“Two Players Who Play Above The Shoulders”
November 18th, 2015
It’s nice to get diverse perspective on things from inside One Buc Palace, and some of that came this week regarding the Bucs’ surging defense.
Vivacious and loquacious cornerbacks coach Gil Byrd was given a microphone on the Buccaneers Radio Network, and of course the words were flowing.
So what’s the difference in the Bucs’ defense tightening things up in the back? “Alignments, assignments, keys and technique all on point, and it showed,” Byrd said of the Cowboys-Bucs perfomance.
The big switch to starting undrafted rookie Jude Adjei-Barimah and Sterling Moore at the outside cornerbacks. Coach, what strikes you?
“I see maturity in those two guys,” Byrd said. “I see both of them have a lot of confidence. The moment, whatever the moment is, is not too big for them. I see two players who play above the shoulders. They understand situation. They understand down and distance, and most important, they know who they are and who their opponent is so they know how to adjust during the game to be in the best position to make a play.”
Adjei-Barimah has earned Byrd’s respect. Byrd, a former Pro Bowl cornerback himself, praised the rookie’s study habits and drive.
“He’s a guy who goes home he studies more. But [as] a rookie, he hasn’t made a lot of rookie mistakes,” said Byrd, who cited a “sense of calm”and football “understanding” about Adjei-Barimah. “More importantly, he doesn’t make the same mistake twice.”
November 18th, 2015 at 10:25 am
Can’t say enough about these two young CB’s Joseph! Playing above the shoulders can make up for a lack of athletic talent. It really comes down to putting yourself in the right place at the right time! Also, we can’t discount the work Verner has done at nickel. His ability to both cover and blitz gives Lovie and Co. A LOT more options on defense.
November 18th, 2015 at 10:30 am
doesn’t hurt they played a bad team either. When Lovies team beats a couple of teams above .500 in row wake me up. Beating a bad team on a 6 game losing streak at home is what you are supposed to do.
November 18th, 2015 at 10:35 am
tmaxcon, the last two weeks they “shut down” Odell Beckham & Dez Bryant. A little praise wouldn’t kill you
November 18th, 2015 at 11:00 am
CreamsicleBananaHammock
until they win back to back games and beat a team over .500 we can’t say for certain they have turned the corner. Every win is a good win but this team has not won back to back games in nearly three years so let’s get some consistency before we start handing out praise. They may have handled Odell Beckham but they still lost the game. As far as holding Dez when Matt Cassell is the qb sorry defense does not get all the credit. I am not going to lower my standards over a win against a bad team and jump on the bandwagon until this team can string a few wins together and beat a quality opponent. You are more than welcome to disagree with my takes and opinions but this team has to earn / prove it after the crap show it has put on the field this year and last year at times. I have seen this team get a win then get embarrassed to many times over the last few years to get excited over a win against a bad team.
November 18th, 2015 at 11:00 am
i cant stand guys like tmaxcon.. a W is a W.. if we would have lost it would have been oh fire lovie blah blah our team still sucks blah blah.. now we start getting W’s and the haters are saying oh get two in a row or oh beat teams about .500. Y’all must not be getting no a$$ from your wives/gf’s or w.e way your bat might swing. Stop the bitching and just stand behind your team or root for another team you clowns
November 18th, 2015 at 11:05 am
Well said AC. Then when the get two wins in a row it will be something else. The team is improving. We are drafting good now things are looking up.
November 18th, 2015 at 11:19 am
4 dash 5 = progress
November 18th, 2015 at 11:24 am
AC
how about raising your standards and stop settling for crap. This team needs to earn it by their play on the field and by wins not by getting better or trying hard or whatever other pc bs… Wins and Losses are all that matters and the only stat that should be judged everything else is just an excuse to justify mediocrity.
November 18th, 2015 at 11:33 am
I’ve got nothing against what tmaxcon is saying. He has high standards. Nothing wrong with that
I’m a little more “glass half full” I suppose. The Bucs were underdogs and they won. I don’t care who the QB was. We’ve been burned the past two years by the greatness that is Derek Anderson, Ryan Mallett, and Blake Bortles to name a few.
Before the game against Dallas, the Bucs were underdogs and if you asked anyone I’m sure they would’ve predicted Dez going for over 100, a td or two, no matter who was throwing him the ball.
I’m not happy with 8-8… I have high expectations as well, but I’m trying to be realistic and this team isn’t great. I’m seeing a ton of growth on this team and a bunch of guys that are playing the game with a ton of passion and are working to get better. Right now, that’s what my expectations are — for this season. Next year it’s playoffs or bust
November 18th, 2015 at 11:34 am
Only difference between a troll and a fan of depression is a troll tends to make up reasons to not like something when its good and a fan of depression tends to get really out spoken when things go a little wrong… Tmax has proven to be both… However I think both lean towards being negative no matter what.Thus I think Tmax is just a Fan of Depression…
Hey Tmax, you seem like a logical person… Apply yourself and become a Fan of Inspiration and put out positive vibes. Watch and see if suddenly things don’t start happing… Just as negativity manifest negative… So to does positive manifest positive!!!!
Depression < Inspiration (as some would say)
November 18th, 2015 at 11:40 am
Tmax
If your standards are so high, why be a Bucs fan? Why cant you pat someone on the and say good job, and then relax and enjoy it for just a minute and take a little pride in our boys? Im happy, Im proud. And I didnt have to take a bunch of crap off of a couple of my buddies that are Cowboys fans. I alctually got to talk some siht to them.
Next week in the NFL is always a challenge. Bucs are trying to get better, but so are the Eagles, so is everyone. So, no matter how basic you think this little win was, the Bucs needed it, this town needed it, I needed it. So dont go raining on it.
November 18th, 2015 at 11:40 am
CreamsicleBananaHammock Says:
“I have high expectations as well, but I’m trying to be realistic and this team isn’t great. ”
BINGO! That is where the disconnect is. Let’s just be glad that someone like tmaxcon has just his OPINION and NO INFLUENCE whatsoever in the decision making process of this franchise. I mean could you imagine!?!?! Lord have mercy!
November 18th, 2015 at 11:42 am
Tmax
You realize you are building a world of resentment here. But that’s OK. I suspect that the majority of posters here are soooo sick of the Lovie bashing…the constant harping about negatives whether we win or lose or appear to be improving that like me we are now rooting heavily for Lovie Smith to win a Coach of the Year award just to see you twist and contort and tell us how the Coach of the Year Award wasn’t really because of Lovie…all the credit should go to Licht and Koetter.
You’re now allowing that hatred to infect the quality of your posts. This thread was about the improving DB’s and yet you still bend and contort to figure a way to diminish their results…oh they played against Matt Cassell..never mentioning the best Oline in the league and Dez Bryant. They best Manning and Beckham and you diminish that because they didn’t win the game.
Your posts on Lovie has lost all credibility because your one sided mania has now blinded your eyes to actual success.
But hey I hope we’re still cool. Because the fact that your posts have agitated nearly everybody here who are now rooting to see you eat your words…I mean that means you’ve had the effect of making us all Lovie fans now.
November 18th, 2015 at 11:42 am
Also, have realistic expectations!!! To say your high expectations at this point is realistic…. Well I guess that makes you overly optimistic even compared to me…. Personall, what you call mediocre is what I call improvement…. I would even take it a step further and call it exceeding expectations…. When we become a lagit contender I will join you in having exceedingly high expectations. Until than your unrealistically high expectations is an excuse for you to remain a Fan of Depression and or Troll…. So really your only fooling yourself and other weak minded people in thinking you know what your talking about….
Sorry friend, but it is what it is…
Good day…
November 18th, 2015 at 11:46 am
“The big switch to starting undrafted rookie Jude Adjei-Barimah and Sterling Moore at the outside cornerbacks” i this has been successful for one main reason: these two cornerbacks are playing their opponents at the LINE OF SCRIMMAGE. Those few seconds throw off the timing between QB and WRs and give the D-line more time to get in and be effective.
Simple as that!
November 18th, 2015 at 12:15 pm
TamponMax you don’t make sense.. i am not happy about our teams mediocrity i don’t think any REAL buc fan is.. but what i am happy about is I see IMPROVEMENT. You really can’t expect this team to go from 2-14 to 16-0 in one season TamponMax. I assume you have never played the game of football besides on a video game console if you did you would know that teams just don’t flip a switch like that especially teams like the bucs who STILL have multiple holes all over the roster. I am just happy we have a QB we also found some good pieces in the draft with both our 2nd round picks and Mr. Kwon Alexander. We are a few years away from being a real super bowl contender so I’m just happy that we have more than 2 wins midway thru the season buddy. Thanks for trying
November 18th, 2015 at 12:19 pm
this has been successful for one main reason: these two cornerbacks are playing their opponents at the LINE OF SCRIMMAGE.
And so just askin’….if Leonard Johnson had simply jammed all the WR’s at the line we’d be fine and LJ would still be on the team? Alteraun Verner? Jonathan Banks?
I too like jamming receivers at the line to upset their timing…but you need the right DB’s to pull it off. Players like Dez Bryant and Odell Beckham know how to get off the line and if the DB isn’t really good they simply blow by them.
Give some freaking credit to Moore and Hey Jude
November 18th, 2015 at 12:25 pm
@stpetebucsfan…great post…its clear to everyone that this team has improved except tmax…he still hasn’t figured out that as a team you have to crawl before you walk and walk before you run…you cant tell me that after watching jameis’ post game locker room speech this team isn’t pumped and thinking 7-0 from here on out…tmax isn’t wrong at all just very negative and always plays the blame game with lovie….I would also like to see the bucs beat a quality team..i would also like for them to go on a winning streak…but after watching this team for the past 4years, this is the best they have looked in a long time…the bucs will continue to grow and show improvement which is what many of us wanted to see…GO BUCS!!!
November 18th, 2015 at 12:44 pm
Creamsicle… actually the Bucs were 1 point favorites against Dallas.
November 18th, 2015 at 1:20 pm
The key here is study habits so the player understands their assignments, is in the correct alignment, know who they are going to key on and using the right technique. Now that Adjei-Barimah and Moore are starting with Verner playing the slot, there is less confusion within the secondary. The CB play is much improved and holding the Cowboys to 42 yards rushing was something to talk about. There is still to many frustrating plays going on with both the offense and defense. How did Kwon Alexander not catch the pass tipped by LVD, which would have been a pick 6.
November 18th, 2015 at 4:35 pm
As irritating as the hiccups TMax can be I do understand his point but come on man they beat the 6-0 Falcons who beat the black off all the players last year. Lovie was whiter than his teeth! Offense made enough plays and defense sealed the deal. The Bucs sent them off on a 3 game skid. Tell me that’s not improvement. Now that he has found a good combo at corner our secondary will be better. So can’t you be positive without denying your true nature?
November 18th, 2015 at 4:36 pm
We are bucs fans, why should we expect our bucs to be undefeated? Let’s be realistic instead. The bucs were not going to win the Super Bowl this year. It was never even a dream. We are gaining talent, and building a team. That takes time. My standards for this bucs team is pretty low, and rightfully so. They aren’t very good. But the more they win, and the more they grow together, the better they will get. Expecting the bucs to be undefeated, and have these snooty high standards for a not very good football team is idiotic. This is reality, the bucs are not the patriots, maybe you should stop being a bucs fan if the team isn’t up to your impeccable standards.