Stop Ridley? Stop Matty Ice
December 31st, 2020
Hit him!
Joe got a text from a reader last night saying something like, “Remember how you always used to holler about not getting sacks? Well the Bucs have… “
Joe kindly replied that Joe had indeed written about this very pleasant subject a few times recently.
Three years ago the Bucs — as a team — had an embarrassing 22 sacks. Now, the Bucs are on the cusp of having three guys with 10 or more sacks. Can you imagine?
Jason Pierre-Paul has 9.5. The biggest surprise may be inside linebacker Devin White with 9 sacks. NFL sack king Shaq Barrett has 8.
Imagine if those guys can each finish the regular season with 10 sacks? It seems, without naming names, Bucs coach Bucco Bruce Arians wants exactly that to happen, but not because the team could brag about having three double-digit sackmeisters.
Dixie Chicks wide receiver Calvin Ridley has been blowing up of late. And Arians believes the best way to stop Ridley is for Dixie Chicks quarterback Matty Ice to go down, and go down hard.
“We’ll try to control Calvin Ridley a whole lot better than we did in that game and a whole lot better than Kansas City tried to this past week because he’s on fire right now,” Arians said. “If we don’t get to Matt Ryan, they’re going to find [Ridley] because he’s playing at a really, really high level. We’ve got to get to Matt Ryan better than we did in the first half last game.”
Ridley apparently leads the NFL in catches of 15-or more yards.
Two weeks ago, White went wilding on Atlanta. He dropped Matty Ice three times. As hot as White is at rushing the quarterback, the Bucs should be blitzing him more.
Let’s see, double-teaming JPP, double-teaming Shaq, double-teaming White. That’s going to be hard to do each time Matty Ice drops back.
Someone ought to be open in order to plant Matty Ice into the turf of the Den of Depression.
December 31st, 2020 at 9:19 am
I couldn’t agree more
Doesn’t matter who gets the sacks so much as Matty seeing blue sky more than down field.
December 31st, 2020 at 9:37 am
And as has been proven time and time again..pressure on the QB makes the back end of the defense soooo much better!
December 31st, 2020 at 9:38 am
ANYthing to get White out of pass coverage, something LD seems far better at
December 31st, 2020 at 9:39 am
Unleash the Beast (White) early and often. Throw in Winfield a time or two. We need to make Ryan feel like pressure like Rogers did in the Green Bay beat down.
December 31st, 2020 at 10:10 am
With all of his loses , especially at end of games they were up , he now goes by just Matty Water…
December 31st, 2020 at 10:16 am
Agreed, same with Brees. The only way to stop these two Qb’s is to use multiple blitz packages. I rather get beat on a blitz, than get picked apart with a three man rush. Our coverage simply doesn’t work w/o pressure from the front.
December 31st, 2020 at 10:22 am
Here’s an idea how about we double team Ridley and still rush Ryan. Brady is in Ryan’s head, Ryan played at BC in the heart of the area where Brady is second coming to God. I am sure Ryan watched him in awe everytime he took the field. Ryan to this day cannot get that superbowl out of his head. Atlanta has NO chance unless Bucs don’t show up to play. #5seed
December 31st, 2020 at 10:23 am
Bird, I’ve been calling him Matty ice cream for years. When did his supposed reputation for being clutch ever take place? Seriously. It’s not like he has more fourth quarter comebacks than any other decent QB who’s done it as long as he has.
December 31st, 2020 at 10:25 am
Matty Meltdown seems more apt these days post SB.
December 31st, 2020 at 10:49 am
“Matty Meltdown” damn near beat the Chiefs, at Arrowhead, last week. Think about it !
December 31st, 2020 at 10:56 am
John, I hear you and we need to take this game seriously of course. I’m just bucking his silly nickname which really has never had relevance. Was curious how it ever came to be That’s all.
December 31st, 2020 at 11:00 am
Bucs almost beat them as well. Bucs would have done better in years past with Ryan over Winston. He as also been plagued by bad coaching. Once a league MVP don’t take him lightly. Still say Brady in his head. Advantage good guys.
December 31st, 2020 at 2:44 pm
Is Julio Jones playing Sunday?
December 31st, 2020 at 4:25 pm
Atlanta has NO defense and gives games away! That’s the only reason why they are so bad.
December 31st, 2020 at 4:28 pm
Let’s hope for Tampa he’s not!
December 31st, 2020 at 4:29 pm
Atlanta is giving away games. You’re welcome!