Deflated But Not Slow
October 5th, 2020
Defensive coordinator Todd Bowles talks Chargers game.
Joe re-watched Sunday’s thrilling 38-31 Bucs victory last night and saw a defense that looked flat and slower than usual in the first half before igniting later in the game.
Joe asked Todd Bowles about that this morning.
In an early morning chat with media types, defensive coordinator Bowles sort of played semantics a bit noting his team had the wind knocked out of it a bit but didn’t slow down.
JoeBucsFan.com: Coach, did you think the defense collectively looked slower than usual in the first half, versus what we saw in the second half?
Todd Bowles: No, I didn’t think they looked slower. I thought the first play let the air out of everybody’s sails for a minute. And we got some penalties on the long drive that kind of set us back and we were playing hard but we weren’t playing very smart. The second half we played a little smarter.
The Bucs certainly were smarter in the second half, and quicker from Joe’s vantage point.
Bowles lamented getting beat early on a 62-yards-in-the-air pass by Justin Herbert to Tyron Johnson, an undrafted receiver who ran a 4.36 40-yard dash at his Oklahoma State Pro Day. Safeties Jordan Whitehead and Antoine Winfield, Jr. were playing 2-high safety coverage and Johnson ran right between them with nobody else going deep. “We just blew it,” Bowles said of the deflating play, calling it something the safeties must learn from and part of their maturation process.
It’s great that the young secondary can learn valuable lessons while winning. It makes it all easier to digest, and sometimes you learn more from mistakes in a victory, in any sport.
Justin Herbert with a DIME for a 53-yard @Chargers TOUCHDOWN! #BoltUp
📺: #LACvsTB on CBS
📱: NFL app // Yahoo Sports app: https://t.co/T1i6s2rIdv pic.twitter.com/9SPqYQodKT— NFL (@NFL) October 4, 2020
October 5th, 2020 at 9:18 am
“Learn (from mistakes) while winning” is a great point.
October 5th, 2020 at 9:19 am
Perfect play for the chargers. That rookie QB is no joke. He’s played well while losing. They won’t lose too much once they get some starters back. Great win for the Bucs with some calm and collected play undercenter. That’s something we’re not used to.
October 5th, 2020 at 9:28 am
The three receivers that scored had four career receptions between them. Supposedly the young secondary are film junkies. It is very likely that they had little to no info on these guys and nothing to help them prepare.
October 5th, 2020 at 9:30 am
I’ll give considerable credit to Herbert……..we blitzed him constantly and he still got accurate passes off……until he didn’t.
October 5th, 2020 at 9:43 am
I was surprised how well the chargers handled those (constant) blitzes.
October 5th, 2020 at 9:45 am
Off topic for joe and others winston never won a gm when trailing 14 or more.
0-14 so even if BA is talking about him he’s not lying moving along. Go Bucs
October 5th, 2020 at 9:50 am
BL has this offense running smooth…..run game continues to improve and he’s calling plays that gets everyone involved which keeps the DC guessing….
will the glazers give BA the lovie treatment?….force BA out because they’re scared to lose a young bright offensive mind to the texans, or lions or falcons?
BL will be a HC this time next….i hope its with the BUCS!!!
GO BUCS!!!!!!
October 5th, 2020 at 9:52 am
Gota tip your cap to Herbert. Guys much better than I thought. Bet the Chargers are glad he “fell” to 6.
October 5th, 2020 at 9:53 am
the defense has been giving up big plays all season……
JPP looked a little slow out there imo….his knee must be giving him serious trouble….
Safeties have to know, they are the last line of defense….dont let WRs/TEs run by you…
GO BUCS!!!!!
October 5th, 2020 at 9:57 am
Wjen you pound the rock down ypur opponents throat. Momentum follows.
I believe our D felt the Mo shift early in the 2nd and it woke them up.
RoJo anyone?
October 5th, 2020 at 10:01 am
Chargers have great offenses even when most the team is on IR. I commented about it yesterday. Plus, they got away with a sh1tload of holding which was NOT called in the first half. If the Bucs had that kind of treatment from the zebs, the score would have been 50-0. Such is the life of a Bucs fan listening to the same old ref sh1t.
October 5th, 2020 at 10:07 am
It was a very entertaining game. As far as defense goes, this is what today’s NFL has become and they want points. There was a holding penalty too that should’ve been called on both big plays.
October 5th, 2020 at 10:09 am
I think we also need to come to grips with the fact that our defensive playstyle is boom or bust. If you don’t get to the QB with that blitz… then someone will be exposed in man-to-man coverage.
This ain’t the “bend, don’t break Tampa 2”
🙂
October 5th, 2020 at 10:16 am
Your right Joe, i said the same thing, the defense looks so much slower today! First thought wad maybe the wet grass, but upon further observation i believe it’s because we were changing direction a lot which made them look slow when closing in. Give credit to the chargers for getting us flowing the wrong way with all that RPO option stuff the chargers ran. Thankfully only the chiefs remain on the schedule who ran that style of offense.
October 5th, 2020 at 10:21 am
A couple things that I noticed.
Shaq and JPP need to rush more and drop less. They are both liabilities in pass coverage.
Quit blitzing rookie QB’s on virtually every down. If their pass pro holds up you are susceptible to the easiest throw for a young player. The long pass. Make them drive the ball for 10-12 plays.
October 5th, 2020 at 11:00 am
IMO, the entire D played like they were reading their JBF press clippings about how great the Bucs are, and expected the Sparks to just roll over.
I hope the entire team got an ass-chewing by BA at halftime. They played like a different team the second half.
I hope they learned a lesson: “On Any Given Sunday”, you WILL get beaten if you don’t show up and play lights-out each and every play.
October 5th, 2020 at 11:01 am
@Cannon: agreed, Boom or Bust. Makes for exciting football, but expect to be burned occasionally.
October 5th, 2020 at 11:24 am
The motto of the defense is to be aggressive. If they get beat, then so be it, but it won’t be because they are sitting back or playing tentatively.
October 5th, 2020 at 12:00 pm
Mike
So what you’re saying is no risk it no biscuit?
October 5th, 2020 at 1:29 pm
@813bucboi … “BL will be a HC this time next….i hope its with the BUCS!!!”
Oh wait, I just noticed the THREE !!! bucboi. You’re serious. OMG !!!!
October 5th, 2020 at 1:30 pm
Cobraboy … SPOT ON !!!
October 5th, 2020 at 2:38 pm
“813Bucboi
Super spreader of the Leftwich Koolaid
TB12 had enough of the BL high school playcalling and went completely shotgun during the comeback! ”
Kobe Faker
October 5th, 2020 at 2:50 pm
This is a High Risk / High Reward Defense. If the Rush doesn’t get there on time, it leaves the secondary vulnerable to get shredded. Herbert stood in the pocket without panicking and his Oline did a Great job protecting him.
October 5th, 2020 at 2:52 pm
I do think too the defense got a little big headed maybe thought they had the win already before the game even started. Then they stepped up in the 2nd half. We have yet to play a complete game but when we do I Think we will give the chiefs a run for their money and super bowl ring. Let’s get it Bucs. Make the bears into cubs let’s gooo
October 5th, 2020 at 3:54 pm
kobe
high school play calling?…
BL has brady on pace for 40+ TDs…..
BL speaks and TB12 listens!!!
GO BUCS!!!!!!
October 5th, 2020 at 5:11 pm
Defense Rules Says:
October 5th, 2020 at 1:29 pm
@813bucboi … “BL will be a HC this time next….i hope its with the BUCS!!!”
Oh wait, I just noticed the THREE !!! bucboi. You’re serious. OMG !!!!
***************************************************************
texans just fired their HC….
im sure they want someone who can work d.watson….
GO BUCS!!!!!
October 5th, 2020 at 10:08 pm
The defense is fine. Sometimes the offense has a good game plan. Sometimes the defense is off. Sometimes it’s a combination. At the end of the day, the defense did enough to get the W…
October 7th, 2020 at 9:18 pm
They looked slower BECAUSE they weren’t playing smart!!