Zyon McCollum Said Corners Learned How To Defend Yesterday
September 14th, 2026
Learning on the job.
Joe thought this was an awful matchup for the Bucs.
Joe loves Jacob Parrish, but prior to yesterday, he had scant NFL experience as an outside corner.
Zyon McCollum damn near loafed his way off the team by being bored last season, allegedly. So Joe didn’t have a ton of confidence with McCollum. Then there is Benjamin Morrison. This guy couldn’t stay out of the tub long enough to towel off. Joe surely didn’t trust him.
So how were these three supposed to shut down Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins with Joe Burrow throwing the rock?
Well, that’s exactly what the Bucs corners did. Chase and Higgins were held to a combined 71 yards receiving. Neither had a touchdown catch.
McCollum called it a learning experience to stop top-shelf receivers.
“I think it set us up for the season in terms of how to prepare, how to watch tape, how serious to take each and every week,” McCollum said. “Those are All-Pro guys, and that’s a talented offense, so we need to carry some of that momentum going in, clean up some of the small things. Like I said, it’s a long season.”
Of course, if the corners really had to play Chase and Higgins in Week 1 of the 2025 NFL season to learn how to prepare and watch film, then that just screams to Joe that the Bucs ‘ defensive backs coaches are out to lunch.
Did Chase and Higgins have to teach Bucs corners on a trial-by-fire basis how to prepare and defend?
Isn’t that why Team Glazer is paying coaches millions?
September 14th, 2026 at 9:03 am
Can’t win a game with 4 TO’s. Disgusting! Had the stench of famous Jameis. Baker is just too damn reckless
September 14th, 2026 at 9:04 am
Hopefully Anzalone was just a one off. He looked lost a lot of the time.
September 14th, 2026 at 9:09 am
Bowels figure out how to stop a TE yet?
September 14th, 2026 at 9:10 am
Iron sharpens iron, a lot of the times
September 14th, 2026 at 9:12 am
and i thought last years Dolphins game was bad for baker…..this game takes the cake….
CBs were far from the “problem” yesterday….both LOS got pushed around and Zac is nothing special….
Start Ted over Tez….AA34 looked lost all game…lots to clean up before sunday…
GO BUCS!!!!!
September 14th, 2026 at 9:13 am
PAGING KENTON SMITH!!!!!!!
still hiding lol
GO BUCS!!!!
September 14th, 2026 at 9:16 am
This defense will never get the respect they deserves
As long as the team has a turnover machine for a QB
It’s Jameis Winston all over again
The only difference is, the rest of the division stinks just as worse
When Winston was the QB, the other teams had Pro Bowl QBs
The CBs were great yesterday
Benjamin Morrison was the 5th highest rated CB
But, this offense will destroy this defense
September 14th, 2026 at 9:19 am
Help me out because I legit don’t know. Is the guy coaching the corners last year one of the ones let go?
September 14th, 2026 at 9:21 am
I was actually pleasantly surprised that the Bucs CBs played at least mediocre on Sunday…
However – I am very concerned about the injury to Parrish.
Not good.
And I agree that Anzalone had a rough game and looked lost at times – yikes.
September 14th, 2026 at 9:24 am
Maybe we can teach Baker how to hold onto a football
September 14th, 2026 at 9:36 am
Fortunately for Burrow his TE was wide ass open all day long.
Toilet Bowles Swiss cheese scheme strikes again. He’s a guru.
2-8 in our last 10 games. Pure perfection!!! A treat to behold!!!
We are in our finest hour!! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡
September 14th, 2026 at 9:37 am
They’re pros, shouldn’t they already know????
September 14th, 2026 at 9:39 am
Joe doesn’t that scream that last years DB coaches were bad?
Doesn’t it insinuate that whatever they we’re doing this year (at the instruction of their DB coaches) is working, for one week?
September 14th, 2026 at 10:19 am
Drunk Bucs Fan Says:
September 14th, 2026 at 9:19 am
Help me out because I legit don’t know. Is the guy coaching the corners last year one of the ones let go
____________________
He was shown the door and replaced with his younger assistant.
September 14th, 2026 at 10:21 am
Gibberish!
September 14th, 2026 at 10:26 am
This is the reporting we get??? Misdirection and propaganda.
All in an effort to run cover for Bowles inept decisions. LOL–Joe
Classic.
September 14th, 2026 at 10:29 am
Cbs were good this game let’s see what it looks like as the season goes forward because the consistency of this team with Todd is that they are inconsistent and can someone find the damn pass rush for this team why are the helicopters not in the air right now as it’s been missing for multiple seasons at this point.
September 14th, 2026 at 10:35 am
Well we were SUPPOSED to lose because of poor corner play, so we got THAT goin for us, which is nice
September 14th, 2026 at 10:38 am
The DBs did great. The problem was the linebackers figuring out how to cover a tight end.
An offense… Obviously the issue was holding onto the ball and communication. The plays have got to be in better and quicker, regardless of helmet issues.
September 14th, 2026 at 10:43 am
The bread crumb trail goes back to December of 2024
End of the road at the beginning of the year and the can is all kicked out….
CLEAN HOUSE!
Of course JL can’t dance!
September 14th, 2026 at 10:44 am
ok – it’s McCollum vs Deshaun Watson and maybe JJ McCarthy over the next two weeks – these are slam dunks – then GB DAL PIT – Tampa needs at least 2 / 3 of those to be viable
September 14th, 2026 at 10:45 am
@Joe
Coaches teaching only goes so far… until you’re thrown into the fire that’s where the real experience begins.
Please lighten up on the coaches and players and report it as a move in the right direction.
September 14th, 2026 at 10:48 am
What surprised me the most yesterday was the play of both our offensive and defensive lines. We rarely got pressure on Burrow, and Baker had guys breathing down his neck all day. Where was that interior push from Vea and Clancey? Where was the vaunted new edge rush? Just overall our trench play seemed anemic. What’s even more surprising was that with 4 TOs, it still came down to a one score game.
September 14th, 2026 at 10:54 am
A Brian Flores defense is no slam dunk
September 14th, 2026 at 10:55 am
Hard to win games when your qb puts the ball in harms way and our defensive front has no juice. We look like we did last year. Hopefully we can turn this around against Cleveland.
September 14th, 2026 at 11:00 am
I wouldn’t parse those statements too much. Whatever they did, it worked yesterday.
September 14th, 2026 at 11:02 am
Bullspit.
September 14th, 2026 at 11:18 am
Does anyone else notice the trend where Bowles’s green dot ILB always seem to be lost and over thinking? I often wondered why David never had the green dot. I think the D is overly complicated and whoever is on the mic, they’re confusing the crap out of these ILBs. Anzalone’s play yesterday was very reminiscent of Dennis last year. Same with White when he got the dot, and I believe Britt had the mark of death too. Coaches are in their heads, slowing them down, and killing every football instinct that got them to the NFL. Just a thought, but this seems to be more of a trend than an outlier
September 14th, 2026 at 11:25 am
4 fumbles by the offense is a disaster waiting to happen. The Bengls scored on all 4 of the Bucs fumbles. That was the difference. The Bucs scored once on Trotter’s interception. The Bucs kept the Bengals vaulted receivers out of the end zone.
There are some good takeaways from their loss in Cinnanati. The Bucs play the dysfunctional Cleveland Browns at home this Sunday. Mayfield can’t wait to inflict revenge on the Browns next week. Look forward to the Atlanta game where Baker Mayfield’s gets to take his his revenge on his ex Cleveland Coach and current Atlanta Falcons Coach.
Mayfield’ lives for these moments. A word of caution, he must channel his emotions to be smart and walk away the victor in those games of retribution.
September 14th, 2026 at 11:41 am
More reason to fire Bowles wow.
September 14th, 2026 at 11:41 am
“Does anyone else notice the trend where Bowles’s green dot ILB always seem to be lost and over thinking? I often wondered why David never had the green dot.”
Unless there’s a different Lavonte David you’re talking about, this is absolutely false. David wore the green dot as a 4-3 WLB, and wore it these last 2 years before retiring. Even with Devin White on the roster, they alternated Mic duties.
Nice try, but a bit of a reach.
September 14th, 2026 at 11:44 am
It’s not talent so much as it is attitude, mentality and discipline.
The wheels are about to EXPLODE off this dysfunctional franchise at some point this season.
It’s going to be very painful and ugly!
September 14th, 2026 at 11:47 am
Joe – “Did Chase and Higgins have to teach Bucs corners on a trial-by-fire basis how to prepare and defend? Isn’t that why Team Glazer is paying coaches millions?”
I’m more of a glass-half-full guy. These are young CBs. They SHOULD be learning with every bit of experience.
They actually had a great tame (mostly). So why focus on the negative?
September 14th, 2026 at 11:49 am
Meant “They actually had a great game”
September 14th, 2026 at 11:50 am
I would also point out: There is a reason the improved…coaching.
September 14th, 2026 at 11:54 am
Liam Cohen was in the house while TB was doing his Chauncey Gardener act …
September 14th, 2026 at 11:58 am
It’s the same OLD CRAP. THIS DEFENSE CAN NOT GET OFF THE FIELD. EVER! Doesn’t help when you have all those turnovers – I get that. We will see how the defense plays this weekend against the Browns and that anemic offense.
September 14th, 2026 at 12:37 pm
Tee Higgins is a beautiful athlete.
He is huge, flexible and incredible!
He was a super human out there!
September 14th, 2026 at 1:16 pm
What????? McCollum has been in the league awhile and he just learned yesterday how to defend elite receivers. That is bizarre. Now maybe someone on the defense will learn how to cover tight ends and running backs coming out of the backfield. How long do we have to wait for that to happen?
September 14th, 2026 at 1:24 pm
he wont stay awake all season.
September 14th, 2026 at 1:30 pm
I would believe what he meant was the dbacks coach has tonight them differently on how to prepare. Highly doubt he meant the live game taught them…overall I think the defense played good enough to win. Tough to win when offense is playing against you.
MOST Importantly Anzalone needs to learn to tackle and top trying to arm tackle…I thought he was supposed to be a good tackle, parish and Benjamin tackled better!