Copycat Time
October 9th, 2018
One of Joe’s friends in the business, the esteemed D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, thinks the Bucs might do what the Steelers did Sunday to further neuter the Falcons’ shaky defense.
Those who listened to the award-winning Ira Kaufman Podcast today heard the Sage of Tampa Bay sports whiff when asked to name the Falcons starting defensive ends two days ago in Pittsburgh. They were Brooks Reed and the immortal Steven Means, the former Bucs fifth-round pick in 2013.
Is it any surprise the Falcons had no pass rush, especially with DT Grady Jarrett out injured?
This was all part of the Steelers’ strategy, Ledbetter explained, speculating the Bucs would employ the same tactic.
Bucs may copy Steelers’ 21 package
The Steelers opened against the Falcons with 21 personnel – two tight ends, one running back and two wide receivers and forced the Falcons to play their base defense.
The Falcons answered the grouping by playing their base 4-3 alignment, which kept Vic Beasley and [Takkarist] McKinley off the field. Brooks Reed and Steven Means opened the game and played 34 and 23 of 61 defensive snaps respectively.
“They did a good job, they forced us to play a lot of base (defense),” McKinley said. “Me and Vic, we don’t play too much base. They did a good job the first pretty much three drives forcing our defense to play base. There was pretty much nothing we could do about that. When the opportunity comes, we have to perform.”
McKinley and Beasley both would like to play in the base defense.
“You have to ask DQ,” McKinley said, referring to head coach Dan Quinn.
There’s plenty more via the link above, where Ledbetter explains how this set up the Steelers’ running game for a big day.
What’s interesting to Joe, and it lends a little clarity to the unrest in Atlanta, Beasley are McKinley are first-round draft picks … and they can’t get on the field in base defense?
If the Bucs can’t run the ball and/or put up 30 points on Sunday, Joe might need a safe place in which to vomit.
October 9th, 2018 at 4:33 pm
“If the Bucs can’t run the ball and/or put up 30 points on Sunday, Joe might need a safe place in which to vomit.”
Might I suggest the front walkway to One Buc?
October 9th, 2018 at 4:45 pm
@Joe You might need to get a brown paper bag, my brother. The games that we’re supposed to dominate, we don’t. Go ‘Bucs.
October 9th, 2018 at 4:47 pm
You might need a brown paper bag, my brother. The games that we’re supposed to dominate, we don’t.
October 9th, 2018 at 5:02 pm
So this game comes down to “which defense sucks the worst?”
I would not count this Bucs defense out of the winners circle…
October 9th, 2018 at 5:03 pm
Never take an opponent lightly. Remember when we thiugh Mitch Trubisky and all of his nonexistent weapons were gonna be the anecdote for our defense to get back on track? Yea me too. Just goes to show that in the NFL it is Any Given Sunday.
October 9th, 2018 at 5:15 pm
Hands2theFace & Cobraboy … Wow, you guys are downright cruel this afternoon. Funny as all git-out, but cruel. Well deserved by this Bucs team after the Chicago debacle however.
October 9th, 2018 at 5:16 pm
RoJo and DJax should wear out the turf this coming Sunday.
This better be Mike Smith’s exclamation point game. No excuses!!!!!
Joe should run a poll on how many deep ball TDs will DJax have this coming Sunday. And/or how many bad deep passes will Jameis throw.
Go Bucs!!!
October 9th, 2018 at 5:18 pm
Yea well the bucs haven’t proven they know how to run the ball yet. Personnel hasn’t mattered but I don’t care what they as do as long as they can prove they know how to game plan when someone knows they’re tendencies
October 9th, 2018 at 5:27 pm
Anything that removes Mike Smith from input for this game is a HUGE advantage Bucs.
October 9th, 2018 at 5:32 pm
according to dirk, our DC smitty doesn’t game plan so there’s that…..
#NOEXCUSESIN2018!!!!…#PRESSURESONTHECOACHES!!!!…GO BUCS!!!!
October 9th, 2018 at 5:47 pm
They shouldn’t need to run the ball to put up 30 points. This sounds like a planned excuse if Jameis can’t put up 30 points via the pass.
October 9th, 2018 at 5:48 pm
Its just a shame that our coaches have to copy off of the kid next to them test and arte constantly playing checkers while everyone else plays chess
October 9th, 2018 at 6:15 pm
Interesting that Ledbetter made the mistake about personnel grouping; 21 personnel is actually 2 RBs and 1 TE, 12 personnel is 2 TEs and one RB.
With a healthy OJ Howard, I would say 12 personnel should be our base package every game, but with him out, we should start in 11 personnel, 1 TE, 1 RB and 3 WRs.
Thank you Pat Kirwan.
October 9th, 2018 at 6:40 pm
The Falcons are shockingly bad. Even Winston may have a good game
October 9th, 2018 at 6:47 pm
Brian
Never take an opponent lightly. The Falcons may be bad but our defense might be able to get them back on track unfortunately.
October 9th, 2018 at 6:59 pm
All I know is I am benching all three of the QBs I have been running with the first four games of the season and starting JW3!
I think he may throw for 500+ yards!!!
October 9th, 2018 at 7:07 pm
Even with Matt Ice’s hot hand and receivers if they put up 28+ points I’m gonna vomit in Mike Smith’s face. Anyone remember the scene from The Fly when Jeff Goldblum throws up acid on that guy??? That could be me, we shall see.
October 9th, 2018 at 8:07 pm
good luck trying to play ball control with no running game. I would see a lot of 3 and out;s for us which would lead to atlanta having time of possession which is not good.
October 9th, 2018 at 8:08 pm
@BrianBucs “even Winston may have a good game”? Did you know that Winston has a lifetime qbr of 108 and is 3-2 against the Falcons in his career before you posted this garbage? Or were you trying to give Joe his safe place to vomit?
October 9th, 2018 at 8:11 pm
Any idea who will be filling Will Clarke’s roster spot?
October 9th, 2018 at 8:29 pm
@NJBucsFan Some dude off of the practice squad named Demone Harris.
October 9th, 2018 at 9:13 pm
Except for the Steelers game, the Falcons have lost by 7 points or less in each of the previous games this season. They tend to play teams tough until the end, so the Bucs cannot take them lightly. As far as I am concerned, the season is on the line here. The Panthers and Saints are running away from pack, and the Bucs have to keep pace. Go Bucs!
October 9th, 2018 at 9:45 pm
Hurricane in Florida, we know how the bucs can’t handle that…..
And a dome and everything.
We also never take advantage of a bye week.
Otherwise, were good.
October 9th, 2018 at 9:49 pm
Atlanta needs to rehire Mike Smith. Please take him, we’ll pay you to take him. We will even pack his trash and drive him there tomorrow. If it’s Sunday, we can also leave him there for you. He’s a great coach, I promise.
October 9th, 2018 at 10:26 pm
Welp the Bucs D better show up…..I kind of miss Realist!!!!!!!
October 9th, 2018 at 10:59 pm
Who is to say the Falcons aren’t going to copycat what the Bears did against us????
October 10th, 2018 at 12:30 am
So the giant question is which team will figure out and make the adjustments first?
Any packages Koetter can put together that keep those guys off the field would be ideal.
On defense, do you think Mike Smith will have someone actually covering Julio? Or will we just leave huge 30 yard zones wide open for him and Ridley?
October 10th, 2018 at 11:01 am
If we copy anything that the Steelers did, shouldn’t it be there defensive scheme and alignments?
October 10th, 2018 at 11:02 am
“Their” defensive scheme…
October 11th, 2018 at 4:02 pm
Jameis to Brate connection is back. Bucs D getting healthy. Nice win!!!