Rotten Tackling
February 14th, 2012
Arm-tackling around the shoulders is not the way to bring ballcarriers down but is a favorite technique of Aqib Talib, which is why Pro Football Focus rates Talib among the worst tacklers in the NFL.
Somewhat to Joe’s surprise, when he has brought up the issue of the Bucs secondary and dared suggest the Bucs could be looking at three different starters and perhaps four, no one has mocked Joe.
Here’s a little bit of evidence why the Bucs could (should?) have a brand new secondary in 2012: the Bucs secondary was horrible at tackling.
The numbers crunchers at ProFootballFocus.com reviewed all the game tape and banged out an Excel spreadsheet to show of the 20 worst tackling cornerbacks in the NFL, three of them were on the Bucs roster.
Ronde Barber (No. 97), Aqib Talib (No. 89) and E.J. Biggers (No. 81) were cited as among the worst offenders of bad tackling in the NFL.
Now maybe Ronde — who Joe believes at some point belongs in the Pro Football Hall of Fame — is just getting old and that is why he is missing so many tackles?
There is no such excuse for Talib, who loves to try to arm-tackle up high, which would make any high school much less Pee Wee football coach watching this tactic likely throw up on a living room rug.
It just astounds Joe that the most sacred, simplest tenant of fundamental defensive football is allowed to be ignored at such a rate in the NFL, and that is wrapping up.
Hell, Kyle Arrington, cited by ProFootballFocus, as one of the best tacklers in the NFL, decided to blow up Ahmad Bradshaw in the Super Bowl and not wrap up and Bradshaw instead blew up Arrington and raced for a critical first down.
If Joe was Schiano and Talib and Biggers are both back on the roster (Joe expects Biggers to be; Talib is not exactly an absolute to return), Joe would have all the linebackers and defensive backs practice wrapping up each and every day until they would wrap up without thinking about it; it would become a natural instinct.
If they didn’t wrap up in a game and tried to blow people up in order to reach the most sacrosanct of athletic achievements — being shown on SchlockCenter — Joe would have two words for the offending party.
“Hello, bench.”
February 14th, 2012 at 12:01 pm
And last year you implied the secondary was a strength….nice
February 14th, 2012 at 12:01 pm
An article on bad tackling in the secondary and no mention of Tanard Jackson? You’re slipping, Joe. He was the worst tackler in the league this year.
February 14th, 2012 at 12:08 pm
“Fundamentals” basic stuff that Dungy preached.I saw a video of schiano teaching and it was superb.We really need to cut the CANCER loose and get some fundamentally sound, football players.I bet they would be stand up people in the community as well, not a bunch of pot head,violent criminals,[# 25 and #54]…
February 14th, 2012 at 12:14 pm
If you can tackle, you can win. The team with the worst tackling? Bucs. The team with the best tackling? 49ers.
February 14th, 2012 at 12:17 pm
@Meh Indeed! Jackson made 33…… and missed 24. That is beyond comprehension. I honestly am positive I could do better than that. I’m sure quite a few of the posters on here could as well.
February 14th, 2012 at 12:19 pm
Hopefully Tanard improves this offseason to his old form. We don’t need another hole to fill.
BTW advo, I cannot find that case. I looked all over last weekend but apparently don’t have my IP class notes any more. I swear I’m not misremembering though.
February 14th, 2012 at 12:21 pm
If there is an NFL player I can tackle that’s one washed up mofo!!
I might be able to get Namath to the ground if i dove for his knees…………………(current namath – not 1969 Namath)
February 14th, 2012 at 12:37 pm
Meh, that list was CBs only. They have another for Safeties and Tanard is most definitely at the bottom.
I’m willing to give Ronde a bit of a pass, since he was playing nickel CB/LB a LOT last year. Teams were putting in 3 WRs to get us in nickel, then running at us. Ronde was basically the extra LB on the field. Ronde is not a LB, and should never be thought of as one. As good as he’s been in run support in years past, he was equally bad last year because he was out of (his) position. Just think how bad Talib’s numbers would be if he were played at OLB. Or Biggers numbers. And Biggers (who dives at players ankles hoping to catch a shoestring) was the best tackler of the bunch.
Better LBs and Ronde could play that nickel/slot CB role without worrying about covering for the LBs mistakes. He can crash the weak-side on run plays, blitz on pass downs, cover WRs instead of TEs that are 2 feet taller than him.
February 14th, 2012 at 12:39 pm
Joe’s post says ‘secondary’, which should include safeties.
February 14th, 2012 at 12:40 pm
There is no doubt that the Bucs need to improve in offensive execution and defensive fundamentals. I wonder if we’re letting one bad year (last season) take the rose tint from our glasses. I thought this team tackled pretty well when they shut down Michael Turner in our win over Atlanta and it seemed to me that we contained Brees and Sproles pretty good when we beat New Orleans. This team hasn’t forgotten how to play, they simply quit trying to play. I’m thinking we will see a complete turnaround when it comes to fundamentals with an off-season this year. We’ve seen many of these same guys play and play well. I think a heavy dose of discipline and some real competition for roster spots will quickly make us forget about last year!
February 14th, 2012 at 12:44 pm
Don’t forget to get the LBs in there wrapping up as well.
This is not just a Buccaneer thing though, the entire NFL drives me nuts watching guys lower a shoulder adn nothing else.
Brooks made a HOF career out of being a sure tackler, not making the big hit, but wrapping up and always making the tackle.
February 14th, 2012 at 1:03 pm
Joe kyle arrington is a pretty good tackling cornerback, too bad your rockstar cut him in favor of keeping mack, myron, and biggers. Good call rockstar good call. Ronde misses so many tackles because, running backs were untouched thru the first two levels, then he was the only d- back that tried to tackle the ball carrier. Ronde was are best tackler last year, thats how bad of ofa defense your rockstar assembled.
February 14th, 2012 at 1:08 pm
@Meh It’s cool, bro. I appreciate you taking time to look into something for me. I’ll keep my eyes and ears open on the topic in the meantime. Thanks again.
February 14th, 2012 at 1:26 pm
Good thing tackling cn b taught, as for T Jack he will be okay tht just my opinion
February 14th, 2012 at 1:31 pm
Uhh!!the arrington thing bugs me every time i see the pats.what did he have 7-8 ints.that move ,cutting mckenzie and black big $$$ all bery questioable moves
February 14th, 2012 at 2:34 pm
IF Morris Claiborne is gone when its get to our pick at #5. Who would you like to draft? And what about trading down if he is gone?
I personally would look at Quinton Coples or Courtney Upshaw. I think after the combine and his pro day, Upshaw will sky rocket. I hope Claiborne is still there because we desperatly need him. But if not, then why not get another pass rusher who can cause a major disruption. I personally would like to trade with a team like Miami and get their 1st and 2nd round picks. And take Upshaw at #8. Lets just hope Claiborne is there and none of this matters!!!!
Lets just hope we don’t get anywhere near Trent Richardson!!! Too many holes to fill to draft a RB at #5.
February 14th, 2012 at 2:53 pm
When Monte Kiffin was here that NEVER would have happened. Monte’s defenses always knew how to tackle
February 14th, 2012 at 3:09 pm
“Joe would have all the linebackers and defensive backs practice wrapping up each and every day until they would wrap up without thinking about it; it would become a natural instinct.”
I Agree but the Problem with that concept is that the Terms in the New CBA Restrict Padded Practices which would Eliminate Padded Practices as an Option Before they even reached Preseason. Now if they’re Willing to Practice Tackling WITHOUT Pads then I’m All For it!
February 14th, 2012 at 3:48 pm
one word sums this up…systemic. Whenever you see problems across entire groups of players it’s not an indicator of any one player but is a result of systemic flaws and problems. That’s why it so hard to judge any of the players we have based on last year, it wasn’t their fault, it was bigger problem which we all hope has been expunged.
February 14th, 2012 at 4:26 pm
James:
Don’t have to have pads on to hit dummies and learn to wrap up.
February 14th, 2012 at 4:39 pm
If they made a list of the worst tackling safeties Sean Should should be in the Top #5.. he played awful last year… that TD that Forte scored in the London Game where he (Sean Jones) crashed into Okam made me sick!.. Get him out of the building asap… as for our secondary I hope we draft claiborne and look at some key free agents for some much needed help… as always Go Bucs!
February 14th, 2012 at 4:55 pm
All that and Raheem got a job coaching d-backs
February 14th, 2012 at 5:02 pm
@JS1506 THey already made that list. T-Jack had the worst attempt to tackle ratio in the league 24 miss tackles on 62 attempts. It was the worst over the past 3 years. Sean Jones missed 4th most of all safeties with 16 but, combined with his 109 attempts it put him in the middle of the pack as far as tackling ratio goes. There were 7 other defensive players that had a worse tackling ration than Jones.
February 14th, 2012 at 5:02 pm
I meant “7 other players ON OUR TEAM had a worse tackling ration.”
February 14th, 2012 at 5:04 pm
Why the heck do my fingers keep spelling “ration” and not “ratio”. I need to go for a walk or something lol.
February 14th, 2012 at 5:54 pm
Being as wich we had Raheem Morris and a buncha nobodies coaching, I say burn the film and start from scratch.
Who knows, maybe even Talib will show up and play. hes capable.
February 14th, 2012 at 6:46 pm
Is there anything in the new CBA agreement that denies us from using non NFL players as tackling dummies wearing pads?
February 14th, 2012 at 7:35 pm
Considering Barber attempted nearly 25 more tackles than the next nearest offender suggests that Barber was more likely to try to get his hat on a ball carrier than other CBs that attempted far less tackles with a similar number of snaps. I’ve played football and I know when I wasn’t feeling physical how I might not come off a block as quickly as I could (hence, allowing myself to be blocked long enough to not be able to make a tackle). NFL football players, especially DBs, are not exempt. Barber is a willing tackler and with him it is his reckless style of trying to make tackles that he is not in great position to make that causes him to miss tackles, not poor form on the routine tackles that he almost always makes.
February 15th, 2012 at 7:30 am
and in other news sean jones wasnt among the worst tacklers because that would mean he actually tried to tackle someone
February 15th, 2012 at 6:15 pm
The tackling issue is a serious problem. I know they can’t hit in pads because of the new CBA. But it comes down to coaching and serious workouts. Pads do not make a difference. It is also because many of our players shouldn’t even be on a NFL team. Maybe a practice squad, but thats it. So, IF we can get some “real” players in FA and the Draft. Then that will fix that problem as well.
We need atleast 2 new LB’s and a whole new Secondary. Morris Claiborne will hopefully still be there at #5. DB’s typically don’t get drafted in the top 3 or 4 picks. So he will fix part of the problem. And a DB like Chase Minnifield from UVA would be great with our second round pick if he is still there. If not then look at the top available Safety with that pick. That gives us 2 starters off the bat. Then sign a Safety like Michael Griffin in FA along with a CB like Kelvin Hayden or another Safety like Reggie Nelson would be an upgrade over our current players now!!!