Rondé Barber: Bucs Defense Is “Annoying”
April 7th, 2025
Bucs legend lets loose.
A Todd Bowles comment last week seems to have thrown a little gas on a fire burning within Bucs insider and Hall of Fame cornerback Rondé Barber.
Bowles said the team’s “killer instinct” is lacking and veteran players need to work on drawing it out of the club.
Barber did a sitdown with Forbes writer DJ Siddiqi at last week’s James Hardie Pro Football Invitational golf tournament in South Florida and shared his frustration while translating the Bowles “killer instinct” take.
“If you’re in the fourth quarter and you need the ball back, you need to ball back to give your offense a chance,” says Barber in a one-on-one interview. “You need to get off the field in three damn downs or get a takeaway or something. Create something. They really haven’t shown that consistently over the years.”
Barber brings up the Buccaneers’ lack of forced turnovers and their lack of pressure on the quarterbacks. Tampa Bay did rank sixth in sacks last season, but the lack of timely sacks in key situations is what Barber is hammering home on.
“They don’t take the ball away very often, which is annoying,” says Barber. “Especially from a play-caller on defense perspective. They don’t put a lot of pressure on the quarterback. What he’s (Bowles) is trying to say, the killer instinct of enforcing your will, it’s happening against them.”
Defenses from the Tony Dungy/Jon Gruden eras were the opposite, Barber added, because they willed themselves on opponents.
“Soft,” is the word that comes to Joe’s mind regarding the 2024 defense for too much of last season.
Now the question is, can the Bucs harden up that soft defense by adding Haason Reddick, a rookie starter, more quality at inside linebacker (a healed SirVocea Dennis and newcomer Anthony Walker) and the healthy version of Antoine Winfield, in addition to coaching and scheme tweaks?
April 7th, 2025 at 10:12 am
Soft play is what you see when players are being governed and ruled over. Aggressive playing is what you see when players are being coached up. Players playing with confidence are well-coached players. Players who are hesitant are scared and being governed. Players have to trust their instincts and react accordingly. Hesitation and 2nd guessing destroy the player’s ability.
April 7th, 2025 at 10:15 am
It was a bad defense last year. Not sure statistically if it was Bowles worst since he came to the team in 2019 – but it felt like it — especially against Atlanta.
Hopefully, it was an outlier — but I am all for 3 guys in this years draft that will make an impact on defense.
April 7th, 2025 at 10:19 am
Thank You Ronde!!!. Many of us long time Buc fans know Ronde is spot on as usual. I know for me yes, over the last few years,I hoped to see the defense take over at the end of games, which, just doesn’t happen. Conversely, yes the Washington playoff game being the solid example. I was at that game and
at the critical time at the end of the game you knew what was going to happen, the defense was going to let Washinton go down the field and score!!. Sure enough, while hoping the defense would do something, you knew deep down waiting for the defense to take over was a pipe dream from days past.
Yes Ronde, over the last few years the defense at the end of games is annoying and unfortunately totally predictable. The defense can’t close a game out, but will surender big play after big play.Yes, Closing the game out just is not inthe cards with this defense over the last few years.
We all hopes that changes this year don’t we!!
April 7th, 2025 at 10:29 am
Is not about softness…..
Last year defense was bad because of injuries on the secondary, only one ILB, and no pass rush whatsoever…
It was not coaching…..
April 7th, 2025 at 10:30 am
The end of game defense drove me crazy. Soft prevent in the secondary and zero pass rush is how they lost too many games. Bowles was in denial about the poor defense at end of games. Kicking field goals rather than going for touchdowns because he thought his defense could stop the opponent.
April 7th, 2025 at 10:37 am
Injuries in 2024 distorted the true talent
April 7th, 2025 at 10:51 am
Ronde is spot on and he’s a guy Joe can’t shout down for sharing his opinion.
The defense is weak and feeble. Soft as butter and melts in the heat.
Teams will continue to carve up this style of pass defense as long as it is used in this current form.
The two Atlanta games and the playoff game should have gotten Bowles run out on their own. Much less losing to a backup QB on a lousy Cowboys team.
27-27
April 7th, 2025 at 10:53 am
Correction, 28-27.
Those three all important season opening games Bowles won need to be counted as Superbowl equivalents.
April 7th, 2025 at 10:59 am
All teams have injuries. Look at my “other” hometown teams, the 49rs. League MVP lost for the year. Coaches plan for injuries (I assume). When they happen it should not destroy the offensive or defensive lineup. The 49rs still had a productive running game- -just not MVP quality. Under Bowels if someone (Dean) gets hurt we put in total incompetent player. Ronde is a life long Buc player and fan. He knows what he’s talking about. Same as most fans on this site have been stating (screaming?) about.
April 7th, 2025 at 11:11 am
Ronde is spot on.
The Bucs gave away wins (Atlanta 2x) by not being able to get the defense off the field in the 4th quarter, late in games.
Its either the defense has the wrong scheme late in the game putting players at the wrong positions, the players ability, the pass rush (which was supposed to be solid), or the opposing QBs are just so much better in 2020’s than they were in the 1990’s when Dungy/Barber’s Bucs defense dominated.
I really think the younger QBs are quite dynamic now vs then.
But I still think it falls on the scheme by the Defensive Coordinator… the adjustments need to be made in order to keep the QBs from sitting in the pocket… in today’s NFL, you can’t let the QB beat you.
April 7th, 2025 at 11:18 am
Question is…. can you have a backup as good as your starter? Key defensive players were injured most of the 2024 season and for some their backups were injured too boot! Injury bug is a bitch, it’s hard to run strong D with a good percentage of your starters being a backup in some fashion. Let’s hope we have all our key starters healthy and resilient for 2025. GO BUCS!
April 7th, 2025 at 11:20 am
Oh, what would a hall of fame cornerback, who made his legend playing excellent zone defense, know?
Thank you Ronde. Get in Todd’s office, close the door, and tell him what time it is.
April 7th, 2025 at 11:21 am
That ‘softness’ started with the Head Coach and defensive playcaller last year and was therefore embodied by his defense.
The Soft Zone coverage on most defensive plays is what I’m referring to.
It’s hard to assert your will with multiple receivers wide open on most pass plays.
Be a Man, Coach. Assert your will.
April 7th, 2025 at 11:34 am
You can’t will it, need the proper personnel and the correct play calling to get turnovers. I have never seen DBs drop more ball’s than this version of the Bucs, and we play soft too many times on 3rd down. As if they don’t recognize the first down marker. We need playmakers and ball hawks and Ronde may
Have been best ever at coming up with a play when it really mattered. Glad he said it. Let’s hope it hits home.
April 7th, 2025 at 11:35 am
The Bucs D hasn’t been clutch for A LONG time now!
April 7th, 2025 at 11:44 am
Bowels is a poor defensive coordinator. That is why he needs to be fired as HC. Because he refuses to fire his failed DC.
April 7th, 2025 at 12:00 pm
Who’s in charge of the defense? There’s been a lot of love thrown Todd’s way this offseason. The organization has the utmost faith in Bowles. Yet Bowles is on the last year of his deal. Have you heard any talk of extending Bowles Joe? The defense will get some players in the draft, and hopefully Dennis, Winfield stay healthy. There’s no more excuses, time for this D to shine, or Todd will never see a new deal.
April 7th, 2025 at 12:38 pm
I expect that last season was an outlier.
We have always stopped the run 1st and foremost.
We want them to throw so we need loads of talent rushing and covering.
There will plenty of players added and Bowles will probably field a top 10 defense again.
The first 3 weeks last year looked good so injuries is the main reason the defense was annoying.
April 7th, 2025 at 12:41 pm
Rondé Barber: Bucs Defense Is “Annoying”
Because of their outdated DC!
When you have games that your opponent scores every drive, you don’t have a defense….
April 7th, 2025 at 12:45 pm
Leave it to Ronde to speak some facts and sense in to fans that are somehow in love with :”bend but dont break.” Its a bs term and its mental gymnastics to justify how SOFT the defense is. This is why YARDS and not points is the primary metric to measure defensive rankings. Its black and white. Your defense is either a wall. Or theyre spreading their butt cheeks. Certain people in here can talk about Bakers turnover in the playoffs, but wshington had the ball for 40 minutes. That is a complete disgrace
April 7th, 2025 at 12:47 pm
To the apologists citing lack of personnel…..
With the same personnel, in the second halves of games towards the end of the season, the defense tightened up and second half performance greatly improved over the first half. Of course when asked, the DC answered “I don’t know why.”
Which is either a fib, or proof of incompetence. If Todd won’t assert his will, maybe Ronde can through the appropriate channels.
April 7th, 2025 at 12:53 pm
Still using the injuries excuse huh? LoL. Do you think we wont have injuries next season? The defense hasent been good period since Super Todd took over. But lets pretend its all due to injuries… every season. Lol SMH
April 7th, 2025 at 1:00 pm
I seem to remember Gruden calling out Ronde one year late in his career, then Ronde getting big game changing plays about four weeks in a row. Even the best HOFers need a little kick in the butt now and then! Go Bowles!
April 7th, 2025 at 1:02 pm
Whitehead, Winfield and Dean all played soft.
Izien and Tykes Smith played hard AF.
Zion was inconsistent but also made some plays.
I want a CDIII clone.
A CB with gold teeth who crushes ball carriers.
Why did Dean get hurt against the Saints?
He could have destroyed that guy.
But he went limp. Watch the highlight.
He hurt himself by being nice to the Saints! A team that has hurt Godwin and many other Bucs!
I want two more gangsters as cornerbacks.
I thought we learned our lesson with Brent the puntang Grimes.
I want hitters as corners!
Thugs!
April 7th, 2025 at 1:08 pm
Couch Fan … ‘Still using the injuries excuse huh?’
Yes injuries happen to all teams. But the successful ones, the ones who overcome injuries, have DEPTH. Last year our depth on defense totally sucked. If you don’t believe that, compare last season’s ending roster (we had 24 defensive players on our 53-man roster) to this season’s starting roster.
Watch how many new defensive players the Bucs have this season (I’m betting that we only return 14-15 defensive players, and end up adding 10-11 new defensive players). That’s what they call a MAJOR TURNOVER, using accomplished because the previous year’s team let a LOT to be desired.
April 7th, 2025 at 1:41 pm
Injuries or not, the defense is horrible. Base defense needs to go back to 4-3 with real DE’s not light weight LBs. Bucs need players in the secondary that can play man coverage. LBs need to be run stoppers on the outside. Bucs need better second level D linemen. Bowles needs to get a DC. Jason needs to quit experimenting with drafting players that will take years to develop if ever.
April 7th, 2025 at 1:47 pm
DR… And to add to that, we have a few very good defensive stars all starters, of course, but not a lot of depth and a few of starters that shouldn’t have been. JTS, Whitehead, Britt, whatever punter we were playing at that moment… all gone.
Even some of the fill in temps we had to use were let go or haven’t been resigned yet.
JTS –> Reddick
Britt –> Walker
Whitehead –> Smith (maybe… with Izien at slot)
Sucky punter –> Dixon
++++ Godwin, Winfield Jr, Dennis, Dean (like usual) and to a lesser extent Johnson (so we can see what all the fuss is about last preseason) all back healthy.
It looks pretty good on paper so far but we really need the draft to be solid.
April 7th, 2025 at 1:47 pm
SOFT indeed.
What’s Toad going to do about it?
April 7th, 2025 at 1:53 pm
Feel coaching & scheme tweaks are the biggest areas of need.
April 7th, 2025 at 2:07 pm
Defense rules. No team has 53 solid players. That is a fantasy. Good teams have good coaches who can turn average players better. We have a coach that cant even keep great players good. I’m not buying it.
I have no doubt we are going to have bunch of new faces on the defense and I expect the same results as the last 4 seasons under Super Todd. If I am wrong, then would mean we actually had a great season and I would be happy to admit I was wrong. Super Tood however gives me no reason to think the defense will be any better even with 11 all pro starters with him as coach. We shall see though.
April 7th, 2025 at 2:31 pm
Todd says they will not pass up a great offensive player to fill a need on defence. I get that part but what part i dont get is him saying he will figure out how to keep us competitive on dfence. That didnt happen last year so i hope you dont pass up too many opportunities to better our defence. Our offence was nice our defencs needs help thats obvious.
April 7th, 2025 at 2:38 pm
It was a combination of things last year all over the board. As much as I blame Bowles for not seeing his D being up to standards and being bolder on offense the players are the ones on the field. I’ve heard from both players and coach’s talking about a good week in practice and then not playing well on game day, sometimes that happens, I don’t like seeing it either, but Todd is correct when he talks about missed assignments, no communication, which is essential, bad angles, etc. That happens because your better players who have time together aren’t together and new guys not being as talented and/or being “wide eyed” or not getting their assignment right. Coach’s can coach their balls off and have everything ready to go but it’s the guys on the field that determine the outcome plain and simple.
Brady’s first year we had a losing or near 500 record and not looking good going into the bye week, what turned it around? Not many injuries as I recall but Brady got serious as did the whole team and started to play as a team, complimentary football but the Defense was ahead of the offense by a bit, now it’s the opposite. I think it will get corrected.
April 7th, 2025 at 2:39 pm
Hopefully someone wished Barber a happy 50th Birthday today!!!! One of the all time best in Buccaneer history.
April 7th, 2025 at 3:02 pm
If Bowles is going to continue to run his garbage super soft zone, then he needs to bring in Barber and Brooks and teach the coaches and players how to actually play zone defense.
April 7th, 2025 at 4:13 pm
And oh by the way let’s address the elephant in the room. We stink at home, period!! RayJay isn’t a safe haven. We are miserable at home. Ronde is right, the defensive is going backwards, consistently. Their cleats are never dug in. We cannot continue to be sub-par with our defensive scheme, especially at home off of Dale Mabry.