The Mirage Of Underwear Football
June 6th, 2019
Joe understands Bucs fans are hungry for any morsel of information on their beloved Buccaneers.
So since the vast majority of underwear football practices are closed to the public, any info is welcome in an effort to try to take one’s mind off the drudgery of weekday work.
Now yesterday Bucs coach Bucco Bruce Arians spoke highly of the Bucs defensive backs and their abilities to get their hands on balls. Previously, Arians exclaimed the secondary problems are “fixed.”
Is getting hands on footballs a sign of strong pass coverage? This is the shell game of underwear football, no pads are worn and hitting or physical contact of any kind is forbidden. It is barely a step up from flag football only with helmets worn.
Arians confessed yesterday that defensive backs getting their mitts on passed footballs doesn’t necessarily mean it’s strong defensive play.
“It’s mostly [DBs playing well] and quarterbacks learning new systems [who] tend to look too long where they want to throw the ball and guys are breaking and making plays,” Arians explained. “Some [plays] are poor receiver [plays]. Quarterback trusts his receiver and he doesn’t win. He’s the one-on-one, he’s got to win. So, a couple of them are that way, but yeah the DBs are playing really well.”
And there is the mirage of underwear football. What looks like a good play in shorts may not translate to a good play in a real game.
It’s sort of like how America’s Quarterback, Pro Bowler Jameis Winston, could connect with malcontent wide receiver DeSean Jackson in practice and not so much in games.
But that’s another story for another day. Right, DeSean?
June 6th, 2019 at 10:10 am
You have issues Joe, your obsession with DJack is going to need an intervention….
June 6th, 2019 at 10:14 am
Kenny Bell was on his way to being a Hall of Fame inductee according to the local media by how well he played in underwear football.
June 6th, 2019 at 10:15 am
Smash….Joe is exibiting his inner Tmax
June 6th, 2019 at 10:19 am
Agreeing with the observation about the limitations of observations during underwear football but I still love what’s going on with our secondary.
We already know that Whitehead is a HITTER! Edwards is also capable of laying a big lick on somebody and he seems to have a nose for the ball.
But it’s our CB’s that have me excited. We have at least seen SPEED…that’s not going anywhere during the season unless we’re injured. We’re also seeing good instincts and the ability to break on the ball. They’re also getting high marks for using their feet as JW pointed out…they are actually covering receivers and our group of targets is excellent so this should also translate to the season.
June 6th, 2019 at 10:25 am
Thing is, often Koetter said his team didn’t look good in underwear football.
So this is a step up.
Gotta start somewhere.
Fact is while looking good in shells does not necessarily translate to looking good in pads, fact is if you do not look good in shells you will NOT look good in pads.
June 6th, 2019 at 10:27 am
I wished we weren’t constantly reminded that it’s flag football as if we had no clue. We know this. It’s still ok to be hopeful and be excited about our team, and if we are wrong, so be it. What’s the coach supposed to say? They are doing good in practice but it doesn’t mean anything yet? Well maybe he’s experienced enough to know hard work and good execution in practice is the start of something special. I trust what he sees and I believe he’s going to do everything he can to put the best product out there for our enjoyment. Go Bucs!
June 6th, 2019 at 11:00 am
I absolutely love BA,but on this one screw that notion. I know at the heart of BA is a competitor. Todd’s new toys getting the best of Offensive minded BA’s guys. See,Jameis yesterday said they haven’t faced much of ME yet. What was he truly saying??? I’ll tell you “these young cats H3ll out here I need my top dog”. It’s underwear,I would think the O would be getting the best. Keep in mind the D is learning a new system as well. This is fantastic news. It makes for an ultra competitive training camp once those pads come on.
June 6th, 2019 at 11:10 am
Underwear football gives Joe something to write about. Joe puts little stock into it, sadly, from personal experience.
June 6th, 2019 at 11:10 am
Just when we start to feel good…here comes Joe to rain on our day.
Just kidding.
June 6th, 2019 at 11:12 am
cobra
i agree
GO BUCS!!!!
June 6th, 2019 at 11:13 am
Mirage my @$$. We can flat out cover yo @$$. Too long,too fast and too atheletic not to. Young No Fly Zone developing.
June 6th, 2019 at 11:26 am
Also agree with Cobra.
I believe in Bruce Arians is really what this comes down to. I recall some article where he was super critical of other teams practice/preparation when observing them last year on his year off.
If he’s happy with how these guys are picking up his system on both sides of the ball that’s all we can hope for in addition to no injuries.
June 6th, 2019 at 11:27 am
The new triplets are ballin so hard they’re overshadowing Devin White. And blind man can see he super raw.
June 6th, 2019 at 11:34 am
Let me tell y’all something this training camp is going to be chippy. Expect a few fight between DBs and WRs. I’ve never been inside One Buc,but trust me the talk going on inside that building is the DB vs WR matchups coming during camp.
June 6th, 2019 at 12:03 pm
FACT! The Bucs receivers lead the NFL in yards after catch when Fitz was in. Among last in NFL with Winston. A recent article talked about how good the Bucs receivers were at contested catches… why do you think they were contested Joe? Because Jameis cant lead a receiver! Blame Jackson all you want but he knew he could not thrive with Winston.
June 6th, 2019 at 12:20 pm
How these people don’t compute what St.Pete said is beyond me.
June 6th, 2019 at 1:03 pm
Really underwear football teaches us about as much as TC & Preseason…….next to nothing.
Just check out history and look and see how many teams looked great with a 4-0 or 3-1 preseason then stunk up the joint in the regularar season…….or how often a team will look bad in preseason then light it up once the games are for real.
For me my biggest take away from underwear and Preseason football are position battles & watching which players get 1st team reps. The only other big thing is of cource injury’s……..Other then that we don’t learn much more. Nothing a player does is an accurate indicator of how they will perform on the big stage…….When it gets real pressure plays a factor. Pressure changes everything & there is no possible way to recreate that pressure.
June 6th, 2019 at 1:14 pm
Wish Joe would give us a glimpse of his information about DeSean’s behind the scenes antics.
June 6th, 2019 at 1:19 pm
A couple guys that have gotten my attention.
-Watson. Heard about him yesterday getting some first team reps. He sounds to be on Pace to be a steady contributor this season. Wanna see if he earns any starts for the preseason.
-Dean. His name keeps popping up. He must be making plays out there. I’m expecting to keep hearing his name and him to be in the battlefield for starting CB.
-Rojo. This guy is getting mega praise. There must be a reason for it and I wanna see it. I wouldn’t bet on it but it sounds like Bruce would. I won’t call BS on Bruce til there is proof.
June 6th, 2019 at 1:40 pm
@Greg
I’m 99.9% sure you are completely making that up unless you can provide a link.
From stats I’ve seen, the Bucs in general as a team were very low in % of YAC in the pass game.
Considering Fitz started 1/2 the season not sure how he was lighting up YAC….
So yeah. Calling complete BS on that.
Fitz last 6 starts after the 2 week fluke = more interceptions than TDs… Dude sucked.
June 6th, 2019 at 2:07 pm
“The downfall of BA and his schemes is his pass protection. He has caused injuries to Big Ben and Carson Palmer because his offense had the QBs holding the ball too long
does History repeat itself?
Do you need a competent and reasonably healthy Oline to run and pass downfield?
Defenses will attack, blitz, run blitz and play downhill against our Oline…
All season long it will be will they smash JW3 before he completes downfield and score
feast or famine
Will our Oline last?
we will go 4-12 because our offensive Lineman sucks”
Kobe Faker
June 6th, 2019 at 2:35 pm
@lord… dude sucked? He’s a journeyman qb for a reason. Unfortunately also beat out our #1 pick. Never plays last year if Jameis does’nt go all off the field jameis and gets suspended and never plays after the suspension if Jameis doesn’t go all on the field Jameis and throw a pass to every cincinatti defender. Was dirk bad for FItz or only bad for Jameis. Does the qb that has the most turnovers of any starter over the past 4 years suck too?
June 6th, 2019 at 3:27 pm
I go to the famous line by my man..Mike Tyson. Everybody has a beautiful
game plan……Until they get hit.
June 6th, 2019 at 5:17 pm
Greg,
FACT! The Bucs receivers lead the NFL in yards after catch when Fitz was in.
NOT FACT!Among last in NFL with Winston.
June 6th, 2019 at 7:19 pm
@ mike and all you jameis has the most turnovers idiots
Andrew luck before he started having injuries for two years led the league in turnovers since he came into league up until the injuries (3-4 years). Do you think he sucks or dumb, or doesnt get it, will never get it etc or are all those negative comments only reserved for black qbs taking #1 overall?
June 6th, 2019 at 10:25 pm
@webster… luck had 9 picks and 3 lost fumbles in year 2 so when was he leading in turnovers? Who has turned it over more than Jameis past 3 years??
June 6th, 2019 at 10:25 pm
4 years?
June 7th, 2019 at 6:21 pm
@ mike reading comprehension is not your strong suit. I said from the time luck was drafted in 2012 until 2015 before his injuries, he led the league in turnovers. Got it?