Saints Crowing Over Vincent Jackson Tackle
October 22nd, 2012
Yeah, Joe touched upon this yesterday, the Vincent Jackson tackle after he rolled 95 yards but didn’t score. Malcolm Jenkins made up about 30 yards to catch Jackson from behind.
It was the longest pass completion without a touchdown since the Vikings Ahmad Rashad caught a 98-yard pass without scoring against the Los Angeles Rams in 1972.
And one could point out that cost the Bucs the game since the Bucs tried to shoot off a toe by running LeGarrette Blount up the middle for nothing three straight times, and then Josh Freeman tried a naked bootleg to nowhere.
Now, the Bucs are 2-4 and potentially staring at a 2-5 record after Thursday (road teams on Thursday night games struggle mightly). If that happens, it’s time to start pestering Joe’s good friend Justin Pawlowski about the 2013 draft.
One might say Jenkins’ effort could change an entire season. The Saints sure are.
In talking to Marriott-sleeping, cricket-watching, scone-loathing, popcorn-munching, smartphone-censor Peter King of Sports Illustrated last night, per ProFootballTalk.com creator, curator and overall guru Mike Florio, Jenkins was crowing about just that — that his tackle will reverse the fortunes of the Saints this season.
Was it a season-changing play, King asked? “Defensively, it was,” Jenkins said.
Jenkins said he was on the other side of the field when Jackson made the short reception. Jenkins told himself “take off” and sprinted toward Jackson in the hopes of bringing him down short of the end zone. Though it looked as if Jackson slowed down in anticipation of scoring, Jenkins believed that Jackson was simply “a little bit tired.”
Look, if the Bucs had called some intelligent plays after Jackson was caught, Joe wouldn’t be typing about this very subject, nor would King be calling Jenkins. In fact, he’d be talking to Jackson for racking up a Bucs-record 216 yards.
Joe has a bad feeling that play will be more remembered for what could have or should have been rather than for what it was: a 95-yard catch.
October 22nd, 2012 at 9:11 am
great play…good throw,good catch and good tackle…simple geometry says that a good angle will get the defender there,factor in VJ injury and all the cacthes he had… eciting play for sure
October 22nd, 2012 at 9:17 am
Hand the ball off on one of the next 3 plays to Vincent Jackson from the 1 and perhaps he gets that extra yard…ok, kidding (sorta)
October 22nd, 2012 at 9:22 am
Josh Freeman still gets blamed for the lost by some fans. Not given the fact that the defense was like broken dam in the second quarter. I still couldn’t figure out that if Drew was going to him on every play put someone on him.
You can’t run zone and rush 3 linemen on Drew Brees, he will eat that up. He had all day with no pressure. The only reason Drew didn’t pass for 500 yards was because they stop passing and tried to run the ball. I was super excited in the first quarter and crying in the second, ended with a headache by the end of the game. Good game though.
October 22nd, 2012 at 9:25 am
Good play by Jenkins. The bigger story is that we couldn’t score with 1st down from the 1. No sense in beating that dead horse again.
October 22nd, 2012 at 9:36 am
Making the field shorter would eliminate close plays like this.
October 22nd, 2012 at 10:03 am
Ageed Pete, and it won’t be long til things start falling in our favor…at least we are knocking on the door.
October 22nd, 2012 at 10:03 am
i know the coaches are doing everything they can to keep freeman healthy, but i wouldnt have minded a QB sneak somewhere in that sequence. if tom brady can risk his body on the goal line regularly, i think josh can do it occasionally too
October 22nd, 2012 at 10:05 am
Even as it is we have to go 7-3 from here out to sniff the playoffs. So, from 2-5 it gets worse math wise.
To me the tackle of Jackson wasn’t the breaking point, but what occurred thereafter, not getting it in. That totally sucked. Especially against a horrific Saints defense. Even that Chiefs team rolled up 30 + points on them…..
October 22nd, 2012 at 10:32 am
Here’s a good quote:
““We are just getting sick of being in these tight games, we’re just getting sick of it. If you look back, on all of the games we lost, they were all pretty close, this is just another one that is sickening; we beat ourselves in situations and it’s just frustrating.” – DT Roy Miller
Let me put this out there. This is such a good attitude for the team to have. THIS is character building. When they get it together they will have a “stomp on throats” attitude because of this sort of thing.
It’s a recipe for a hard-hitting, dominating team. It just has to cook a little longer. Everything they go through right now will mold them in the future.
Even the Jenkins play…that showed how not quitting on a play can pay off.
October 22nd, 2012 at 10:52 am
Well we ought to have plenty of character built up then.
NFL games are usually close, look at the Bills/Titans, Pats/jets, Giants/Skins etc. They usually are decided by one or two key plays.
“If only this” “if only that””we almost did it”………….just excuses really. In reality were 2-4 with victories only over one win teams.
Better, but a longgggggggg way to go to rebuild the rebuild.
October 22nd, 2012 at 10:56 am
I’ll be honest, i watched that game in its entirety (thank you gf for NFL Sunday Ticket) and watched how Jackson was balling out all game. When i saw him catch that ball with all the open green in front of him, the first thing that crossed my mind was TD.
Then, when he got to about the 50, it looked like he wasn’t at full stride anymore and the next thing i thought was, “man, i hope that calf injury over the week doesn’t affect him.” you could see him get slower and slower. Its funny how you think an injury might be miniscule until you’re put in a situation like that. I have no doubt that Jackson would’ve scored had he been 100%. the main reson we got him was for his speed.
all that being said, i absolutely LOVED watching that game. most people said that the only way we have a chance to beat Brees is for Freeman to put up some numbers. He did just that yesterday. Its the type of game that hopefully will quiet some of the people that have no faith in Free.
Like i said, Jackson is going to be a beast in the NFC South. I don’t see anyone that can cover him in our division. Its going to be nice watching him help Freeman grow. you can already see it throughout the course of this short season.
Could it be that we’re seeing how much we actually needed Talib? Granted, he has his share of mental lapses in coverage, but to say that he’s clearly our best CB and i might even say the gap between him and free agent Eric Wright might be bigger than initially thought. i didn’t have a view from in the stadium, obviously, but it sure seemed as if he got beat on EVERY pump fake/double move.
Respectfully: Unlike Pete, i have no issues speaking about the draft. Just because you speak of it doesn’t mean you are giving up on the season. speaking about it will at least let you know where your current weaknesses are and can help you prepare for the inevitable.
with that being said, i don’t think there is any doubt in anyone’s mind that we should be drafting a CB in the first round. Personally, i would like that to be the case AND resign Talib. Our division is full of prolific passers and pass catchers and we’re going to need the DB help to at least slow them down and give Free a chance.
Looking forward to the Vikings in primetime. gonna be a tought one. as was mentioned earlier, road teams haven’t done so well on the short week.
GO BUCS!!!!
October 22nd, 2012 at 11:00 am
Bucs O MUST get that yard. Punch that in and you punch them in the mouth and win the game.
October 22nd, 2012 at 11:30 am
IMHO two things cost us that game, VJax running out of gas combined with Blount 3x up the middle, and the Schianno shift which cost us 15 yards and resulted in a TD instead of a FG.
…and sow can anyone say the Bucs have taken a huge step on offense!?! Through the first 6 games here’s how the opponents defense stacked up in total defense. Compare that against the Bucs offense and it makes sense that they look good…
Giants – 24th
Cowboys – 5th
Panthers – 21st
Redskins – 29th
Chiefs – 15th
Saints – 32nd
The only place this team has taken a huge step forward is on rush defense and that’s not enough. The Vikings defense is 8th in total yards and points. How we do in that game offensively will be a good offensive measuring stick. Also note that Adrian Peterson is third in overall rushing yards, how the Bucs do at containing him is another good measuring stick for the rush defense
I’m not a neighsayer, just a realist.
October 22nd, 2012 at 7:02 pm
sholda coulda woulda, but i would have loved to see V-Jax switch hands with the ball and throw a stiff arm, maybe it gets him in maybe it doesnt but it wold have been woth a try. great play all around. good game for the most part. BUC IT IM OUT!!!!!!!!!
October 24th, 2012 at 1:22 pm
Dear Mr. Jackson,
Put the ball in the hand facing the sidelines. It is not only for bettering the odds of fumbling out of bounds, but also frees up your other arm to stiff arm the defender and strecth the ball ove the goal line. Other than that…heck of a game!