Surprise!
September 17th, 2019
A few things surprise Joe about this Bucs team still early in the season.
One is, despite a loaded offense at the skill positions, the team is near the bottom rung of offensive yards and only No. 21 in points scored.
That shouldn’t be.
However, the Bucs have a defense, it seems, even though opposing quarterbacks aren’t likely to use their health insurance as a result of playing the Bucs.
The Bucs’ defense won the game last week against the Stinking Panthers and kept the Bucs in the season-opener against the 49ers at the Den of Depression.
And this has been a jarring revelation to folks used to the track meet they witnessed with disgraced former Bucs defensive coordinator Mike Smith, as receivers ran up and down the field unimpeded and seemingly unopposed.
In fact, for Jenna Laine of ESPN, the showing of the defense by the Bucs has been a “pleasant” development.
Pleasant surprise: …Through two games, the Bucs have given up an average of 15 points on defense — sixth fewest in the league — after giving up an average of 34 points in Weeks 1-2 last year. They are also sitting atop the league in red zone efficiency and goal-to-go efficiency, and Shaquil Barrett is currently leading the NFL with 4.0 sacks. Bruce Arians said, “If you’ve ever had the privilege of being on the headset [with Todd Bowles], he’s calling out the plays before they’re run and telling guys, ‘They’re coming.'”
Joe is as geeked as the next guy the Bucs have shown life on the defensive side of the ball. It is still too early for Joe to knight this defense as one of the league’s best.
Of course, Joe would like to see the Bucs suffocate a bad team like the Giants this Sunday. It was awesome to see how the defense totally shut down one of the more dangerous backs in the NFL in Christian McCaffrey last week.
With nine days to prepare for Saquon Barkley, let’s see the defense hold him down. If that happens, then Joe believes the Bucs are cooking with gas.
As Bucco Bruce Arians told his team in the locker room after the win over the Stinking Panthers, “Stack’em up.”
September 17th, 2019 at 12:03 pm
Daniel Jones to start Sunday against the Bucs. Bowles needs to dial up pressure on the rook. Jones looked good in pre season, definitely better than an aged Manning. Go Bucs!
September 17th, 2019 at 12:03 pm
Young Frankenstein – one of the greatest movies of all time! GIVE HIM THE SEDIGIVE!
September 17th, 2019 at 12:03 pm
Stack em up!
September 17th, 2019 at 12:05 pm
Not sure how Bowles can call out plays when the headsets are cut off 15 seconds before the play clock runs out. Unless he is calling it out as the offense is walking up to the line.
September 17th, 2019 at 12:07 pm
Just need to play solid defense. This offense will catch up eventually…I hope!
September 17th, 2019 at 12:08 pm
I am 100 % in agreement with you Joe–shut down the run game and put this green quarterback in his place and I will break my one beer rule.
September 17th, 2019 at 12:14 pm
I guess this would go against the narrative if a team has a sub par pass rush it means the defense is bottom of the barrel tier awful. yeah a pass rush helps. the buccaneers had a good pass rush in the last half of the season last year but the defense wasn’t playing much better even with the pass rush the secondary was getting torched for everything.
September 17th, 2019 at 12:15 pm
Winston will play “Abby Normal”
September 17th, 2019 at 12:19 pm
Is the crowd going to be all giants fans or what? Would be nice to see that change soon
September 17th, 2019 at 12:21 pm
74 Bucs fan:
Where wolf? There wolf. There Castle! šš
September 17th, 2019 at 12:22 pm
Jort14:
Yes it will. There are a ton of a Giant fans coming down for the game.
September 17th, 2019 at 12:34 pm
Tampatown:
That makes me very worried. It must be very demoralizing to see your home field filled with opposing teams fans. Need to start fast and shut them up.
September 17th, 2019 at 12:46 pm
Joet14 – that isn’t ever going to happen UNLESS JW gets replaced (many fan were stoked when Fitz started because hope was restore, though briefly) or JW suddenly plays like Rogers, Manning, Brees,Brady, Mahomes..
Many fans are just done, tired, over Winston after 57 or whatever games… Not paying to see that atrocity while sitting in the baking sun.. NOR would I for FREE!
September 17th, 2019 at 12:47 pm
Easy win for Bucs.
September 17th, 2019 at 1:04 pm
Iām gonna bring some nice knockers to this game
Go Bucs!
September 17th, 2019 at 1:08 pm
show this dukie who’s the sh!t!!!!!!!
GO BUCS!!!!!
September 17th, 2019 at 1:09 pm
Tye Says:
“Many fans are just done, tired, over Winston after 57 or whatever gamesā¦ ”
That’s not true.
When you watch the games on TV…there’s LOTS of fans STILL wearing Winston jerseys to games.
September 17th, 2019 at 1:16 pm
A coming out party for the offense this week would really ignite the fanbase.
Then we can look back and our lack of offense was probably due to the defenses we played in weeks 1&2. Not to mention adjusting to the new scheme.
And we all know their will be one or two crazies calling us Super Bowl contenders if we put it all together this week.
Either way a new Era of Bucs football has arrived and it got me stoked!!! I said it before and I’ll say it again. This gonna be a fun season.
Stack em down and eat em up!!
GOOO BUCS!!!!
September 17th, 2019 at 1:35 pm
Lower the expectations for the offense for a few weeks.
Arians’ 2013 Cardinals didn’t ignite on offense until the second half of the season.
Gruden’s offense stunk in the first half of 2002, but becamse quite efficient and effective in the second half of that season and most importantly, the playoffs (as long as Brad Johnson was behind center).
Chill with the expectations for the offense. Carson Palmer had to adjust and he’d been there and done that.
September 17th, 2019 at 1:43 pm
What knockers…why thank you doctor…
The biggest surprise is Cappa, he is playing well this year. Licht drafted to provide for the 3-4 defence that Smith claimed to want to convert to…
September 17th, 2019 at 1:53 pm
Joet14:
You got that right. As a long time season ticket holder, Iām pretty used to it unfortunately. Itās nothing compared to the Big Sombrero where there were hockey style fights at every home game, some including me š First ten years at the new stadium every seat was a season ticket and there were no opposing fans. Iām lucky where my seats are I really donāt have to deal with it but Iām still ready, willing and able to hand out attitude adjustments when needed.
September 17th, 2019 at 1:58 pm
This has to be an āeverybody to the ball and tackleā when Barkley has the ball, especially the screens. None of our DBs can run with him, so you gotta force the rook to rush his throws
September 17th, 2019 at 2:33 pm
@Swampbuc … “Lower the expectations for the offense for a few weeks”. Let’s see, in 2 games the Bucs offense has scored 3 TDs & 3 FGs (30 points … averaging 15 PPG) and given up 2 TDs & 1 safety (16 points … averaging 8 PPG). And you want to LOWER expectations Swampbuc? Not hardly.
This Bucs’ offense is perfectly capable of putting up an average of 24-25 or so PPG. And very probably higher than that. Last season we AVERAGED 24.75 PPG, and we SHOULD have a better offense right now. Our OLine SEEMS to be playing better, our running game is averaging over 100 YPG, and we’ve still got some top-flight WRs & TEs. What’s holding them back you ask?
Well, it seems to be fashionable to blame the new OC if you read all JBFers comments. And there’s a decent chance that Byron’s part of the reason. IMO he neutered Jameis after his Game 1 performance. ME13, Perriman & OJ haven’t faired any better. And yet the neutering resulted in a WIN. Definitely simplified the game-planning and play-calling. Will it work against the Giants? Decent probability that it will IF the Bucs defense plays like it has been playing. Will it work against teams like the Rams, Titans, Falcons, Colts (all are on our schedule)? I doubt it. 200 passing yards & 100 rushing yards PROBABLY won’t cut it against high-flying offenses.
September 17th, 2019 at 2:54 pm
But this is why it was silly with the almost wholesale changes to keep droning on about how bad the D would be ;-P
September 17th, 2019 at 3:44 pm
Riddle…..Why does Jason jump in the pool when the Bucs win at home?
To put out the Gumpster Fire
September 17th, 2019 at 4:29 pm
@Dewey
Situation combined with personnel
September 17th, 2019 at 4:29 pm
Ghost of Darrell Henderson: Iād rather have the GM we have now than you as our GM. P.S.: Darrell Henderson has 1 carry for zero yards.
September 17th, 2019 at 4:32 pm
@Dewey
Situation combined with personnel lets him know what they are going to do
September 17th, 2019 at 5:22 pm
Hah I was just thinking about Young Frankenstein earlier today. The mentioning of last years defense does raise a similar reaction to Frau BlĆ¼cher
September 18th, 2019 at 7:14 am
Horse screaming….
September 18th, 2019 at 9:47 am
TampaTown Says:
September 17th, 2019 at 1:53 pm
Joet14:
You got that right. As a long time season ticket holder, Iām pretty used to it unfortunately. Itās nothing compared to the Big Sombrero where there were hockey style fights at every home game, some including me š
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How about going to a home game where there aren’t enough fans to get in fights? Been there plenty of times. Not fun.