Vinny Curry: Mark Duffner Energy Is “Crazy,” Change From Mike Smith Is Real
December 3rd, 2018
The Bucs defense was horrible for much of this season and now it’s actually pretty good.
Joe asked veteran defensive end Vinny Curry to give fans an explanation after yesterday’s throttling of the Panthers.
Joe simply requested Curry give his take on why he thinks this defense went from terrible to solid.
Curry laughed at Joe’s phrasing and then went right to the top, as well as to his position group.
“Nearly everybody’s healthy now,” Curry said, referring to his defensive line mates. “Coach [Brentson] Buckner is doing a hell of a job. You know, Paul Spicer, [assistant defensive line coach], you gotta give those guys credit. You feel me? It starts with them. Coach Duffner, his energy is crazy. Energy is contagious when you’re playing defense. Like I’m saying, Spice and Buckner, man. They’ve been drilling us, drilling us, drilling us. And then they’re letting us be us. You feel me? Early in the season guys are just trying to learn stuff. That takes time. Now we got it and it’s go-time.”
Curry, who had a sack yesterday, went on to say he believes Duffner and Buckner feed off each other’s energy and it’s just a different vibe from when Mike Smith was in charge.
As Joe wrote yesterday, take away the Pick-6 thrown by Ryan Fitzpatrick against the Giants, and the Bucs are allowing less than 19 points per game in their last four outings.
December 3rd, 2018 at 5:41 am
So it was just dudes tuning out Smitty cos they were bored?!? Really?! Professionals??
December 3rd, 2018 at 5:42 am
Another reason Dork Koetter NEEDS to be fired!! He cost us at least 3-4 games with his hanging on to “welcome to the end zone come on in” buddy Mike Defense??? What the hell is Defense??? Smith!
December 3rd, 2018 at 5:43 am
Great job yesterday keeping Newton off balanced. He was rattled throughout the game. Unfortunately it has taken until the 2nd half of the season!
December 3rd, 2018 at 5:50 am
A Dline needs all the players working and playing together. This is one of the better games played by them in a long time. The cooperation between the coaches on the sidelines was highlighted by the camera crew yesterday. Well timed blitzes by Minter and David not only shook up Newton but set the tone.
December 3rd, 2018 at 5:52 am
Peyton Barber’s TD that was ruled a fumble was BS. With 4 TOs, the game was way too close for comfort. Kudos to the DL except for Vita Vea. That dude needs a pep talk every single day it seems.
Jameis played flawless except for that one errant throw that should have been picked off. Kudos to him for being decisive with the ball. He’s actually picking up some good traits from Fitz and getting rid of the ball or tucking it and running. That OL though. SMH.
December 3rd, 2018 at 5:58 am
Where is Defense Rules? Enjoy reading your comments. Miss you,Man !
December 3rd, 2018 at 6:25 am
I seen smith working at Hamburger marys offering 2 for 1 specials.
December 3rd, 2018 at 6:33 am
JPP needs to be more aware of lining up in the neutral zone….he was caught a couple of times and on another…..we called a timeout just before the snap….he would have been called.
The D played great…..the Dline and LB blitzes kept Cammy Boy off balance…..no way to stop McCafferty but we did a good job getting ahead so he wasn’t a factor late.
Jameis played much better than it appeared because the rest of the Offense was terrible……Penalties…..dropped balls…..fumble at goal line…..poor protection.
Jameis was great…..looked exactly what a winning QB should look like.
December 3rd, 2018 at 6:53 am
I’ve heard that before
let’s see it again against the saints coming off a loss at Dallas and week 1 loss to us..
Win this week and I’ll believe they got over the hump.
December 3rd, 2018 at 7:17 am
Looked like the d-line was jelling. It was an awesome sight.
Is it too late to say “I told you so” about ‘ol Smitty?!
I don’t care…
I told you so!
December 3rd, 2018 at 7:26 am
If the Bucs can continue to play as the did yesterday, management needs to keep things the way they are. They need to make a few tweaks and pick up a running back but they have a great young group of kids who are playing out of their mind. I couldn’t tell you who was making the interceptions but Inwas cheering them on.
December 3rd, 2018 at 7:39 am
OMG I can’t believe this. They play a couple of decent games & now its keep Koetter & Licht because they are doing so great. They both need to go. Looking at that photo of them in the draft room makes me want to vomit. Its funny to see backup DB’s outplay the starters. Kudos to Adams. Where did he come from again? By the way do not pay D. Smith like a top LT which he is not. Average at best.
December 3rd, 2018 at 7:55 am
duffner making a serious case to be the main guy next yr. still think an extensive search is needed and if duffner is rewarded the job he needs to agree to some staff changes DB coach hoke should be gone no matter how well they played yesterday they play terrible press technique and that’s all on coaching. a more accurate qb (brees) would have lit them up unfortunately
December 3rd, 2018 at 8:03 am
YOU FEEL ME..
December 3rd, 2018 at 8:07 am
Koetter and Licht weren’t on the field yesterday. It was a bunch of NFL castoffs, playing their hearts out.
Licht didn’t make all those players off the street believe they could win. Duffner did. He put them in a position to make plays, and plays they did make.
And they all missed their fair share of plays, too. But when you have 11 guys playing with heart, one guy getting beat doesn’t beat the whole defense.
I don’t want to make predictions on Duff, but I do know that if he can get this defense to look respectable for four more games, everything will take care of itself.
After the first half of the season, you can’t deny that was some 2006-esque effort out there yesterday.
December 3rd, 2018 at 8:18 am
(Rhetorical question)
Why does Donovan Smith rarely (if ever) pass the EYE TEST, but somehow gets hyped up by anyone and everyone who talks about him?
He’s durable, but he gets absolutely embarrassed by any speed rusher.
NOT SOLD ON HIM AT ALL.
December 3rd, 2018 at 8:30 am
Says a lot when a 65 year old interim DC can raise the defensive unit’s energy and level of play. Smitty cost this team games with his outdated approach. Wish the Glazers or licht had stepped in sooner.
December 3rd, 2018 at 8:42 am
I notice so much moaning and groaning still. I don’t really care if people want to be negative and refuse to accept wins with positivity. I admittedly have reined in my emotional attachment this season but I can’t understand people belly aching after wins.
This team and all of the Bay area need to develop a winning attitude. The team seems to be trying……how about us?
December 3rd, 2018 at 8:56 am
Defense is playing much better and kicking is awesome now!! If we would have signed Santos sooner we might have won a few more games!! Be positive and look at where the Bucs are now.
December 3rd, 2018 at 9:09 am
The real reason we are winning is because we have Saint Santos…and because I stopped recording games in the DVR. 😜
Have a great Monday everyone!
December 3rd, 2018 at 9:47 am
Are you guys Buc’s fans or just fan of yourselves? You’d rather take joy in saying “I told you so” even though it comes at the expense of the team and a decent individual.
G.H.W. Bush is of course being remembered this week because of his passing. He was truly a great man who followed that old teaching…”To those who are given a lot a lot is expected”
But what saddened me was watching him deliver his line about hoping for a “kinder” nation and “gentler” world.
Hell we can’t even talk about football here without rude insults and ad hominem attacks on coaches and players who by every measure are decent human beings. For some here that is a problem.
We’ve created a mean spirited nation and JBF is simply a reflection.
Mike Smith has made his bones in the NFL. You keyboard warriors are just that…NOTHING…and that of course includes me as well….just people typing their thoughts and opinions on a sports blog. Who cares if you guessed or got something correct.
You will not get paid a single dime…your name will not go down in record books…IE you’ll never get even close to Smitty’s achievements. I get that he didn’t close out his career as he’d wished. But at least he had a successful multi decade career in the NFL. Posters here…again me included…have NOTHING but our opinions.
December 3rd, 2018 at 9:49 am
I was never a fan of Smiley Smith…from Atlanta until the bitter end in Tampa. He parlayed a miraculous 5 game winning streak in 2016 into a huge pay raise and an actual head coaching interview in San Diego. Boy did the Chargers dodge a bullet there…
December 3rd, 2018 at 11:19 am
Of course D. Smith was horrible yesterday getting beat like a drum. All that could have been avoided if clueless Warhop had just moved D. Smith to LG and then restored Marpet to RG (keeping awful Benenoch out of the OL) and starting Liedtke at LT where he went two Preseason Games without giving up a sack. However Warhop showed how ignorant he was earlier in the season telling everyone that “D. Smith is one of the top 3 OTs in the NFL” and has therefore refused to replace him at LT. Warhop has endangered the health of our QBs and is much more incompetent than Smitty was. If Koetter is kept he should be forced to fire Warhop and turn over all offensive playcalling to Monken.
December 3rd, 2018 at 4:27 pm
lambchop
“Kudos to the DL except for Vita Vea.”
Actually he had a nice day. I saw him finally using that full strength pushing back the o-line. When are people gonna figure out that this guys is not a double digit sack DT. He’s used for power and size that results in a double team and for stopping the run. I thought McCaffrey was gonna be running it straight up our poop shoot all day prior to the game but we handled him very well straight up the middle. Everyone has to be playing well on the d-line for getting CAM NEWTON sacked and pressured all day.