Learning From Your Opponent

November 9th, 2013

The Dolphins don’t move around defensive stud Cameron Wake for him to be effective. The winless Bucs think they need to use defensive linemen otherwise.

If there is one player the Bucs should fear entering Monday night’s game against the Dolphins, it is defensive lineman/manbeast Cameron Wake.

In the Dolphins’ previous game, a Thursday night game against likely playoff-bound Cincinnati, Wake was a monster and jostled, mocked and robbed Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton.

So Joe found a quote from Bucs commander Greg Schiano very interesting today in his daily presser in preparation for the Dolphins. Schiano was about how Miami may or may not move Wake around.

“No, they don’t move him around very much at all,” Schiano said. “You’re going to know where he is for the most part, unless they decide that’s the game plan this week. You’re going to have a good idea where he is. That makes him even more impressive because he still makes his plays and you know where he is.”

Now the reason why Joe brings this up is, former Bucs like Booger McFarland and Steve White just go crazy with all the moving around of the Bucs defensive linemen with cute stunts where more often then not they outsmart themselves and take themselves out of plays.

But the loudest voice against moving around Bucs linemen is none other than Warren Sapp, the Bucs icon who will have his number retired Monday evening. This week when Sapp dropped by One Buc Palace, he was outraged how the Bucs move around stud defensive tackle Gerald McCoy.

As Sapp is known to be, he was not bashful with his thoughts.

“I watched Gerald against the [guard] from Arizona and [in one series] he beat him with an outside move,” Sapp recounted. “Then he beat him with an inside rush. Now it’s third down, the back is offset and [GMC] is over on the [other] side [of the line].

“I was screaming at the television set – ‘Get back over there.’ You just beat this guy twice and almost had a sack both times, so now come back for the third down and get us off the field.”

You would think with the hours upon hours of tape Bucs coaches watch, they might be able to learn something from the Dolphins? If Wake doesn’t need to be moved around, why does GMC?

When you are 0-8 and having lost 13 of your last 14 games, maybe, just possibly, what you may have been doing previously isn’t getting the job done, you know?

11 Responses to “Learning From Your Opponent”

  1. Bucs or Gtfo Says:

    Joe, this is exactly why fans want this egomaniacal coach fired already. They live in a bubble at one buc & have no outside input.

  2. Mike J Says:

    He was available to anyone in the CFL, but the Rock Star missed out.

  3. Bobby Says:

    @MIke J…..yeah, just like 31 other NFL GM’s who passed on him in the draft and then didn’t sign him coming out of the CFL. He worked out for 17 teams.
    Still, I guess only Dominik is stupid for passing on him. Why don’t we just use that same logic on every player in the draft that someone else got and we didn’t that panned out? Seems like your type of logic. Tom Brady…man those Bucs were stupid! How did we let him fall to the 6th round and then not grab him???!! It’s always easy to have perfect hindsight….why do you think they say hindsight is always 20/20?? It’s because of guys like you.

  4. Cmurda Says:

    Just curious. Since Sheridan reneged on his offer when fans actually showed up at 5AM. Would Schiano care to take the Pepsi challenge and allow fans to help scheme and gameplan for the Dolphins? I’m not an early riser but if so, I’ve got fundamental ideas and I will be there. Sapp’s advice would be included.

  5. Patrick in VA Says:

    @cmurda – these coaches have good advice coming at them from all angles. a great deal of it is coming from people with mountains of football experience and accolades. If they won’t listen to people who have won in this league when they are being thrown a lifeline then I’d say just get the extra sleep. Everyone rises to their level of incompetence in their professions and, unfortunately for the Bucs faithful, we’ve got a front row seat for the painful reality check being given to schiano & co.

  6. gotbbucs Says:

    This staff has handcuffed themselves and the players to the most unimaginative schemes the league has seen, both offensively and defensively. Its middle of the road college football at the very best. The old Tampa 2 was the most simple scheme ever but it at least allowed the best players on the team to do what they did best. Every offensive coordinator in the nfl worth a damn knows that if they move certain positions around in their offensive set they can force the bucs to put their better players on defense at a disadvantage.
    The book is out, Schiano and clan are too stubborn to deviate from their norm.

  7. K_bassuka Says:

    @Joe

    They move him around because that stuff worked in college, so it will work in the NFL. That’s what happen when you hire mediocre coaches…

    If I can see their stunts and when they are about to play cover 2 for no apparent reason, I’m sure the other team can see it much better and that’s why we are 0-8. They make those adjustments, and we don’t need to because our system it’s fool proof…

  8. Capt. Tim Says:

    The worst offense is what they do to the DEs. They frequently drop them into coverage- on 3rd down!!!! If you won’t let them rush at sure Passing downs- then obviously the strategy doesn’t involve rushing the QB.

  9. Joe Says:

    Bobby:

    How dare you use logic and reason in this site! 🙂

  10. Joe Says:

    cmurda:

    Would Schiano care to take the Pepsi challenge and allow fans to help scheme and gameplan for the Dolphins?

    No. The Bucs have a contract with Coke, not Pepsi.

  11. coach80m Says:

    Why are you people bitching? It worked at good old Rutgers!!!!!!