Takeaways And The Bucs

December 9th, 2016
Defense and takeaways.

Defense and takeaways.

This is both really cool and interesting insight into the past three seasons of Bucs ball.

This year the Bucs have become of the most lethal teams in takeaways. Their 22 overall puts them fourth in the NFL. The Bucs have scored 71 points off those turnovers, fifth-best in the league.

Yet Bucs defensive coordinator Mike Smith and Bucs coach Dirk Koetter are not ones to focus solely on turnovers. As Smith likes to say, “they come in bunches,” meaning you cannot expect consistency in forcing turnovers. Koetter has all but said takeaways are more often than not flukes, which is what Joe believes. You cannot gameplan for turnovers.

In 2014 and 2015, former Bucs coach Lovie Smith had an erection about takeaways. That’s all he talked about. That’s all he stressed yet they rarely came. Meanwhile, the defense was a complete mess with lack of fundamentals and ineptness all around. Lovie fiddled, drooling over takeaways while Rome burned.

Joe believes Mike Smith’s attitude is the correct attitude: if a defense plays fundamental football, takeaways will take care of themselves.

17 Responses to “Takeaways And The Bucs”

  1. NJBucsFan Says:

    Lovie game planned for turn overs….while now our game plan creates turn overs.

    Another interesting fact I heard…haven’t had time to validate, but. I team has made it to the Super Bowl with less than 24 turn overs

  2. Dislocatedbucsfan Says:

    I team? Did you mean 1?

  3. NashvilleBuc Says:

    @NJBucsfan: nailed it.

  4. ToesOnTheLine!!! Says:

    I think most all of us agree with coach (Mike) Smith in this one.

  5. Tampabaybucfan Says:

    The best way to create turnovers is to take the ball away from the other team…..that is a fundamental Lovie didn’t know.

  6. Patrick in VA Says:

    The results speak for themselves. I don’t think we need to belabor this point much further. There’s really no debate. Even if we put up a dud for another game this season, I think we’ve all seen that the basis of this defense is far more sound and effective in today’s NFL than the defense that was forced in to place the previous two years.

  7. NJBucsFan Says:

    Actually meant no team with less than 24… my bad

  8. DavidBigBucsFan99 Says:

    I knew which Joe wrote this article just by its title and where it was going to end up at. You are worse than a broken record. The best way to get turn overs is to have a fierce pass rush. Lovie on your brain you need a psychiatrist or someone to exercise that demon you hold onto

  9. R.O. Says:

    Forgot its repeat Friday…

  10. Guzzie Says:

    CAN WE PLEASE STOP TALKING ABOUT LOVIE, MAKE ME WANT TO PUKE, changing the culture also requires fans to change there mindset, the local sports journalists to stop focusing on the past, and stop putting failures of the past in the mindsets of the players and fans, so stop with the loser commentary

  11. rayjay1122 Says:

    I am fine with forcing teams to punt. That is a turnover in it’s own right.

  12. RustyRhino Says:

    What does a defensive turnover do for our team?
    It gives our offense another chance to score. We all know that to win we need to score more than our opponent. it is just as simple as that.

    Yes! forcing a punt is a turnover, because if we do not force the punt the other team still has the ball.

    Go Bucs!

  13. Shadow man Says:

    Lol did big hog change his name to: davidbigbucsfan lmao

  14. orlbucfan Says:

    Turnovers occur when teams make mistakes. A team is outplaying its opponent. The opponent starts to panic. Boom! Mistake time. DK is developing an All-Pro level offense with the Bucs. We diehards have never seen this before. As it gets better, the opposing teams have to game plan to defeat it. DK adjusts his offensive play calling. The opposing defense starts to sweat it out. That also puts pressure on the opposing offense. Mistakes start to happen. No surprise that turnovers come in bunches. I’m looking forward to the DK/Fameis vs. Sean P/Brees mental chess game Sunday. May the best team win, and it better be the Bucs at home!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  15. OFF AND NOW ON FAN Says:

    Don’t most good teams have the most turnovers? It goes hand in hand. I think Sunday’s game will tell us the answer we”re all hoping for. On paper and in your heart, you know we should spank these sinners, if we don”t, then it will be a “stormy Monday”.

  16. anthony r Says:

    Didnt Joe just post an article about how coach smith preaches to swipe at the ball??? AKA, also an erection for turnovers….

  17. anthony r Says:

    High Five to Guzzie!!!
    Who cares about last year… Joe simple cannot let go of Lovie Smith talk, Josh Freeman talk… still bashing on them after they’ve long departed. For what? Does it make Joe feel better about himself???
    Joe still lusts after Michael Bennet who hasnt been here in years. At the time, Joe even praised the team for getting rid of the banged up player with a shoulder injury…but, who cares!! that was then, move the flip on!