Playoff Lenny Still Helping Bucs
January 18th, 2024
Bucs DL coach Kacy Rodgers explains.
Playoff Lenny was a huge part of the Bucs winning the Super Bowl in 2020. And though he got cut by the Bills this week, Playoff Lenny is still helping the Bucs, albeit indirectly.
Playoff Lenny hasn’t played for the Bucs since the loss to the Cowboys in the wild card round last January. But his vibes are still felt at One Buc Palace, specifically in the defensive coaches’ room.
On Monday night, the Bucs came out in a six-man front at times in an effort not just to stop the run but to force Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts to throw quickly and perhaps get buried by a pass rusher.
It worked as the defense Todd Bowles hatched dominated the Eagles.
Speaking today to the local pen and mic club, defensive line coach Kacy Rodgers said that six-man front was first used by Bowles (and Rodgers) when the two were with the Jets.
They developed this defense at the time to stop Playoff Lenny, who was then with the Jags.
“Well, we had pulled it out before when we were at the [New York] Jets and when [Leonard] Fournette was there in the Jacksonville [Jaguars] days and it was some of the same concepts that we had used back in the past,” Rodgers said. “We just had to dust it off and clean it up.
“It kind of fit for what our guys could do. When you got to looking at that, it was, ‘He can do this, he can do that,’ and it just lined up perfectly for what they were trying to do.”
Now a big reason why the Bucs’ five- and six-man fronts worked so well on Monday night is because stude receiver A.J. Brown was hurt and didn’t play. Unlike the Eagles did Monday, the Lions have more than one weapon to throw to. Good ones actually, led by receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown and tight end Sam LaPorta.
Using a five- or six-man front against the Lions is a lot more dangerous. Therefore, this defense by Bowles has more inherent risks against a good team like Detroit.
January 18th, 2024 at 7:15 pm
It would be sweet if the Bucs end up playing the Bills in the SB…
Lenny is a FA and we could use another RB.
Plus the extra intel wouldn’t hurt.
January 18th, 2024 at 7:18 pm
The best matchup would either be Bucs – Ravens or Bucs – Chiefs
January 18th, 2024 at 7:20 pm
Yes I know we have to get there first but still fun to think about
January 18th, 2024 at 7:24 pm
@ Usfbuc
Hey man I am really pleased with the improvement I saw from USF’s football program this season.
I believe coach Golesh is the real deal… What do you think?
January 18th, 2024 at 7:46 pm
Sign Fournette. He’s at least as good as Edmonds.
January 18th, 2024 at 7:49 pm
Better than Sean tucker
January 18th, 2024 at 7:53 pm
Hopefully Kancey will be as disruptive as he was last game. I think Dickerson is a good O-Lineman for the Eagles, Kancey made him look silly on some plays.
January 18th, 2024 at 7:54 pm
Lions just activated James Houston today, this could be bad for the Bucs. They waived Okahara, suggest we pick him up just to screw with the Lions. lol.
January 18th, 2024 at 7:55 pm
Bucs / Bills would be fun to watch!
January 18th, 2024 at 8:06 pm
@ Usfbuc
Hey man I am really pleased with the improvement I saw from USF’s football program this season.
I believe coach Golesh is the real deal… What do you think?
***
You didn’t ask me, but I’ll answer: He’ll be gone for a Power 5 job after next year.
January 18th, 2024 at 8:20 pm
@ Joseph
Dam. That’s what I’m afraid of.
He will also be taking our QB (Brown) with him.
College ball is turning into the Semi-Pros with this new NIL world… It’s going to be tough for USF to keep up unless they start paying out.
January 18th, 2024 at 8:22 pm
@ Joseph
Saw an interview with Trent Dilfer – head coach at UAB.
He stated – the big programs are spending @ $15-$20M a year now and he has @ $500K to spend.
LOL.
How does a smaller program compete with that?
January 18th, 2024 at 8:42 pm
“ Sign Fournette”
NO. 3 days before a playoff game yall want to sign a fat washed up back who burned a bridge with the Bucs?
I cant think of a worse idea…maybe when sign AB and Chris Baker while were at it to.
January 18th, 2024 at 8:45 pm
Bowles defense needs to stay aggressive, no more lazy zone defense where Goff will pick them apart.
January 18th, 2024 at 9:02 pm
The Bucs were in that game against the Lions in week 6. The offense @ the time couldn’t more the ball. The Bucs defense played pretty damm good mostly. The long TD over Neal was really a great play by the WR. So I like our chances Sunday, playing in the loud dome for the offense will be challenge. Lions focus on stopping the run 1st, so Bucs need to come out like they did vs the Eagles throwing!
January 18th, 2024 at 9:07 pm
We’re gonna have our hands full with the Lions.
Too many receiving weapons to have 5 or 6 guys in the line as often as we did against Philly.
Hopefully Bowles has some other tricks to pull out of his sleeve and dust off! Go Bucs!
January 18th, 2024 at 9:18 pm
oh hell yeah! Sign the man. Yesterday!
January 18th, 2024 at 9:19 pm
Playoff Lenny ain’t called playoff Lenny for nuthin.
January 18th, 2024 at 9:39 pm
Carlton Hargreaves is going to have to actually cover and tackle this week.
January 18th, 2024 at 10:36 pm
Grabbing Lenny for however many games we have left isn’t a crazy idea. If he comes in to spell White, the D still has to respect the run and him out of the backfield as a receiver. Having the basic 2 down back then bringing in a 3rd down guy kind of telegraphs things. We would have 2 legit 3-down types of backs that can run or catch.
He’d be a bargain to be sure, but I don’t see the Bucs making any changes at this point
January 18th, 2024 at 11:13 pm
.
January 18th, 2024 at 11:20 pm
He’s a recycle for a reason, Hw was a very good player @ first with Jax. He came to Tampa and got a SB ring. He’s faded off and we don’t need him.
January 19th, 2024 at 12:18 am
Marine Buc: What coach Golesh did was truly amazing, getting the USF team to be bowl eligible and then boat racing Syracuse 45-0 in their bowl game. Now his D did have some very rough games, giving up over 50 to UAB and FAU but overall the team now thinks it can compete and win. Coach Scott may have been a nice guy but man the program was putrid under him. I suspect if the team gets to 9 wins next year, he will be getting some Power 5 interviews or do we call it Power 4 now as the PAC-2 does not really count anymore?
BTW, the USF men’s basketball coach also has that program pointing upward, nice upset of top 100 Memphis on the road tonight, coming back from a 20 point deficit.
January 19th, 2024 at 12:18 am
ugh top 100 = top 10.
January 19th, 2024 at 12:24 am
JMarkbuc: Carlton Hargreaves??????? LOL! I am not sure Davis is a bust like VH3 but yeah, the dude better bring his A-game to Detroit or it is gonna get ugly on Sunday. Bucs are playing with house money but I do believe they can beat the Lions, looking at the Rams game, take away a couple of time management mistakes by McVay, a no call PI on the Lion D on Nocua and a boneheaded penalty by the Rams when they were in FG range on their last possession and the Bucs would have been home to play LA. Detroit can be beaten but every Buc player and coach will have to bring their A game not just “Carlton Hargreaves”.
January 19th, 2024 at 12:52 am
Bucs vs Texans would be awesomeu
January 19th, 2024 at 1:12 am
a title would only be complete this year by exercising all our demons on the redemption tour…
– eagles
– lions
– niners
– bills
^^^ perfect redemption tour…
but i’d gladly accept another hillsborough river party any way we can get it
January 19th, 2024 at 8:49 am
I wondered about that just yesterday.
Surely they had practiced this and installed it before last week.
It looked well oiled to me. A credit to the coaches, especially if this was all brand new to the defense. A six man front changes every single thing behind it.
Go Bucs!
January 19th, 2024 at 10:42 am
^^^ Agree, garro. I posted right after the Eagles win that the defensive gameplan was the 2nd best plan I’ve seen from Bowles, and it was borderline genius.
If we can somehow learn that this front was installed only last week, then it makes it all that more impressive.
Hopefully, Bowles has more great plans for his D in the upcoming game(s).
I was also very impressed with the gameplan from Canales.
January 19th, 2024 at 12:36 pm
@ FortMyersDave
“What coach Golesh did was truly amazing, getting the USF team to be bowl eligible and then boat racing Syracuse 45-0 in their bowl game.”
I agree and it appears the Bulls had a very solid recruiting class this year.
If USF can improve their defense and keep that QB in place the future looks much brighter…