Defensive Line Better Show Up
October 7th, 2022
It’s coming, said Bucs co-defensive coordinator Kacy Rodgers. It’s coming and the defensive line better have their chin straps buckled.
What is coming? The Dixie Chicks’ running backs. And their offensive line.
The Dixie Chicks — perhaps even Atlanta coach Artie Smith understands runaround quarterback Marcus Mariota is a gimmick — make no secrets what they plan to do on offense. Ram the ball down a defense’s throat.
Last week the Chiefs’ offensive line absolutely bullied the Bucs’ defensive front. It was jarring to see a brute like Vita Vea get pushed around. That allowed the Chiefs to damn near run the ball at will and when you do that, you not only control the game but you keep the ball out of Tom Brady’s hands.
Rodgers yesterday said in no uncertain terms his defensive line better snap out of it.
“Everything,” Rodgers said when asked what his defensive line needs to work on. “Everything. For one, just getting off blocks better – everybody fitting the way we need to be.
“We just need to play a heck of a lot better than we have been playing.”
Rodgers also noted that bad play by one defensive lineman last Sunday night, for whatever reason, seemed to infect others on the line and it resulted in “snowballs” from there.
Interesting revelation, Rodgers said he did rookie Logan Hall an “injustice” by not getting him more snaps.
But Rodgers is right, the defensive line needs to come to work Sunday. Another performance like last Sunday night and the Bucs might be setting themselves up for getting blindsided.
October 7th, 2022 at 9:04 am
Suh
October 7th, 2022 at 9:16 am
Has Will Gholston even played……you can usually count on some run stuffs from him…..RNR……Vita, Hall…..nada…..
October 7th, 2022 at 9:25 am
With that title for this post, they must have signed SUH lololol
GO BUCS!!!!
October 7th, 2022 at 9:26 am
Defense played a poor game last week. I was disappointed even though I knew it was KC and Ian sure didn’t help. They better show up Sunday. Mike Edwards played well though.
October 7th, 2022 at 9:28 am
Vea got the contract , headed to the chow line…
October 7th, 2022 at 9:31 am
Vea is standing straight up making it easy to block him. His pad level needs to change immediately. Doesn’t matter how big and strong you are if you let the blocker get under you.
October 7th, 2022 at 9:38 am
More Anthony Nelson wouldn’t hurt either, specifically if we can stack him inside of JTS so it gives us a safeguard against the latter not necessarily being the best setter of the edge. Vita has to step it tf up too, KC basically put him in a phone booth and held the door shut on him for the majority of his snaps. KC also used a lot of down blocks from the guard/center spot to basically negate his ability to penetrate and wash him out on run plays. Time to get a grip on how teams are handling Vea and start find ways to go about countering it.
October 7th, 2022 at 9:39 am
Hicks was a bust should have re signed SUH!!!!!!
October 7th, 2022 at 9:39 am
Chiefs game plan was to run the ball even Vea was not on the field and throw it when he was….. he needs to play better but the scheme was a sign of respect for him being effective as run stopper
October 7th, 2022 at 9:39 am
JTS stinks and Bucs miss availability of Suh
October 7th, 2022 at 9:40 am
*when
October 7th, 2022 at 9:53 am
Off topic, but when is Donovan Smith coming back. Brady needs him.
October 7th, 2022 at 9:56 am
Joe … ‘That allowed the Chiefs to damn near run the ball at will and when you do that, you not only control the game but you keep the ball out of Tom Brady’s hands.’
Just want to make sure I understand that line Joe. Does that mean that running the ball is a good thing in that it allows you to ‘control the game’ and keep your opponent’s offense off the field?
Seems like a contradiction to recent JBF articles like ‘The Passing Bucs’ and ‘Todd Bowles About to Embrace the Pass?’. Not to mention ‘It’s Time For Todd Bowles to Embrace No RiskIt No Biscuit’.
October 7th, 2022 at 10:07 am
Vea was over-used in the KC game & that seemed to impact his effectiveness on the field. He was in for 57 def snaps (71%), significantly higher than his previous average of 44 def snaps (62%). KC is the only game this year he hasn’t gotten at least 1 QB hit in. Bucs NEED another big body in there to alternate with him. JL, if you’re not gonna sign Suh, at least sign SOMEONE to beef up the center of this DLine. KC opened up too many gaping holes this past Sunday.
And Dooley I agree with you about using more Anthony Nelson. He’s been a lot more effective in his limited snaps 83 than our youngsters JTS or Hall have (2 sacks, 2 QB hits, 2 TFLs, 7 tackles).
October 7th, 2022 at 10:11 am
Suh.
October 7th, 2022 at 10:16 am
Suh
October 7th, 2022 at 10:21 am
No Suh, Hicks getting hurt knocked this team for a loop. Chiefs best O in league, stay tuned this Sunday for week 1 type dominance
October 7th, 2022 at 10:23 am
The game is simple. Fundamentals sucked against KC. Poor tackling, poor gap integrity, poor pad level on the Dline. Stand straight up and get knocked over by a runaway shopping cart. The good thing is fundamentals are correctable.
October 7th, 2022 at 10:38 am
@Defense Rules
What I like most about Anthony is that he’s athletic enough to play at the listed “OLB”, but he is also really good at playing through his match-up instead of trying to beat them with speed around the perimeter like JTS. In doing that, Nelson shows playing through your man as a DE/OLB serves two-big purposes, it obviously does well pressuring the pocket on pass plays even if you don’t get home, but also crowds the run game whether it be forcing the cut back or negating a cut back. I’d like to see more of that and if it means cutting into JTSs’ snaps to give Nelson more opportunities at seeing it, then so be it.
October 7th, 2022 at 10:39 am
Seems Sapp was right about Vea, he’s just a big human being without any pass rush ability.
October 7th, 2022 at 10:42 am
Put Hall on the edge and let JTS play special teams.
October 7th, 2022 at 11:06 am
DR, over used? How old is he 45? He did nothing in all 4 games except the hit in GB, even then he was knocked back to the goaline. FYI Gholston did play, he was closest to the receiver on the White over run TD pass. Last two games O scores first and D let’s up 14 unanswered points. NOT GOOD! Vea is Sampson, they cut his hair and he lost his power.
October 7th, 2022 at 11:08 am
Vea has been a major disappointment this year. Vea getting thrown out of the club in the trenches. Never thought I’d see that.
October 7th, 2022 at 11:11 am
We are missing another Huge force in the middle like we used to have with Suh, and partially with Hicks.
So, teams are now doubling Vea, and 2 men can easily push him right out of the way.
Coach Smith of Atlanta is the Tennessee Titans old offensive coordinator, and is totally committed to the run. Even though their best back Patterson is hurt and will not play, they have 2 other big powerful backs over 220 lbs.
I agree that Vea was overused vs the Chiefs. Like many really big men, he does not seem to have the Cardio to play all out for an entire game. He gets tired easily.
At the start of the Chiefs game, they were doubling him, but soon switched to just one man on him, once they saw he was tried.
Too bad we no longer have Suh, and Hicks is hurt.
We can count on Atlanta to try and run the ball down our throats, and that can easily lead to huge plays for them, if they catch us in a blitz.
October 7th, 2022 at 11:23 am
suh > unavailable
October 7th, 2022 at 11:37 am
When? Last week. Started and played every snap on offense.
October 7th, 2022 at 11:49 am
The turning point of the KC game was the opening kickoff fumble.
It infected the entire team with dread.
It reminded me of the JayMiss years when he’d throw an opening drive pick and you could just feel the drive go out of the teams’ delicate psyche.
October 7th, 2022 at 11:59 am
Vea got full time Money. Have to agree with Listn. How do you over use a guy his age. If that’s the case then the Bucs wasted half the money they paid him. I like VV and he can be a force to be reckoned with. Time to get to it.
October 7th, 2022 at 12:25 pm
JTS needs to hit the gym. Tossed around at will.
October 7th, 2022 at 12:37 pm
I have been saying this since the beginning. JTS can not hold the edge, can not pass rush against even a single blocker, and is still not even close to old man JPP. The guy does not have football skills. He is a poor OLB/DE.
Oh and….. SUH.
October 7th, 2022 at 12:43 pm
Kentucky Buc is right. Watching the all 22 on a few plays, everyone I saw with Vea in the lineup, the ball is snapped and he almost immediately stands up. The offensive lineman are lower than him and they push him all over the place. As for Gholston I don’t know how much he played but it didn’t seem like he was in much. He may be the Best run stopper the Bucs have right now. They need to play him ALOT.
October 7th, 2022 at 12:46 pm
I can smell the blindside coming. Especially if the Bucs Dline keeps reading their clippings instead of playing football. “HIT SOMEONE”!
October 7th, 2022 at 12:59 pm
Dominating D my arse! That was a freaking mirage!!!!
Get your sh!t together boys….or dont!
And trust me, I know, Offense hasnt been doing their part much either.
October 7th, 2022 at 1:06 pm
JTS or Landon Dickerson if you could have a do over….Landon of course (doing great as a G with the eagles)….and I was pushing for us to draft him last year. But no, somebody I never even heard of pops up, JTS. Oh well. Sometimes they listen to me, sometimes they dont….all good.
October 7th, 2022 at 1:12 pm
It doesn’t help that the LBs are over-pursuing and out of position and missing tackles.
October 7th, 2022 at 1:56 pm
With the 15th pick in the 2023 nfl draft… Just kidding, but if the defensive line keeps getting owned like they did last Sunday, it could become reality. Mediocre is the worst place to be for an nfl team.
October 7th, 2022 at 1:59 pm
Listnfrmafar & Kentucky Buc … There’s a very old saying ‘You are where you are’. That’s the case with Vea, except ‘He is who he is’. For whatever reason, he doesn’t have the stamina to play 70-80% snaps every game like Suh used to. Might be all the weight he carries around, might be that he has asthma, might be 1000 things. Doesn’t matter … if Bucs play him too much, he drags the interior DLine down. You don’t ‘fix’ that in a week; you do your best to compensate for it. He performs best when restricted to 50-60% def snaps. I suspect the same will be true of Hicks also.
One of the JBF regular commenters mentioned after the game that the Chiefs were running more when Vea wasn’t in there & passing more when he was. I didn’t key on that while watching the game, but it makes perfect sense for a team like the Chiefs that has the inherent capability to adapt on-the-spot because of their personnel (especially with a QB like Mahomes).
October 7th, 2022 at 2:08 pm
DR, and their COACHES make the adjustments adjustments.
October 7th, 2022 at 2:22 pm
Chris … ‘We can count on Atlanta to try and run the ball down our throats, and that can easily lead to huge plays for them, if they catch us in a blitz.’
Totally agree that Atlanta will attempt to run the ball down our throats, but I can’t see Bowles blitzing a running team nearly as much as he does a passing team. Nothing to be gained. Would seem to me that we’d be much better off doing everything we can to ensure gap integrity.
Look at Atlanta’s run-pass ratios in their first 4 games:
o Saints game: 38 runs vs 33 passes (0 sacks) … 71 plays … 53.5% run-pass (Falcons won the TOP – 33:44 to 26:16)
o Rams game: 27 runs vs 26 passes (3 sacks) … 56 plays … 48.2% run-pass (Falcons lost the TOP – 29:36 to 30:24)
o Seahawks game: 31 runs vs 20 passes (3 sacks) … 54 plays … 57.4% run-pass (Falcons lost the TOP – 28:14 to 31:46)
o Browns game: 35 runs vs 19 passes (1 sacks) … 55 plays … 63.6% run-pass (Falcons lost the TOP – 24:16 to 35:44)
Falcons have run on 55.5% of their plays so far this season. What’s hurt them thus far is turnovers; Mariota has thrown 4 INTs and fumbled 6 times (lost 4). Falcons are averaging 2 T/Os per game. That’s the kiss of death for a running team especially, and at the heart of that is … Mariota. Get to him and he’ll cough it up it looks like.
October 7th, 2022 at 2:29 pm
Listnfrmafar … I don’t disagree that coaches need to adjust, but I don’t think the talent we’re putting on the field right now measures up to the bigger, badder OLines some of our opponents have. MAYBE if Hicks was in there things would be different; MAYBE NOT.
All I know is that I’d sure like to see Suh in there for the rest of our games. More than likely this’ll be Brady’s last year with us, and I’d hate to waste it because our defense proved to be the weak link. I predicted in preseason that if we just went with Vea & Hicks we’d be a middle-of-the-pack defense come years end. My concern was strictly AVAILABILITY, and we’re seeing that play out with both Hicks (injured) and Vea (good for about 50-60% snaps & that’s it).
October 7th, 2022 at 2:45 pm
Where is Vita Vea,except for the hit in Dallas?
October 7th, 2022 at 5:59 pm
Licht got robbed on the Vea deal…dude can only play half a ganme.
He looks overweight and it looks like he has mailed it in.
And hicks…Licht blew this year. Terrible GM
October 7th, 2022 at 7:22 pm
Hicks looked like a big blob of jello getting scooted around vs the Chiefs. So sad.
October 7th, 2022 at 8:50 pm
If Vea plays like a gigantic marshmallow, Falcons will just roll through all game. What should be the strength of the DL is the weakest link. Then once past the marshmallows, the secondary will be compromised without Ryan=no discipline=open field for whoever Titans hand off to.
Reinforcements badly needed.
October 7th, 2022 at 11:08 pm
This staffs goal was to get more interior rush and less push and they made a great pic w Hall ,,,, However they still need SUH because you had better do your job on the d line with SUH around !!!NOW Unfortunately there isn’t anyone in charge of bone head , self hyped , D White …… he is a Gerald McCoy ego running wild and plays like him ( totally out of the play ) 1/2 the time !! Barret Rudd and Shelton Quarles we’re simply better players but not so hyped !! Coaching controls mood and Ego and we have some Jets Stuff going on !! Lose two straight due to bad coaching and Brady Retires !! And I don’t blame him !! Seriously we are getting rid of our best military people to be fake and be nice !!! Please Bring Back Bruce and Suh !!! Sorry Tom !! No time to be fake and nice …Who is in Charge !! No One , Ever seen Bowles in Charge , NOPE !! Nor have the players or the Jets !! Again Hall was this D. S leadership goal but they dumb kicked it and didn’t fully cover the losses …….. 🤬
October 8th, 2022 at 3:55 am
If Suh is so great….Why hasn’t any team sign him?????
October 8th, 2022 at 7:47 am
So now it’s clear that the strength of the SB defense was Suh, JPP, a younger LVD and that heat seeking missile Whitehead. The attitude and toughness those guys brought set the tone and standard. VV has disappointed and in year 2 JTS just hasn’t shown up yet. The run defense started to fall off last year and if KC exposed the weaknesses of this current group it could get ugly. Strap it on for Sunday guys because everyone is calling you out.
October 8th, 2022 at 11:42 am
Their base 3-4 defense is what killed them last week! They don’t have the muscle up front anymore to stop the O-line in their tracks and draw double teams that allow the linebackers to get free runs to the runner! The good O-lines in the league are getting to the second level on the bucs! Edwards shouldn’t have like 30 tackles already!! … I expect Bowels to come out with a strong 4-3 man to man defense early in the game, shut down the run and get a few scores up on them and then go back to his 3-4 wild blitzing packages that create turn overs
October 8th, 2022 at 6:33 pm
Counting on Hicks, Logan Hall, or JTS has proven to be a huge mistake.
We would be a much better defense, if we had kept SUh and JPP.
With the contributions of Nelson And Nassib- we would have a great line.
Hall and JTS would get time- when they earned time