Watson Watch
November 24th, 2013
Dekoda Watson, stripped of his starting linebacker job this month, was seen as an edge rusher on the left and right sides of the defensive line last week against Atlanta. Watch for a lot more of that today.
Watson wasn’t blitzing on those downs. He had his hand on the turf and was a replacement for the Bucs’ rather anemic pass-rushing ends.
Greg Schiano and Bill Sheridan both spoke last week about the speed element Watson brings off the edge, and fans saw the results when Watson impeded Matt Ryan’s arm, which led to Mason Fosters pick-6 while the Bucs-Falcons game was still close.
Of course, this all ties into the Bucs’ new listen-to-McCoy strategy of taking a more direct route to the quarterback. Speed rushers are negated if they’re asked to dance and run inside rush games that look like a synchronized swimming.
Joe’s made the case that the Bucs are losing confidence in Adrian Clayborn for his poor production for a first-round pick. In this game today especially, the Bucs will need a pass rush to stop the pass-happy Lions. Matthew Stafford throws more per game than any QB in the NFL and takes the fewest sacks, a stunning stats combination.
Joe will be looking for plenty of Watson today. Perhaps he can be the one (finally) to capitalize on having a Pro Bowl defensive tackle creating havoc for offensive lines.
November 24th, 2013 at 10:46 am
I suppose after today the commenters will start yelling about how bad this team is. I don’t agree but I do expect fandom to self destruct after the next loss.
November 24th, 2013 at 11:00 am
It’s football 101. You have to have at least one outside pass rusher that can force the QB to step up in the pocket, one guy that can run the arc to force them to step up and face the pressure up the middle. Your passrush cannot be effective if you employ 4 bull rushers… the QB will drift in the pocket or roll in the pocket and he will be unmolested.
I said this when Clayborn was drafted. He doesn’t have the speed to set the edge as a pass rusher, he never did. His skillset is more of a LDE than RDE. Only now does it seem that the Bucs have caught on to what many of us knew BEFORE hand. Clayborn has been lining up more frequently at LDE, with Teo-Neisheim and Watson getting to run the arc at RDE.
November 24th, 2013 at 12:44 pm
Look, Adrian was never a pure pass rushing RE. He was from the era of Dominick where he seemed to care more about versatility than effectiveness at one position (hence the “Mason Foster can play all 3 LB spots!” (well?), & well, drafted-as-a-CB-maybe, Keith Tandy). When everyone agrees the comp for Adrian is Greg Spires, you’ve failed in drafting your Simeon doppleganger. That said, Adrian is a prisoner of the disease McCoy just freed himself from—let me go in one %^&$ (or in McCoy’s case, “Dog Garn!”) lane, & I’ll pressure some QBs. Adrian got 7 sacks being a rookie, & being in Rah’s infamous defense. Being hurt for a year & being in Stuntsville to me doesn’t = bust. Let him go (get the quarterback), Greg!