Lavonte David Says Defense Focus And Energy Were Lacking
September 30th, 2025
How does this happen?
Joe realizes players are human, but they’re also professional athletes paid millions to give extraordinary effort once a week. “Want-to” is in the job description.
The Bucs defense wasn’t mentally in the game in the first half Sunday against the Eagles. That’s the opinion of team captain and defensive leader Lavonte David.
He made that clear last night on the Buccaneers Radio Network.
“I could probably say the focus was down in the first half. The energy was low in the first half. You know, we wasn’t locked in how we normally should be locked, “David said.
What? Against the Super Bowl champs at home with Tom Brady on the TV call for the battle of undefeated NFC powers?
“Second half, we made a couple adjustments,” David said. “It seemed like their game plan was to try to just, you know, get the ball outta Jaylen Hurt’s hands quick and then he was just taking whatever he was he could take with running the football and stuff like that.
“And the second half we was just able to just hone in and lock in on what they were trying to do, and take away the quick passing game. You know, they don’t throw shots as much. So we kind of took that away and was able to hone in defensively. With that and with tight coverage on the back end, we was able to get a couple sacks outta that.”
The Bucs defense was legendary in the second half. Mind-blowing. The Eagles didn’t complete a pass all half. Officially, the Eagles had negative yardage in the final 30 minutes.
Obviously, the Bucs snapped out of their funk, but why was there one?
Joe will guess the Bucs were so focused on not having a letdown against the Jets a week earlier, they somehow exhaled too much and came out flat against the Eagles.
Yes, that feels ridiculous to consider, but what else explains David saying the Bucs defense coming out with poor focus and energy?
September 30th, 2025 at 1:00 pm
Todd!
Read this!!!
“take away the quick passing game. “
Coach them up when you have time after the blowtorching of Magoo’s bus.
September 30th, 2025 at 1:01 pm
How could a defensive Guru like Todd not know that they were going to ding and dunk us to death? Every team does it, move the chains to get to the red zone then we tighten up. SMH!
September 30th, 2025 at 1:04 pm
Maybe in the first half. Which makes me wonder why we dont start off doing what works, we always wait until half time.
September 30th, 2025 at 1:09 pm
Exactly Joe all that money and pffft.
September 30th, 2025 at 1:11 pm
Shell shock from crappy offensive and special teams play, not to mention having to drag both units along having to keep the entire team competitive. Special teams allowing points to be put up the defense will get blamed for, and an offense that no matter how many punts the defense forces. Think about that even with the 2nd half lockdown, the offense STILL couldn’t get its act together.
September 30th, 2025 at 1:12 pm
This team doesn’t seem to have any real vocal leaders. We specifically draft humble, heads-down, nice guys.
While it’s great that means less drama and arrests in the offseason, it means we don’t have a lot of dawgs firing the team up before games. And we certainly know Todd Bowles isn’t doing that. This results in all the flat, lifeless starts to these games.
September 30th, 2025 at 1:13 pm
another round of, “LETS BLAME TODD”…
hosted by @aqualung….
staring a ton of clowns!!!!!
with guess appearance by folks who dont know football…
GO BUCS!!!!
September 30th, 2025 at 1:16 pm
Hearty…one could describe that as Bowles demeanor too.
Flat and lifeless.
Go Bucs!
September 30th, 2025 at 1:29 pm
Do we need to test some players mental clarity or lack of effort…either way it’s a problem that needs addressing. If not corrected there’s no Super Bowl run!!!
September 30th, 2025 at 1:29 pm
WHAT!! You’re playing the defending Super Bowl Champs! And you’re not focused!! Unbelievable!)
September 30th, 2025 at 1:32 pm
Stop the motivation crap!!!!
Is no longer college. It’s a job now.
Friday’s paycheck should make feel on top of the world. These are high character players. SMH
September 30th, 2025 at 1:37 pm
It is hard to comprehend a professional athlete on a team that feels they are SB contenders not completely pumped that you are about to play the current SB champ?!?!
Hearty, maybe you have a point. Are there any Suhs on this team? Sapps? Nickersons?
How on earth do you come out flat?? And LVD, I am surprised you admit that. LVD, we don’t want it just in the 2nd half. How about the entire 60 minutes?!?!
September 30th, 2025 at 1:39 pm
defense focus aka known as game planning also known as making quicker adjustments
September 30th, 2025 at 1:50 pm
“I could probably say the focus was down in the first half. The energy was low in the first half. You know, we wasn’t locked in how we normally should be locked, “
How on God’s green earth can this happen in week 4 of the NFL? I am at a loss for words on how Todd can allow this to happen to his defense.
September 30th, 2025 at 1:52 pm
The clowns like 813boi and Baking with Grizz, instead of just saying “it’s not motivation!” how about trying to offer some of your own insight? Who’s to blame then?
The pattern is clearly there. This team starts slow and flat. The players are even admitting they’re not focused or prepared.
If you’re just going to criticize others’ theories, maybe contribute more than “Go Bucs!” to the discussion.
September 30th, 2025 at 1:53 pm
OK I’ll play bad guy on this one … LVD needs to stop talking. Sunday was a TEAM loss in every sense of the word. Offense was mediocre most of the afternoon; came alive in the 3rd qtr, then went back to sleep. Defense was most assuredly ‘unfocused’ in much (but not all) of the 1st half, but on fire in the 2nd half. And Special Teams was Not-So-Special … again.
LVD made the classic mistake of feeding the media exactly what they wanted to hear. Focus was down in the 1st half. Check. Energy was down in the 1st half. Check. We weren’t locked in. Double check. The only thing he forgot to say? We played like a high school team. Oh ya.
Reality? It was 7-0 before Bucs’ defense even got up off the bench. Even worse, the Bucs offense had punted TWICE (well, tried to at least). And when Eagles did get the ball (leading 7-0) our defense was still shell-shocked. Hurts then went 5-of-6 for a mere 33 yds, but they ran twice for another 40 yds. Kinda sounds like our Pass Defense sucked AND our Run Defense sucked. But that’s just a guess. It’s 14-0 at that point.
Our defense stopped them (3-and-out) on the Eagles next drive, but gave up a quick TD on their drive after that, a meager 6 plays that covered 67 yds. Hurts was 4-of-4 on that drive for 63 yds, including 2 DEEP completions for 42 yds total. Oh forgot to mention that our punter kinda set that whole thing up with his 18-yard punt out of bounds.
So with less than 24 minutes elapsed in the game, Bucs found themselves behind the 8-ball trailing 21-3 against the Super bowl champion Eagles. Oh ya, energy was down, focus was down, weren’t locked in. Sure LVD, THAT’S why they scored 3 TDs while we got 1 FG.
September 30th, 2025 at 1:56 pm
Can Bowles avoid reverting to 3-3?
September 30th, 2025 at 2:16 pm
The defending Super Bowl champs and our arch nemesis, the Eagles, is not enough to get you motivated when you can go 4-0 and defeat an NFC competitor and set the path for the playoffs?
So this is the fantastic culture we keep getting shoved down our throats?
Apparently “that man” only shows up in the second half (maybe). 3 game skid on tap….
September 30th, 2025 at 2:37 pm
I think you hit on something Joe. The players are human and it is hard for guys to get up two weeks in a row. It shouldn’t be when we are playing the Eagles but it could be a real thing with this team. Let’s hope not because if we do make the playoffs every week you have to get up. Hopefully they can figure it out and make the necessary adjustments to play better week in and week out.
September 30th, 2025 at 2:51 pm
The first half the Bucs were ‘flat’ and the 2nd half the Bucs were ‘hot’. Its not an uncommon phenomenon – but unfortunately in this case, 1 good half of football is not going to be enough to beat a team that has won 19 out of their last 20 games…..
3-1 is a solid start to the season and if we get another chance to play Philly in January I like our chances of beating them.
We’re on to Seattle…..
September 30th, 2025 at 2:57 pm
how about trying to offer some of your own insight? Who’s to blame then?
************************************************************
why does someone have to be at fault?…..
special teams needs to improve but damn, we’re 3-1!!!!!
you clowns act as if bowles and the bucs are the only team in the nfl getting paid millions to either play or coach football….
all this whining and complaining at 3-1!!!!!!!!!!
and most of you were satisfied with being 2-2 after 4games with all the injuries….
GO BUCS!!!!!
September 30th, 2025 at 3:25 pm
The Eagles were up 24-3! A better explanation would be that not only did they take their foot off the gas, they coasted all the way to the end.
September 30th, 2025 at 3:41 pm
Seems like LVD says this same thing every year. No excuse for coming out flat at home against the Eagles. I don’t see this team playing with urgency and quite frankly if not for Baker, they could easily be 0-4.
September 30th, 2025 at 3:41 pm
“”” The players are human and it is hard for guys to get up two weeks in a row.””
You’re joking I assume…
September 30th, 2025 at 3:42 pm
@DR
Hate to put you on the spot but, You didn’t mention who fault All of THAT “might be”…
@Bucboi813
Your the one running around with the Big Red Nose! You and the RCG (the Rossy Colored Glasses acolytes) are a Bunch of Trolls! Do yourself a favor and give it a rest BOZO! The truth IS THERE for ALL TO SEE…. Take a look because we’re at our annual SKID TIME and the Coaches And Players HAVE TO STEP UP “BEFORE” that happens AGAIN for this year!
Everybody is Tired of the SAME OLD STORY! We Expect Better from such accomplished coaches and multi million dollar players!
Yes.. We Did Win the first three games BARELY and Quite Possibly IN SPITE OF the coaches and especially the head coach…. WE WILL SEE BUT YOU SHOULD STOP CALLING EVERYBODY NAMES, TROLL!
September 30th, 2025 at 4:38 pm
The Bucs stopped blitzing in the second half. Eagles didn’t know what to do
September 30th, 2025 at 4:42 pm
Obvious One … ‘Hate to put you on the spot but, You didn’t mention who fault All of THAT “might be”…’
I don’t mind being put ‘on the spot’ at all. I DID tell you, right up front, who was at fault for the loss …
‘Sunday was a TEAM loss in every sense of the word.’
All 3 phases sucked … at various times. Calling it being ‘unfocused’ or ‘lacking energy’ is bullcrap. Sorry but it’s not ‘motivation’ either. And it’s not that ‘the Eagles are the better team’. IMO it’s screw-ups that kept compounding.
In just a handful of seconds we went from a tied 0-0 ballgame to being behind 7-0 because of a S/Ts screwup. Was that being unfocused? Lack of energy or motivation? Sorry, but it was none of those. Philly had identified a weakness and capitalized on it. Good for them; piss poor for us.
And then just a few minutes later, we’re behind 14-0 after the Eagles had run a grand total of just 8 plays … 5-for-6 passing with 2 long runs. They didn’t do anything magical … completed 5 short passes to 5 different receivers & added 2 long runs that both meant someone didn’t do their job (gap control & contain).
Not long later we’re behind 21-3 for the same damn reasons. Hurts went 4-of-4 on that drive (2 deep completions included) and it took all of 6 plays (including 2 very short runs). Did we give up the 2 deep completions because we were unmotivated? Or unfocused? Or lacked energy? Bullcrap, we sucked on those plays.
Folks need to stop with the excuses. Bucs are getting killed by mistakes. Allowing explosive plays comes down to MISTAKES; we know how to prevent those. Giveaways, INTs & fumbles, are MISTAKES, and they’re hard to recover from. Major penalties, particularly those that cost us 1st downs, are MISTAKES and they allow opponents to keep drives alive.
Bucs are making too many friggin MISTAKES, especially compared to quality opponents. Some of it’s the result of having mediocre talent available in a given position or positions (for whatever reason). Some of it’s coaching (in terms of preparation or play-calling). And some of it’s simply better play by our opponents (they get paid to play the game too).
September 30th, 2025 at 5:04 pm
the bucs started to believe their own hype and the media hype.
jokes about the eagles coming here early they cant handle the heat, we own jalen hurts, yada yada yada. then they get their ass handed to them and embarrassed in their own house filled with cheering green fans and the excuses flow out of one buc place
it is a good wake up call for an average team based on their win loss record in the baker bowles era who probably also believe the hype that they are a lock to win the south and go deep into the playoffs.
anyone who thinks they are a lock to do anything but maybe win the south due to marginal competition hasnt watched the last two seasons with an unbiased lens. its just hype and homerism then shock when things like sunday repeatedly happen.
September 30th, 2025 at 5:23 pm
@DR
Fantastic deeper break down. Really.
But let’s be frank. Someone is paid to Make Sure that All of these men are prepared for Battle… The “buck” Has To stop somewhere with “Someone”. Someone IS Responsible…
I certainly agree that as a “team”, Most Assured that All who were involved and Responsible for their position seemed to have failed their duties BIG TIME For the Most Part in that first half.. Agreed. However….. “Someone” is Ultimately Responsible for the Lack Of…. “Someone” is Guilty of complacency and just plain Laziness….
I wonder whom that might be? I mean, Even Though the “LACK OF” to Start the game, There were many more problems with how it started to unfold as you indicated.
However, the topic of What do you do if you get Punched In The Mouth??? We Didn’t Have an answer for THAT either..
They didn’t seem to have a clue as the score climb to 14 – 0. Adjustments? Ect…
Not only did they have our phone number, they had our address! And our tackling…. They made us look like high schoolers in that regard but They were Train by a PRO… Who’s IN CHARGE of training our defense? “Someone” Someone is NOT doing their PAID JOB of training these men Properly! Someone IS Responsible….
Someone, Someone IS TO BLAME. It IS the PART OF THE JOB DESCRIPTION for “Someone Specifically”…. Right or Wrong?
September 30th, 2025 at 6:06 pm
Lakeland
It ain’t that hard.
September 30th, 2025 at 6:30 pm
The weekly million dollars checks should be all the motivation u need!! Oh and u were home, playing ur nemesis Super Bowl champs, so there’s that
September 30th, 2025 at 7:15 pm
Obvious One … ‘Someone, Someone IS TO BLAME. It IS the PART OF THE JOB DESCRIPTION for “Someone Specifically”…. Right or Wrong?’
DR … ‘Some of it’s the result of having mediocre talent available in a given position or positions (for whatever reason). Some of it’s coaching (in terms of preparation or play-calling). And some of it’s simply better play by our opponents (they get paid to play the game too).’
Enough blame to go around. But it’s not satisfactory to boil it all down to ‘Someone Specifically’. Far too many Obvious want to blame ONE person for the mistakes made by several. These guys are supposed to be the cream of the crop; tackling is part of what got them to this ultimate level. Bad tackling is on THEM. Getting blocked out of plays is on THEM. Letting a receiver beat you on a deep pass for a TD isn’t on the coach, it’s on the player (or players).
As for coaches, they screw up all the time, in terms of scheme/ play design, play-calling, game management, etc. Anyone who’s ever worked in crisis management knows you don’t bat 1000, but you’d better be right a lot more often than you’re wrong if you expect to keep your job.
September 30th, 2025 at 8:23 pm
Well let’s start with sending Magoo to assisted living and giving Keith Tandy a crack.
Then begin the Seahawks game on defense exactly as the D was schemed and called in the 2nd half on Sunday. Dare them to beat us. They don’t have the Eagles O talent and Hurts was like a deer in the headlights. Darnold will be too.
On O – Baker needs significant input to the gameplan. That was u.g.l.y.
September 30th, 2025 at 8:25 pm
Team is still mentally soft. Been that way for a long time and as much as I love LVD, he’s been a big part of it.
Unacceptable, especially against the defending champs
October 1st, 2025 at 4:42 am
For me, Bowles and associates are gonna get a Mulligan. Everybody gets a surprise smack in the mouth in this awesome game. However the blame goes ultimately to the head coach. We all know it no matter how light or forgiving we decide to be.
I, like you are a bit tired of the sloppy mess particularly at the start of our games. I started to demand better OR Else after the our final Blow Out Las season…
As I stated above, a mulligan it is.. However, the rules of a “forgiving mulligan” is that it’s a “One Time” gift….
If this happens again…… Ooof!
Then again, just maybe that Punch in the mouth was EXACTLY what we Needed to wake up and come out and start Stronger going forward….