Bruce Arians Defines “Soft”
October 8th, 2019
Coach explains.
After the Bucs lost to the Saints Sunday night, Bucs coach Bucco Bruce Arians called out his defensive backs saying, “We’re too soft.”
When a coach calls a defender or a defense “soft,” that’s a major finger-wagging.
So in his weekly sitdown with Arians, Dan Lucas of WFLA-TV Channel 8 asked Arians what he meant when he called his defense soft.
“We let too many balls that are caught in front of us uncontested,” Arians said. “It is almost like we are holding our breath. ‘Don’t throw it at me’ instead of going and getting them.
“We just need to be more aggressive.”
The way Arians defined “soft,” it sounds like the word “scared” is appropriate.
Joe knows one thing: Bucs fans are damn scared when opposing quarterbacks drop back to pass. And frankly, Bucs fans have been seeing this rerun for over two years. What makes anyone think this outfit is going to magically turn things around?
New coaches; same players; same s(p)it; different day.
The Bucs terribly need to add an experienced, competent corner before the trade deadline Oct. 29.
October 8th, 2019 at 10:02 am
Tmaxcon’s labia?
October 8th, 2019 at 10:09 am
Then stop playing 15 yards off the LOS when we are blitzing, it is pitch and catch for NFL QBs Trust your CBs or get rid of them. Cannot understand why Pat P isn’t in the mix right now- the Cardinals should jump at a 2nd and 5th for him, JMO of course.
October 8th, 2019 at 10:12 am
Why not CHANGE OUR LINEUP?
If VH3 or others are playing like crap, then BENCH THEM. Let Bunting start or one of the DBs.
If you play like crap you should lose your starting job and have to sit on the bench awhile to hopefully get your hunger back and willingness to play better when you get another chance.
October 8th, 2019 at 10:15 am
Please play Dean and SmB …it can’t get any worse. Vh3 has plateaud. He is who he is. He hasn’t been the same since Engram a TE burnt him for a score
October 8th, 2019 at 10:16 am
Teams that expect to compete and be in the playoffs do everything they can to go all in for that year. There is a weakness at corner and we all know VH3 isn’t good enough to be here next year we know it they know hes not getting another contract. Dotson is ancient, donovan smith does not play to the whistle. I dont get the fascination with draft picks as if they draft dominant guys with every pick every year. By doing nothing the bucs are essentially saying do not have expectations of playoffs this year because rookies will make a bigger difference for this team and we have to give them time to develop.
BA and Licht dont really want to win this year, they are more concerned with payroll and keeping guys he drafted than actual winning which is why we have no money and a losing record.
October 8th, 2019 at 10:16 am
DBs have to play better but we have to get after the QB…..
eli apple was considered a bust in NYC….came to the saints who have a great pass rush and consistently get after the QB and he’s no longer considered a bust…..
GO BUCS!!!!!
October 8th, 2019 at 10:19 am
Yes switch it up put Dean out there with Davis and then VHIII put his lame but in the slot
October 8th, 2019 at 10:22 am
813
When we did have a pass rush it didn’t matter. Vh3 is not looking at the ball. He is way too concerned about being burnt……he is looking to tackle the guy which leads to him getting toast
October 8th, 2019 at 10:33 am
Patrick Peterson on line #1
October 8th, 2019 at 10:49 am
Bandit
Why not change the lineup?
The only reason I see is that what’s behind what we call starters is even worse.
Let that sink in for a minute.
October 8th, 2019 at 10:50 am
Lamarcus. Yes we were still getting beat even wen we’re getting to the QBs with a rush but it does help. Wen we have a rush getting to the QB wether it’s sacks or hit just making the QB uncomfortable makes our DBs look about average. Take away that same rush an our DBs look like they don’t belong on the college level let alone the NFL. Pass rush an pass coverage goes hand in hand
October 8th, 2019 at 10:50 am
Scared is soft! They are one and the same. Coaches will accept you trying to jump a route and get burned, but they will not accept you standing around waiting for them to make the catch and THEN jump out of the way. That play was a sad moment for the Bucs secondary.
October 8th, 2019 at 10:57 am
Now this is a good point. If a defense is lined up soft, then they will play soft.
October 8th, 2019 at 11:06 am
Playing soft and off the ball, this is the same garbage that got Mike Smith fired. Hard to see this team winning more than 6 games when they make rookie and backup qbs look like Pro Bowlers when they face this Bucs secondary. Early money going heavy on Carolina in the Vegas books (from TB -1 to Carolina by 3 and money line swinging from +120 Carolina to -140), with this secondary and O-line its hard to make a case for the Bucs winning but maybe its a trap game because it seems to obvious that teams have film on how to expose this undertalented secondary and now the OL is banged up. I hope the Bucs show up but London is a place where they have never won so hopefully Bucco Bruce and his staff have not lost this team yet.
October 8th, 2019 at 11:09 am
@Joe … “If a defense is lined up soft, then they will play soft.” I agree Joe, but that begs the question: ‘WHY is Todd Bowles’ defense playing so much like Mike Smith’s defense in terms of ‘cushion’?” You ate Scapegoat Smitty alive for having his guys play too far off as I remember. MIGHT it have been because our corners are too slow? MIGHT it have been that our Safeties were too inexperienced to pick up the slack over the top?
We’ve seen this act before. Ineffective pass rush, slow LBs & corners, inexperienced safeties = getting burnt, continually. MAYBE, just MAYBE, our $55 mil defense … close to the lowest paid in the NFL … really isn’t THAT TALENTED. MAYBE you really do get what you pay for, or at least where you put your priorities.
October 8th, 2019 at 11:09 am
So exactly who is the secondary “savior” out there the Bucs should trade for? SMH
October 8th, 2019 at 11:41 am
lamarcus
thats not true…lol….
remember his pick6?…..plenty of pressure on that play…
even in the CAR game, CAM had to get rid of the ball quick because of pressure….that allowed the DBs to keep everything in front of them and make the tackle….
they didnt give up a TD that game…..
but once the pressure outside of shaq taled off, everyone from VHG to CD to whitehead to MJ got exposed…..
WHY?……because we had no pressure……
GO BUCS!!!!!!
October 8th, 2019 at 11:47 am
#1BUCFAN
THANK YOU!!!!!!
the entire secondary has to play better…..and i’ve been trying to tell folks exactly what you just said….
Wen we have a rush getting to the QB wether it’s sacks or hit just making the QB uncomfortable makes our DBs look about average. Take away that same rush an our DBs look like they don’t belong on the college level let alone the NFL. Pass rush an pass coverage goes hand in hand
ive been saying this since sunday but folks act as if, the rush is there and every other DB holds their man catch-less expect for VHG….lol…all 31points were scored on him, because of him, around him, i front of hi, behind him….lol…
GO BUCS!!!!!!!
October 8th, 2019 at 11:53 am
I don’t know about this (over) emphasis on pass rush. We had some decent D-Line play a couple of games this season and STILL gave up the booty in those games. If not for historic scoring efforts, this secondary would probably rank as one of the worst in the history of the NFL. Pass rush is important, sure, but we have a lack of real dogs at DB. It is what it is so let’s fix that.
October 8th, 2019 at 12:04 pm
Pewter power Says:
October 7th, 2019 at 10:12 am
Db55 no wonder your posts are odd, toy game a problem understanding the English language. No one says the team was soft except you.
————-
Lol.
October 8th, 2019 at 12:50 pm
I miss Brent Grimes.
I dont care if he tackles.
At least he can cover.
October 8th, 2019 at 12:57 pm
Keep in mind, by design, Todd Bowles’ defense puts tremendous pressure on the secondary. In Tony Dungy’s old Tampa Two, the two safeties sat back in deep cover, as well as the middle linebacker, and the corners were responsible for short zones and run support. Pass rush was the sole responsibility of the front four.
In Bowles’ defense, it’s the opposite. Pass rush is generated by throwing everything but the kitchen sink on a blitz, leaving the corners to cover receivers wholly on their own.
While Dungy’s defense didn’t work without elite pass rushers, Bowles defense doesn’t work without elite corners. Our secondary hasn’t decided whether they’re elite or not because they’re so stinkin’ young. It’s their youth being exposed, not their lack of talent.
Unfortunately, because of all of the draft capital used on the secondary AND our cap situation, this is going to be it for this year. We gotta hope the kids grow up fast. We ain’t trading for anyone.
October 8th, 2019 at 1:12 pm
Over 2 years?
Joe we’ve been watching this BS since 2010 if we’re being honest.
When was the last time we actually had a good pass defense, outside of 5 games in 2016?
October 8th, 2019 at 1:41 pm
Danny Jones picked apart this secondary while being subjected to pressure all day. If Vea wasn’t in his lap up the middle, then it was Barrett coming from the edge.
Despite that… the secondary still couldn’t capitalize.
October 8th, 2019 at 4:01 pm
Danny Dimes looks more like Diaper Dan against real nfl teams.
October 8th, 2019 at 7:22 pm
“If you line up soft, you play soft.”
Horsesh#@!
If you’re soft, it doesn’t matter where you line up!
I read over and over again that we need to get rid of the 10 or 15 yd cushion.
Then, sure as spit, the same people calling for no cushion will tell you our DB’S are too slow. If our guys are too slow, let’s get rid of their head start before the snap.. what could go wrong? Some of you must wake up in morning and have two cups of stupid before you leave the house.
Here is something horrible to ponder. Teams are throwing more and more to that 10-15yds zone. Our DB’S are sitting in those areas before the snap and they still have their asses handed to them.
Eliminate the cushion if we give up underneath throws and our DB’S can’t tackle due to ..I don’t know, ,let’s try blindness. At 10 yds off the ball , there’s no way in hell our DB’S shouldn’t have INT’s and occasionally a pick 6.
10 yds cushion is no excuse whatsoever for teams beating us underneath.
Zero. Why so many fans think a cushion is what the opponents look for, ”
10 yds off and teams attack underneath..” I don’t know. Maybe it’s to avoid the problem. Like maybe our DB’S just suck.
If they do. Then put 2 with another 2 (that’s 4) and realize 2 slow + 2 small =4 more draft picks . Moving directly in front of the reciever is going to be touch down after touch down. NO… “the dline just has to get more pressure. .. and press will work. ” it will not.
2+2 …keep repeating it until the idea of its just this or if do that……dies.
I’m not crapping on the players, team or coaches. If they start lining up in press
tomorrow…then let the dueces loose. But they aren’t stupid.
So the options are trade for a vet asap or wait for the guys to improve over time. Or take your panties and yank them as high as possible up your own arse
Over and over. . Losing games suck, losing when the issues were clear prior to the season starting and there’s no options for a quick fix is worse.
These are the coaches everyone wanted and believed in a game or month ago.
They’re the best coaches we’ve had in a decade. So give them the f ing time to fix this problem.
October 8th, 2019 at 9:30 pm
Cool D1,
So we’re on a 36 month installment plan? Again…?
Hope Bruce is still around.