How Important Is Pressure?
June 30th, 2017
Good offenses overcome poor defensive pressure.
It is a Friday and Joe should be happy. Instead, Joe wants to take a baseball bat to his mailbox he’s so hacked off.
This post is about a subject that just gets Joe’s rocks off, and not in a good way. It’s about the inability of the Bucs to get to the damned quarterback.
Eleven years ago when Simeon Rice left was the last time the Bucs had a 10+ sack guy — 11 years! That is just a mindblowing period of gross ineptitude that spans five coaches and three general managers.
It is just beyond Joe’s comprehension how an NFL franchise can’t find a double-digit sack guy in over a decade. Just mindblowing!
Well, by looking at stats cobbled together by Scott Kacsmar of FootballOutsiders.com, perhaps the Bucs don’t need one. In fact, per Kacsmar’s numbers, pressuring the quarterback may be a tad overrated.
Kacsmar has a list of teams that got the most pressure on opposing quarterbacks. Not surprisingly, the Bucs ranked No. 24. But guess what? The Bucs were in a virtual tie with Pittsburgh. Additionally, the Belicheats, the Chiefs and the Cowboys had worse pressure percentage.
What is the link between the Steelers, Belicheats, Chiefs and Cowboys? They were all playoff teams last year.
What else do these four have in common? Well, the Steelers and Belicheats have explosive offenses. The Chiefs and Cowboys had effective offenses; the Cowboys were led by budding superstar running back Ezekiel Elliott and a Pro Bowl quarterback who threw just four interceptions versus 23 touchdowns.
In other words, those four teams’ offenses could overcome the lack of getting to the quarterback. The Bucs, as was clearly demonstrated in December last season, could not.
June 30th, 2017 at 8:42 am
I think too often we look at offense and defense as “either/or” when they are truly symbiotic/intertwined. Our lack of talent and injuries to key players really reared it’s ugly head on both sides of the ball last year.
Offensive consistency will lead to better defense and better defense will lead to better field position and offense.
I think we’ll be much better in these aspects.
June 30th, 2017 at 8:51 am
I care about team sacks not individual sacks, and I saw clear improvement in our pressure last season. If we can take another step forward we’ll at least have a solid pass rush even if it isn’t top in the league or anything.
However, you’re absolutely right that in today’s NFL it is about the offense more than the defense. Winston needs to take the next step, and I think he can.
June 30th, 2017 at 9:16 am
The Joes always get on the Bucs for not having a double-digit sack artist (which I think will change soon), however I believe the days of a single game-wrecking pass rusher are over. Spread and other modern offenses make it easy to game plan to take out a single good player (See GMC). Now more than ever, I believe pass rush is is about how all 4 (plus back-ups) play together.
June 30th, 2017 at 9:23 am
Joe can not longer plead ignorance on this subject!!!!! How do you not have a double digit sack guy!!! you have buffoon’s like dominik in charge and incompetence like coach my scheme!!!!! mark dominik is by far the worst GM in Buc’s history!!!!!!!!!!
June 30th, 2017 at 9:36 am
The Buc Realist Says:
June 30th, 2017 at 9:23 am
Joe can not longer plead ignorance on this subject!!!!! How do you not have a double digit sack guy!!! you have buffoon’s like dominik in charge and incompetence like coach my scheme!!!!! mark dominik is by far the worst GM in Buc’s history!!!!!!!!!!
If your house was burgled, and your ! keycap was stolen, that wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing.
June 30th, 2017 at 10:03 am
@JOEinPHX
No need to worry about that issue!!!!!!!!!
I buy keyboards in Bulk!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Go BUCS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
June 30th, 2017 at 10:42 am
Bucsfanman, you’re spot on … football is a T-E-A-M sport, and folks need to broaden their perspectives as to what it takes to win. Great offenses can make up for ‘mediocre’ defenses, and vice-versa. And Realist, forget about Mark Dominick and the rest … that’s yesterday’s news, and yesterday’s gone. Joe should assign you the ALB handle (Always Looking Backwards).
June 30th, 2017 at 10:44 am
I don’t mind, I’m waiting for a Go Bucs with a hundred exclamation points. Drive the point home.
June 30th, 2017 at 11:12 am
Vick Beasely (ATL) lead the league with sacks (15). Like joe mentioned above the Falcons and the Patriots Both had fewer pressures than the Buc’s.When I get into discussions about pressures it’s hard to count sacks as the sole stat indicator to focus on. Defenses have changed. Successful defenses are a combination of multiple ingredients. Personally I think rotational capabilities far exceed sack stats.Fresh legs, ability to cover injuries, pressures, tips, coverages, TFL. Sure we had our Simeon Rice, but he was surrounded by Warren Sapp, Derrick Brooks, Rhonde Barber, Buger, and a host of guys that played lights out. I think you can focus on one guy’s sack numbers and miss the heart of a winning defense.
June 30th, 2017 at 11:19 am
@Buccfan37
That will be when the Bucs clinch a playoff berth!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Also, I think I have talked Joe into doing a all JoeBucsfan round table with everyone in the JoeBucs Family to do a “Playoff Podcast”!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Go BUCS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
June 30th, 2017 at 11:29 am
I think the Bucs new 3-4 scheme with an occassional safety blitz will improve our pressure. We’ve got the personnel to do it !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This is fun !!!!!!!!!!
June 30th, 2017 at 12:07 pm
you have buffoon’s like dominik in charge and incompetence like coach my scheme!!!!! mark dominik is by far the worst GM in Buc’s history!!!!!!!!!!
how did the past did dragged into this?….people type the dumbest things…GO BUCS!!!!
June 30th, 2017 at 12:07 pm
*get
June 30th, 2017 at 12:17 pm
813bucboi Says:
“….people type the dumbest things…”
Maybe if you read the whole story, you would not type dumb things!!!!!!!!
reread Joe’s story until you “get it”!!!!!!! I will take your silence as an apology!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Go Bucs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
June 30th, 2017 at 12:57 pm
the stories about sacks….not the past regime…your stupidity continues…LOL…GO BUCS!!!
June 30th, 2017 at 1:04 pm
every comment on here talks about everything except the past regime….
Our lack of talent and injuries to key players
team sacks not individual sacks
The Joes always get on the Bucs for not having a double-digit sack artist
think the Bucs new 3-4 scheme with an occassional safety blitz will improve our pressure.
@defense had a great comment….. football is a T-E-A-M sport, and folks need to broaden their perspectives as to what it takes to win. Great offenses can make up for ‘mediocre’ defenses, and vice-versa. And Realist, forget about Mark Dominick and the rest … that’s yesterday’s news, and yesterday’s gone. Joe should assign you the ALB handle (Always Looking Backwards)….
but yet im the one who cant understand what im reading…..stupidity continues!!!….GO BUCS!!!
June 30th, 2017 at 1:16 pm
@813bucboi
“Eleven years ago when Simeon Rice left was the last time the Bucs had a 10+ sack guy — 11 years! That is just a mindblowing period of gross ineptitude that spans five coaches and three general managers.”
“It is just beyond Joe’s comprehension how an NFL franchise can’t find a double-digit sack guy in over a decade. Just mindblowing!”
Read Joe’s article again!!! Then get someone to explain it to you!!!!!! I know I am talking sense to the senseless!!!!!!! But maybe one day,,, you will get it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Go Bucs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
June 30th, 2017 at 1:34 pm
NE defense gave up 15.6 points a game. Dallas defense gave up 19.1 points a game. KC defense gave up 19.4 points a game. Pittsburgh defense gave up 20.4 points a game. NE offense scored 27.6 points a game. Dallas offense scored 26.3 points a game. KC offense scored 24.3 points a game. Pittsburgh offense scored 24.9 points a game. Tampa Bay defense gave up 23.1 points a game. Tampa bay offense scored 22.1 points a game. These 4 teams were playoff teams because they had balance . The Bucs gave up more points than they scored, there’s no balance their. Also the Bucs had 27 turnovers, more than all 4 teams. They even had more turnovers than NE and Dallas combine.
June 30th, 2017 at 2:16 pm
Sacks are overrated.
I’d much prefer pressure that makes a QB uncomfortable enough to make a bad decision or throw with poor mechanics creating turnovers and overall confusion.
That is what made the Super Bowl team so special..
June 30th, 2017 at 4:16 pm
realist=fakest
so why are you the only one talking about the past regime?….#EXPOSED!!!….
GO BUCS!!!
June 30th, 2017 at 4:20 pm
realist
And Realist, forget about Mark Dominick and the rest … that’s yesterday’s news, and yesterday’s gone. Joe should assign you the ALB handle (Always Looking Backwards)….
TAKE @DEFENSE ADVICE!!!!!!!!!!!!….GO BUCS!!!!