Suffocating Run Defense
January 16th, 2022
Choking out Eagles run game.
Yeah, it helped to have injured starters return to the defense. But Joe is convinced it was more than that.
All week long all we heard about was the big bad Eagles rushing attack. The Bucs’ run defense had turned bad and was circling the drain. The Eagles were going to maul the Bucs on the ground.
Ha!
That big, bad, bruising Eagles running game had a grand total of 35 yards in the first half.
Thirty-five yards!
Of course the return of Shaq Barrett and Jason Pierre-Paul back helped, as did Lavonte David on the field and looking much more like the old Lavonte David.
The Bucs defense, Joe could tell, was flat out p!ssed! They were p!ssed that people dissed them. They were p!ssed that folks thought they were done. They were p!ssed that the Eagles thought they could stomp them onto the rain-soaked turf of the Stadium on Dale Mabry Highway.
“We took it personally,” Lavonte David said after the game.
The Bucs defense was playing with intensity, passion, emotion, massive swag. Mike Edwards was a monster with nine tackles, a pick and a tackle for loss.
On Edwards, Arians said, “He is banged up but Mike is a baller. When he is out there he is going to make a play.”
The Eagles done woke up the big bad bully of Himes Avenue. And the bully was mad as hell.
And the Bucs sent a message to the rest of the NFC: This Bucs defense isn’t dead yet.
January 16th, 2022 at 5:00 pm
Defense played awesome. And smb should be back next week
January 16th, 2022 at 5:02 pm
Hopefully – philly police are ready for a tough night. 😂
January 16th, 2022 at 5:04 pm
Devin White was better…our safeties were fantastic……..Shaq & JPP had no tackles…..but their presence made a difference.
January 16th, 2022 at 5:04 pm
Dont care to much they were able to run the ball bs prevent defense. We completely shut down their running offense and their whole gameplan today.
Any team thats gonna beat us has to try to throw on the GRAVEDIGGERS!!!
January 16th, 2022 at 5:09 pm
And Big V plowing through that middle….and to the poster who said he’ll slack off now after signing that big contract, he just purchased you a second thought….and I hope you take full advantage of it and right yourself!
January 16th, 2022 at 5:11 pm
The rest of the league should be worried that the Bucs D woke up today. I’m smiling in my snow-covered boots.
GO BUCS!!
January 16th, 2022 at 5:13 pm
Shaq had a key INT so that makes up it
January 16th, 2022 at 5:17 pm
Don’t know about the Eagles record or why they were in this game. But, was very glad to see LVD back on the field and playing well. He is a major Captain of the Defense. It showed.
January 16th, 2022 at 5:23 pm
They were swarming to the ball and popping when they arrived
January 16th, 2022 at 5:24 pm
Keep it up defense! Gunna have to repeat or improve this performance for 3 more games.
January 16th, 2022 at 5:27 pm
The defense played their collective arses off. Gave up a couple cheap ones at 31-0, but the game was over at that point.
January 16th, 2022 at 5:34 pm
LVD is so amazing. If at the game, Did you notice him pointing and orchestrated that defense so everyone was where he wanted them.
Hey Joe, you local media professionals need to start bragging on LVD. Since he is so humble, he won’t ever self promote himself. Because he has been so durable, the last few weeks without him prove to anybody who doesn’t know…we are watching a legend. Stopping the NFL’s best rushing offense.
January 16th, 2022 at 5:39 pm
That’s been well-known for years. Even BSPN has begun showing Lavonte love.
January 16th, 2022 at 5:40 pm
Real impressed with the many ways Shaq finds to impact the game.Smart play to drop back in coverage and tip the ball to himself and then turn it into about a fifteen yard return.
January 16th, 2022 at 5:55 pm
And I counted 4 dropped INTs. Could have been a bigger blowout. Way to go Bucs!!
January 16th, 2022 at 5:56 pm
David didnt look quite 100% but it helped a lot along with our ends
January 16th, 2022 at 6:01 pm
Look out if this D will stay healthy! They put together a run if they stay healthy and no one will want to play us. QB’s will be looking like Mahomes last year in the Super Bowl, all dazed and confused from being planted in the turf!!! Look out NFL!!! These boys will bury you if you give them a chance!!! Oh, and how about Vita owning the all pro center for the Eagles!!!! Man did Vita make him look like a crappy back up!!! 🤣🤣
January 16th, 2022 at 6:25 pm
Vita Vea made Jason Kelce look like a rag doll all day
January 16th, 2022 at 6:50 pm
Is Vita Vea doing girly push ups on his knees??? E.R.A. pushers might get upset with that! Only women are supposed to do those! 😅🤣😂😅🤣
January 16th, 2022 at 8:45 pm
Brady maybe sacked 4 times but hurts was tossed a lot by Suh and devin. should be on ice tub by now
January 16th, 2022 at 10:27 pm
Feel bad saying it the smb injury was kinda of a blessing in disguise being that Antoine and Edwards are interchangeable both can play the slot and free safety looks like they found something here in the playoffs that they should stick to
January 16th, 2022 at 10:27 pm
Damn good job on defense early in the game, keep it uo up next LA or Cards, hit them hard right in the mouth and make them pay for every inch!!! If its cards same thing as philly putna qb spy on his ass, he is a better passer though. Exploit thier weaknesses, take away thier strengths! ..if its LA pass rush the hell out of stafford get in his face!!! We owe paynack to LA!! LFGO!!!! TAMPA BAY ALL THE WAY!!!! ALSO LETS GET CREATIVE ON OFFENSE,
January 16th, 2022 at 10:54 pm
Defense aced the test. I feel comfortable if we had to play the 49ers. Defense will carry this team to the Super Bowl!
January 16th, 2022 at 11:33 pm
What, with Lavonte David back Devin White started looking like his old self just flying around hitting people. David must take a lot of the load off of White pre-snap getting people lined up and stuff and allows White to just play fast. It was obvious that Lavonte wasn’t able to go full speed all the time but that is ok because just his presence on the field obviously helps his this defense.
January 17th, 2022 at 2:19 am
Yeah! You said it Joe!
January 17th, 2022 at 7:50 am
Joe, In my excitement I misspoke on LVD’s recognition. You, more than anyone, raves over him, his records, comparing him to other greats, etc. what I meant to say was when the National talking heads interview you, Ira, and other local media, I respectfully reminisce of Tampa’s first great sportswriter. the late Tom McEwen. While nobody was watching the horrible early Bucs…McEwen always informed his peers how great LeeRoy Selmon played. When Selmon was inducted into the Hall of Fame, the voters were interviewed and specifically said the voted for Selmon because Tom McEwen gave a speech before the voting.
LVD, like LeeRoy, was all about the team. He was humble like LVD. Meanwhile outside of the Bay Area LVD has only one pro bowl. After the criticized the Bucs defense of late ( without mentioning the fact LVD was out those games) , the Fox guys spoke more about Gronk’s bonus money, Brady’s hairstyles, and certainly AB than how this suddenly suspect defense shut down the NFL’s leading rushing offense. Let me restate: sometimes the quiet leaders who never self promote themselves get overlooked. It’s a shame that if he promoted himself like Jalen Ramsey, he’d have 7 PEO bowls. Sorry for disrespecting your opinions , I meant convince the OUTSIDE media when they interview you guys to mention him