Bucs O-Line Helps Struggling Defenders
December 23rd, 2014
Julius Peppers snapped out of his slump to blow by Bucs G Josh Allen and rock Josh McCown. The Bucs must revamp their offensive line. Again.
Memo to NFL defensive lines: The Bucs have what ails ya’. If a defensive line is in a slump, it will magically snap out of it against Tampa Bay.
Take the Packers and former Lovie Smith protege Julius Peppers (a guy Joe hoped the Bucs would have signed last offseason). Peppers of late had been in a sack slump.
Ryan Wood of the Green Bay Press-Gazette noted, in fact, Peppers hadn’t had a sack since Thanksgiving.
Then the Packers traveled to Tampa Bay. Oh, boy, did their performance improve. The Packers slammed Bucs quarterback Josh McCown to the turf seven times Sunday and Peppers had a big part in the sack explosion.
The eight-time Pro Bowler left no doubt in Green Bay’s 20-3 win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before a split crowd of 64,247 at Raymond James Stadium. Peppers and fellow linebacker Clay Matthews combined for 4.5 of the Packers’ seven sacks, constantly pounding Bucs quarterback Josh McCown.
Peppers’ two sacks gave him his first multi-sack game of the season. If you expected him to celebrate his breakout game in the locker room – or even crack a smile – you left disappointed. The veteran has been here. He’s done this before.
“I don’t really have a feeling to express,” Peppers said. “It’s just a play in the game.”
Boy, Joe could rattle off where the Bucs went wrong in the offseason and it is hard to overlook how badly the team bungled the offensive line. It’s one thing to think a line needs an overhaul, but to gut the offensive line and have it be worse, maybe much worse, that’s bad.
Joe wouldn’t be surprised whatsoever if next season only two starting offensive linemen return. Yes, the Bucs need an upgrade at quarterback, no question, and could use a player or two on defense.
But goodness, gracious, there is no way the Bucs can fathom entering 2015 with the same lot they trot out there on the offensive line, can they?
December 23rd, 2014 at 12:06 pm
Of course not lol I’m sure lovie and licht got this last offseason i would give them A+ hopefully another A+ offseason
December 23rd, 2014 at 12:14 pm
Orlando Franklin would be the best free agent move the Bucs could make this spring. Although km not so sure he would leave Denver for the Sucs even for more money. But it would really be nice.
December 23rd, 2014 at 12:45 pm
Doesn’t matter if we draft a QB, he’s a lock to be a bust if he has to play behind that line. So we either need to sacrifice McCown again next year or throw more money at free agents which frankly I’m sure we’d all rather not do again. Any player coming here from a better franchise for more money is going to check out just like Michael Ghost and Fat Tony Collins.
December 23rd, 2014 at 1:05 pm
For other teams the Bucs will fix what ails ya. The sucky NFC South opponents are lucky the Bucs are in the same division.
December 23rd, 2014 at 1:14 pm
it is hard to overlook how badly the team bungled the offensive line.
Indeed Joe! Imagine a starting line of Donald Penn-Logan Mankins-Jeremy Zuttah-Davin Joseph-Demar Dotson.
Is that a dominant offensive line? No but it is a professional and competent offensive line. Most importantly compare that offensive line to what we put on the field. Because that is the line given to Lovie…and the guys who actually played with the exception of Dotson were all Lovies!!!!
December 23rd, 2014 at 1:16 pm
LT = Draft
LG = Deaft
C = UFA rookie. A good OLine coach should develop
RG = Free Agent
RT = Demar Dotson
EDS retain as backup
Omameh retain as backup
December 23rd, 2014 at 2:27 pm
It’s insanity to let the guys who assembled this group of misfits take another crack at it and expect better.
Lovie wanted all the power, and he’s old enough to accept that responsibility and deal with the consequences. Some results demand action: Fire Lovie.
December 23rd, 2014 at 3:25 pm
Seriously.
Why ,other than redistributing dollars, did we part ways with
Penn and Zuttah? It makes no sense at all. ONly reason I can see
is to put money into FA signings.
How about this novel concept:
PAY the producing players what the market will bear AND
pay the money to sign free agents….you know!….
like the Patriots and the Seahawks and the Broncos do.
Those teams have good ownership.
December 23rd, 2014 at 10:20 pm
Howard Cosell Says:
December 23rd, 2014 at 3:25 pm
Seriously.
Why ,other than redistributing dollars, did we part ways with
Penn and Zuttah? It makes no sense at all. ONly reason I can see
is to put money into FA signings.
———————————————————–
Really Howard? Is your memory that bad? Penn did not play well at all last year and Zuttah was never that great (his best attribute was his versatility). Our offensive line was really really bad last year but Penn and Joseph were making pro bowler type $ – and Zuttah was over paid as well. (Don’t even get me started on the Carl Nicks situation)
Based on the play of both Penn and Zuttah (and the whole Oline for that matter) – the Bucs believed they were upgrading with the additions of Collins and EDS. And saving some $ in the process. Well it didn’t work out. Neither Collins nor EDS played well this year. Their OL “plan” didn’t work. The Bucs OLine is once again – one of the worst in the NFL. Perhaps THE worst in the league.
The up side is that they can basically reboot. Again. Except for Collins being guaranteed $3M whether he plays here or not – the Bucs can walk away from any OL player they want and replace them through the draft or FA again.
I’m guessing that Mankins and Dotson will be starting next year and 3 new players will be starting at the rest of the line spots. Collins may be on the team next year as an expensive backup since we owe him $ next year and he is a serviceable back up – or perhaps they try him at Guard and he plays well enough to start at RG.
Bucs should spend a minimum of 2 picks for the OL within the 1st 4 draft picks next year IMO – and then bring in at least 2 more free agents to continue trying to upgrade the talent on the OL.
What they will not do is stand pat. How could they? They can’t and won’t.
December 23rd, 2014 at 11:12 pm
Lol.
The Ravens are raving about how much they like Zuttah.
Penn is in the running for pro bowl this year. The only explaination
for your shilly argument is that the Bucs make O-linemen suck.
Good olinemen are average on the Bucs and average olinemen
are terrible on the Bucs.
For all your sputtering your argument is still non-existant.
Zuttah and Penn are light years better than their replacements.
How about cornerbacks.
We parted ways with Revis and Talib.
How do you justify that?
December 23rd, 2014 at 11:46 pm
Gee Howard, you are getting old and senile to boot.
Penn was responsible for allowing 14 sacks last year. Davin Joseph couldn’t run or pass block. Jeremy Zuttah was average.
Everyone wanted Aquib Talib gone except maybe you because of all the trouble he kept getting into. Revis was okay but way overpaid. He took a $4 million pay cut with the Patriots.
Pickgrin makes very valid points but your hatred for Lovie blinds your reasoning. Hatred and alcohol do that and they fuel each other.
You did stumble on one thing though but you are to ignorant to realize. All of the players are doing better this year but they are all on teams with established offensive coordinators with thought out scenes. Unlike ours.
That is what is making the difference.
December 24th, 2014 at 1:13 am
Exactly. Thanks. Penn and Zuttah have the ability, but linemen
flounder here , year after year, system after system. Why?
Maybe Collins will go to the pro-bowl next year for the Patriots?
Revis and Talib are Allstar cornerbacks this year.
Talib was Mr Cool in his Gruden MNF segment yesterday, yet in Tamps
they’re getting into trouble or ridiculously overpaid.
Why is that?
You’re making assumptions about me disliking Lovie
and projecting about the alcohol.
I’ve become a little dubious of Lovies stubbornness but I think the
worst thing we could do is change coaches. The Tedford
debacle is about as real of an excuse as you can get.
The Bucs need to establish a culture and work ethic on the o-line
like the one that has existed on defense since the orangesickle days.
Collins needs to go to the probowl next year for the Bucs because he
had great coaching and work ethic. Kepp Mankins and EDS too.
Let them work together every day for the whole offseason with
real coaching and a real direction.
Thanks. I’ll be here all week.
December 24th, 2014 at 1:25 am
Other than needing depth the Bucs are solid on defense and offensive
skill positions.
The Bucs have the worst o-line QB combo ever. Parts of the o-line
are salvageable.
The Bucs need a QB and about four good to great offensive linemen.
Those four guys with Collins, Mankins and EDS will give us depth.
Five solid starters and 2 solid backups.