Will Greg Schiano Call Off The Dogs?
July 3rd, 2013
All the blitzes the Bucs used last year sure didn’t help out Mark Barron and the Bucs’ secondary.
Does Joe really need to remind you how Godawful the Bucs secondary was last year?
You know, the kind that got lit up worse than a Fourth of July roman candle against the Giants? The same lot that came but a mere 14 yard short of setting the NFL record for most yards puked up in an NFL season?
It was enough for Joe to throw an $8 cold beer on the field, and Joe wasn’t even drinking during Bucs games. Joe can only imagine how many glasses saloon owners had to replace last year.
Well, one could argue a reason for the garish amount of yards given up through the air was the amount of blitzes called, largely to no avail. BSPN believes the Bucs were one of the worst blitzing teams in the NFL last season.
Last season, no team blitzed its defensive backs more than the Dolphins, who did it 124 times for 8 sacks. The Bucs and Packers are the only other teams who sent their DBs at least 120 times last season but Green Bay experienced the most success out of the 3 with 14 sacks, tying the Broncos for the league-lead when utilizing the tactic.
Well, one could argue the Bucs got fried badly by all the blitzes. Part of the reason the Bucs blitzed so much could be twofold: Bucs coach Greg Schiano knew his secondary was a sieve and hoped to cover the stench by blitzing, and that the Bucs, once again, were woeful at putting heat on the quarterback and needed to bring in extra bodies to try to disrupt opposing quarterbacks.
If, as Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik believes, the Bucs can get pressure from Da’Quan Bowers and Adrian Clayborn from the edges, and with a revamped secondary led by Robin and Batman, perhaps the Bucs will dial down all the blitzes this season.
July 3rd, 2013 at 8:23 am
The awful, putrid, wretched and overall disgusting secondary play had much the opposite effect at Camp Biff Joe.
Copious quantities of primo ale were quaffed down with but a single gulp. Kinda akin to a two pint conversion.
July 3rd, 2013 at 9:46 am
There was a movie a while back called “There will be blood”. At the Bucs, the defensive scheme is Greg Schiano’s and “There will be blitzing”. The whole defensive philosophy as originally developed by Butch Davis, Greg Schiano, and Chuck Pagano while at the University of Miami is built on an attacking style of defense where the secondary plays an important role in putting pressure on the QB. The following link explains the defensive philosophy. It may also shed some light on why we took a strong safety in the first round last year.
http://www.rantsports.com/nfl/2012/03/19/the-tampa-bay-buccaneers-2012-defensive-philosophy/
There may not be as much blitzing as last year, but they now have the secondary and manpower to make blitzing and the pass rush more effective. It is now possible to play man-on-man, alone on an island defense that could not be done last year. I could even see some old Tampa-2 that was used effectively in the last Atlanta game. But expect to still see a lot of nickel and dime defense as it’s in the wheelhouse of the Schiano defensive philosophy.
My point is Schiano isn’t likely to change his philosophy, he will simply do whatever it takes to make it better and I think he has. I think we’re going to like what we see this year!
July 3rd, 2013 at 9:54 am
Id expect with Revis isolating part of the secondary, Barron and the LBs are going to be spending plenty of time in the backfield
July 3rd, 2013 at 10:02 am
In a division with Brees, Ryan and Newton. I dont expect to see any less blitzing. Were gonna need to bring the heat on every play. Maybe in a lesser division but not this one.
July 3rd, 2013 at 10:23 am
Why? Last year we nobody who could cover a receiver man to man. When a QB has faith in his WR’s to get open on three step drops, there not a pass rush out there fast enough to get to the QB, even if you rush all your safeties and LB.
The secondary this year is going to change all that, no more three step drop and release on perfect timing plays. The secondary if they do there job this year will force QB’s to hold the ball longer, which should incur more sacks. So, I say you’re wrong. If anything, this would be the perfect time to do a lot more blitzing.
July 3rd, 2013 at 11:56 am
There is nothing wrong with blitzing–provided you get to the quarterback. The Bucs endured the worst of all possible worlds (credit Voltaire) in 2012.
I still note that the defense played its best game when they kept the secondary back & zoned-up vs. Atlanta.
July 3rd, 2013 at 12:18 pm
Has anybody else wondered why Barron wears those gloves that seem thick and too big. Most receivers where these skin tight gloves but Barron looks like he is going to be doing some yard work after the game with those gloves. Just curious.
On topic, if the blitzing continues it definitely needs to hit home more. Not necessarily sacks but at least incompletions. Clayborn and Bowers should help make that a possibility.
July 3rd, 2013 at 1:09 pm
@Mike J
I’m on the 5th book “The Fires of Heaven”. Are you on the last book?
July 3rd, 2013 at 1:40 pm
Green Bay Defense
Pos-Name: Sacks
SS-Morgan Burnett 2.0
LB-A.J. Hawk 3.0
LB-Brad Jones 2.0
LB-Clay Matthews 13.0
LB-D.J. Smith 2.0
LB-Erik Walden 3.0
SS-Charles Woodson 1.5
CB-Sam Shields 1.0
CB-Davon House 1.0
DE-C.J. Wilson 2.5
LB-Dezman Moses 4.0
LB-Nick Perry 2.0
DE-Mike Daniels 2.0
DE-Jerel Worthy 2.5
DE-Mike Neal 4.5
The only DB’s on here are with sacks are Morgan Bennett, Charles Woodson, Sam Shields, Davon House for a total of 5.5. Where did the other 8.5 come from? Unless they are counting LBs their stats are messed up.
July 3rd, 2013 at 5:26 pm
Nothing made me angrier last season (Freeman “at times” maybe) than watching our coach allow our team to blitz so often when we knew what the outcome would be.
We need to see the defense from week 16 against the Falcons.
July 3rd, 2013 at 9:27 pm
The main problem last year wasn’t the blitz but the famed 3 man rush. As long as we see less of those we should be fine