When The Defense Stood Up
December 1st, 2019
Talks goal-line stand.
It was easily the best goal-line stand of the season, and best in a long while.
With the Bucs up 25-11 and backup quarterback Gardner Minshew in for the Jags, giving them new life and energy and raising the Jags faithful in the Gator Bowl alive from the dead, it sure looked like the Bucs were about ready to blow a huge lead and a game they had in the bag.
The Jags had seven shots inside the Bucs-8 to punch the ball in to pull within one score. But no! The Bucs defense hung tight and the threat ended when cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting picked off a Minshew pass.
Game all but sealed.
“Our main thing was getting our energy up,” SMB said. “Go out there and compete after halftime. We couldn’t be satisfied with being up that much. We had to make sure [in the goal-line stand] they couldn’t get in the end zone.”
SMB did not deny some players referenced the choke job against the Giants and that could not be repeated today.
“That is the game you think about,” SMB said.
The Jags tried two runs and five passes when they got a first down at the Bucs-8 with 8:42 left in regulation.
“They get there points here or they don’t get anything,” SMB said.
And they got nothing when on Minshew tried to hit Dede Westbrook on a short pass in the end zone and SMB picked it off.
That is the game you think about.
December 1st, 2019 at 6:12 pm
Loving our Defense. Especially our front 7.
Thank you, Coach Bowles
December 1st, 2019 at 6:13 pm
Forgetting the goal line stand in the Carolina game in carolina?
December 1st, 2019 at 6:15 pm
This was good, maybe in the talk for the beat. But no way is it easily better than the hargraves CMC stop
December 1st, 2019 at 6:20 pm
Hey! Let’s talk about other games! smh
December 1st, 2019 at 6:24 pm
Ref’s really tried to swing that in Jags favor with that call in end zone on David…. What was the line on this game BTW?
December 1st, 2019 at 6:32 pm
7 plays inside the 5, that resulted in no points and a turn over.
Both this and the Panthers game had good goal line stands. I think this one takes the cake on sheer volume of plays ran.
December 1st, 2019 at 6:33 pm
The crazy part is if Minshew makes the correct read they have a easy TD cause Ryan Smith didn’t switch with SMB which left the slot WR WIDE OPEN. Then the narrative is totally different, it’s amazing how little things can change everything. Just like if Mike Evans could ever break a flipping tackle he would have had a huge 70 TD and our offense looks great in the 2nd half. Of course he got tackled then we got stopped on 4th down then they go down and score. Each play matters just a little bit.
December 1st, 2019 at 6:55 pm
That was a momentum killing play. The Bucs needed someone to step up badly and Bunting did big time!! My only question is why didn’t Bowles move him outside to replace Dean instead of Ryan Smith.
December 1st, 2019 at 6:55 pm
Well we always have the SB trophy to hold onto. Great that a few crappier teams are worse.
December 1st, 2019 at 6:57 pm
Gotta start somewhere 37.
December 1st, 2019 at 7:26 pm
Great play by SMB. Great defensive stand. These are the games you build off of.
December 1st, 2019 at 8:36 pm
Still mentally jumping up and down about this game. The Defense is jelling!!!!!!!
December 1st, 2019 at 9:07 pm
The team is jelling
December 1st, 2019 at 11:43 pm
SMB is a lot better in the Slot then Ryan BBC Smith an honestly I can’t say smith played to Bad today gave up a cpl nice plays but stood in strongvv BBC an made some key tackles happy with his play overall he’s our 4th Corner he’s all better then a lot of 4th corners
December 2nd, 2019 at 6:46 am
Now, if someone can teach our DBs to take a knee when they intercept a pass in the end zone….
December 2nd, 2019 at 8:14 am
@TakeaKnee
Yeah, it was nice to see him get a pick but he almost messed it up. In the highlight, you see him clearly step out of the end zone, and then back into it before going back out again. If he had went down when stepping back into the end zone, free points for the Jags. I hope someone points that out to him when reviewing the tape this week.