Secondary Renaissance
October 24th, 2016
Working wonders.
Joe wrote this morning that the Bucs have the best pair of corners in the NFC South, Brent Grimes and Vernon Hargreaves.
Well, if one is to dig into the numbers, the Bucs secondary has improved leaps and bounds, even with Chris Conte making dumbarse mistakes.
Consider the stats unearthed by the Custodian of Canton himself, JoeBucsFan.com columnist eye-RAH! Kaufman.
QBs completed 70 pct. of their pass attempts against the Bucs in 2015. This season, that number has plunged to 58.3, third-lowest in the NFL
— Ira Kaufman (@IKaufman76) October 24, 2016
That is beyond impressive and Joe must admit to doing a double-take upon seeing the Bucs were near the top in completion percentage allowed. That’s damned near worst to first.
Just for a point of reference, Illinois currently has the worst pass defense in the Big Ten giving up 65.4 percent completion percentage. Last year, under a total joke of a coach, the Illini finished third in the Big Ten in pass defense, allowing opposing QBs to complete just 53.1 percent of passes.
Anyone notice a pattern here?
October 24th, 2016 at 2:29 pm
Safety PLEASE in round 1 or 2
October 24th, 2016 at 2:31 pm
Question why does it seem like they’re still bad though? Without looking at the numbers I would have said they’re still not good. But I did think they’ve been improved. Anything better than last season. Hargraves and Grimes are upgrades from what we had on the field last season
October 24th, 2016 at 2:33 pm
Well we did have Mark Barron.
October 24th, 2016 at 2:37 pm
Barron is a linebacker now, he had no coverage skills. Conte seemed to play well yesterday for the most part, and had some really good hits coming up to the los
October 24th, 2016 at 2:39 pm
If Mike Smith decides to stay in Tampa, our defense should be good the more he stays since they get more time to know the system. Hopefully his friendship with Dirk Koetter will keep him here.
October 24th, 2016 at 2:40 pm
I Certainly see the pattern Joe. Lovie is Ruining those Defensive kids that were on that team last yr. Sad to see
October 24th, 2016 at 2:51 pm
Derrick Brooks said it takes 4 years to completely learn Lovie’s system. So, any Ilini hanging around for a 5th season may have it figured out.
October 24th, 2016 at 2:53 pm
even folks from Illinois don’t give a crap about the fighting Illini so it’s a perfect place for a bad coach and guy like lovie. Totally Irrelevant coach at a completely irrelevant football program.
October 24th, 2016 at 2:59 pm
Bucinjax
Lmao
October 24th, 2016 at 2:59 pm
Which is why Lovie’s system (?) is worthless or obsolete. Unless a team has a sick offense to cover for the defense, just what owner this side of Art Rooney or Stan Kroenke is going to wait four years for a defense to turn around?
October 24th, 2016 at 3:04 pm
Well let’s do some simple math shall we:
VJax $10+ mil per year
Verner $6 mil per year
Sweezy $8 mil per year
I think next offseason we do some shopping in FA. We need to give WIll Gholston a contract though, and Shep if he proves to be a good 2nd WR
October 24th, 2016 at 3:24 pm
OK, OK, so we’re “slightly” better against the slant pass!!!
Even I can’t say that with a straight face! Anything is better than last year! I could’ve put a Cheerio box in front of some of these WRs and covered the slant better!!!
The biggest difference is the talent level. There’s nobody calling for Verner to start now is there?! So much for coaching the “Coach who will remain nameless in this post” out of him!
October 24th, 2016 at 3:34 pm
we cant screw up no more
you understand forrest?
in 2/3 years we are paying
jameis- $27 mill
ME13 – $11 mill
kwon – $10 mill
Ali – $8 mill
approx $55 mill of $125 mill. half the budget will go to 4 of our core players
the old trash lvd, doug,GMC, JR sweezy(LOL) will be all long gone
when jameis overall development is ready to win superbowls in 3 more years around 2019…over 95% of the players wont be here from his rookie season
October 24th, 2016 at 3:35 pm
@Kobe…
You’ve lost all credibility by stating that LVD and GMC will be gone….
Get over your hate and deal with it. They’re both tops in the league at their position.
October 24th, 2016 at 3:43 pm
Yes, but the 2-5 Ilini had a plus 8 turnover margin going into Saturday/s game with Michigan !!. They did beat Murray St and Rutgers. Coach Lovie is smiling.
October 24th, 2016 at 3:46 pm
Sweet sassy molassy, Its something everyone can see how improved the coaching is from this year to last year!!!! That was all we asked for was a chance for some players to be able to play disciplined, aggressive and well planned game plans!!!! And we are only just 6 games into it!!!!! I really hope that next year that Coach Smitty just falls in love with the area, gets himself a pad on the water and The Glazers step up to the plate to make an offer he every sees very difficult to leave!!!!!
We have seen what a bad defensive/head coach looks like the last 2 years!!!! Lets keep it together and finally go places!!!!!!
Go America!!!!!!!!
And GO Bucs!!!!!!!!!!
October 24th, 2016 at 3:52 pm
Celly
I am not a kobe supporter but you are the one with no credibility if you think bucs are going to keep LVD and GMC at their current pay rates with the below average production they are turning in each week. GMC is hurt all the damn time and only average when he is on the field. LVD has regressed badly since schiano left and has forgotten how to tackle more than not. You can not like the writing on the wall all you want but from a business standpoint the younger and more DRIVEN players are far more productive then the OLd Garbage Kobe is referring too. Kobe is not right very often but he is in this case. The most important factor is the young core wants to win while the old garbage likes to collect paychecks on the bench or whiff on tackles with little effort… If the bucs win a super bowl in 4 years no way GMC is on that squad.
October 24th, 2016 at 4:29 pm
Bucinjax, did D. Brooks say it would take 4 years with or without 3 HOFers and 2 borderline HOFers?
October 24th, 2016 at 4:43 pm
The BUCS really should have won that game against the Rams. If so we’re talking 4-2 and 1st in NFC South. Only losses to Denver and Arizona, two teams that were in the final four last year if you will. I’m not liking certain things about this team but, I’m not sold they are a bad tram either.
October 24th, 2016 at 4:55 pm
The turnaround of our secondary should have the Jason Licht detractors rethinking there opinions. It is not easy 2 take an all-time horrible secondary and fix it in one offseason. More impressive than that feat is what he did last year with fixing an all-time horrible offensive line. And he fixed it without using a first-round pick. Gentleman, wake up and smell the news. This isn’t luck its skill.
October 24th, 2016 at 4:59 pm
@@hands…….My guess if VH3 starts the Rams game guard in the sideline we do win that game…….Maybe he wasn’t quite ready but the guy has been quite a stud for us. The guy has played himself into great position in all year never gets cheated and does not miss plays. Quietly, he has been a hero on defense for us
October 24th, 2016 at 5:07 pm
Right on flax
October 24th, 2016 at 5:24 pm
you cant compare last years secondary to this years….we have way more talent at the cb position….verner and banks vs. grimes and VHG….come on man!!!!verner isn’t even playing and banks isn’t even dressing….GO BUCS!!!!
October 24th, 2016 at 5:45 pm
Its a shame that we wasted 2 years with the incompetent one!!!!! 2 rookie and and bridge players and this new coaching staff is running rings around ole coach my scheme!!!! LOL is there any doubt why he had to run to a 5th tier college!!!!! I am sure they will get wise real quick too!!!!!!
October 24th, 2016 at 5:52 pm
The Buc Realist
It is two years we will never get back. It was simply the worst PR stunt gone wrong in NFL history. Even worse than Ditka / Williams dress photo.
October 24th, 2016 at 5:54 pm
For some reason both my posts on this never made it – but Kobe – your cap #s are off all over the place.
For one – the cap right now is $155 million. It went up like $30 million since 2013; so in 2019 I’d expect it to be $175-$180+ million.
Winston’s contract could be anywhere between $20-$27 million in theory but assuming he will be top of the QB market is a bit much considering what other QBs have signed for before their final contract years were up. Jim Irsay is an idiot and was fine with giving Luck a crazy deal; but recently we’ve seen young QBs sign deals that aren’t too crazy if they haven’t established themselves as a top 5 type passer (which is the hype Luck had going into his contract).
ME will likely get more like $14-17 mill per year with the WR market as it is. Kwon shouldn’t be more than like $7 or 9 million. Marpet about the same. Those positions don’t get as much reward.
But in general; the cap should be way higher than what you project. And we will have 3 draft classes worth of players on rookie contracts going into the 2019 season. Assuming we draft decently that’s like 7-9 core players that will be on rookie deals.
Cap is not a worry at all. The days we have to worry about a cap problem are the days we built a deep loaded roster like the one the Broncos have right now. I welcome that problem.
October 24th, 2016 at 5:56 pm
realist you should organize a candle light vigil for the poor players at Illinois. Maybe have a porn star pop out of cake screaming curse words to see if Lovie’s tiny little brain will explode.
October 24th, 2016 at 5:57 pm
Verner should take over Conte’s position.
October 24th, 2016 at 5:59 pm
Lord Corn
The cap is a problem because the two highest paid defenders are not producing to the level of their pay. One forgot how to tackle and the other misses too many games and rarely if ever makes a play that matters.
October 24th, 2016 at 6:18 pm
@tmaxcon
“Even worse than Ditka / Williams dress photo.”
LOL!!!! at least they still have the funny photo!!!! Hell, Even through the depressing dominik years at least we have the josh freeman thiller photo to laugh at!!!!!
October 24th, 2016 at 6:53 pm
Pattern equals Lovie system is even outdated in college ball. lol
October 24th, 2016 at 7:17 pm
@Lord C
Excellent points. The only team with a cap problem in Tampa is the Lightning because they are freaking LOADED!!! Steve Yzerman is a freaking genius.
As for our cornerbacks and secondary like everyone I’m glad we’re covering better but I cannot say how many times I’ve seen VHIII come up and make a one on one open field tackle that prevented a big gains.
I don’t mean to be sacrilegious here comparing him to a Buc great but he reminds me a lot of Ronde. VHIII is not a punishing tackler, a big hitter, but like Ronde he is a very efficient tackler.
October 24th, 2016 at 10:03 pm
Tmaxcon, you have lost all credibility with you LVD and GMC viral uninformed hate.
I have nothing else to say!
October 25th, 2016 at 5:00 am
The Bucs still give up some big plays though. But it’s lack of pass rush due to injuries, not bad DB play. The better N. Spence and Jones get and the sooner we get Robert Ayers back, the better–the Bucs will be back at Game 1 or better from on D.
October 25th, 2016 at 10:47 am
This made my morning! haha…sad but true…