Todd Bowles’ Run Defense In For A Stiff Test
October 9th, 2023
Lions RB David Montgomery.
We all know Bucs coach Todd Bowles wants to shut down the run of an opponent’s attack, first and foremost. He will have a test on Sunday, Creamsicle Day.
The Bucs will host Detroit. The Lions spanked the Stinking Panthers yesterday 42-24. No surprise. The Stinking Panthers, well, stink.
But what is interesting is a guy Joe had hoped the Bucs signed in the offseason is on a hot streak for Detroit. Running back David Montgomery scored on a 42-yard run in the first quarter yesterday, his sixth touchdown in his first four games of the 2023 season.
Montgomery ranks seventh in the NFL in rushing with 371 yards. He’s averaging 4.2 yards a carry.
The Bucs are not stopping the run to Bowles’ usual high standards. The Bucs are No. 17 in rush defense, allowing 4.1 yards a carry.
Bucs better buckle up. The Lions are sort of like the Eagles, a team that prides itself on being physical and pounding the ball when needed.
October 9th, 2023 at 12:23 am
If we lose than so much for being alone at the top of the division. I’ve got that old feeling rumbling in my stomach about this game coming up.
October 9th, 2023 at 12:24 am
Lions will be one of our toughest test this year there legit
October 9th, 2023 at 1:10 am
Not fully sold on then lions outside of a weak kc team with a struggle for points offense who have they really played. I have watched a few games and the win yesterday I like how our young guys stack up to them. Montgomery runs hard but he not fast so I expect lavonte and Co to get alot of stops..side note Goff hasn’t really been pressured much this year I think we rattle him our defense has too much skill that he hasn’t seen in previous weeks this should be interesting match up. Sam LaPorta is a good piece for them I got Winfield re welcoming him to the nfl this game could easily be ours if white can run the ball well we will be good.
October 9th, 2023 at 1:25 am
The Panthers may stink but they scored 24 points which will win a lot of games. The Lions may be great but they just allowed 24 points to a ‘weak’ team trying to win the quarterback sweepstakes. Allowing 24 points will lose you a lot of games. I like the Bucs chances in this game, especially if they come in healthy.
October 9th, 2023 at 1:57 am
Much like the Bucs were like during Arians, the Lions and Eagles top 2 offensive lines, at least in the NFC and the lions were 1-2 in stopping the run as of last week.
This is not your Grand Dads Detroit Kitties
The Lions are built the right way, they control the line of scrimmage, again like the Bucs did during BA’s time as a Head Coach.
Imperative that Baker plays another clean game to have a chance with the Bucs having the worst rushing avg currently below 3.0 a carry, that’s worse than last year.
Hopefully the defense can get a few turnovers or even make a score, it will be needed this week, because the Lions are tough as he*l, they definitely made in the image of their Head Coach, The Motor city Madman Dan Campbell
GO BUCS!!!
October 9th, 2023 at 2:02 am
The secret weapon is going to be a force, I have a good feeling about this kid, like 99 but without all the jack as attitude.
October 9th, 2023 at 2:14 am
Net Walker… Perspective……the Lions were up 28-7 in the 3rd qtr and then 35-10 in the 4th, so those other 14 they scored was garbage time.
If anyone has followed what is up with Detroit has already know they were 3rd best in the NFC, as I said last week. They were 8-2 in the last 10 games last season, and now 4-1, so 12-3 in their last 15 games.
Now after Dallas got their azz handed to them, the Lions are the clear 3rd best in the NFC.
Again this Lions team is not what most have known them to be for many years. I started following what they were doing when they hired Dan Campbell a few years ago.
This game, is like the Philly game. It is a real measuring stick for the Bucs, hope they fare much better than the Philly loss.
As I said before, it will take another clean game by Baker and some turnovers by the Bucs Defense, the Bucs can win. This game is going to be a very physical game, that is for sure.
October 9th, 2023 at 2:47 am
The formula for beating the Lions is not that difficult. Actually doing it is unfortunately.
The Lions are a fundamentally solid, physical team that hasn’t made a bunch of mistakes this season. In their 4 wins, they’ve only given the ball away 3 times. In those 4 games they’ve either won the Turnover Battle (twice) or broken even (twice).
In their 1 loss to the Seahawks, they committed 3 turnovers to the Seahawks 0, and thus handily lost the TO Battle. Two of those giveaways accounted for 14 easy Seahawks points (a fumble on the edge of the Red Zone & a Pick 6). That game went to overtime, and the Seahawks won it with a 75-yard march down the field for a TD (Geno Smith was 6-for-7 on that drive & there were two 3-yard runs in there).
Interestingly Goff had a fantastic day (28-for-35 … 80% … passing for 328 yards, 3 TDs & 1 INT), but the Seahawks held the Lions rushing attack relatively in check (27 runs for 102 yds). Winning the Turnover Battle 3-0 made the difference in the game.
So clearly all we have to do on defense is keep the Lions rushing attack in-check, do a good job of pressuring Geno Smith, and take the ball away from the Lions more than we give it away to them. How hard can it be?
October 9th, 2023 at 3:17 am
Montgomery would NOT have 4.2 per carry with us
October 9th, 2023 at 5:29 am
The Lions are on fire. With there defense playing in the top 10 and an unstoppable offense. The bucs better fasten there seat belt! It doesn’t matter if it is a home or away game. These guys are brutal! Good luck to you bucs .
Sincerely yours
Lions fan 🙂
October 9th, 2023 at 7:24 am
At halftime the Lions vs Panthers was over. After that point it was run the clock, play soft coverage, and don’t get injured trying to make a play in a game that was over. Six and a half minutes burned coming out of the half and responded each TD with one of their own.
Running it up like the Dolphins only gets you humbled the next week. Lions are playing well and have already had their Hic Up with Seattle. Maybe lightning will strike twice. Another good test for the Bucs.
October 9th, 2023 at 8:12 am
Lions won but they’re sore this am. I saw some reports about it. Carolina scored 24 points. I was watching the score updates on the NFL site. They reported that the 34-0 whipping the Aints put on the Pats was the WORSE in NE franchise history! Go figure. Bucs beat Aints in NOLA last Sunday. I’m scratching my head about Tampa Bay right now, not sure what to think?
October 9th, 2023 at 8:28 am
Let’s see if the defense performs
October 9th, 2023 at 8:29 am
At least Gibbs has a hammy and one of their other backs went down Sunday so it wall be all on Montgomery.
October 9th, 2023 at 8:50 am
Lions had a ton of injuries this week going into the game. They did that to the Panthers banged up. To all the Bucs fans who think we are the only team with injuries go take a look at their list of players out or injured. They are a deep solid team on par with the 49ers and Eagles. Big test coming up.
October 9th, 2023 at 10:04 am
I don’t think this is a sky is falling game if we lose…the Bucs will be a work in progress throughout the season. The hope is we get better each week and toward the end of the season we are healthy and go on a run. Maybe with some luck we get into some more favorable match-ups…and when we need to play the likes of the 49ers, Eagles, Lions – we can put it together for 1 game and steal it!
Go Bucs!
October 9th, 2023 at 11:10 am
The Lions are tough and physical but not at all like the Eagles. The Eagles running game is tough to stop BECAUSE of Jalen Hurts. His mobility forces the backside end and edge players to hold their ground and not crash the dives up the middle and Hurts throwing to the two good WRs and TE keeps the safeties from being as active in the run game as teams would like. Goff is a good QB but he is not giving the Lions an unfair advantage in the run game and as good as their WRs and TE is, the Eagles, and their OLine, is better. I’m not super worried about the Lions run game like with the Eagles. Two different teams, skill sets, and talent…. and all in favor of the Eagles. Defensively, the Lions do a lot of what the Eagles do as well but with also less talent. This will be a good measuring stick but with us coming out of the bye week and relatively healthy, of course I’m worried, any given Sunday, but I don’t think this is too tall a task.
October 9th, 2023 at 12:26 pm
WHO’S DEFENDING OUR WR?
Lions will be operating with a skeleton crew in the backfield. They just lost their S and CB last week. Bucs will put up points.
You want to stop their run game? Score points. Make them a passing team.
October 9th, 2023 at 12:40 pm
I hope the bye week helps us immensely. These ain’t the old Detroit Lions you mom and dad use to laugh at. These Lions hit and roar loud. They are a sound football team with a no-nonsense coach. We will need all hands-on deck for these guys. Detroit is ballin people. Gonna be a good one.
October 9th, 2023 at 1:00 pm
Brandon. I agree Hurts is that extra dimension that keeps defensive coaches up at nights. Tough to defend.
October 9th, 2023 at 1:27 pm
We will fix that.
October 10th, 2023 at 2:51 am
I just have to say I hope Grinch actually comes back next week if The Lions lose.
I can honestly say I have never gone on another teams site the week before a game to talk trash. It must truly suck living in Detroit.
What a nasty azz city. I also hope the entire team feels as confident as the Grinch. That usually leads to disaster.
That secondary has to be keeping Campbell up at night right now.
Emmanuel Mosley literally tore his right ACL, 2 plays back from tearing his left ACL. If that doesn’t sound like a sold your soul to the devil kinda deal, I don’t know what does?
I wouldn’t be surprised if this team has 2 or more serious injuries down in the Tampa heat. Playing hard is tough week in and week out.
Tampa knows what it takes to beat a good team after the Philly game.
Tampa is by far the best defense Detroit has played this year.
Let’s just hope Detroits one trick play they run every week, ends in disaster as well.
October 10th, 2023 at 7:06 am
The run defense fell off the map as soon as Suh left. A defensive coordinator can thrive here with any scheme because of the roster not Todd Bowles. We simply have playmakers
October 11th, 2023 at 1:38 am
BillyBucco,
Wow, were you always so hateful? Your comment makes you look weak, like a boxer that is about to fight the biggest and only fight in his life with absolutely 0% chance of winning. So you talk and run your mouth all the way up to you getting knocked the fuk out in 27 seconds! 😂
So back to your analysis on the Lions… The secondary for Detroit is deep, Moseley played only 4 plays so really no credit to him for what Detroit has been able to accomplish. They have a guy Branch that looks to possibly be coming back this week against Tampa and he is real problem for the Bucs. Regardless even if he doesn’t, the defense should stay up to par with Tampa, all depending on Evans health. If he’s good to go the Bucs have a chance on that side of the ball. The Bucs defense is good but confused on what you said… You said the Bucs defense is the best the Lions played this year? Lions haven’t played the Bucs yet, I take it your weak in that department as well. God your to easy.. Anyways, lol the offensive Line Detroit has is 2nd or 3rd best in the league and are healthy for the first time this season I believe. Gibbs and St Brown who both did not play last week will be playing this Sunday. So yeah, just like you said… if Detroit blows their 1 trick play the Bucs should win easily, like a blow out 30-10 It’s also hot in Florida you said… Wait do you live here? If you do you would know the weather has been very nice and cool and that the game was flexed to 4:25. So what the fuk Colt 45s are you talkin bout Willis? Besides you being a piece of shiit, you’re also a little retarded. Hope you pay off that 2014 Chevy 2500, remember your lot fee is due on your single wide. Best of luck!