Justin Skule Did Solid Work Playing For Tristan Wirfs
November 12th, 2024
Reserve tackle Justin Skule.
There were bright spots in an otherwise dreary Bucs loss on Sunday. Watching the defense collapse late is starting to get really old.
There was the stiff-arm of Baker Mayfield buying time to get rid of a pass for a critical first down late while Nick Bosa was trying to drag him down. There was the running of Bucky Irving.
And there was a guy who no one expected to be on the field for the offense. When Tristan Wirfs went down with a knee injury late in the first half, the Bucs turned to backup tackle Justin Skule.
Bucs fans moaned on social media, understandably. They remember how Aidan Hutchinson absolutely owned Skule in Week 2.
What Bucs fans may have forgotten was how Skule, after two terrible games playing in place of Luke Goedeke at right tackle, got better. He wasn’t a liability in his final start at Atlanta. He wasn’t the reason the Bucs lost that game, not by a long shot.
Skule held his own against Bosa on Sunday. Sure, Bosa had a sack and a quarterback hit. But he otherwise didn’t go bananas.
Joe thought that was a credit to how well Skule coming off the bench cold, playing a new position.
Skule told Joe in the Bucs’ locker room after the game that’s a little secret backup tackles have. They have to be ready to play either left or right tackle at the snap of a finger
“It comes with the job every week you have to prepare as if you are going to play,” Skule said. “I know that is an answer you probably hear a lot but that’s what it takes.
“That’s the role. You have to be ready to play. When your number is called, you have to be able to execute.”
Skule told Joe there is actually a benefit to being ready to play either tackle position each week.
“It’s good you get to learn both positions,” Skule said. “No matter what you get, you have to [prepare for] front side [right tackle] or backside [left tackle].
“There is an advantage of being able to know both, when you get into the game, mentally at least.”
So since Skule played so well Sunday at left tackle, that’s what he prefers, right? Well, maybe.
“It depends on where I got the reps [during the week],” Skule said. “I guess the first couple of years I’ve played more left tackle just as a result of injuries.
“In my position, you have to be able to play both.”
He added that four starts at right tackle when Luke Goedeke was out with a concussion really helped him tangling with Nick Bosa on Sunday.
“Absolutely,” Skule said. “This year was the first year I’ve gotten a regular season start since [2020]. Thankfully, Luke and Tristan stayed healthy the whole year last year.
“The reps I had at right tackle helped me [Sunday] with the game speed aspect.”
Starting against the Giants when the Bucs return from their bye, Skule won’t get any breaks. If there is one thing the Giants are good at is edge rush.
Old Bucs nemesis Brian Burns and fellow outside linebacker Azeez Ojulari (who was on the trade block as he is in a contract year — the Bucs couldn’t have used this guy?) are both well on their way to having double-digit sack seasons.
Double-digit sacks from outside linebackers — can’t have that around here.
Still, Joe thinks Skule will be OK. Wirfs shouldn’t be out long.
November 12th, 2024 at 9:12 am
Still not holding my breath after the stretch where he was starting. Looked like parlor doors on the field and I don’t want to get my hopes up too high (I’ve been telling everyone that will listen that 10-7 and NFC South champs is still on the table)
November 12th, 2024 at 9:22 am
I saw one replay where he got blasted so I’m not ready to crown him. I give much credit to Coen and Baker for not holding the ball and an occasional stiff arm to get the job done.
November 12th, 2024 at 10:49 am
I thought he did OK. A lot better than earlier in the season. The guy was playing against Bosa and generally held his own. My last worry at this point is Skule.
November 12th, 2024 at 10:51 am
He had help on most snaps we all saw what happened when he didn’t get help
November 12th, 2024 at 11:01 am
The Bucs could get some help!!!! Seattle just released their starting LB Tyrel Dodson who was their leading tackler and had a 73 coverage grade. Go get him Jason!
November 12th, 2024 at 11:04 am
What Fred said.
When he is 1on1 he gets beat often and badly. That is not a recipe for success.
But as we have seen from this coaching stuff they will stick with the players even if they dont play good and will give a strange quote why they do that.
So that is that.
Maybe because the edge rushers we have were beating him in training camp gave the idea that our 4 man rush was going to be good.
November 12th, 2024 at 11:26 am
I’m just over here looking forward to the Draft.
This season is already undone.
No way captain dipsh$t can save himself now.
Coen to HC, Allen as DC, bring in a OC that is hungry to learn from Coen.
Send the driftwood out to sea,
November 12th, 2024 at 11:30 am
Either something is wrong our oline or our depleted WR corps….Mayfield only completed 4 passes to WRs. Either he doesn’t have enough time for them to get open or they can’t get open. This can’t continue.
November 12th, 2024 at 11:37 am
Oh, he was not perfect, don’t get Joe wrong. But he wasn’t the swinging saloon door he was in Detroit when Aidan Hutchinson manhandled him.
Backups are backups for a reason. Skule did OK on Sunday.
November 12th, 2024 at 11:43 am
Maybe Wirfs will join Vita dropping into coverage when he’s healthy.
November 12th, 2024 at 11:49 am
Fair enough Joe.
I’m really bummed for Lions fans about Hutchinson. He was having a monster season and deserved to be chasing the sack record this season.
Skule is worse than your typical backup. He’s terrible to the point that backup D-linemen lick their lips.
November 12th, 2024 at 12:42 pm
Is this article a joke?
Literally every time I focused on him and he was blocking one on one, he got ran over. I mean every single time I watched him. It was live, during the game, so I haven’t seen the ALL22, but literally every time.
The offense was getting the ball out of Bakers hand as quickly as possible, and the one time Baker held the ball and Sucke was one-on-one, Sucke was as useful as a lawnchair. Actually a lawn chair might have tripped up Bosa for a second, while Sucke did not.
November 12th, 2024 at 12:43 pm
Oh man… I really don’t want to watch the ALL22, but now I’m going to have to, to see if I just happened to, on a half dozen occasions, seen Sucke’s only bad snaps by chance.
November 12th, 2024 at 1:02 pm
So if he was getting run over each time, why didn’t Nick Bosa have a career day? You saying Bosa sucks now?
November 12th, 2024 at 1:06 pm
he seems a little more prepared now…fingers crossed…there are no other tristans in the nfl
November 12th, 2024 at 1:07 pm
Rodney, obviously with wirfs out and your punching bag in, they went to a much quicker, shorter passing game. That’s why bosa didn’t have a special day. Not too hard to figure out.
November 12th, 2024 at 1:41 pm
All Joe knows is he was at the game, watching from the press box, even with binoculars on Skule some plays. Didn’t see the guy get constantly ragdolled like he did when he faced Aidan Hutchinson.
Pretty much everyone around Joe in the press box agreed Skule did OK. Fine for a backup. No one expected Skule to pancake Bosa each and every play.
November 12th, 2024 at 3:21 pm
Yeah Joe!!! Someone finally standing up to “big bully” Munch. We shut Josh up because he was just Munch using another name and spreading more of his long-winded wisdom. I have a strange feeling he might be Dave Pear, too.
Back to topic…. Skule did a good job coming in in a tough situation. Bosa ain’t no slouch.
November 12th, 2024 at 6:09 pm
Joe Says:
So if he was getting run over each time, why didn’t Nick Bosa have a career day? You saying Bosa sucks now?
———
Bosa was running him over, but Baker was getting rid of the ball almost instantly. This was the lesson of the Lions game, with Sucke in there, you can’t run your normal offense as he blows it up. The Broncos game was also a disaster as they tried to run the normal offense, and only changed things in the Eagles game when they went to super quick passing offense.
Even if you don’t buy what I’m saying, they said all broadcast that Bosa was getting frustrated by the fake Baker kept getting rid of the ball so quickly.
The one time I recall Baker sit back in the pocket, and Sucke didn’t get help, that’s when he got ran over for the sack.
The guy is a trash player. In fairness, however, there’s no way everyone doesn’t know that, and Coen has to get him help or Baker has to get rid of the ball in under 2 seconds.
November 12th, 2024 at 6:26 pm
Skule really got thrown to wolves once again and rose to the occasion. He is one player you can point to with limited playing switching from RT to LT has really progressed. Yeah he had some tough play but Bosa is a top 5 pass rusher with his ears constantly pinned back. He took himself out of a couple of run plays because where is his head at? Running the QB. Skule deserves some props.
November 12th, 2024 at 8:55 pm
I thought Skule did ok.
Was he perfect? No. Is he Tristan Wirfs? Of course not.
He got beat a couple of times, but Nick Bosa is one of the best at what he does so that was to be expected.
Of course Baker was going to look to get rid of the ball real quick when Tristan got hurt and Skule came in. Any QB would when their starting LT goes down with an injury and a back up comes in.
November 12th, 2024 at 11:05 pm
Wirfs absence changed the whole offensive game plan and made Baker very Justifiably) nervous. We did not even attempt a pass downfield after Wirfs went down I don’t think. Give Skule credit for the effort but I saw him get beat about every time I was paying attention. They were giving him help from backs as well. So this post is more of the old putting lipstick on a pig thing Joe.
Good news is that Skule can indeed run block though.
Go Bucs!