“Back To The Lab”
November 11th, 2024
Lavonte David says he feels “shi*ty.”
So the Bucs defense ranks 30th in first downs allowed and 31st in yards allowed.
How can anyone spin that with a happy face? Perhaps by saying the Bucs only rank 28th in points allowed per game?
Joe is saddened by the demise of the Bucs defense, despite Calijah Kancey, Vita Vea, Lavonte David, Antoine Winfield and Jordan Whitehead being in the teeth of it.
Ex-Bucs quarterback Chris Simms was on Pro Football Talk today talking about how Todd Bowles needs to get his defense “back to the lab” during this week’s bye. Simms sounded appalled by the Bucs giving up big play after big play — week after week. He said “back to the lab” a few different ways.
Joe’s heard that same take from other analysts. And legions of Bucs fans heard the disbelief in Tom Brady’s voice on the FOX broadcast yesterday talking about how Tampa Bay needed to adjust to a 49ers team that focuses on throwing over the middle of the field.
If Joe hears “back to the lab” one more team, Joe will vomit profusely.
Is anyone willing to experiment in this mythical lab, or do they just want to hope certainly players improve?
“We hold ourselves to a high standard and we haven’t been upholding ourselves to our standards and it’s very disappointing. All 11 guys out there have to play better,” said an agitated Lavonte David in the postgame locker room yesterday.
David seems confident the Bucs defense has stopped tapping into its nasty side.
” … We played our tails off – never take that away from us, we’ll always play hard. We’ve got that part down, but we just have to execute better, play smart football, and play nasty football, play smart, aggressive football. Make plays,” David said.
“We’re not making enough plays – everybody, myself included – we’re not making enough plays. That’s all it comes down to.”
How does losing on defense feel, Lavonte?
“It feels shi*ty. It’s always in our hands,” David said. “As a defensive captain of this football team, I’m out there, I’m not doing enough. Everybody is not doing enough, so whatever it is, we have to dig deep and find it. Whatever it is, we have to fix it ASAP.”
There’s no great savior coming for the Bucs defense, though playmaker nickel cornerback Tykee Smith should be back after the current bye week and Jamel Dean should be right behind him. Dea should be a significant upgrade.
As for the lab, well, the Bucs might need a hazmat team to disinfect the place.
November 11th, 2024 at 10:59 am
Our defense sucks at every level…I’m starting to think it’s all Rachaad White’s fault. Joe, do you agree?
November 11th, 2024 at 11:02 am
I think getting a healthy defensie will make a huge difference. Who knows if they can stay healthy though…
November 11th, 2024 at 11:03 am
Just sad.
November 11th, 2024 at 11:07 am
There isn’t enough talent on this team to be elite right now, but there is enough to be at the very least average. I see a lot of fight which I appreciate from the players. Problem is too many players are lost especially in coverage. When there is no longer continuity because of injuries things have got to be simplified. This is where the defensive coaching staff are failing miserably. This is your assignment and don’t worry what anyone else is doing. Worry about doing your job! If one player is routinely getting beat so be it. Too many players on this team are trying to cover too much ground and leaving holes open everywhere instead of just one specific area.
November 11th, 2024 at 11:09 am
I’m sure that in LVD’s eyes the Bucs are playing hard, but they’re not playing well. They’re not matching up well against good offenses. Guys aren’t winning their 1-on-1’s and they’re out of position to be making good tackles. They all look slow out there to me. DLine especially is too light and isn’t holding their gaps well without more guys in the box, which plays havoc with their pass defense. Without an infusion of better talent, they’ll be lucky to make it into the Top 20 defensively.
November 11th, 2024 at 11:11 am
Bucnjim … Very nice analysis. Spot on.
November 11th, 2024 at 11:14 am
Had a hard time tackling yesterday
November 11th, 2024 at 11:19 am
Respectfully-
Lavonte and a few others should consider retirement and others should be pardoned from the team.
It’s a result driven business and these players are NOT performing.
November 11th, 2024 at 11:23 am
yeah, I feel sh**ty also, but can’t blame the four guys on defense that play hard and smart. The rest are not very talented. Fans have complained for a longtime about players on the defense that shouldn’t be starters much less in the NFL. With injuries the Bucs are now in an even worse situation. Jason will be forced to deal with the underachievers and stubborn Todd at the end of the season. Promote Coen to HC and let him run the offense and get a DC that can fix the defense. That includes getting real impact players on the defense.
November 11th, 2024 at 11:26 am
The Bucs refused to add needed players before the trade deadline. This caused us to play with players who were not ready for prime time. Also, Bowles uses his outside or edge rusher in coverage which they’re not capable of doing. Also his soft zone doesn’t work.
November 11th, 2024 at 11:30 am
This defense is a bad mix of talented veterans and edge-of-the-roster back-ups. Some of the breakdowns are being caused by the better players scrambling to make up for the deficiencies of guys who should not be on the field at all. It doesn’t help that the Bucs took their biggest defensive injuries in the position groups that they had the least depth (CBs and ILBs). The coaching staff’s scheme inflexibility, and inability to develop younger players is a huge factor contributing to the lack of pass rush pressure/sacks and defensive pratfalls.
November 11th, 2024 at 11:50 am
Asking a thirty five year old NFL warrior to rescue Todd’s defense is a lot to ask. Asking Jason why the team has so little in reserve is a bigger question.
November 11th, 2024 at 11:57 am
Is there any version of the 3-4 that DOESN’T rely on the ILB’s to be in pass coverage?
November 11th, 2024 at 12:21 pm
Beej … Seems like a lot of JBF commenters don’t know much about what the OLBs are responsible for in the ‘normal’ 3-4 defense. Also seems though that Bowles uses a ‘hybrid’ 3-4 that depends heavily on a strong interior DLine and fast ILBs to make it work. Without that, his heavy blitzing doesn’t create the necessary pressure and large areas become vulnerable. With good internal pressure (2019-2021 when we had Vea, Suh & RNR), quality OLBs like JPP & Shaq were able to feast (as was Devin White in his blitzing). Without the strong internal pressure, our OLBs aren’t achieving anywhere near the same level of performance. We’re also not doing a good job of gap control, and that’s negatively impacting us in run defense. We need more beasts in the middle of this defense (DLine & MLB).
November 11th, 2024 at 12:22 pm
Dean, Zyon smith will help tremendously. There’s no doubt and now we need that pass rusher and a middle linebacker to add with LVD. Then this defense should improve
November 11th, 2024 at 1:06 pm
Broken record. It’s the Coich, people.
November 11th, 2024 at 1:07 pm
The BUCS defense is a failure due to outdated and ineffective X’s and O’s coupled with too many practice squad level Jimmy’s and Joe’s.
November 11th, 2024 at 1:32 pm
Other than Vea on the d-line is there anyone who can overpower blockers. They draft too many lightweights who are not workout warriors. The pass rush is so weak and other than David and Smith the tackling is horrible.
Back to strategy on defense. Niners got the ball back with one timeout. Why in the hell were the Niners able to complete a couple of sideline passes, one to Jennings who broke off a weak tackle and got an extra 10 yards and stepped out.
It is inexcusable to not bring up the corners to play outside coverage so they have to come back to the middle of the field and burn up that last timeout. 2 completed passes of over 10 yards were allowed which Niners got out of bounds.
You cannot have corners playing 12 yards off and allowing the catch in front and then getting out of bounds.
TB should know better, he has been coaching a long time. No way should his defense give up the sidelines. You let them catch it in the middle and you tackle.
November 11th, 2024 at 1:54 pm
Time for a change.
November 11th, 2024 at 1:58 pm
This team will finish under 500. And even if they are above this number, its time for a change. I don’t want to see Baker Mayfield’s good years wasted for lack of a Defense. Its time for the Glazers to show us they have a pair….TODD BOWLES MUST BE FIRED.
November 11th, 2024 at 2:25 pm
Not sure if anyone noticed or not in yesterday’s debacle but, Zyon McCollum talked a good game all week leading up to game time. Then he went out and repeatedly got burned, missed tackles left and right and ultimately tapped out with a hamstring injury. Now don’t get me wrong, Zyon has played really good so far this season and has a bright future but, he got schooled yesterday. Perhaps he should humble himself and talk less and not buy his hype. He’s young and very talented but, he still has a lot to learn.
November 11th, 2024 at 3:28 pm
Our D will be fine going forward, providing the opposing team chooses to run every down. Except against D. Henry, that guy is hard to tackle.
Eeeks. FIX IT, COACH!! Do something, anything.
November 11th, 2024 at 4:41 pm
Kills me, Dean every time he gets beat ,he always has some kind of injury to leave the game..must be he taught the others to do the same 💩
November 11th, 2024 at 4:42 pm
Davis used to do the same thing
November 11th, 2024 at 4:43 pm
Great veteran leadership….
November 11th, 2024 at 5:05 pm
Time for Todd Balls to go , This Defence sucks for air …….
November 11th, 2024 at 6:00 pm
It’s funny how at the end of every training camp we proclaim what great depth we have at DB.
November 11th, 2024 at 6:37 pm
I don’t care if they give up big plays – what I care about is just sitting back in that complete and total trash soft zone and letting themselves get picked apart AND giving up big plays on top of it.
It’s amazing how in the one game where the Bucs played very aggressively, vs the Eagles, they completely shut them down. Yeah I know the Eagles were down their starting WRs, but Hurts had no time to get rid of the ball as the Bucs blitzed and played on the LOS. During the season, in other games, when they’ve played like that, they’ve looked like a competent defense. But when they just sit back in that super soft zone trash defense where everyone is just standing around (by design), they can’t stop anything.
I get it, if they play aggressive they’re going to give up big plays. Well, so what, I don’t care, since they’re already doing that. Also, playing aggressive, will lead to mistakes by other teams.
Why Bowles needs to be told this is beyond me.
Perhaps the first thing he should do is start calling the games again himself, maybe that alone might make a difference.
November 11th, 2024 at 7:09 pm
It’s hard to win games, when your defense can’t stop the opponent.
November 11th, 2024 at 7:13 pm
Lavonte David is the only player that seems to be making any kind of effort on the defense this year.
I’d be really pissed off, if I were him too!
November 12th, 2024 at 1:05 am
Back to the lab…..hmmmm…..
That’s it. Coach – back to the lab. The brain transplant lab. The football game management skill augmentation lab.
Ah what’s the use. Whatever lab it is, it will explode and just cause more injuries.