Secondary A Primary Asset (Today)
November 24th, 2019
Key game.
Joe wouldn’t have believed it.
If someone would have told Joe the Bucs’ embattled secondary would record 16 passes defended before today’s game, Joe would have responded, “What, the rest of the season?”
The secondary, a colossal sieve most of the year, clearly had its best game today at Artie’s Ark in downtown Atlanta (and Joe wonders if the result will be the final nail in the coffin for Falcons coach Dan Quinn?).
Yes, the figure above is true. The Bucs had 16 passes defended, five each by corners Carlton Davis and Jamel Dean.
If this is the way the pass defense responds led by two young corners, the Bucs just may have something in the secondary. The Bucs held Matty Ice and his dangerous receivers to 271 yards until Matty Ice was pulled late in the game. That may not be great but given how the Dixie Chicks and Matty Ice have roasted the Bucs’ defense in recent past, 271 yards is extraordinary.
Matty Ice was pulled late in the fourth quarter. When is the last time the Bucs defense forced an opponent to wave a white flag and pull a Pro Bowl quarterback?
Of course, it helps that the Bucs had six (!) sacks. In years’ past, that’s a full season. Linebacker Devin White had two, one of which came when he raced up the middle on a blitz. It was the first Joe saw of this despite Bucs coach Bucco Bruce Arians trumpeting in August this was going to be a mainstay of the defense.
“They have some playmakers,” Bucs rookie safety Mike Edwards said. “We shut them down, for the most part.”
Now was this just a fluke or is this the real Bucs’ defense we’ve been hearing so much about from practices?
Today was the lowest point total the Bucs have held an opponent to since the second week of the season when they beat the Stinking Panthers.
If the Bucs’ secondary plays like this, the Bucs’ defense could be special.
November 24th, 2019 at 6:35 pm
Two Auburn Tigers shutting down two Bammer WRs
November 24th, 2019 at 6:36 pm
Helped tremendously that Julio Jones was hurt too!!
November 24th, 2019 at 6:38 pm
Don’t cream your britches just yet… much to prove.
November 24th, 2019 at 6:39 pm
Joe I saw Dean was on the field most of game. Does that mean we played all man? Since he can’t cover zone?
Or do you think there is more yo that then meets the eye?
November 24th, 2019 at 6:41 pm
Tandyman…..maybe he wasn’t just hurt. Maybe we hurt him. Like we did to Barkley. Like how we ended Cam season.
When this defense comes to play we sure do see a lot of injures on the other side.
November 24th, 2019 at 6:42 pm
We could of folded and let the Falcons have 3rd place. I’ll take a victory anytime.
November 24th, 2019 at 6:48 pm
Typical Bucs win.. too little too late. Atlanta stinks. SB winner not coming out of NFC South.
November 24th, 2019 at 6:48 pm
we may just be a qb and 2 or 3 players away from haing a chance at a winning season next year!
If they struggle against the Jags next week, i’ll begin to wonder if the Bucs aren’t just a dome built team…
November 24th, 2019 at 6:53 pm
Be happy for the win and the way the BUCS played. But keep the negative posts coming. smh
November 24th, 2019 at 6:55 pm
Looks to be improving. Might have taken a lot longer than we wanted but it’s better late than never
November 24th, 2019 at 6:56 pm
Getting bad character vh3bust and his piss poor on
field play out of defensive back room was the only hope for growth from young guys…secondary
It’s a shame the win doesn’t count because jameis threw a pick….
November 24th, 2019 at 6:57 pm
Tandyman
What wendy’s drive thru is your boy working????
November 24th, 2019 at 7:00 pm
What a difference ONE FRIGGEN WIN makes in a lot of fans’ attitudes (obviously not all fans).
The Bucs have turned the corner? Five more to go!
November 24th, 2019 at 7:10 pm
Jimbo…..for me is was bigger then just a win. It was the way we played. Solid well rounded football. Notice a major decrease in pentalties?
Defense especially was playing with intensity & that was a large order considering how the offense set them up for failure early.
Seen so many Buc team crumble after bad starts like today and was very encouraged to see this team ruse up.
Granted, it means little if no confidence is gained and we don’t build on this win………But I guess we’ll find out. Far as I’m concerned the team showed us what they’re capable of today and it should be the expectation moving forward.
Of course part of me is skeptical(based on history) but it’s still no reason to not have at least some excitement based on what we saw today.
We blew out the Falcons today. It was dam fun!!
GO BUCS!
November 24th, 2019 at 7:10 pm
Our young DBs looked very good……SMB lead the team in tackles……we had the passes defended which means we were around the receivers all game….we stopped the run and had 6 sacks…..a great performance from our D.
And….very few penalties. I think we only had 3 on our Defense……
November 24th, 2019 at 7:15 pm
If anyone deserved a good game and some positive results it was the Bucs secondary. I was really happy to see Dean and Davis have great games. After seeing the interview after the Seahawks games with Dean I was really hoping all that work would pay off for the young man. He took his a$$ kicking like a man and learned what to do when it happens…… Learn and work harder. It seems like he is and the rest of the secondary is doing the same. Good game guys, you earned an atta boy and a drink!
November 24th, 2019 at 7:41 pm
“SB winner not coming out of NFC South.”
I’m not sure what prompted that remark. The Saints were jobbed out of the SB last year by horrid officiating.
The Saints look as good or better this year. I hate the Saints but I totally respect them. As much as I dislike Payton I have to give it up to he and Brees…
They have a very good DL…can rush the passer..have Lattimore leading a good secondary..and on offense..there’s Brees..Thomas and Kamara…the Saints are loaded why wouldn’t they be able to win an SB? Just askin’.
November 24th, 2019 at 7:50 pm
Happy for the youngsters. They balled out and showed a LOT of promise.
As the Who sang…”The Kids Are Alright”.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afam2nIae4o
November 24th, 2019 at 8:32 pm
I hope we go 9-7. Draft a QB and give JW the franchise tag for one more year. If he can’t limit turnovers we need to go with a stud rookie. He needs pressure to do good things.
ATL is horrible this year, hence why we were playing for last place in the division. Oh and our young defense won that game!!! Build around our young core on D and O…. I want to be the first to play in our own SB stadium!!! Go Bucs, great team win and Godwin is awesome!!!!
November 24th, 2019 at 8:46 pm
Godwin is a stud!
November 24th, 2019 at 9:04 pm
stpetebucsfan
Quoting the who which has a convicted pedophile as main song writer is hypocritical coming from the chairman of the choirboy patrol…. but like any good hypocrite I’m sure you have an excuse why it was ok for Townsends arrest and conviction….
November 24th, 2019 at 9:05 pm
Meanwhile Hargreaves played today–has a (1) PD and a few tackles. Good riddance!
November 24th, 2019 at 9:07 pm
Every one of these kids has talent. But you put four rookie or second year players back there, and there are going to be growing pains. Maybe today is the day the corner was turned.
November 24th, 2019 at 9:09 pm
@joe
check the archives
I compared Chris Godwin to Jerry Rice, 3 years ago!
Teacherman!
November 24th, 2019 at 9:30 pm
Would love to see us be able to stack wins consistently. Just seems like it never happens…. and how can we keep the defensive line together with JPP Suh and Shaq contracts running out at the end of the season? Aren’t we cap strapped? Always feel better when we win but it just never seems to come together…
November 24th, 2019 at 10:00 pm
It looks like Licht nailed the draft this year. All 3 rookie DB’s are contributing. Carlton Davis is one of the top young corners in the NFL. Dean is right there with him. Bunting looks good too. Edwards is playing well and Devon White is everything they hoped he would be. Great job Licht! Go Bucs!
November 24th, 2019 at 10:23 pm
DBs played great today…pass rush helped them out
Future looks good
GO BUCS
November 24th, 2019 at 11:14 pm
If you recall, these young DB’s were the toast of training camp. They were flying around, intercepting balls, deflecting balls, the works. That never materialized in the games because with VHIII they got few snaps. But now with him gone these young guys are showing what we saw this past offseason. This is not a fluke. These young guys are good.
November 25th, 2019 at 6:58 am
Really happy for the DB’s especially the corners. Davis played lights outs . But yougot to redit the entire back 7 , they wee communicating and seemed to be in the right place more often than not.
November 25th, 2019 at 10:49 am
I’m a Tandyman used to be Bucs Fan Says:
November 24th, 2019 at 6:36 pm
Helped tremendously that Julio Jones was hurt too!!
———–
Who hurt him? How was he doing before he got hurt? He lost his battle.
November 25th, 2019 at 10:55 am
teacherman777 Says:
November 24th, 2019 at 9:09 pm
@joe
check the archives
I compared Chris Godwin to Jerry Rice, 3 years ago!
Teacherman!
——————-
And I clamored and prayed the Bucs would take Godwin in round 2 where we took Evans and rejoiced when he somehow fell to round 3. One thing I NEVER did was compare Godwin to Rice, because there is absolutely no comparison there. NONE other than they are both successful WRs. Their games couldn’t be more different. I compared Godwin to a poor man’s Julio Jones before he was drafted… that comparison still holds true… he’s a poor man’s Julio Jones mixed with Hines Ward. Jerry Rice? Not even close. Godwin is not that graceful deep threat that turns slants into 60 and redefines what a WR is supposed to be. Godwin is physically gifted but not like Rice. Few are or have been. What he is is a tough as nails bigger bodied receiver that is a great and willing blocker, great burst and power after the catch, and catches almost anything close to him. I saw somebody comment on another post that Evans might be our best WR but Godwin is our best player. I would have to agree.