Blocking Props To Bucs
December 18th, 2021
No fishing for good blocking.
Leave it to a former offensive lineman to laud a team for superior blocking.
And that is the case with retired Bucs guard and current local sports radio personality Ian Beckles. After the Bucs beat the Bills in overtime, Beckles decided it was time to give others credit for helping the Bucs win.
Don’t get Beckles wrong. He loves Brady. Beckles said there were a couple of passes completed in last week’s game that “might be made by six people on earth,” but he did point out the Bucs wouldn’t have the best record in the NFL a week before Christmas if they were a one-player team.
Atop Beckles’ list for shoutouts, is every blocker, including receivers downfield.
“Gotta start giving a lot of credit to the offensive line,” Beckles said on his podcast “In the Trenches.” “They barely get [Tom Brady] hit. [Ryan] Jensen had a tough game. I know he was beat up a little bit. But other than that the offensive line plays hard.
“Donovan Smith on the backside of that Leonard Fournette touchdown had an amazing block. I see Chris Godwin making blocks downfield all the darn time.”
Joe loves watching it. Everyone blocks. Physical play. And Beckles sees a spark in the Bucs’ eyes.
“This is a football team that enjoys playing with each other,” Beckles said. “It helps when you are winning. When you are winning, everything is better, that is a fact.”
Beckles also pointed out a new concern. Ever since Bucs defensive coordinator Todd Bowles came here, the Bucs have had a very special run defense that is now getting leaky.
In fact, since Bucs Super Bowl-winning coach Bucco Bruce Arians bragged how no one runs on the Bucs, teams have begun doing just that.
“The last four games the Bucs are giving up 6.3 yards a rush,” Beckles said. “In four whole games! And [the Bucs] won! This is a weird football team to me.”
Weird in that a defense is giving up so many rushing yards in the last four games, yet the Bucs have won all four.
And another thing about that run defense: Here comes Alvin Kamara.
December 18th, 2021 at 5:20 am
Devin White has been banged up for a few weeks and during that time our run defense as taken a nosedive. Can’t be a coincidence. I know the saints have our number in the regular season, but we are a much better team at home and should at worst squeak out a win.
December 18th, 2021 at 6:08 am
With JPP playing with essentially one arm the next best run stopper to take on some snaps is Will Gholston. IMO, Joe Tryon has more than the rookie wall to climb, he needs to bulk up and learn to play the run better. He has his work cut
out for him in the offseason. He has to be more than a pass rushing specialist.
December 18th, 2021 at 8:09 am
I remember back when Ian Beckles played, but it has been so long since he played that I now associate him with Food!
And sports talk, of course!
I am glad he decided to stick around Tampa, even when his career was over.
December 18th, 2021 at 9:11 am
“This is a weird football team to me.”
Exactly.
December 18th, 2021 at 9:26 am
Our O-line play this year has been outstanding to me. Perhaps this unit is the strength of this team? Not sure, but they’ve been darn good, and a pleasure to watch.
GO BUCS!!
December 18th, 2021 at 11:44 am
The O-line is THE reason why this team is consistently winning. We have a 44 year old statue playing QB and putting up MVP numbers, and he doesn’t get touched. Brady is incredible, obviously, but he’s able to operate in a mostly clean pocket on the vast majority of his pass attempts.
The run defense doesn’t worry me much at all. I’m still fairly convinced that they are allowing teams to run more by design to protect their pass defense on the back side. The problem in that Bill’s game was the redzone defense wasn’t forcing field goals instead of TD’s. They have to hold teams to 3 rather than 7.
December 18th, 2021 at 11:45 am
I hope he threw that snook back. No way that is in the slot.
December 18th, 2021 at 11:45 am
What now Joe?
December 18th, 2021 at 2:33 pm
Really nice snook Ian, where did you catch it? LOL, probably weedon island, where all the big snook get caught.
December 18th, 2021 at 2:35 pm
BTW, snook are out of season rite now, he’d lose his boat if caught keeping that big fish now.
December 18th, 2021 at 2:57 pm
Our blocking has been average. Tom Brady makes this line look better because he is the best at getting rid of the ball quickly.
If our O-line was perfect he wouldn’t be mentioned on the injury report.
December 19th, 2021 at 3:42 pm
When Tom Brady who is famous for getting rid of the ball in under 2 seconds can feel comfortable standing in the pocket for over 4 seconds waiting for Perriman to get open on his crossing routes it tells a lot who the strength of this offense is. Without it Brady doesn’t do the things he does