drew up the game plan to win via the turnover battle. My guess is that he wanted to win by clamping down in the redzone…….that was an absolute failure, of course. Yet still, when you make them work the field on you there always is the possibility of getting those turnovers and our Defense took advantage.
The redzone defense is going to be a huge Factor this season. Our defense needs to step it up for us because big splash plays like the fumble above won’t always work.
We can’t let them run the ball in on us, like Kamara did on the first drive. Other then that I don’t know what else they need to adjust but I have been. crying for two year to get Conte off the field in the redzone. Hes OK down the field but he too small and plays too small in the redzone.
September 13th, 2018 at 5:13 pm
Rod, it’s easy to assume that someone screwed up on a play like that (Thomas is their most important receiver … you just don’t let him get THAT wide open). IF Kwon had stayed home (in the middle), Thomas would’ve been covered. Same could be said for LVD though … he got dragged from the left side way out to the right. Since Conte is a safety, I don’t assume that covering Thomas was his key responsibility on that play. More likely that the nickel should’ve been covering (don’t know if Ryan Smith was in as nickel on that play). My only point is that we bit BIG TIME on that play design, and that’s gross. I still question whether our LBs are being used optimally. Would also love to know how many times that same (or similar) play reared its’ ugly head last Sunday.
@Lakeland … “You take away Thomas and Kamara, the Saints don’t have much left.” I guess that I don’t get the point, because that’s kinda obvious. Problem is that we DIDN’T take away Kamara or Thomas (and IF that’s your point, then yes, I agree with ya). Brees picked us apart with his short passing. I love defensive chess matches, but there wasn’t much chess involved Sunday … we bit on about everything they did and for the life of me I can’t understand why. It’s easy to blame the CBs & Safeties, but that to me doesn’t explain so many underneath completions.
September 13th, 2018 at 5:23 pm
“Nigel Bradham is clearly the best linebacker for Philly and he will be back this week after being suspended week 1”
Kobe Faker
September 13th, 2018 at 5:25 pm
Defense…….I’m not sure the Linbackers are to blame on that play. Kwon picked up Kamara who you can’t take your eye off of and LVD was all over his man from the start.
Both safteys were pulled deep on that play. Looks like one of our corners got turned around there to me.
September 13th, 2018 at 5:25 pm
Defense Rules
I have always said that the Bucs weakness in their pass defense was their linebackers. And i was saying this, back when Lovie was the HC. The Bucs linebackers bite too much, and they are always out of position. If you look at the Carolina Panthers defense. You will always see their linebackers in position on passing plays. You will rarely find a open seam in their pass defense. Kwon should take notes from Luke Kuechly. It seems like Kuechly is always around the ball.
September 13th, 2018 at 5:28 pm
“Kobe will make it nice and simple. Ryan Jensen and help MUST contain Fletcher Cox (The Real Mcoy) and the defensive front or else this game will get ugly”
Kobe Faker
September 13th, 2018 at 5:32 pm
Kobe Faker
I have always said that the Bucs had a good O-Line. It was poor playcalling that made them look bad for so long.
September 13th, 2018 at 6:34 pm
@Lakeland … “Kwon should take notes from Luke Kuechly. It seems like Kuechly is always around the ball.” Every time anyone mentions Luke Kuechly I wanna cry. I wanted the Bucs to draft him SO BAD back in back in 2012 when Dominek called Mark Barron at #7, then the Panthers took Luke Kuechly at #9. There was zero doubt in my mind then that Kuechly would end up being a super-star. But hey, when you look further down that 1st round draft list, Philly got Fletcher Cox at #12 & the Pats got Dont’a Hightower at #25 (another LB I liked). But Dom did grab Lavonte David at #58 in the 2nd round so that was nice. Can you imagine LVD & Kuechly playing together starting in 2012?
September 13th, 2018 at 6:53 pm
Defense- I was saying I don’t know who you blame since I can’t see the whole field, just making assumptions. I assume someone blew their coverage but without seeing the whole field it’s impossible on this play to know who was doing what. I’m making the assumption it was Conte since Conte isn’t very good so it would make sense for him to give up a big play since that’s what he does. Also with Ryan Smith coming in at the end, I could see him in completely the wrong place too, but I don’t know. Without knowing if someone blew their coverage it’s hard to know if it was bad design or not. If anyone has the coaches film and knows how to read a defense feel free to let us know what happened there.
September 13th, 2018 at 6:54 pm
Hey guys, we have kwon. Is he the best? No, but he is one of the best validted by the fact he was a pro bowl alternate in ’16 and an actual pro bowler last year. You dont move on from someone who is one of the best mlb just because he is not the best. You keep adding to him. Whats wrong with some of you? Btw…kuechly is one more concussion from eating jello for the rest of his life. Be thankful for what you have which is one of the best middle linebackers.
September 13th, 2018 at 7:13 pm
IF WE DON’T RESIGN KWON I WILL LITERALLY SH*T A BRICK!!!!
September 13th, 2018 at 7:30 pm
Rod Munch
Kwon’s range and speed is the reason he should be playing outside LB. Much faster at getting to the receivers and RBs that constantly work us within 15 yards. LVD is no slouch with his range and speed on the other side either. Beckwith proved he was a worthy, hard hitting LB in those hand full of games or else ppl wouldn’t have been talking about him all last year and this offseason. He doesn’t have Kwon’s speed which is why he should be playing his original position at MLB.
September 13th, 2018 at 7:56 pm
Which important players are going to take the long walk when we have to pay Kwon, Ali, Jameis, and D.Smith???
-LVD is still one of the top SLB in the league. Would be impossible to let him go.
-Patriots (lol) gonna pick up Hump on the second round tender?
-GMC must be gone unless he can get 10+ sacks this year and then it would still be a tough decision to not let him go.
-Even if DJax has a great year, he’s moving into his final third year of his expensive deal. Imagine what he would want to resign. Receiver corp jacked.
LET ME KNOW YOUR OPINIONS AND THOUGHTS OF THE FUTURE.
September 13th, 2018 at 8:06 pm
Any news on Rojo Joe?
?????
Why would there be news on him, unless you heard something off field happening?
September 13th, 2018 at 9:37 pm
SOEbuc
All that range and speed are great, but if you can’t make the play or tackle what’s the point?
I believe Smitty is a bad defensive coach at this stage. But blame still lies with the players as well.
September 14th, 2018 at 9:40 am
I thought Kwon looked slow.
Bad angles to the running back and receivers and they ran right by him.
He can lay the wood when he gets a hit, but his sideline to sideline speed is NOT impressive.
Didn’t even come close to staying with Kamara, and why he would EVER be covering him I DONT KNOW!!!!
In the past couple years our LB core was one of our strengths, but last week it appeared to be a weakness IMO
September 14th, 2018 at 10:09 am
Stubborn Smitty is the main culprit on Defense. Put Buckner in charge if you want an aggressive Defense. Just watch how Arizona defended us when we used to play them. That is what we can have right now to help our explosive Offense. It is all up to Koetter to fix our Defense. If he is willing to lose his job when Smitty is fired, that is on Koetter. But last year is as good as our Defense will get this year under Smitty. Someone needs to put up a bill board in Tampa that says fire Smitty now, and Koetter too if he refuses to do it.
September 14th, 2018 at 10:24 am
Anyone waiting for Smittymagic to suddenly appear is delusional and that includes Koetter. Our Defense would have caused a loss at New Orleans wasting Fritzmagic if not for Fritz getting that late first down with his legs! But you don’t hear one word of blame from Koetter about Smitty’s continual inept Defense because he puts their friendship ahead of his own responsibility to build a Winning Buc Season to save his own job and Licht’s too.