Sterling Moore Backs “Third Or Fourth Cousin” Claim
August 10th, 2015
New Bucs cornerback Sterling Moore
Lovie Smith is going to stop you in your tracks if you tell him his defense is just like the one his great friend Rod Marinelli and the Dallas Cowboys are playing.
During an interview with Lovie last week, Tampa Bay sports radio icon Steve Duemig suggested to Lovie that the defenses were similar and the head coach quickly said the Bucs are a “third or fourth cousin” of the Cowboys defense, “not brothers or anything like that.”
Lovie also referenced that middle linebacker Bruce Carter, with the Cowboys last year, is in an adjustment period but is picking up the Bucs defense “fairly well.”
Yesterday, Joe talked to new Bucs cornerback Sterling Moore, also with the Cowboys in 2014, and he agreed with Lovie and said there are distinct differences.
“The philosophy is the same; the way it’s played is different. Some coverages aren’t the same. Some coverages, you know, are a little more aggressive in Dallas versus here, and vice versa,” Moore said. “That’s the way this game is. But playing to your leverage, playing to your help, you have your underneath [responsibilities], things like that, it’s definitely the same in that sense. But the way it’s played is different.”
Moore added that “moments” can be very different in Tampa Bay’s defense and he’s excited to see how that translates on game days.
Joe sure hopes the Bucs defense is at least average this year (16th ranked of better?). Joe can’t think of one single excuse why Lovie and Leslie Frazier and bunch of young veterans, including two superstars, Lavonte David and Gerald McCoy, can’t produce a solid defense. The Dallas defense was 15th in the NFL last year in points allowed, and ranked 19th overall.
August 10th, 2015 at 11:15 am
Our goal should be number one, but settle for the top 10.
We are too good to be less.
August 10th, 2015 at 11:15 am
Bucs D rankings last 6 years (points allowed per game avg on season):
2014 : 25th
2013: 21st
2012: 23rd
2011: 32nd
2010: 9th
2009: 27th
Guess what year we won 10 games?
The last 10 weeks of the year we would have ranked 9th in points allowed last year per game on average (I know – my favorite stat ever).
My point is not that we should assume it’ll be the 85 bears next year because of this. It’s just to have hope that we won’t have a bottom 1/3 defense in the league as we have in 5 of the last 6 years. Lovie Smith has not typically had bottom 1/3 defenses in the NFL.
In 2010 we had good QB play and solid defensive play and a weak schedule and got 10 wins.
This year we have a #1 overall pick QB ; weak schedule; and the potential for a top 10 defense (key word potential).
August 10th, 2015 at 11:49 am
If the defense is not average this year than frazier and lovie need to go…
August 10th, 2015 at 11:53 am
“…The Dallas defense was 15th in the NFL last year in points allowed, and ranked 19th overall”.
The similarity is that Dallas did not have much of a pass rush either. But why you cannot compare the two is that the Cowboy’s D was resting on the sideline much of the game because the dominance of the Dallas Oline kept the O on the field. I don’t think you can get a more opposite extreme – Dallas’ strength was (is?) the Bucs biggest weakness. But here’s hoping we make some progress there.
August 10th, 2015 at 12:11 pm
Buc fans should understand football and quit expecting a 1-2 year turaround. It takes time to build, owners are hurting their teams by changing coaches every 2-3 years. Can a person establish an foundation and stability by getting a divorce every 5 years? Or can a person build a solid foundation by sticking with the same spouse for 20 years? The Bucs will be a good football team, but they gotta add all of the pieces first, and that takes a few good drafts and time to coach them up.
August 10th, 2015 at 12:17 pm
But why you cannot compare the two is that the Cowboy’s D was resting on the sideline much of the game because the dominance of the Dallas Oline kept the O on the field.
I think good QB play can have the same effect. 2010 bucs D was not amazing but we had a QB playinh extremely well sustaining drives / scoring points and closing close games in the 4th.
August 10th, 2015 at 12:36 pm
Lakeland Bucs… Meet the Indianapolis Colts! Or what about the Redskins that year. Even the Patriots became a dynasty overnight with a new QB. It’s all about the QB, we have the QB. Development my (butt), that’s what Jameis faced those hardline, NFL talent laced ACC defenses for. Don’t believe me, just look where all the defensive players from the draft came from (FSU’s schedule)
August 10th, 2015 at 12:39 pm
LakelandBuc- Why are we suppose to be ok with sucking every year? Especially when the Texans go from 2 wins to 9 in 2014, with a first year pro head coach, and a bad qb situation. The Chiefs went from #1 overall pick to the playoffs, so did the Colts.
Sorry I’m sick of the losing other franchises show they can turn it around quickly, why not us? The Bucs have been rebuilding since they fired Gruden and we are still a bad team.
August 10th, 2015 at 12:40 pm
No excuses for Lovie and his staff anymore. Time to win some games or get outta town
August 10th, 2015 at 12:57 pm
Maybe the Bucs should just hire a new coach every year until one gets 10 wins or they move the team.
Damn, Tony talk about missing the point.
August 10th, 2015 at 1:00 pm
“”Lovie should go” Frazier should go”
No. No
This team was a swimming pool full of S%it when They got here.
They are doing things the right way
This is a f*^king bad team- that is trying to be rebuilt into a goid team.
It is Every bit the 2-14 disaster we saw last year .
We arent” too good” to be anything.
Lovie and Leslie belly flopped into that sad dominick lead pool of S%it last year.
You can already see we are making the right moves, to improve
But we still are a bad team, and will take another year to undo Dominicks stupidity and incompetence.
Shut up the fire Lovie Stupidity. None of you stormed OneBuc, when Dom was destroying the team- so none of you should open his mouth while Lovie rebuilds it
August 10th, 2015 at 1:33 pm
stanglass-my point is good coaches don’t need 5 years to build a winner. Yet all of Lovies cousins and nephews come here and defend him when coaches who were in their first year out coached him.
Not sure how any fan can defend Lovie
August 10th, 2015 at 1:34 pm
I was hoping that Moore would be a great addition – but haven’t heard much about him so far. Only that he is training and competing at outside corner and not nickle corner which is where I thought he would be and is our CB area of greatest need for improvement. Don’t want to see Leonard Johnson out there getting burned on a regular basis anymore.
If Moore is good on the outside but not good enough to unseat Verner or Banks – then put Verner inside when Nickle pkg. is on the field. That strategy worked well for Ronde Barber who I think Verner compares well to in a # of ways for this defense. He is very smart and I have seen Verner make some nice plays with good hits and solid tackles in run support which Ronde was always so good at.
We’ve already got good imitations of Sapp (GMC). Brooks (LD54) and possibly Barber (Verner). All we need now is to find our enforcer to play the John Lynch role (maybe Swearinger will emerge) and some semblance of a Simeon Rice – and this defense is ready for prime time.
August 10th, 2015 at 1:50 pm
Hmmm…the little more aggressive in Dallas statement concerns me. So in other workds, they are going to be slicing us up again up and down the field. Let’s hope that after a year in the T2, we are MORE aggresive this year.
August 10th, 2015 at 2:18 pm
Scotty- did you miss the “Visa Versa” on purpose- so you could whine?
Or was it a “3rd grade reading comprehension test” that threw you off your stride?
August 10th, 2015 at 4:40 pm
Aye Aye Capt.Tim sir! If it was a dog it woulda bit him in his assets! I’m rather surprised that this is an article directly relating to Lovie Smith. …….even mentions him by name but the usual poser Buc fans haven’t been up here all day. Hey Joe maybe from now on Put Lovies name on every title hopefully that will keep them from spewing their poo poo platter up here! Bwahhahah!