Disturbing Pass Defense
October 17th, 2014
So far, the Bucs’ secondary can’t cover themselves with a blanket at night, including safety Mark Barron.
Man, the Bucs’ pass defense is a trainwreck. Not only are the Bucs threatening to allow the most yards in the 95-year history of the NFL, but also the most points.
It is simply incredible how with all the Pro Bowlers and high draft picks on the defensive roster they can get so lit up so badly. It really is a difficult task to be this bad.
John Parolin of BSPN seems to know what ails the Bucs.
The issue: Tampa Bay is allowing a staggeringly high 60.7 completion percentage on throws at least 20 yards downfield. This is the worst in the league and would easily be the worst over a full season in ESPN Stats & Info’s data set (since 2006). The next-closest team over a full season is the 2010 49ers (53.1 percent).
The solution: The easy target is the secondary, and it should be. The Bucs have a lot invested in the defensive backfield with high-round picks Mark Barron and Johnthan Banks and high-priced free agents Alterraun Verner and Dashon Goldson.
First thing for Joe to point out here, isn’t it a given now that Mark Barron is nowhere near close to being the player the Bucs thought he would be? No. 7 overall picks should be impact players. The impact Barron makes is for the opposing offense. Not exactly the way former Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik envisioned.
Next, Joe would be a little surprised if the Bucs bring back Goldson next season. Joe likes the Hawk but he is not playing near his salary.
Yes, the Bucs could be getting a better pass rush, but opponents have virtually taken away any pass rush because they have recognized that if a quarterback is in a three-step drop, not only won’t the quarterback get hit, but receivers will be open.
Lovie always talks about how he needs a pass rush for his defense to work. But when that pass rush is taken away, what then? After all, opposing coaching staffs watch film just Bucs coaches.
October 17th, 2014 at 3:13 pm
Lovie called a team with a 4–12 record bad, I wonder what he’ll call a 1–15 team?
Still learning?
October 17th, 2014 at 3:20 pm
I just read Stephen White’s breakdown of the Baltimore game. Very very interesting stuff. Basically, we are having one guy with a completely blown assignment on all these bad plays. It’s not guys getting burned, it’s (for example) a CB playing zone, when everyone else is clearly playing man. It’s a LB having a brain fart and allowing a TE to run right past him. It’s a safety lining up incorrectly, thus creating a huge hole.
All these point to either bad coaching, or just plain dumb players. In reality, it’s probably a little of both. However, you can’t make a player smart, but you can coach better. Members of the coaching staff are just not getting the job done. That has to change or they won’t be here long.
October 17th, 2014 at 3:20 pm
The players still haven’t fully learned how to play Lovie’s defense. Guys are to often out of position and the problem has been compounded by injuries. It’s either the coaches not teaching the players the right way of doing things, or it just hasn’t sunk in with the players yet. Given our coaching staff’s experience, I venture to say it’s the latter. Only time and constant repetition will fix that problem imo.
October 17th, 2014 at 3:21 pm
@biff barker,
Actually, he called our 1-5 team a bad team. He’s not making excuses as so many people think. In fact, if there’s anything I’ve been impressed with with this team, it’s that guys aren’t making excuses and aren’t throwing each other under the bus. I know that’s not much, but hey, it’s something. Got to try to think positive, lol.
October 17th, 2014 at 3:24 pm
“It Takes Time”
October 17th, 2014 at 3:28 pm
Players like Barron and Goldson are running out of time. They better figure it out, and quickly.
October 17th, 2014 at 3:28 pm
The bad part is
The other teams we face have figured out this defense
October 17th, 2014 at 3:29 pm
Bye week and we still lose….with the 3 pick in the draft?
October 17th, 2014 at 3:29 pm
@Hawaiian- I agree, I think it’s both and the truth is that it won’t be just coaches who won’t be here long.
I have a hard time believing that these schemes are so complex that players just forget how to play football. Schemes make you miss tackles? Drop passes? Commit stupid penalties?
These guys need to man up. Period!
Top flight talent would not get beat this bad, coaching or not. I think our expectations were way too lofty. Maybe these guys are just simply not that good.
Lets hope they turn this around, my head hurts from watching bad football!
October 17th, 2014 at 3:31 pm
I know, I know, preaching patience around here is an intolerable offense. Doesn’t change the fact that it really does take time though. And I also would agree with Hawaiian a little bit too. The coaches should probably change up their teaching methods a little bit if it’s not sinking in with the players. Teach them in a way that’s easier for them to understand. Easier said then done of course.
October 17th, 2014 at 3:33 pm
There’s really no more news you can put out about this defense or the offense unless Charles Sims comes back and a change is made at quarterback, good or bad it’s going to generate news. Safe to say you could easily take a vacation and not miss a thing joebuc
October 17th, 2014 at 3:34 pm
Just draw up the plays in the sand. You might have better results.
October 17th, 2014 at 3:37 pm
@Andrew 1- I would have more patience if there was improvement from week to week. Do you see any on defense? I’m just saying!
October 17th, 2014 at 3:38 pm
I was a bit surprised last week to hear the weekly podcast here on JBF say that the problem with the Bucs is lack of talent on this roster and that it would take a year or two for Lovie to get the roster the way he wants it. I simply don’t agree this team has talent, sure there are a few areas needing an upgrade but that can be said for most teams.
Great posts Hawaiian, I’ve really enjoyed reading them this season- keep it up!
’87- one of your smarter post. Even it you had to quote it from Lovie.
October 17th, 2014 at 3:41 pm
Clueless coaching staff…clueless….this crew has been in the league long enough…..they are all gravytraining…..EXPOSED as posers
October 17th, 2014 at 3:44 pm
Stanglassman..lol that was sarcasm…so I guess it was a dumb post then.
October 17th, 2014 at 3:45 pm
Cause ya know….It doesn’t take opposing offenses much time to figure it out.
October 17th, 2014 at 3:45 pm
It has nothing to do with the defense being figured out. It’s players are in terrible positions. Like I said, on one TD, the CB forgot we were in man and played zone. There were others where the LB let the TE get behind him for no apparent reason. It’s just stupidity on our part.
October 17th, 2014 at 3:46 pm
This reminds me of the old joke about a guy trying to explain way his stupidity.
Hey don’t blame me I went to college on a football scholarship.
I’m sick of this “learning” curve crap. It’s ALL they do!!! STUDY their playbooks and practice. It’s their freaking jobs! It’s not rocket science or brain surgery.
They are not trying to find a cure for EBOLA. They just need to learn where to go in a number of very, very PREDICTABLE situations.
If they are getting beaten physically so be it. But enough with the apologies for their lack of learning. If they’re all that freaking slow then why do they wear helmets? To protect cement heads?
October 17th, 2014 at 3:46 pm
@ Bucsfanman
Well I can tell you one thing, changing again is not going to do us any favors. We just need to do what we are doing now, but better lol. Sounds simply but it’s true. It sucks but it takes patience.
October 17th, 2014 at 3:55 pm
@ Hawaiian
Yes, but that CB was Robinson, I believe. When you have completely new guys like that thrust into the spot, foul ups like that are to be expected on occasion. I’m talking more about guys being out of position. Like Barron not being in better position to defend the run even though he is in the box, or our LBs on getting deep enough on the Tampa 2, things like that. We are out of position to often to have any kind of success. We have 11 individuals instead of 1 defensive unit.
October 17th, 2014 at 3:55 pm
Andrew…you’re right and I know that too. I can be a d*ck and I know that. Sometimes people can’t see through that I’m only messing around with the blog.
Most of my negativity is to rile up the thread. It’s also to move the thread along. The thread could be dead for hours and all it takes is some odd ball negative comment and it gets rolling again. I saw it last night in here.
I’m sorry I’m a shyte stirrer. I can’t help myself sometimes, it’s in my DNA, my whole family’s the same way too.
I know it’s going to take time. I’m being patient with this team and Lovie even though it might not show on JBF.
October 17th, 2014 at 4:00 pm
If Lovie’s defense doesn’t call for jamming WRs on the line of scrimmage, then his defense sucks. We need to disrupt their routes so that they won’t be as open so often….a big smack on the line will slow their route.
We also need some help at CB, DE, S…..I suspect that’s where are draft will go.
Those hoping for a QB can forget it….
October 17th, 2014 at 4:00 pm
LOL, dont worry about it 87. In small doses it makes things more fun.
October 17th, 2014 at 4:09 pm
It’s like the coaching and the team are executing in a dense fog. They can’t see what’s right in front of them. It’s a bunch of blind Bucs.
October 17th, 2014 at 4:13 pm
This horrific defense is not lack of talent, but coaching and scheme. After watching a segment on NFL Live on the Cowboy D, Marinelli’s D is NOTHING like the PASSIVE Frazier/Lovie D. Marinelli is zone-blitzing and double-A gap blitzing, and putting pressure on QB, with less talented players but MUCH better coaching. I’ve never seen a more passive defense as the Bucs are running now. Marinelli’s “Tampa2” is playing to the strength of his players without letting his ego get in the way. Lovie sounded just like Shiano, when he would NOT even consider making a change in the scheme, as when Shiano said we didn’t practice the “huury up” offense enough to run it, even though it worked. Ego before the team….FAIL!!!
October 17th, 2014 at 4:17 pm
flip flop
one side of the mouth says it is going to take time to learn this T2
then the other side of the mouth says we only play the T2 a little bit
regardless
whichever D they are playing ins’t being executed
or taught correctly in order to execute it
There is a piece of the puzzle missing here.
October 17th, 2014 at 4:41 pm
Ya’ gotta’ luv those YuckandTears! More time, much more time is needed.
October 17th, 2014 at 5:13 pm
Been saying Barron was a bust since they made the pick. Never wavered my stance.
I need to start BucTrrooerFan.com
October 17th, 2014 at 6:13 pm
If anything should qualify John Lynch for the Hall of Fame, it’s seeing what a Tampa-2 defense does without a competent strong safety. Let alone an elite one.
October 17th, 2014 at 6:26 pm
I really believed there were a few guys that were going to thrive with Lovie. Barron was one of them. So far, it can be argued he looks worse. There comes a point where a guy just can’t do it, and Barron is dangerously close to that point.
October 17th, 2014 at 6:36 pm
Safety is now an outmoded position. There should be no roster designation that delineates safeties from cornerbacks. Everyone should just be designated a “DB,” because in today’s NFL, everyone has to be able to cover receivers.
Under the current rules of play, the threat of a hard hit is not enough, and everybody is a “defenseless receiver,” and we continue to essentially deploy two hard-hitting strong safeties in our secondary.
John Lynch would be a liability now. The modern game has passed us by. We simply cannot prevent huge chunk passing plays with our antiquated scheme and personnel. Adapt and thrive, or perish.
October 17th, 2014 at 7:08 pm
Too many individuals and not enough team. It seems that players don’t trust each other to take care of their job and when they ry to make up the difference they get burned themselves.
October 18th, 2014 at 6:11 am
We could really use Raheem back coaching our secondary. I’m not kidding.
October 18th, 2014 at 8:26 am
It’s going to take 3 really solid drafts and guys coming up in the system for us to be a competent team. In the meantime pass the Doritos and hand me the remote
October 18th, 2014 at 9:13 am
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA “Joe likes the Hawk” Do you not remember all of those negative articles you were writing about him last year when he was getting fined? Since when have you liked him Joe?
Joe’s always liked Hawk, not his disregard for the rules last season, but Joe’s always been a fan of Hawk. Fun guy to talk to.-Joe
October 18th, 2014 at 3:43 pm
What’s so hard to figure out about this defense? EVERYTHING any offense tries, works.