The Big Play Defense
August 27th, 2017
Heating up, along with a rookie.
How bout those two A+ takeaways forced by the Bucs’ first-team defense last night!
Joe’s been looking for signs that either Gerald McCoy or Lavonte David would have a breakthrough season, the kind where people put them in the conversation for Defensive Player of the Year.
Yeah, the Bucs haven’t played a stack of stud offenses this preseason (Bengals, Jaguars and Browns), but David has had a very strong summer and capped it off Saturday night with a heady, quick-reaction pass breakup over the middle. The tipped ball was gobbled up out of the air by Vernon Hargreaves.
It was exactly how they draw it up in practice: the big play (David), followed by the swarm to the ball (Hargreaves) and the finish.
David, at 27-years-old, seems so comfortable now in this defense and ready to explode. Joe’s being very optimistic, but the signs are there.
And then there was rookie linebacker Kendell Beckwith, whose textbook, second-quarter strip in the running game, after ducking under a block and attacking the football, was a thing of pure beauty. Joe wishes there was a replay better than this available.
Joe loved the forced turnovers tonight. Man, if the Bucs can find any kind of consistent pass rush, then this defense could be awfully special.
August 27th, 2017 at 12:21 am
. . .if only we had a DE . . .
August 27th, 2017 at 12:25 am
Kizer had absolutely no pressure, and was killing us.
We starting blitzing, and it rattled the Rookie.
Try that constant blitzing against a veteran QB, and he’ll pick us to pieces
. . .If only we had a DE . . .
August 27th, 2017 at 12:26 am
How about that dline that can’t breathe on a rookie QB?
August 27th, 2017 at 12:28 am
Does anyone know whose job it is to acquire roster talent? I’m told we have a Mr Beasting under heavy chain. When do we get to see that unleashed?
August 27th, 2017 at 12:34 am
Hey look! Change the subject
August 27th, 2017 at 12:49 am
We have all DT’s.
William Gholston- DT but plays DE
Ayers-DT
McCoy-DT
McDonald-DT
Baker-DT
Noah Spence- 3-4 OLB
We do not have a true, fast, long, strong, DE.
Why are we saving so much money in our salary cap!!!
We are wasting this teams 2 year window!
Grimes is an All-Pro but old and so is GMC.
What are we doing?????
August 27th, 2017 at 1:06 am
Just follow the Licht duuuude
Can do no wrong even when he’s wrong. fn
fn. See facts (verifiable)
August 27th, 2017 at 2:02 am
While I agree,the pass rush (or lack of) wasn’t that great…But since when is, 6/18 for 93 yds and a pick, “killing it”, in a half of football?
August 27th, 2017 at 2:05 am
I mean..it’s almost like, the team didn’t sit 15 players, and ya know…was a “preseason” game? I’ve been a fan of this team for nearly 30 yrs, and if I’ve learned one thing, it’s this….don’t buy into the “hype”, and let’s wait until we see what unfolds against Miami, before all the bullspit is spewed…
August 27th, 2017 at 2:30 am
Dont have to wait til Miami to see that we need a DE.
Watch any of our De against their OTs tonight.
They got crushed
August 27th, 2017 at 4:24 am
sign kony ealy asap we need to at least bring somebody else in … no pass rush at all 3 straight games is not a good sign
August 27th, 2017 at 6:23 am
Ryan Smith nearly had a third int. Thought he played well..
August 27th, 2017 at 6:26 am
Those 2 takeaways were great, but unfortunately there are more than 2 plays in a game. Consistent DLine pressure on the QB & improved capability to stop the run are the 2 upgrades I’ve been looking from the DLine this preseason. Looks like we’re doing somewhat better against the run, but DLine ppressure on the QBs just doesn’t seem to be there … yet. And maybe with our DLine personnel we can’t have both … maybe protecting their rushing lanes limits other things this group of DTs & DEs can do to get pressure, I don’t know. But I’m certain that our secondary needs better DLine pressure on QBs to be effective. Other than that, it’ll be another long season.
August 27th, 2017 at 6:48 am
Didn’t Kony Ealy play decent in the Panthers defense which is similar to ours, we have no pass rush, still waiting on Spence, but maybe they will call holds in the regular season
August 27th, 2017 at 7:16 am
Rrsrq- I take your point in that regard. Joe Thomas got away with high profile robbery all night long the way he was holdin Spence. Looked nothing like blocking and it was right in front of the lousy official.
August 27th, 2017 at 10:22 am
AGAIN…there is only ONE Joe Thomas in this league and no the Cowboys do not have a tackle of his caliber. He’s probably a first round HOFer when he finally calls it quits.
Think about it…over a ten year period he was All Pro 7 freaking times and 2nd team All Pro 2 other times. He of course made the Pro Bowl all ten years.
That means he was judged THE BEST TACKLE in the game 7 years in a row and only the 2nd best two other years…don’t know if All Pro tackles are selected by side..right versus left or not…perhaps he’s only one of the two best. LMAO
It’s not always about OUR guys. The other team has some talent as well and sometimes the other team has their own generational superstar. For the Browns that has always been Joe Thomas.
Again I’m not defending our lack of pass rush. Thomas can only block one guy so I don’t know what the rest of the DL was doing.
August 27th, 2017 at 10:46 am
Anytime you hear any color commentator start to talk up George Johnson, I think that any realistic person suddenly gets a distinct twinge of the all too well known around here, Buccaneer Apprehension/Impending Doom Syndrome.
August 27th, 2017 at 10:57 am
meant for other article
August 27th, 2017 at 5:38 pm
Take away the awful play of Ryan Smith and Chris Conte and the defense played very well. Heck Ryan Smith should have had 2 INTs himself and he was terrible. Conte, like always, was out of place or missing tackles. Beckwith missed a couple of tackles but I give him a lot more slack than the other two and Beckwith’s issue was just wrapping up, something that wasn’t an issue in college so I think it was just an off night in that regard (maybe the rain too), but he was in the right place at the right time so him I’m not worried about.