Bruce Arians Breaks Down Pass Rush Need; Talks “14 Missed Tackles”
November 25th, 2020
Rakeem Nuñez-Roches
There was very good and very bad from the Buccaneers defense Monday night, and it all added up to not good enough.
The man in charge of all of it, Bucco Bruce Arians, talked about the Bucs’ sketchy pass rush and their stifling run defense against a Rams offense that’s one of the most balanced in the NFL.
Rams receiver Cooper Kupp carved up the Bucs early and often, but Arians explained to Bucs Total Access that Kupp’s exploits were more about Tampa Bay sloppiness.
“We missed 14 tackles; we have not done that in a long time,” Arians said. “Especially in the first half, we gave them like 70 yards after missed tackles and yards after catch. They were huge in the first half.”
On the Bucs pass rush going sackless with just three hits on Jared Goff, who dropped back to pass 52 times, Arians praised the Rams, tipped his cap to his edge rushers and said the Bucs need more up the gut.
“Either [the quick passes] or they max-protected,” Arians said of the Rams’ comfortable day of passing. “So we got real close a couple of times. We just got to do a better job of getting some interior push. And our outside guys were rushing hard, but we need to get some more interior push.”
Hello, Vita Vea! You are missed when it comes to that interior push.
Joe was roasted from many angles last week after detailing that Ndamukong Suhs’ film shows he’s in a slump. It seems Arians might agree.
Of course, when it comes to the Bucs run defense, Arians and anyone paying attention can only glow.
“We misfit one run, other than that [the Rams] really got nothing. A lot of negative plays,” Arians said.
November 25th, 2020 at 6:16 am
Nacho look like Geraldine out there blowing thru his gap. Like I said before I never knew vita was so important. Where Khalil Davis at? Can’t hurt getting the kids some reps. We looked good against Green Bay because of Ledbetter being stout and the scheme. Suh and Vita demands a double team now we back To Doubling King Kong Suh. Makes it easier for opponents to stop our pass rush. We should of kept Stevie on the practice squad. Let’s see what Benning got. We need some more poly push in the trenches. Couch Coach out!
November 25th, 2020 at 6:43 am
“Joe was roasted from many angles last week after detailing that Ndamukong Suhs’ film shows he’s in a slump. It seems Arians might agree.”
Of course Arians agrees; when we lose, he always agrees that the Bucs’ defense didn’t do enough to pull his offense’s butt out of the fire. Reality is that Todd Bowles has made Bruce Arians look like a much better coach than he really is.
And slamming Suh is a low blow IMO. Just like the Bucs OLine showed against Aaron Donald, if you double-team a stud DT consistently you can keep him from being effective. But that does (or should) open up opportunities for other DLinemen to shine; that doesn’t appear to be the case. We miss Vea … big-time. Our pass rush has sucked since he went down. Hmmm, maybe Dontari Poe is still out there?
November 25th, 2020 at 7:06 am
“Bruce Arians Breaks Down” should be the headline!!!!!!!!!! The “real” question should be, was “Ole stale biscuit ever working”??????????
Funny how being out coached will never come up!!!!!!!!! But ole stale biscuit has been exposed!!!!!!! The “real” fans just don’t understand why the local media is so scared of ole stale biscuit????
go bucs!!!!!!!!!!!
November 25th, 2020 at 7:12 am
Let’s see if K. Davis can give us a better rush from inside. I see other teams having to play rookie tackles who make plays why not us? Right now none of our DT’s can get pressure, why not give Davis a shot? I see other 3rd round backs who’ve played well, Kamara was one. Our 3rd round back Vaughn can’t get in a game even tho Fournette dropped 3 passes! The one time he did get the ball he scored a TD, haven’t seen Vaughn since. Arains, and his huge coaching staff doesn’t seem to have developed any of these players, or for some strange reason won’t give any of them some playing time.
November 25th, 2020 at 7:15 am
D.R.
You’ve made me see a painful reality…that yes defense does indeed rule.
Again as an old dude growing up cheering on guys like John Hadl and Darryl “The Mad Bomber” Lamonica throwing bombs to tiny white guys like Lance “Bambi” Alworth and Fred Biletnikoff. Hey as a little white guy of course I related to them. They represented my only possibility in a big man’s sport.
I loved bombs away and BA is my age and so perhaps he too loved those guys. His offense certainly looks that way.
But I now believe as exciting as that may be…winning is more exciting. Winning will come to us with your stout defense and Brady’s skill at finding short routes and simply moving the chains.
In addition…you may disagree with me on this but I think we had it backwards. Instead of sucking and getting a #1 pick and finding the savior QB we should build a GREAT team anchored by a smothering defense that ANY decent QB can win with.
Imagine…That JW pick could have brought how many draft picks…HIGH draft picks. JW benefitted from MM which left two clear cut choices which made them both look like “can’t miss”. How many freaking draft picks could that have fetched? How many pass rushers…offensive linemen could we have selected?
Build the trenches first!!! They are freaks as in rare physical specimens. Lots of athletic 6-2 220lb guys…not so many 6-6 290.
November 25th, 2020 at 7:36 am
StPete … ‘Bambi’??? Why is it that I just can’t visualize Lance Alworth being called ‘Bambi’ by ‘The Mad Bomber’?
Back in 2015 when we drafted Jameis, Bucs NEEDED a starting QB desperately (I’m sure you remember Josh McCown starting in 2014). We didn’t have much choice but to draft a QB in 2015 & our choices were limited. Far as I’m concerned, Jameis was just far too immature to be given the keys to the kingdom at age 20 with 2 yrs of starting in college BUT … it is what it is (or was what it was?).
I’m a huge believer in ‘building the trenches’ on BOTH sides of the ball. It all starts there IMO and so you build from the inside out. The present Bucs’ defense isn’t that special on the interior DLine, and it’s showing. I think that Todd Bowles is probably pulling out his hair trying to improve our interior pass rush, but against the better OLines it’s just not working. We desperately need a Vita Vea caliber player at NT, and right now we just don’t have that. If the Bucs’ offense can’t put up 30-plus points each game, we’ll be in trouble IMO.
November 25th, 2020 at 7:48 am
No pass rush. I’m not sure what Bruce expects when this team is allergic to drafting pass rushers. An injection of youth, would that be so bad? JPP would be a great mentor to young talent with fresh legs. The outside played hard, but couldn’t get it done at the end of the night. Don’t the best defenses in the league always draft defensive linemen early? Kind of how the Bucs draft corners.
November 25th, 2020 at 7:52 am
Totally agree with you D RULES……
I’m a huge believer in ‘building the trenches’ on BOTH sides of the ball. It all starts there IMO and so you build from the inside out. The present Bucs’ defense isn’t that special on the interior DLine, and it’s showing. I think that Todd Bowles is probably pulling out his hair trying to improve our interior pass rush, but against the better OLines it’s just not working. We desperately need a Vita Vea caliber player at NT, and right now we just don’t have that. If the Bucs’ offense can’t put up 30-plus points each game, we’ll be in trouble IMO. With Ali out and also Vita out, the lines have not been dominate like they were. Big reason the overall play is down BTW St Pete, the Bucs could use the offensive Wizard, Sid Gilliam about right now lol GO BUCS!!!!
November 25th, 2020 at 8:44 am
It was obvious from the first series that the Bucs defense wasn’t gang tackling or hitting. They were dragging people to the ground. They played with no pride and no fire. They should be ashamed, as football players and men.
November 25th, 2020 at 9:32 am
This is Bowles second year with our D. He is doing a very good job. We need to draft DLinemen next year. We will. Obviously, great Ds win NFL championships. Like, duh, really?
November 25th, 2020 at 10:22 am
In the NFL, if you can get to your opponent’s quarterback with four rushers you win. If you can’t, you lose.
Give any NFL quarterback enough time in the pocket and he’ll make your secondary look bad.
November 25th, 2020 at 10:24 am
It was frustrating to see we could never get a one on one tackle. I was yelling it the entire game. So many broken tackles!!
November 25th, 2020 at 2:58 pm
Tale of two Joe’s. Early on, Joe mentioned the loss of Vita wasnt big. No I read otherwise. I’ve never seen someone flip flop so much. sheesh. What is it? Do we miss Vita or not? What’s your final stance?
November 25th, 2020 at 5:40 pm
As it stands now this is not a playoff team. As much as I like TB I do believe he is starting to show his age. Weak DL without Vea. Weak OL especially at LT. Weak secondary. Shaq Barrett overrated. RB’s average. GM, HC, OC & DC overrated & out of touch. Not much has changed from last year.
November 25th, 2020 at 6:11 pm
was screaming about the missed tackles immediately – I said 20 – he is underestimating
also Rakeem Nuñez-Roches has a severe pad level problem, re-watch his tape – almost stands up at the snap rather than firing out low and getting his hands in proper position – leverage is everything at DT, if he can fix this he has the size and quicks to be a consistent starter
November 25th, 2020 at 7:39 pm
Actually they misfit 2 big runs but who’s counting??? The lack of middle pass rush and 10 yard cushion the dbs give and every qb has 4-5 seconds to throw. When they do line up right in front of the receiver they let them run right by without even breathing on them. This Coach My Scheme staff we have has proven bigger is not always better but smarter is. It’s getting tiring watching them getting out coached by even 1-7 coaches. What doesn’t really make sense to me is the stark difference between the 1st and 2nd half defenses and why can’t they always play like the 2nd half all the time. This coaching staff is mind boggling!