Big Pass Rush Versus Tiny Pass Rush
November 11th, 2020
Clean QB jerseys are a Panthers trademark
When it comes to putting quarterbacks on their butts, the Carolina Panthers are the worst in the NFC and tied for last in the NFL with an average of just one sack per game.
But they are more prolific than the Bucs when it comes to collecting penalties.
Yes, there’s a big gap on paper and on the scoreboard and stats sheets when it comes to the Bucs and Panthers, losers of four consecutive games.
Carolina has 9 sacks in nine games while the Bucs have 29, second-most in the NFL. When the teams met in Week 2, Carolina practiced social distancing from Tom Brady, hitting him just once. The Bucs sacked Panthers QB Teddy Bridgewater five times and he threw two interceptions under steady pressure.
Bridgewater bounced back nicely — until he faced a real pass rush again four weeks later. The Bears hounded Bridgewater and sacked him four times, en route to his worst game of the season.
Two weeks later, a punchless Falcons defense blitzed Bridgewater repeatedly and rattled him, registering a whopping 11 quarterback hits. Joe watched that game and, man, the Panthers had no answer for a team that doesn’t blitz as well as the Bucs do.
Like many NFL games, Joe suspects Sunday’s Bucs-Panthers clash will come down to what happens in the trenches and how comfortable or uncomfortable the quarterbacks are in the pocket.
Joe’s not sure what the hell happened to the Bucs against the mighty Saints. But Joe does know that the Panthers are a much weaker team that shouldn’t be able to pressure Tom Brady, and they’re likely to struggle against Todd Bowles going back to his comfort zone, aka relentless blitzing.
November 11th, 2020 at 11:55 am
Should the Bucs get a big lead, would it not be smarter to play press coverage, try to get pressure with 4 and let White get some practice in pass coverage?
as opposed to padding stats I mean.
asking for a friend……
November 11th, 2020 at 12:02 pm
Blitz White…..let him practice his coverage in the off-season…..
Man coverage and heavy blitzing….and a dose of Rojo & Fournette is the key to victory.
November 11th, 2020 at 12:22 pm
Agree 100% Tampabaybucfan……Heavy blitizing, and send D White, he is very quick and fast, and on the negative he has been and still is lost on coverage.
November 11th, 2020 at 12:24 pm
The Saints completely dominated both sides of the line. Very worried because the defense didn’t look too great against a depleted Giants OLine either. I really miss Vita Vea!
November 11th, 2020 at 12:25 pm
joe, you’re underestimating the panthers….
you see a weak team…i see a team ready to flip the switch…
im just hoping its not on the bucs…
GO BUCS!!!!!
November 11th, 2020 at 12:46 pm
It’ll help not having an opponent with immediate access to the Arians/Leftwich playbook too.
November 11th, 2020 at 3:02 pm
We should get well again. Remember when teams used get ‘well again’ when they played the Bucs? No more damnit.