Five Things
November 4th, 2019
Yes, it’s a depressing morning in Bucs land. The quicker we start the surgery, the quicker it will end.
Offense Not The Problem
Is the offense perfect? No, but it’s damn good.
It was cool to see Ronald Jones get more of a workload yesterday than plodding Peyton Barber. Jones’ speed gave the Bucs something of a threat. Still, Joe is waiting for that true breakaway run that strong backs make.
Jones’ speed kept the Seahawks on their toes but his longest run was just 16 yards. OK, but nothing to get crazy about. Jones finished with 18 carries for 67 yards (3.7 per carry) and a touchdown.
The Bucs, of course, scored 34 points and are now fourth in the NFL in points per game at 28.8.
Unlike last year when the Bucs could move the ball between the 20s but couldn’t score, this year the Bucs are scoring. And there is only one stat more important than scoring. That’s wins.
Usually, you can’t win unless you score. The rotten Bucs pass defense is proving that you can’t win even when you can score. Nice!
Of the top 10 teams in scoring, only the Bucs have a losing record. Sweet!
Breshad Perriman Woke Up
Joe is just going to guess that Bucco Bruce Arians really chewed Perriman’s tail last week. Perriman not only played yesterday like he belonged on an NFL roster, he played like a stud, which came as quite a shock to Joe.
That touchdown catch he made off a bobbled pass was 100 percent hustle by Perriman. Funny that a heads-up play like that came less than a week after a former Bucs starter who is now a popular local sports radio personality called Perriman “lazy.”
Props to Perriman for showing up. Finally.
Free Justin Watson
Is Scotty Miller related to Bruce Arians or Byron Leftwich somehow? That’s the only reason Joe can fathom why Miller is even on this roster. What exactly has he done to get so many more targets?
Joe heard Rondé Barber on the FOX broadcast yesterday claim Miller running out of the end zone and trying to come back in for a touchdown catch (which cost the Bucs a touchdown) was a rookie mistake.
Bulls(p)it! When is the last time you saw a rookie do that? Last time Joe checked, NFL football fields are the same length and width as a college field and a high school field. What Miller pulled was flat out undisciplined and playing with his head up his rear.
Rookie mistake? Joe’s rear end.
And what is going on with Justin Watson? At least he has enough common sense to play within the white lines. Dude graduated from Penn. He knows better.
Man, Watson must really be in Arians’ doghouse.
Rookie Finally Shows Up
Joe was really beginning to sweat that the No. 5 overall pick, middle linebacker Devin White, was going to join a long list of high draft picks in Bucs history to be afterthoughts.
But yesterday, White finally played like a No. 5 overall pick. Despite a little sloppy tackling and a painful, 38-yard pass interference penalty in the end zone late in the first half, White had 12 tackles, six solo, a half-sack, two quarterback hits and two forced fumbles.
That was a full day.
White’s play made the front two levels of the Bucs really have a decent game. Juxtaposed against that rancid secondary of the Bucs, it shows just how bad that secondary really is.
Despite the Bucs now having a pass rush, and despite the Bucs having an elite rush defense (still No. 1 in the NFL), the secondary is really dragging this team down.
So props to White for finally coming around. Let’s hope Sunday’s play was just a sign of things to come. The Bucs need all the help they can get with the secondary being so bad.
The Pathetic Secondary
In 2016, the Bucs narrowly missed the playoffs. Tampa Bay fans across the globe were excited because it appeared the Bucs finally had turned the corner, had an offense to be proud of for a change with a young gunslinger quarterback.
Good times.
Ever since, this team has been lousy. A lot of folks #BlameJameis. And that chorus has only grown louder by the week.
But what is the common denominator with the Bucs’ going south since those heady days of 2016? For the past three seasons the pass defense has been an embarrassment to sober and drunk people alike.
Joe was worked up by it yesterday but it was rage that was too late. The Bucs season was over, and the rotten secondary is a blessing. The Bucs need to stack up the losses to get a decent draft pick.
The Bucs made their bed with this secondary. They chose not to go get a veteran or two, experienced defensive backs to help this young group and give it depth or a bonafide starter.
Arians proclaimed the secondary this summer “totally fixed.” Yeah, fixed like a mongrel from the alley.
If the Bucs (read: Arians) are not just giving lip service to still wanting to win games (why win now?), then the organization was downright negligent in upgrading the secondary at the trade deadline.
Jenna Laine of ESPN noted yesterday the defensive backs were totally gassed. Well, who decided not to sign veteran depth, other than Andrew Adams at safety?
The Bucs had a rotten secondary and tried, for reasons unknown, to brush the dirt under a rug and pretend they didn’t have major problems. The decision to stand pat with this pathetic group single-handedly Pearl Harbored the season and a chance at the playoffs when a path had cleared to make a wild card run in the NFC South.
There were opportunities to upgrade, don’t tell Joe there were not. It was the Bucs who decided that they were comfortable and content with one of the worst secondaries in the NFL.
And, in the words of Arians, that’s a damn shame.
Some would say negligent.
November 4th, 2019 at 9:06 am
Totally fixed. Love it. Can’t understand how we just have not evaluated any talent well in our secondary outside of Jordan Whitehead
November 4th, 2019 at 9:08 am
1. Jamal Dean
2. Jamal Dean
3. Jamal Dean
4. Jamal Dean
5. Todd Bowles for playing Dean
The picture says it all
November 4th, 2019 at 9:08 am
Lovie was Tennessee Ready and BA Totally Fixed Everything…. At least as bucfans we have somewhat entertaining failures in charge year in and year out.
November 4th, 2019 at 9:10 am
Wilson is damn good. The secondary was way over matched. The O was pretty good but got a lucky 7 with the Periman catch and got an extra gift 4 points with the roughing the passer on 3rd down which led to Rojos run so lucky it was close. JW was good but Matt Schwab put up 500 yards against this team last week. Thought the O line played well and Vea looks great.
November 4th, 2019 at 9:10 am
Here is the most frustrating part for me…..the players in the secondary are either too green or just simply not good enough. That’s a huge issue that will get addressed in the second half of season by just playing them and seeing who has a future and who doesn’t. Time will tell and we have to get value out of second half of the season at this point by seeing who is part of the future (or not).
My bigger issue is that we make NO adjustments AT ALL by playing more zone or at least putting the safety over the top of Metcalf in the 4th quarter. Deen was clearly in over his head…..why not help the kid and make the adjustment as this commitment to JAIL BREAK blitzes is obvious and only of limited effectiveness. Can’t the coaches SEE this?
November 4th, 2019 at 9:16 am
I’m with you Joe! As I said on previous posts, if we can see from our couches that Dean was running like he was dragging an anchor, why couldn’t one of the thousand coaches on the sidelines? There had to have been at least a cheerleader available with fresh legs to spell the kid. Awful to keep a rookie in who was totally gassed. Talk about pressure. That’s on the coach, not on the rookie who was playing as fast as he could. Can’t win in the NFL with an all child secondary.
November 4th, 2019 at 9:19 am
JOe – Again- Is not ONLY the pass defense- Its a COMBINATION of things wich includes the pass defense. Is QB AND PASS DEFENSE and also management and also bad drafts and also coaching…….Its not one or the other!!!!
November 4th, 2019 at 9:20 am
Devin White will be a great Buccaneer.
Yes, where is Justin Watson & where is Ryan Smith…..I am becoming convinced he is our best CB (sad)
The lack of veteran leadership in our secondary is obvious….
We can blame Dean…..sure, but if not him, there would be others getting burnt.
November 4th, 2019 at 9:23 am
The Bucs defense is worse than when Lovie Smith was here and worse than last year. There is a common denominator with all three coaches.
November 4th, 2019 at 9:27 am
Served at fort Lewis in Tacoma Washington and from Florida and it’s real that I noticed I got gassed much more easily there not at the same time when you’re in shape you catch you wind easily also. Maybe it was bad that after all the travel it ended there in Seattle. Having said that no excuses for this team, worst defense past defense I’ve ever seen you still have Ryan Smith on the bench who had more exclusive than any corner on the team. This coaching staff is convinced of its superior knowledge even during all the losing.
BA is not the coach we knew from Arizona, this BA is still retired and he’ll get embarrassed yet again by his former team playing against a rookie quarterback and it will be second biggest blow to his ego, the first will be a blowout to Atlanta to end up in the nfc basement. No need to keep him id he won’t call plays.
This isn’t the Tampa bay Buccaneers, it’s the Arizona Jets with their worst attributes
November 4th, 2019 at 9:28 am
Not good enough…this ain’t horseshoes or hand grenades…we saw the standard for winning in the Seahawks yesterday …and it can be seen in other teams as well..I am only addressing the offense
November 4th, 2019 at 9:28 am
D-Rome Says:
November 4th, 2019 at 9:23 am
The Bucs defense is worse than when Lovie Smith was here and worse than last year. There is a common denominator with all three coaches.
yes there is Retiring On Active Duty is what it is called!!!!!
November 4th, 2019 at 9:30 am
Sorry for the typos guys but still someone should email the picture in this article to licht, I’m tired of watching receivers grandstand on this secondary.
November 4th, 2019 at 9:32 am
I’ll bite. I’ll lay the over that Winston commits at least 2 turnovers next week against the Cards. I can’t wait to hear that they’re not his fault. You know, receivers ran the wrong routes, the ball was slick, etc, etc. He’s due. Love the team but Hyde had a game this week. Jackyl is gonna show.
Only reason why I bring this up is because game will be close. We’ll still lose. If only we had a defense that could overcome those Winston mistakes…
It’s like reading a comedy reading this stuff.
November 4th, 2019 at 9:36 am
tmaxcon,
You say it all the time and it’s true, “Paid Glazer vacation.”
November 4th, 2019 at 9:38 am
Vern wasn’t tremendous (again) either
If you DVR’d the game check him out with 8:30 left in the first quarter. Apparently afraid to get his uniform dirty.
Couldn’t cover the slot.
Dean is a rookie. Getting his first real PT against arguably an MVP candidate. Vern is a first round pick in year four, who has gotten eaten up by backup QBs for four the last four weeks.
Lol, when Ronde said yesterday “ Hargreaves gets him self in the trail position…” translation. His man just ran right by him.
November 4th, 2019 at 9:40 am
Can someone do a welfare check on Realist?
November 4th, 2019 at 9:44 am
Tampabaybucfan Says:
November 4th, 2019 at 9:20 am
Devin White will be a great Buccaneer.
Damn dude way to give out free passes for mediocrity lol white was the wrong pick and will be playing with horses in 3 years…. facts you can count on
November 4th, 2019 at 9:44 am
You forget that the Bucs have a Veteran CB already on the Buc’s Roster. However, the Bucs have to give Rookie CBs some real NFL experience and that is just what Dean got yesterday. He was better covering speedy WRs yesterday but needs more development on how to be effective and still not commit penalties and how to tackle. We are not going to the playoffs this year but we need to take this time to train our young, talented CBs how to play top teams and at the same time let Jameis prove he can consistently put up enough points to win each game next year yet get us a top draft pick for a great LT in 1st round and a good young pass rusher in the second round. That way we could move D. Smith to RG next year and train Cappa to replace Dotson who had. a good game yesterday. Just ignore the haters. Licht got us a good returner, Cappa, a good Place Kicker, and most of the players who scared a good veteran NFL Winning Team, so get off Licht’s back.
November 4th, 2019 at 9:46 am
Licht has spent so many draft picks on DBs and none of them are studs.
I’m so scared for our chances with Licht and his scouting department picking more DBs.
I’d have taken Josh Allen or Ed Oliver at 5, and Greedy in the 2nd.
I understand Devin White is a fine player, but we spent a top five pick on a Mike LB in a passing era! And we took lesser known CB prospects over the SEC corner w speed.
I wouldn’t question the DB picks if we could actually cover somebody!
We are bad at passing game football. Bad.
November 4th, 2019 at 9:46 am
White did not have a good game. Just because you make a bunch of tackles way past the LOS does not mean anything. How many tackles did he miss that turned into first downs?
November 4th, 2019 at 9:48 am
Does White have the shortest arms in the NFL?
November 4th, 2019 at 9:51 am
Yesterday was like the Tampa Yankees going against Charlie Morton or Blake Snell-secondary was way overmatched
Bucs do need an elite corner to go with a healthy Davis and hopefully someday healthy J Evans
But Jameis turnovers have been just as much a constant as poor secondary play.
Let’s see if he can play winning football consistently.
November 4th, 2019 at 9:53 am
5 things
Corner 1
Corner 2
Free saftey
Strong saftey
Nickel
Our unit makes up the worse unit in the league Vh3 is now stealing money and loafing
November 4th, 2019 at 9:54 am
I believe that Arians is a good HC. I believe that Bowles is good DC. So I have to conclude that the Bucs roster on D stinks. And that is borne out by what we see on the field. When even my wife was saying, “Hey that dude with the red arms seems to be running a lot”, I have to assume that Bowles just couldn’t get Dean any help. How can a team be this bad year after year? Even in the middle of the third quarter, I was certain they would lose. Weren’t you?
November 4th, 2019 at 9:57 am
Dean is the scapegoat. He’s a freaking rookie who made at least one great play to go with his education of getting burnt repeatedly. He is learning!!! Can he learn enough? I agree that he needs to play the second half of the season so we can find out.
We already know about VHG’s limitations. He’s gone unless the entire league has been watching and he gets no decent offers. I’d keep him for depth or 3rd DB if he’d play for a reasonable amount. Reality he is literally no more valuable than our rookies.
Again as Buc fans it’s easy to allow our frustration to cloud our judgement. We seem to rarely give it up to a team or player who simply BEAT US! We are 2-6. IMHO we were only whipped twice. We LOST 4 of those six and were whipped the other two. NO is a better team right now…we might as well face that. Seattle is a good not great team and we matched up well with them talent wise.
Our secondary sucked! Seattle’s secondary also sucked as Ronde pointed out. Carson is a better runner than ROJO right now…after that it boiled down to QB as if frequently does in games between evenly matched teams.
JW played well…Wilson played GREAT. Give him his props…he is en fuego as they used to say on SportsCenter. He’s like a younger more athletic Brady.
We were whipped yesterday by a QB who is the MVP the first half of this season.
What we did well…Logan seems to have solved our kick return woes…Gay likewise with our FG’s…JW played within himself and his decision making was clearly improved…ROJO continues to at least flash some ability…and White has appeared to regain his health and is worth his 1st round pick!
In the past two weeks White has THREE forced fumbles…two could have been…perhaps should have been…game changers.
Chris Carson was the fourth fastest running back at his combine just .09 slower than McCaffery and yet despite a big head start White ran him down from behind and clearly saved a TD.
We are only half way through the season and yet so many of you are ready to throw the baby out with the bathwater!!!
November 4th, 2019 at 10:04 am
Scotty Miller is getting better honestly. He blocked pretty good. Who doesnt remember Vincent Jackson doing the same exact thing years ago and he was far from a rookie. Once he gets touches he’ll play better
November 4th, 2019 at 10:14 am
Its not all the secondarys fault. Seattle gave up 335 yards passing and the bucs didn’t even get any plays in OT. Its Bowles his defense with the jets was not that great. Need to dump Arians and Bowles and hire Kris Richards to do both jobs. Because Arians is not doing anything but yelling, pointing fingers and challenge plays.
November 4th, 2019 at 10:16 am
Jmark- Lots of people bagging on Dean today. Of course, we all forget that Davis was injured and he was forced to play. So, there’s that. Also, people keep talking about VHIII in the Nickel and he can’t even cover there! At one point in the game, 3 of 4 in the secondary were rookies. Oh, and playing against a QB having a career-year.
The Bucs should have addressed this position with at least one veteran FA.
November 4th, 2019 at 10:20 am
Should of drafted derwin James and greedy williams
November 4th, 2019 at 10:24 am
Each game a different part of this team sucks
SF-The offense and Jameis give it away
NYG-The secondary and coaching lost the game
Saints-Jameis, the offense and soft secondary lost it
Panthers-Jameis lost it by turning it over
Titans-Jameis and the awful coaching lost it
Seattle-Secondary and coaching lost it
So much for the coaching being a improvement with Arians
November 4th, 2019 at 10:30 am
As Ira said, you know it when you see it….. Wilson can carry a team with a horrid secondary and a defense that isn’t much better. Winston has more talent on the offensive side of the ball and couldn’t hold a candle to Wilson. Sorry, I know it’s the don’t blame Winston story yesterday….. but when you watch Seattle and what there D looks like Wilson is doing everything Winston can’t.
November 4th, 2019 at 10:43 am
There are very few players in this league who could make that play White made……the Seahawk RB had a head start….White was tied up at the line…..but chased him down and….I can’t remember a punch that hard to force the fumble.
November 4th, 2019 at 10:44 am
I thought that was Leftwich’s best game. He called a great game in my opinion. Nice mix. It was nice to see Jameis complete 65% of his passes. I still think there were 3 plays that were typical Jameis. The fumble, what should have been an interception in the end zone and the fumble on the next drive at the one yard line. He got away with 2 of them, but if those 2 plays go the other way….
I think that’s the problem with Jameis. It’s 2-4 plays every game. If we would have lost those 2 turnovers, the offense scores 20 points instead of 34. I’ve always thought Jameis has all the potential in the world, but he has mind lapses every game.
November 4th, 2019 at 11:08 am
6 things.
many of us never even finished watching the game…..the result was evident. They got 7 Sundays this year because of BA………….
Change the turnover machine or no more again next year
November 4th, 2019 at 11:13 am
StPete … THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. It gets so tiring reading comments from so many who do nothing but constantly piss & moan about our Secondary. Todd Bowles was given a Mission Impossible … transform a bunch of 22 & 23 year olds barely out of college into a pro-caliber Secondary with ZERO field leadership to help them make the transition & guide them. What could possibly go wrong? Well, we’re looking at it.
Yesterday ROOKIE ILB Devin White played all but one defensive snap (74) & was credited with 12 tackles (6 solo), 2 QB Hits, 1/2 sack, & 2 forced fumbles. And oh ya, he also saved a TD with his hustle … very impressive speed IMO. ROOKIE CB Sean Murphy-Bunting played every defensive snap (75) & contributed 3 tackles (2 solo) & looked relatively solid in pass coverage. ROOKIE S Mike Edwards finally made it back onto the field (possibly prematurely?) for 19 def snaps & got 1 solo tackle.
ROOKIE CB Jamel Dean was on the field for 58 def snaps (77%) and got picked on mercilessly by one of the best QBs in the NFL. He got burnt a number of times, but it took several near perfect throws by Wilson to accomplish that. Dean had FOUR passes defensed (Whitehead had ONE PD & JPP had ONE PD also) & he also had 5 solo tackles. I’m still wondering if his knee is 100% though because he didn’t look anywhere near a 4.3 time like he’s supposed to have.
I’d challenge anyone to look at the other NFL teams & see if any team had FOUR ROOKIE LB/Secondary on the field at the same time yesterday. Those a SKILL positions & it’s rare to find even TWO ROOKIES on the field at the same time. We had FOUR, combined with Whitehead (a 2nd year Safety) and VHIII (the ‘veteran’ of the group). Instead of pissing & moaning, we all need to be looking for GROWTH in these guys. Even D-Rome wasn’t built in a day.
November 4th, 2019 at 11:27 am
White played like a #5 pick yesterday? News to me.
Maybe he played like a #50 pick.
Have we seen some improvement? Yes. Is he still a rookie? Yes. Was he a reach at #5? Definitely still looks that way.
November 4th, 2019 at 12:09 pm
Unbelievable … Please point to THE GAME where our #1 pick of 2015 played like a #1 pick. The team around you can easily make a early-round pick look like nothing more than an average player. White started Game 1 sick, then missed almost all of Game 2 with an injury, plus games 3, 4 & 5. So for all practical purposes, he’s really got THREE games under his belt in the NFL. Personally don’t care if some think he was a reach at #5; he’s OUR starting ILB & like you said, is showing ‘improvement’ THAT’S what I care about the most. Same with our youngsters in the Secondary.
November 4th, 2019 at 12:54 pm
Defense Rules
you kill me…. you are truly an entertaining dinosaur with no clue but thank you…. thank you, so much. you are true role model for why living in the past is so a bad thing…..
#SaveAmericaNationalMandatoryMaximumAge65
November 4th, 2019 at 12:57 pm
D.R.
answer me this fine sir, back when you and ST Pete were Jousting on dinosaurs during recess did you actually see the first wheel the caveman made???? What was your record time starting the family fire with flint?
November 4th, 2019 at 2:22 pm
Joe, was that a “Hoosiers” reference? All football fields are the same size…Lol. You should have thrown up a pic of Gene Hackman.
November 4th, 2019 at 2:22 pm
I’m glad that Eugene Marve Jr. is picking it up, but he has a long way to go to justify being picked at 5 (!) overall. I hope he gets there and makes me look like a fool. No one can blame Lovie anymore for Licht’s failures and he is responsible for every horrible player that we have in the secondary. Ship his a$$ to Siberia.
November 4th, 2019 at 2:59 pm
tmaxcon … Entertaining dinosaur? Jousting on dinosaurs? Wow, I now realize that I’ve give you too much credit all these many, many, many years. All this time I thought you were commenting about American football; silly me. Now I realize that your comments have nothing at all to do with football.
NOW comments like “At least as bucfans we have somewhat entertaining failures in charge year in and year out” start making sense. Thanks for the enlightening me. I’ll try harder in the future to be as optimistic a Bucs’ fan as you are.
November 4th, 2019 at 3:31 pm
Defense Rules Says:
relax don’t be a think skinned millennial I am just busting your nuts sir!!!!!!
but can you please tell us what a full back was
November 4th, 2019 at 11:45 pm
Scrolled through comments….. My NET: How many points are needed by Offense, to Win, with this D? And for everyone begging for a Rookie QB…. Expect 3-10 Pts/game. Good luck!!!