Pass Defense And Brent Grimes
October 9th, 2018
DB coach defends.
There is a bit of a narrative out there that perhaps, veteran Bucs cornerback Brent Grimes has finally been caught from behind by Father Time.
Joe isn’t ready to go there yet. It’s way too premature. So yesterday when Bucs defensive backs coach Jon Hoke was made available for questions, Grimes, of course, came up.
Hoke stuck with Dirk Koetter’s company line that Grimes didn’t play the second half of the Chicago game because of a “coach’s decision.” The fact Grimes politely declined to answer any questions after the game saying he had to be at a previously arranged engagement only added mystery and intrigue and invited speculation.
Joe was and is of the mind that Koetter, who admitted as much later, simply threw in the towel at halftime.
In Joe’s eyes, Koetter pulled Grimes knowing he, in only his second game back from a groin injury, was needed for the long haul and Koetter likely didn’t want to further aggravate Grimes’ groin injury.
Hoke sort of hinted the extra time off by being pulled at halftime and last week’s bye will help Grimes.
“Oh, it lingers,” Hoke said of Grimes’ groin injury. “All of those soft tissue injuries linger. It is tough, no question.”
Now after the Steelers game, Joe saw on Twitter (Joe apologizes for not remembering who had the clips) plays from the All-22 film that showed Grimes was actually in position to make a play and for whatever reason didn’t. Hoke described one such play that should have been an interception by Grimes.
“He was in great position,” Hoke said of Grimes. “Unfortunately, when [Grimes] went up to jump, it may have been hard to see just on TV, but when he went up to jump he clicks the [receiver’s] heels. [Grimes] goes up and that throw off his jump and that is definitely a play he normally will make.”
Again, it is too early to start shoveling dirt on Grimes’ career. Groin injuries are no joke. Joe saw Grimes cover DeSean Jackson step-for-step in training camp and in one play actually fight for position right in front of Jackson to pick off a pass.
If Grimes gets pulled again this month for Ryan Smith, provided he’s healthy, then yeah, we can begin to wonder if Father Time is tapping on Grimes’ shoulder.
October 9th, 2018 at 9:05 am
Or/and maybe the genious gm could have forseen this as grimes is old not re-signed him to big money and picked up one of the dozen or so FA DBs that really would have helped the bucs this year
October 9th, 2018 at 9:12 am
DR: don’t insult the intelligence of a man by sarcastically calling him a “Genious” (sic) when you can’t even spell the sarcastic retort correctly. It’s just a bad look.
Grimes needs to play better. If the injury is holding him back, get off the field. Let the young kids take some reps. It’ll help long term both for their development and for him to stop aggravating an injury. I hope he is healed up after this bye though. We need him to ball like I know he can.
October 9th, 2018 at 9:15 am
I’m not quite ready to count him out either. However, that touchdown pass in the Pitt game, at the line of scrimmage to #84, proves that being 10 yards off the line of scrimmage did Grimes no favors and is an abject lesson why no DB should ever be that far off. (Broken record)
October 9th, 2018 at 9:18 am
Joe, aren’t you on record via the Ira Kaufman podcast predicting a Grimes drop off this year? Interesting headline as you seem to help start these debates. But yes, Grimes wasn’t playing well and he should have been benched regardless of the score. Is he done? Let’s hope not because we don’t have anything better to replace him with.
October 9th, 2018 at 9:34 am
Yes. Doesn’t mean Joe doesn’t want Grimes to ball out. He’s an important piece to the defense.
It was just a prediction, not a wish.
October 9th, 2018 at 9:34 am
my take is grimes has been playing tentative, safe, and doing a little less than a little more…hopefully that’s not father time, and more the fact that he knows his body and is easing him self back into the mix…time to step up brent and take one to the house vs your old team
October 9th, 2018 at 9:35 am
i remember years ago in his rookie campaign for atlanta, i would sit there watching the games he played vs the bucs and i was like” yo this guy is good, he’s a specimen”
October 9th, 2018 at 9:35 am
Grimes was a good CB in his day but showed signs of aging last year but they still chose to bring him back instead of going after a younger veteran.
October 9th, 2018 at 9:37 am
he was all over the place in his early years for atlanta aggravating the bucs…and his movements were almost awkward, but then again they weren’t…i was super impressed by him in his early atlanta years
October 9th, 2018 at 9:44 am
Even when Grimes is healthy is a liability.
October 9th, 2018 at 9:44 am
always better to get rid of a player a year too early vs a year too late…..seems bucs have fallen into the latter…..
ride the young movement…..start ryan smith and davis on the outside…..move grimes to the slot and let him rotate with MJ…..
#NOEXCUSESIN2018!!!!….#PRESSURESONTHECOACHES!!!!…GO BUCS!!!!
October 9th, 2018 at 9:55 am
Awesome slam, @Mort. Nicely done.
October 9th, 2018 at 10:00 am
@Joe … “In Joe’s eyes, Koetter pulled Grimes knowing he, in only his second game back from a groin injury, was needed for the long haul and Koetter likely didn’t want to further aggravate Grimes’ groin injury.” Seriously Joe? “Didn’t want to further aggravate Grimes’ groin injury?”
Would someone please ask the question … “IF Grimes still was bothered by a groin injury, what the #$%@& was he doing out on the field in the first place?” This is EXACTLY the same BS that was spouted when Jameis hurt his shoulder but yeah, toughed it out … WHILE WE LOST EVERY FRIGGIN GAME with a perfectly good backup sitting on the bench. If I were the Bucs’ owners, coaches would’ve been fired for making stupid decisions like that. Would’ve fired the GM too for allowing it (just on principle of course).
October 9th, 2018 at 10:02 am
Once S&^tty Smithy gets the axe I suggest that we replace Grime with a coat rack and drape his #24 jersey across it. The advantages of this will be that there is a 1/3999 chance that the opposing WideOut will trip and fall over said coat rack. This is muxh greater chance of a play being made than the current liability ridden Grimes. Aside from Conte (thank god he is out of the picture) Grimes is the next biggest liability of a defensive backfield full of liabilities.
October 9th, 2018 at 10:02 am
813bucboi … “ride the young movement…..start ryan smith and davis on the outside…..move grimes to the slot and let him rotate with MJ.” Oh bucboi, you were doing so good with the youth movement thingie … until you caved on Grimes. (He’s not a nickel CB BTW … especially with a bum groin).
October 9th, 2018 at 10:13 am
DC, DB’s and LB coaches should all be replaced… I won’t go as far to say Buckner should just be DC because he is a good DL coach but we need to mix things up. This defense has been awful since Mike Smith has been DC. I am over the excuses.
October 9th, 2018 at 10:15 am
I wanted grimes gone because he plays off coverage. Yet EVERYONE else excels at press. Coach makes them play off because of grimes. He’s still a good player imo. Just not what we need anymore. My God man adjust the scheme.
Let’s go BUCS
October 9th, 2018 at 10:41 am
Like Dotson, stick a fork in him he’s done! To think Licht begged this under sized old man who can’t tackle, or cover anymore to come back, shows how little Licht knows talent. Gave him 8 million to boot! What’s wrong with the defense? All our so called stars, McCoy, Grimes, David, are over rated, and under producing. Blame the G.M..
October 9th, 2018 at 10:46 am
HoDad, someone else can see the real problem its the guy who drafted a kicker in round 2 and cannot evaluate talent should have shipped licht to tennessee and kept robinson in tampa
October 9th, 2018 at 11:01 am
Joes,
On another local podcast, the host insisted that Grimes was benched because of performance and not because of some mutual agreement or personal engagement. Thoughts?
October 9th, 2018 at 11:06 am
“Thats the problem with failed draft busts and failed free agents…
Not only are they useless but Smitty is forced to continuously play these stiffs because it will make the Teflon Gump look bad in front of the fans but more importantly to the owners”
Kobe Faker
October 9th, 2018 at 11:06 am
Joe’s thoughts are spelled out in the post above.
October 9th, 2018 at 11:10 am
I’m sorry, no DC will adjust their scheme to cater to an aging player, even SH%tty Smitty wouldn’t do that. His scheme is to play 5 to 100 off, watch film for the last 2.25 years it hasn’t changed. I bet that when the secondary plays press more often then not they are freelancing wanting to prove a point to smith.
October 9th, 2018 at 11:19 am
All Grimes has to do is make one special play and he’ll be back in the fans favor. He obviously has injury problems here and there and has become iffy in this his swan song season.
October 9th, 2018 at 11:29 am
I think one of the biggest problems we have is we can try to keep playing that reactive defense this then don’t break needs to go. I have managed multimillion-dollar business is for most of my adult life, one of the first things I learned that you have to be proactive not reactive. we need to stop being reactive and start being proactive that means going after the quarterback playing aggressive the entire way. we have talent on the team we are just miss using it and not getting the full potential out of it
October 9th, 2018 at 11:42 am
Grimes is yet another player to cash his check, then check out.
October 9th, 2018 at 11:44 am
DR
you gotta have your best 11 on the field…..grimes over MJ at this point….MJ was getting turned around, looking lost and having guys run wide open…..
and its all about match ups….I’d rather have grimes cover the offenses #3 WR and not their #1WR or #2WR weather he’s healthy or not…..
that’s why I said rotate him with MJ to preserve that groin….then its a win win…..MJ still getting experience, grimes still able to make plays, bucs gain depth……
#NOEXCUSESIN2018!!!!….#PRESSURESONTHECOACHES!!!!!….GO BUCS!!!!!
October 9th, 2018 at 12:23 pm
James Walker Says: “Grimes is yet another player to cash his check, then check out.”
You might be right, James, but it is too early to tell. He may have not truly been past the injury yet and tried to go too soon. We will find out this Sunday.
October 9th, 2018 at 12:44 pm
He’s an off-man corner that can’t jump the routes he used to. There are alot of plays that happen in front of him that he could have made 3 or 4 years ago, but age and soft tissue injuries keep those plays just out of reach for him now.
Would it make more sense at this point in his career to play center field at FS let him diagnose the plays from further back? His football IQ on the field at this point means more to me than his play making abilities.
He just can’t quite get there anymore.
October 9th, 2018 at 1:33 pm
813bucboi … “you gotta have your best 11 on the field…..grimes over MJ at this point….MJ was getting turned around, looking lost and having guys run wide open.”
Totally agree with the ‘best 11 on the field’ BUT … either Brent Grimes isn’t healed up yet, OR Father Time has caught up to him. MJ had problems to be sure, but Brent just wasn’t able to keep up. I’m sure you’ve seen videos of a lion pride hunting, and how they seek out the weakest prey. That’s a prime tactic of NFL OCs for obvious reasons (why storm the castle walls if the king has left the drawbridge down & the castle door open). Playing guys who are not totally healed up while a more physically fit backup sits on the bench is an invitation to disaster IMO.
An ancillary question though is my mind is ‘Why didn’t we sign Breeland?’ And IF there’s some valid reason, why haven’t we re-signed Robert McClain? Dude had 3 INTs last year (including 1 Pick-6), 5 passes defensed & 46 tackles (only started 9 games). Admittedly he’s 30 now, but he’s bound to have a couple more good years left in him.
October 9th, 2018 at 1:45 pm
You know what else stinks? A player just playing for the paycheck and not caring at all about his team. That stinks really bad…..
October 9th, 2018 at 1:59 pm
DR
i guess we can agree to disagree…surprise surprise…..lol….hopefully MJ will step up….
regarding breeland & mcclain that’s a great question…..i wasn’t too high on breeland to begin with because i heard he had some of the same habits and issues as baker….
mcclain i thought played well….thought he should’ve stuck around….
my question in the offseason was why cut tandy….he was a solid safety and the staff had j.evans playing nickel in case we were down a CB…..now we’re down 2CB’s (VHG&grimes), evans has to stay at safety and we have to rely on whitehead and Isaiah Johnson for production and depth…..
#NOEXCUSESIN2018!!!!…#PRESSURESONTHECOACHES!!!!…GO BUCS!!!!
October 9th, 2018 at 3:04 pm
What’s gonna be sad is when Atlanta’s defense knows what’s coming because Tandy has taught them what to expect from the play-calling. Tandy is gonna be an NFL coach when his playing career is done. I’m worried about that 😫😩🤦🏻♂️
October 9th, 2018 at 4:16 pm
Time for Grimes to move on. Seems like he’s lost a lot of his Mojo. He’s gettin long in the tooth and injuries have slowed him down. Walkin papers after this season..please!
October 9th, 2018 at 5:27 pm
LOL @ Atlanta knowing what is coming because TANDY is there.
October 9th, 2018 at 6:56 pm
Like I said, and have been saying for quite some time… He is only here to pick up checks
October 9th, 2018 at 11:06 pm
To all the people (Godeep 66) that say my son is here just for the check, you are so far from the truth. He wants the Bucs to win and he was really upset when he hurt his groin and couldn’t play. It just bothers me when I read the hurtful things that are said about Brent. I am glad he isn’t on social media to read this mess.
October 10th, 2018 at 12:07 am
Ms. Hall:
Glad you commented. Joe saw with his own eyes how well he was practicing before the injury, and how after the injury he stood on the practice field every day trying to get something out of the practices when he easily could have been in the air conditioning and not roasting in the Florida sun.
Normally, guys who are just collecting checks don’t do things the hard way.
Thanks for your information. Say hi to Miko for Joe!