Johnthan Banks Brought His A-Game

November 4th, 2014

johnthan banks 1103

Joe has been riding the Johnthan Banks train ever since, with Darrelle Revis injured, Banks was re-assigned to cover Calvin Johnson and locked him up.

Now on his seventh different defensive coordinator in as many years (high school, four different coordinators in college and two in the NFL), Banks seems to have learned Lovie’s defense quicker than a veteran like Alterraun Verner.

It showed Sunday, as Banks was all over the field, making a nice pick and laying the wood to people. It was impressive. And it seems the spreadsheeters paying attention. Sam Monson of Pro Football Focus believes Banks may have played his best game in Cleveland.

Johnthan Banks, CB, +3.1

Breakdown: This might be the best game of Johnthan Banks’ young career. The 2013 second round draft pick has had plenty of struggles but was always supposed to be a talented prospect, this was the game we saw that promise fulfilled, at least for sixty minutes.

Signature Stat: Was thrown at six times and allowed a passer rating of just 5.6 on those targets.

Passer rating, pppfffttt. Maybe the most useless of all useless stats.

Regardless, Joe didn’t need a calculator to tell him Banks played a helluva game.

The sad thing is, all the while Banks was playing yesterday, Joe just couldn’t get it out of his head how Bucs coach Lovie Smith did everything in his power to ensure that slug Mike Jenkins started over Banks until Lovie couldn’t try anything more when Jenkins went on the injured reserve list.

11 Responses to “Johnthan Banks Brought His A-Game”

  1. gatrbuc17 Says:

    Banks is a Baller. Nuff said.

  2. Brock Says:

    Maybe Lovie pushed the envelope with Jenkins to motivate Banks to play better, nothing like a little competition!

  3. 1bucfan88 Says:

    And Lovie wanted to replace this dude. With Mike Jenkins. LOL

  4. Newbucsfan!!! Says:

    Mike Jenkins is a scrub nobody believed that Lovie really wanted to replace Banks with him. The players that buy in to the direction will show up and the others will be gone eventually.

  5. Newbucsfan!!! Says:

    Don’t kid youselves people some if not all of these players want to be let go but some want to put forth the effort they have always given. Look, if the defense keeps getting better than I see only a MLB, (2)DE, and a nickel corner being needed on defense for next season. Which means that the offense can be addressed more this offseason on the o-line, and wr (after VJax is traded this offseason).

  6. RastaMon Says:

    Banks is a high character man….perfect fit for todays NFL DB play…Lovie is just waking up to how the game is played…it changed alot in the year he was in his basement….back 7 can no longer JACK UP anyone catching a pass….I’ve always been a Banks backer !

  7. You Go Joe Says:

    Joe, any chance you got Major Wright performance?? If anything I’d say he was top 5 player with his performance this past game.

  8. passthebuc` Says:

    Poor Banks. he might have a new DC next year.

    As well as a new HC, Scheme

  9. Buccfan37 Says:

    That was a nice snag on the pick by Banks. Then the O took over. Momentum squashed.

  10. DB55 Says:

    Money Banks >> cinnamon toast crunch > mike Jenkins

  11. Kevin Says:

    How much you wanna bet he will play until his contract is up and sign with another team. Two things this organization does extremely well in year past. Letting high talent draft picks walk out the door or trade them for stale peanuts, and put too much time into what they see as “hidden gems” because they’re arrogance and pride get’s the best of them. You know what I do on Sundays, I watch other football teams and the fans in the stands and wonder what it’s like….What’s it like to be a proud fan of a good team? Getting geared up with your boys and tailgating all morning. Well, not down here in Tampa. Nope. We show up to the games at the last minute, eat before we get there. Slam beers before the plastic cups melt to your hand from the heat, and then leave by halftime and hope to salvage the rest of our Sundays. It’s a Bucs life