Flat Out Pathetic
February 12th, 2026
Really bad numbers.
When opposing offenses threw in the flat against the Bucs, the results were flat out embarrassing.
Joe is on record the Bucs need two starters at inside linebacker and probably a backup as well. Whether Lavonte David returns or not, that doesn’t change Joe’s conclusion.
The Bucs’ inside linebackers were awful last year. Joe is a huge David guy and he earned the street cred that provides him a pass.
Besides, at 35 (last year), what did folks expect? David’s much closer to the end than his prime years. But SirVocea Dennis, the other Bucs’ inside linebacker, was terrible, especially defending the pass.
In fact, Dennis was damn near rock bottom in 2025, documents Jenna Laine of ESPN.
In fact, the Bucs’ 581 receiving yards given up in the flat were the most of any team. David is clearly on the back end of his career, but he was still the best option they had there, while SirVocea Dennis has been a huge liability.
Dennis surrendered 606 yards as the nearest defender — second most in the league among linebackers last year, according to NFL Next Gen Stats. His 420 yards after the catch surrendered were also second-most in the league.
Joe has seen enough of Dennis. The first two years he had promise but couldn’t stay on the field due to injuries. Hey, it happens.
But last year, when Dennis was finally healthy for a full season, he demonstrated he had no business being an NFL starting linebacker.
First, there were his struggles in the flat on opening day and later was that 29-yard Jalen Hurts scramble up the right side in Week 4; Dennis looked like he was blocking downfield for Hurts, running stride-for-stride with Hurts two steps in front of him. Good grief, talk about zero awareness!
And then Dennis later watched Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert take a shovel pass from Hurts and run right past Dennis. #Sad!
Joe has no earthly idea how the Bucs could sell to fans they are serious about making the playoffs if they believe Dennis is worthy of starting in 2026.
February 12th, 2026 at 7:26 am
Him and AWJ had the looking around with their palms up move more than anyone.
February 12th, 2026 at 7:27 am
As long as Todd Bowles is coaching this team, they will go nowhere. The offense would have to average 35+ points per game to survive the defensive guru’s genius scheme. Also lack of talent as well, every QB I watched against the Bucs had time to enjoy a sandwich while they scanned the field to decide which “wide a** ” open receiver they were going to throw to. Seattle didn’t provide that opportunity to Drake Maye and they won the Super Bowl. We didn’t provide that opportunity to Mahomes when we played them in the Super Bowl, and we won. It’s also up to Licht to find better talent and stay out of the “bargain bin “. Of course even if that happens, the guru has to utilize them properly.
February 12th, 2026 at 7:47 am
“Joe has no earthly idea how the Bucs could sell to fans they are serious about making the playoffs if they believe Dennis is worthy of starting in 2026.”
Do you know how many players on this team fit this statement? Maybe Dennis was injured and thats why he played bad. I’m sure having him start next season things will magically change for the better. At least this is the logic some are using with other players on the team.
February 12th, 2026 at 7:59 am
Dennis was handed the starting job.
How did he prepare?
How did he practice?
He looked lost at times.
How can this team fail on drafting defensive athletes that want to be NFL football players? They don’t seem to have that same problem on the other side of the ball.
February 12th, 2026 at 8:08 am
Thanks again Joe’s for further illustrating my point that Lichts’ unwillingness to trade for Jordyn Brooks at the trade deadline was GM Malpractice and cost the Glazers Millions in lost playoff revenue. Fire Licht.
February 12th, 2026 at 8:23 am
Was obvious on the first game when Bijom dropped his jock in the open field. SVD looked lost and never understood the concept of channeling the ball carrier towards the middle where help exists.
February 12th, 2026 at 8:24 am
Bucs had almost all of their salary CAP on defense concentrated on 5 players: Vea ($17.8 mil/yr), Reddick ($14.0 mil/yr), LVD ($9.0 mil/yr), McCollum ($16.0 mil/yr), Winfield ($21.0 mil/yr).
o Vea (31): 17 games – 4.5 sack – 13 QB hit – 7 TFL – 1 FR – 34 tackles (16 solo) – 10.5% Missed Tackle – 763 def snaps
o Reddick (31): 13 games – 2.5 sack – 6 QB hit – 6 TFL – 0 FR – 31 tackles (18 solo) – 8.8% Missed Tackle – 570 def snaps
o LVD (36): 17 games – 3.5 sack – 6 QB hit – 8 TFL – 2 FR – 114 tackles (61 solo) – 10.2% Missed Tackle – 1023 def snaps – 73.1% Completion Percentage Allowed
o McCollum (26): 13 games – 0 sack – 0 QB hit – 1 TFL – 0 FR – 65 tackles (45 solo) – 9.7% Missed Tackle – 766 def snaps – 59.8% Completion Percentage Allowed
o Winfield (27): 17 games – 1 sack – 4 QB hit – 4 TFL – 1 FR – 93 tackles (53 solo) – 4.1% Missed Tackle – 1038 def snaps – 56.9% Completion Percentage Allowed
Reddick & LVD are both UFAs, and I doubt either will be on the Bucs’ roster this year. Vea played too much (763 def snaps out of 1001 plays run by our opponents is too much for him), and I think it impacted his capability to provide a consistent pass rush). McCollum was injured at several points in the season, but there still must’ve been something else going on with him. Winfield had a good but not spectacular season, not what I’d expect out of the highest paid Safety in the NFL.
Yup, we’ve got some improvin’ to do.
February 12th, 2026 at 8:24 am
I am in no way defending Dennis with this post.
There were failures on every level of this defense.
We can’t get to the QB from the edge, we can’t cover in the flat and guys are wide open downfield.
I’m pretty sure it was YaYa that said something along the lines of he didn’t think the defense was as prepared as they should have been.
This defense has been at the bottom of the league 3 of the 4 years Bowles has been HC.
I’m not sure that the talent, or lack of talent is the biggest issue this defense has.
That’s a lot of players who played at a high level in college to suddenly forget how to play the game that they’ve been playing their whole lives.
February 12th, 2026 at 8:29 am
Todd, couldn’t agree more. Imagine Jordyn Brooks with another stud linebacker drafted in 1st, 2nd, or 3rd this year along with a proven veteran added in free agency as well. We’d be cooking. Licht should’ve made a play for Brooks at the deadline. Wonder what his status with Dolphins is now?
February 12th, 2026 at 8:29 am
It was a bad defense altogether the last 2 years. So why are “they running it back” with the same guy in charge?
February 12th, 2026 at 8:40 am
Perhaps Boqles told Licht not to trade for an Ilber because Bowles is delusional and thought LBer was his “deepest” position.
February 12th, 2026 at 8:54 am
If we look back at the 2019-2021 defense Bowles didn’t stink as a coordinator, he had more talent. Compare that front 7 to the last 3 years front 7 and I think we have our answer. That SB team had rookies and 2 year players in the secondary and yet that defense as a whole was very good. The secondary even made a name for themselves which they failed to live up to, which also had something to do with injuries at times to that front 7. That may be the conversation Bowles, Licht and the Glazers had this off season with Bowles pointing to that fact and saying “look what I did when I had talent”, which isn’t entirely untrue. Licht has some work to do with getting the right FA’s and right draft picks and this team can produce a really good team, certainly capable of a SB run without going into a lost decade again. Licht was doing that before Brady got here and then added some pieces to put them over the top.
February 12th, 2026 at 9:19 am
Wasn’t just the flat. Receivers were running free throughout the entire secondary. They were open at the snap. It was clearly the easiest defense in the league to decipher for opposing QBs.
February 12th, 2026 at 9:35 am
The Bucs pass defense in the flat was bad? Had to watch it every week and it isn’t any easier reading about it. Dennis seems to have no feel for the game. He is just taking up space. The rest of the back 7 with the exception of Tykee are poor tacklers. This defense needs a lot more than a few new players. The number is closer to 7.
February 12th, 2026 at 9:44 am
I just don’t understand how a LB can’t rotate every once in a while to get a pick. It doesn’t matter who played ILB, the team looked lost.
Sometimes called shifts or rotations confuse the QB and that’s great, but if the fundamentals are beating you, go back to the basics.
We didn’t see ANYTHING defensively that made me think Bowles is a mastermind.
You can’t give someone that Title and then see performances like we have seen.
It’s part talent but MOSTLY coaching.
What Bowels needs is talent to Trump his coaching abilities and that just doesn’t happen.
February 12th, 2026 at 9:48 am
Yes, it is hard to understand how the Bucs thought Dennis could start at MLB?. I mean that bad and yet nothing was done to bring in someone else. I am thinking the they knew the defense would be subpar, but the offense would make up for it. It is the only thing that makes any sense. Really they could have not been that naive about Dennis. I mean they had training camp. He was practicing everyday, going against the offense. They must have seen he was not even average. Anyway, yes Bowles is the defensive coach and you have to scratch your head thinking he thought he could win with the personnel he had on defense. Dennis is not the only one. I mean their are many players on this defense that would be backups or not even play on a lot of nfl teams. I am not a Bowles hater and believe he was not aided by his GM. However, I mean Todd you really have to look at your personnel on defense. I don’t care how good the scheme is, you can’t make up for personel that are inadequate . This defense needs a serious infusion of talent at many levels!!!.
February 12th, 2026 at 9:55 am
Football1- I think they had two vet FAs on the roster at the beginning but were immediately injured. Not that it matters. It was one position of MANY that “underperformed”.
I’m with Joe on this, in that we need to get TWO MLBs not just one. Dennis is not the guy and LVD should be treated as “retired”.
February 12th, 2026 at 10:55 am
How do the Bucs allow Bowles unaccountable for the defense he runs every year?
February 12th, 2026 at 11:21 am
It was not the fullest deck on defense last year
February 12th, 2026 at 11:29 am
Lessismore Says:
February 12th, 2026 at 7:59 am
Dennis was handed the starting job.
BINGO!!!!!
thats 1 of our main problems…players dont have to compete…their given the job without earning it…
GO BUCS!!!!
February 12th, 2026 at 11:32 am
2 of the new starters will be Kancey and Walker on the DLine. Please let Rodriguez be our new middle linebacker and if not, Styles will be OK except JRod is a better flat and slant coverage backer. He is the better run stopper too. Grab that other Texas Tech outside linebacker and man we’d be better. 2 more best Defensive Tackles available and with a new special teams coach with 7 defenders in the draft to stock up with we oughta be the best team in the league. Period.
February 12th, 2026 at 12:01 pm
Highway to Hell the last few years
February 12th, 2026 at 12:31 pm
Nikhai Hill-Green is a quality ILB candidate with his biggest knock being he just turned 25. That aside, 6’2 235, sound gap defender, lengthy frame, has plenty of tape manning up on TEs and shedding blockers in the box. Projected to be a mid-late round prospect, though if he were 2 years younger he’d probably be a lock for day 2.
That’s the type of LBer I’d want to be our second selection if we were to double dip as an off-ball backer.
I’d expect to have at least 6 ILBs in camp, if not more. Nick Jackson is on a future deal, SVD on his rookie deal and thinking as if we sign nobody in FA, 2 ILBs in-draft and players like Shad Banks/Christian Thomas if either hits the UDFA market.
Now, watch this hump come in here just to say something dumb about my post, because I keep mentioning names of players he knows eff all about. Watch more ball scrub.