Will Vikes Fix Bucs’ Pass Rush?
October 22nd, 2014
Bucs DT Akeem Spence talks Vikings QB Teddy Bridgewater and rushing the quarterback.
It’s like a hemorrhoid for Joe that flares up every fall and nothing doctors can do, short of carving the thing out, will subside the damned thing from September through December.
That NFL-hemorrhoid is the Bucs’ pass rush. As Joe wrote earlier, how many freaking draft picks, how many high-priced free agents have or will the Bucs have to go through before they find a guy to record double-digit sacks?
Once again, the Bucs have an embarrassing number of sacks through six games, a grand total of nine (five of which came against the Steelers), good enough to be ranked No. 25 in the NFL.
Perhaps what the Bucs need for a pass rush is a good old fashioned slumpbuster. She wears purple on Sundays and masquerades as the Vikings’ offensive line.
The Vikes’ front line is miserable beyond words and may get rookie quarterback Teddy Bridgewater killed. In three games, Bridgewater has been sacked 15 times. Bridgewater has logged four games and, somehow, the Dixie Chicks never got him on the ground.
Joe asked Bucs defensive tackle Akeem Spence if the Vikings were the elixir to the pass rush woes In short, Spence stated that, on paper, it isn’t as simple as adding two-and-two.
“That’s what we go into every game thinking that’s what we are going to do,” Spence said about punishing Bridgewater. The Vikings are “an NFL team. they will make adjustments.”
So there is unknown. What may happen, since the NFL is a copycat league, is the Vikings could go to a three-step drop. Three weeks ago, Drew Brees did just that against the Bucs. It worked but was somewhat slowed (?) by the Bucs being able to cover Brees’ first read. Sometimes.
Baltimore did the same thing a week later with Joe Flacco, and he totally blowtorched the Bucs. When a quarterback does a three-step drop and unloads the ball like Flacco did, the defensive line is simply helpless.
Except for one move Spence said. That is, trying to disrupt passes.
“We just can’t let that slow us down,” Spence said. “If they are three-stepping, we have to get our hands up and getting into the passing lane.”
To hear more of Spence, who did a one-on-one interview with Joe, click the button below. Audio player courtesy of Joe’s friends at WDAE-AM 620.
October 22nd, 2014 at 2:45 pm
no…
October 22nd, 2014 at 2:52 pm
I predict the Bucs will actually get more pressure, but Bridgewater will break out of the pocket and run for a first down. Thankfully Bridgewater is not as mobile as RGIII (good knee) or Newton or he’d probably have more rushing yards than all Bucs RB’s combined! God I hate being this bitter and apathetic about the team so soon, but we are all Bucs fans and by definition gluttons for punishment 🙁
October 22nd, 2014 at 2:57 pm
I been sayin they need to play hungry. Got to attack the ball attack ur one on one matchup. Barron n goldson should be layin out the recievers n rbs
October 22nd, 2014 at 2:59 pm
Spence has more excuse for the lack of pass rush..than Bubba Gump has recipes for shrimp……if ya catch my vison
October 22nd, 2014 at 3:38 pm
Bucs are poop
October 22nd, 2014 at 3:40 pm
First paragraph: TMI.
Gonna go puke now. Disgusting.
October 22nd, 2014 at 3:50 pm
Maybe the Bucs should apply some Preparation D and get their butts in gear.
October 22nd, 2014 at 4:03 pm
The Vikes will 3 step and unload to help their ailing OL regardless.
Bucs need to jam at the line and stop playing soft.
October 22nd, 2014 at 4:13 pm
That is part of the problem, the bucs “mindset”. If you would have asked Sapp this question, he would not have mixed words. He would have said something to the effect “we gonna get after him and put him on the ground”.
October 22nd, 2014 at 4:35 pm
It won’t fix it, but maybe they can win.
October 22nd, 2014 at 4:43 pm
JOE
you already know the answer so how do you manage to ask the defensive line these questions without laughing the answers you get. doesn’t matter if they line was full of rookies, we’ll get stone walled or teams can simply watch game tape of all our losses to get a win against us
October 22nd, 2014 at 6:50 pm
Joe is a professional.