Devin White No. 2
November 5th, 2022
Big props.
Fans are starting to become very suspicious of Bucs Pro Bowl linebacker Devin White.
Maybe because White hit the zone in the 2020 playoffs. The guy was absolute fire and turned in three games that may be the best three-game stretch of any Bucs defender.
White was sideline-to-sideline, blasting guys, forcing fumbles, picking off passes. He was an absolute terror and lived up to his billing as the fifth-overall pick in the 2019 draft.
Since, White hasn’t come close to that level of consistent play. Oh sure, he’s had nice games and plays, but not stacked on top of each other like in the 2020 playoffs.
Maybe because of that, Bucs fans are starting to turn on White, or perhaps because of one play or two last week where he may have run out of gas or loafed, and Bucs legend Warren Sapp said he should have his team captaincy revoked.
Don’t turn on White, say the numbers from NextGen Stats.
Per NextGen Stats, White is considered the second-best off-the-ball (second-level) linebacker in the game this season. Only Demario Davis of the slimy Saints is better.
Tackling score: 86
Coverage score: 69
Pass rush score: 96
OVERALL SCORE: 86
Now Joe cannot say NextGen Stats lies because it is raw data coming from sensors inside players’ equipment and high-tech trackers placed throughout NFL stadiums.
The tackling score is odd to Joe because White is not, or at least hasn’t been recently, a good tackler. He has a nasty habit of trying to grab guys’ shoulder pads. He should know that’s weak sauce fundamentals. Put your shoulder pads in a guy’s ribs, man!
When it comes to pass coverage in a zone, White struggles. However, White is elite as an inside linebacker pass rusher. … If he would only learn not to try to grab quarterbacks by the shoulder pads.
White isn’t having a great year. Perhaps having Warren Sapp call him out publicly for not hustling like he did this week is a wakeup call. White clearly did not like it.
November 5th, 2022 at 10:04 am
Please guys have u ever done anything you really didnt want to do? Same goes here, he doesnt want to play for these clown coaches.
November 5th, 2022 at 10:10 am
This list is just silly. Some of Whites biggest issues is he can’t shed blocks and he plays hero ball and blows assignments. I don’t know where it takes those things into account. It’s hard to miss tackles when you are being blocked or running out of the play. Anyone that would take White over Fred Warner does not watch football.
November 5th, 2022 at 10:27 am
Box of rocks
Plays too fast
Thinks too slow
November 5th, 2022 at 10:31 am
3 game career. Move on.
November 5th, 2022 at 10:38 am
BANDWAGON Bucs fans are getting very suspicious and turning their back on White.
If ppl are gonna b!tch about defense, it’s been the huge loss of Carlton Davis and SMB. Teams been finding their number one or two WR against McCollum and it’s game over in the pass game.
November 5th, 2022 at 10:40 am
Caleb took the keys off of my keyboard. I was was going to comment virtually the same, so I’ll digress. 👏
November 5th, 2022 at 10:41 am
White is a good player, but nowhere near worth the 5th overall pick in 19. He’s worth keeping only if he’s paid for being a good and not great player.
November 5th, 2022 at 11:07 am
SB . He can think the defense has been playing good enough to win games again they’re doing their job. The offense is the reason why we are losing games . When you’re offense keep going 3 and out just about every time their own the field that keeps the defense on the field to long the players gets tired. Brady at 45 is holding this team back right now and that’s a fact. What’s crazy is we had a top 5 offense with a 32 ranked defense with the other quarterback and yall blamed the quarterback for the 32 ranked defense because they were on the field to long because of turnovers according to the people on here. Now the defense is actually holding offenses under 20 points and our offense can’t score now yall are complaining the defense lol 🤣🤣 . And we all know why because the lack of accountability for Brady.
November 5th, 2022 at 11:22 am
it all started with the “getting bored out there” statement he made…
and has been compounding ever since…
then the ravens game came, and the eye in the sky didn’t lie…
thus entering the city of tampa’s doghouse…
reality is he’s a damn good linebacker when dialed and focused…
and in the 2020 playoffs he was uber focused and machine-like
November 5th, 2022 at 11:56 am
Joe … ‘The tackling score is odd to Joe because White is not, or at least hasn’t been recently, a good tackler.’
Strange how the grass is always greener on the other team’s side of the field. MAYBE other ILBs aren’t really as good as some folks make them out to be. Or MAYBE Devin White is better than some folks give him credit for.
White was put in exactly the same no-win situation that Jameis Winston was. Jameis started 27 games at FSU, came to the pros as a 20-year-old & was promptly anointed ‘Savior’. Expectations were way too high as it turned out, especially in terms of leadership skills, and we all now how the story as Bucs’ starting QB ended. Devin started 25 games at LSU, came to the pros as a 21-year-old & was promptly anointed ‘Savior of the Defense’. Again, expectations have been way too high IMO, especially in terms of leadership skills.
Bucs did exactly the same thing with Kwon far as I’m concerned. In his case though, Bucs went even further & had him playing out of position. The 49ers, Saints & the Jets have all used him outside … the position that he played at LSU. Kinda reminds me some of how we miscast Mark Barron.
November 5th, 2022 at 12:03 pm
Adam from ny
It all started when “getting board out there”
TMZ or…uhum,uhum…other media outlets, grab it and stay running with it. Gotta find some way to fixate on one player to hate on for the bandwagon crowd now Brady personal life BS has calmed down. These media outlets…uhum, uhum…needs to get new material.
November 5th, 2022 at 12:15 pm
BTW I like seeing that Hooters wing girl
November 5th, 2022 at 12:19 pm
I’m not really too concerned about the defense as I am about the stagnant offense really I’m over the Devin loafing story happened move on but the offense is the same week in and week out just terrible hopefully they find a fix but not really confident in leftwichs ability to adjust to what he has on offense he call plays as if the personal hasn’t changed or injuries aren’t a thing. if I see another wr screen after another I’m gonna lose it lol.
November 5th, 2022 at 12:22 pm
He hasn’t looked, but linebackers are a product of their defensive line too.
Effort though has nothing to do with the guys around you.
November 5th, 2022 at 12:22 pm
Devin White is playing like number two.
November 5th, 2022 at 12:41 pm
When you lose, everybody gets a taste of the cold steel..or should. But I wonder when you Buc fans and writers are gonna start hittin up Brady for all of those errant and missed throws? He has had quite a few so far this season. Just sayin…..
November 5th, 2022 at 1:21 pm
With Shaq out we need to blitz White more. White doesn’t have ability to cover on pass plays so just blitz him from different positions. It doesn’t seem we can stop anybody on 3rd down. And it doesn’t seem our offense can convert a 3rd down.
November 5th, 2022 at 1:22 pm
The way White acted when asked about his poor performance makes me wonder if anyone in the Bucs organization is giving him any tough love, you know actually coaching him up. Maybe make him work on the things he is not good at like getting off blocks, taking wrong angles, improper run fits and tackling. There is no doubt he could be an elite linebacker in this league. It’s almost like he won a Super Bowl and got satisfied and decided he really didn’t need to work hard or put in extra work. I had an ole ball coach that used to tell us constantly, if you’re not getting better, you’re getting worse.
November 5th, 2022 at 1:47 pm
I see White making many mistakes, and appearing Lazy.
But I think the real problem with White and many of our players is, they are simply not in as good shape as they should be.
Combine poor shape with bad coaching, and you have these Bucs described in a nutshell.
Someone posted that White may not want to play for Todd Bowles, and that is a possibility.
I think we must win against the Rams or Bowles is in danger of losing the team.
It is a real shame that what could be Brady’s last year was wasted.
If anyone really thinks Brady is coming back to Tampa next year please share with me some of that good stuff you are smoking.
November 5th, 2022 at 2:19 pm
White has the 4th highest missed tackle rate among linebackers, 15.3. His coverage grade is 24th out of 32 qualifiers. His overall grade is 38.2, second worst. These are PFF advanced numbers. I think they reflect what all our collective eyes are telling us.
November 5th, 2022 at 2:20 pm
Oneilaints what other QB you talking bout? The one who got benched for dalton?
Tom Brady is playing bad but can you stop acting like winston is that dude smh. I told you he would be a journey man after the Bucs. Nothing wrong with that at least the Bucs got some ints outta him pick 6 also sweet.
November 5th, 2022 at 2:22 pm
Mike Johnson Brady’s tape is not good he needs to play better.
November 5th, 2022 at 2:47 pm
If you’re not an idiot and base your opinions on more than a single clip on Twitter, you’d know that White has been fine. Not his best year, but he’s not playing poorly. If you think that he is playing poorly, or is lazy or loafing, that’s on you and your incredibly low IQ.
November 5th, 2022 at 3:10 pm
Munch you were wrong about Jameis too
November 5th, 2022 at 3:12 pm
Rod, White committed a mortal football sin in that clip. From Pop to the pros, it’s inexcusable. Your high IQ must make you lazy.
November 5th, 2022 at 3:14 pm
SOE you say that the injuries at corner are the biggest problem… have you seen our run defense?!?
November 5th, 2022 at 3:27 pm
Tackling score: 86
Coverage score: 69
Pass rush score: 96
OVERALL SCORE: 86
.
.
No explanation for of how these scores are arrived at. For example, does the tackling score differentiate between stuffing a running back in the hole, and dragging him down 6 yards past the LOS by his jersey?
November 5th, 2022 at 3:34 pm
Redeemer – Being spent, from chasing the best running QB in NFL history (at least statistically speaking) is not the same thing as being lazy. If you watched the game, in particular on Amazon with their Prime Vision where you could see the entire field, you’d have noticed him on nearly every play being the fastest guy on defense and flying all over the place.
Now please, do better, don’t be such an incredible bore and have your own opinion and don’t just parrot some idiot on Twitter.
November 5th, 2022 at 3:49 pm
Sorry but I’m not buying the whole “he doesn’t want to play for these coaches”
BS.
These coaches have been his coaches his entire pro career. There’s only 1 guy missing this year from previous years, every other coach is the same.
That said- it is an indictment of this coaching staff that White still has such terrible tackling form. But now that Shaq is gone, White should be blitzing non stop. Just like they did in 2020.
November 5th, 2022 at 4:02 pm
If White wants to get that second big monster money contract with the Bucs he’s going to have to show up big time for the rest of this season
November 5th, 2022 at 4:09 pm
From the article:
All of us know this about Devin. We have had reasons to criticize him, but lack of hustle has never been one of those, until recently. I wish he had just come out and say that he’s not happy with himself for taking a play off, and it won’t happen again. The story would have died down if he had done that.
November 5th, 2022 at 4:26 pm
He just gets bored, leave him alone.
November 5th, 2022 at 4:30 pm
Its remarkable how you dullards just all just sync up like a house full of women. All just repeating the same fake news over and over again, zero original thought, nothing interesting, just mindless morons.
November 5th, 2022 at 4:49 pm
Rod Munch, it’s called the eyeball test. We don’t need to see stats, rankings or anything from these esteemed sports analysts to notice it. There seems to be a general consensus among most of the fans regarding Devin Whites regressed play. More should be expected of a top 5 overall pick who thinks he is the best and expects to be paid accordingly. If you are all alone in your thinking, perhaps you are the only genius here, or more likely, you are the mindless moron with the low IQ!
November 5th, 2022 at 4:54 pm
Rod he’s playing like number two. Plain and simple. That’s the headline and it’s true. Dropping deuces all over the field.
November 5th, 2022 at 5:10 pm
Country boy gone Hollywood
November 5th, 2022 at 5:46 pm
Just goes to show how ‘stats’ are oftentimes misleading…
Headline should more appropriately read:
“Devin White Playing Like #2”
November 5th, 2022 at 5:58 pm
Take a read of Sapp’s comments in an article in the Tampa Bay times;where he describes in great detail how white took himself out of position on 2 key plays both of which resulted in Ravens 1st downs .. White’s 3 personal fouls cost us 45 yrds in last yrs 1st game against the slimys which we then lost .. a few wks ago he made the dumbest comment that ” he was bored out there ” !!!
the guy is just a problem who should have been traded for some vet O-Line players . you simply cannot rely on him for 4 qtrs
November 5th, 2022 at 6:01 pm
Rod, running around out of position doesn’t equal effective play. I’ve watched the all 22 for the Ravens game. I’m using my eyes. So your excuse is he was tired. Following your logic, he’s either out of shape, or hurt. You’re on an island. He played great in September. I used my eyes to determine that too. He’s played terrible in October. If everyone else can see it, and you can’t, that’s your problem.
November 5th, 2022 at 7:01 pm
Mr. September is not playing well enough to be second in anything. Fred Warner plays better than him too. He doesn’t look as fast as he once was
November 5th, 2022 at 7:19 pm
He doesn’t look fast anymore because he’s was on the field for 58 plays in the first half. While the offense gets plenty of rest going 3 and out most of the time.
November 5th, 2022 at 7:50 pm
Oneilbuc nailed it, the offense is the culprit behind the entire defense. You can’t leave them out there that long with out sustained drives and scoring points. We should have only 1 loss maybe 2 thus far. Those guys are gassed for good reason. Those extra plays lead to injuries and a host of other problems. The blame lies mostly with the offense and how crappy it’s been.
November 5th, 2022 at 9:09 pm
What does NextGen stats say about last week when video evidence showed Linderbaum driving him 15 yards downfield on three different snaps?
Was he covering someone good on that play?
Or did his pass rush score increase from 90 to 96 last game?
Sorry, he was getting credit for tackling the center after those 15 yards!
Really the sensors have to tell the story — don’t they.
November 5th, 2022 at 10:00 pm
He’s dumber than his horse.
November 6th, 2022 at 12:18 am
Picknose. Way to piggyback. You’re number 2 too
November 6th, 2022 at 10:07 am
Suh and Vea would keep the big lineman off of him, not happening this year so yea he gets blasted 15 yds down field.DBacks are all horrible and can’t cover anyone. QB has 2 or 3 choices off the line to hit, they can release before pass rush gets there
November 6th, 2022 at 10:08 am
He gets tired after celebrating so hard!
November 8th, 2022 at 5:20 am
*&^%$#@@#% ! these !@@&* stats unless they give the breakdown of down distance how far past the line of scrimmage etc etc these grades are meaningless!!!! LBS can cover a guy for 5 yards can they cover for 20? 30 tackles in one game but if they are all 10 yards downfield? …See Barrett Ruud. Come on people wake up!!!
November 8th, 2022 at 5:39 am
Rod Munch Says:
November 5th, 2022 at 3:34 pm
Redeemer – Being spent, from chasing the best running QB in NFL history (at least statistically speaking) is not the same thing as being lazy. If you watched the game, in particular on Amazon with their Prime Vision where you could see the entire field, you’d have noticed him on nearly every play being the fastest guy on defense and flying all over the place.
Now please, do better, don’t be such an incredible bore and have your own opinion and don’t just parrot some idiot on Twitter
Agree with Not calling him lazy … And It seems everbody disagrees on the loafing play. But this is fact not my opinion.
I played 8 years of football (starting and playing all but a few snaps) and I never, ever, not once gave up on a play. Devons real problem is not that he loafed an a play. Film dont lie. His decicon making on the field is the real problem. Examples of him running himself out assignments are abundant on the all 22.