Disrespect For Bucs Defense, Todd Bowles
June 22nd, 2023
“Non-believers, Jason.”
A tray of Hooters wings was just enough as Joe inhaled a one-hour discussion of what could/should be the NFL’s best 10 defenses this season, and a handful of “just missed” defenses were thrown in, too.
Sadly, the words “Bucs” or “Tampa” were not heard.
Last year, Tampa Bay ranked 13th in points allowed and ninth in total yards allowed, strong totals buoyed by a fantastic defensive start to the season.
A couple of months ago, Joe dove into great detail on the Ira Kaufman Podcast how rare it is to have a top-10 defense in a season and score a top-5 overall draft pick in the following NFL Draft. It’s almost impossible.
The Bucs, Joe believes, certainly have the talent necessary for a top-10 defense, along with an experienced and savvy coaching staff. But the ESPN duo of former NFL defensive lineman Chris Canty and Mina Kimes do not agree. They did the top-10 deep dive on Kimes’ online show that published today.
Canty had no NFC South team on his 2023 list because he said the quarterbacks and offenses faced by NFC South teams last season were so brutal, he can’t be confident in what those defenses can produce now.
Canty included the Bucs among those pitiful 2022 offenses. “Absolutely atrocious” is how he described the unit led by Tom Brady.
Joe thinks the Bucs need a top-10 defense this season in order to have a winning record, barring a stunning Baker Mayfield revival. The former is very doable while the latter is hope-driven at this point.
Also, no top-10 defense for the Bucs this season very likely gets Todd Bowles seeking a new job.
June 22nd, 2023 at 3:38 pm
Be honest now, was there any 3rd down yardage that the opposition had last season with Lost boy White out there that you really thought they would stop or hold…Please Shaq be healthy. Go Bucs
June 22nd, 2023 at 3:44 pm
I think there will be a chance for a decent pass rush this year which will hopefully improve our pass defense but I think the run defense is not going to be strong unless there is lots of blitzing
June 22nd, 2023 at 3:55 pm
A good defense along with a respectable running attack usually leads to more wins than losses in an NFL season – especially if you have a favorable schedule like the Bucs do in 2023.
Plus we have Mike Evans and Chris Godwin.
I don’t care who the QB is – as long as they can reasonably game manage and successfully distribute the ball to our play makers without turning the ball over a ton – the 2023 Bucs are going to be a 9 or 10 win team this year.
Hard to believe Vegas and almost every talking head giving an opinion looks at our roster and schedule with a prediction of 5-6 wins….
The prevailing take seems to be no more complex than – “Brady is gone – and the offense was bad last year WITH Brady – therefore this team will be terrible now…” Seems like lazy analysis to me….
June 22nd, 2023 at 4:10 pm
Joe, you’ve made your point. The national narrative is clear. The Buccaneers will stink. Just like last year when Seattle, Miami, and Minnesota were going to stink and the Buccaneers and Packers would be battling for NFC champion. So why play the games? All is lost! But the games do need to be played. Me, I’m a big counter narrative guy. By the way, weren’t the Yankees supposed to run away with the AL East and Baltimore supposed to stink? The Pirates were supposed to lose 100 games and now they are playing 500 baseball. I know this is a no news time of the year, but this constant harping on the National Media’s narrative is getting old. I don’t fault you, because you have to print something but I’d be more impressed if you at least told us the track record of these touts. You know a lot about the NFL and yet you’ve seen how hard it is to predict the outcome of NFL games.
June 22nd, 2023 at 4:12 pm
We need at least 1 of these 2 things to happen in order for us to have a top defense…..preferably both.
!. Shaq Barrett returns in top form
2. Our top 3 draft picks from the last 3 years perform at very high levels.
JTS, Logan Hall & Kancey
You simply can’t make that kind of investment an not have it pay off….
June 22nd, 2023 at 4:12 pm
I think we’ll have an average defense.
June 22nd, 2023 at 4:13 pm
That weak division logic goes both ways. If you are talking about top 10 in defensive stats, the NFC South should have a good opportunity to put up good defensive numbers. Bucs will see Carr twice, Ridder twice, Young twice plus Richardson, Tannehill/Levis, and Stroud. Half the games, they won’t exactly be seeing the cream of the QB crop unless these rookies ball out right away.
The Ravens on those lists… eh I dunno about that. They spent their offseason worried about the offense and lost a couple key contributors on D. Pittsburgh O could take a step in year 2 of Pickett, then ya got a possibly improved Watson leading the Browns and the Bengals. Much tougher sledding than the NFC South. See, I know as much as these people and their lists! Ha
June 22nd, 2023 at 4:16 pm
6 games vs the NFC South. Those should pad the stats enough to get into the top 15. I dont see Bowles letting the defense slip considering he was undermanned at some spots last year. If there is a pleasant surprise this season, its most likely that the defense gets rolling.
June 22nd, 2023 at 4:24 pm
The main thing is get rid of The Bowles Curse for nest year. Plan 9 will help.
June 22nd, 2023 at 4:32 pm
3 REASONS THE BUCS DEFENSE WILL BE RIDICULOUS!!!
1. Top 3 Secondary in the league. CDIII, Dean, Winfield, Neal
2. Game wreckers at all 3 levels. Vea, LVD, CD/Win
3. Crazy Speed Near the Line. Kancey, JTS, YaYa, D. White
Experts don’t pick us because we have so many unfamiliar faces.
June 22nd, 2023 at 4:32 pm
We will know by ‘The Bye’ Maybe By By Bowles and By By Season.. Should he stay or should he go?
June 22nd, 2023 at 4:44 pm
I think we need to be honest about the Bucs’ defense. The point about the Bucs playing really bad offenses last year is valid. No pass rush, can’t get off the field on 3rd down, and got shredded by every good offense they played except Dallas in Week 1 (and then Dallas wound up destroying Bowles’ defense anyway in the playoffs).
This is not a good defense. I would say it’s maybe average.
And if you want to make it even simpler, I would say that if you don’t have a great pass rush, you don’t have a good defense. Imagine the 49ers or Eagles without a pass rush.
June 22nd, 2023 at 4:49 pm
you all seem to be forgetting the defense will be on the field 80% of the time.
what looks great on paper is going to prove to be paper thin when the injuries start
bowles put all the money in the defense, yet he could care less about scoring.
not a winning combination
June 22nd, 2023 at 5:02 pm
Appears to be lazy (or biased) analysis on the part of Kimes & Canty. Majority of the teams both selected were Top-10 in 2022, with the exceptions of: Patriots (#11), Broncos (#15), Dolphins (#24).
Kimes chose the same 2022 Top-10 (some ranking shifted a bit) with the exception of the Patriots (who moved from #11 to #3 on her list). To do that, she dropped the #5-ranked Bengals out of the Top-10. Why is beyond me.
Canty chose 7 of the same 2022 Top-10 (again some shifted rankings a bit). He dropped out the #5 Bengals, #9 Saints & #10 Steelers to add in the Patriots (as his #5), Broncos (as his #8) and the Dolphins (as his #10). Why is beyond me again.
In 2021 we allowed 353 points and ranked #5. Last year Bucs allowed 358 points last season … less than 1 TD … and ranked #13, so the overall performance was almost the same. Last season the Patriots allowed 347 points, the Broncos allowed 359 points and the Dolphins allowed 399 points. Can’t personally see any reason to favor those teams moving up into the Top-10 over the Bucs. Time will tell.
June 22nd, 2023 at 5:22 pm
i like Slypirate’s take
I think the D can’t be the main problem with this team
Getting first downs when it counts will be a bigger challenge
June 22nd, 2023 at 5:25 pm
If we can get Hicks and Gholston back in the rotation the Bucs can be at least as good as last year. Of course Shaq needs to be totally healed and White needs to get his head out of his***.
June 22nd, 2023 at 5:31 pm
Gholston back is a great idea. He can plug right in. Good depth.
Solid veteran.
No to Hicks.
Injuries always the issue with Hicks.
June 22nd, 2023 at 6:03 pm
I begrudgingly have to agree with them. Our defense was slightly overrated last year. Their level of difficulty wasn’t as high as our offense. The defense faced some average QBs last year, and our offense faced some tough defense. The defense still played well enough to win. The offense was just plain bad, but I didn’t think our defense is top 10.
June 22nd, 2023 at 7:04 pm
I don’t think it’s as simple as where the rankings are. Todd struggles so bad with in game decisions, he blows games regardless
No feel for down and distance and when to go for it or not
Trick plays called at the worst possible times
Timeout usage and clock management is well below expectations
like Lovie, doesn’t seem real interested in out scoring anyone…gives up clock at end of half needlessly
We can have a top 5 D and a top 10 O – and still win 6 games with bad sideline management and the worst special teams coach in the history of the league
No one has any idea what we are getting this year….that is why everyone is hedging their bet
June 22nd, 2023 at 7:15 pm
Agree with Pickgrin
June 22nd, 2023 at 7:32 pm
Bucs defense was one of the best on 3rd down last year. 37% conversions allowed
June 22nd, 2023 at 8:06 pm
Not a top 10 defense? Must be focusing on our lack in edge rushing.
June 22nd, 2023 at 8:22 pm
We can win just as many super bowls as Brady did with NE & the team would still be getting disrespected.
June 22nd, 2023 at 8:42 pm
Ranking, rating, and predicting season. I’ll be glad when this crap is over.
June 22nd, 2023 at 9:47 pm
When your best pass rusher is JTS…….
June 22nd, 2023 at 9:48 pm
@Pickgrin
Haven’t seen you in awhile. Glad you’re back though I agree with you completely.
June 22nd, 2023 at 10:10 pm
It’s hard to believe anyone posting content to this site has ever had a journalism background. Endless regurgitated content from other sites with lazy opinions appended to them. It’s Fa
There was a time this place occasionally had a post/article resembling quality that would bubble it’s way to above the rest of the swirling detritus. Now, even Mike Florio is a Pulitzer winner compared to the best this joint has to offer. It’s too bad, there’s a shortage of quality Bucs coverage these days.
June 22nd, 2023 at 10:11 pm
It’s hard to believe anyone posting content to this site has ever had a journalism background. Endless regurgitated content from other sites with lazy opinions appended to them.
There was a time this place occasionally had a post/article resembling quality that would bubble it’s way to above the rest of the swirling detritus. Now, even Mike Florio is a Pulitzer winner compared to the best this joint has to offer. It’s too bad, there’s a shortage of quality Bucs coverage these days.
June 22nd, 2023 at 11:06 pm
Hard to be worse offensively than we were under Winston. Not sure why people don’t think we can get at least 6 wins if he did it. Chris canty was an average football player and less than average analyst. Take it for what it’s worth absolutely nothing
June 23rd, 2023 at 12:42 am
I could never waste an hour of my life on any BSPN programming. Rampant speculation and lots of hype. Ready to watch some football but they are just as bad as watching CBS news.
We are gonna have some serious struggles on defense unless our recent defensive line draft picks start playing up to their picks. No pass rush=no wins
June 23rd, 2023 at 2:23 am
ESPN duo of former NFL defensive lineman Chris Canty and Mina Kimes?
Come on man!
You lose me when you mention anything that originates from the talking heads national sports “journalist” camp. Might as well say my neighbors cousins wifes friend said… I personally have very little respect or interest in what a vast majority of these Yayhoos have to say. Pat Kerwan and maybe Brian Baldinger are the only ones I can think of right now who I want to read or hear from.
However the stat gurus do not take into account that we played above our heads early in the season. Before Hicks, Shaq and and a good number of injuries to the defensive backfield.
Go Bucs!
June 23rd, 2023 at 9:22 am
I think the Bucs are going to be underestimated and will surprise everyone they just need Bakermayfield to Play like he did in LA.
June 23rd, 2023 at 9:29 am
It would be nice in Kancey shows his worth early on.
I’ll have to look later and see how Aaron Donald did his rookie year, but we need at least some production out of pretty much everyone…especially Hall and JTS. With them and a Barrett comeback and we will have a top ten defense. Unpopular for sure, but I’m expecting a hair on fire season from DW45.
.
June 23rd, 2023 at 3:40 pm
The Bucs with a top ten defense this year?
Not a chance with that lawn chair secondary I saw in their last game against Dallas cowboys.
I’m seeing a bottom 2 possibly the absolute bottom defense. Because of that ineptitude in the secondary.
But hey, they’ll earn it the old fashion way.
With blown coverages repeatedly…
To keep many of the same personnel, and then throw a bunch of money at them seems like a fools game, given the end result.