Third-Down Defense Has Chance To Dominate
October 26th, 2025
Lavonte David and the Bucs’ third-down defense could be spectacular today.
Not lost on Joe (but Joe is confident it has been lost on others) is the steady improvement of the Bucs’ third-down defense. And it’s been happening against good teams.
Three weeks ago playing at Seattle, the Seahawks converted 66 percent of their third downs (6 of 9).
Two weeks ago facing the 49ers and Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco converted 44 percent of their third downs (7 of 16).
Last week at Detroit, the Bucs held the mighty Lions to just 23 percent (3 of 13).
Those are strong steps forward for the Bucs’ third-down defense each week against strong offenses. Armed with that knowledge, could the Bucs perhaps pitch a shutout on third downs today against the slimy Saints?
Not only are the slimy Saints a bad team (that just rolls off Joe’s tongue) but Rich Hribar of Sharp Football Analysis points out the slimy Saints are downright trash on third downs.
The Saints have converted a league-worst 1 of 29 third downs (3.4%), needing 8 or more yards.
If the Bucs can contain Christian McCaffrey and company and then the next week shut down maybe the best offense in football, what can the Bucs’ third-down defense do to perhaps the worst third-down offense in the league?
October 26th, 2025 at 12:37 am
That same Bucs’ defense also forced 6 turnovers … 2 in each of those games … that our offense converted into 23 points. Proved very helpful in securing victories in 2 of those 3 games.
But that same Bucs’ defense also gave up MORE total yardage in each of those 3 games than in any games prior to those this season.
And oh ya, our defense did surrender a total of 9 TDs & 5 FGs in those 3 games (78 points). But hey, it was against 3 very good offenses, much like the ones we’ll play in the playoffs.
October 26th, 2025 at 1:07 am
Seems to me that the Defense is playing better overall than it did last year.
Guessing it would be hard to prove if you looked only at major stats like yards against and points given up – but I watch every play and the defense IS better this year.
October 26th, 2025 at 3:11 am
ROTFLMAO!
BWAAAHAAAHAHAHAHAAAA!
😂😂😂🤣🤣🤣🤪🤪🤪
October 26th, 2025 at 3:20 am
DR— spot on.
Want to see a contrast? Go watch the way the defense was playing when BA was HC and we didn’t have an Absolute Ruler whom no one will check on but hisself.
A well coached team starts by being well coached from the head coach.
We don’t have one of those. We do have 3 coordinators, including the defensive guy who used to be good when there was a real head coach.
October 26th, 2025 at 5:25 am
Delete the first quarter or so and the two big plays? We dominated. LOL
However the offense never got off the bus. Five punts in the first half, Seventy six yards total. Even without our star WRs that is pretty weak.
Go Bucs!
October 26th, 2025 at 7:37 am
put bullock in to rotate with svd …voss is so hot and cold making plays and the getting exposed on screen passes
October 26th, 2025 at 7:39 am
I believe that our defense is showing more up arrows right now than our offense is. Thought our passing game set up our strong running game perfectly. Now I don’t know what to think. Except that it might just be our defense that keeps us in it these next few games.
October 26th, 2025 at 7:56 am
The Bucs need to start fast on both sides of the ball. I’d love to see the D force an opening 3 and out, and the offense get a TD.
These division games are always hard fought and the Bucs need to play to their own standard.
October 26th, 2025 at 8:35 am
I keep pointing out 4 of the Saints starting offensive linemen are 1st Round Draft Picks and all healthy. They’ve been giving Rattler good protection, he just holds the ball too long sometimes and makes wrong reads. But he’s improved every week. The guy to watch out for is TE Juwan Johnson. He’s burned David badly the past two seasons.
October 26th, 2025 at 8:52 am
That’s the one problem with our team as I see it: The offense will pick up when various people come back, but the DEfense is probably as good as it’s ever gonna get
October 26th, 2025 at 9:02 am
Even though he hasn’t had a ton of splash plays, I think a healthy AWJ is a big reason for the things that are going right for the team.
Sadly, SVD seems to be a big reason for everything going wrong. Not sure if he’s just thinking too much or if he really just isn’t good at all, but this game and the bye week are coming at a perfect time in correlation to the trade deadline. LBs aren’t typically too expensive to acquire
October 26th, 2025 at 9:41 am
The improvement has come as the secondary gets healthy! If we get good LB play today this trend may continue. Get off the field on 3rd and 4th downs and will be good! Get it done.
October 26th, 2025 at 10:28 am
You know the Bucs are going to give up a ridiculous opening touchdown drive, probably a long passing play out of the backfield to Kamara. Hopefully we lock them down after that.
October 26th, 2025 at 11:15 am
I’m sorry but we need to stop claiming the Bucs defense shut down Detroit.
Detroit left about 17 points on the field die to their own decisions and miscues. The game could have easily been 40-9 instead.
October 26th, 2025 at 11:15 am
*due to
October 26th, 2025 at 11:58 am
I take nothing for granted even if a team is 1-6. ST is fixing itself as is the Defense. Dean (of all people) getting a sack points to the secondary getting stronger. Licht will be looking at linebackers io draft. The problem is all the walking wounded on Offense. I also watch the refs–don’t trust them, and haven’t in years. Fingers and toes mentally crossed for 6-2. Go Tampa Bay!!
October 26th, 2025 at 12:12 pm
I take nothing for granted even if a team is 1-6. ST is fixing itself as is the Defense. Dean (of all people) getting a sack points to the secondary getting stronger. Licht will be looking at linebackers io draft. The problem is all the walking wounded on Offense. I also watch the refs–don’t trust them, and haven’t in years. Fingers and toes mentally crossed for 6-2. Go Bucs!!
October 26th, 2025 at 2:20 pm
Aqualung … ‘A well coached team starts by being well coached from the head coach.’
Bucs’ defense was better overall in the 2019-2021 timeframe when BA was HC & Bowles was just DC than in the 2022-2024 when Bowles dual-hatted as both the HC & DC for 2 reasons:
1 – We had significantly better talent … starting with Suh, JPP, RNR, Shaq, Davis, and yes White who’ve all left. Plus Vea, LVD, Dean & several others were significantly younger.
2 – Bowles only had ONE job to focus on. Very few can serve serve 2 masters simultaneously. Todd Bowles isn’t 1 of those.
Reality IMO is that our defense is making a lot more ‘compromises’ today than we did back in 2019-2021. And yes, ‘soft pass coverage’ is one of those compromises.
October 26th, 2025 at 2:35 pm
Kenton … ‘I believe that our defense is showing more up arrows right now than our offense is.’
I’m noticing a number of JBFers who are very down on the Bucs’ offense right now. In reality it’s been playing lights out up until this last Monday night game against Detroit. That was by far their worst performance of the season.
Baker has now started 10 Monday night games in his career. His record: 2-8. I’m not a big believer in coincidence. There’s a reason he’s batting .200 on Monday nights, but I admittedly have no clue what it is. If I was one of his coaches though, I’d sure be trying to figure out what’s going on.
In our other 6 games this season, Bucs’ offense has averaged 27.5 PPG & 354 YPG. Last game we scored 9 points & got 251 yards. First 6 games we had 2 total giveaways; last game we made 2 giveaways in just that 1 game.
Duh … that was NOT our best game to say the least. But that doesn’t mean that our offense all of a sudden sucks. We played a very good Lions team, in their house, down multiple starters, and tried to compete with them using a terrible gameplan. Lesson learned I’m sure. Bucs’ offense won’t repeat those mistakes in New Orleans.
October 26th, 2025 at 3:21 pm
Wanna bet we get the MNF game in the wild card round lol?
October 26th, 2025 at 3:21 pm
Defense Rules. I hope you’re right. I didn’t like Baker’s body language last week almost as much as I didn’t like his accuracy. Got to get that out of our system.