Stay On Your Feet!
October 13th, 2025
One issue with Kindle Vildor.
One of the coolest defensive plays Joe has seen in a while from the Bucs at The Licht House came yesterday. Both bad and good.
Late in the first quarter, reserve cornerback Kindle Vildor read a pass from 49ers quarterback Mac Jones like a book.
Jones was throwing to his right near the sideline when Vildor saw what was coming and made a break for the ball, picking Jones off at 49ers-26.
Great read. Great coverage. Great break on the ball. There were no San Francisco players near him. So he housed the play and put six on the board, right? Not exactly.
Vildor seemed so intent on not dropping the attempted pass that he forgot he also had to run. Vildor caught the ball, began to run up the left sideline and he fell. No one was around to touch him down so he got up and fell down again.
Still, no 49ers player was near him Vildor so he got up yet again. And yet again, he fell. This time, Vildor must have thought, ‘The hell with it,’ and he just curled up in a ball with the football tucked away so no one could strip it.
Vildor looked like an ice skating beginner.
He could have been a star!
Clearly, Bucs coach Todd Bowles was happy about the play, except the part about hitting the deck three times without being touched.
“He has got to keep his feet,” Bowles said. “He made a heck of a read and made a heck of a play, all hats off to him. He is a very smart player, that is why we put him out there.
“He understands the game very well and the moment is not too big for him, so that started us off great.”
Damn right that started the Bucs off on the right foot. That pick came on San Francisco’s third play from scrimmage. Two plays later, Rachaad White punched it in from the 49ers-2 and the Bucs were up 7-0 before fans in The Licht House realized their overpriced Miller Lites were lukewarm.
Kindle Vildor stumbling his way to a takeaway
SFvsTB on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/kGaf29UE0p
— NFL (@NFL) October 12, 2025
October 13th, 2025 at 9:03 am
I think that play is categorized as “Sh!t happens”. Vildor could grab that int another ten times and not fall down. Some of it is on Vildor being a green guy shocked at his success…but Baker missed some passes in the first half that were wide open…as Baker himself admitted.
October 13th, 2025 at 9:08 am
813BUCBOI Says
October 10th, 2025 at 9:37 am
DEFENSE WILL HAVE 2 INTS AND 4 SACKS!!!!!!
BUCS WIN 31-10
5-1!!!!!!!
GO BUCS!!!!!
***************************************************************
5-1!!!!!
LETS GO!!!!!
Aqua still picking feather out his mouth!!!!!
GO BUCS!!!!
October 13th, 2025 at 9:09 am
did USF play at rayjay friday or saturday?…the field looked choppy lol
5-1!!!!!
GO BUCS!!!!
October 13th, 2025 at 9:10 am
Strategically placed banana peels. 9ers have been doing that for years.
October 13th, 2025 at 9:10 am
Had to laugh with him, not at him on that one.
October 13th, 2025 at 9:11 am
In fairness to Him his break on the ball had him going low to house the ball so he was off balance on his first fall – doesn’t explain the next two falls
October 13th, 2025 at 9:12 am
The Defense is making more game changing plays! That’s a good sign! Next up Detroit! Get it done!
October 13th, 2025 at 9:18 am
This pass defense is still a PROBLEM in Year 7 of Todd Blows scheme
25th in Passing Yards Allowed
21st in Passing TD’s Allowed
22nd in Completion Percentage Against
20th in Attempts
4 INTS against 199 Attempts Against
16 Sacks against 199 Pass Attempts
99.2 QBR to opposing QB’s
25th in yards per attempt against
It doesn’t matter what players are healthy, or injured this scheme proves year after year they are going to allow a ton of passing yards while stopping the run. It’s just who they are, they are soft against the pass and can’t stop anyone in the passing game
October 13th, 2025 at 9:25 am
“Vildor looked like an ice skating beginner.”
Thought it funny as well.
To me, he looked like a one too many dude failing a sobriety test at a roadside checkpoint.
“I ain’t had nothin to drink tonight occifer-hiccup.”
“Oh yeah, let’s see if you can run a straight line from here to the end zone … Holy crap, he’s wasted!”
October 13th, 2025 at 9:28 am
Vildor had another SWEET pass breakup and not just solid but GREAT coverage for most of the day. Nice job rook!
October 13th, 2025 at 9:29 am
Smarter than Joe Says:
October 13th, 2025 at 9:18 am
This pass defense is still a PROBLEM in Year 7 of Todd Blows scheme
It doesn’t matter what players are healthy, or injured this scheme proves year after year they are going to allow a ton of passing yards while stopping the run. It’s just who they are, they are soft against the pass and can’t stop anyone in the passing game
——
Very true..but at the same time the D is not allowing many points. It is a work in progress. Consistency is key here. Can the D keep it up? Only time will tell.
October 13th, 2025 at 9:32 am
the WORSE play of the day, the one that had me screaming at the TV, was the freaking offsides call on the D. NO EXCUSE FOR THAT.
HOW do you line up offsides? HOW?
October 13th, 2025 at 9:33 am
Smarter than aqua
so whats your points?
since bowles has been in charge of the defense we’ve won an SB and have won the division 4 straight times!!!!
stats are for losers and crow eating!!!!!
eat up chump!!!!!
5-1!!!!!
GO BUCS!!!!!
October 13th, 2025 at 9:35 am
They gonna be mocking that in practice INT’s
🤣🤣🤣
October 13th, 2025 at 9:39 am
The kid put up a tweet this morning, wanted to know if anybody wanted to sell him a new pair of cleats LOL
October 13th, 2025 at 9:41 am
6 sacks, the difference in the game. Houston has the best defense in the league and they are 2-3. The rules favor the offense by a huge margin. We started our number 4 cornerback.
October 13th, 2025 at 9:48 am
Loved watching Vildor skating! It’s like he couldn’t believe he had the ball and started slipping and sliding. It’s okay. Brought us all a smile on our faces. He did well.
October 13th, 2025 at 9:48 am
@813Bucboy
Point is, you can’t rely on a bottom 10 pass defense when you play the better teams in the playoffs, like we saw last year.
The passive, soft zone defensive schemes makes it easy on competent QB’s and quality coordinators. Pass defense needs to tighten up against quality teams. Talk to players, coaches and people who break down the game and knowing what an opponent is going to do is half the mental part of the game.
The Bucs KNOW teams are going to pass on them and still offer very little resistance against the pass. Todd has been here over 7 seasons and still can’t scheme up a pass D, it’s a problem.
October 13th, 2025 at 9:58 am
looked like someone tied his shoes together It should have been an easy touchdown
October 13th, 2025 at 10:03 am
We need to call out the ground keeper. Both sides were slipping. Stop watering on Friday morning dood.
October 13th, 2025 at 10:08 am
“FairMinded Says:
October 13th, 2025 at 9:28 am
Vildor had another SWEET pass breakup and not just solid but GREAT coverage for most of the day. Nice job rook!”
Vildor isn’t a rookie. Signed as a FA away from the Lions.
October 13th, 2025 at 10:09 am
He looked like a baby deer just being born. I was waiting for a momma deer to walk onto the field and gently encourage him to stand with her nose!
October 13th, 2025 at 10:12 am
Wasn’t this guy known for a pass bouncing off his helmet and getting completed? Talk about a highlight reel for his career
October 13th, 2025 at 10:14 am
I think he’s a solid player with real upside, but he still gets bullied by physical linemen at the point of attack. Logan Hall’s been one of the bigger disappointments — nowhere near what we hoped for.
If the Bucs could somehow package him in a deal for a guy like Jeffrey Simmons, that would change everything. Simmons brings that same violent, disruptive energy Suh had in this scheme — the kind that makes offenses adjust their entire game plan. He’s a proven tone-setter and game-wrecker.
Historical Defense Reality Check
History’s not kind to teams with weak defenses. Only 2 Super Bowl champs in the last 25 years have pulled it off with bottom-tier pass defenses:
2006 Colts – Dead last in both pass and run defense during the regular season, allowing over 4,100 pass yards and 173 rush yards per game. Then flipped a switch in the playoffs.
2011 Giants – Ranked 28th vs the pass, allowed 4,082 yards, had a negative point differential, and still caught fire in January.
Bottom line — elite quarterbacks can carry you, but elite defenses finish championships.
October 13th, 2025 at 10:15 am
CANNOT wait for USF to get it’s own stadium!
That turf looked great but it was not rooted into the ground.
Unrolled and pressed!
October 13th, 2025 at 10:16 am
The field seemed slippery for a lot of players with them falling. The turf also looked really chewed up. Was there heavy rain recently or did the irrigation system run too long?
October 13th, 2025 at 10:17 am
Thank God we scored a TD right after…if we settled for 3, the momentum went back to 49ers…happy for the kid
October 13th, 2025 at 10:28 am
He made an outstanding play! In the moment he got himself tripped up. Lucky he was focused on ball security. I like that.
October 13th, 2025 at 10:36 am
smarterthan
whats the TOTAL DEFENSIVE RANKINGS?
the pass defense has “tighten” up against the top teams in the NFL….
we’ve beaten 2 1loss teams and our pass defense produced turnovers and kept the opponents out of the end zone….
again, we’ve played 6 games and have held 3 opponents to 20pts or less…
bowles knows the teams will try to attack his defense thru the air which is why he baits them….we’ve seen it in back to back games….QBs toss for huge yards in 1 half and get shut down in the other half….
its called chess not checkers….
5-1!!!!!
GO BUCS!!!!!
October 13th, 2025 at 10:38 am
It’s great we beat an injured 49rs. But…..
1. Of course a hobbled Jones passes for 200 yards to 3rd and 4th string receivers in first half. More competent team would have run away from us early.
2. Can we just cut non-producers now and steal someones practice squad like we did with Vildor. Braswell (was he in the game yesterday?) would be the first to go. Oh, that’s right, Licht says great year for him!
Braswell< JTS!!!
October 13th, 2025 at 10:49 am
Smarter than Joe Says:
September 2nd, 2025 at 10:32 am
Doesn’t matter if the team is injured, healthy, new players, hyped up free agents, or hyped up draft picks, this pass defense SUCKS!!!!
And guess what, it’s a passing league
7 wins or less coming
***************************************************************
LOL!!!!!!!!!!!
CLOWN!!!!!!
GO EAT CROW!!!!!
5-1!!!!!!
GO BUCS!!!!!
October 13th, 2025 at 10:55 am
He stumbled…but never fumbled or bumbled the INT. How many times do we see DBs juggle then drop those. He even inspired Dean…who is playing inspired football following the pay cut in order to bet on himself in the future.
October 13th, 2025 at 10:56 am
813bucboi Says:
September 2nd, 2025 at 4:41 pm
12wins
NFC CHAMPS
GO BUCS
***************************************************************
WutdaBucisthis Says:
September 2nd, 2025 at 1:10 pm
12-5 go Bucs!!
I’m all in.
**********************************************************
ReeeBarrr Says:
September 2nd, 2025 at 1:10 pm
Bucs are a well established team with leadership and continuity. Grizz is a bit of an ex factor.
But for extraneous circumstances, i see the Bucs going anywhere from 10-7 to 13-4.
I’ll pick a number.
12-5!
*************************************************************
LETS GO!!!!!!!!!
5-1!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
GO BUCS!!!!!!!
October 13th, 2025 at 10:58 am
You cannot beat the turf monster, only hope to contain him.
He held on to the ball; White got the points for us.
October 13th, 2025 at 11:05 am
Braswell is absolutely awful. He should not have a roster spot. He’s virtually invisible when he’s in a game.
October 13th, 2025 at 11:07 am
Bucs have only started a season better twice , once in 1979 at 5-0 losing in the NFC Championship to the Rams and 1997 at 5-0 losing in the Divisional round at Green Bay.
13-4 is more than doable and certainly may earn Bucs home field advantage throughout the playoffs. Lions are also really banged up and they don’t seem to have the depth on defense that the bucs have, we are catching them at the right time.
October 13th, 2025 at 11:07 am
Smarter than Joe Says:
October 13th, 2025 at 9:18 am
“This pass defense is still a PROBLEM in Year 7 of Todd Blows scheme”
Can’t argue the facts.
But, those stats do not tell us if there has been recent improvement…say…the last three games. Game by game.
Run those numbers. I wonder if they will look a lot better.
I knew they would start rough. Younger guys take time to develop. It sure feels like the defense has recently done a 180 and is now trending in the right direction.
October 13th, 2025 at 12:01 pm
Smarter than Joe:
I have no problem with your position that the Bucs are typically elite in Rush defense and typically less than average in Pass defense.
It is just odd that you leave out two of the stronger facts.
Ultimately, points per game is the most important indicator on a defense. We have continued to be in the middle of the pack there — not great not horrible.
The other thing is the yards per drop back. Football Reference has it right there for you. The Net Yards gained per pass play the Bucs are 13th worst.
The Net Yards gained per run play for the Bucs defense the Bucs are 5th best.
And it’s really odd, that the day after the pass defense played well. By staying at league average of 6.2 yards per pass play with giving up no pass TDs, intercepting 2 passes, and actually causing two other fumbles that were not recovered — that was a good day.
Our sacks are tied for 6th best in the league.
P.S. Opposing defenses do not have a 99.2 QBR against the Bucs. The range is 0 to 100. I know yesterday that Mac Jones had a 75.5 passer rating which is quite low per todays NFL standards. Baker in his last 26 starts has had only one passer rating below 75.5.
We are clearly not one of the best defenses in the league — but the constant gripe by folks on this site acting like this is the worst pass defense in the league is just not born out by all the defensive stats.
Stop cherry picking — start realizing that lots of defenses give up yards during certain periods of the games.
Don’t become this guy:
Aqualung Says
October 12th, 2025 at 1:51 am
Everyone QB has success against a Tdod defense. Career games. 35 points. Last minute scoring drives. First possession scoring drives. Every. Game. And now he can’t stop the run, either.
October 13th, 2025 at 12:04 pm
I definitely thought he was gone, but perfectly OK, make sure you
hang
on
to
the
ball
October 13th, 2025 at 12:12 pm
I’d just picked up my headphones when I heard the Radio guys hollering about a turnover. I was like, whaaaaaaa? Then White scored and I knew the Bucs would do it, win. Still Vildor did what he’s supposed to do, grab and hang on to a turnover. It is funny, looking at the highlight. I recall too many times feeling heartbroken. Now, what exactly is the injury skinny on Detroit? Bet their offense isn’t as banged up as ours.
October 13th, 2025 at 12:44 pm
Coach Bowles brilliantly use his best defense when the game was on the line. He tries to get by with a four man front until he can’t. Great strategy!
Btw, a loss to Detroit will not define our season. Last year, we beat them, the Eagles, and Commanders during the regular season. I did not want to play either of them again in the playoffs because it’s hard to beat a good team twice and we all know how the second time around against the Commanders turned out.
I would rest everyone an additional week to get to full strength after the break.
Go Bucs!
October 13th, 2025 at 12:47 pm
In the voice of Berman, “He picks it off! And now he’s rumblin’, bumblin’, stumblin’.”
LOL.
October 13th, 2025 at 12:49 pm
813BUCBOI
We the best!
Go Bucs
October 13th, 2025 at 12:56 pm
For the price of Kindle Vildor he can stumble and fall to the ground for 3 INT’s this year and I would call it a Sam’s Club deal.
October 13th, 2025 at 1:02 pm
I’m shocked no one is talking about how Rob Julian, the heads groundskeeper retired after 32 years and this is the first year without him and the field conditions, that used to be the best outdoor grass is horrible each week.
October 13th, 2025 at 1:20 pm
No Ironlung? Wonder how he slept last night.
October 13th, 2025 at 1:24 pm
Troll free day? Talk about crickets.
October 13th, 2025 at 1:37 pm
I can understand how one could be overcome with excitement when making their first NFL pick.
October 13th, 2025 at 1:42 pm
Some people who try to act as if they know defense are limited to sacks and how close the DBs are to WRs at the snap being all they recognize. Or a turnover.
The ones who have called for more man to man or “tight” coverage got their wish but haven’t noticed… Why? See above 🙄
@813BUCBOI 👍🏼
@Geno711 👍🏼
@Bama Rich 👍🏼
October 13th, 2025 at 5:24 pm
Seems like Todd is starting to figure some things out on defense. He definitely schemed up that pick and of course Jones threw one way on an option route and the TE went the other way but Bowles made it look like single high safety coverage which quickly shifted to a two high safety coverage and had a free running Reddick barreling down on Jones. Anybody dogging Bowles at this point simply knows very little about football. Bowles may have learned a little Monte Kiffen style bend don’t break method to his madness
October 13th, 2025 at 6:09 pm
Woodbrain has separation anxiety. That’s cute.
Stupid and humorless is a sad way to go through life. Try words with friends.