Scheming Against Bucs CBs
October 8th, 2019
Solid coaching.
When Rams quarterback Jared Goff unloaded for 517 yards passing (!) against the Bucs two weeks ago in Los Angeles, that signaled to the NFL that even if you can’t throw deep, you will succeed throwing deep against the Bucs.
That’s the way Joe reads it when consuming this nugget from football X’s and O’s guy Matt Bowen of BSPN.
On Sunday, the Saints seemed to surprise the Bucs because in games with Teddy Bridgewater behind center, the Saints didn’t stretch the field much if at all. Against the Bucs the Saints went deep early and often, Bowen documents.
Going through the Week 5 film on Saints QB Teddy Bridgewater. This was a much more vertical offense from New Orleans in the Sunday win over the Bucs. Deep crossers off play-action, flood concepts, attacking the top of two-deep coverage. In Weeks 3 and 4, Bridgewater averaged 6.49 yards per attempt. That number climbed to 9.24 yards per attempt in Week 5, as Bridgewater finished with 314 yards passing and four touchdown throws.
So why did the Saints break out the long ball? Eastern Illinois University product Sean Payton is no dummy. He saw how Goff sliced and diced the Bucs defense, not to mention the gutless effort the Bucs defense put up against a rookie quarterback in his NFL debut, Danny Dimes.
Payton realized what is beyond a weak link in the defense. And so he attacked it.
Unless or until the Bucs can start covering receivers, every team the Bucs face the rest of the season is going to go after Bucs corners. Joe just hopes before the trade deadline comes and goes on Oct. 29, the Bucs pluck a corner from a team that has no hope of a playoff shot.
If the Bucs don’t try to upgrade the secondary on the fly, that tells Joe the Bucs are content with sacrificing this season in order to figure out who to keep and who to throw aside in the offseason.
And if that is the case, it’s a damn shame because this season the Bucs have a real shot of making hay. Such an opportunity may not happen next year, or who knows when?
Joe just cannot comprehend how a sober person could be OK with how bad the cornerback play has been.
October 8th, 2019 at 5:16 am
Perfect analysis
October 8th, 2019 at 6:19 am
Great analysis Joe.Give Attention Buc management—-give us secondary help or loose our support for this season!!!
October 8th, 2019 at 6:33 am
I’ll give Coach Butthole Lips credit, he out-schemed us good.
October 8th, 2019 at 6:33 am
We gotta do something. If nothing happens which I feel like is the case here our pass defense might be breaking records an not the records you wanna break lol let’s go Bucs #endthedrought
October 8th, 2019 at 6:41 am
Thanks for pointing out what a good coach will do.He looks at what the opposing defense does poorly and makes a plan to counter it. Byron doesnt do that and judging by the look on all of tge offensive players faces sitting on the sideline as early as the 3rd quarter they dont believe in the OC.The syatem works the playcalling sucks
October 8th, 2019 at 6:43 am
“Danny Dimes hasn’t done squat since after facing our burnt biscuits
Like my Dad said repeatedly
Our 2018 5-11 Bucs team brought in the 4-12 NY Jets and 3-13 Arizona Cardinals coaching staffs
Morphed together stir fried and looking back at us”
Son of Kobe Faker
October 8th, 2019 at 6:52 am
We’ve seen this defense and loyalty before.
So how long will BA keep his loyalty to Todd Bowles before or if he shows him the door?
As long as Kotter kept his loyalty to Mike Smith?
Fix it or see ya.
October 8th, 2019 at 7:05 am
Didn’t Brucie tell us it was “totally Fixed”? Umm yeah okkkkk….
October 8th, 2019 at 7:10 am
I don’t think the Bucs are content with the secondary situation,
I think injuries have been a big factor. This team doesn’t have quality depth on D.
D White and J Dean have been out since Panthers game, J Evans has been out all year, and I know it’s been a long time, but when he’s healthy J Evans makes plays. And Davis was kicked out of Sunday’s game.
Bucs have bigger needs on OLine right now and improving their passing scheme.
October 8th, 2019 at 7:12 am
Each week our team puts out new (more) tape of our defense and todd Bowles system here in Tampa
Which shows our limited strengths and many weaknesses . Especially the secondary
Hopefully Jamal dean is healthy and gets a shot outside so Hargraves can move inside to nickel
Let’s try that
October 8th, 2019 at 7:24 am
Jamel DEAAN!!!!!!!
October 8th, 2019 at 7:25 am
Everybody and his brother knew prior to Training Camp that Ryan Smith had a 4-game suspension to start the season. Everyone knew that VHIII & MJ Stewart were slow. Everyone knew that Carlton Davis was good but that he had a tendency to get grabby & accumulate penalties. Everyone knew that ANY rookie starting in our Secondary with a bunch of other ‘newbies’ was going to struggle, at least for awhile.
And everyone knew that our Bucs’ OFFENSE had to put up big points and control the clock for us to have a chance at winning ball games, at least early in the season.
What I don’t understand is ‘Why all the bitchin now?’ The time to FIX this situation was back in March & April. The chickens have come home to roost. And in the process, SOMEBODY laid an egg.
Hargreaves & Stewart have no business starting IMO; neither is the future. Dean MAY be viable as an outside corner, but first he has to show that he can stay healthy. Davis is the future, but he needs to improve his techniques & stop drawing penalties. SMB is also the future and HOPEFULLY that’s as an outside corner, but he needs playing time and for the time being that MAY be best gotten at nickel. Ryan Smith, love him or hate him, may well be our best option outside at this point.
Beyond the corners however, our LBs haven’t been all that impressive in coverage. Love the job Minter has done stopping the run, but he’s struggled in coverage too. HOPEFULLY getting White back will help there.
There’s a LOT to like about this Bucs’ defense IMO, but IF it doesn’t pressure the QB this Secondary will continue to get eaten alive. Chances are good that ANY Secondary would. If you take the combination of sacks, QB Hits & TFLs as being one measure of PRESSURE, something interesting shows up. Against the 49ers (a loss) that combination was 13. Against the Panthers (a win) it was 14. Against the Giants (a loss but easily could’ve been a win) it was 23. Against the Rams (a win) it was 17. Against the Saints (a loss), that combination was 2. IOW, until the Saints game our defense had been getting reasonable pressure but it laid an egg in the Saints game. And the Secondary paid the price; Bridgewater had all day to throw & he picked us apart. Duh … ANY NFL QB would’ve gotten the same results more than likely.
October 8th, 2019 at 7:34 am
I wouldn’t be a bit surprised to see a lot of Ryan Smith Sunday….and I agree that White, Dean & Evans being out has hurt us…….hopefully SMB will develop quickly…..we simply have too many rookies….we need a shut down corner & don’t have one.
October 8th, 2019 at 7:41 am
We’ve had this problem since EJ friggin Biggers. Enough is enough!!
October 8th, 2019 at 7:57 am
Lol @ AKick – don’t start with the coaches again. I know you and the Joe’s tried all year to claim it was Mike Smith’s fault the defense sucked. Well we are now on our third coordinator and the defense still sucks. There are two things to blame; a HORRIBLE GM and a lack of talent. No coach in the league would be able to make this defense play well. They just don’t have the horses. You have a corner that was an early first round pick that doesn’t look like he will be in the league much longer, a 2nd DE/OLB that was waived right before the season started, and a bunch of 2nd and 3rd rounder secondary players who appear to all suck. The problem is the roster not the coach.
October 8th, 2019 at 8:04 am
We’ve had the worst GM in the league every season since McKay was ousted. This is an ownership issue and I have not been one to point fingers at them but in this regard they have fostered this ongoing lack of roster talent.
October 8th, 2019 at 8:18 am
DR
i agree with most of what you said starting with:
why all the bitchin now?……
instead of rooting for a player or just moving on to the next game folks want to bitch, complain, cut all the DBs, fire half the staff and trade all our picks….
you’re correct…theres a lot to like about this defense but “IF it doesn’t pressure the QB this Secondary will continue to get eaten alive. Chances are good that ANY Secondary would.”
and thats whats so crazy to me…..folks want to trade for ramsey or pat p but if we dont concentrate on getting pressuring on the QB, even their impact would be minimum…..
GO BUCS!!!!
October 8th, 2019 at 8:23 am
More like scheming against the spots on the field analytics sow Jameis likes to throw the ball
October 8th, 2019 at 8:24 am
Yes out coached in all facets of the game. This is where these Licht high end draft picks of VH3 and Bunting are starting to show their ugliness. This team needs to improve their drafting or this franchise will always sputter. You can only band aid in FA in 2019 NFL. I think a Ramsey trade would be a mistake – he is a cancer and not a team guy. He is showing that with Jags. Id like them to target someone a little less volatile with good upside. The draft pick price will be less too.
October 8th, 2019 at 8:31 am
It doesn’t matter what washed up coaches glazers bring in when you have special Olympians on the roster versus nfl talent
October 8th, 2019 at 8:44 am
People relax, this was bound to happen. You don’t fix all the problems the Bucs have had in 1 offseason. This isn’t MADDEN!!! It takes time to really find out what you have. Despite what you think this is a good coaching staff. They DB coach can evaluate players he has done this before. Problem is that these are young players and they are going to go through ups and downs. This is an 8-8 team at best. Not a playoff team, but they are building one. Everyone was bitching about Jameis, now the secondary and the o-line. All of these things are getting better. Old Jameis would have thrown 4 picks trying to do to much. He came through without one. Even with the drop he would have had a fumble and 3 other picks.
The O-line needs a new RT, they will get one next year. They will have the cap room as well. No getting a new CB in the middle of the season isn’t going to make that much of a difference if there is no pressure and NO has a very good O-line. Let’s just calm down and let the coaches coach. After the Giants game you all were screaming about the team and they came back and put 55 on the board. No one thought in preseason that Cappa could block. Gay made all his kicks, and we now have 2 good WR.
Let’s take a chill pill and understand the process. BA knows what he is doing, and he is finding out what he has that they can build on. He will build on Rocks not sand like Dirk.
October 8th, 2019 at 8:51 am
We don’t have a chance at making the playoffs Joe. We are one of those teams that shouldn’t give up draft choices, to trade for players we could’ve signed in the off season. They chose to draft corners, instead of D, O linemen, and not sign a vet. They counted on VH0 to be a shut down corner, and paid him. They were wrong. Licht will always be wrong.
October 8th, 2019 at 9:27 am
Agreed Hodad. This is not a playoff caliber team. Stockpile picks if possible. After watching Bosa blow up last night the Bucs need to trade up needed next year and go after Chase Young. That one pick by Lynch has turned the 49ers into a true playoff contender as a rookie.
October 8th, 2019 at 9:28 am
Should have gotten Talib when we had the chance last offseason. These corners will never develop until we get a proven veteran with some dogg in him that they can learn from. If the team truly was about “Reloading not Rebuilding” then they would trade for Patrick Peterson.
Unfortunately this smells like a rebuild no matter what Press Secretary Arians says.
October 8th, 2019 at 11:17 am
TDTB
Lynch has done a lot of good things…and most of his picks/moves have been good ones.
Give SF ownership credit for taking a chance on a color commentator who appears to be becoming a great GM.
I don’t know what to give our ownership credit for…new video boards at the stadium I guess…
October 8th, 2019 at 11:19 am
As far as scheming against the Bucs D…
That has to be the easiest gig in the world. Throw it. Anywhere. Anytime.
October 8th, 2019 at 11:28 am
Lynch has done a good job. You watch San Fran and those four 1st rounders on the D Line are just swarming after the QB and forcing him to make mistakes. Meanwhile in Tampa we have Licht drafting 11 cornerbacks and 17 safeties while ignoring anyone for the trenches. I mean we spent a 2nd rounder on a guy out of north central western community college that nobody had on their radar.
October 8th, 2019 at 12:08 pm
One of the better analysis articles. GREAT WORK Joe(s)!
October 8th, 2019 at 12:23 pm
DR nailed it.
This secondary lacks talent because the GM can’t evaluate DBs. The LBs aren’t good at covering either. Even Devin White has been horrible in coverage. This D needs to apply pressure or it’s over.
Also, bench VH3. Total liability out there. I’d rather watch Jamel Dean take his lumps that see Vern chasing receivers all day.
October 8th, 2019 at 1:01 pm
“You don’t fix all the problems the Bucs have had in 1 offseason.”
Well the problem us we’ve been hearing this for about 12 offseasons in a row, not just one…
If Licht was a real man he would admit his mistake with Hargreaves and move on.