Bucs’ Thin ILBs Just Got Thinner
December 6th, 2024
Not ruled out (yet).
If any Bucs fans are remotely spiritual, now is the time to ask your higher authority for Lavonte David’s continued health.
Today, Bucs coach Todd Bowles announced that starting inside linebacker K.J. Britt will not play against the Raiders. Joining him on floppy hat patrol for Sunday will be Mike Edwards, Troy Hill and milk carton Markees Watts.
However, Bowles did not rule out starting nickel corner Tykee Smith, who has been sidelined with a knee issue.
“We’re going to work him out before the game and see where he’s at as far as what he knows gameplan-wise and we’ll go from there,” Bowles said.
The insider linebackers for the Bucs past David frighten Joe. It didn’t take too long this season for teams to show they had adjusted to Britt and he has been exposed terribly in the passing game.
So it appears J.J. Russell and Vi Jones, who was with the Bucs for nearly a full calendar year before Bowles deemed him sufficiently ready to be called up from the practice squad.
What healthy player needs damn near a year before he’s “ready?”
If David, God forbid, goes down, Joe has a feeling so too will the Bucs’ chances at a playoff berth. It’s almost to the point where Joe would only allow David to participate in walk-throughs.
December 6th, 2024 at 1:03 pm
“See what he knows game plan wise”
WTAF?
This coaching staff is whack.
December 6th, 2024 at 1:05 pm
I think that could have been said week 3. Lavonte goes down, so do the Bucs. I can’t imagine how important he is to the middle of that D this year, it would be a horrendous unit minus one of its most important leaders.
December 6th, 2024 at 1:06 pm
Why is it that the Lions can get guys off the street due to 13 guys out due to injury and cone in and play lights out in a huge division win and the Bucs struggle weather it be starters or others?
December 6th, 2024 at 1:19 pm
Britt stinks, so is it that much of a loss?
December 6th, 2024 at 1:20 pm
James it’s called coaching. Poop rolls downhill and ours starts at the HC/DC with his out dated scheme and trickles down to every corner of this defense. It seems this coaching staff has taught our db’s to forget the simple basics of how to cover a receiver. Even back up 4th receivers know how to get open in our scheme. Passes defensed are near extinct and we seem to rely on receivers simply not catching passes than keeping them from getting to them in the 1st place.
December 6th, 2024 at 1:25 pm
Well, when a next-man-up guy needs to practice for a year just to be “ready,” you tell Joe. 🙂
December 6th, 2024 at 1:35 pm
So you are saying the bucs practice squad linebackers are hurt so they are going to have to call the other bucs practice squad linebackers? What exactly are they losing there?
December 6th, 2024 at 1:35 pm
Todd Bowles had Vi Jones on the bench all this time despite Britt’s lack of coverage skills so it will be absolutely hilarious if he plays better than Britt
December 6th, 2024 at 1:38 pm
Well just heard from a press conference that Ryan Neal will definitely play!! That is a scary scary thought!!. This may be a very high scoring game. Let’s hope Coen can play ball control and keep the defense off the field!!. Wow could be a close game. The Raiders may finally produce some offense going against this defense
December 6th, 2024 at 1:43 pm
I do feel for Lavonte. Could be his last year and he’s the D’s heart and soul.
We really need Tykee back asap.
December 6th, 2024 at 1:45 pm
Let’s just go with 17 DBs instead…..
December 6th, 2024 at 1:46 pm
Vi Jones took out the referee early in the game Sunday against the Panthers, let see if he can do it to one of the Raiders this week
December 6th, 2024 at 1:50 pm
Well, when a next-man-up guy needs to practice for a year just to be “ready,” you tell Joe. 🙂
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To be fair, it took Britt 2+ years to get meaningful snaps. Using time spent waiting to play isn’t the best guage of expectations. Sirvocea Dennis was a complete mystery until he stepped on the field and turned heads.
December 6th, 2024 at 1:54 pm
DBBF99 — spot on. Drop the mic.
December 6th, 2024 at 1:56 pm
Ryan Neal at lb like we did one time
December 6th, 2024 at 2:00 pm
Watching a practice player start is like watching Taylor Swift exit stage right and a deaf mute take her place. Different performance altogether.
December 6th, 2024 at 2:28 pm
Todd’s stifling, stone wall defense takes more than a year to learn? Pretty sure I
could coach guys to miss tackles, leave receivers open, and choke in the clutch – in about a day
December 6th, 2024 at 2:33 pm
Wasn’t Pat O’Connor a Buc?
He was living on Green Bay’s backfield last night.
December 6th, 2024 at 2:35 pm
Pretty sad that the starters at LB and CB are so bad. Even sadder that the whole offense will take a dump if LVD goes down. Defensive coaching and trainers on this team are horrible. What do the defensive assistant coaches do all day if the back ups don’t know “where they are game plan wise”. SMH.
December 6th, 2024 at 2:50 pm
Yeah, because the Bucs had a No. 5 overall pick/Pro Bowl linebacker in front of him. Bucs had millions invested in Devin White. They had, what a couple of high-end Ford F-150s from Bill Currie Ford invested in Britt?
December 6th, 2024 at 2:51 pm
Was.
December 6th, 2024 at 2:51 pm
Tykee smith is going to play I think
December 6th, 2024 at 3:15 pm
Neal at LB is the only way having him on the field makes any sense. Which means Coich will have him at CB, 20 yards off the line of scrimmage, backpedaling.
December 6th, 2024 at 3:46 pm
Did Troy Hill get signed with an injury? He got signed and never made it on the field?
December 6th, 2024 at 3:54 pm
JJ Russell hurt his hamstring in practice today and is now questionable for Sunday. Looks like Ryan Neal might run it back as an LB.
December 6th, 2024 at 4:08 pm
Jj russel was full though so maybe precautionary
December 6th, 2024 at 4:09 pm
The Ryan Neal signing reminds me so much of the days of Lovie Smith, who cut Revis and signed a washed Tim Jennings because “he knows my system”. That was lazy “coaching” by Lovie, and Bowles now too.
December 6th, 2024 at 4:30 pm
@James says, 100% accurate! Lion’s practice squad players & guys off the streets are playing lights out with little to no time to learn the scheme vs 3 yrs in the system & still confused. The problem is Bowles & this defensive coaching staff! They see themselves as masterminds, unfortunately opposing offenses see them as predictable & easy to exploit! It starts with the tired a$$ idea of having a bend don’t break defense, which is code for “we’ll let you march up & down the field before we finally decide to try & stop you at the goal line”. That whole mindset is shot! Don’t give up the Big Play vs Fight for every blade of grass! One coach is Playing to win while the other is playing not to lose.
December 6th, 2024 at 4:31 pm
@Eric then why list him with a designation? Is there a requirement that a new injury that pops up on Friday or Saturday requires a designation vs. a known injury prior to those days?
December 6th, 2024 at 5:05 pm
Maybe the dude needed a year to learn the D. Not all these guys have the same learning curve.
December 6th, 2024 at 5:06 pm
If your “system” is hard for your own players to figure out, yet easy for opposing defenses to figure out, it’s a failed “system”.
December 6th, 2024 at 5:10 pm
Sunday’s game is in the hands of the offense. Must score 35 or this game will be a nail biter.
December 6th, 2024 at 5:47 pm
“If any Bucs fans are remotely spiritual…”
To quote Carlito Briagnte: “Never me!”
December 6th, 2024 at 6:16 pm
practice? What’s practice?
How could any backup be ready?
December 6th, 2024 at 6:35 pm
This defense is an absolute mess. Pathetic.
December 6th, 2024 at 7:02 pm
Give AG Jr. a shot.
December 6th, 2024 at 8:05 pm
Tyler for KJ would be a pretty good trade off.
December 6th, 2024 at 9:20 pm
Call up Grier from the PS. He stood out in preseason
December 6th, 2024 at 11:19 pm
Can’t wait till coach liam is in charge.. so tired of bowles bs and terrible coaching.
December 7th, 2024 at 11:58 am
Bake, Li, Mike, Rash, we need TDs on every drive and we need a lot of them. If the rest of the defense can get healthy by Christmas, we have a legitimate shot. Every game from here on out needs to be your best game and better than the game before.
December 7th, 2024 at 12:03 pm
And hopefully Coach Bowlesack will play press man coverage and abandon the zone coverage 10-12 yards off the LOS, because the occasional burn is better than getting burned on every play. I’ve resigned myself to the idea that this team has become a 4’th quarter team, but that won’t cut it against the big boys. Play some dang defense and coach to your strengths, you idiot 😂
December 7th, 2024 at 1:16 pm
I have been discussing since the off season with my brother that the entire coaching staff should be fired because of this one position. The knew SD had previous shoulder issues and they needed a starter to replace White.
They wasted a third round pick on a receiver that is neither better than Jerod, or Palmer. They also knew this will more than likely be David’s last year.
To fix this, they must use the number 1 and 3 picks for two new rookies. Additionally, they need to bring in 2 free agents like they did with Bredson and Opeta.
For a defensive minded coach to allow one position to become this depleted is crazy.
Additionally, we have Devin Cult 4hat is bigger, faster and stronger than Evans and Cohen can’t figure out the kid should be all receiver and not a tight end.
Finally, we also did not need to draft Bucky because we had Tucker and White. Bucky has played well, however he has done nothing that Tucker could not have done if given the same opportunities.
They claim that Jason Light nailed the draft, however we need a starting corner, 2 inside linebacker is, and a veteran edge rusher along with a real safety so that we can trade out of Winfield’s contract because he is too small, and costs too much for what he does. Izen is a solid backup. Whitehead is a good chess piece, but Winfield priced himself right out of town
December 7th, 2024 at 2:23 pm
California Buc: To say the Bucs were wrong in drafting Bucky Irving in the 4th Round is saying that there’s no way you’d pass a drug test.
December 8th, 2024 at 6:44 am
I thought Todd Bowles was supposed to be a Defensive Guru?..Our Defense has not shut any team down after week 2 all season.