Bucs Defense No. 7
May 6th, 2020
High-ranking.
Once upon a time in these neck of the woods, the Bucs defense was something to be proud of. Bucs fans beat their chests, patted their hearts and hollered “DEE-fense… DEE-fense… DEE-fense.”
Shoot, Joe remembers there was a T-shirt sold around town just after the Bucs won the Super Bowl, with the state of Florida on a red shirt reading “Defense Wins Championships: Tampa Bay 48, Oakland 21.”
The Bucs sacked Oakland quarterback Rich Gannon five times and picked him off five times with three of those picks getting housed.
Of late, there has been little to be proud of about the Bucs defense, except last year when reigning NFL sack king Shaq Barrett had 19.5 sacks and the run defense was best in the NFL.
For way too long, the Bucs defense, rather than making fans boastful, made fans hide their heads in towels and look away as if some mobster was torturing one of their friends right in front of them. The defense, at times, was a complete horror show beyond imagination. Stephen King watched the Bucs defense and was afraid to sleep at night.
Joe still doesn’t know how one of the Glazer family members didn’t pull a Bobby Knight and toss a luxury box chair onto the field. It was outrageously bad!
It was horrid when defrocked defensive coordinator Jim Bates was still around, much worse when Lovie Smith stole the Glazers’ money took a job here. And the defense plummeted to unthinkable depths under disgraced defensive coordinator Mike Smith.
It’s funny. We are supposed to go to grocery stores and bars and keep a distance from others of at least six feet. No one knew it at the time, but Mike Smith’s cornerbacks practiced social distancing long before anyone knew the term.
Joe guesses you could say Mike Smith was a trailblazer.
Last year, the Bucs defense was damn near dominant at times in the final handful of games. In fact, the way the defense played against playoff-bound Houston, it seemed like the good ol’ days when Sapp and Brooks and Barber and Rice and Lynch were raising hell.
Well, Martin Fenn (no, not Martin Fennelly) of Bleacher Report ranked each team’s defense as we sit some four months from opening day. He ranked the defense surprisingly high at No. 7. And Fenn believes a big reason why is… the quarterback. Yes, Tom Brady.
In 2019, [the Bucs defense] inherited the worst average starting field position, per Football Outsiders. But New England’s defense, with Brady under center, inherited the best starting field position.
Brady is one of the best game managers in football, and he will be surrounded by a plethora of talent, including wide receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, at the skill positions. That should mean long drives and plenty of scoring, which bodes well for Tampa’s defense.
Now that’s an interesting angle.
Here Joe thought Fenn was going to say Antoine Winfield will make the young secondary even better by filling the biggest hole on the defense. He could and should, but Joe wants to see the rookie on the field before making any bold predictions like that.
Yes, the young corners got better last year in the final six games or so (Joe has to wonder if a large part of that was the reborn pass rush). That needs to carry over this season.
Joe has high hopes for the defense. The front seven is excellent. And if the defense really is No. 7, Joe has a hunch the Bucs will (finally) be playing a meaningful game in mid-January for a welcome change.
May 6th, 2020 at 8:06 am
Very interesting stat. Would love to see a turnaround in this area.
May 6th, 2020 at 8:11 am
The worst average starting field position?
How could that be?
tickrdr
May 6th, 2020 at 8:12 am
About 7 slots too high. Really young injury prone secondary.
May 6th, 2020 at 8:19 am
Where is my Kool Aid!
D at #7 and if the offense stays anywhere near #3, then the Bucs are having one heck of a year!!!
May 6th, 2020 at 8:24 am
The QB problem putting the defense in bad positions???? The “real” fans have been saying that for years!!!!!!!! Looks like another epiphany for the sheep, that the “real” fans told them years ago!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It’s time for the sheep to be herded, and put back in the pen!!!!!!!!!!
and for those keeping score!!!!!!!!!!!
Loser Frazier 25.6 Points Allowed per Game (16 games)
Loser Lovie – 26.1 Points Allowed per Game (16 games)
Coach Smitty -24.97 Points Allowed Per Game ( 37 games)
mark duffner – 26.45 Points Allowed Per Game ( 11 games)
toilet bowles – 28.1 Points Allowed Per Game ( 16 games)
Pretty telling stats that the local media and sheep will never say or talk about !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sad how the local media and sheep fell hook, line, and sinker to the “all they need is to be coached up”!!!!!!!! even 813Buffoon now “REALIZES”!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
2019 revealed answers to the sheep, that the “real” fans already knew!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
May 6th, 2020 at 8:25 am
Field position and turnovers matter……Devin White will be a monster…..
May 6th, 2020 at 8:39 am
@ El Dip Sh!t, that 28.1 points per game includes the 7 pick 6’s that were thrown. So not including field goals where the opposition started in field goal territory because of INTs the Bucs D gave up 25 ppg, not great but an improvement for sure but let’s keep throwing up stats with no context like Nfog continuously like to do….
May 6th, 2020 at 8:48 am
El buc realisto – your simple brain lacks the cognitive ability to have any kind of a nuanced thought. Great job going on google and pulling up the PPG averages that any 8yr old can do, we are all extremely impressed. Before this morning, I was not aware of this and I feel good about the rest of my day knowing that you have truly enlightened me with such a profound statistic. Dildo.
May 6th, 2020 at 8:48 am
Short fields?
Giants game TD drives: 75, 75, 80, 75 (4 drives over 75 yards)
Loss
Seattle game TD drives: 75, 60, 85, 75, 75 (4 drives over 75 yards)
Loss
Rams game TD drives: 50, 75, 75, 75 (3 drives over 75 yards)
Win (Jameis NFC player of the week)
NO game TD drives: 75, 75, 75, 91 (4 drives over 75 yards)
Loss
Arz game TD drives: 96, 75, 75 (3 drives over 75 yards)
Jameis accounted for 398 of the total 457 offensive yards
Atl game allowed two 4th quarter drives to tie the game: 37 and 65 neither off of TOs
Loss
May 6th, 2020 at 9:00 am
Realtatdo, using your logic, which has already been decimated in previous comments, you’re saying we should rehire Smith correct? Just come out and say it without all the blather. Then you will reveal to all of us something about yourself that we already know.
May 6th, 2020 at 9:07 am
Nfog, I’m assuming those were all TD drives, I’m also assuming you went through all the games to find these particular drives, so what you’ve illustrated here is that roughly 147 points against the Bucs came on drives longer than 60 yards. So approximately 32% of the points scored against them. Which means roughly 68% of the points scored against them came off TOs or a short field. So again Winston continuously put the D in terrible situations
May 6th, 2020 at 9:13 am
John Lynch knows how to build a defense. Look what it got the 49ers.
Jason Licht built an offense around Winston. Look what it didn’t get the Bucs.
Licht passed on Aaron Donald and Luke Kuechly. He picked Hargreaves and not DL or Edge. He took OJ Howard and not back 7.
May 6th, 2020 at 9:15 am
Ndog you’re a clown you gone post the same thing you did 4x yesterday lol. And by the way it’s a fact about the field position you like facts right?? Yea not facts that don’t fit your narrative color me surprised.
May 6th, 2020 at 9:23 am
Itz beyond stupid to keep touting the “number 1 run defense”. Be honest the Bucs defense was so bad last year a high school team wouldn’t have wasted time running the ball. So why would any NFL team. They threw at will and killed this defense. Our safeties and corners were clueless and weren’t in the same ZIP code as the receivers. Nobody ran so it makes it look like statistically they were good. This is definitely a stats is for losers case. The young corners did improve late in the year and JPP returned the overall D improved. Our safeties are still awful. I hope the Winfield kid fills the Badger role and Evans can come back and be productive as well. Securing our back end could lead to a top level defense.
May 6th, 2020 at 9:31 am
Precious puppy has all the facts… and no understanding. Blameless will rise again… on the bayou. Addition by subtraction is real… just ask McCoy, Benenoch and now Blameless.
May 6th, 2020 at 9:37 am
Itsok- lol ahhh another brilliant comment. Looking at number of rushing attempts doesn’t support the crap your spitting out in the least. You need to look at yards per attempt. You can’t run on Tampa because Vea and Suh are absolutely exceptional at clogging lanes and creating a lush with their strength with allows for our athletic linebackers to run free. The difference between the most rushed against team in the league and the lease is only about 140 attempts. Extrapolate that over 16 games. You’re talking a whopping 8 more attempts per game. This is a negligible stat. Additionally, teams are FORCED to throw against the Bucs because the opposition is staring at 2nd and 10 as opposed to 2nd and 5. Use your brain, do better.
May 6th, 2020 at 9:43 am
I’m simply saying if the defense doesn’t allow those games where they were completely dominaited our record would have been 11-5, it really that simple. I’m not saying one word about anyone else good or bad. Like I stated yesterday I just want the truth to be told and am not going to stand for false narratives no matter who says them. Everyone wants to blame one person for our record last year and I have once again pointed to absolute FACTS that shows if nothing at all changed with the offense (good or bad) that we lost 4 games last year cause or defense was HORRIBLE in those games. So you mean to tell me you guys would have been pissed at an 11-5 record? You want to sit here and say you cannot win with Jameis, well just look at those games and if we had a defense worth anything we would have been 11-5. I am not going to sit here and let you people rewrite history, it not going to happen!!!
May 6th, 2020 at 9:43 am
Now that we have traded in the yugo for a Ferrari at qb, the Bucs should be in good position this year in the race to the playoffs..
The times, they area changing!
May 6th, 2020 at 9:45 am
JP09 assume nothing I look up those to see exact length of drives but I simply looked at those games because I vividly remember how awful our defense was those weeks.
May 6th, 2020 at 9:45 am
The Bucs gave up 449 pts with Winston responsible for 49 of them directly. So subtract 7 picks and the Bucs gave up 400 pts with Winston’s other 23 interceptions.
There were 3 picks that happened at the end of half or end of game vs Saints, Panthers and Texans so that’s 20 picks.
So the Bucs gave up 25 pts per game with Winston averaging a little over 1 pick per game where the defense actually had to defend.
Although Winston contributed to some points the facts are this defense has been bad except for a 5 game stretch in 2016 and a few games to end last season vs Blough, Brisett and Foles/Minchew.
They really have no where to go but up ^^^^^^^
May 6th, 2020 at 9:48 am
Tye you do know the average life span of a Ferrari is 8 years max don’t you? That means we got ours roughly 12 years to late.
Nice try though, NEXT!!!!!
May 6th, 2020 at 9:50 am
All you people who blamed the defense for everything read that really close!!! You can’t win when you make a great play, come off the field, sit down and watch the inevitable pick then go out already exhausted and expected to do it again!! Shaq and White and people who weren’t Winston’s friend for years have told the truth the best they can about how this picks affected them!!!
May 6th, 2020 at 9:51 am
Ok ndog your want your truths told be told ok I get it. But guess what there’s truths on both sides that’s a fact!!! For example your precious 5000 yds you think those happened in a vacuum no situations and circumstances led to that some good but mostly bad get a clue!
May 6th, 2020 at 9:54 am
YoungBucs #3 in points scored bro and every game was close so do all those matter?
May 6th, 2020 at 9:54 am
The problem was in not drafting players to fit the system. All of the DBs drafted were bump-n-run players crammed into a zone system.
Bowles has given them a year to get established in their own style. It brought them into the game.
This season they need to advance and do some in the play plays. Line up in zone and then switch to man coverage right before the ball is snapped.
That will mess with the opposing QB enough for Shaq to get close to that 19.5 again.
May 6th, 2020 at 9:54 am
Seriously they’re talking about average starting field position. And here you go talking about cherry picked random long drives lol. Can you post once about the topic in front of you which is field position?????
May 6th, 2020 at 9:56 am
Sorryjackchuckiesback Says:
May 6th, 2020 at 9:50 am
All you people who blamed the defense for everything read that really close!!! You can’t win when you make a great play, come off the field, sit down and watch the inevitable pick then go out already exhausted and expected to do it again!! Shaq and White and people who weren’t Winston’s friend for years have told the truth the best they can about how this picks affected them!!!
So you don’t think it’s tough on an offense to score and score and score only to see your defense give it right back up over and over and over again?
It goes both ways brother. Just cause the offense is not out running it’s mouth doesn’t mean it didn’t happen on that side of the ball as well.
May 6th, 2020 at 9:57 am
Again ndog the are talking about average starting field position not offensive ranking do you understand??? Can you comment on the topic at hand ???? Or are incapable of doing that ??? Maybe because you have no excuses for it but then again we’re talking about you there’s in excuse for everything 😂
May 6th, 2020 at 10:00 am
Youngbucs Says:
May 6th, 2020 at 9:54 am
Seriously they’re talking about average starting field position. And here you go talking about cherry picked random long drives lol. Can you post once about the topic in front of you which is field position?????
Isn’t talking about just average starting field position cherry picking in an of itself? I’m just completing the entire picture which no one wants you to see so they can pin everything on one person. Can’t you see this by now man? He’s gone I get it but it is ALWAYS slanted towards ripping Jameis ALWAYS and I’m not having it. You think i like coming on here and arguing all the time? But I will be damned if people are going to twist sh!t to for this BS narrative.
May 6th, 2020 at 10:00 am
Precious pup, I would have loved 11-5 and I would have been glued to the TV rooting 100% for a Bucs playoff win… while fearful that Blameless would find a way to sink to his worst with team success on the line just like the final drive of Blameless in Tampa where about 90% of fans had just silently prayed that he not throw another pick 6… when he did.
Move along. The Bayou Backup is waiting in NO.
May 6th, 2020 at 10:07 am
“You’re only as good as your last at bat”.
B- Ol’ Splinter aka Ted Williams.
Ndog-
Jameis just turned it over too much to win. How was Jameis’ last pass as a Buc, first pass as a Buc, and another 86 in between over the past five years: intercepted!
I hope you come around and can enjoy the new day. I still got love for you, bro. You are more stubborn than my dog. Hat tip to you, sir.
May 6th, 2020 at 10:09 am
Ndog,
“Average starting field position” is huge.
Points scored
Turnover margin
Field position
^ those three aspects win games, and Jameis was too volatile. You will see the truth and I can’t wait. Can’t wait- Bart Scott.
May 6th, 2020 at 10:16 am
Jeez NDog…….You didn’t get it all out yesterday? What’s wrong with you?
Look man Jamie’s will have his time and place in discussion. It doesn’t have to be every article. What don’t you learn how to post about other thing about this team. Get over you feeling and talk about the 2020 Bucs.
It’s getting dumb for you to bring up Winston in every article. This is why people are starting to think your a troll.
Just be patient and wait for a Winston article and then vent. I guarantee you Joe has more coming. Stop destroying every conversation and making it about this guy. Just stop trolling us. Genuine plead.
May 6th, 2020 at 10:16 am
Ok ndog what can winston be blamed for???????
May 6th, 2020 at 10:18 am
It’s funny we’re all crazy but you just ignore that he had a turnover problem.
May 6th, 2020 at 10:24 am
Our defense is already on solid footing. We were good at creating turnovers. We we’re great at stopping the run. We can stop teams on the goalline & we can get to the QB. And we make clutch plays.
That’s a lot to build off right there and adding pass coverage help with Winfield should make a difference in that area. If we could see a couple guys get better in year 2 this defense is gonna be Top Ten like the article guesses.
May 6th, 2020 at 10:24 am
I’d say we’re going to be ranked in the top 5 by mid season.
Meanwhile, the butthurt backstabbing fraud of a fan little girl with braces, Ntard, will still be ranked the #1 whiner.
May 6th, 2020 at 10:26 am
So many JBFers are still living in 2019. We had a bunch of new players on defense in 2019 AND a new coaching staff. We all saw the toll that took on the first half of the season. Perfectly understandable IMO. Fast forward 1 year … PLEASE.
No way in he11 do I expect a recurrence of that same 1st half-season scenario. Almost all of our defense has returned, and our coaching staff is intact. Totally different learning curve this year. No reason for this defense to give up even 22 PPG IMO, which would’ve ranked us #15 last year. Personally expect we’ll be BELOW 20 PPG average, which would probably rank us very close to #10 this season. To get into the Top-5 we’d need to be down to probably 18 PPG or less … possible but unlikely this year since we play some very good offenses.
Still, if our offense ranks in the Top-10 AND our defense ranks in the Top-10, there’s no reason we shouldn’t be playoffs-bound. THAT’S what matters. Get in the door then go from there.
May 6th, 2020 at 10:56 am
@Ndog
Look, dont act all high and mighty talking about “not letting false narratives rewrite history” and then only post pro-Jameis stats. Also, stop taking JBF comment sections so seriously lol. Nobody is going to read these comments to learn Bucs “history” lmao.
You posted about 6 games blaming the defense for those outcomes. 2 of them were Wins so idk why they matter. Im also going to exclude the Giants game because the game ended on a Missed FG, cant blame that on either the offense or defense. 2 of the other 3 were before the defense had its turnaround. A turnaround that conveniently happened after they got off of that 7 week road stretch.
The other game (ATL) the D only gave up 1 TD (1st drive of the game). And then 5 fgs. Thats pretty good. You also highlight the last 2 fgs in the 4th Q but left out how the offense went like this is the 2nd half.
Missed FG
Missed FG
Punt
Punt
And then ofc u conveniently left out the game ending on a pick-6 in OT.
When the Defense turned around in the last part of the season, lets say the Saints game week 11, the Bucs went 4-3 in that stretch. 2 of those losses you can squarely put on the Offense. Houston and Atlanta week 16 and 17. Defense gave up a combined 2 TDs in those games.
The 3rd Loss, Saints week 11, the Saints scored 13 of their 34 on drives that started in their territory. The other 21 came on short fields and a pick 6.
My point is it goes both ways. Dont throw out the narrative “if Winston had a good defense they would win more games” because when the defense was playing well the team still lost key games because of the offense.
For as easy as you can say “the team would have won 3 more games if the defense played better” ‘history’ can just as easily say “the team would have won 3 more games if the offense played better”.
May 6th, 2020 at 11:07 am
Sorry Ndog…Jameis will never play on a team, starting 16 games and end up with a 11-5 record. His Interceptions and fumbles will cost at least three or four games. And the rest of the team would have to be nearly perfect to achieve that record.
May 6th, 2020 at 11:23 am
“Still, if our offense ranks in the Top-10 AND our defense ranks in the Top-10, there’s no reason we shouldn’t be playoffs-bound.”
And if that happens D.R. we may reach that rare Nirvana..an actual balanced TEAM! Wouldn’t it be great if we had a great TEAM and not simply a great O or a great D.
Wouldn’t it be great if going forward we’d be challenged to determine which unit was really the best. Offense or Defense?
How do you answer that question this year? You can’t add two HOF’s to a unit with two current candidates and not look as that unit…the O with the GOAT as being the better. I’m not so sure.
The O has the resume with guys who have been there and done that. The D has some good balance right now and some blazing speed in the middle all the way to the back with Winfield.
I think it’s possible, not necessarily probable but not shocking either, that our young guys totally blow up and come together with our vets to make this defense truly special. We’ll see soon enough.
May 6th, 2020 at 11:32 am
@JoeyP
Excellent response. You covered pretty much everything. If I may add one more smirch on JW’s record.
Last year was JW’s “prove it year”. The Defense was full of kids in a new D with a new coach and a lot to prove themselves.
By the the middle of the year both JW and the D started to finally “prove it’.
We were set up perfectly with two home games against beatable opponents to end our year with a WINNING record!!! Did the D scrw that pooch? NO.. ROJO and Perriman both had good games..Gay obviously did not.
But I think people become so obsessed with “Blameless” turnovers down that stretch they do not recall another SIGNIFICANT detail. In the second half of those two critical “prove it” games…our vaunted record setting offense put up a whopping 6 points! Or was it three? No TD’s in four quarters of play. But the TD offensive yard machine was not to blame…no it was the rookie kicker’s fault for not saving ” Blameless” bacon.
May 6th, 2020 at 12:16 pm
@stpete
Appreciate the compliment. Really the only thing that matters is the end result of the game. Which is why when responding to @Ndog I didnt include the 2 games we won the he included. Was the defense bad in those games? Yes. But the team won so who cares.
I said it yesterday in a different article, If Jameis turns the ball over 35 times but the Bucs go 12-4, nobody is gonna care about the 35 turnovers.
Losing puts everything under a microscope because now you have to focus on the negatives to improve them whereas overall success hides the negatives. Which is why the Peyton vs Winston comparison is ridiculous. “Peyton threw more picks than Winston in his first 5 seasons”. Yea well the Colts also went to the playoffs 3 of those 5 years so who cares?
I just dont understand why every argument about Winston has to be about him being the problem or him being a “bust” tho. The Bucs being more successful without Winston and Winston being more successful without the Bucs can both happen lol.
May 6th, 2020 at 12:34 pm
StPete … What I look for in a BALANCED TEAM is how well do they play COMPLIMENTARY FOOTBALL. That to me is the mark of a truly great football team. The defense creates takeaways and the offense capitalizes on it. The offense gets ahead and the defense capitalizes on it. Defense holds down the scoring and the offense piles it on. That’s Nirvana to me.
If I had to pick 1 stat that I think differentiates winners from losers it’d be Turnover Differential. A total of 14 NFL teams had a POSITIVE Turnover Differential last year … of those, 10 made the playoffs. 3 teams broke even on Turnover Differential, and one of those … Houston … made the playoffs. 15 teams had a NEGATIVE Turnover Differential, and only ONE … Philly … made the playoffs (9-7 record won them the NFC East but they got eliminated in Rnd 1 of the playoffs).
May 6th, 2020 at 1:15 pm
Our defense made huge strides last year. They got physical and once VH3 and MJ Stewart stopped playing meaningful snaps, the coverage was consistent and in the right place. They definitely passed the eye test and were light years ahead of Mike Smith’s “defense.” The pass rush was dominant in a lot of situations that favored the offense, so I can’t wait to see what they can do with TB’s skills at managing field position. He’s proven to be one of the best in the game at controlling turnovers and flipping long fields while JW was terrible in both those regards. Go Bucs!
May 6th, 2020 at 1:28 pm
St Pete you can add to that statement about our offense not putting up points in them last two games that we did also play a Falcons team that was not at all a good defensive team.
They are built to win with offense. If you got a top offense and they are gonna beat you it better be by a shootout game. If you wanna compare Winston to some of the greats then let’s hold them to the same standard…….Great QBs would absolutely shred a bad defensive team like the Falcons. It would be easy.
Great QBs don’t play down to their competition. They light up a team like the Falcons. You make Matt Ryan match you blow for blow in a game like that……..Furthermore we we’re aided a defensive TD and a huge game changing turnover late in the 3rd………That has to be a easy win………Even if we eek one out with a couple extra FGs it was not a good QB performance.
Apologize for talking Winston after my earlier comment. I am weak and cannot help myself.
May 6th, 2020 at 1:31 pm
Joeypoppems just took Ndog behind the wood shed for a spanking. LOLZ.
May 6th, 2020 at 1:40 pm
It was Bowel’s freshman year. Front seven was gross and young secondary has high ceiling. I’m really ready for Bowel’s sophomore season with all these guys returning (minus Nassib).
May 6th, 2020 at 4:51 pm
I also wouldn’t discount that this 2020 defense SHOULD be going into more 4th quarters with leads, thus playing against more one dimensional offenses.
May 6th, 2020 at 4:59 pm
The Buc Realist Says:
July 24th, 2017 at 6:21 am
Can you smell the change Buc fans?????? Can you smell the change in the air sheep????? We fans are so glad to have the “Coaches” that promote and foster that change!!!!!!!!!! That hold this team and players to a very high standard!!!!!!!!!! Last year was about the “changing the culture” and they succeeded in changing the losing culture!!!!!!!!!!!! Now they are implementing a “winning” culture!!!!!!!!!
we sure as hell know you’re not talking about dirk and smitty…lol…or were you?….#CLOWN!!!!!
GO BUCS!!!!!
May 6th, 2020 at 5:06 pm
Ndog Says:
December 14th, 2019 at 8:11 am
BTW when people say Jameis will never be elite let’s be clear here. If he continues to be a starting QB in the NFL, which should be a no brainier, he is on pace to have HOF#s. I know people are going to laugh and make some snarky comments but that is a fact.
🤣🤣🤣🤣
we were laughing at you in DEC and we’re laughing at you now!!!!!
GO BUCS!!!!!
May 6th, 2020 at 6:20 pm
Well this year Jamies is not here so again superbowl or bust . This defense has been the reason why our team sucks . The past 5 years the offense has been ranked top 10 or top 5 with no running game . And the defense has been ranked at bottom of the league for 5 years in scoring that means stopping the other teams from scoring . They have been giving up the most yards in passing as well . Just like last year the bucs gave up the most passing yards in the first 10 games . Our defense sucks go ask every back up quarterback that played us including rookies !!!
May 6th, 2020 at 6:29 pm
Ndog………..did you hear that????
THE WORST AVERAGE STARTING POSITION IN THE NFL!!!!!!
How do you suppose that occurred ?
May 6th, 2020 at 6:33 pm
Ndog Says:
May 6th, 2020 at 9:43 am
I’m simply saying if the defense doesn’t allow those games where they were completely dominaited our record would have been 11-5, it really that simple.
…………………………..
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!
If your boyfriend didn’t give the other team the ball THIRTY FIVE TIMES. We would have had a Real shot at 11 and 5!
May 6th, 2020 at 11:30 pm
El buco… holy crap dude. Use the !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! A little more.
Wow. Get a grip.
May 6th, 2020 at 11:46 pm
What don’t some of you get? The defense was young and learning and slowly got better. At the beginning of the year, they cost some games. Throughout the entire year Jameis Winston cost some games. There’s no argument, it was everyone’s fault.
James single-handedly cost them the playoffs.
The defense probably cost a couple games but they improved and were a top 10 defense the second half of the year.
Jameis had a three-game stretch in the middle of the year where he was unreal. Then he regressed again. As usual. Panicked and cost games.
They have some holes, just like every single team …
and they addressed them in the draft.
They address the biggest failure at quarterback. Now they have a chance to make a Super Bowl run….
Yet some of you still think Licht sucks even though he put a team together.
Some of you still think the talent sucks.
Basically some of you are completely ignorant football trolls who, no matter what the circumstances, never seem to be able to enjoy the team you allegedly root for.
I mean just stop watching football and try to enjoy your life, holy crap.
Maybe the lockdown has me a little stir crazy, but I just really can’t take a handful of people who are on here and are just trolls and negative and completely ignorant about football. It’s nonstop and annoying as hell.
It should be an extremely optimistic time right now.
I am pretty sure some of these same people during the Super Bowl run would’ve been calling for Sapp’s head and saying Barber sucks and Lynch is overrated.
(Just had to vent a little about the trolls)
May 7th, 2020 at 1:04 am
i proudly identify as Bucs fan starting in 1987. And watch BUCS religiously on TV every Sunday. I was one of MOST-EXCITED Bucs fans when Gruden was hired and depressed when Glazers weirdly fired Gruden for a winning season, and missing playoffs. BAD KARMA, Glazers!
Applauded JW3 draft selection and perplexed that Bucs let JW3 go.
For this JBF article about Bucs Defense (D) — anytime a franchise “earns” #1 draft pick – fans have to acknowledge the team is bad everywhere. And during JW3 first 4.5 years, any fan with basic football knowledge has to agree that Bucs D was beyond horrible. OMG – The Bears game in 2018 earned Trubisky Pro Bowl, not to mention 10 other backup QB’s who had career days against Bucs D during 2015-2019. CRAZY!!!
JW3 lost games trying to be heroic, and had his share of ugly TO’s that resulted in Bucs losses. Got that! CHECK!
But as @Ndog has astutely pointed out, Bucs D allowed points constantly from opposing team starting drives at their own 25 yr line. And worse, in 4th QTR with Bucs leading near end of game, Bucs D gave up winning TD’s or Field Goals resulting in losses in at least 20+ games over the last 5 yrs. Too many examples to call out, and does not matter now.
Moving forward, Brady and Gronk are Bucs saviors per analysts, and Bucs are NFL darlings for 2020. D still matters for success and if Bucs D can carry momentum from last 5 games – Bucs can be scary. Brady will have a benefit never afforded JW3. Confident Tompa Brady will take advantage.
Super Bowl or BUST!