Busted Coverage
October 16th, 2023
Todd Bowles
Joe has seen and read a bunch of comments tearing apart the Bucs defense for the loss yesterday to the Lions.
Joe didn’t think the defense was the problem. Yeah, they got run over in the second half yesterday when they flat out ran out of gas.
The Lions have a good offense. The defense was playing right with them. The Bucs offense not only couldn’t move the ball, Joe isn’t sure the offense could have had a bowel movement it was so awful.
As a result, the defense was on the field a whole lot and playing such a good offense, they finally wilted. They were zapped. And the Lions took advantage.
The Bucs defense held the Lions to two touchdowns and 20 points total. Joe is sorry, if you hold a team to 20 points in the NFL, you should be in the ballgame.
And the two touchdowns the Bucs gave up to the Lions? Bucs coach Todd Bowles said each was a blown coverage.
“[On] the two touchdowns they scored – one was third and 10, one was third and fourteen – we had two busts,” Bowles said. “That shouldn’t have never happened. And that’s on us as coaches [and] on us as players.”
Maybe it shouldn’t have happened. You know what else shouldn’t have happened? The Bucs offense played like it was the first worthless preseason game.
October 16th, 2023 at 12:11 am
Yeah, and nobody made any plays except Lavonte.
Vea, Winfield, JTS, Dean, Davis, White, and who the f**k is Logan Hall? – the world would like to know.
Way too many JAGs on this team, nobody makes play consistently.
Sad.
October 16th, 2023 at 12:13 am
LOL – we have been reading and hearing this from Bowles for 2+ years. It’s always a busted or communications issue!
How about your handpicked DBs just don’t have ball skills outside of Winfield Jr.?
Neal looks like a second string player whiffing on tackles and busting coverages left and right.
I’m tired of the excuses.
October 16th, 2023 at 12:18 am
Couldn’t agree more with Architek. For being such a defensive guru, it’s alway a busted coverage, miscommunication or the defender fell. We will hear this in week 17 as well.
October 16th, 2023 at 12:20 am
Yeah, and nobody made any plays except Lavonte.
Vea, Winfield, JTS, Dean, Davis, White, and where is Logan Hall? – the world would like to know.
Way too many JAGs on this team, nobody makes plays consistently.
Sad.
October 16th, 2023 at 12:44 am
Amen, Joe! The defense played well enough to win. They totally shut down the Lions vaunted run game. We needed Brady heroics this game. I submit that with the great pass protection today, Brady would’ve won this game. Goedeke owned Hutchinson. He certainly wouldn’t have had all those batted balls. Joe, remember when the fans tried to exile Brady for missing some throws. Now they’re making excuses for Brady.
October 16th, 2023 at 12:45 am
NOT BLAMING THE D
If the Bucs don’t turn it over in the red zone, that’s a new season low for Detroit. With that FG, it ties the season low for Detroit.
This debacle is on Canales. Don’t get it twisted.
October 16th, 2023 at 1:08 am
I just wanted to add one thing before I go to sleep. It’s absolutely hilarious that someone leaked before today’s game that the Bucs were a better team without Brady and then laid an egg on offense. Matter of fact, this years team is averaging fewer points than the team from last year.
I just think there’s a ton of insecurity regarding Brady with this team. It’s funny because the team who has more of an attachment, the Patriots,just went about their business when he left. There weren’t any shots at him when he left. It was business as usual for them. The insecurity shown by the team and some fans are marks of a franchise that’s not used to winning.
I don’t get the insecurity because Brady is a team guy. He’s not once taken credit for the success for the Patriots or the Bucs! He’s always about the team. I don’t get the hate. It’s sad because he’s still a big supporter of the team. He’s liked multiple social media posts by the team, even the posts with his replacement at QB. He’s not rooting against the team. Leftwich, on the other hand, is taking great pride that this team’s offense Is struggling. I know he’s laughing at home. Brady left on his own terms. Leftwich was fired.
October 16th, 2023 at 1:29 am
Exactly SlyPirate. Canales and the offense that put up the least amount of points (6) of all NFL teams today is the storyline….outside of Ryan Neil, the defense was fine.
Thank god we have a terrific punter to make up for a pathetic offense.
October 16th, 2023 at 1:41 am
The defense has kept Bucs in the game every game especially in first half of the games waiting for the offense to catch up. You can’t win in NFL scoring 3’s and 6’s in first half of the games.
The main issue is the offense with an outdated qb who is gone through 9 OC’s and 4 teams in 6 years. Just listen to Baker’s post game comments. Instead of owning it, he blames the offense and himself for bad plays and the loss. OL protected you giving you time to throw with no sack.
Yeah that is your leader and captain. NO Baker it was all you missing wide open receivers with sure TD’s and throwing pick with no TD’s.
THE GOOD LEADER WOULD SAY:I WAS BAD TONIGHT AND OWN IT.
October 16th, 2023 at 1:47 am
Good takes Joe. I am actually surprised how well the defense has been doing this season against two good teams before they ran out of gas.
October 16th, 2023 at 2:44 am
David played lights out.
Kancey had some nice plays too.
Double V played hard.
The intensity was there, but lady fortune was not. A deflected ball here and there and the outcome is different. I believe this team could use playoff Lenny on blocking and running.
I saw a play where a blitzed db was totally missed by number 1, and mayfield got leveled. Lenny would have made that pick up block. Something for licht to consider. Time is running out.
October 16th, 2023 at 2:55 am
The defense played well enough to win.
The offense sucked.
October 16th, 2023 at 3:10 am
The two busted coverages were both on the same person, Ryan Neal. He was awful today, which is nothing new in his time with the Bucs. Just take the L on that signing and send him to the bench already until he learns the defense.
If you’re just going to play zone 99% of the time anyways, then you can use Delaney. He’s way too slow for man-to-man, but he’s fine in zone, and at least knows where he’s supposed to be.
October 16th, 2023 at 5:34 am
The offense didn’t help, but the defence couldn’t get off the field on third down, that’s on them. At one point in the game they made 7 of 9 third downs. That’s always been a problem for our D getting off the field. When you’re offense can’t stay on the field, and you’re D can’t get off, this is what it looks like.
October 16th, 2023 at 5:47 am
You are right Joe: 20 points should be enough to win. But see also the other side: our D couldn’t get them out the field. So, they controlled the time of possession and left us with not many offensive possessions.
On top of this, a good D doesn’t allow WRs to run free. A good D doesn’t tackle so badly. A good D actually pressures the QB…. Compare what Detroit or the Eagles did to us with what our D does and you can easily see the difference
October 16th, 2023 at 5:57 am
The score could have been much worse if it wasn’t for our defense stopping scores. As far as offense 🤬 I thought for sure Vinny was going to come out and minute in those awful uniforms that only reminds me of how terrible we were at one time.
October 16th, 2023 at 5:57 am
the busted tackles for big plays was very hard to watch. The middle of the field was wide open. Sick and tired of watching a run up the middle for no gain or very little on offense-where are all these different plays from Canales?
October 16th, 2023 at 5:58 am
It was a busted play call. Against that formation blitzing Izien left the safety hung out to dry. With no extra guys to cover the routes being run. Neal was late coming over for Williams but had to cover the whole field to get there. That was because of Winfield coming up for the short depth out man. Davis the mid. The only way that was a bust is if Izien was not supposed to blitz and the other three also got it wrong. Doubtful.
That is the second time we have been burned like that this season BTW. I would be willing to bet that Goff and company saw this on tape study.
If you blitz, it leaves the back end vulnerable in one way or another. An old axiom that is still true. Our edge rush is non existent. Thus Bowles blitzes.
Joe you are correct sir we gave up 20 and got no help form the offense. Who spotted them the INT Field Goal. Which BTW Mike was about to take to the house if it had not been tipped.
Go Bucs!
October 16th, 2023 at 6:00 am
Off the topic but ANYONE else sick of being out numbered in your home stadium and hearing the opposing team louder that your teams fans? Sitting in the home teams side and sitting between Detroit fans getting real tired of this.
October 16th, 2023 at 6:51 am
Near the end of the game the Fox crew put up a stat on the screen that said the Bucs were only 2 of 12 on third down conversions for the game. Offensive snaps were only 40 plays Bucs vs. 60 some plays Lions. There is no defense that can plausibly make up for that by the fourth quarter.
The Bucs did not target our two best offensive skill players – Evans and Godwin – as often as the no. 3 and 4 WRs were targeted. What’s wrong with that?
Is it playcalling? Is it Mayfield not seeing the field?
Poor ball placement was definitely an issue for Mayfield.
October 16th, 2023 at 7:03 am
Davis and Dean were in full spectator mode.
Davis got his sh!t wrecked more than once.
October 16th, 2023 at 8:12 am
garro … ‘Who spotted them the INT Field Goal. Which BTW Mike was about to take to the house if it had not been tipped’.
I thought the same thing garro; Mike looked to be wide open on that play & he was definitely the target. That tipped ball ended up being a 10 point differential (they scored 3 instead of us scoring 7). Not the difference in the ball game (instead of 20-6 final score that would’ve made it 17-13 which who knows, might’ve led to some different play-calling decisions). Water under the bridge at this point.
At 3-2 now, looks like Bucs are still on-track for the 10-7 season I think they’ll end up with (assuming that they stay reasonably healthy of course). My big hope right now is that we can get this running game fixed. Mayfield showed me yesterday that he NEEDS a respectable running game AND a solid defense to be an effective game manager (Goff showed me yesterday that he’s good enough to compensate for the lack of a running game, but Baker isn’t there yet).
October 16th, 2023 at 9:00 am
Look the defense played good but i figured they would bowles is better with 2
Week’s preparation. That being said whenever we face the good teams in the playoffs this is what it looks like. The cowboys game the rams game and those were 1 week preparation. If bucs played last week the busted coverages wouldve been worse
October 16th, 2023 at 9:03 am
Not sure if it was a busted coverage or a hell of a block by Reynolds that got Aman St. Raa the TD. Unlike the Bucs who call a WR screen to Devin Thompkins with Rakim Jarett trying to block, uhhhhgggghhh
October 16th, 2023 at 9:08 am
The problem is this defense stops the run. So everyone watching knows the opposition is going to pass and the defense CANNOT stop or limit it.
You know whats coming and still do nothing
October 16th, 2023 at 9:09 am
Bucs pay 2 Cornerbacks BIIIIIIG $$$ who allow WR’s to run wide open in their zones so frequently. Watch other defenses, I rarely see wr’s so open. Our DB’s are not even contesting passes.
October 16th, 2023 at 9:28 am
Bucs are 3-2, lead the Division, and historically lose post-Bye week games. This is the FIFTH game with new players and a coach. You wouldn’t know it from some of the frauds posting on here. A better team beat them. Wow, the sky is falling. Give me a break!
October 16th, 2023 at 9:48 am
Completely agree Joe. Holding 20 points to the Lions offense is a win for the defense. Sure they gave up those two busts, but also great offenses force that sometimes. Amon Ra is their Godwin and he’s an exceptional talent, that TD and Raymond’s block on it was a thing of beauty. Just wish it was our team.
And let’s not forget about that red zone stand after the early pick, got to give the defense big props there. Defense did it’s job and they can’t play offense…unless we want to have open tree-outs for RB. Maybe DW wants to give it a go, he sure knows how to burst through the line on defense…anything is better than RW & KV right now
October 16th, 2023 at 11:28 am
After rewatching the game snap by snap, frame by frame, I came to the conclusion that our biggest issue on the O line this game, believe it or not, was our boy Tristan Wirfs. Hainsey, Mauch, and Goedeke actually played a heck of a game in the run (believe me, rewatch the right side in the run game, they were not the issue) and Goedeke was 1v1 a BUNCH vs one of the leagues PREMIER pass rushers who’s been very hot this season, and more than held his own. Mauch was also matched up 1v1 several times on Hutch and handled his job as well.
Wirfs was getting beat consistently by the other end not named Hutch.
Feiler constantly had the double help from hainsey on passes.
Goff stood tall in the pocket with PRESSURE (were y’all not watching the same game?) in his face from all angles and delivered time and time again to receivers that were constantly taking what our soft outside zone was giving up after 3 seconds. (scheme issue? or saving it for the games that matter?)
Baker either didn’t have a receiver open (cause detroit actually covered our WRs) or had happy feet a bunch because overall I’d say Goff was pressured MORE than Mayfield and it wasn’t even close. Overall Baker was just off most the day obviously.
Kancey is the real deal Holyfield. Should have been credited with more QB pressures on the day, and only lost bad on ONE run play, otherwise was in on or around everything!
Defense looked great in the front 7, secondary had major issues that were not “coverage busts” Bowles should think again on that take. Ryan Neal was there on Williams, he just failed to make one of the easiest plays he could have made, as the pass was short and took time to adjust to by the WR and Neal seemingly gave up on the play or did a terrible job shielding the receiver from the ball. Plenty of time to get his head around and make a play on that.
Canales’ run scheme is great and matches our OL’s strength, but the issue seems to be outside blocking from the TE (otton gets a hat on em most the time, just doesn’t get much push) and we always try and seal the deep safety on the outside with our WR’s instead of the first immediate threat to playside from the LB position…. I don’t understand it.
Essentially we’re setting up the RB to have a 1v1 in a gap at the LOS vs a LB instead of having a 1v1 vs a safety after gaining 4 or 5 yards. For this to work the RB has to quickly break the tackle from the LB and hit the seam that should have been created by the blocking WR on the safety. Big run potential, instead of consistent gains. A change in philosophy is in order quickly.
October 16th, 2023 at 1:08 pm
did logan hall play ??
October 16th, 2023 at 5:42 pm
Okay, fossil Brady is gone, and thank god!! The weakest part of this Bucs team is the Offense, which BTW, has undergone a boatload of changes. The D is already getting up to playoff level. So has Special Teams which joes won’t do an article about. The only thing they have to do is break one for 7, but they better watch out for the refs. Lions won cos they were the better team, plus they had a lot of ref help and luck. However, their big guy Montgomery is out. If Atlanta has any FB sense, they know what they’re facing Sunday.
October 16th, 2023 at 6:53 pm
Can someone explain why were spending 30+ million per year on 2 press corners, only to play zone for 75% of the game?