The Christian Izien And SirVocea Dennis Factor
July 26th, 2025
Todd Bowles said last week the Bucs tackled well in only one game last season: at Detroit in September.
Damning statement. So who was on the field that day?
Well, it’s thought-provoking that inside linebacker SirVocea Dennis and safety Jordan Whitehead led the Bucs that day with 11 combined tackles each.
Whitehead busted up his neck in a car crash in January and is out of football. Dennis was out for the season with a bad shoulder a few weeks after the Detroit game in Week 2.
Backup defensive back Christian Izien? He and Jamel Dean also had 10 combined tackles in that game. Izien was starting for injured Antoine Winfield, Jr. He later was lost for the season injured in Week 15.
So it’s interesting that when the Bucs tackled their best, two guys the Bucs don’t expect to be starting this year (Izien and Whitehead) were on the field. And Dennis played so little last season (bad shoulder) that he’s almost a newcomer.
Bowles is right. Tackling was a major weakness for the Bucs last year, but Dennis and Izien have always been solid tacklers.
Then-rookie nickel cornerback Tykee Smith was next on the tackling chart (7 combined) against Detriot. He’s now playing safety and is expected to start alongside Winfield.
Bowles says the Bucs are incorporating tweaks into drills to improve tackling — approach as well as fundamentals.
Could the key to a defensive revival be as simple as tackling? Well, football in its purest form has always has been about blocking and tackling. Joe’s not killing Calijah Kancey, but Joe still loses sleep envisioning Kancey holding Jayden Daniels’ towel instead of his jersey in the Commanders’ backfield.
July 26th, 2025 at 1:36 pm
Dan Campbell made some horrendous decisions that Detroit game and gifted the Bucs the win.
But that was ok with me. It made for a much more enjoyable away game experience.
July 26th, 2025 at 1:38 pm
Whatever we have to do. Rush QBs or shut down all receivers.
BEAT ATLANTA. With 2 HCs in our division, REAL familiar with the Bucs, it won’t be a cakewalk even to win the division.
July 26th, 2025 at 1:50 pm
Another poor reflection on the defensive coordinator.
July 26th, 2025 at 1:53 pm
We won the turnover battle at Detroit finishing the game +1
We got outgained 463 to 216.
“Pass defense” was pretty decent in spite of yards allowed
Goff threw 56 times for no TDs & 2 INTs
Hutchinson going down was enough for our offense to operate w/o him blowing up plays.
Detroit also held the ball 6.5 minutes more than our own offense.
Izien & McCollum(targeted 8 times allowed 3 catches) had picks in that game.
Defensively we didn’t record a single sack.
If there were ever an example that shows what our defense could do even when the offense many like to flatly claim “carried” them isn’t clicking.
Blanked one of the better teams and more consistent QBs in the NFL.
July 26th, 2025 at 1:54 pm
Dennis didn’t play enough to draw any conclusions. As the season went on Izien wasn’t exactly a tackling machine either. Please don’t hype Dennis anymore at least till he completes a training camp let alone a season. My hope is Dennis does shine, and Izz never sees the field, because Parrish, and Smith don’t get injured.
July 26th, 2025 at 2:10 pm
Todd is in his fourth season as Mr. Twojobs. Nice that he has just now realized, maybe tackling is important and should be taught. Wow. Next thing we know, he’ll be calling for press man coverage. Naa. Crazy talk.
July 26th, 2025 at 2:18 pm
Dennis SirVocea stood out in the Detroit game. Laying the lumber several times. Because of multiple injuries, game 2 was the last game with a semblance of the Defense that start the season in game 1.
July 26th, 2025 at 2:51 pm
I think Izien is a solid Nickel, and decent Outside Corner
I also think he’s a poor safety
Bowles cross train these guys, but they put them in a position to fail
Just play these guys in the position of their strengths
July 26th, 2025 at 3:29 pm
The only thing the Bucs defense did well in that Lions game was getting redzone stops, where the Lions went 1 of 7, but that was more about some bad play calling and Goff choking. Of course lots of guys had tackles since the Lions had the ball most of the day. Not sure that’s a good game to want to imitate.
July 26th, 2025 at 5:32 pm
That Krispy kreme glaze for Dennis
July 26th, 2025 at 6:42 pm
Dennis will turn heads in 2025. BIG year coming up for Voss. Naysayers will become converts quickly.
Izien if he doesn’t win the starting slot role is a legit SUPER SUB. Can step in at a moments notice to just about any backfield position and play well – with little to no drop off usually…. One of the best UDFAs the Bucs have signed in the last few years!
July 27th, 2025 at 7:45 am
“Could the key to a defensive revival be as simple as tackling?”
Ya think? I have been saying wordy durds about the pizz poor tackling for at least two years! Bowles himself has stated the same thing more than once! Yet, still we have guys who are just grabbing and trying to poke the ball out. Not tackling!
Grab,Garb,Grab! Lombardi would be having a stroke!
Go Bucs!