Your Fifth-Ranked Bucs Defense
October 19th, 2015
No wonder Mike Jenkins is smirking
Are the numbers lying this morning?
After yesterday’s slate of NFL games, the Buccaneers own the league’s fifth-ranked defense.
That’s right, allowing 322.8 yards per game places the Bucs at No. 5 in the NFL. That aching Bucs secondary? It’s part of the NFL’s fourth-ranked pass defense, 202.4 yards per game through the air.
But overall, Tampa Bay has allowed 29.6 points per game. That’s second-worst in the NFL.
Yes, numbers can be spun in all kinds of directions. Of course, some of those points allowed are on Jameis Winston, America’s Quarterback, courtesy of multiple interceptions returned for touchdowns.
But the eyeball test is always best, and the Bucs’ defense is not fifth-best in the league. Nowhere close. The good thing is that an average defense should be enough to stop the sad, sad Redskins offense and Kirk Cousins on Sunday.
October 19th, 2015 at 12:05 pm
The eyeball test tells me the Bucs are an average defense at best but they are getting better. These stats on NFL.com obviously don’t account for the short field situations other teams have had against the Bucs. Still, it tells a story and the story is that compared to last year the Bucs are an improved team.
October 19th, 2015 at 12:08 pm
BOOM GOES THE DYNOMITE ¡!!!!! The storm is coming folks!!! And a pirate ship can be seen sailing the waves of momentum!!! Prepare to be sieged
October 19th, 2015 at 12:11 pm
Kirk Cousins huh? Another backup QB to have a career day against the Bucs. As long as Winston shows more improvement and The Muscle Hampster runs wild, it should be a good one.
October 19th, 2015 at 12:12 pm
This is certainly one of the best defenses on downs 1&2…..but we get burn entirely too much on third down.
We haven’t given up many yards because the offense hasn’t left us wiith good field position and has had too many turnovers & penalties.
That being saiid…..fix our CBs and I think we will earn our way into the top 10.
October 19th, 2015 at 12:14 pm
Is it a bit skewed due to the Bucs not playing last week?
October 19th, 2015 at 12:14 pm
Giving up 31 to a Jags team that averaged 15 ppg is not showing this is a top 5 5 defense.
October 19th, 2015 at 12:14 pm
Muscle Monster now!!! hahahahaha. Seriously tho, just imagine getting our secondary cleaned up?!?!? We are headed in a great direction for sure!
October 19th, 2015 at 12:23 pm
Enthusiasm is spilling out in great torrents. Reality may be catching up to it. A positive attitude is helpful.
October 19th, 2015 at 12:24 pm
Stats are for losers. We’re 2-3 but are clearly not a good team.
October 19th, 2015 at 12:37 pm
Yea, not a top 5 defense. Good to great defenses do not allow multiple TD scores even on a short field. Look at the Titans, Jax and Carolina games. Those teams were scoring on both short and long fields. That’s how you score 30+ points in all those contest.
October 19th, 2015 at 12:38 pm
The Bucs (2-3) win when they can execute their gameplan. And how well they do that is largely dependent on Jameis (high percentage passes, controlling the clock, no turnovers, etc). Strong OLine plan and an effective running game are huge reasons for Jameis’ success in our wins. His turnovers were big factors in our losses obviously.
The Redskins (2-4) win then Cousins plays well and doesn’t turn the ball over. He’s thrown for 74% on their 2 wins, with 0 INTs and a time-of-possession of almost 40 mins per game. In their 4 losses, Cousins has thrown 2 INTs in each of those losses, and at critical times. The Redskins running game also wasn’t very effective in those losses.
Both teams have some decent talent. But both teams have also shown a tendency to self-destruct this season. The two teams just aren’t that far apart, and the Redskins are playing on their home turf. Whichever team ‘shows up’ and best executes its gameplan will win. Hopefully it’s the Bucs because 3-3 looks a LOT better than 2-4.
October 19th, 2015 at 12:43 pm
Lovie is smart enough to know that the only real defensive stat that counts is Points Allowed, although Stops on 3rd Down comes in a close second.
Best way to have good defensive stats is to have your offense control the clock for 40-plus minutes a game and keep putting points on the board.
October 19th, 2015 at 1:05 pm
Easy to explain look how many short fields we have given up due t o turnovers and bad special teams. Your yards are going to low if the other teams does not have to travel the length of the field to score
October 19th, 2015 at 1:28 pm
Get your head out of the box score Joe. We have the worst defense
October 19th, 2015 at 1:34 pm
we just need to gameplan for Ryan Kerrigan
October 19th, 2015 at 1:38 pm
It’s all about the Scoreboard.. Thats All that matters.
Second to last in points given up… And the argument that some of those points were from Jameis’ pick 6s?? Please..
There are plenty of other offenses & special teams who gave up TDs.. not just us.
October 19th, 2015 at 1:55 pm
Rush defense ranking is skewed because it’s so damn easy to pass on Lovies defense. Rankings mean ZERO. wins and losses are all that matters. Bucs have yet to beat anyone that is not a bottom feeder like lovies team is. The career numbers bortels put up are proof Lovies defense is horrible. If it was not for that fumble td gift the rb gave Lovie we’d be talking about a 1-4 team. Bucs will never win anything meaningful with lovie at the helm.
October 19th, 2015 at 2:14 pm
Another word of warning, when a backup/careerjourneyman/allaround pisspoor QB plays the bucs. Pick him up in fantasy, he will have the best game of his life.
Beware Kirk Cousins/Colt McCoy or whoever
October 19th, 2015 at 2:24 pm
Big issue is we have to make the plays when it COUNTS. Both Offense and Defense. Reduce the penalty count, convert 3rd downs, and score TD’s when we get in the red zone. IF we do that we will win a lot of games.
We have learn how to WIN, put teams away and don’t let them get back in it. We have lost the “killer” instinct we need to be a dominate team.
GO BUCS,,,,,Grow up SOON!!!!
October 19th, 2015 at 2:34 pm
Surprisingly the bucs are stingey when it comes to giving up big plays. We are among the top defenses at limiting big plays. The problem is we suck in redzone defense. One of the worst defenses in the redzone. I imagine that the defense worked on tightening that up during the bye week.
Its funny because in the tampa 2 you expect to give up a lot of yards, but prevent Touchdowns. The tampa 2 we are running is the opposite…
October 19th, 2015 at 3:06 pm
JAB83 Says:
“Prepare to be sieged!”
I really, REALLY hate their slogan this year.
They should just use Mike Holme’s line.
“Make it right.”
October 19th, 2015 at 4:05 pm
cutting down other teams joe is a trait of yours the nfl has a lot of teams that are close or just missing something
October 19th, 2015 at 4:30 pm
I’m not a fan of stats. But the defense is ok. I’m not a fan if Winston. I think Glennon is a better QB. We got 6’4 WR and he is throwing the balls at there feet or the ball is landing a couple of yards in front of them. And the play calling SUCKS
October 19th, 2015 at 5:02 pm
Yup- thats about Right!
FIRE THE DAMN CANNONS!!!!
We are, who are stats say we are!!
With nothing but 1 4th round pick, and som low level Free agents, The mighty Lovie has built a juggernault defense!!
Wait til we invest a draft on defense!! It will be nothing but ruin and damnation in our Wake!!
5th ranked!!
Soon, we will be invincible
October 19th, 2015 at 5:29 pm
Remember that ’02 SB Bucs Defense??
1st in yds/g (252.8)
1st in pass yds/g (155.6) – just ridiculous..
1st in points/g (12.3) …Twelve fcuking points, smh
I know the league has changed alot since, but damn… you dont realize how spoiled we were with an ELITE unit, until you have to watch the likes of Tim ‘AWOL’ Jennings & Mike ‘Jenny-Jenn’ Jenkins getting carved up week in-week out.
October 19th, 2015 at 7:16 pm
Barber did say this defense is bend but dont brake
October 19th, 2015 at 8:14 pm
The league won’t see another defense like the ’02 Bucs until the pendulum swings back toward valuing defensive performances. The rules are so slanted towards offense now that it’s nearly impossible to have a dominant defense. Seattle has bucked the trend for a couple of seasons, but it’s even catching up to them now.
October 20th, 2015 at 11:55 am
“Glennon is a better QB”
LOL.
Not even close. Glennon doesn’t process things in his brain fast enough to be better.
Winston’s main issue (but not the only one) is that he acts too quickly at times, ignoring the risks his brain warns him against.
October 20th, 2015 at 11:56 am
@Johnny “America’s Commenter” Dejay
I think there will never be another because the rules have changed and defenses will have to adapt as a result.
There can still be a great T-2 and such, but it will have to be within the rules, so it will have a different form.
October 20th, 2015 at 1:53 pm
Kirk Cousins is an up and down QB. Inconsistent. Just like another QB I know.
The Redskins played without five or six starters last week Two on the O Line and two in the defensive secondary.
If all four of those players return this week they aren’t such a bad team.
Saying other wise like you do makes you sound like some of the philistines that post out here.