Todd Bowles’ Defense Always Changing
August 1st, 2024
Jordan Whitehead explains.
The return of Jordan Whitehead may be the most overlooked aspect of the Bucs.
When it seemed nearly every person with a laptop mocked the Bucs for not signing a key free agent this past offseason, Joe almost started hallucinating. Didn’t the Bucs sign Jordan Whitehead?
So Tuesday when Whitehead spoke before the Bucs’ night practice, he admitted he feels like he never left to spend two seasons with the Jets.
But he didn’t feel that way when he first returned. That’s because Bowles’ defense is different now.
“Oh, for sure,” Whitehead said when asked if Bowles’ defense has evolved. “They had two years to work on the defense and master the defense.
“Coach Bowles definitely put some more wrinkles into some of the calls. The D-line and linebackers, safety blitzes, he’s just dialing up more stuff. It’s fun to be in this defense. You never know what’s going to happen.”
Bowles has said if you don’t change up a defense at least every few years, not only do other teams catch on to what you are doing, a defense gets stale if not obsolete.
Whitehead will be a major addition, Joe believes. He’s grown as a player and Bowles said now he has no hesitation keeping Whitehead on the field all three downs.
You mix in Antoine Winfield, rookie Tykee Smith and Whitehead, Joe isn’t sure there is a better group of safeties.
August 1st, 2024 at 7:50 am
Hopefully his injury is minor.
August 1st, 2024 at 7:58 am
The keyboard journalists out there are like the peeps who fill out 16 different tournament cards in March. They’ll never talk about the other 15… just the one that got them closest. It’s just too easy to put Kirk Cousins in all the NFC South brackets and move on to another division. They did the same thing with Tom Brady and the Bucs a few years back. One major difference: It was Tom Brady! Jordan, Todd and Jason just need to keep the receipts.
August 1st, 2024 at 8:53 am
Are all the corners still playing 5-10 yards away from receivers on 3rd and 5?
Bowles has shown zero ability to come up with competent pass defense schemes. Until the pass defense and run offense are competent units this team is not going to be good.
August 1st, 2024 at 9:41 am
I’m a believer in Bowles and his evolving mindset and vibe right now. LFG
August 1st, 2024 at 9:49 am
I am also awaiting news on Whitehead’s injury. Scary.
August 1st, 2024 at 9:56 am
If our defense allows 18.5 pts per game this season-as we did last season? Oh my goodness gracious! We’ll win 14 games! I think the coach just wants to keep improving more than making any wholesale changes.
August 1st, 2024 at 10:00 am
“Bowles has shown zero ability to come up with competent pass defense schemes.”
SMH
August 1st, 2024 at 10:05 am
I agree. I think whitehead is huge. People forget Ryan Neal played poorly last year. Whitehead alone makes the defense much improved IMO.
August 1st, 2024 at 10:06 am
Whitehead got hurt ?
August 1st, 2024 at 11:26 am
#AsToddEvolves #15thpassingyardsdefense #25ppg #11-6
August 1st, 2024 at 12:22 pm
Update on Whiteheads “injury” @ please Joe!?!?
August 1st, 2024 at 2:06 pm
Yeah, the defense is different now. When Arians was here he kept them aggressive, then last year, Bowles sat back in his passive zone until the calls for him to be fired were at a fever pitch when the Bucs were 4-7, and he finally had to go back to being aggressive.
Then over the offseason you trade away by far your best corner, and get rid of your ALL-PRO MLB who excels at pressure because Bowles wanted him to just sit back in a soft zone defense and stand around in space.
We’ll see what happens – but I have no confidence that Bowles will do anything different than he did at the beginning of last year when he just had his defense standing around for half the year not doing much.