Critical Goal For Bucs’ Defense
November 23rd, 2020
Will be tested tonight.
If the Bucs are going to keep the Rams in check tonight, it shouldn’t wait long when the Rams get the ball.
Los Angeles is one of the better teams on first down. Per former NFL general manager Mike Tannebaum, their “success rate” on first down is fairly impressive.
The @Rams are among the best in the NFL on 1st down this season
The LA offense is averaging a 55% success rate through 9 gms
Continuing to find success on 1st down & piecing together long drives will be key against a Tampa defense that ranks 3rd in yds/gm allowed (300.3)
— Mike Tannenbaum (@RealTannenbaum) November 22, 2020
So, what is a “success rate?” Defined by noted gambler/handicapper/football stathead Warren Sharp, “success rate” is when an offense gets at least 40 percent of yards-to-go on first down.
As Tannebaum pointed out, a success rate that good on first down leads to prolonged drives.
And while Tannebaum is correct noting that the Bucs have the third-best yards-per-game defense, guess who has the best defense in allowing average yards per game?
Yup. That would be the Rams.
The Steelers have three of the top five defenders by pressures this season, with the other two facing off tonight.
Will Aaron Donald or Shaq Barrett make up ground on T.J. Watt's league-leading 57 pressures tonight?#LAvsTB | #HereWeGo pic.twitter.com/GfPDAHgOsj
— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) November 23, 2020
.@rondebarber's game plan against the Rams 👇 pic.twitter.com/wfitWmrgBv
— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) November 23, 2020
November 23rd, 2020 at 2:02 pm
Please stop all slant passes
November 23rd, 2020 at 2:02 pm
How about not playing soft zone coverage with no blitzing the entire first half…keep the acore tight so rojo can run.
Just a thought
November 23rd, 2020 at 2:05 pm
Also
The DLINE hasn’t been getting home lately to the QB
……………that makes our already suspect secondary look even worse
…………..the DLINE has to generate pressure
November 23rd, 2020 at 2:08 pm
Hopefully Suh will be looking to put it to his former team and play a great game. If he can get inside pressure and JPP/Shaq are getting around the edge, it’s going to be a bad day for the Rams.
November 23rd, 2020 at 2:40 pm
It’s the misdirection, the Rams are notorious for flowing the line one way and the back cuts back weak side. Teams have had success with the Bucs defense being too aggressive.
November 23rd, 2020 at 2:44 pm
man, I hope the play soft zone with White at the LOS.
and don’t run the ball either, go 5 wide with 50 yard routes.
November 23rd, 2020 at 2:49 pm
TheBucsAnthem Says:
November 23rd, 2020 at 2:05 pm
Also
The DLINE hasn’t been getting home lately to the QB
……………that makes our already suspect secondary look even worse
…………..the DLINE has to generate pressure
I can’t believe I’m agreeing with you again Anthem lol, but you’re absolutely correct.
IMO, Todd Bowles MUST blitz the hell out of the left side of their o-line. Andrew Whitworth being out will be their Achilles heel and they NEED to take advantage of it. The defense MUST be relentless and bring the pain to Jared Geoff as many times as possible! This is a must win, statement game for them. Do to their offense what they did to Aaron Rodgers and the Packers!
LETS F*CKING GO BUCS!!!!
November 23rd, 2020 at 3:03 pm
Just for fun, went back and took a look at last year’s Bucs-Rams game from a defensive position. The Rams have a whole new defense, and I wouldn’t expect them to give up 55 pts tonight. Interestingly though, the Bucs will be starting a bunch of new players too, and I wouldn’t expect us to give up 40 pts like we did last year.
o MJ Stewart was targeted 17 times & surrendered 10 completions for 116 yds & gave up 1 TD (actually that 59% is quite good, but the 116 yds isn’t). He also blitzed 6 times, but got nothing for it. Played 93% of the def snaps.
o VHIII was targeted 9 times & surrendered 6 completions for 83 yds & 1 TD. Played 99% of the def snaps. No blitzes.
o Davis was targeted 11 times & surrendered 8 completions for 93 yds. Played 100% of the def snaps.
o SMB barely played (7 def snaps) & Dean didn’t play. No blitzes.
o Edwards was targeted 9 times & gave up 6 completions for 99 yds & 1 TD. Played 100% of the def snaps. No blizes.
o Whitehead was targeted only 4 times & gave up 2 completions for 17 yds. He also had 1 INT & blitzed 10 times in the game (got 1 QB pressure). Played 94% of the def snaps.
o Darian Stewart (FS) wasn’t targeted but did play 5 def snaps. Adams (FS) didn’t play on defense (did get in some S/Ts work).
o LVD was targeted 12 times & surrendered 8 completions for 83 yds & had 1 INT. Played 100% of the def snaps. Blitzed 5 times (got 2 QB knockdowns).
o Minter was targeted 10 times & gave up 8 completions for 68 yds. Played 89% of the def snaps. Blitzed 12 times but only got 1 QB pressure).
o Shaq was targeted 1 times but gave up 0 completions. He also had 1 INT & blitzed 4 times (1 sack/3 QB pressures). Played 82% of the def snaps.
o Nelson (OLB) wasn’t targeted but was on the field for 28% def snaps (he did get a asst tackle).
o Devante Bond wasn’t targeted but did play 14 def snaps. White also didn’t play (still injured) & Bucannon only played 4 def snaps (targeted 1 time & gave up 1 completion).
o JPP was still on IR for this game & didn’t play.
Nassib (DE) was targeted 1 time & gave up 1 completion for 19 yds. He played 81% of the def snaps & blitzed 2 times (got 1 QB pressure).
Our DLine consisted of Suh (65% of the def snaps), Vea (54% of the def snaps), Gholston (42% of the def snaps), Nelson (81% of the def snaps), Nacho (25% of the def snaps) & Beau Allen (15% of the def snaps).
Lots of numbers I know, but it looks to me like we’re quite a bit better off defensively this year than last year, even without Vita Vea (he had 1 asst tackle & 2 QB Hits in the game). Of course, the Rams are quite a bit better defensively also, so it’ll be interesting to see how this all matches up.
November 23rd, 2020 at 3:14 pm
30 – 20 Rams. I think the Bucs O line will struggle big time. That means Brady struggles. Bucs can’t pressure the QB that well these days. Goff goes off and throws for 350 Yards and 2 TD’s
November 23rd, 2020 at 3:22 pm
@ Defense Rules
that’s one helluva analysis meng!!!!! ^^^^^^^^^^^^
November 23rd, 2020 at 3:42 pm
All we have to do is play aggressive punch em in the mouth football. Offensively the rams are not as good as the packers. Our achilles heal is DSmith and JDean. If the two play their usual soft and passive, we are doomed. Since JDean had an int against Packers ARodgers, QB’s are baiting him with the pump fake. Rams game plan will be to attack DSmith and exploit JDean because he often leaves his man wide open instead of staying in his lane. I believe Shaq will have a big game as a difference maker. I also believe the chemistry between Brady and company has finally come to fruition.
Bradyship Connection: If you hear any noise it’s just Brady and the boys, hit me.
November 23rd, 2020 at 3:43 pm
All we have to do is play aggressive punch em in the mouth football. Offensively the rams are not as good as the packers. Our achilles heal is DSmith and JDean. If the two play their usual soft and passive, we are doomed. Since JDean had an int against Packers ARodgers, QB’s are baiting him with the pump fake. Rams game plan will be to attack DSmith and exploit JDean because he often leaves his man wide open instead of staying in his lane. I believe Shaq will have a big game as a difference maker. I also believe the chemistry between Brady and company has finally come to fruition.
Bradyship Connection: If you hear any noise it’s just Brady and the boys, hit me.
November 23rd, 2020 at 3:53 pm
if you smell somethin warm and crispy, it’s shake and bake time for TB and AB!
November 23rd, 2020 at 4:31 pm
BucEmUp Says:
November 23rd, 2020 at 2:02 pm
How about not playing soft zone coverage with no blitzing the entire first half…keep the acore tight so rojo can run.
Just a thought
__<_<_<<<_<<<
And here's whats wrong with that thought. You want our CBs to play press man coverage, which I'm all for, but you don't want us to apply additional pressure? You don't play press man if you can't get pressure which we CANNOT without blitzing.
November 23rd, 2020 at 4:43 pm
Please Donovan Smith, Cappa, Shipley, and Jensen, block your asses off.
November 23rd, 2020 at 4:52 pm
If Shaq Barret rushes the passer every play and didn’t drop back into coverage , he’d probably have as many pressure as watt this season . Still not sure why Bowles does that , but whatevs .
November 23rd, 2020 at 5:23 pm
This game will be like the Green Bay game, or the Saints game. If we get to Goff, GB game we win, if not, N.O. game we lose. Like those two games, whoever effects the Q.B. with pressure will win.
November 23rd, 2020 at 5:32 pm
Dewey Selmon Says:
November 23rd, 2020 at 2:40 pm
It’s the misdirection, the Rams are notorious for flowing the line one way and the back cuts back weak side. Teams have had success with the Bucs defense being too aggressive.
____________________________________________
And then you can contrast that with out offense- which features ZERO misdirection or creativity.
We line up and telegraph exactly what we’re going to do, and simply count on our players to out muscle / out hustle the other team. Works great against bad and mediocre defense. Against good ones? Not so much.
Tonight will be a very tough game to win.
November 23rd, 2020 at 5:41 pm
It’ll be interesting to see what Todd Bowles cooks up to defend the Rams’ very nicely BALANCED ATTACK. Last year they threw the ball a bunch (70 times), turned the ball over a bunch … and lost. They won’t make that same mistake again.
Gut feel is that they’ll try to keep us spread out by alternating a lot of runs, even some around the edges, with quick-hitters in the short passing game. We’ve shown that we’re vulnerable there, and that’ll keep our LBs back more often than not defending the short passes on all sides of the field. Zone won’t cut it in a situation like that, and if our CBs come up to help out then our safeties aren’t fast enough to adequately cover the Rams’ WRs (and TEs).
Bucs’ defense will live & die by the TURNOVERS and by the BLITZ. If we allow the Rams to get in 3rd-and-short continually, we’re toast. But if we can get them into some 3rd-and-longs, we’ve got a chance. Should be a good game.
November 23rd, 2020 at 6:15 pm
TheBucsAnthem Says:
November 23rd, 2020 at 2:05 pm
Also
The DLINE hasn’t been getting home lately to the QB
……………that makes our already suspect secondary look even worse
…………..the DLINE has to generate pressure
I can’t believe I’m agreeing with you again Anthem lol, but you’re absolutely correct.
IMO, Todd Bowles MUST blitz the hell out of the left side of their o-line. Andrew Whitworth being out will be their Achilles heel and they NEED to take advantage of it. The defense MUST be relentless and bring the pain to Jared Geoff as many times as possible! This is a must win, statement game for them. Do to their offense what they did to Aaron Rodgers and the Packers!
LETS F*CKING GO BUCS!!!!
The dline cant get to the qb when someone is always open. A strong pass rush no doubt helps the secondary, but what we are seeing lately is the same issue that plagued lovie and mike smith. Even with a stellar line the qb always has a man open when the corners are lining up so deep you cant even see them on the t.v screen(10 to 15 yards and behind the first down markers.)
It works both ways and must be balanced.These corners have to stop.playing soft and they need to blitz often
November 23rd, 2020 at 6:21 pm
Control the clock, RUN the freaking ball, that’s the answer to winning this game.