Will The Upside Be Enough?
January 22nd, 2021
Bucs coach Bucco Bruce Arians.
You know why Joe trusts successful handicappers to break down games? Because they put their money where their mouth is.
Noted NFL handicapper and NFL stats guy Warren Sharp didn’t get in his position at NBC Sports and Rotoworld by losing cash consistently and being off the mark more often than he is right.
So Joe generally respects what Sharp says when it comes to football.
He has been pounding the drum for weeks that the Bucs need to get back to what they were doing so effectively late in the season: ditching the run on first down and putting the ball in park-violating, home-invading, NFLPA-ignoring, down-forgetting, handshake-stiffing, jet-ski-losing, biscuit-baking Bucs quarterback Tom Brady’s hands.
Just on face value, how is it a bad thing trusting Brady? Joe doesn’t believe there is any downside there.
Now Joe can see the Bucs going ground and pound. The offensive line has been dominating and Ronald Jones and Leonard Fournette have been a helluva one-two punch in January. Throw in the fact the Packers are soft against the run, and the Bucs may have success there.
But is the upside enough? Sharp pounds home how Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is 70-1-1 with a halftime lead at Lambeau Field.
So if the Bucs are going to ground and pound, the defense must be playing lights out.
Do you trust the Bucs defense to put the clamp on Rodgers, who has been on fire since he laid an egg against the Bucs in October?
Sharp details his stance in the Rotoworld.com video below.
“It’s going to be imperative that the Bucs get off to a faster start than typical.” 🏴☠️️@SharpFootball explains why Tom Brady and the Bucs can’t afford to start slow against the Packers in the NFC title game. ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/GspIV2K2On
— Rotoworld Football (@Rotoworld_FB) January 22, 2021
January 22nd, 2021 at 12:08 am
Rogers can’t score when he’s sitting on the bench and a well rested D has a better chance of stopping him.
Ground and Pound and move the chains!
January 22nd, 2021 at 12:30 am
“Do you trust the Bucs defense”
To make an accurate decision, which Bucs defense are we talking about? The one that put a stranglehold on the packers earlier in the season defense or snf against the saints defense?
Bravo to the young secondary for last weeks game but I still don’t trust them.
January 22nd, 2021 at 12:40 am
GOAT will do it!
Holy Schnikees! This guy clocks in and out in the Buc’s colors every day. He has helped this team understand what winning is about.
Rogers hopes that D. Adams is healthy and could care about the rest. Result is that as Gene D says it
Bucs Win, Bucs Win, Bucs Win!
In most of the world past performance is enough to predict future……… It is here also. D. Adams will not be enough.
The Bucs will win under Brady!
SUPER BOWL BOUND!
January 22nd, 2021 at 1:24 am
I agree Bucsfan951 I still don’t trust this Bucs defense they have been very shakey in pass coverage all season long.
Even that first 38-10 Packers game felt like a fluke defensive preformance where In the 1st quarter Rogers was marching up and down the field and then out of nowhere he throws those 2 back to back picks (Which he never does) and the Bucs took over from there.
Also, we needed to play a beatdown Drew Brees with 11 broken ribs and a torn rotator cuff in order to stop him.
The defense plays best when it’s Devin White and JPP making plays rather than relying on the secondary.
January 22nd, 2021 at 3:05 am
It was 14-10 after the pick 6 and the almost pick 6. Packers still had 2 1/2 quarters to play in that game. That was no fluke, Bucs came to play that day, they could have just as easily folded in the 1st quarter down by 10pts and seemingly being dominated. Bowles talked to his unit on the sideline and made adjustments. This will be a totally different game, should be a good one.
January 22nd, 2021 at 3:21 am
So two weeks ago the offense, especially the OL, were the worry going up against Chase Young and the rest of the team with-no-name. What happened? No sacks for Mr.Young and the rest of his herd, Bucs offense scores 31 and gives up only 23 on defense.
Then last week, the big concern was could the Bucs defense stop an offense that had put more than 70 points against them on 2 prior games. What happened? Bucs defense takes the Aint’s best receiver completely out of the game, intercepts a future HOF QB 3X and strips the ball away for a total of 4 turnovers. Bucs offense scores 30 points and gives up only 20 on defense.
Now this week it’s the Bucs defense going up against the probable 2020 MVP QB Rodgers, who just doesn’t lose at home once he’s got a lead that’s the big concern. What will happen? Shaq, Suh, David and White is what will happen and the GOAT will make it twice that the MVP will lose an early lead at home. Bucs offense scores 27 and gives up only 17 on defense. Bucs win.
January 22nd, 2021 at 4:32 am
It’s soooo good to see at least some Bucs’ fans being optimistic. CalBucsFan, Colonel Angus, Backtabucs & gp I salute you for not underestimating this team. They find a way to win … WHATEVER IT TAKES.
If the Packers can’t stop the run, guess what: Bucs will HAPPILY run it down their throats. And on a cold Wisconsin night, our OLine will stay nice & warm by run-blocking their butts off. And if that means running on 3rd down, 2nd down AND 1st down, then that’s OK … WHATEVER IT TAKES.
January 22nd, 2021 at 6:55 am
I like mixing it up….you need some play action on 1st downs to keep them honest…..I do think we will have success running the ball against them.
January 22nd, 2021 at 7:34 am
IMO, the key will be which D so the other team down, and by how much.
I suspect the Buc’s D will handle the Packer’s O better than the Packer’s D will handle the Buc’s O, although maybe not by much.
And if the Packer’s D is susceptible to the run, the Bucs should dish out a heavy helping of it.
I hope Bowles dials in a lot of man-2 this game and turn the front 7 loose. If you’re gonna go down in a big game, go down with unapologetic aggression.
January 22nd, 2021 at 7:35 am
^^^”holds”, not “so.”^^^
I hate tiny keyboards…
January 22nd, 2021 at 8:20 am
backtobucs; LOVE your reference. Wonder how many got that
January 22nd, 2021 at 8:32 am
I think the Bucs have adjusted to what the defense has given them the last 2 weeks. Everyone is saying they’re not passing etc. They’ve won the last two weeks by taking what the defense gives them. I think Green Bay is going to be a tough game but I think our offense will exploit what they can exploit. Whether it’s no risk it no biscuit or ground and pound, they’ve been adapting well to what the defense gives them. Go Bucs- 2 more W’s!!!!
January 22nd, 2021 at 10:14 am
i think BA will have this team prepared and they’ll come out with a sense of urgency….
Lets Go Bucs!!!
GO BUCS!!!!
January 22nd, 2021 at 10:56 am
First play of the game Bucs lineup in 12 or 13 personnel with Godwin in the slot between the hashes like an H-back. We go play-action in the 15-25 range and open things up early. Our play-action game is among the best in the league when we choose to use it. Unfortunately, we use too many empty sets and let pass rushers tee off because we are predictable.
Defensively, I rewatched the Packers Bucs game from week 6. The Packers came out early with a lot of shallow crossing routes and were killing us despite us getting them in 3rd and long situations. I’m not sure we did much to stop them or that the Packers quit going with the shallow crosses. This is something that was very effective until they stopped and started trying to push the ball down the field and run WR screens that were regularly stopped and blown up. I think having Vita