Bucs D-Line Has No Sacks; Matt Ryan’s Taken Nine
September 23rd, 2011
The stats show the Bucs’ defensive linemen have no sacks this season.
The stats also reveal that Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan has been on his back nine times already and has practiced little this week because of a roughed up knee.
This week Atlanta’s starting center returns from injury, and it’s pretty obvious the Falcons want to run the ball down the Bucs’ throat to help keep Ryan upright and because, well, because they’ve had a lot of success with that before against the run-porous Bucs.
Bucs DE Tim Crowder tells Rick Brown of the Lakeland Ledger that the Bucs will get their share of sacks — if they can manage to stop the run and force 3rd-and-long opportunities.
“We’ve made progress,” said defensive lineman Tim Crowder. “In the first game we didn’t have too many opportunities rushing the passer….In the second week, we got behind because we didn’t stop the run too good. We got to stop the run before we even think about rushing the passer.
“It’s not really pressure to get to the quarterback,” he said. “The pressure is stopping the run again. We’ve got to earn the right to stop the passer. Stop the run first to the point where you know they can’t run anymore. That’s when sacks come, that’s when pressures, quarterback hits come where you just pin your ears back and get after it.”
Joe surely wouldn’t bet a nickel the Bucs will stop the run this week or knock Ryan around. If the Bucs are to win, they’ll need a big day from the secondary, to prevent big plays in the running game, and the offense is going to have to fire out of the gate in the first quarter instead the deer-in-the-headlights garbage of the last two weeks.
Joe’s also figuring Maurice Stovall 1,000+ miles away will be a welcome sight if the Bucs grab another fourth-quarter lead on Atlanta. Actually, Joe can’t say enough about the Bucs’ special teams this season. Rock solid all around.
September 23rd, 2011 at 10:20 am
Our D Line should break out this week. Hopefully Clayborn will push their LT Baker around like a little kid. After watching the Falcons last week Trent Cole dismantled Baker almost every play and caused havoc for Matt Ryan. Hopefully Clayborn can be half as successful as Cole was
September 23rd, 2011 at 10:32 am
Lord I have nightmares of Maurice not pushing Weems or whoever it was out of bounds only to have him tiptoe down the sideline for the season ending score. I think I wake up in a cold sweat screaming “push him out!! push him out!!!” Too bad that one play was the biggest impact Stovall made in his whole Buccaneer career (a negative one) and it cost us the playoffs.
September 23rd, 2011 at 10:48 am
I’m not so worried about slow starts as long as they remain a 4th quarter football team. Joe, Stovall was one our best special teamers for years.
September 23rd, 2011 at 11:31 am
I’m with you on that reoccurring nightmare, Joe! I will never forget that play. It torments me.
I think we will get some sacks On Ryan this week. I hope it’s enough. I hope it doesn’t come down to the seconday. Barber is playing great( as always). Biggers is OK. Talib is playing badly. I don’t know if it’s rust or what, but he isn’t playing up to his level- which was never as good as some here think.
By the way, the “sporting News” top 100 players list came out yesterday. It’s voted on by Players, Coaches, Scouts. Freeman was on it. So was Mile Williams.
But, as ussual, – no Aqib. He’s a 5th year player. The prime of his Career, an nothing. I’m telling you, he’s a good CB, but not great. Some people greatly overrated that guy.
Nnamdi, by the way, was rated as the 12th best player in the league. We should have signed that guy. I hope not, but am worried that our secondary will have a loooong day Sunday, even with good Pressure from the line!
September 23rd, 2011 at 11:46 am
Dink and dunk Ryan needs to go down.
September 23rd, 2011 at 12:01 pm
Talib playing badly?! A pick six.. One touchdown given up to Calvin Johnson in man to man coverage and the other given up because sean jones wasnt where he should have been in zone coverage.. Talib was a fingernail away from breaking up both catches by the way.. and he hasnt played since getting injured mid year last season? You must be tailgating already Captain Jim.. Namdi is a good CB maybe one of the top 5 in the league but if you ask me id rather have Talib and his playmaking ability over a Namdi who is not much of a playmaker and somewhat overrated
September 23rd, 2011 at 12:07 pm
It’s difficult to even read this blog through all the advertisements…
September 23rd, 2011 at 12:30 pm
Joe here,
@FireGregOlson – Can’t run the daily effort without the ads. Readership grows every month …
September 23rd, 2011 at 1:02 pm
Realtalk- Talib didn’t make a play on the “pick 6”. Jones made a play, and knocked the ball to Talib . Aqib may have been a “fingernail” from breaking up the two TDs, but the NFL is a league of “fingernails”. Being a fingernail too slow is the difference between stardom and unemployment! Talib was Man on man with Johnson, and Johnson beat him. Jones had deep center against Burlson, who actually ran a deeper go route. Once the Ball was throw, Jones tried to give aid, but was too far away
2 games, 9 receptions and 2 TDs given up. Not good. I said that Talib is better than that- hell, Sabby is better than that! Meybe he’s rusty, or still has a lingering injury. Meybe all the court crap has him distracted. But he needs to play better than that against Atlanta, or Roddy White and Julio Jones will kill him- and us
And I don’t wanna see any of that 3-3-5 defense we played last year to cover for him!! That kills our pass rush and our run defense. With a 4-3-4 this year, we’ve gotten pressure, and played the Run Better!
Talib has gotta “nut up or shut up” . I hope he finds his game again- we are in trouble without him.
September 23rd, 2011 at 1:10 pm
Capt Tim, A word from a fan of yours. I enjoy your posts because you are usually right on and you have a one-of-a-kind wit that is enviable. But, I would argue with you on these facts, not opinions, facts: (1) Talib is the best CB the bucs have NOW. (2) When he is on the field, the secondary is better NOW. (3) Other teams respect his play and game plan around him NOW. All the things you said in your post may be true, but does not change one fact stated above. You can convince me all day that O.J. Simpson and Lawrence Taylor are bad men, but you can never convince me that they weren’t excellent football players. Please don’t let your opinion of Talib, the man, color your opinion of Talib’s value to the Bucs NOW. Can the Bucs do better? Probably, but not NOW. Still a fan and look forward to your next post!
September 23rd, 2011 at 1:14 pm
Real talk- once an Artist dies, all of his work improves, and becomes more valuable.
In Tampa, if you get suspended by the league, you are a great player. Multiple suspensions- you are an Elite player, that the team cannot win without- lol
Aqib Talib and Tanard Jackson both have Talent, But even if they played hard, were dedicated to the game, anddidnt have all the rediculious off the field BS, neither would ever see a ProBowl nomination. Neither ever has, and they have been here awhile. I believe we have safeties better than Tanard on the roster, playing right now. Talib is a talented player- but he’s not playing good now- and he needs to! I don’t know if the talented Myron Lewis is ever gonna stay on the field. It’s gonna be a hard game for the secondary Sunday. Contrary to popular believe- Ronde Barber is still our best Corner. Let’s hope the rest Step up
September 23rd, 2011 at 1:22 pm
Macabee- wow! Thank you, I am really humbled by your kind words, as sometimes I think I’m full of BS, and didn’t think anyone reads my post- Thanks
And I agree! I think Barber is still more talented, when you factor in Age, Talib is probably our best CB. While I don’t agree with many, who believe he is a shut down Corner, he has talent.
That’s why I’m concerned he hasnt played well
For all the Hot air I spew here- first and Foremost I an a Buc Fan. I want Talib to play great, straighten his life out, and become the best player he can be- which would be pretty good! I want evey Buc player to succeed, and don’t wanna see any young man ruin his life.
September 23rd, 2011 at 1:55 pm
Capt. Tim, Talib was ranked the BEST DB last year by the NFL alum. Talib played well last week matched up with Jenkins and Berrian, and only had one bad mistake against Detroit. Hes a very very good corner who makes the defense better and makes plays. Get your facts straight man, Talib has played good coming off injury.
September 23rd, 2011 at 1:58 pm
Fully agree with the Capt here. Just go back to last year and look at the film. To start the season Talib gave up a 41 yard TD to Massoquoi of the Browns, week 2 was a 37 yarder to Steve Smith in Carolina, and week 3 was the tipped (missed by a fingernail) 41 yard TD to Wallace against the Steelers. Yeah, Talib makes INTs too. He even returns some for TDs. But he’s always giving up the big play. He bites on the double move to jump the route for the INT and gets burned deep. That’s not a shut-down CB, that’s an opportunistic CB that hurts a team as much as helps. There were more cases last year, but I got tired of tracking back after 3 weeks. But from memory, he was getting handled by Derrick Mason in the Ravens game too.
September 23rd, 2011 at 2:34 pm
Yup! And it goes on. Frustratingly, he has the talent to be better. If he could just be a tad more diciplined, he would stop giving up TDs.
And he needs to! He gave up 10 times more than he scored.
September 23rd, 2011 at 2:34 pm
Hey, BamBamBuc, I like a guy that does research. Let’s do as you suggest. Let’s look at last year’s tape. Now tell me of the 10 games that the Bucs won that Talib played in, which ones did his reckless play almost cause us to lose? Or better, Which close game did we lose in which Talib played did his reckless play actually cause us to lose? And while you’re at it, which shutdown CB did we have that you would have replaced Talib with in the games that we won? It’s all on tape. Oh, one other favor, if you don’t mind, which shutdown corner from the bucs, would you start in his place Sunday?
September 23rd, 2011 at 3:52 pm
@ capt.. i see your points but..Lets not forget that Calvin Johnson is the best WR in the league he would do that against Darrelle Revis or any other top DB i mean the Guy is 6’5 225 Runs like a gazelle and jumps higher than probably every DB in the league.. Give Talib a break he is not a Shutdown corner (yet) but the potential is there im just saying he hasn’t played badly this year
September 23rd, 2011 at 5:30 pm
Capt.,
Are you saying that the TD on fourth down to Calvin Johnson was Talib’s fault? Uh, Morris and Jones have both said he missed his assignment. Talib was playing zone coverage and Jones was supposed to have help over the top. Not to mention the fact that Jones didn’t touch the ball, the ball was touched by Talib. I’ll give you that Talib could have and probably should have still made the play (that’s what great corners do), but your facts are simply wrong. I know you don’t like Talib, and I agree he is not elite, but he’s BY FAR the best we have, and he has not played poorly this year. In fact, according to the coaches (and Joe’s favorite Pewter Report), Talib only gave up one reception to Johnson (the one yard TD catch). The rest was in zone coverage where Johnson was out of his zone. Maybe that’s true and maybe it’s not, but it’s not like Johnson doesn’t light up just about everyone he goes up against.
By the way BamBam, Talib didn’t play against Cleveland, so he probably didn’t give up a TD to Massaquoi, lol. Remember, he was in the luxury suites getting liquored up. When you do go up against the other teams best week in and week out, you are likely to get burned a few times. No doubt he gave up a few early last year, but he played much more disciplined as the year went on. This year is too early to tell, but we shall see.
September 23rd, 2011 at 7:02 pm
Ha, Hawaiian, so true. I forgot all about that. That’s the one game I didn’t watch over. Yep, his mistake that game was that he showed up!!! Either way, I have seen him get burned deep many times over so in my opinion he’s a far cry from a shutdown corner. Allow me to replace the Massoquoi TD with the 43 yarder to T.O. the week after the Steelers game to the Bengals. Or maybe the 41 yard TD to Lance Moore in the Saints game the week after that (although rumor has it Talib never heard that the play called for man coverage). So, we could go with the pass to Meacham for 43 yards and a TD, but that was cover 2 and he was between Talib and Grimm and neither could get there. What I’m getting at here is there are MANY plays to look at showing his failure as a shutdown corner, while still being a pretty good one.
macabee – I wouldn’t say we have another one on the roster to take his spot, this year or last year. I never did say that, nor did I say to bench him. I am merely stating that he’s NOT a shutdown corner like so many want to believe he is. He’s an opportunistic CB that gets burned jumping routes as often as he successfully gets the pick. If I had to choose games, as you mention, I’d say the Cincy game was a close game that we won, but could have gone the other way based on the T.O. TD and getting schooled by Derrick Mason in the Ravens game all game long was a game we lost because he’s not a shut down corner. No, he wasn’t responsible for the horrible Todd Heap TD that Sabby blew the coverage on. He also didn’t get the horrible PI call that was on Myron Lewis that set up Mason’s TD. But watch the game (against the Ravens), Mason was killing Talib.
September 23rd, 2011 at 7:10 pm
Let me put it this way… the Bucs don’t have ANY shutdown CBs, but as a group last year, they did pretty well considering the lack of pass rush and having to help in run support all year. Talib is probably the best we have, and Ronde is surprisingly sound still. Biggers is getting better, but still has work to do. Lewis can’t stay healthy. And I don’t think another late rounder in Gaitor is really the answer either.
September 23rd, 2011 at 9:20 pm
Pretty hard to argue with anything you said BamBam.
September 23rd, 2011 at 10:48 pm
BamBam, now I agree with you 100%. I am no Talib fan per se, I am a Buc fan first and foremost. That is why I conditioned my original post with the word NOW. When the Bucs get a CB to replace Talib, I will gladly move on too! It’s late and I don’t want to start another debate, but I wish you guys would research the term “ShutDown Cornerback”. There are football scholars that believe the description began and ended with Deion Sanders. While the term has loosely been ascribed recently, to Asoumgha and Revis, there have been so many changes to the game with so many different offensive sets that many experts believe it is literally impossible to shutdown one side of the field today. But I get your point, and the debate ends here for me!
September 23rd, 2011 at 11:51 pm
Yeah, there are 2 of what I consider “shutdown corners” in the NFL – Revis and Nnamdi. That’s the list, and Talib’s not on it and very well may never be on it. I still think he is a pro bowl caliber corner, but not in the same ballpark as those 2.
September 24th, 2011 at 8:54 am
HawiianBuc- “the list ends with those two”. There are A few more. But it is a short list. And Talib isn’t on it.
In the division with the greatest QBs and WRs, we sure could use a Shut down CB. And we could have had one. We’ll see in Atlanta how much of a “team Strenght” our secondary is. I hope it’s enough.last year, those two games were both Really close. Let’s see how we stack up this year.