Blitzing Mason Foster
April 1st, 2014
Expect Mason Foster to blitz more.
The more Joe hears from Bucs head coach Lovie Smith, the more Joe grows comfortable that the days of opposing quarterbacks being able to sit in the pocket and get a haircut without concern or fear of being breathed on are over.
It was simply galling how the Bucs, under defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan, would prance around with crazy stunts and quarterbacks would simply pick the defense apart, knowing they had all the time in the world for receivers to get open.
First, of course, is Lovie’s resume. The way the Bucs have signed pass rushing defensive linemen is another sign. Now, it appears, Lovie will be bringing the house at times (sans stunts).
Last week at the uniform unveiling, the subject of middle linebacker Mason Foster came up. Yes, Joe believes Foster just may be in for a fight for full-time duty with Dane Fletcher on board.
Lovie all but promised Foster will be rushing the quarterback often on passing downs, documents Woody Cummings of the Tampa Tribune.
“He will blitz,’’ Smith said of Foster. “The position will blitz. Brian Urlacher will tell you that. You look at Brian’s numbers and you’ll see he has quite a few sacks.’’
Now whether Foster racks up more sacks remains to be seen. He had two sacks in each of his three seasons with the Bucs, and that’s just a hair under the three sacks Bears famed middle linebacker Brian Urlacher averaged per season.
But this does tell Joe that Lovie is all about punishing quarterbacks and doing whatever it takes to get them on the ground and disrupt plays.
It’s about damned time.
April 1st, 2014 at 2:24 pm
Even when we had the best defensive line in football Kiffin still blitzed on occasion. This is no surprise, every team blitzes.
April 1st, 2014 at 3:06 pm
Ronde blitzed alot in Kiffens defense so same idea different position?
April 1st, 2014 at 3:22 pm
Unfortunately, in todays NFL, punishing the QB in no longer part of the game, or punishing anyone, for that matter. But, it will nice to see the QB have to get the ball out sooner rather than later.
April 1st, 2014 at 3:23 pm
Joe does realize every team uses stunts? That the Super Bowl champs used a few different ones in the Super Bowl? Stunts unto themselves aren’t bad; when you have inadequate personnel or poor coaching, that’s when they can become useless. But all the best teams use them.
April 1st, 2014 at 3:40 pm
Yes but the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. No need to get pretty if you don’t have to. The Seahawks executed them to perfection. Schiano out thought himself just like he did in every aspect as a coach.
April 1st, 2014 at 3:50 pm
No, never realized any football team other than the Bucs used stunts. This is a revelation (despite my high school team using them in the mid-1970s).
Ask Booger or Steve White or Derrick Brooks or Warren Sapp what they thought of the Bucs running stunts each and every play. Stunts, like gadget plays on offense, are used to catch teams off guard or exploit a weakness in a specific formation. When they are run time and again, the surprise is gone.
April 1st, 2014 at 4:11 pm
Foster might as well blitz, he can’t stop the run.
April 1st, 2014 at 4:24 pm
Welcome the blitzing and getting there Bucs.
April 1st, 2014 at 4:24 pm
I believe Foster was part of the #1 rushing defense, and you’re not a top 5 run defense with a bad tackling MLB. What more do you want from him?
April 1st, 2014 at 4:48 pm
Off Topic:
Concerning TE Eric Ebron:
• “He’s OK. He’s completely overrated, and he’s a pain in the (butt),” an AFC personnel executive told nj.com. “And don’t ask him to block anybody, because he’s not going to do it.
• “He’s more overrated and a bigger pain in the (butt) than the other guy,” he said. “And he blocks like a wide receiver. I don’t want any part of him.”
April 1st, 2014 at 4:54 pm
Sounds like Lovie caught himself. ” He will blitz” I mean the “position will blitz.”
Don’t know how long Mason will be the starting Mike in the Lovie/Leslie defense.
April 1st, 2014 at 5:12 pm
BREAKING NEWS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! offseason sucks…….
April 1st, 2014 at 5:18 pm
@LUVMYBUCS
• “He’s more overrated and a bigger pain in the (butt) than the other guy,” he said. “And he blocks like a wide receiver. I don’t want any part of him.”
This was about the Washington TE – Seferian-Jenkins, Austin
April 1st, 2014 at 5:24 pm
• “He’s OK. He’s completely overrated, and he’s a pain in the (butt),” an AFC personnel executive told nj.com. “And don’t ask him to block anybody, because he’s not going to do it.
@Sneedy16
Thank you for the correction
April 1st, 2014 at 5:57 pm
About damn time what joe? About damn time a couch says we are going to attack the QB? Haven’t met a coach yet that didn’t say that…..
April 1st, 2014 at 6:01 pm
Foster will not be the MLB long, which is why Love corrected his statement to the position will (blitz). There is no way Foster can cover deep as Tampa Two requires. But I expect Foster to be a star similar to David when Foster plays SLB like he did in College. Foster can blitz from there. Yes the Buds did surprise with a few stunts per game in the Sapp era and they definitely would blitz sometimes too.
April 1st, 2014 at 6:18 pm
According to Rotoworld Bucs trying to hammer out a deal with Major Wright. I like it. Bring this guy home.
April 1st, 2014 at 9:03 pm
Sacks are interesting. The trends seem to be cyclical. Although the Bucs were pretty bad at getting sacks last year, the league totals were the best they’ve been since 1984 and 1985. Yet, the individual numbers weren’t astounding, which seems to show teams are finding the “new” way to get to the QB is to bring pressure from anywhere, anytime. The sacks get spread around more, so no great individual numbers. This is to counter the recent trend in the NFL to go “almost” west coast with quick slants, bubble screens and draw plays. In recent years, QBs were “avoiding” pressure simply by taking a one step quick hit or a short 3 step strike or playing from the shotgun. This, along with the more mobile/athletic QBs of recent years, has left defenses searching for more sacks. The Panthers 60 sacks last year was the best team total since 2006 when the Chargers and Ravens hit 60+. Defenses are getting more creative to get to the QB and not relying on one “stud” pass rusher. It’s no longer Strahan or Sapp or Allen, now it’s more a team effort with blitzes coming from any position and the sacks being spread between DL, LB, and DBs.
So, for those looking to draft Clowney or some other “sack-master”, remember, that’s not the way it’s done in the modern-era, QB friendly NFL. Now it’s as much about pressure and hits as it is about sacks and the sacks will come from many players, not just one. 4 or 5 good rushers are better than one or two great ones. A proper scheme and players properly coached to play in it will improve the team’s numbers more than a Clowney, Mack or Barr.
At this point, I’d suggest we either draft a Russel Wilson-like QB (pocket QB with mobility to extend plays). The top 3 all fit that profile, with Bortles the most prototypical but needing work, Manziel being probably the most athletic but still working on the pocket passing game, and Bridgewater probably being the best option to start strong and remain steady to great.
Either that or we should be looking to the “play-makers”. In this case, either TE or WR. While blazing speed is fun to watch, the most consistent WRs seem to be the bigger, more physical ones. Mike Evans could be that guy. Look at the HOFers. Rice, Carter, Reed, Monk, Irvin… all taller, catch everything WRs for their time. Current greats like Calvin Johnson, Andre Johnson, Vincent Jackson… all bigger targets that catch everything. Same with the TEs… basketball players and the like… Tony Gonzalez, Antonio Gates, Jimmy Graham, Gronk… all big targets with good hands and enough speed (and great route running) to get open and do damage.
That’s how I see it. We have an aging VJ and no sure TE (Wright was good last year, but hasn’t shown anything long term and may not be physical enough for TE)… and we have mediocrity at QB. I’d hope for Bridgewater to fall after his Pro Day and for teams to forget about his excellent numbers in games or for us to get that receiving threat for our mediocre QB to have in addition to VJ, MW and Wright.
April 2nd, 2014 at 11:37 am
So when you typed “sans stunts”, you really meant “avec the occasional stunt”.
Got it.