Can The Defense Be Repaired?
November 9th, 2024
Defense too complex?
The Bucs did a nice job keeping Pat Mahomes sort of in check. Sort of.
Mahomes “only” had three touchdown passes and completed 34 of 44 attempts.
The way the Bucs have played pass defense this year, it could have been so much worse.
So can the Bucs do the same Sunday against Brock Purdy and the 49ers? Playing Purdy each of the past two seasons, the Iowa State product pretty much had his way with the Bucs.
Through two games, both in the heart of Silicon Valley, Purdy completed a total of 37 passes in 46 attempts for an 80 percent completion percentage.
Making his first NFL start in 2022 against the Bucs, Purdy threw for two touchdowns. Last year he threw for three touchdowns while racking up 333 passing yards.
Purdy has yet to throw a pick against the Bucs.
Yick!
So just looking at those numbers, this is shaping up to be a long Sunday afternoon tomorrow at The Licht House.
Per BSPN, only one team is getting lit up on the scoreboard the past three weeks in the NFL as bad as the Bucs. And that’s the terrible Titans.
(Joe would still like to know why we cannot use the abbreviation of “Titans” like those of the Buccaneers [Bucs] and the Jaguars [Jags].)
The Buccaneers have allowed 34 points per game during their three-game losing streak, which is the second most during that span (the Titans have allowed 34.3).
All from a defensive-minded head coach. In a way, Joe feels sorry for Todd Bowles.
The Bucs have needed an inside linebacker for weeks. But what has the team done to fill this hole? Wait on a guy the Bucs have had in the building since last year who just now grasped Bowles’ defense enough to play three snaps on defense in Kansas City? Or the guy who’s been there for years?
Maybe Bowles needs to start dumbing down his defense. It’s been bad this year and if a guy who has been in the building for a year is just now able to figure it out, maybe this defense is too complex and that’s why dudes can’t “communicate?”
November 9th, 2024 at 10:04 am
Yes, the defense can be repaired…next year with a new DC.
November 9th, 2024 at 10:08 am
Not if Hayes, Britt and Whitehead are getting the majority of snaps.
November 9th, 2024 at 10:18 am
Joe … ‘ if a guy who has been in the building for a year is just now able to figure it out, maybe this defense is too complex and that’s why dudes can’t “communicate?”
And MAYBE that guy shouldn’t have been in the building at all Joe? There are several guys on this team who clearly are not NFL material for the 53-man roster. Practice Squad? MAYBE.
From my vantage point, Bucs are playing an 8-man defense against 11-man offenses. Sorry, but the NFL isn’t like MLB where they used to hide the worst fielder on the team out in right field & tell the pitcher to pitch accordingly. You can’t hide a MLB in the NFL. You can’t hide an outside CB in the NFL. And you certainly can’t hide a starting OLB in the NFL. And yet that’s exactly what Bowles is being asked to do because this front office divested themselves of Davis, Shaq & White (representing $43.5 mil in annual salary) but replaced them with players who obviously aren’t starting-caliber (and are MUCH cheaper at roughly $5 mil per year).
November 9th, 2024 at 10:22 am
This is going to be tough this week. Unlike the Bucs, the 49rs expect to be in the playoffs and contend for the SB. They are getting more healthy as the season goes on. The 49rs view this game as a must win, and it is with their aspirations. What a contrast between my home town team and my sinking BUCs
November 9th, 2024 at 10:30 am
Speaking of Whitehead, anybody know what’s the deal with him? When he left here he was like a junk yard dawg tough. Now he seems more like Granny’s little Chippawah doggie.
November 9th, 2024 at 10:36 am
Not going to improve this week unless their entire starting lineup goes down
November 9th, 2024 at 10:41 am
“The Bucs did a nice job of keeping”
That was probably the best game Mahomes has had in a year but yeah whatever helps you get theiugh the day
November 9th, 2024 at 10:44 am
“The Bucs did a nice job of keeping Pat Mahomes sort of in check. Sort of.”
That was probably the best game Mahomes has played in a year but yeah whatever helps you get through the day
November 9th, 2024 at 10:44 am
Whitehead is hurt. His shoulder is gone.
Izien needs to start.
Period!
November 9th, 2024 at 10:44 am
Todd Bowles is not going to get us to the promised land. Sure, he will get us to above 500 here and there. But He is not our man. Time for a change guys. Get a new HC and hire a new DC. Don’t push Cohen into HC just yet.
November 9th, 2024 at 10:46 am
Defense Rules,
Good line, “8 man defense against 11 man offense.” Wasn’t much better last year. When Bucs needed a shut down at the end of the game, they could not manage it. Not trying to take Bowles off the hook, but really there is a talent and speed deficiency on this defense. Very few of Bucs defenders would replace defensive players on NFC contending teams. Hope there is a major overhaul next year.
November 9th, 2024 at 10:47 am
I think Joe hit the nail on the head. If you have an amazingly complex defense AND it regularly holds other teams to less than 200yds, or all the yds they want but a couple field goals, it’s worth seeking out the personell to operate it. But even with Bowles’ guys this D hasn’t been nearly as effective as it was the first couple yrs (yeah, edge rush). It’s gone from bend don’t break to bend over.
So if the D isn’t capable AND it’s complicated as hell something has to give. The old, utilize the talents of the guys you DO have available. Stop handwringing about the lack of talent. Todd, use your damn coaches and create a scheme that suits your personnel, otherwise you look stupid and we look at draft picks.
November 9th, 2024 at 10:50 am
Joe’s standard for Mahomes is much higher than 290 yards. MUCH higher.
You would have preferred Mahomes go off for 500 yards and five touchdowns? That would have made you feel better?
November 9th, 2024 at 10:54 am
As can be said for most NFL quarterbacks
November 9th, 2024 at 10:54 am
Bucs had 4 sacks of Mahomes. Bucs are 8th in the league in sacks. Getting to the QB is not the problem. There are 19 teams better than the Bucs when it comes to rush yards allowed. This is an issue for a team that always prided itself on stopping the run. There are 29 teams better than the Bucs in passing yards allowed. This is a huge issue and it would appear the Bucs simply do not have the personnel to deal with these above mentioned issues. Who is at fault? The GM and the coach are equally responsible.
November 9th, 2024 at 10:56 am
So our Defense is too complex for our players to understand it (even though some are in the team for years) but so easy for opposing QBs to have their best game of the season. That sounds good.
Go Bucs
November 9th, 2024 at 11:01 am
Overall low talent level on defense coupled with a defensive plan that is no longer effective. It doesn’t help that the HC constantly makes bad decisions in tight games. Time for Todd to move on and for Jason to get some decent FAs next year.
November 9th, 2024 at 11:08 am
We need Dean back
November 9th, 2024 at 11:09 am
Yes
November 9th, 2024 at 11:15 am
I’ll be really disappointed if Todd and this def
Doesn’t put their big boy pants on and start playing like the f iNG Tampa Bay Buccaneers
November 9th, 2024 at 11:21 am
Troy Hill is a 9 year NFL veteran and currently is buried on the practice squad , give Troy a shot.
November 9th, 2024 at 11:39 am
Joe says:
You would have preferred Mahomes go off for 500 yards and five touchdowns? That would have made you feel better?
Of course not… By point was this defense isnt stopping anyone… It makes rookie qbs look all world and its an elixir for ailing qbs
November 9th, 2024 at 11:39 am
We get some sacks when we blitz. The OTHER 95% of qb dropbacks….the guy has enough time to listen to Kamala explain something
November 9th, 2024 at 11:41 am
“Can The Defense Be Repaired?”
100%, absolutely!
get rid of the knuckle head screwing things up and bring in a DC that can coach talent to be a winning team!!!
November 9th, 2024 at 11:59 am
I am betting against the Bucs for the first time in my life. It is not that I don’t believe in our players, I just don’t think Todd has what it takes to out coach SF, (see Tod’s record against their coach) he is too Stubborn and arrogant (my idea of defense is the best) to adjust to a different league than when he played. Adapt or die Todd.
November 9th, 2024 at 12:01 pm
Maybe Bake can bail Todd out, only way I see the Bucs winning.
November 9th, 2024 at 12:09 pm
Containing Mahomes is somewhat true ,,, they did contain him very well on 1st and 2nd down,,, 3rd downs were hard to watch ,, almost every one of them ! Seems like the same story every week,,, even when it’s 3rd and 20 bowels is fine with giving up 15 to 17 or the outright first down,,, we all know that when we lost the coin flip in OT the game was over ,,, 2nd time this year ,,,, the positive is this ,, if Bucs can somehow , someway , sneak into the playoffs at say 9-8 ,, they are a dangerous team,, IMO
November 9th, 2024 at 12:32 pm
The 49ers aren’t really as good as last year offensively. The BUCS can play good defense when they want to. Woman have that time of the month. The BUCS have that time of the season.
November 9th, 2024 at 12:33 pm
1. Our scheme doesn’t work without pressure up front
2. Our secondary is slow and plays 10 yards off the line
3. 5 INT’s in 9 games is garbage
November 9th, 2024 at 1:11 pm
Re: Defense Rules, point
Players not having the physical talent ends up looking like a receiver catching the ball with the defender a 1/2 to 1 step away from the PBU. There is some of that. However, we are seeing far too many plays where the receiver is running 5 yards open. That is on coaching. That is on Bowles. Not only is that happening far too many times, we are seeing it w/ AWJ on the field, we are seeing it w/ Whitehead on the field. We were seeing it w/ Dean on the field, all of which, have outstanding physical tools. This is not exclusively about the Jimmy and the joe’s. Heck, Bowles even admits much of these issues are poor communication. He admits it. Now, he has to fix it.
November 9th, 2024 at 1:14 pm
Don’t think it’s a defense that is too complicated but it’s a defense that doesn’t have enough talent and you can’t fix that without getting outside help which the bucs decided not to do. 🤷 Go bucs!
November 9th, 2024 at 1:48 pm
By whom?
November 9th, 2024 at 1:56 pm
Mike Johnson, don’t push him to head coach? Are you dense man?! He will be a head coach next year, if not for the Bucs, somewhere. Worst take of the day right here smh.
November 9th, 2024 at 1:57 pm
We can win if there are no Bowles Blunders.
November 9th, 2024 at 1:59 pm
OF COURSE THE DEFENSE IS TOO COMPLEX.
It’s been that way since Lovie was set up with two of the better press-man corners in the game and insisted on running Cover Who softshell zone. And he’s too oblivious that his guys can’t remember all the nuances, derivatives, scenarios and variants. If you put Einstein’s brain into Zyon’s body, maybe.
And he coaches his players down, not up. Vita would be on a HOF trajectory if he played for Brian Flores, for example. Instead, Lovie uses him as a 350 pound defensive back.
Fire him at 4:46pm EST Sunday.
November 9th, 2024 at 2:20 pm
They need another whole entire season of growth and development, to go along with, another strong draft and ‘smart’ moves in free agency to plug and fill holes (with young talent on the same timeline). THIS can be a “Championship-Caliber” DEFENSE by 2026, if they are smart, patient, and play their cards right. I believe there are ‘pieces’ already here, that they can build around… Winfield Junior (should have great ‘trade value’ down the road too), Kancey, Yaya, Braswell, Izien, McCollum, Dennis. They are VERY young. It’ll just take a little more time for them to get to where they need to be. It’s why I’m not worried. There are ‘moves’ to be made this off-season… Dean, Vea (and I believe RWhite and MEvans). We have THE MOST ‘important’ spot (in the modern day NFL) already filled, & that is PLAY-CALLER/OC… They HAVE TO Do Whatever They Need To Do In Order To KEEP HIM HERE. Period. It’s just way to hard to find the ‘right’ person or replacement. You CAN’T let him go! So, if it requires ‘doubling’ his salary and naming him “Head Coach In-Waiting,” or moving Bowles to a FO/Ambassador role immediately, or WHATEVER… You Gotta DO What YOU GOTTA DO. You CANNOT Allow Him To Walk Out That Door.
November 9th, 2024 at 2:22 pm
Coach Bowles can’t play for em ! This coach knows talent and from what I saw last week he has the Bucs defense playing better. Question is will they continue to play better ? If so Purdy and company may have problems.
They have to execute and play like they are coached, once that happens, we will be hard to defeat!!
You gotta believe!!
Go Bucs !!! L G !!!
November 9th, 2024 at 2:24 pm
“Einstein’s Brain In Zyon’s Body” – Dave Pear. Now, THAT Is Funny!!!! Lmao. He seems like a good dude… Plays HARD.
November 9th, 2024 at 11:31 pm
Yay, Verily!!!
November 10th, 2024 at 10:19 am
As I predicted would happen last week, the Bucs defense did, indeed, surrender more points to the Chiefs than any defense they played this season.
On a positive note, the Bucs offense almost scored more points than an other team this season against a formidable Chiefs defense (the Bengals scored one more point than the Bucs).
November 10th, 2024 at 10:26 am
MelvinJunior wrote: “There are ‘moves’ to be made this off-season… Dean, Vea (and I believe RWhite and MEvans)”
Rachaad White is the only one of that group who could be moved without incurring MASSIVE dead cap hits.
November 10th, 2024 at 4:43 pm
Don’t Wait till the End of this Season, Make the Coach “Walk the Plank” Now! The Offense Got Better, the Defense… There is No Defense. Buccaneers Owners are Wasting a Special Offense, To Do Nothing is Beyond Cruel.