Interactive Defense
December 3rd, 2016
Gerald McCoy offers details
Want to know why the Bucs defense has turned a 180 since the debacle against the Dixie Chicks on Thursday Night Football?
Simple, said stud defensive tackle Gerald McCoy: The defense has become interactive.
Prior to the current three-game winning streak, the defensive coaching staff, GMC said, thought it knew how to best put players in position to make plays and let them go.
It wasn’t working.
So defensive coaches met with players, handed over the gameplan and, as GMC explained, had each player discuss it openly to give them more input and make sure everyone knew what was expected of everyone.
Dirk Koetter had said previously he met with his coaches after the Atlanta beatdown and told his staff different results would only come if they changed things up.
“The biggest issue was communication,” GMC told Joe’s good friend Adam Schein this week, host of “Schein on Sports,” heard exclusively on SiriusXM Radio. ”The coaches have taken a step back and let the players do a lot more in the meetings where they give us the gameplan and let the players talk it out.
“Coach doesn’t say, ‘OK, you’ve got this, you’ve got this.’ Coach says, ‘Well, what do you have?’ And we have to speak up and when you speak up and say it out loud, then somebody else was thinking something else, then we know where the problem is. Us being able to do that has helped us out tremendously. And it is showing up on the field. Guys are on the same page. Our communication has really changed our game.”
Joe spoke with a couple of defensive players earlier this week and they echoed GMC’s thoughts. Kwon Alexander told Joe this new coaching technique has added dividends. Not only are all the players playing as one, but their great input led the defense to be tweaked a little and molded to their best attributed, not necessarily what the coaches believed the players could do best.
It has, Alexander told Joe, allowed players to be “turned loose” to make plays.
All of this speaks to coaching. As Koetter said, if the coaching staff didn’t make changes, how could anyone expect different results? So as players went home after the loss to the Dixie Chicks to look in the mirror, so too did the coaching staff.
December 3rd, 2016 at 7:06 am
Great article Joe, this change in coaching strategy has me very excited for good things to come. Lovie would never make this kind of change. Go Bucs.
December 3rd, 2016 at 7:16 am
Looks to me that the players said to the ALL/WORLD COACHING STAFF, “Give us the plan and go take your place on the side line”, Talented players taking over where coaching can’t go……on the field! GO BUCS!
December 3rd, 2016 at 7:27 am
Two very good articles in a row,this AM,way to go Joe!
One of the main reasons both Lovie and Schiano are gone is a lack of communication with the players.
Thye results are in: better play from the safeties,better communication
and play from corners,splash plays from linebackers,and the D-line working
together to produce sacks and innaccurrate throws from opposing QB’S.
December 3rd, 2016 at 7:36 am
It is also possible that the addition of the wily veteran Verner improved the communication and play of the corners.
December 3rd, 2016 at 7:47 am
One huge improvement that no one is talking about, Is how the back 7 when asked to blitz/rush is that they are disguising it much better. The timing has been very good as they walk up to their spot at the last second!!! Earlier in the year they were giving away the defenses when they would come up to soon!!!!
And once again bighogheinous reads a couple of words and totally misunderstands another article!!!!!
This coaching staff finds answers and use all kinds of techniques to get the correct results!!!! Adjusting and changing the culture!!!!! We are very blessed to finally have a great coaching staff here in Tampa!!!!! The Fans can see it, and so will the rest of the NFL!!!!!!!
December 3rd, 2016 at 8:16 am
@big hog Hayes.
That is why they have the potential to be “all world”,they listened to their players.
Lovie didn’t,simple as that.
December 3rd, 2016 at 8:52 am
This team has always had talent…the difference is chemistry…these guys genuinely love each other and is shows…If America’s QB and his band of brothers show up to Jerry’s World with an 8-5 record America’s team could be in for a rude awakening…Go Bucs! Let’s shock the world…
December 3rd, 2016 at 8:59 am
Q: Rick Stroud: Lovie would changing things schematically or perhaps tweaking things a little give this team a spark defensivly ?
Let me stop you right there Rick, theres zero chance of that happening, we’re gonna pound the rock til it cracks, simple as that.
December 3rd, 2016 at 9:03 am
Fantastic article Joe. Love it when y’all get ‘behind the scenes’ to find out why good things are happening (or why bad things happen for that matter). In this case improving communication was the biggest factor. But as I look back at the Oakland & Atlanta games (where the defense gave up over 1000 yds?), it’s obvious that the Bucs didn’t have a real high probability of beating the Falcons … 4 days separation between the 2 games, and the Bucs defense was on the field for a whopping 94 snaps against a very tough Raiders team, then had to play another 73 snaps against the Falcons. All with very little depth at key positions. You could see that the defense was dragging towards the end of the Raiders game, and it carried over to the Falcons game. That 10 days after the Atlanta game was badly needed for the Bucs to rest up some & get it together defensively. The Bucs coaching staff obviously took great advantage of those 10 days too.
December 3rd, 2016 at 9:58 am
Joe writes about what Joe finds interesting when Joe finds it interesting. Your commentary is malicious in nature and rude. –Joe
December 3rd, 2016 at 10:09 am
R.O. ( real obnoxious!!!!!)
strikes again!!!! or should I say ” Strikes Out”!!!!!!!!!!!!
December 3rd, 2016 at 12:54 pm
Thanks REALIST for letting everyone know that I can read! It’s just that my comprehension level is much higher or may I say a bit different from yours and some others here, nothing wrong with seeing things differently, as long as you don’t think every word you speak is the ultimate truth! 5 games to play with 3 games to win to show improvement over last year’s team!!!! Go BUCS! LETS HAVE 5-SACKS SUNDAY!!
December 3rd, 2016 at 1:06 pm
I had a feeling DK had a serious sit down meeting with Mike Smith after the Thursday nite debacle. No telling what the actual words were, but the results are telling. GO MIGHTY BUCS IN THE DESERT!!