Lavonte David And The Early Bye
October 11th, 2023
Bucs ILB Lavonte David.
This is a very interesting year for Bucs veteran inside linebacker Lavonte David.
David is getting up there at 33. You wouldn’t know it by his production. Typical Lavonte David.
However, once the Bucs get past the Thursday night game at Buffalo for Week 8, the Bucs will have 10 straight Sunday games to close the regular season, thanks to an early bye week.
In a perfect world, you want a late bye to be as fresh as possible for a playoff run. The opposite is the case this year. Will David still have gas in the tank?
Joe remembers in 2008 the Bucs under Chucky had a bunch of veterans on defense including Derrick Brooks. Once December came, those guys ran out of gas, losing all four December games. The Bucs missed the playoffs with embarrassing home losses to the Chargers and the JaMarcus Russell-led Raiders.
Earlier this week, inside linebackers coach Larry Foote was asked about David and the secret to his success as the graybeard on the Bucs.
“He stays in shape – that’s key,” Foote said. “I tell the guys [to] always stay in shape. He takes care of his body. He’s a pro, not just on the field but off the field.
“Any time you play at that type of level for his amount of years, that’s what you’ve got to give the credit to. He stays in shape and he’s serious.
“I watch him every spring, if I still see him get out of breaks, I always tell him, ‘Hey, you’ve got one more year. One more year.’ He’s doing a great job.”
So yeah, when the snaps start adding up late in the season with no breaks, Joe will be very interested how David handles it.
For if the Bucs are going to do anything when it comes to meaningful January games, they will need David to have his legs.
October 11th, 2023 at 7:34 am
No. No. No. In 2008: They did not run out of gas. They were hurt. Big difference.
Early bye helps. Evans. Dean. Davis. Kancey. All hurt. This is perfect time for bye.
Also bye on a win is huge.
October 11th, 2023 at 7:38 am
Dean is soft he comes out of almost every game he suits up for at least once. IMO The Dean money would have been better spent elsewhere. (ME13 for example)
October 11th, 2023 at 7:40 am
Also in 2008 the word got out that Monte Kiffin was leaving to coach w his son at UT. You could sense the life being sucked out of the defense the last 4 games after that news broke. It was like everyone knew the era was over.
October 11th, 2023 at 8:01 am
I thought that collapse in 2008 was attributed to the team quitting with the knowledge that beloved DC Monte Kiffin was leaving the team at the end of the season.
David has been consistently solid. The only regression I’ve seen in his game is for whatever reason he can’t catch the ball like he used to early in his career.
October 11th, 2023 at 8:04 am
Considering the long hot summer the Bucs go through an early break may be a good thing. Season starts second week of Sept, but these guys have been going hard since July training camp. They needed this now. They’ll still get a mini bye after their Thurs night game.
October 11th, 2023 at 8:05 am
“David is getting up there at 33. You wouldn’t know it by his production. Typical Lavonte David.
I certainly accept a very valid point. But I hope for something different with Lavonte and he certainly has disappointed yet! I’m hoping for the next London Fletcher who made 4 Pro Bowls and won an SB. He didn’t retire until he was 38!
Fletcher was recognized for never missing a game in his career, being one of only five players in NFL history to play in over 250 consecutive games and holding the record for consecutive starts at the linebacker position.
Fletcher is tied with Ronde in 7th place for consecutive game by any player.
October 11th, 2023 at 8:30 am
Maybe SVD can take a few snaps from LVD and help him down the stretch…..
October 11th, 2023 at 8:31 am
The historic Buc collapse had nothing to do with gas in the tank, and everything to do with Kiffin screwing the team with leaving early, and the team just flat quitting.
I will never, ever forgive Kiffin for that traitorous act. IMO, all the goodwill he built up was destroyed in that one final act.
Screw Kiffin and his spawn.
October 11th, 2023 at 8:32 am
When you factor in the full training camp, the “bye” came close to the middle of the season.
October 11th, 2023 at 8:43 am
Lavonte David = Ironman reliable beast on defense
October 11th, 2023 at 8:45 am
HOF
October 11th, 2023 at 8:53 am
The defense quit in 2008 . Monte caused that. Look at who the quitters included!
October 11th, 2023 at 8:56 am
The assumption is that we’re going to see Sirvocea Dennis eventually start eating some snaps. We would have placed him on IR if he was close, just like Kancey. Lets get these young men rolling keep our vets like David fresh.
This team will go as far as its depth goes.
October 11th, 2023 at 8:57 am
@cobraboy, Kiffin doesn’t ever deserve to be in the ring of honor after what he did. The guy (and his son)are persona non grata after he left Gru holding the bag. Couldn’t even wait until the end of the season- total garbage.
Btw, Gruden still deserves to be in the ring of honor and hope he wins his suit against the NFL.
October 11th, 2023 at 9:18 am
Joe 33 is not old
October 11th, 2023 at 9:24 am
Bucs quit in 2008 cos they were fed up with egomaniac Chucky, and Kiffin leaving like he did. Gruden getting canned by LVR cos of racist emails he didn’t delete on his work computer proves my point. Talk about stupid. LVD is my favorite Buc, and has been since his rookie preseason. We are gaining depth now in our D and he knows it. He’s ready for Detroit and has rested. Thank god for the Bye.
October 11th, 2023 at 9:31 am
Need to work in Sirvocea Dennis. Give both backers a spell from time to time.
Reduce snaps and give the kids some game experience. Hopefully everyone is healthy and fresh for a playoff run.
October 11th, 2023 at 9:34 am
I’ll worry about December in December. Right now we should have one concern and one concern only. The Detroit Lions.
October 11th, 2023 at 9:38 am
Buc4evr Says:
@cobraboy, Kiffin doesn’t ever deserve to be in the ring of honor after what he did.
^^^^^
Totally unprofessional. He had a such a marvelous career. He and Tony innovated the game. Sad that he was classless in the end. You really see it in Lane, too.
October 11th, 2023 at 9:39 am
Bucs quit in 2008 cos they were fed up with egomaniac Chucky. Kiffin left them in a chickens##t fashion, son or no son. Gruden getting canned by LVR cos of his stupid racist emails proves my point. Word has it they were found on his work computer. LVD has been my favorite Buc since his rookie preseason. He has been resting and will be ready Sunday. Go Bucs!!
October 11th, 2023 at 9:41 am
toward the end of the season they could give David rest by working in Dennis more in games.
October 11th, 2023 at 9:57 am
For an NFL linebacker it is.
October 11th, 2023 at 10:05 am
Joe never bought that. First, Joe actually was the very first to write that Lane Kiffin was shopping his dad as a package deal if a school hired him (he interviewed at Clemson and said if hired he’d bring Monte with him). The story is in Joe’s free archives.
Second if you buy the line the defense was so shook up by Kiffin leaving, for professionals, all veterans, to fall apart mentally because their defensive coordinator was leaving, does Derrick Brooks or Ronde Barber strike you as guys who are mentally fragile?
If anything, Brooks, Barber et al would be busting their tails to make sure Kiffin went out on top. Not to crumble and feel sorry for themselves.
October 11th, 2023 at 10:11 am
Hey joes, you’re forgetting about Gruden.
October 11th, 2023 at 10:46 am
You would hope that the offense holds on to the ball a bit longer and sustains drives. That will help the defense stay fresh. Hopefully we can get the rook Dennis on the field to spell LVD some as the season progresses too.
October 11th, 2023 at 10:54 am
@Joe I do remember that post. I looked to just refresh my memory. Im still not sure. Although you would know more because you are plugged into all things Bucs published and not published, but as a fan I remember JG was not well liked by many by the end of his tenure and we all know how big his ego got. I was under the impression Kiffin was the real leader of that team and believed it did impact them. At least some.
Additionally, I dug a little deeper into that season and noticed the Bucs had a Week 10 bye week that season. That doesn’t completely align with your comparison /concern on David or the 2008 Bucs running out of gas because of an early bye week. Although it doesn’t discount that David could or 2008 Bucs defenders did run out of gas because of age in general.
I’m sure there is more than one factor contributing to their fall off. I happened to notice that all 4 losses came to teams on multi game win streaks to end their season.
It reminded me that timing is really important and it appears the 2008 Bucs peaked and ultimately fell flat.
Regardless if we agree or not. Thanks for your work. As a Buc fan I appreciate your dedication and coverage to all things Bucs!
October 11th, 2023 at 11:00 am
Yes I buy it. You can’t say on one hand that all the drama Brady caused problems in 2022 but Monte did not when he made this grand announcement. Look at the film and the way they were playing. No effort and they were run over like they never practiced at all. Feel sorry no. But it caused some kind of problem yes Baber and Brooks included.
October 11th, 2023 at 2:19 pm
@Joe
If you haven’t asked Rhonde the reason for the collapse (He is right there at 1 Buc Place) then you have no idea and your speculation is just as much a speculation as I agree, Monte give a crap once his son was hired
October 11th, 2023 at 10:45 pm
Monte’s kid was the one who said publicly that his dad was leaving the Bucs to come coach with him in Tennessee I think it was…
Monte at that point had no choice but to confirm when questioned because it was true…
Yea – the aftermath of Kiffin admitting in early Dec that he was leaving was disastrous – but it was Lane who did it. Monte wouldn’t have handled it that way – so the vitriol directed at Monte is unwarranted….
A # of fans and probably some of the players had definitely grown tired of Gruden’s persona (and terrible personnel decisions) by 2008…. The 9-3 start to the season had quelled that distaste considerably – but then the 4 game collapse brought out the torches and pitchforks en mass – and the Glazers (who had likely also tired of Gruden by that point) felt compelled to act….
And that is how the 12 year “decade” of depression began….
October 12th, 2023 at 6:28 pm
It had nothing to do with the bye and everything to do with Kiffin announcing he was leaving to coach with his POS son. The D quit.