Firm Guidance, Lessons Learned
October 19th, 2020
Safety Mike Edwards returns his second interception of the young season. He spoke today on SiriusXM NFL Radio.
In late September, Todd Bowles revealed a scary lesson that his defense was learning.
Before yesterday’s monstrous beating of the Packers, cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting delivered a candid and downright frightful moment while explaining why the Bucs failed in Chicago.
“At times we get complacent in a way. … We get up in a game and feel like we already won it,” Murphy-Bunting told the team’s official radio broadcast. He was referring to the Bucs defense and more specifically the young secondary.
Bucs fans can imagine Joe’s personal meltdown upon hearing that. Joe even threw a half-full Big Storm beer at JoeBucsFan.com world headquarters and nearly knocked the head off the LeGarrette Blount bobblehead doll.
How could professional athletes with a highly experienced coaching staff, playing on national television, start to coast with a small lead?
Still, the Bucs’ second-year cornerback went on to say that fixing penalties and more focus would get the Bucs where they need to go. And it certainly did yesterday.
Fellow second-year member of the secondary Mike Edwards joined SiriusXM NFL Radio this morning and the safety was peppered with questions about adjustments defensive coordinator Todd Bowles made yesterday against Aaron Rodgers.
Edwards said there were none. He noted Bowles just told players all week that they’d have to stay highly aggressive and play their game (aka blitzing relentlessly) until Aaron Rodgers forced them out of it/earned their respect.
Even though Rodgers historically is great against the blitz, Edwards said, Bowles wanted that aggression to see if Rodgers could handle it.
Joe also wonders if Bowles wanted to snap the defense out of the passive funk it fell into in Chicago.
Regardless, the Bucs won big and it seems the young defensive backs have learned valuable lessons, and perhaps Bowles did, as well.
October 19th, 2020 at 10:29 am
Yesterday was awesome!! Yesterday I realized the real value of Brady here. The perfect game, no penalties, no sacks, etc. When we have 70 yards of penalties per game, you should subtract that from the teams offensive totals in the stat books.
I wanted Bridgewater this year. I was wrong, they needed Brady to change the system. If they keep this up they are serious Super Bowl contenders. Go Bucs!!
October 19th, 2020 at 10:33 am
I guess attitude is everything–so the coaches need to realize these guys are very young and need to be talked to throughjout the game.
October 19th, 2020 at 10:38 am
Correct me if I’m wrong…..but didn’t our defense only give up 2 FGs in the 2nd half vs Chicago…..
Sure, we had some penalties & gave up the winning FG…..but it was our offense that was impotent….not the defense.
October 19th, 2020 at 10:39 am
As Joe had pointed out, the first several minutes yesterday looked like the Bears game. Rodgers was moving his team at will. Then something changed in a big way. I guess it was the pick-6 but it must have also been a change in the D strategy. Learn from that!
October 19th, 2020 at 10:43 am
Make no bones about it… we (Tampa) are a defensive team right now. Go browse ESPN, and in several articles, they mention how it seems that only Tampa, Chicago and Pittsburgh have legit defenses.
The offense has been above average, and certainly good enough to win games, but it still hasn’t quite ironed everything out. That means we have room to grow 🙂
October 19th, 2020 at 10:58 am
Cannon – You may be right. Despite the decisive win, I was surprised how little impact Evans had. Maybe the best WR in the league. Also, not much emphasis on Godwin either. And one catch by Brate. I assume that Brady “takes what they give him” and those guys were usually well covered. I trust the GOAT. A big win is a big win. I see continued improvement. Next week – another key game to show that truism.
October 19th, 2020 at 11:01 am
Biggest issue against Chicago was us giving the Bears receivers way too much cushion. Yesterday we got back to the in your face press coverage and Rodgers’ numbers reflect it.
October 19th, 2020 at 11:01 am
Joe, you will like this one.
October 19th, 2020 at 11:26 am
Defense deserves all the credit they earned yesterday. We absolutely destroyed the hottest team in the NFL. When was the last time the Bucs did THAT?
October 19th, 2020 at 11:27 am
The way that game turned was beautiful. Years past we get curb stoomped after being down by 10 that early. That was a totally different team out there from the Thursday night game we witnessed. That’s the team I want to see from here on out. I thought the loss of Vea would show but Nacho and Company did a great job. I think Todd finally unleashed the entire defense and played to their strengths and they rewarded him for his trust with a dominant game.
On to Vegas. Stop the run early, keep the TE Waller in check are the keys to the game. Derek Carr hasn’t thrown an interception this season I believe. Lets change that.
GO BUCS!
October 19th, 2020 at 11:38 am
@Cannon … “we (Tampa) are a defensive team right now.”
Yea verily Cannon. And so was Arizona from 2013-2015 when BA had winning teams there. For all the ‘QB Whisperer’ and ‘great offensive mind’ accolades, it’s been his DEFENSES that’ve kept his teams in the hunt. And THAT’S exactly how it’ll be this year.
This Bucs’ offense has done quite well when feeding off of the defense’s & S/Ts turnovers (yup, we’re up to 11 of those puppies in 6 games now, very close to 2 TOs/game). And off those we scored 2 TDs & 1 FG in the Panthers game (4 TOs), 1 TD & 1 FG in the Broncos game (2 TOs), 1 TD in the Chargers game (2 TOs), 1 TD in the Bears game (1 TO), and 2 TDs in the Packers game (2 TOs). That’s pretty good COMPLIMENTARY FOOTBALL … 7 TDs & 2 FGs (55 total points) off of 11 TOs.
Bucs’ identity is DEFENSE. Aggressive, in-your-face, smashmouth defense (OK, with a hint of finesse in there). THAT’S our heritage. Good to finally see us getting back to it.
October 19th, 2020 at 11:46 am
Casual, what you note about Evans signifies one of the most significant differences in the old QB and the new QB. After the game Dave Moore noted that the Pack were doubling Evans with a S on top. Aside from 2 throws his way for one completion TB didn’t look his way. You cannot tell me, nor would I not believe that JW would have forced the ball to “his guy” repeatedly, double coverage be damned. And we all know the likely result of 6-9 balls thrown to Evans in double coverage. The other glaring difference is that TB can throw the ball with touch which JW was demonstrably incapable of doing. Both longer throws to Gronk were high arched lobs that dropped right into his hands. JW was the worst at that kind of pass. Perhaps his baseball pedigree, who knows, but he simply can’t throw that pass.
October 19th, 2020 at 11:51 am
Someone trying to start trouble again?? Leave it alone for Gods sake.
October 19th, 2020 at 11:57 am
D was not the problem in Chicago, although the last Chicago drive they were a tad passive.
That loss was squarely on the offense.
October 19th, 2020 at 12:00 pm
I don’t think either Evans or Godwin are anywhere near 100%.
They made better decoys against the Packers than threats.
October 19th, 2020 at 12:06 pm
Steven – I take your point(s). Thanks.
October 19th, 2020 at 12:29 pm
The GOAT minimizing attempts at covered receivers is one good reason he is the GOAT. Having more weapons than all-stars Evans and Godwin help. New ones are emerging; Scooter and Johnson are two. Lot to choose from these days.
October 19th, 2020 at 1:00 pm
bucs are running the ball good and playing good defense, just as players are getting healthy…..which has also increased our depth….
great win….now its on to the RAIDERS…
GO BUCS!!!!
October 19th, 2020 at 1:04 pm
They played very passive the first two Pack drives. Then Dean gave em the shot of confidence they needed. Huge play. Season changer.
October 19th, 2020 at 1:18 pm
Cobraboy Says:
October 19th, 2020 at 12:00 pm
I don’t think either Evans or Godwin are anywhere near 100%.
They made better decoys against the Packers than threats.
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Bingo!!!!!!! Is why I started Godwin in neither of my leagues.
October 19th, 2020 at 1:34 pm
I’m telling you – you cannpt worry about the Chicago game or even use it as an example for this team. Being a road team on a Thursday night with as many injuries as the Bucs had against a tough defense is one of the more impossible positions to be put into in the NFL. Thursday games are an abomination. I see how the Bucs have played on the 4 Sundays since the NO game and I see the dial pointed straight up
October 19th, 2020 at 1:37 pm
I agree with Cobraboy. ME13 and Ungodly are not 100%. A couple of times, Ungodly looked like a tall skinny RB and caught short passes. He is something else even hurt. The offense lost the Bears game. That was obvious even listening via radio.
October 19th, 2020 at 2:05 pm
“Regardless, the Bucs won big and it seems the young defensive backs have learned valuable lessons, and perhaps Bowles did, as well.”
Almost the same words that came out of my keyboard on a post earlier this week. Bowels knows how bad he f#cked up playing Smitty zone against the Bears. That team all around was planning to bring their A game and they did.
October 19th, 2020 at 2:15 pm
They’re young man!! They are JUST NOW highly paid professional athletes!! It’s easy as someone who never played to think they should snap right into that mentality!! It takes time to grow and to be adults all around!! Hell in college when they take a 17 point lead the game usually IS over and the rest is just make sure you don’t get hurt!!! Players in the NFL have likely been on good winning teams all their lives and have been mentally trained to coast when you got the big lead and not take chances on getting hurt!! I know we all did in high school and even when I got to college!! It’s just natural and takes time to unlearn it!!!
October 20th, 2020 at 12:20 am
Murphy-Bunting Must have been speaking for himself or talking out his ass. I cannot imagine this team was complacent in the second half against Chicago. They barely had a lead and they have already looked horrible a couple times in the second half of games that they should’ve turned into blowouts.
Full throttle till the end of the damn game!