The 10 Most Important Bucs Stories Of Week 3
September 22nd, 2024
Haven’t been here in a while? Joe’s made it a tiny bit easier for you to catch up before today’s kickoff.
Liam Coen talks changes to running backs usage.
Cade Otton got an apology.
How rare the Bucs win in Detroit really was.
Edge rusher life has changed for YaYa Diaby.
Todd Bowles’ “move on” theme started early.
Bucs GM references Calijah Kancey’s calf issue. He won’t play today; neither will Vita Vea.
Dominant game by SirVocea Dennis won’t make him a starter.
Bucs might rotate right tackles today.
The Broncos’ starting right tackle has no experience.
Bonus:
Baker Mayfield relays story of Tom Brady tanking plays he didn’t like.
“Noise” buried the Bucs’ rushing attack last week.
Lions coach insults Tampa Bay run game.
September 22nd, 2024 at 5:45 am
I think a big story on our defensive side through 2 games has been our lack of sacks in relationship to the amount of blitzing we do … Bucs have only 2 sacks but we’ve blitzed 137 times according to Pro-Football-Reference stats. That’s bizarre.
Our 4 OLBs are the key blitzers this year: Diaby (39), JTS (32), Nelson (15), Braswell (14). That means that our OLBs have provided 73% of our blitzing capability, but are they ‘getting home’?
o JTS has 1 sack, 1 QBKD, 1 Hurry in 88 def snaps.
o Nelson has 0 sacks, 4 QBKDs, 1 Hurry in 53 def snaps.
o Diaby has 0 sacks, 3 QBKDs, 1 Hurry in 97 def snaps.
o Braswell has 0 sacks, 0 QBKDs, 0 Hurries in 43 def snaps.
The obvious answer is No, they’re not ‘getting home’. Gut feel though is that they’re still learning how to work communicate & work together. What gives me HOPE (there’s that bad word again Joe) is our OLBs have 8 QB Knockdowns in 2 games (Bucs have 11 total to rank #2 in the NFL). Projected over a season that’d be 68 QB Knockdowns this year for our OLBs (they had 18 in 2023, 17 in 2022, 27 in 2021 & 18 in 2020).
We’re getting close it appears, but as they say ‘Close only counts in horseshoes & hand grenades’. Soon our OLBs have to start closing the deal, and I think they will.
September 22nd, 2024 at 7:28 am
Again Bowles and Coen are complementary. That is the diff between this and last year.
September 22nd, 2024 at 7:29 am
Today should be the day Defense Rules. Things are going too fast for Nix so far – I mean come on, he sacked himself twice last week ! He’s not nearly ready for what the Bucs are bringing. The Bucs getting a lead and making him have to pass. Checkmate. We get 5 sacks today. Maybe 2 more picks. 27 – 7 Bucs.
September 22nd, 2024 at 8:10 am
Pressure also produces INT’s. Bucs are 8th in NFL in advanced QB pressure rating. Kancey actually being on the field next to Vea will make a huge difference. Bucs 31 Denver 17.
September 22nd, 2024 at 8:50 am
If the Bucs can dominate with who we have out and we get all these guys back in time for San Francisco and Kansas City, could end up being perfect timing and helpful in the long run with backup experience. Just as long as the 4 starters we’re missing have no reinjury issues.
September 22nd, 2024 at 8:55 am
The best ability is availability
I’m not depending on Kancey
September 22nd, 2024 at 9:00 am
Today is a sad day.
Today begins the era of the post-Brady decline.
Why?
Because Baker publicly dissed TB12, and because Brady hating fools like ONeil, Orly, Citrus and even one of the two Joe’s themselves keep piling on, the Bucs will lose the good karma the GOAT brought to the organization and the Bucs will revert to their pre-Brady strive for mediocrity.
It’s all downhill from here folks. Diss the GOAT and what he did for the organization and get what you deserve Suckanneeers.
Don’t thank Baker alone. People like ONeil and Joe (one of them) were the catalysts. Baker just lit the fuse. (Will still love you Mike Evans and Chris Godwin.)
September 22nd, 2024 at 9:08 am
Defense Rules Says:
“we’ve blitzed 137 times…..Our 4 OLBs are the key blitzers this year”
That stat makes no sense. How can you consider an OLBer a ‘blitzer’ when rushing the passer is his job on most pass plays already?
A ‘blitz’ by definition is sending 1 or more ‘extra’ rusher(s) after the QB unexpectedly.
If an individual defender is tasked with ‘blitzing’ on a given play – he is either an Inside LBer – a Safety or a CB.
OLBers don’t blitz – they pass rush.
September 22nd, 2024 at 9:52 am
Thank you for all the stories, Joe!
The Detroit win at their house was an awesome win!
September 22nd, 2024 at 9:52 am
Cade forgOtten can’t block worth a spit.
September 22nd, 2024 at 10:27 am
Pickgrin … ‘OLBers don’t blitz – they pass rush.’
I agree with you 100% Pickgrin (feel the same way about QBs getting charged 1 rush and Minus 1 yard for a kneeldown). But Pro-Football-Reference doesn’t agree with either one of us apparently. And actually, their numbers don’t make any sense in the aggregate.
They show us with 137 blitzes in 2 games. Duh (something’s wrong IMO). Extrapolated over 17 games, that’d be 1,165 blitzes during the regular season. Ya right. Last season they had us with 341 blitzes as a team; 250 blitzes in 2022; 532 bitzes in 2021 and 542 in 2020. Now this year we’re on pace to have more than double that? Nah.
Regardless though, the point remains that our OLBs are getting some decent pressure on the QBs, but it’s not being reflected in sacks … yet. Thus Joe’s unhappy. I’d be unhappy too if we weren’t 2-0. Neither opposing QB played lights-out, but I think that’s a credit to our defense as much as anything. And particularly with so many defenders hurt.
September 22nd, 2024 at 10:44 am
TRAP GAME….Bucs have a history of not doing well in games like this…just one more thing to overcome and go forward with the confidence of a champion!!
September 22nd, 2024 at 11:12 am
Fire the Gannons also believes in QAnon theory.
Got back from my Michigan trip today to enjoy the Bucs at home.
Got to visit the old house and hood.