Catch The Damn Ball!
October 13th, 2011
If Aqib Talib is to be considered a Pro Bowl corner, he simply has to make plays, grab interceptions when he gets his hands on the ball.
Joe gets pummeled on Twitter during games when Joe states that Bucs cornerback Aqib Talib is not a Pro Bowl player much less an elite player.
Does Talib have skills? Of course. But time after time Talib gets his hands on a pass, only to see the ball fall to the ground, or Talib volleyballs the pass to an opponent for a touchdown (remember the infamous Steelers game last year when he turned two interceptions into Steelers scores?).
If Talib was a Pro Bowl player, he’d make those interceptions. Pro Bowlers make plays and Talib does not.
This malady has also caught the eye of dapper Rick Brown of the Lakeland Ledger. Brown points out that the Bucs are one of the worst teams in the NFL for dropping would-be interceptions.
This year, the Bucs’ secondary has had a hard time holding onto what appeared to be easy interceptions. Even Aqib Talib has had some of the balls bounce off of his hands and onto the turf.
Defensive back’s coach Jimmy Lake said the Bucs have dropped at least four interceptions in the last two games. That is way too many.
In fact, the Bucs have just two interceptions this year and only the Cincinnati Bengals and Pittsburgh Steelers have less.
Joe often gets the retort that if defensive backs could catch they would be receivers, and there is a nugget of truth to that. But if that is the case, then don’t try to prop up Talib as an elite corner.
Joe wishes there was some way receivers coach Eric Yarber could work with these guys.
October 13th, 2011 at 10:14 am
all DB’s and WR’s need extra practice catching by using tha JUGS machine.
October 13th, 2011 at 11:36 am
he shoould have five int’s
October 13th, 2011 at 12:43 pm
Unfortunately the interceptions are the plays that go into the record books. Passes defensed are less noticeable to the typical fan. And keeping the man covered so the quarterback does not throw to the receiver is rarely accounted for…ask Deion Sanders. We can only hope our DB’s keep the passes away from the receivers and take a gift interception when it is given.
October 13th, 2011 at 1:59 pm
He is definitely not an elite corner, nowhere near it. Talib is average at best. And I disagree with you on his skills; Talib does not have any. He has above average athletic ability, but his cover skills are weak. I would just as soon let him go after his contract is up because he will not be worth what he will ask for. Get a corner in the first round next year and perhaps a young up and coming guy in free agency.
October 13th, 2011 at 4:55 pm
Yeah thats a pretty good idea having the WR coach work with the DB backs so they will have better hands. I wish that would happen to.
October 13th, 2011 at 5:07 pm
Yeah great idea considering everyone wants to write Mike Williams off as Clayton 2.0. I thought none of our receivers were any good, so you want the same guy coaching the receivers to take over the DB’s also? Make up your mind that sounds retarded, you just continually bring up the Steeler game that happened a YEAR ago. Get over it dude, I’ll admit Talib hasn’t been Talib this year but the dude does have skills. Alot of balls that he can geta hand on most other corners in the league and especially in Tampa would have NO chance of even deflecting.