Can The Bucs Slow Down Jonathan Taylor?
November 27th, 2021
NFL analyst believes Bucs defense can slow Colts RB Jonathan Taylor.
With Derrick Henry on the shelf, Joe doesn’t think it is a stretch to suggest that Colts running back Jonathan Taylor is the best back in the NFL.
Taylor went bananas last week against Buffalo, gaining 185 yards on the ground. In six of his last eight games, Taylor has gained over 100 yards rushing.
Big, big problems for the Bucs, right? Well, Scott Spratt of Football Outsiders isn’t buying it. Yeah, Spratt believes the Bucs will have their hands full tomorrow. But Spratt is also quick to point out the Bucs are not the Bills when it comes to choking off an opponent’s run game.
Jonathan Taylor turned what I thought was a difficult rushing matchup with the Bills into 204 total yards and five touchdowns last week. It’s almost silly, then, to bring him up as facing a poor matchup this week against the Bucs. But unlike the presumably balanced Bills defense, the Bucs are stronger against the run (fourth) than the pass (seventh) and cut opponent run plays by 35% per game, the most in football. Teams tend to try to throw on the Bucs even before they fall behind in the second half.
Spratt went on to type that if he was constructing a daily fantasy lineup to lay cash on, Taylor would not be on it for this week.
The teams Taylor has run for 100 or more yards this year are: Miami, Houston, San Francisco, the Jets, the Jags and Buffalo.
With the exception of Buffalo and maybe San Francisco (they’ve been beat up by injuries), those aforementioned teams aren’t exactly Vince Lombardi’s Packers, the Steel Curtain, the Ray Lewis-led Crows or the Bucs defense of the glory years.
Of course, it will help if Vita Vea and Devin White can play tomorrow. Joe has a hunch Taylor’s going to get a rude wake-up call by the Bucs’ rush defense.
November 27th, 2021 at 12:03 am
It’s not the same defense w/o a healthy Vita & Devin. Can’t expect them to perform at optimum level (and JPP is a shell of himself)
November 27th, 2021 at 12:20 am
I can’t lie. I’m scared of this dude. He is totally legit and only getting better. He’s on fire right now and he’s very capable of breaking some big plays against us. The kind of big plays that make home crowds noisier and underdogs hyped.
Brady will have to have an excellent game to win this one imo. Battle between MVP candidates with the colts season on the edge and us battling for #1 seed. Going to be a hell of a game.
November 27th, 2021 at 12:30 am
I can’t really take Taylor out of Either of my FF lineups. I think they well screen him and he will still get me at least 20 points.
I hope I am wrong but I’m just playing the odds.
November 27th, 2021 at 1:09 am
Not a big deal. Anybody can be stop.
You making it a big deal.
Can the colts slow down or stop brady , evans. Godwin, gronk?
November 27th, 2021 at 1:27 am
As I posted before- JT will not run all over the Bucs, he will get some yards, yes, but not like against Buff. “IF” the Bucs do not turn the ball over then the Bucs win. Pretty simple.
GO BUCS!!!!
November 27th, 2021 at 1:35 am
Guys they better be worried about Pittman cause that kid is a baller
November 27th, 2021 at 2:00 am
Many vaunted backs have fizzled against this Bowles defense
November 27th, 2021 at 2:03 am
Bowles wins
November 27th, 2021 at 2:12 am
Test
November 27th, 2021 at 5:24 am
Pretty bold statement Joe that you have ‘a hunch Taylor’s going to get a rude wake-up call by the Bucs’ rush defense’. Wish I had that much confidence.
Jonathan Taylor is the real deal (size, speed, aggressiveness, vision) but how well he does is even more about his OLine (very beastly) AND how he’s being used. After the Buffalo game, Taylor said something to the effect that the holes were so big you could run a Mack truck through them. Bucs did great last game because we kept an excellent rotation going & kept our DLine fresh. That’ll be even more important against Indy.
When you look at Taylor’s runs in the Bills game, he ran all over the place, but mostly in the middle. And a number of those runs were for huge chunks of yardage. Example: runs of 10 (middle), 10 (middle), 11 (left end), 40 (left tackle), 18 (middle). There’s 89 of his 185 yds rushing on just 5 runs; all for 1st downs & almost HALF of his rushing yardage came on only 5 of his 32 rushes. Now throw in Nyheim Hines rushes for 8 (right end) & 19 (right guard) and it tells me that the (1) Colts’ OLine was doing their job; and (2) explosive plays are a big part of the Colts’ offense.
Taylor did very well on his other 27 rushes (96 yds), but that’s about average (3.6 YPC). The key for the Bucs defense IMO will be not allowing those explosive plays. And another key to the game will be for our offense to control the clock as much as possible with a decent run-pass ratio (to keep our defense fresh) & not turn the ball over (kiss of death). The teams who’ve beaten them (Seahawks, Rams, Titans-twice, Ravens) all ran the ball very well on them.
November 27th, 2021 at 6:14 am
THEY WONT RUN RIGHT AT US.. they’ll do a bunch of gimmick plays screens etc..
November 27th, 2021 at 6:25 am
Gonna be toss sweeps all day and Taylor is going to roll. This will be a blowout. Colts 35 Bucs 24.
November 27th, 2021 at 6:49 am
Hey Pete, Jeff needs his meds.
November 27th, 2021 at 6:52 am
Go back to bed, Jeff. Ain’t happening.
November 27th, 2021 at 6:56 am
2019 all pro stats for Christian Mccaffrey leading up to a game against the Bucs. With all the hype on Mccaffrey despite a monstrous Bucs rush defense, he too discovered that he is not superman. Total yds from scrimmage against stifling Bucs defense = 57.
Below are Mccaffrey’s total yards from scrimmage against other teams that year leading up to Bucs game.
209
188
179
237
We set the benchmark in 2019 n have been consistent against the run since that time. So, we will continue best practice against runners such as Johnathan Taylor on Sunday 11/28/21 n here on out. The odds were against us in the past against top tier teams or rushers n we beat the odds then n will do the same tomorrow. We r more than ready.
November 27th, 2021 at 6:57 am
I’m willing to get Lenny has more rushing yards that Taylor this game.
November 27th, 2021 at 6:58 am
/I\ bet
November 27th, 2021 at 7:08 am
This is a statement game for the Bucs run defense……we have stopped many good RBs…….the list is long……I believe the key is the health of Vea & White…..if they are on the top of their game…..we can stop Taylor.
Our offense needs to play turnover free football and score early….forcing the Colts to throw
November 27th, 2021 at 7:45 am
If White and Vea play, Taylor will have under 70 total yards. unfortunately (for this week), I have him on my fantasy team. Bucs D has proven for the last two and half years if they commit to stopping the run nobody can run on them.
November 27th, 2021 at 7:47 am
TBBF … Bucs definitely need Vea & White in there to stop Taylor, but we also need to stop making foolish penalties, on defense especially. Very undisciplined this year for some reason.
Very good site at NFLPenalties dot com (its’ simplicity works for me). Bucs overall are middle-of-the-pack on penalties (#13 with 71 total), but #7 in terms of total yardage penalized (662). Offense is doing reasonably well (26 total for 188 yds, ranking #25). Our defense though has been very sloppy (38 total for 419 yds, ranking dead last in the NFL in both categories). We’re also #32 in pre-snap penalties (12) & that’s proven costly. Pass interference calls have also cost us big-time.
Indy is one of the least penalized (only 51 total penalties), but the majority of theirs have come on offense (34). Defense only has 15 penalties which is 2nd-fewest in the league. Impressive.
November 27th, 2021 at 7:49 am
Taylor is not the type of running back that gives the bucs problems cuz we have speed to match it . King Henry is the kind of back to give bucs problems running straight at them and they did pretty good last year on Henry without vita so I think we will be just fine bucs 34 colts 17. Go bucs
November 27th, 2021 at 7:56 am
I’m sure our own playoff Lenny is hearing all the hype about Taylor. I hope our O line is hearing how good the Colts O line is. Wouldn’t it be something if the Bucs out rush the Colts?
November 27th, 2021 at 7:56 am
The Bucs have a better chance to stop Taylor than the Colts to stop Brady.
No key penalties and no turnovers = Bucs win.
Bucs need big 1st down stops to force Indy into passing.
November 27th, 2021 at 8:23 am
Brady has 5 weapons, Indy has one. I ain’t worried, you guys forget who Taylor is facing, the number one rush defence, thats who. Chill, we got this. SMH. What a bunch of panty-waisters.
34-17 Buccaneers
LFG Bucs
Let’s Go Brandon!!
November 27th, 2021 at 8:36 am
Nobody runs on the Bucs!
November 27th, 2021 at 8:40 am
Wentz is one of the most accurate passers in the league, I say they come right out with play action and test the secondary. BA is correct when he says the team is dumb, well I agree often they play dumb, they are very aggressive and often chase all the fakes. Let’s hope Bucs score first then Indy has to match because Bowles will be out coached by Reich. Go TB12, this is another one on you.
November 27th, 2021 at 9:27 am
Bucs defense does not need a statement game, they’ve done it for seasons. JT being talked about as one of the best has been the talk for half a season? No one runs wild on the Bucs, dalvin cook did a bit last year but still didn’t matter. Not often Bucs allow 100 yard rushers, JT has everything to prove not the Bucs
November 27th, 2021 at 10:53 am
If Taylor gets 100 on say, 25 carries but Wentz only gets 230ish passing the Bucs will be fine. Over committing to Taylor opens up Pittman. Good, smart, balanced defense is the key to winning this game, as the Bucs offense should do what they are expected to do.
November 27th, 2021 at 11:33 am
Swampbuc, not true, they are very much like Pat’s only difference is Wentz will let one go from time to time.
November 27th, 2021 at 1:28 pm
I think the Bucs slow him down enough. Get an early lead and make them throw. Sorry this wasn’t ten paragraphs. 😁
November 27th, 2021 at 3:36 pm
over our last 5 games we’ve allowed 111 rushing yds /game.. run defense will determine this game…White’s quad injury will be tested–not certain he’s at 1005
November 27th, 2021 at 4:17 pm
Calm down Joes. This team eats running backs for breakfast. Get ready for the worst game of the season for Jonathan Taylor.
November 27th, 2021 at 4:33 pm
I’m going to say that, at the end of the day, the Bucs will have more rushing yards than the Colts tomorrow. Book it.
November 27th, 2021 at 5:31 pm
List – I don’t see how what I wrote could be not true – if JT gets 100 on 25 and Wentz is held to 230 or less, and the Bucs offense does its average, Bucs should win by around 30-24 or so.
November 28th, 2021 at 1:01 am
i think he does most of his damage in the passing game. hopefully boweles has them ready for that