The Night The Defense Took Over
July 30th, 2024
Yes, Jose Ramirez is alive!
Was Joe living in the Twilight Zone Tuesday night? Or could that have been reality?
Joe kept seeing things at Bucs practice that didn’t seem real. Couldn’t be real. Hard to believe it was real.
Play after play after play the Bucs had a pass rusher setting up shop in the Bucs backfield. There seemed to have always been a white defense jersey near a quarterback.
YaYa Diaby pretty much lived in the backfield — time after time. Once, if Baker Mayfield wasn’t wearing a creamsicle jersey, Diaby would have beheaded him.
But there was truly a stranger in the Bucs backfield getting after quarterbacks. At first, Joe thought it was a camp meat safety blitzing. He had a number in the 30s.
But no! It was weekday warrior José Ramirez, last year’s sixth-round pick, a pass rusher out of Eastern Michigan. He finally was flashing, getting after quarterbacks. And for the first time, Joe saw Chris Braswell flashing, getting noticed rushing the quarterback.
And yes, there was a sighting of Markees Watts.
Was Joe dreaming? This couldn’t be. The Bucs with multiple pass rushers getting heat on quarterbacks? Holy flirkingschmidt!
Overall, the night practice highlighted sloppy play by the offense. Turnovers all over the place, pick-sixes, fumbles and yes, the aforementioned constant pass rush.
Three things that stuck out for Joe:
* If the pass blocking crumbles this badly without Tristan Wirfs, who participated in individual drills but not team drills, God help the offense.
* If the defense has this kind of an edge rush, this defense is going to be lights out because the rest of the defense is solid or better.
Despite the offense mostly struggling to pass, two backup wide receivers had the crowd on its feet (packed house at the Glazer Shed this evening). Receiver Jalen McMillan was catching damn near everything coming his way and finding ways to get open. He put on a show tonight.
Additionally, receiver Rakim Jarrett has been mostly invisible the first four training camp practices. Yesterday, Jarrett made a play or two. Tonight, he had a lights-out play, climbing a ladder in the far left corner of the end zone from John Wolford for a circus catch of a touchdown.
July 30th, 2024 at 9:52 pm
Certainly exciting to hear the edge guys playing well! With Wirfs out, YaYa has owned Skule at LT consistently.
July 30th, 2024 at 9:59 pm
Seems like I should be real concerned about this offensive line, it’s supposed to be better than last year and if it wirfs isnt there that’s a big problem. Offense won’t be able to do nothing if the line doesn’t hold up
July 30th, 2024 at 10:00 pm
Chad:
Bucs were running the ball well. But when the quarterbacks got back to pass, at times, it looked like a jailbreak.
July 30th, 2024 at 10:06 pm
That’s what’s scaring me joe lol. I would welcome a better run game but not at the cost of our passing game lol. Is there any way the offense can have their cake and eat it to? Better protection, better running game and a good passing attack
July 30th, 2024 at 10:08 pm
So will you stop writing about Hassan Reddick now and trust that we have the young edges to succeed?
July 30th, 2024 at 10:28 pm
Maybe we don’t need HR. That would be nice. I don’t recall ever seeing a Bucs team that was almost all homegrown talent.
July 30th, 2024 at 10:28 pm
it could be that the oline sucks at pass blocking. I wanna see the pass rushers in preseason games just to make sure.
July 30th, 2024 at 10:34 pm
Not sure why people hate Reddick. He’s a proven pass rusher. What’s your problem him? Enjoy watching JTS flail with scant results? Don’t like seeing opposing quarterbacks picking themselves off the ground? Got a hangup about opposing teams punting and not scoring?
People that don’t like pass rushers — that says more about you than it ever will about Joe.
Joe doesn’t believe in shutting up about critical issues. Rather, Joe believes in hollering louder until the issue is resolved.
Last time the Bucs went out and got a proven pass rusher, two years later they won a Super Bowl. Coincidence? Ha!
July 30th, 2024 at 10:38 pm
Get Wirfs bottled up. Cmon.
July 30th, 2024 at 10:41 pm
New offense, Wirfs out, the 2nd practice with pads. It’s worthwhile to hear what is happening, but again, new offense, second practice vs a veteran defense. I wouldn’t get too worked up over anything at this point.
July 30th, 2024 at 10:43 pm
So I’m wondering did Bowles open up the playbook to see how Coen’s offense would stand up at this early stage.
July 30th, 2024 at 10:44 pm
Good to see the Edge Rushers dominate. @joe – was it the 1’s Vs the1’s? Or was the defense dominating against the 2’s and 3’s?
July 30th, 2024 at 10:49 pm
I mean I think we all know we’re pretty screwed if Wirfs goes down. Who is even our backup left tackle? I dunno anymore.
Hopefully the pass rush was a sign of things to come on the defensive side though. That’d be nice.
July 30th, 2024 at 10:49 pm
Also does this mean their are training camp note coming soon?
July 30th, 2024 at 10:50 pm
*there
July 30th, 2024 at 10:51 pm
Did you get moderated for typing flirkingschmidt?
July 30th, 2024 at 10:52 pm
There were reports midway through the season that Watts & Ramirez were giving our staring tackles fits on weekdays last season. Glad to hear those young guys are doing well, and with Gregory out of the picture somebody is going to earn a bump in snaps and it sounds like they know it.
Two second year guys and a rookie showing out behind 3 guys in Yaya, JTS, & Nelly who are going to get their snaps. Still early, but I doubt this’ll be the last we hear of those three and I would love to her that Bowles turned them loose for the joint practices with the Jags. Second half of these preseason games should be interesting watch for anybody interested in the development of these guys.
July 30th, 2024 at 11:03 pm
Yeah, ones vs. ones; twos vs. twos; threes vs. threes, for the most part. Rakim Jarrett got a lot of looks with the ones because Evans had the night off and Godwin only broke a sweat.
July 30th, 2024 at 11:05 pm
LOL!
July 30th, 2024 at 11:05 pm
Yes, about halfway finished.
July 30th, 2024 at 11:08 pm
Joe Says:
July 30th, 2024 at 10:34 pm : Last time the Bucs went out and got a proven pass rusher, two years later they won a Super Bowl. Coincidence? Ha!
^^^
As far as I can tell, no one on this site wants Chris Godwin traded, myself included. However, we have Mike Evans and a good supply of talented ball catchers. There are uncertainties regarding both the offensive line and running backs. In light of that, what do we need ?
Answer; A stifling defense and a plethora of pass rushers to bail the offense out if needed. Within that plethora we might even find some more trade bait for a running back.
July 30th, 2024 at 11:12 pm
Come on Bucs, sign Wirfs already!
July 30th, 2024 at 11:14 pm
Time is on our side for getting HR. Time is running out for the Jets.
If he gets away from them you know they don’t want him in the AFC.
July 30th, 2024 at 11:15 pm
Hopefully it’s a sign of them getting better. Hopefully it’s not to where it’s just because of Wirfs.
July 30th, 2024 at 11:16 pm
I’m hoping the Bucs are holding off on Wirfs to see if they can get HR.
July 30th, 2024 at 11:25 pm
We see the defence have an outstanding practice around this point in training camp every year.
July 31st, 2024 at 12:04 am
Two things if I may: did I not say yesterday that Todd would rally the defense today. An ,DR,did I not say Ramirez would shine this year. I also praised Watts and I still do.
July 31st, 2024 at 12:06 am
Great write up Joe. Now for dessert: the report from the field. Yum!
July 31st, 2024 at 12:14 am
Citrus County – You need at least 3 starting WRs in the modern NFL. If the rookie comes though, the Bucs have 3. If Shepard works out, maybe they have another 3rd. Palmer shouldn’t be in the top 3, he’s more of the Scotty Miller type player who should do well when buried on the depth chart, where he can take advantage of lower-tier players.
The Bucs aren’t overflowing with talent – and trading Godwin shouldn’t even be a consideration unless we get to the trade deadline and the Bucs are already out of it. In that case, sure, its unlikely they’ll be able to afford him next year so you flip him – but with his salary and on the last year of his deal, you’re not going to get much, nowhere near the value that anyone would be happy with.
July 31st, 2024 at 12:33 am
Coaches. High school coaches. College coaches. NFL coaches. All trying to sleep at night in August in the heat and wondering why is our offense getting shellacked so completely by our defense. Always been that way-Always will.
July 31st, 2024 at 12:41 am
Really hope they do give Ramirez & Watts more of a chance because I’d rather have them in there over somebody like Tryon. I liked Ramirez & Watts even when they were coming out. I could probably beat out Tryon & he’s got like 50 lbs. on me.
July 31st, 2024 at 4:02 am
Fred McNeil … ‘did I not say Ramirez would shine this year. I also praised Watts and I still do.’
No one hopes you’re right Fred more than I do because we have an unproven pass rush right now. Need ALL hands on deck to achieve solid TEAM numbers. I like to see how guys like Ramirez & Watts do against the 1’s in practice AND against other offenses though before anointing them as the next great saviors.
Run defense is Job #1 in any Todd Bowles defense, and there’s a reason we’ve drafted DE/OLBs the size of JTS, Diaby, Braswell & Nelson. They’re all big boys & they all play the run very well.
July 31st, 2024 at 10:25 am
Draft a true swing tackle in the 3rd round.
A 3rd offensive tackle is essential.
We NEED a 3rd tackle.
July 31st, 2024 at 11:37 am
I heard Wirfs did go up against Yaya in an earlier practice and got knocked on his butt. I also heard Braswell has beaten Goedeke on multiple occasions.
Those are two really good OTs. Our defense is going to be good.
July 31st, 2024 at 2:10 pm
teacherman1983 Says:
July 31st, 2024 at 10:25 am
Draft a true swing tackle in the 3rd round.
——-
Hainsey is your swingman on the offensive line I think. College tackle, played guard and center, I think he could fill in at any spot if needed. But Licht loves his college tackles, so there is always someone that can slide into that spot if needed. With that said, spending a 3rd on a dedicated backup would be quite the luxury, and with Licht’s record, a 3rd rounder should be a good NFL starter. I’d say with Licht’s record, spending a 4th or 5th would be more like it, but we wasted that pick yet again on another RB. Now that is a position where it makes no sense to draft someone since RBs are a dime a dozen, and the Bucs won a SB with a guy they picked up off the waiver wire.
July 31st, 2024 at 11:53 pm
Goedonkey getting beaten is never a surprise. Lions playoff game.