Buffalo’s Soft Rush Defense
November 15th, 2025
Sean Tucker time?
Man, Joe wishes Bucky Irving could play tomorrow.
The Buffalo run defense is Charmin soft. That’s how teams are beating them.
The most dangerous weapon on the Bills’ roster is easily quarterback Josh Allen. If the Bucs can get a running game going, Allen stands on the sidelines and is totally neutered. Joe doesn’t care how talented a quarterback is, he cannot hurt a team on the bench.
The following item dug up by Rich Hribar of Sharp Football Analysis demonstrates how Buffalo cannot stop the run.
60.9% of the touchdowns allowed (14 of 23) by Buffalo have been rushing, the highest rate in the league.
Despite Bucky not playing tomorrow, Joe still thinks the Bucs can run on the Bills. Think about it: Last week Sean Tucker became the first running back this season to run for over 50 yards on the Patriots.
If Tucker can run on New England, he surely should be able to put up 75 on Buffalo, maybe more. The Bucs ran for 100-plus yards on New England and averaged 5-plus yards per carry.
Joe believes the return of Luke Goedeke helped the Bucs’ run game last Sunday. Goedeke told Joe this week he had a lot of rust to shake off during last Sunday’s game.
With Goedeke rust-free now, that ought to help the Bucs’ running attack even more.
November 15th, 2025 at 12:14 pm
And we need good pass protection. Hopefully Baker is feeling better.
But please everyone stay on your gap!!!! No more long runs against us.
Let’s go!!!!!
November 15th, 2025 at 12:15 pm
Well Joe, now that you’ve said that we’ll probably rush for 40 yards or less
November 15th, 2025 at 12:23 pm
Would love to see Tucker start this game. Get him going early and often. Hopefully the OC will stick with the run or Baker check to more run plays at the line depending on the defense.
November 15th, 2025 at 12:34 pm
This is good info Joe. We really need the scrambling baker back.
November 15th, 2025 at 12:43 pm
Go Tucker!
November 15th, 2025 at 12:44 pm
Easier said than done just like when we were supposed to capitalize on Detroit’s depleted secondary. The Bucs will win one way or another though. Much love from Maryland
November 15th, 2025 at 12:51 pm
Said it before, and I’ll say it again. The best way to mitigate having to use reserves on the OL is to run the ball. All it takes is one well blocked run to get those guys some confidence and if we can find success early, that’s the platform this offense needs to operate from. Asking our OL to go in pass pro 40 times doesn’t have to be apart of our recipe for success.
Can’t play ball control if you’re going 3-5 and out in <180 seconds, and you certainly aren’t scoring much if you’re doing THAT a handful of times a game.
I agree with starting Tucker, give him some looks to move the chains to start, then work he & Rachaad in to the run & pass game respectively. Getting either of those 2 going takes a lot of pressure off the other 10 guys on the field for us in my opinion.
November 15th, 2025 at 1:01 pm
Definitely we need to commit to the run. I and others here have been calling for more 2-back sets which have been largely ignored by Grizzard to his own detriment. The few times we have employed it, it has been extremely productive. Along with varying deceptive motions off it and overall in general. That’s something Coen did really well, making us unpredictable and, creating mismatches and indecision on opposing defenses. If Grizzard isn’t seeing that or, just being stubborn, then certainly our head coach and/or quarterback should and promptly do something about it. Frustrating to say the least.
November 15th, 2025 at 1:05 pm
I’d like to see some creativity with counters and misdirections as well.
November 15th, 2025 at 1:10 pm
Brederson out hurts.
We should still be able to pound the rock. Baker Wirfs and the guys are ticked off. OL should play angry and get push all day.
Having said that, and running on the Bills being the narrative, I truly hope GriZ has some good play action ready to go.
1st play, play action and find Emeka or Tez for a 15-30 yard shot.
November 15th, 2025 at 1:59 pm
A.ll it takes is one perfectly blocked play and Tucker is gone. He has wicked speed and nobody is going to chase him down. We can do this!
Go Bucs!
November 15th, 2025 at 2:05 pm
Give the ball to Tucker 18x and he will get 100 yards. Would like to see 2 back set 25% of game with White and Tucker. That will open things up for Otton on 10 yard slants and outs. He can figure out YAC after he gets ball in space.
November 15th, 2025 at 2:09 pm
The Bills certainly seem vunerable
November 15th, 2025 at 2:41 pm
Let’s see 196 yards and 3 tds on 3 plays again
November 15th, 2025 at 2:49 pm
Feature Tucker… use white on 3rd down. But for the love of all Buccaneer fans, don’t just run the ball because the numbers say they are bad. Don’t run it into 8-9 man boxes. You cannot get caught in that trap. Lots of play-action and keep them off balance. No running up the gut every 1st down.
November 15th, 2025 at 2:57 pm
We BETTER be able to pass the ball efficiently also. Do you think the Bill’s don’t know their run D has been gashed and that they will be focused on that ?
And our run game is crippled…. O-line is still a mess. Bucky out.
I hope we run all over the bills but Grizz better have options if we need to sling it.
November 15th, 2025 at 2:57 pm
i have a good gut feeling about the game on sunday…
i think we just might steal one up there in buffalo
November 15th, 2025 at 3:27 pm
The sad thing is, with these players and using Grizzard’s play call sheet, the excessively disparaged Byron Leftwich would have called enough runs to beat New England, and would likely stomp Buffalo tomorrow.
Run the ball! Go 40% run, and 70% run on third down and fourth down needing three yards or fewer, and the Bucs will win!
With the strong winds tomorrow, go 50% run and it will take the pressure off of Baker, and he will complete a ton of passes ten to twenty yards downfield (and one or two deep passes) and he throw four touchdown passes as the Bucs score forty points!
November 15th, 2025 at 3:31 pm
Every time I hear about how soft an opponents offense or defense is I cringe because it seems to invite us not being able to exploit it, like the team reads it and goes all nuclear to prove it wrong. And yet the opposite is true. What matters is being balanced, taking advantage of weaknesses and just flat out expressing your glands on the other team, just that simple and I hope we do come out pissed OFF not ON the entire game.
November 15th, 2025 at 3:48 pm
I think our defense shuts them down and we run it down there throat. I think we win decisively tomorrow.
November 15th, 2025 at 4:23 pm
Our boys lost a tough one last weekend. There was blood in the water surrounding Drake Maye all game. He was definitely the deciding Player of the Game, turning normal sacks for a loss into first downs. However great Mayes throws on the run were, the Buccaneers dropped a couple on Baker and both miscues were by players who appear to be the best options at their respective positions. Sean Tucker seemed surprised by an easy lob after coming off a good block and turning toward his outside route on a hard fought 3rd down opportunity for him and then Egbuka let one slip between his arms and the number on his shirt on a crucial 3rd down just outside Chase McLaughlin territory. Of course we both of these guys have also been far more reliant than any other team has in a rookie WR & third string RB, so the toughest little QB who ever played the game isn’t going to complain. He takes it like every other shot he’s taken… knowing that he’s a gamer. It’ll be there next time. The Zone will come. Especially with a guy who can complete a pass over his shoulder while the whistle is blown because of his own blood being in the water. Let Tucker handle the early down work & keep Shep in the slot this week, see what happens.
November 15th, 2025 at 4:27 pm
Can I have some of what you are smoking thisisourheart?
November 15th, 2025 at 4:36 pm
I think Buffalo wins because they got crushed in Miami last week.
November 15th, 2025 at 4:40 pm
If the Bills are soft run defenders you know the Bucs will pass forty times after giving up the run the first quarter. Coaching.
November 15th, 2025 at 5:17 pm
sounds like “we” have finally made peace with the fact that white cant get it done.