Pass Defense Woes Puzzle Mason Foster
February 28th, 2013
This morning, Bucs middle linebacker Mason Foster, who Joe believed was on his way to chomping pineapple for much of the season, stopped by to chat with Justin Pawlowski and Gary Shelton, co-hosts of the “Gary and The Commish Show” hearly locally on WHfS-FM 98.7.
Foster said he is still scratching his head to determine why the Bucs were no less than a sieve on pass defense, yet dominant against the run.
Justin Pawlowski: Why so good against the run and struggled against the pass?
Mason Foster: I really don’t know. We had a lot of good players across the board. Can’t really point to one reason why the run defense was good but the pass defense wasn’t that good. It’s just football. There are a lot of great players in this league, a lot of great receivers in this league. It just happens. You can’t point fingers at anybody, we have to go out there and compete. We are a team together. We have to improve. We have great coaches. That’s what offseason is for, to get better and get more wins.
Gary Shelton: What is the advantage this year of knowing Greg Schiano when neither side really knew each other?
Foster: It was tough. Didn’t know what to expect, coming into it blind. This year you know the coaches, know what they are looking for, know what to expect in the weight room, everything. I am excited coming into this next season with one year with Schiano under my belt. He is a great coach, great program, greet organization. I think we will keep progressing.
Joe can say right now what was wrong with the pass defense: The secondary was largely made up of guys off the street who received little to no coaching from their secondary coach.
The Bucs, sans E.J. Biggers, had no depth at cornerback (isn’t it funny how Myron Lewis stood on the sidelines with his hands on his hips while there was a parade of guys dragged off the street who saw playing time ahead of him?) and when your two starters, the Adderall Twins, were suspended/traded, the Bucs had no safety net.
It wasn’t as if the Bucs had Lester Hayes and Mel Blount at corner to begin with (Eli Manning is still completing 80-yard bombs at this moment) and after the Adderall Twins and Biggers, the talent level really fell off the cliff.
Also in the interview, Foster said flat out, “I need to get better at everything. I just turned 24 [Friday]. I need to be a student of the game.” Foster plans to celebrate his birthday tomorrow by working out in the weight room.
Foster also spoke about his former teammate at the University of Washington, Desmond Trufant, one of the top cornerbacks in April’s draft.
The entire interview can be found here.
February 28th, 2013 at 5:31 pm
Those very same guys off surprisingly kept games close against some of the league’s recognized best QB’s. I, for one, don’t care how many yards the opposing QB accrues. Throwing for 300+ yards can still result in a loss. Our starting QB proved that. The scheme/coaching should have adjusted better and that’s a bigger rather than the individual talent of the players on the field.
And having that secondary on the field for such a long time as a result of short/failed offensive drives plays a big part as well.
February 28th, 2013 at 6:32 pm
Tampa had little to No pass rush, yet we put all the blame on the secondary.
Any good NFL QB will expose even Revis, if given the time to pick you apart.
I sure hope Dom will not cave into the pressure, and get us some pass rushers in this draft to do the job.
February 28th, 2013 at 7:25 pm
Well, well, well. Foster is only 24 (Happy Birthday) and he knows the PC football lingo/jargon.
I’ll tell you why the Bucs defense was horrendous against the pass – players weren’t doing their jobs and the coaches sucked.
Come on Mason, call out your teammates who didn’t do their job(s). Stop the PC and ‘man up’
February 28th, 2013 at 7:26 pm
BTW Mason, If last year’s results REALLY baffle you – maybe you’re not smart enough for this team.
Just a thought
February 28th, 2013 at 7:30 pm
@Mr Lucky
Lighten up man! Foster has always been a good guy no need to go off on a guy for not throwing people under the bus. No one likes a rat
Foster and David will grow together and become a force for the bucs for years to come. I like the way they both play different styles.
February 28th, 2013 at 8:17 pm
@ Mr Lucky
Teammates dont to call each other out because that would make them a bad teammate. We obviously know what kind of teammate you would be.
February 28th, 2013 at 8:19 pm
Simple on running downs he is almost average,on passing down he is way below average,Ask any scout (mike mayock) another blown pick by the administrater Mark Dominick. You brought up myron Lewis in the deepest draft in 20 years he was are 3rd round pick
February 28th, 2013 at 8:25 pm
Ill stand by what Ive been saying all along… he is playing the wrong position. I wish the bucs would try, just try moving him to the SOLB. I believe it would make a world of difference.
February 28th, 2013 at 8:45 pm
The pass rush is awful.
February 28th, 2013 at 8:58 pm
Foster is a good guy. He’s not gonna call out his teammates! If he did, I wouldn’t want him on my team!
Our D-line and LBers did their job very well- that’s why we were number one against the Run! That is s statement.
We had no secondary. Talibum was bad. Wright was bad. Most of the guys behind them were much worse- no experience for some, no talent for most.
Worst in the league. Very nearly worst in history! EVER
I doubt they keep this stat, but I bet opposing QBs averaged the fastest release time against our secondary . We very seldom pressed at the line. We gave 5-10 cushion, to protect our young guys from getting torched!
Hopefully, we address that this offseason/draft. Then watch our sack number double or more.
Nobody can sack a Qb in 1.5 seconds. That’s what I bet we averaged
February 28th, 2013 at 9:53 pm
Mr Lucky, I’m with you on this one. When you have the worst pass defense in the league and your Mike LB can’t give a single example of why or what the problem is, that is huge. He literally had no clue. Don’t they watch film after each game so they can correct the mistakes. He needs to move outside and get someone in the middle that has a clue. I have faith in the coaching and they finally played better against the Falcons, but Foster is a fool for walking into an interview unprepared. He’s going into year 3 and if he doesn’t get it now, we’re screwed.
February 28th, 2013 at 9:54 pm
Three strikes against me for calling it like it is.
Good teammates don’t call other out? B.S.
If you want to WIN, then you want everyone to do their best.
Cut the PC people this is the NFL, not Washington and the Sequester.
Keep it real!
February 28th, 2013 at 9:55 pm
They already gave the play calling to David, a rookie, and what does that tell you?
Ugh ugh, where’s my club?
February 28th, 2013 at 9:59 pm
@Andrew,
What Mason SHOULD have said is this, “Man our front line and the LB’s did a great job of stopping the run last year. Why did we do so poorly against the pass? Well we had two members get suspended for some games, there was an injury to Biggers and we had to constantly get new people who weren’t familiar with the system into the game to play.
If we can get a core group of secondary backs working together for an entire season I don’t see why we can’t be as good defending the pass as we were defending the rush.
See it’s not that hard people.
February 28th, 2013 at 11:03 pm
Hire Ray Lewis.
February 28th, 2013 at 11:42 pm
@Apple Roof
We’ll select Georgia 4-3 DE Cornelius Washington. Everyone raves over the University of Georgia’s top two linebackers Jarvis Jones and Alec Ogletree but lost in the excitement was back-up 3-4 LB Cornelius Washington, who did spot duty. But the man tore up the combine.
February 28th, 2013 at 11:51 pm
I know exactly what went wrong with the pass defense. It was Greg Schiano and Bill Sheridan trying to play man coverage with cover 2 corners all game long. Like the old saying goes, trying to fit square pegs into round holes.
March 1st, 2013 at 12:07 am
^^^^^ That took you a while ….. lol
March 1st, 2013 at 2:11 am
@4ever, I was just talking about Cornelius on another board. I hope he flies under the radar. Unless we address OLB in FA, we’re def going to need to pick one up in the draft…..and Im hoping around the 3rd round or so.
March 1st, 2013 at 4:14 pm
This just in……………….Biggers is not depth either. He sucks. Maybe a 5th cb but nothing more.
March 2nd, 2013 at 2:54 am
Mr. Lucky- clueless and all mouth and usual. Anything Foster had to say about his teammates, would be said TO his teammates, in the lockeroom.
NOT in the media- just to amuse some boneheaded, wanna be expert poster.
Saying ANYTHING negative about your teammates in the media accomplishes nothing. Teams all preach family, and are school long and often on what to say to the media. Being critical of staff/ tempted is something you DON’T do.
The only B.S. is your comments.