Greatness Gap Widens
December 21st, 2020
It’s become expected and underappreciated, even while thriving in historic fashion.
So Joe’s taking a minute to pull it from the shadows.
The Buccaneers’ run defense ranks No. 1 in the NFL at 3.4 yards per carry allowed, but that’s nearly a half-yard better than the three teams behind Tampa Bay in that department (Saints, Rams and Colts).
That’s a big gap and it rivals the dominance the Bucs had last year on run defense. The run success truly is the engine of their defense. (It certainly isn’t pass coverage!)
The greatness gap of the run defense continues to expand. It was smothering again yesterday in Atlanta, and the Bucs have allowed the fewest total yards on the ground in the NFL (by a mile), and only three runs of 20 yards or more this season.
To offer a little perspective, when the Bucs had the NFL-best run defense during the 2012 season under Commander Schiano, they allowed eight runs of 20 yards or more and had a slightly higher yards-per-carry total. Statistically, Lovie Smith’s 2015 run defense was the best of the last 20 Bucs seasons.
But did those Schiano and Smith teams win? No, they had atrocious pass defenses and lost.
However, neither got to be tested in the playoffs, when rushing — and rush defense — become more important.
The Bucs are accomplishing all this without Vita Vea, which is a credit to their depth and their discipline. Joe believes Shaq Barrett is highly underrated against the run, a fact that will not go unnoticed when he starts sniffing the free agent market.
Run defense is one reason Joe has fantasies of the Bucs earning the No. 5 seed and facing the NFC East winner. The Bucs will stop any running back in that division, and what quarterback will rise up to go toe-to-toe with Tom Brady?
Andy Dalton? Rusty and injured Alex Smith?
December 21st, 2020 at 9:11 am
Too bad the pass D sucks when an opponent goes max protect.
I don’t understand why Bowles doesn’t blitz more often. He did early on with some success.
Zone or man, no pressure = Lots O’Completions.
And as good as White is against the run and blitzing, he gets spun like a top in pass D.
December 21st, 2020 at 9:20 am
I’d be ok with the defense giving up another 10-15 yards per game on the ground if they could be better at defending the pass. There are far too many pass plays where the receiver is running wide open. It’s down right pathetic
December 21st, 2020 at 9:23 am
I really hope this team can put together 4 complete quarters of football. It hasn’t happened all year.
Why are we so bad in the first quarter of every game?
December 21st, 2020 at 9:41 am
Stopping the run in post season is Huge… all the final playoff teams will have good running games…. of course they have great passing games too… our weakness so far… Bucs are gonna need Ma Luck smiling down on them
December 21st, 2020 at 10:12 am
My belief is Bowles doesn’t go aggressive until the offense gets going. Being aggressive comes with risks….particularly with our secondary. The risks are quick strike scores. If the offense is humming like it was in the 2nd half of yesterday’s game, Bowles doesn’t mind being more aggressive. But if we are sputtering, he’s going to force the opposing team to execute over and over and over….all while burning clock. That way the games dont get too far out of hand like what happened with the Saints game. I also believe that we might save our best punches for late in the game when our athletes are stronger then theirs. When everyone is fresh, you’re only advantage would be grossly superior talent. That just doesn’t happen in the NFL…..but by the 4th qtr, fatigue does set in and JPP, Shaq, White, and David start to make their impact.
December 21st, 2020 at 10:17 am
Cobraboy Says
“I don’t understand why Bowles doesn’t blitz more often.”
I don’t understand this statement. They actually blitz a lot…sometimes I think too much. It’s become predictable.
And I have seen a lot of pressure on QBs. They don’t always get the sacks, but the pressure is there. Certain QBs are just very good at handling pressure (like Brees).
December 21st, 2020 at 10:19 am
honestly at this point i am tired of hearing about the run defense. we keep getting shredded and it was similar last year before the turnaround. teams are ok just throwing it against us and dont care. look at what the saints and rams did. i am excited as hell but the run defense doesnt matter if we cant stop the pass. ironically enough last week we did better against pass and not as well against the run. this team is like jekyll and hyde.
maybe it isnt jameis who was mr entertainment, maybe it is just the way the buccaneers play football as a team.
December 21st, 2020 at 10:21 am
Marine Buc Says:
“Why are we so bad in the first quarter of every game?”
Good question. It;s almost like this team needs to fall behind to get fired up…which I guess is better than falling behind and quitting like they used to do.
December 21st, 2020 at 10:29 am
looked like they put up 3.5 quarters if i remember correctly against the packers marine buc is that close enough?
December 21st, 2020 at 10:30 am
A really good running game gets about 150 yards. A really good passing game gets about 400 yards. It would seem to me that a great pass defense is way more important.
December 21st, 2020 at 10:33 am
we are going to need ti get a new crew of free agents teally soon
December 21st, 2020 at 10:33 am
Buccaneer Bonzai Says:
Your comment is accurate for the first part of the season, but not the last few games.
The blitzing has fallen off sharply.
December 21st, 2020 at 10:35 am
We are good against the run in part because we still fall for every play action….even if we have stopped the run cold…
We continue to bite on play action and our LB are getting burnt over the middle on short & medium passes.
It would help if our offense could score or at least control the clock early in games. We are giving the ball up too soon and losing field position.
December 21st, 2020 at 10:45 am
@Cobra and Bonzai
I see both sides here but tend to lean with Cobra.
It seems in recent times TB opens with a very vanilla four man rush for the first half. And when it’s clear that’s not working he adjusts at half and starts blitzing.
There may be a method to his madness. He lulls the opposing QB into a false sense of security and then really rattles him in the second half with the adjustment blitz package.
That has worked but I’d like to mix it up. Perhaps open with blitzing out the wazoo for the first few series and then revert to the four man rush and see how the opposition adjusts.
December 21st, 2020 at 10:46 am
Do we think Bucs coaches still believe the run game is necessary to have play action work after getting absolutely shredded by it yesterday?
How can you reasonably believe that after watching what the Falcons did to our secondary yesterday? Just go to the tape and watch Shaq, 45 and 54 bite every. Single. Time.
December 21st, 2020 at 10:51 am
They better make the super bowl this year or next…. The NFL will crash and burn if these dictators we have in power keep up with this lock down crap!! The NFL I read had to pay back an incredible amount to their advertisers!! …. The cap is going to go way down next year and if they keep printing money with these stimulus bills then the dollar will fall and we will all be too worried about not starving to death to worry about how the super rich and pampered football players are doing!! (See Venezuela)… You people better start smartening up and stop wearing those stupid masks (it’s been proven over and over they don’t work, why are the numbers supposedly rising so much if they work?) … You better stop listening to your TYRANNICAL governor’s and open your business, go door to door, go back to living a normal life!! This “disease” has an overall survival rate of 99.5 … The flu and driving to work is literally more dangerous!! Yes it’s more deadly for our elderly but what isn’t?? … Grandma has to die sometime and she’s just as likely to die from this as the flu! So be careful around them and everything will be fine….. If 3 or 4 hundred thousand people have died from this why is it not reflected in the overall death rate of America?? … “Oh it’s because people aren’t traveling as much”.. ok, but the traffic deaths are all about the same so how else does not traveling affect death rate?? …. It’s all a lie y’all!! Yes the sickness is real but it’s not worth all that you see going on… Something more is going on and if you idiots keep wearing masks and keep listening to other idiots who aren’t doctors or doctors who are getting paid under the table while they tell you stupid stuff then wave bye bye to football because it will not last through this!!!! Toughen up America!! Do it for your kids future, do it for football!!!!
December 21st, 2020 at 11:17 am
Sorry Jack, your rant was nonsensical and basically a non sequitur to the entire topic. do you have any thoughts on what Joe wrote in his article aside from your word salad?
December 21st, 2020 at 11:20 am
This is not scientific by any stretch, but nearly every time our CB’s played off, it was pitch and catch all over the field… and it didn’t matter where. Flat, intermediate or long, the WR’s were wide open all day. When our CB’s played press/man, they almost always had a positive result.
These are man corners… inconsistent, but that is still our strength. They get lost playing zone. Play more man under with one safety over the top IMO.
December 21st, 2020 at 11:34 am
I don’t understand it but it’s team after team where the opponents receivers are left wide open. Com on man! Will someone please refer SMB to Division 2 Flag football. He’s confused, passive, lost in space, and out of his element. Julio Jones was on the sideline pleading for Raheem and Matt Ryan to throw to whichever receiver being covered by SMB. He falls in line with past Bucs toastmaster corners, Juron Bolden, Sabby Piscitalli, Myron Lewis, EJ Bigger, and remember Peyton Manning’s Monday night come from behind win as he torched cb Tim Wansley.
December 21st, 2020 at 11:49 am
(it’s been proven over and over they don’t work, why are the numbers supposedly rising so much if they work?)
Two examples…The Governor of Kansas is a Dem…she ordered fask mask ordinances. The right wing R legislature revolted. The compromise…let the counties decide individually.
Out of 81 counties 60 went maskless while 21 instituted mask rules. The 60 without regs continued to see their rates soar while the masked counties flattened their curve. That same unofficial experiment played out in Tennessee…dueling localities…maskless continued to spike…masked flattened their curves.
The reason the masks haven’t’ worked genius is that a SIGNIFICANT % of our population has refused to wear them. It takes at least 70% compliance not 50%
December 21st, 2020 at 12:15 pm
Really, spbf? Again?
I challenge you to find one credible, peer-reviewed study that shows a cause-and-effect that masks reduce the spread of the CCP Flu.
I know the answer before you kick-start your Rage Googler. But clearly you do not.
December 21st, 2020 at 12:41 pm
I mean, why would you run when you can easily complete 70%= of your passes?
We also had the #1 run defense under Schiano… but got lit up every week.
Our pass rush is incredibly inconsistent. Most of the time yesterday JPP and Shaq were 7-8 yards behind Matt Ryan, while he stood around surveying the field and/or running freely for 8+ yards.
Cobraboy- you’re simply wrong about masks. Are they 100% effective? No. Do they still help at reducing transmission? Yes. I can’t believe your’e still trying to argue otherwise.
December 21st, 2020 at 12:54 pm
unbelievable Says:
Really, unbelievable? Again?
I challenge you to find one credible, peer-reviewed study that shows a cause-and-effect that masks reduce the spread of the CCP Flu.
I know the answer before you kick-start your Rage Googler. But clearly you do not.
December 21st, 2020 at 1:10 pm
St. Pete just posted data for you from right here in the US, cmon man use your head.
December 21st, 2020 at 1:18 pm
And in terms of studies, there are several that are easily findable on google that show face mask + social distancing both help.
December 21st, 2020 at 5:21 pm
To Sorryjackchuckiesback: Get over yourself. You need to read more before you make uniformed comments about the effectiveness of masks. There are a number of lab studies including one using hamsters that definitively show masks work. The fact that you don’t know there are studies is is proof you are just another enabler who believes he’s smarter than the vast majority of health care professionals around the world – who risk their lives trying to treat those infected.
In addition, statistical studies consistently show that where masks are worn with regularity, transmission of the Covid 19 disease is reduced. How much more evidence do you need before you grasp that the experts actually know more than you?
You can continue to insist there’s no studies or evidence that prove masks work, of course then there would have been no need for doctors and nurses to have worn masks in the operating room when they performed your lobotomy.
December 22nd, 2020 at 5:40 pm
Viruses are the smallest living organisms and masks are porous compared to them buuut they do help keep viruses from going directly into your lungs, they do slow the progress so they might not stop it but do help slow it’s spread.
December 22nd, 2020 at 8:43 pm
MAGA sheep all follow what their shepherd Gump says not what scientists and experts prove. Trying to make masks and distancing out to be fake news.