Clayborn: Pass Rush Will Be Better
July 31st, 2013
Aside from Bucs quarterback Josh Freeman, no area of the team needs to start man up and step up more than the pass rush. Gone is 2012 sack leader Michael Bennett.
With both defensive ends Da’Quan Bowers and Adrian Clayborn finally healthy, the Bucs are counting big time on the two young bookends to put the fear of God in opposing quarterbacks, or at least make them yellow their pants.
Just from the vibe Clayborn feels in meeting rooms, opposing quarterbacks should beware.
“The way everybody has bought into the system, it is 10-times, 20-times better than last year and I only played three games,” Clayborn said. “ It’s a lot better than last year. I feel good. My knee is 100 [percent] finally.
“We have Bryan Cox in the room full time now helping us with our techniques and he is really helping out. It is showing. It is showing. [Cox explained] get back to my old self. Don’t be fancy. Be hard-nosed and get to the quarterback.“
It sounds as if the constant stunting and being cute on the defensive line is going away. Pin your ears back and, as Warren Sapp would say, “hunt.”
Joe remembers last year Gerald McCoy, tired of the cutesy stunting, demanded it stop to allow him to chase quarterbacks. It worked. Later, GMC said he was talking to Sapp about this and Sapp said, “The quarterback is over here. Why are you running over there?”
Joe has a hunch Cox will take care of matters. Look, he helped lead a woebegone NFL worst rush defense, and with the addition of just one player (Lavonte David), turned the same unit from worst to first in the NFL. That’s coaching.
Now that Cox is solely focused on rushing the quarterback, Joe has visions of Bowers and Clayborn planting quarterbacks into the soil of the Stadium on Dale Mabry Highway. To hear all of Clayborn’s comments, click the arrow below. Audio courtesy of Joe’s good friends at WDAE-AM 620.
July 31st, 2013 at 9:36 am
We have a lot of draft pick invested in our D line. Its time to start seeing some results. No excuses this year. I stll believe that our secondary will really help our line to pressure the QB.
We need to get hands up and bat some balls down. I don’t see us doing that as much as I’d like.
July 31st, 2013 at 9:48 am
No more talk of how great things are going to be, Its time to do something on the field. Hopefully the rest of the team can drag the d-line and JFro-6pak to a playoff game.
July 31st, 2013 at 10:15 am
Well injuries happen. It could easily happen again. Then we get more of the same from the DL minus Bennett. So in the words of Winston Wolf from Pulp Fiction.
“Well, let’s not start sucking each other’s di**s quite yet.”
July 31st, 2013 at 10:35 am
“We need to get hands up and bat some balls down. I don’t see us doing that as much as I’d like.”
-Yes. This 100x. Need to add this to the practice drill rotation (if it is not already) and instill the instinct to fill those passing lanes.
July 31st, 2013 at 10:54 am
Joe, you have been out the practice. What have you seen them doing during their install periods?
I remember seeing an interview with Gerald McCoy during training camp this year. He said last year they did not understand the defense. That there were 4 individuals doing their own thing. That is why the stunting didn’t work. When you stunt you intentionally free up one or two players with an open lane. But for it to be effective players have to be willing to sacrifice their opportunity at making a play. Last year they didn’t buy into that completely obviously so they stopped using the stunt.
He even mentioned the d-line is functioning more as a team now, moving fluidly together.
July 31st, 2013 at 11:51 am
Following Twitter. Clayborn just went down. No word on how serious. The injuries no matter how small are starting to unnerve me!
July 31st, 2013 at 12:09 pm
i read another site that said he was on the bikes today.http://www.bucsnation.com/2013/7/31/4574728/buccaneers-training-camp-returner-jobs-up-for-grabs