Bruce Arians Discusses Area That “Disturbs” Him
September 27th, 2021
Straight talk.
In so many words, Bucs Super Bowl-winning coach Bucco Bruce Arians said it all starts up front for a defense.
And while Arians did not give his secondary a pass from yesterday’s curb-stomping, Arians said opposing quarterbacks getting plenty of time to throw is hanging Bucs defensive backs out to dry.
When asked about his underperforming defense, Arians pointed to the men up front.
“The [lack of] sacks is probably the biggest thing that disturbs me,” Arians said. “If we can rush the passer — now we are getting close, we are just not finishing deals.
“If you think back to the start of the [Rams] game, Joe [Tyron-Shoyinka] gets a good pressure, incomplete. Devin [White] gets good pressure, incomplete.
“All of a sudden, pressures are gone and it’s bam-bam-bam, here we go. We can’t ask our secondary, especially the shape it has been in, to go play a ton of man-to-man, which limits you. The ball is not going to be held (by quarterbacks) for sacks to happen.”
With apologies for potentially triggering readers’ PTSD, remember when Mike Smith’s defenses had no pass rush? Wide receivers were running free and open in the Bucs’ secondary like whitetail deer in an Illinois cornfield (yeah, Joe has used that analogy a few times before, but Joe has many new readers — and thank you to all!).
Yesterday’s defense didn’t look a whole lot different than Smith’s outfit.
Somehow, someway, Bucs defensive coordinator Todd Bowles and defensive line coach Kacy Rodgers have to find a way to make Belicheats rookie quarterback Mac Jones sweat on Sunday.
September 27th, 2021 at 3:36 pm
Lack of sacks is one thing. Also, why can’t the OL, one of the best at pass blocking, open a hole occasionally for the RBs? Talent or coaching issue?
September 27th, 2021 at 3:38 pm
Where are all the shaq fans ? Paying this guy 18m and he cant do nothing.
September 27th, 2021 at 3:43 pm
Maybe we should bring back GMC
September 27th, 2021 at 3:43 pm
It disturbs me that he is only disturbed by the one area
I mean name a guy on defense that is playing up to elite standards
I cant name one
Maybe Vita
What happened to devin white
Lavonte even has disappeared
What happened to Winfield
Carlton davis playing best of secondary but that is not saying much.
Brady just threw for over 400 yards. Go back and watch game. Gronk dropped two big plays. One in endzone. And he caused pick play which should not have been called. I mean that would have pushed him close to 500 yards.
But when your defense cant stop a cold
Offense will be fine.
Defense looks lost again.
September 27th, 2021 at 3:46 pm
I love the Bucs but I don’t like how this thing ends. We mortgaged our future to bring back all 22 players and will continue to have these guys on our salary cap years after they are cut. Even worse, we may miss out on the opportunity to sign up our own players long term. You can’t have everything and clearly we’ve given up having solid depth to keep guys around who aren’t living up to their contracts.
September 27th, 2021 at 3:49 pm
Bucs got Whopped ! Man for man….just what they needed !
September 27th, 2021 at 3:49 pm
On the bright side… Cockerell actually played pretty well.
September 27th, 2021 at 3:53 pm
We get our money worth with jpp , gronk , suh, minter , AB , godwin. But shaq… unsure. He cant be productive without vea. Jpp etc.
we should trade him for gilmore.
September 27th, 2021 at 3:54 pm
Yeah Shaq has been MIA after week 1.
September 27th, 2021 at 3:56 pm
Cockerell !!!???
September 27th, 2021 at 4:01 pm
Jets and Saints gained 130 yards each rushing vs Patriots.
There’s no excuse for Bucs not being able to run the ball this game.
If Brady has to keep throwing the ball 50 times, you are really testing fate…
Yes, they need a better pass rush, and that should happen this week. But it’s not the only thing that stands out.
September 27th, 2021 at 4:04 pm
All fans saw this issue during our game against Dallas and Falcons but BA and his staff were stubborn enough not to make any adjustments knowing that the RAMS is a much better team than the 2 previous teams. It’s not sustainable to put the load on Brady shoulders to carry this team for a win every week. Defense needs to step up their game and stop reading their own press clippings.
September 27th, 2021 at 4:06 pm
Another defensive performance like the one against the Rams will get the Buc Realist back on the blog. Panthers 3-0, Saints 2-1 and the Bucs 2-1 can’t afford a loss to the Pats.
September 27th, 2021 at 4:07 pm
Ok so basically is he saying defense is fine with dee Delaney and cockrell? Basically it’s the front that sucks and our corners are good? Lol no we are making them cover too long and it’s the fronts fault that corners are playing 10 yards off receivers on 3 and short lol.
You really have to ignore BA early in the year because he never seems to have answers. Maybe you should have some kind of back up plan that didn’t involve relying on your oldest players.
September 27th, 2021 at 4:09 pm
Getting carved up three weeks in a row and the only issue is the pass rush? Nah devin white being a no show is ok, corners getting picked on is fine let’s blame the the front. After all teams decided to stop running on them and just attack the secondary so yea it’s all the d lines fault lol no that doesn’t sound ridiculous at all BA
September 27th, 2021 at 4:13 pm
Maybe you should get pressure and help also at least breath on a QB. So far thru 3 games they haven’t done anything of the kind. Only in the 4th quarter when Matty Ice tried to save the game did they get to him.
September 27th, 2021 at 4:15 pm
Sometimes, a curb stomping is needed to get your head right, lol
September 27th, 2021 at 4:19 pm
An old fashioned @zz-whooping, always got me right again.
September 27th, 2021 at 5:01 pm
Yeah, but Bowles is known for his ‘exotic’ blitzes, they talk about it on every game on TV, and he has a biggest playbook of anyone in the NFL…
Which makes you wonder why he ran the same 4-man rush defense over and over and over again.
September 27th, 2021 at 5:26 pm
Expect this to be the normal… Cowboys, Falcons and now Rams have done it. They are just going to spread us out and take away our ability to blitz (Which has been our strength). If we can’t get home with four then its going to be LOOONNNGG Season! Expect shootouts all season…
September 27th, 2021 at 5:30 pm
Bucs are the #1 blitzing team in the NFL……..we have zero sacks from our DBs……this year and last year….>thats ZERO, NADA, NOTHING, NIET, NINGUNO, ZIP……
What’s up with that, Todd?
September 27th, 2021 at 5:35 pm
CB Cam Dantzler from Minnesota is in play …. OJ Howard for Dantzler would be a win for both teams!
September 27th, 2021 at 5:43 pm
A lot falls on the D Coord. and the assistant D coaches. Saw very few imaginative blitzes, stunts up front, etc and if we can’t play M to Man for 40 plays at least play shorter zones and mix in some Man D to keep them off balance. D jackson you gotta Dble team that dude.
September 27th, 2021 at 5:50 pm
Bucs will be 3-1 soon,
That ain’t too bad,
September 27th, 2021 at 5:51 pm
Didn’t the Bucs defense look this pathetic the first half of last year too before jungle fever took over and they became beasts? That seemed to occur once Bowles turned loose the wolves and starting calling more blitzes.
I confess, I’m a senior citizen, so perhaps memory is not serving me too well here and I celebrated a little too much after they won the SB, but that’s my recall and I’m sticking to it unless someone tells me otherwise!
Let’s go Bowles, time to go beast again! Let’s Go Bucs!
September 27th, 2021 at 5:55 pm
Is it by chance that the Bucs just don’t want to give away their blitz schemes, and just take our chances with offense until the playoffs? Then unleash the hounds when it all really matters. Through these first three games defense has been so different then last year which makes me think the Bucs have a hand they just aren’t showing. Hopefully my theory is right because the defense has just looked so off since last season. Go Bucs!
September 27th, 2021 at 5:57 pm
Here’s what I don’t understand…
Playing zone without a pass rush doesn’t work either! So why not just play man unless you’re blitzing?
All of our CBs are built for press man coverage anyways…
September 27th, 2021 at 6:06 pm
The Rams offense exposed all our defense weaknesses and there was a lot. Thank goodness all the teams in the league aren’t that stout but many might be after studying Sundays game film. I’m sure it’s tagged around the NFL on how to beat The Bucs.
September 27th, 2021 at 6:55 pm
Rick please explain how the bucs mortgaged their future? Shaq was the only long term contract signed and only his first 2 years are guaranteed. Gronk, suh, ab, fournette, cockrell, gio, mclendon, etc are all on one year deals. The 2 year deals that david and brady signed with void years will not strap this team. So again please explain how the bucs mortgage the future.
September 27th, 2021 at 11:43 pm
Brady is hot right now and it seems like everyone else is satisfied with a Super Bowl win. But they need to get into gear and play like they did in the play offs. We did what no other team did and won the Super Bowl in our own stadium. But that’s not enough they have the best quarterback ever and I know Brady wants to take this team to another Super Bowl win. Our defense is better than they are doing and they need to get fired up and play like the champions they are. We the fans waited a long time to have a team like this and it’s time for them to show us that they can play like the champions they are.
September 28th, 2021 at 1:36 am
For the most part it IS the front line’s fault that the secondary is playing soft. No corner wants to be beaten long, so consciously or instinctively the corners will play less aggressively on the short stuff. A true lockdown corner could make up for this but none of our guys are in that category. so barring a trade for Gilmore we need more pass rush!
September 28th, 2021 at 6:37 am
Joe you hit the nail on the head. Those were my thoughts exactly. Did mike smith return to coach our defense. Ptsd kicked in real hard. Look Brady couldn’t even lead a come back with how rotten they played. Embarrassing honestly. How we going to be the champs and come play like that. I hope I’m wrong but man if we don’t get pressure on Mac Jones Bucs are going to make him look like the future Tom Brady
September 28th, 2021 at 9:07 am
In 2020 the Bucs were #4 in the NFL in sacks with 48. Currently we are DEAD LAST with 3 team sacks. Quit blaming the DBs. Maybe they deserve it, but a combo of D Revis, Sherman (both in their primes) and Ramsey could not cover that long with no pass rush.
During the off season, as players are want to do, Shaq proclaimed he was going to break the NFL sack record 🤣 Hope (4-letter word) he gets started soon on his goal.
September 28th, 2021 at 9:12 am
Take a hard look in the mirror Bowles this is on you.
September 28th, 2021 at 11:45 am
Bird .lol lol 😆 🤣 Brady got those yards when the game was over. It’s funny how when we lose now it’s the defense . But with Jamies it was his fault because our defense was great. Lol 😆 🤣!! I hope Trask don’t get treated the same way when his time comes.
September 29th, 2021 at 1:42 pm
Offensive play calling is horrible. I mean the formations we have are garbage especially with so much talent on offense. Look at Sean Payton and the Rams and Dallas etc so many great formations and trick plays. KICK IT UP A FEW NOTCHES!!!!