If It Works, Don’t Fix It
December 29th, 2021
Bringing the heat.
The way the Bucs got after two lousy quarterbacks last week, Sam Darnold and over the hill, pouty Cam Newton, it brought a tear of joy to Joe. Maybe two.
It was a beautiful thing.
Nothing destroys a passing attack like a strong pass rush and it seems Bucs defensive coordinator Todd Bowles pulled an Eighth Air Force on the Stinking Panthers. He sent wave after wave after wave of blitzes at Darnold and Newton and they fully melted down.
Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com shared the data from NextGen Stats how Bowles’ blitzkrieg simply blew up Carolina’s passing game.
… the Buccaneers blitzed on 48.1% of the Panthers dropbacks, their third-highest blitz rate in any game this season. That produced seven sacks and 20 pressures; the first total was a single-game high for Tampa Bay this season and the second was also their fourth-highest rate of the year.
Not only did the Bucs get Newton and Darnold on the ground, but they often forced errant throws even when they were unable to get sacks. NGS calculated the Panthers’ 45 throws as having an expected completion rate of 62.1% but the two Carolina passers actually completed just 48.9% of them. That difference of -13.2% between expected and actual completion rate was the best mark of the year for Tampa Bay’s defense; it hadn’t produced a difference of more than -10% in any of its previous 14 outings.
Now Smith did not detail the two games where the Bucs blitzed more. Joe would have loved to compare the results.
And why not do this again? Zach Wilson, the rookie Jets quarterback, has a bad front line. Joe would throw the kitchen sink at the guy.
With all the injuries and the COVID positive tests, thank goodness the Bucs are playing the Jets. Always a good team to get healthy with.
Enjoy the latest Ira Kaufman Podcast.
December 29th, 2021 at 5:42 am
Would that work against Aaron Rodgers?
December 29th, 2021 at 7:13 am
Beej, absolutely it will work.
December 29th, 2021 at 7:14 am
I’ve rewatched this game and there were plenty of open WRs that were not thrown to or miss throws. This includes two throws to Ameer Abdullah, 1st Q when he falls down (throw from Cam) and later in the game whe he is over thrown in a wheelchair route on Minter (throw from Darnold and ball hits his fingertips).
There were other missed hotreads on the blitzes. They definitely worked against the Panthers, and it SHOULD against the Jets, though I would be worried against any playoff caliber QB.
December 29th, 2021 at 7:14 am
BEEEJ,
IT DID IN THE NFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME!
December 29th, 2021 at 7:15 am
*Wheel route
I believe that one of our higher blitzing games was against WFT and Heinike went off last year and this year.
December 29th, 2021 at 7:23 am
People forgetting Bowles was fired from N.Y.. Me thinks him, and his players want to make the Jets regret that.
December 29th, 2021 at 7:24 am
I agree that the Jets are an easy opponent…..but lets not get too overconfident. We still have to play hard.
I’m glad we have Perriman back to add to AB….and it looks like Grayson can play…….what has happened to Tyler Johnson & Scotty Miller?
December 29th, 2021 at 7:31 am
The Jets killed many survivor pool entries at home against Tennessee and Cincinnati. Take this game for granted and it will be a L.
December 29th, 2021 at 7:42 am
Of course you get a couple of sacks some hits on the QB and anyone will melt look what we did to Rodgers Mahomie and Brees last year
December 29th, 2021 at 7:49 am
Yes, Bowles was fired from the Jets, and hates them, as well as the Fans in New York, who gave him the nickname “Toilet Bowles”.
We have a very easy schedule these last 2 games, and should win out easily.
December 29th, 2021 at 8:13 am
Wow, what a mastermind, only had to watch 30 seconds of film to figure this out. Every team blitzes Newton because he can’t throw past 20 yds and he’s illiterate when it comes to reading defenses. Darnold will be bagging groceries in 2 years, he has been hit and hit hard and doesn’t like it. He’s the next Rob Johnson, Rick Muir & Tony Eason.
December 29th, 2021 at 8:17 am
This Sunday could really set up the Bucs for 2 home games in playoffs if Ravens beat Rams in Baltimore and Cardinals beat Cowboys.
Cardinals will be motivated after 3 straight losses and it’s K Murray’s homecoming- cocky Cowboys will have a dogfight.
December 29th, 2021 at 9:18 am
The Jets have beaten Tampa eight games in a row. Tampa haven’t beaten The Jets since 1984. The series is 1-10 in The Jets favor. We need to give them a good ass whomping. GOBUCS!
December 29th, 2021 at 9:35 am
The Jets once beat Tampa 62-28. The most points ever given up by a Bucs team. This is payback time. Good for the stats also. GOBUCS!
December 29th, 2021 at 9:42 am
@Eddie Marz: Bucs beat the J-E-T-S JETS JETS JETS last time they played, in 2017, 15-10.
The heartbreaker was in 2000 when Wayne Cherbet caught a pass from RB Curtis Martin with 0:52 left in the game. I recall a lot of trash talking about Cherbet before the game.
December 29th, 2021 at 9:57 am
Cobraboy your right it’s 2-10 in The Jets favor. Let’s whomp them anyway.
December 29th, 2021 at 10:07 am
Relax, Brady is 29-7 against Jets.
December 29th, 2021 at 10:54 am
I’m not scared of the Jets. They’re 27th in points scored and last in points allowed.
December 29th, 2021 at 10:58 am
Hey Listnfrmfar, I’m not worried. Just want to beat them down bad. GOBUCS!
December 29th, 2021 at 11:24 am
i heard through the grapevine that bucs staff were seen actually loading a kitchen sink onto the bucs charter flight to nyc…
ok fine…it was just a box of kitchen sink christmas tree ornaments with keychains attached to them…
but you get the point…
each player will get a little kitchen sink on a keychain to carry in their pocket
#KitchenSinksAllDay
#TeamKitchenSink
#SinkSquad
#SinkToSwimAnotherDay
#GoBucs
December 29th, 2021 at 12:19 pm
I’d like to see the Bucs at #3 spot playing the 49ers in Tampa.
December 29th, 2021 at 1:59 pm
I remember when the Bucs we’re the team to get you well again.