Saints Ran On 41 Percent Of Plays
October 22nd, 2012The numbers illustrate just how ugly the Bucs’ pass defense — and pass rush — was.
Greg Schiano played prophet on the Buccaneers Radio Network before the Bucs’ loss to the Saints yesterday.
The leader of the New Schiano Order said he was confident the Saints would emphasize their running game against the Bucs in big way because that’s what gets their offense balanced and humming.
Sure enough, the Saints ran on 41 percent of their offensive plays, and Drew Brees was hardly scrambling for his life from the Bucs’ pass rush — unfortunately.
That’s not a typical percentage from the pass-happy Saints.
Pierre Thomas, Mark Ingram and Darren Sproles mixed in 25 carries for 80 yards, and Brees added one carry for one yard. The Bucs’ run defense was strong. The Saints’ 3.1 yards-per-carry is what the Bucs have been allowing all season. And that ranks No. 1 in the NFL.
It’s the Bucs’ pass defense and pass rush that are the problems — big problems.
October 22nd, 2012 at 10:00 am
Greg Shiano is a great coach…He is learning a few things but he is turning this thing around Big time….
October 22nd, 2012 at 10:34 am
I was at the game, it was crazy. It seemed like Saints fans came out of the woodwork after half time. This was one of the more rowdy groups of fans I have seen in a while. They were pretty well behaved, but pretty rowdy none the less.
I agree with Raphael, at least they are in the games they lose, but man this would have been a big win.
The run defense is looking damn good. I guess maybe King was right about all those open receivers, it sure looked that way yesterday.
October 22nd, 2012 at 10:35 am
The three man rushes on third down against Drew, WTF was that all about? Send that to Davie JJones locker along with the Bend around!
Joe wrote about the three-man rush failures yesterday. Here’s a link: https://www.joebucsfan.com/?p=76074 — Joe
October 22nd, 2012 at 10:43 am
@McBuc
Yeah I was thinking the same thing about the Shaun King comments about the cornerbacks. Lance Moore was open all game long. Just think if Jimmy Graham was playing it would of been more than 35 points.
October 22nd, 2012 at 10:45 am
I saw Terrell Suggs play yesterday after coming back from torn achilles tendonitis and ended up with a sack.
October 22nd, 2012 at 10:46 am
That may have been lances best game ever.
Joe, I found it after writing the comment, you nailed it on the head.
October 22nd, 2012 at 11:34 am
Steve White talked about it all last year. The Bucs and the three man rush is a recipe for failure on third down. Not to mention playing against a deadly accurate elite QB. Not good.
October 22nd, 2012 at 11:55 am
If the Buc’s would have blitzed and Brees beat them… then of course people would be complaining about the blitzing.
I think this game really proved just how much losing Talib, and the timing of the loss, has hurt our defense.
October 22nd, 2012 at 7:47 pm
The Saints average 30% runs normally because they lost 4 out of 5. The reason they ran 41% in this game was they had a 14 point lead late in the game. It wasn’t balance, they were trying to eat some clock.