Another Rookie Sets The Tone On Defense; Gets Injured
August 19th, 2018
Yes, Jason Pierre-Paul was powerful from the opening whistle and is a model Buccaneer, but for the second consecutive preseason game, it was a Bucs rookie who set the standard for what the defense should represent.
It’s encouraging.
Of course, Joe’s talking about second-round pick cornerback M.J. Stewart who ferociously forced two fumbles last night, hungry-dog plays. Last week it was safety Jordan Whitehead delivering repeated bone-crushing hits.
What Joe loved most about the second forced fumble was the timing of it. The Titans were at midfield and driving late in the first half. Stewart shed a tackle and tracked the receiver with the perfect angle and clearly went for the strip with good form. (Full video below). In the first strip, Stewart chased down the runner down from behind and went after the ball with a closed fist.
Stewart left the game with a foot injury. Whitehead was lost to a shoulder injury. Fellow rookie cornerback Carlton Davis did not play. Joe saw Davis’ ankle wrapped at the team hotel in Nashville on Wednesday, and last night’s broadcast crew said Davis was out with a hip injury.
Hopefully, nothing is serious. But was is serious is how this rookie class is bringing a new tone to the Bucs defense.
Vita Vea, you’re next!
Another fumble caused by M.J. Stewart, Lavonte jumps on it!#GoBucs | #TBvsTEN pic.twitter.com/sjKKV5Xvma
— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) August 19, 2018
August 19th, 2018 at 8:26 am
Keep bringing it!!!!!!!
(!!!!!!) For Rhealist!
August 19th, 2018 at 8:42 am
Looks like MJ Stewart is fine. Hopefully Vita makes his preseason debut next week.
August 19th, 2018 at 8:55 am
The dog in this kid is undeniable. He will play alot if healthy. I like his lunchbox mentality. Then you add the other kid Davis and were way more psychical then last season. People dont relize how dainty we were at corner with Grimes, Smith and Hardgraves. Now we have guys that can ruffle up receivers as opposed to just diving at balls like ballerinas.
August 19th, 2018 at 9:02 am
You know He caused that fumble and that technique looks so similar to the way LVD does it. Good for Stewart
August 19th, 2018 at 9:09 am
MJ looks great out there. Cant wait to see what he can do in September!
August 19th, 2018 at 9:11 am
Crickets by the mj stewart haters
August 19th, 2018 at 9:12 am
Why did my comment not come through?
August 19th, 2018 at 9:39 am
exactly webster not a peep from everybody wanting someone else.
August 19th, 2018 at 9:52 am
“But What” is serious, not “But was” Joe …I only do that five times a day.
August 19th, 2018 at 10:07 am
Proud of our young CBs and Safety!
August 19th, 2018 at 10:14 am
Well said Wyoming. MJ is legit. CD3 too. Plus Whitehead for Conte. Total transformation with the rooks from soft to a dawg mentality.
August 19th, 2018 at 10:20 am
Anyone hear if there injuries will keep them out for?
August 19th, 2018 at 10:21 am
All three rookie DB’s hurt? Any news on the extent of their injuries?
August 19th, 2018 at 10:31 am
notice how they are playing tighter coverage at the line and that is freeing up the rest of the dbs and linebackers to play with more instinct?
common sense hopefully Smitty doesn’t revert back come week one to playing strictly soft coverage all game every game regardless of the opposing offense or situation.
My bet is he does though and ruins the season single handedly
August 19th, 2018 at 10:38 am
Great play by the rookie. If we can get this consistently in the regular season, we should be in good shape.
August 19th, 2018 at 10:58 am
He’s definitely got juice. It looks like the creepy Joe with the too often-repeated outdated dumb catch phrases might have admit they finally drafted a good DB or three this year. Perhaps the reason Smith and Hargreaves haven’t gotten any better is because they aren’t capable of being any better. Coaches can only coach the players the GM gives them.
August 19th, 2018 at 11:01 am
Yes rookies corners are great, they must be practicing with some other coaching staff because the bucs have no idea how to develop corners.
It is it what people with common sense know, you have to have talent that can be developed. Let Joe tell it, every player drafted should have be able to be developed into a starter
August 19th, 2018 at 11:02 am
@Cobraboy … “All three rookie DB’s hurt?” Ya, plus Vita Vea … that makes 4 rookies hurt on defense. The only rookie on defense who hasn’t been hurt I think is Jack Cichy … and if I remember he was the one who had a serious injury history. Hopefully it’s just taking these rooks awhile to get adjusted to the Florida heat and to life in the NFL.
August 19th, 2018 at 11:09 am
@BucEmUp … “notice how they are playing tighter coverage at the line and that is freeing up the rest of the dbs and linebackers to play with more instinct?” I assume that you watched what happened on that TD by Taylor. I think it was Carlton who jammed the receiver at the line then got blocked out of the play, springing Taylor for that 40+ yard TD. Once he got blocked out, there was a gapping hole for Taylor to run through. IOW, no technique works 100% of the time … sometimes they guess wrong.
August 19th, 2018 at 11:12 am
@BucEmUp Yeah…I was going to comment on the same thing. I noticed more press coverage last night. I hope to see it in the remaining preseason games also. It will give pause to the teams that play us that they’ll have to plan for press coverage also rather than killing us with repeated slants that are open all day with the “off coverage”.
August 19th, 2018 at 11:15 am
Now that we have much more defensive talent, I expect Smitty to bring it the way he did during that badass stretch two years ago. He knows how to coach. That’s why most of us were actually scared he was gonna leave to be a HC elsewhere (seems crazy after last year). If healthy, this is by far the most talent we have had on D in many years. If these rookies all pan out, we will be blessed with a young badass secondary for years to come, with Justin Evans as the senior (once Grimes retires, which still could be another couple of years since he now come off of the field some more while a rookie gives him a breather. I know it’s “if’s”, but if Vea and the other rookies can have healthy years, this could be a special turnaround. The one we thought we had coming last year. Everyone has weakness on their team, but I don’t see any glaring ones on the Bucs currently. (IF Catanzaro continues to kick the way he did last night, going 37 for 37 with 34 called back via penalty)😂 Go Bucs!!
August 19th, 2018 at 11:25 am
All 3 of those db’s should sit out the 4th game–we need them to START versus game 1 Heal yourselves up and stay proud
Well Done!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 19th, 2018 at 11:37 am
I can live with a Charles ‘Peanut’ Tillman clone.
August 19th, 2018 at 12:07 pm
If they 3 guys are legit like they’re looking then it’s great because they will not only help the defense but also the cap space and set the tone for years to come.
August 19th, 2018 at 12:20 pm
It’s a shame our number 1 draft pick hasn’t seen a field since ota underwear football…..
August 19th, 2018 at 12:28 pm
That was a well designed play that went to the unjammed WR, who got the first down and then some. Good work, MJ, and please, get well! He’s got a lot of muscle for a CB and won’t beat WRs with speed, but he will beat them up with his physicality. This might make him better suited to rotate at the Safety position, too.
August 19th, 2018 at 2:09 pm
Best part is I saw some fool on here last night saying this is gonna go down as the worst draft class in Bucs history because Vea suffered a half strain and Rojo has struggled in two preseason games. Which clearly is a result of no holes. U don’t just forget how to run. Koetter needs to run him outside as well
August 19th, 2018 at 2:26 pm
Defense Rules
Kwon didn’t put a whole lot of effort into stopping that screen, from the angle I saw, he had a shot, if he was interested enough…
And he should have pounded Dion Lewis too…he’s playing like he’s in a fog…
Last year everyone was raving about our LB depth..now not so much. We need to work some deals with this abundance of WR talent.
August 19th, 2018 at 3:53 pm
Beckwith needs to get healthy fast!
August 19th, 2018 at 5:16 pm
Stewart is looking like Mike Tyson punching these footballs in the gut. Saw Chris Conte get freight trained on a run play and miss tackles all night. Get well soon Whitehead.