Falcons Starters Hit Each Other In Practice; Buccaneers’ Don’t
October 29th, 2015
So what makes rookie head coach Dan Quinn’s merry band of 6-1 Falcons, the Bucs’ opponent Sunday, a little different than their NFC South counterparts?
Oh, there are lots of reasons. But one difference is they practice old school.
Quinn calls is “Competition Wednesday,” so he said at his news conference yesterday. That’s when Quinn lets first-team units line up against each other in pads and get after it.
It’s an uncommon practice across the NFL, but it’s not unheard of.
Today, Joe asked acting Tampa Bay defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier if the Bucs engage in playing first-team versus first-team in their preparation for game day.
Frazier said the Bucs don’t hit each other and prepare like that, only engaging in a little 1s-versus-1s on Thursdays, which is a day the team is out of pads and contact is not permitted.
Frazier noted that’s typical procedure league wide.
At the rate Quinn’s defense is progressing, practice habits might change a bit across the copycat NFL. Atlanta allows an average of 21.4 points per game, that’s 13th best in the NFL. The allow an average of 29.8 per game.
October 29th, 2015 at 12:46 pm
maybe the bucs should start doing the same thing and think outside the box like the mighty quinn and maybe something will grow instead of the losing attitude that permeates dale mabry
October 29th, 2015 at 12:48 pm
But yet Loser Lovie loyalists claim it take 5 years to learn a defensive scheme? Yet quinn has his defense playing much better
October 29th, 2015 at 12:49 pm
So that’s the answer!! Let’s get Verner, Jenkins, Banks, McDougald, and Conte to start doing some OKLAHOMA drills because all the CONTACT IS GOING TO HELP THEM IN PASS COVERAGE!!!!
All those physical practices REALLY HELPED THEM AGAINST NEW ORLEANS!!!
“It’s as simple as that” – Lovie Smith
“Changing coaches about halfway through a rebuilding effort is a recipe for perpetual failure.” – Johnny “America’s Commenter” Dejay
“If Lovie don’t no how to coach so be it… Hard to believe he would get a job offer and you wouldn’t…. Wonder why??? Your idiots that’s why…” – JAB83
“So my advice would be, yes, it’s okay to throw things at your TV when your team has a monumental collapse like the Bucs did on Sunday in Washington. But take a deep breath and understand that it is only going to get worse if you continue to jump from one coach to the next.” – Peter King
October 29th, 2015 at 12:53 pm
Lovie cannot coach plain and simple or at least be a competent head coach and should be fired, losing is the attitude on dale mabry and when lovie goes it goes
October 29th, 2015 at 12:56 pm
Its okay the 1st year coach couldn’t possibly know more than an 11th year coach? Could he…Hmmmmm Guess we’ll find out which approach is better on Sunday. The soft approach or the physical approach
October 29th, 2015 at 1:00 pm
At least we’ll never have to worry about GMC leaving in Free Agency to the Falcons, like Clayborn did. He hates being physical in practice.
October 29th, 2015 at 1:12 pm
Some insight into one of the reasons why we are such a soft team.
I highly, highly doubt Atlanta is the only other team that does this across the league. My guess would be all the ones with a nasty defense do.
October 29th, 2015 at 1:28 pm
Not much hitting on game day either.
October 29th, 2015 at 1:31 pm
Guess who else does it..seattle
October 29th, 2015 at 1:39 pm
rayjay that is CLASSIC!!!
October 29th, 2015 at 2:20 pm
After the lockout both sides agreed to limit contact… the result they believed would be less wear and tear less injuries… the downside is on game day you get less physicality and poor tackling… my nephew is dealing with the same thing in college and hates it because he feels like his defense plays soft now
October 29th, 2015 at 2:37 pm
You’re allowed 14 total fully padded practices a season, with 1 a week for the first 11 weeks. This ain’t your daddy’s NFL….
October 29th, 2015 at 2:37 pm
How do you report someone for spamming on here?
October 29th, 2015 at 3:01 pm
i don’t think rocketing to the 13th ranked scoring defense is going to transform the way teams around the NFL practice
October 29th, 2015 at 3:12 pm
Tampa Tony Says:
October 29th, 2015 at 12:48 pm
But yet Loser Lovie loyalists claim it take 5 years to learn a defensive scheme? Yet quinn has his defense playing much better
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Same freaking defense though for the most part. T-2 with a little Seattle Cover 3 influence.
October 29th, 2015 at 3:30 pm
At least he gets his guys to execute his defense.
October 29th, 2015 at 5:53 pm
Are you kidding me???!!!!! At some point you have to realize that injiuries are going to happen. Hell I beleive they happen more on the field when you practice easier. Standard league procedure hey???Maybe thats why there are only a few dominant sides of the ball throughout the league eyy??
This is news to me and its a joke. You play how you practice. We are going to het phsically and emotionally abused on Sunday. Honestly, I cant wait. I want to see Lovie with that same old dumb lost look on his face. If he is unwilling to open it up and quit playing and practicing scared than he deserves to lose every week, lose. The locker room and lose his job.
I wish he would turn things around and be more aggresive, but its obviously not goi h to happen
October 29th, 2015 at 7:23 pm
OK Joe cut it out and knock it off. The Falcons won’t win because their starters hit each in practice. They will whip our Bucs because they..are just flat out better and….Our defense sucks to holy hell and beyond.
October 30th, 2015 at 1:58 am
I’m not expecting another 56-14 drubbing…But I do expect another decisive, embarassing loss for the Bucs.
Hope I’m wrong.
October 30th, 2015 at 2:05 am
I’m sure this has been asked before, but I’ve never heard an answer…How can Lovie have a (mostly) stellar reputation as HC for the Bears, but totally blow it out his a** as the Bucs coach?
Did he have better assistant coaches in Chicago? Did they win by sheer luck?
Or am I totally looking at this wrong and he was a disaster for the Bears… but they had several winning seasons as him for the HC ?
October 31st, 2015 at 12:12 pm
I can honestly say that it is disgusting we are talking about this. The NFL needs to have the players practice during the week. Practicing football means hitting and tackling. If teams aren’t doing that, they are not practicing. This is clearly a problem throughout the league. Let’s give some credit to Dan Quinn for at least being smart enough to figure it out and making the guys practice during the week.
One thing to watch for is if his defense gets tired as the season progresses. I expect that will happen. This will be interesting.