Indefensible Defense
November 7th, 2018
When Joe read the following coming across the JoeBucsFan Twitter timeline yesterday, Joe’s reaction was as if he chugged turpentine.
We’ve all seen bad Bucs teams. We’ve seen some really embarrassing defenses. Hell, we are watching one right now.
But if the following pace continues, there should be NFL players so ashamed of themselves they ought to retire or at least never show their faces at One Buc Palace again once they clean out their lockers in January.
Savvy football numbers guy Chase Stuart of FootballPerspective.com crunched some figures and came across information that is simply beyond the pale. The current Bucs defense is looking to shatter three all-time gutless defensive records.
The Bucs are on pace to allow over 5,000 passing yards, 44 TDs, and to have 2 interceptions.
Tampa Bay has now allowed a passer rating of 124.3 through 8 games. A QB facing the Bucs is more dangerous than Patrick Mahomes.
— Football Perspective (@fbgchase) November 5, 2018
If this happens, the Bucs will be the first team in NFL history to allow over 5,000 yards passing. They will have obliterated the current record by nearly 500 yards (1995 Dixie Chicks gave up 4,541 passing yards).
The 44 passing touchdowns would also be an NFL record. The current mark is held by the Denver Broncos when they were in the American Football League in 1963! AFL and NFL records were combined in 1970 when the two leagues merged.
The old NFL record was set in 1969 by the St. Louis Cardinals (38).
The Bucs are already on pace to set an NFL record for most points allowed. The 1981 Baltimore Colts currently hold that record at 533.
If the Bucs set those three records, it’s time to fully unload the defense. If those three records are set, with the exception of Jason Pierre-Paul and Vinny Curry, the entire defense should be released.
Joe doesn’t give a damn how many Pro Bowls anyone made, how much they are earning, when or where they were drafted or what franchise records they may hold. If a defense is that brutal, the Bucs can unload all but three defenders and save truckloads of cash and load up on free agents and draft picks.
Don’t worry guys, if these records fall, whatever the hell Warren Sapp says won’t mean squat if you go down in history as being a starter on the most putrid defense in NFL history.
Don’t like what Sapp says? Prove him wrong with better results on the field so he won’t have to mock you on Instagram.
Next year’s $21 million salary for America’s Quarterback, Pro Bowler Jameis Winston, will be nothing compared to what the team saves by throwing out all but three defenders and starting from Square 1 like a damn expansion team. Because guess what? An expansion team doesn’t have this rotten of a defense!
Having eight new starters on defense cannot be any worse than the worst defense in the 99 years of the NFL — Kwon Alexander can return because he is not part of this shat and at least he has heart.
Think about this: On Sunday there will be remembrances marking the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I. The following year franchises began playing football that would later become the NFL.
Of the 7.53 billion people breathing air, how many were even alive then, 250,000? (The 2010 United States census showed there were 53,364 centenarians still living then in America.)
There aren’t any words in the King’s English to properly describe how disgusting this is.
November 7th, 2018 at 8:04 am
I like the photo Joe.
It could also be used anytime you write an article about America’s QB, Pro Bowler and all around great guy Jameis Winston.
November 7th, 2018 at 8:20 am
why not call McCoy out by name?
November 7th, 2018 at 8:27 am
Jason built this and that is why he needs to be the first to go. No team speed on D. Minimal team speed on O. Warhop is mess. Even Kwon was way off on reads and fits. No clear cut path of what was being built on D relative to scheme. Just a mess. The only guy that earns his money is the guy writing contracts with do dead money. Use it and blow it up. Not working. How many times does team this bad, turn it around and become good in the future? Not many.
November 7th, 2018 at 8:31 am
Thanks Joe for presenting all the reasons why your favorite GM must go. His fingers this labotomy of a defense.
November 7th, 2018 at 8:43 am
Could you imagine if our offense sucked and couldn’t score any points?
November 7th, 2018 at 8:43 am
“The Bucs are on pace to allow over 5,000 passing yards, 44 TDs, and to have 2 interceptions.”
That GM did a great job evaluating defensive talent. He has failed us, not DK.
November 7th, 2018 at 8:45 am
Everyone in this disaster of a D has to go, even if we like them. Mike Smith led them all to their doom. A defense this awful is indefensible (see what did there). Every player except Pierre-Paul, Lavonte, and maybe Kwon should be on the block. For the first time, for me anyway, McCoy should be made available on the trade block. That O-line. Donovan Smith shouln’t get overpaid. Maybe move him to Guard where most people thought he would be best out of college and pay him a prove it contract. Dotson looks slow, and I can hardly watch Bennenoch anymore. last week seriously made me question my Bucs Love. Truly awful.
November 7th, 2018 at 8:47 am
Good to see joe “realize” the truth from the “Jason licht did his job” cry from the offseason!!!!!!!!!!!
GO Bucs!!!!!!!!!!!
November 7th, 2018 at 8:47 am
I wonder…do any of the Buc players read this site?
They have to know they suck.
The team sucks.
The defense sucks.
Historically sucks.
And their OK with that?
November 7th, 2018 at 8:48 am
I love a good defense better than a good offense
A Good defense is like a work of Art
What we have in Tampa is a Kindergarteners first attempt at finger-painting ……………………its horrible
…………………….its terrible
……………………its unrecognizable
November 7th, 2018 at 8:49 am
AND, we can get more #WEAPONS4WINSTON…
November 7th, 2018 at 8:57 am
The problem is that the defense has been horrible throughout licht’s tenure as GM and the Joes have defended him the entire way through or ignored his BS moves ((That’s just straight up inaccurate. Why refer to Joe like that?)) and now you have one of the 5 worst franchises in all of football. The raiders get new digs so they get a pass, but the Bucs are going to be miserable for another 2-3 years. Licht has mismanaged via FA and the draft at epic numbers. Build a winning team in the trenches and defense. Licht puts expensive perfume on a stinkin pig and ppl have fallen for it since licht was here. The bucs are terrible all around team, the players from Kwon, LVD, Justin Evans, McCoy, Vea, Grimes, VH 3 are not good and the record shows that.
November 7th, 2018 at 9:02 am
Yes. Joe loves Lavonte David, but enough. People destroy GMC but give David a complete and total pass and the Bucs have more losses with David on the field than they do GMC.
If you are a starter on the worst defense in NFL history, there is no defense for your play. None. Zero.
November 7th, 2018 at 9:06 am
That was a really balanced response and appreciated regarding LVD, he was a future all pro under schiano and then fell off and became complacent, always thought kwon was more of a WLB and beckwith a better MLB, I in my opinion think that many of these players are way overvalued on this team via just watching games, and there is a ton of quit in many players on this team the past few years. Glazers better start winning soon because they will be screaming new stadium very soon
November 7th, 2018 at 9:40 am
The fact of the matter is, McCoy doesn’t look himself this year, Lavonte has been on a downward spiral, Kwon had his moments early in his career but now he doesn’t make splash plays anymore. The only person on our defense actually doing something is JPP. One man can’t carry an entire pathetic defense on his back. Our defense has talent, they just lack of work ethic. They don’t want to be great like JPP does, they are fine with being mediocre. This is what sickens me. The fans don’t deserve this.
November 7th, 2018 at 9:51 am
The last time the Bucs had a Top-10 scoring defense
2010 and they won 10 games
Then fired the guy the following year
November 7th, 2018 at 10:11 am
Giving Kwon a pass? His play and the defense’s play while he was healthy was worse than what we have had since he’s been injured. Fast guy, active, terrible in coverage just like David. They can’t cover, they can’t drop into zone, they are terrible I’m not sure why Vinny Curry deserves a pass… even JPP with his 8 sacks… he has failed to provide ANY pressure other than the 8 times he’s sacked the QB. Aaron Donald, Watt, Mack, these guys might have 8 sacks… or even less, but they are a factor in almost every play. JPP makes a splash play but is easily blocked for the rest of the game. That being said, 20-something players didn’t suddenly forget how to play defense. The coordinator has/is crap. The assistants aren’t good. The schemes are horrid. Yeah, some of the higher priced players should be sent overboard and never heard from again (McCoy, Grimes, David)… we can play terrible with or without them.
November 7th, 2018 at 10:23 am
if we aint talking about HC candidates, then we’re wasting time!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Kris Richard 4 HC!!!!!!!!!!!!!
#NOEXCUSESIN2018!!!!…#PRESSURESONTHECOACHES!!!!…GO BUCS!!!
November 7th, 2018 at 10:25 am
Brandon, when McCoy, Grimes and David are sent overboard, please make sure you are with them since you said we, I didn’t know that you played with them.
November 7th, 2018 at 10:25 am
i’m pretty sure 44 tds and two ints is bad.
November 7th, 2018 at 10:51 am
I still don’t believe it’s all on the players. Even if you disagree with Licht’s picks, its not like he’s digging the bottom of the barrel for them. The players he selects in the first few rounds are on everyone’s scouting boards. They’re all evaluated very highly (ok, Arguayo was a stretch). So IMO it’s the coaching – all elements: putting players in position to maximize their strengths, overall defensive scheme, game planning, training, etc. Something’s not working there. These are grown men, and I just don’t believe they’re all laying down half way through the season. Sorry, I don’t buy it!
November 7th, 2018 at 11:05 am
I think this D is a few players away from being just fine
Resigning Grimes and missing on MJ Stewart along with drafting Vea now looks like a big mistake IMO.
Keeping Smitty for one year too long was a big mistake
Drafting VH111 was a big mistake
Thats a possible 4 players who could be making an impact on this D
November 7th, 2018 at 11:08 am
And we allow Duffner to be our interim DC, knowing he has been running this defensive scheme for all these years. So he fired Mike Smith and gave Mike Smith 2.0 the reins. Freaking Genius!!
November 7th, 2018 at 11:45 am
A blind man could see that aside from JPP, everyone on defense should be replaced. Fans can thank Licht for acquiring such crap on defense during his tenure as GM.
November 7th, 2018 at 11:58 am
Whoever made the decision to draft nothing more than a poor mans Vince Wilfork over Polk county’s Derwin James should’ve been fired when the thought popped up into his head
November 7th, 2018 at 1:37 pm
We have to work on the way we teach math and quant. Joe makes it sound as if some great stats/analytics genius built a not non-recursive SEM model to figure all this out. We’ve played 8 of 16 games, so you just double everything. One interception now becomes 2 at the end of the season…
November 7th, 2018 at 2:03 pm
Joe
No report on the Sapp, lvd, kwon spat?
November 7th, 2018 at 2:12 pm
I agree @PolkFan.
What a terrible decision that was.
November 7th, 2018 at 2:14 pm
The truth will come when a new regime comes in…..we’ll see how many of the defensive players they keep and what they do with them.
November 7th, 2018 at 4:20 pm
Everybody keeps going through Licht’s drafts and ignoring the most important draft of his life. The #1 pick in the entire 2015 draft.
How’s that working out for us? Suspended? Did we mess up taking a chance on him? Just asking.
JW may turn out to be a great QB…it’s too late for licht. 4 years after being selected at the top of the draft he still hasn’t fulfilled licht’s vision. If we had traded down wonder what we would have? Well the way Licht has drafted hard telling.
November 7th, 2018 at 7:06 pm
In “defense” of that Colts defense giving up the most points, their offense lead the league in three and outs by an insane margin. A defense has two jobs, get off the field on third down and hold the opponents to field goals when they reach the red zone. Turnovers can’t be counted on because too many things have to happen (the Browns lead the league in forcing turnovers…so their you go), pressuring the QB/hitting him/getting him off his spot is more important than sacking him. Approximately, 74 passes are being thrown a game, how many times are the QBs actually sacked? JPP is on pace for 14 1/2…5,000 yards given up through air and 44 TD passes…who really cares? What’s been happening the past dozen years is a damn shame. We the fans have argued with one another and with anyone else about what needs to happen for the franchise to be taken seriously. This is the only team in the league that needs all phases gutted. Front office, coaching staff, scouting department and players…because the owners are not going anywhere.