Building A Tackling Defense
January 13th, 2026
Teaches tackling.
Joe knows former Bucs scout, Jets linebackers coach and front office suit Pat Kirwan, the current co-host of the best damn football-only radio show, “Movin’ the Chains,” always gripes about the following on his SiriusXM-exclusive platform.
The NFL is the villain for the widespread sloppy tackling because the NFL (in conjunction with its partner, the NFLPA) greatly limits teams practicing in pads. Non-padded practices are basically flag football. Kirwan constantly preaches that the rules are the reason for sloppy, undisciplined defense.
The NFL labor agreement allows 16 padded practices during training camp, with no more than three on consecutive days, and a maximum of 14 padded practices during the regular season, In-season, no more than 11 padded practices in the first 11 weeks of the season are allowed, and no more than three padded practices in the final six weeks of the regular season.
Joe has always been dubious of Kirwan’s claim that a lack of padded practices is the lone culprit for sloppy fundamentals. Joe does believe lesser coaches use it as a crutch. It doesn’t require a physical, padded practice to learn the basic fundamentals of wrapping up. Quite the contrary.
Does it help to have a padded practice to prepare for a Derrick Henry stiffarm? Sure. Is it necessary to learn how to wrap up? How to plant your feet? How to square up on a ballcarrier? How to aim for the football? Not one bit.
So this season, and into this past weekend’s games, Joe noticed how the Chargers under defensive coordinator Jesse Minter are often excellent at tackling — wrapping up and being physical.
And last night Houston, under DeMeco Ryans, hit, splashed people, wrapped up and tackled. It can be done.
Joe is confident Minter and Ryans adhere to all of the same, rigid, NFL guidelines, rules and barriers for practices, as do the Bucs. But Minter and Ryans can coach up their players to tackle and hit.
And that’s why Joe has little to no patience when seeing Bucs players mistackle and not wrap up.
January 13th, 2026 at 12:14 pm
Bowles and Licht don’t draft corners who can’t tackle, it’s rarely one of the weaknesses. It’s a weakness of the head coach, this guys have played the game since they were kids and Bowles can’t get them to tackle as paid professionals
January 13th, 2026 at 12:14 pm
Add in that players are just throwing themselves like missiles at opponents so they can get on the highlight reel for ESPN you have the perfect storm. Honestly have watched a LOT of college football this year. Same thing. Hurl yourself like a missile, and hope for a “splash” highlight reel. Head up, look at the friggen belt line, drive with the shoulder and WRAP YOUR ARMS is a lost art.
January 13th, 2026 at 12:15 pm
Someone tweeted:
Texans defense is like 11 Velociraptors with machine guns.
I agree. They played lights out and wouldn’t give an inch without a fight. Putting coaching aside for a moment, how long do you think it’d take to get the personnel that can execute that?
January 13th, 2026 at 12:16 pm
Houston’s defense is scary, they can carry a team and seems the never blow tackles. How did we even beat them?
January 13th, 2026 at 12:16 pm
Bring in a Rugby coach.
January 13th, 2026 at 12:17 pm
Seems they were living in the backfield, most be nice have monsters on a three levels on defense
January 13th, 2026 at 12:18 pm
TB admits that they don’t do live tackling in training camp, maybe that has something to do with.
January 13th, 2026 at 12:19 pm
Bojim might be onto something there w a rugby coach…. Wouldn’t even need to burn a “padded” practice!
January 13th, 2026 at 12:20 pm
Watch the tackling and hitting next Monday night in the IU vs UM game.
I think their self preservation arm group tackling in the NFL during regular season .
Tackling and hitting picks up dramatically in the NFL Playoffs!
January 13th, 2026 at 12:26 pm
We have to coach it better.
January 13th, 2026 at 12:30 pm
The sad part to me is that these player know HOW to tackle. I’m certain that the skills and technique have been drilled into their heads since they were in Pop Warner, and reinforced in high school and college. The muscle memory is there.
That tells me the poor tackling is a choice. Like Bee said- they are looking to get on ESPN or YouTube highlight reels – but the result is getting on a highlight reel for opposing receivers and RBs. Either that or they are mentally checked out and just in it for the paycheck.
I can remember the days of Kiffin’s defense where all 11 players would converge on the ball carrier/receiver IF they made a reception. The first one there would wrap up, then the next one in would try and force the fumble or pile on. Kind of like Houston did last night.
January 13th, 2026 at 12:31 pm
Look at Houston’s Dline and DEs. Enough Said!!! Tampa is far away from Houston in that department. Until Tampa gets studs on the “Entire” DLine it will not be a playoff defense.
January 13th, 2026 at 12:32 pm
Good thing the Bucs caught the Texans early in the season. If we played them after our bye we would’ve been shutout. That’s what a defense is supposed to look like under a defensive head coach. Don’t see Bowles coaching our group half that good going forward.
January 13th, 2026 at 12:32 pm
The famous Todd Bowles saying after every game. ” We have to coach it better and play it better. “
January 13th, 2026 at 12:35 pm
The coaching of stripping the ball first instead of tackling first is the problem. Tackling is just not as entertaining and doesn’t warrant a dance in the end zone.
January 13th, 2026 at 12:37 pm
That Texans D brought back some memories. I’d love to see Tomlin here. He’s a great coach and could use a new start.
January 13th, 2026 at 12:39 pm
Watching that Texans – Steelers game last night was like watching the Bucs defense of old…no need for all the blitz packages (that too often leave receivers wide open) when you’ve got a four man front that can actually shed blockers and get into the backfield to either sack the QB or at least disrupt the timing of the play. Watching those Texans guys hit hard and hustle to wrap up with their tackling is a night and day differenc to what we too often see with the Bucs current defense (missing angles, slipping down trying to tackle, and getting taken out of the play by blockers or even their own guys).
January 13th, 2026 at 12:53 pm
Is there anything more fundamental on Defense than tackling?
Good tackling is not just about open field, one-on-one.
It also requires defenders swarming the ball.
Every defender within ten yards of a ball carrier during a play should be expected to be at the point of tackle when the whistle is blown or have his ass cussed out.
The Monte Kiffin Defenses did that. The players also held each other accountable.
This era does not.
January 13th, 2026 at 12:54 pm
The Bucs need to hit on DLine and linebacker draft picks- unfortunately JTS and Braswell so far have not worked out and D White fizzled out. That has hurt the talent level of D considerably- throw in Kancey’s injuries and Hall’s slow learning and wrap up tackling issues and you get significant issues on Defense.
Some of it may be coaching but some of it is drafting issues.
January 13th, 2026 at 12:56 pm
Houston punishes you,,, they tackle you and then after the game they show up at your house and scare your family
January 13th, 2026 at 12:59 pm
The Texans do not have a HC that plays HC and DC. Get a DC, OBP, enough with the experiment and/or being cheap. Its not working.
January 13th, 2026 at 1:00 pm
@Lightningvinny1- I was just going to post about Houston defense and that’s how it’s done. If Houston and Denver play in the AFC championship game, between those 2 defenses, it will probably be 3-0, or 6-3 final score.
January 13th, 2026 at 1:17 pm
I am pretty sure the Texans took an L against Tampa this year, so did the other great defense in Seattle. But we are home watching. This is on Licht, willing to let the board fall to him and refuse to make any trades that could improve the team; you can only coach up what you have.
January 13th, 2026 at 1:17 pm
Houston does on defense what the Dungy era Bucs defense did.
When the opponent gets the ball on offense there was always a price to pay for touching the football.
When an opposing RB, WR, TE, QB had the ball, there were 11 men waiting to tackle them in unison.
Under Bowles???? 11 men with their hands in the air playing patty cake with the opponent.
Todd Bowles is an abject failure with no consequence to his endless mental errors.
Good thing we signed him for 3 more years……
January 13th, 2026 at 1:42 pm
“rrsrq Says:
January 13th, 2026 at 1:17 pm
I am pretty sure the Texans took an L against Tampa this year, so did the other great defense in Seattle. But we are home watching. This is on Licht, willing to let the board fall to him and refuse to make any trades that could improve the team; you can only coach up what you have.”
Or maybe this coaching staff can’t coach up a pass rush. The next dominant pass rusher developed by Todd Bowles would be the first.
January 13th, 2026 at 2:47 pm
I wonder if Bowles watched the Texans Defense do what his could not? They were swarming all over the place. Old man Rodgers was so pissed, he was cursing everywhere. Thats the kind of Defense we want Bowles? Are you listening?
January 13th, 2026 at 3:27 pm
It is baffling. I saw a slow-mo replay during the Steelers vs Texans last night. The Steelers tackler didn’t even raise his arms. Just kind of bumped the runner with his shoulder. I don’t get it.