“They’re Just Blocking Us”
October 16th, 2017
Dirk Koetter knows his defensive ends are struggling
It’s reached the point where Joe has stopped dreaming of getting invited to cheerleader pool parties and has started fantasizing of Daniel Te’o-Nesheim and Stylez White returning to the starting lineup.
Maybe even a Tim Crowder reunion, or a return to the days when unemployed Jacquies Smith used to crush quarterbacks every other game.
Yes, it’s gotten that bad at defensive end. Joe has noted previously that Bucs DEs have just one sack all season. That’s hard to do, especially when you’re on a team that has gotten a some QB pressure up the middle.
Dirk Koetter was asked today about the statistically impotent performance of his ends and the root cause. Koetter pointed out a couple of praise-worthy moments but made things real simple.
“They’re just blocking us,” Koetter said.
Well said.
Defensive ends Noah Spence and Robert Ayers are not generating even a below average amount of pressure, and Will Gholston has regressed as a pass rusher since when he broke into the NFL. Will Clarke? Well, Joe has joked that he might as well be the Will Clark (no E) with the big ol’ stick.
There’s just no relief in sight here, especially if Spence’s shoulder — and the harness he wears to support it — is an issue that won’t abate during the season. Ayers (zero sacks) has had plenty of solid moments through five games, but at 32 years old, does anyone really expect him to flick a switch and become a dangerous pass rusher again?
Mike Smith might want to think about making a greater commitment to the blitz, though putting Vernon Hargreaves on an island feels like a death sentence right now.
October 16th, 2017 at 9:06 pm
Get VHIII the heck outta there for Bobby McClain. Blitz Kwon and Lavonte, even TJ.
October 16th, 2017 at 9:09 pm
Vernon “Marshmallow” Hargreaves can’t defend squat right now.. Blitzing unfortunately is not the solution.
October 16th, 2017 at 9:16 pm
GO To yardbarker.com
Pro football focus ranks Hargreaves the 6th worst cornerback amongst 114 players
That’s hot garbage and he needs to sit for a bit and maybe wake him up
October 16th, 2017 at 9:20 pm
Did Dwight Freeney retire?
October 16th, 2017 at 9:20 pm
What about Trent Cole?
October 16th, 2017 at 9:20 pm
This defense just flat out isn’t good enough to get us into the postseason
October 16th, 2017 at 9:33 pm
This situation is really beyond rediculous.
It’s time to start calling out everyone involved.
Licht, Koetter, Mike Smith, Jay Hayes, the strength and conditioning staff, the players up front, the towel boys, and even the dude who washes the f**king jocks…
What’s the problem here?
What the hell is going on?
How can they be so putrid in such an important facet of the game, for so f**king long?
It’s a joke…
October 16th, 2017 at 9:40 pm
Kind of hard to get at the qb when he gets the ball out in two seconds flat.
Move the corners up….fire Mike Smith
October 16th, 2017 at 9:45 pm
I second that InJameisWetrust Bucs defense just don’t seem to be good enough to make to the postseason for a while I thought I was the only buc fan that didn’t think the defense was doing a good job this season. Here are the questions I am asking buc fans 1 do we not have enough players, is Mike Smith just not doing a very good job are is it the defensive line coach
October 16th, 2017 at 9:45 pm
I don’t think we can blitz….Hargreaves is getting exposed as it is. He ends up on an island out there and they’ll have career days
October 16th, 2017 at 9:51 pm
Of course we can blitz. Tbeyre getting the ball out fast because the corners are 12 yards off. Easy pitch and catch. Play press and send 6. If u get beat then whats the difference with whats happening now? CREATE some turnovers smitty. This take what ya want defense is quite disgusting to watch. I hope that game was our atlanta game from last year. Time to make big changes this week. The bills havnt been able to throw on anyone. If it happens again this week Im gona protest too, but it wont be kneeling.
October 16th, 2017 at 9:59 pm
Ya’ll realize that we are playing Buffalo next. The don’t exactly throw 40 times a game. Better be ready for Shady and a very good defense. Tyrod Taylor can burn you with his legs on the read option to McCoy.
October 16th, 2017 at 10:01 pm
Hey….Stylez G. White was ballin’ for a few years…including a lot of forced fumbles. The current ends are “good against the run”…sorta like sayin’ she ain’t cute but has a great personality.
October 16th, 2017 at 10:13 pm
I want to see these dam highly paid, highly praised coaches stepping up.
Both sides of the ball we’re built up because of their consistency. FIX IT!
October 16th, 2017 at 10:45 pm
How about Simeon? He looks like he’s still got a cpl sacks in him. Make the extra push for the hof…I’m kidding but
October 16th, 2017 at 10:46 pm
What about jay Hayes being this unbelievable coach. He did magic in cincy yet comes here and our de have shown zero improvement
October 16th, 2017 at 10:47 pm
It’s all coaching. There isn’t a single soul watching that wouldn’t bench Hargreaves or get in his face and say “if I see you lined up 10 yards away one more time you’re done” we all know it’s not rocket science. The next step is blitzing. Even not blitzing with press man coverage will help the rush. Every qb knows what to do where to do it and when to do it. Carson didn’t have an incompletion in the first half. It looked like the ten game losing streak Raheem Morris days. It’s ALL COACHING right now. Yes they have some personnel issues but if u don’t think gholston Spence McCoy Baker Ayers can’t get the job done with top end coaching…. Offense isn’t the problem really. Yes in the pats game it was but they can’t get in rythym with koetters awful play calling and quick 3 and outs
October 16th, 2017 at 10:54 pm
Since when does an O-line not block a D-End? That’s right, real ends don’t get blocked, and just have free reign to drill a QB. What a joke!!!!
October 16th, 2017 at 11:03 pm
Remember Lovies team ? Defense played good one week and everyone got excited, then they took the next 3 weeks off. It’s starting to look a lot like it.
October 16th, 2017 at 11:07 pm
Bring Jared Allen in for a physical.
October 16th, 2017 at 11:40 pm
Smitty’s defensive scheme is awful. Don’t know what’s gonna happen to this coaching squad. And Just like I said right after the draft, “Next year we’re going to draft nothing but defense.”
October 16th, 2017 at 11:42 pm
This defense looks no better than it did under Leslie Frazier or Bill Sheridan. If things don’t turn around this team is going to have to make some very tough decisions.
October 16th, 2017 at 11:50 pm
This defense is horrible…the worst in the NFC South by a country mile.
October 16th, 2017 at 11:51 pm
lesean mccoy 200 yds + from scrimmage?
October 17th, 2017 at 5:04 am
can someone get dewey selmon up in here!
October 17th, 2017 at 6:22 am
lets blitz VH3 over and over, dude cannot play corner worth a shet. Send him to do a grown man’s job, lets see what happens. Make it interesting no doubt.
October 17th, 2017 at 10:17 am
JPP would command significant draft picks, not a player. –Joe
October 18th, 2017 at 2:12 am
Does anyone think that not having Kwon playing has something to do with us coming out flat? He is the leader/heart/soul of the defense. Brings the fire on every play. Remember the last 4 games of his rookie year when he was suspended ? Without him the defense was a totally different monster
October 20th, 2017 at 5:01 pm
Joe, I usually come on everyday & read but it took till yesterday x today to recover from Sunday. That beating was devastating! In response to this article, I can’t really expect much pressure when the QB can throw to WIDE open WRs in 2-3 secs. How can anything be generated there besides a 70% completion rate!