Freedom Rings

November 13th, 2013

Bucs defensive tackle Akeem Spence was happy Bucs coaches turned the defensive line loose late in the game to seal the Bucs’ first win of the year.

Much has been made, going on two seasons, about how Bucs coaches seem to believe defensive linemen dancing around in choreographed if not silly stunts will somehow bring a quarterback to his knees.

But it seems as though the defensive line of the Bucs, as a whole, has gone to its knees enough times this season that perhaps Bucs defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan has seen the light?

A lot has been written of how Bucs coaches told the defensive line on Monday night, “Go get” the quarterback in the final defensive stand, a stand that resulted in two sacks of Ryan Tannehill and an interception by Darrelle Revis.

That move to let the defensive line pin their ears back for a change was not so much a revelation as it was finally coaches bowing to the wishes of the defensive line, so Bucs defensive tackle Akeem Spence told Joe today at One Buc Palace.

“That was fun. That was what we have been asking for all year and coach let us have it,” Spence said of getting to rush the quarterback. “We showed we could go out and do it. So, that’s what people expect. Come to the fourth quarter and get the job done.”

Even rookie defensive lineman William Gholston remarked about keying on the signal-caller.

“Man, that is so good when you don’t have to worry about any other adjustments,” Gholston said with a smile as wide as Tampa Bay. “Just go get him. It was fun. The way we closed out the game, I don’t see why we can’t play like that.”

19 Responses to “Freedom Rings”

  1. Patrick in VA Says:

    Neither does anyone else, Mr. gholston.

  2. Bucworld Says:

    When players have a better strategy than the coaches, something is wrong.

  3. Tampabaybucfan Says:

    Maybe we should reverse course….go straight after the QB…..and then on occaision….stunt….then the stunt may actually work as intended.

  4. Cali Buc Fan Says:

    Didn’t this happen last year? I seem to recall Gerald McCoy say this last year to the coach, defense gets a couple sacks and then next week or two it’s back to stunts and other shenanigans.

  5. Celly Says:

    @Cali, i remember SPECIFICALLY this working in the last game of the season against the Falcons…you know, the one where everyone claims the Falcons rested all of their starters (even though they CLEARLY) played the whole game.

    It was supposed to be the coaches finally coming to the realization that if you just let your d-line try to beat the guy in front of him, he will more often win.

    We have the talent, let them play.

    GoBucs

  6. Christopher Says:

    OMG, this is an abomination. Tampa Bay is FOUNDED on 4 guys getting to the quarterback, one gap, GO. Funny, the New York giants basically won Super Bowls that way, 4 good-to-great defensive lineman just GOING, & they couldn’t wait to run Sheridan out of there when he got the DC job. One of my pet peeves in life is a mostly dumb person (most football coaches) overthinking a scheme, & then not moving when the scheme doesn’t work (or fit the players). This is the definition of that here (Schiano, et al). F*cking abomination.

    & I better see Te’o play 25% of the snaps at LE from here on.

  7. BucsfaninChina Says:

    Unfreakingbelievable

  8. Brian Everhart Says:

    So this confirms my worst fears—the Schiano machine has been keeping the defensive line tethered so they could play college ball footsies. And by association, this clearly indicates they were running zone schemes in the backfield and losing all the time. To think we had guys on the defensive line who could have been pounding Quaterbacks all year and they have been relegated to stunt men is shameful and rookie college crap. Unless he runs the table and corrects all of this, Schiano has to go.

  9. Patrickbucs Says:

    This coaching staff is killing this team, it’s beyond brutal. Yeah we win a game, this wasn’t a rebuild project prior to the season starting now I have no idea what to call it. I just hope the Glazers recongnize what it is a complete failure by the coaching staff and they make the necessary changes.

  10. You Go Joe Says:

    Joe not to be THAT guy, but this was said last year at around this same moment of the year. Hell even you joe mentioned it, nothing new to us all. But still the same thing, our D line asking for more room to breathe and it had to come to us almost losing a game for the coaches to adjust. Next week this wont happen, unless we start losing or the game plan fails. But you know our coaches!!! they never adjust!

  11. Bucfan#37 Says:

    To close out that game with two no holds barred sacks was a refreshing sight. Looking for same sack action vs Atlanta.

  12. BB Says:

    Joe or other commenters answer this for me when the line is stunting and shifty around but when ball is snapped is it not about beating the man in front of you? Just like just go get the Quarterback is? Really like to hear everyone’s thought on this. To me bottom line is beat the man in the trenches in front of you.

  13. You Go Joe Says:

    @BB

    This is my idea of stunting, correct me if I’m wrong here please.

    Lets say a defensive end lines up against the right tackle. When the ball snaps he now runs behind our line and switches with a defensive tackle and now is going up against the guard and vice versa for the defensive tackle. The idea is now someone from the line will miss their assignment and let one of our guys free, thus leading to a sack!

    However in the time this crap takes to make and depending on the play for the QB, our corners and other factors this doesn’t work. It is also meant to close any lanes that may open and shift one guy to close it.

    On monday night our guys just bull rush the QBs and beat the line on the last drive. Our coaches are killing us with these delay tactics. Monday night is not enough to say we win all the time in bull rushes, but throughout the entire game our only sacks came in the last drive, when we bull rushed. I may be wrong on only sacks but for sure we were sackless in 3 qtrs.

  14. blackmagic00 Says:

    I watched the two sacks and int in slow motion a couple times. The line was 91 93 92 and 94. 94(clybourne) was double teamed and that let 93(mccoy) and 91(bowers) loose. No stunt just fast in your face QB killing D. Mccoy even got a nice right hand slap to the side of the guards helmet in on one. And on the pick the QB went down also. Oh it was so beautiful.

  15. blackmagic00 Says:

    Oh and I love mccoy next to bowers. That is a tandem that can’t be stopped most of the time.

  16. John Says:

    I wanna like u Greg but u gotta pull ur head out of your u know what, you are smarter then that.

  17. BuccaneerBonzai Says:

    OMG, people, they had success against the WORSE offensive line in the NFL. They were so bad they told the defense when to come at them on every play.

    No other offensive line will do that. THAT’s why it cannot be done every week.

  18. BB Says:

    When the ball is snapped the musical chairs game ends and regardless at that point beat your man they never do that to get sacks ever if they did put any pressure at all this team would have a 5-4 record instead of 1-8 right now

  19. bigpoppabuc Says:

    You guys have already stated the obvious…our coaching is just head scratching. But man do I really like Akeem Spence. Such a shame that we seem to have a group of coaches with great eyes for talent, who simply can’t get the best out of them.