Bull Rush

That was a great win yesterday against a quality opponent in Cincinnati on the road for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Even though the Bengals haven't set the world on fire so far this year, they are the defending AFC north champions and most people didn't give the Bucs much of a chance of beating them. It wasn't pretty but we made enough plays when it counted to win the game and that's huge. For most of last year winning a game like that against a good team like the Bengals would have been almost impossible. But the Bucs showed that they have matured a lot especially at the end of the game and that's a big reason why we are now 3-1.

Having said that when I watched the game again I saw a lot of issues on defense. For the first time all year I thought the defensive line got pushed around some up front. Even though the Pittsburgh Steelers beat us soundly in week 3 most of the problems we had against the run that game was just a matter of guys not being in their gap. Yesterday however too many times we were getting knocked off the ball.

That's the bad news. The good news is it can be fixed. Its not that we are weak up front but instead its more so guys are just not using good technique. For whatever reason we aren't playing on edges a lot and our defensive tackles are not getting penetrations into their gaps.

Some of the reason is that we are habitually late off the ball. I am not sure if guys are worried about jumping offsides or what but as a group the get off can use some work.

Also when playing double teams guys have to feel when one guy comes off and then expand where that guy came from because that is where the ball is probably going to be run.

And maybe the most important thing is guys have to keep working on escaping off blocks instead of just reaching out for the ball carrier.

Its hard enough to tackle some of the good running backs in this league. You don't need to make it harder by allowing a 300 pound guy to continue pushing on you while you're trying to get a guy on the ground.

Oddly enough the guy who I think everyone should watch and model their run technique after, at least in general, is Stylez G. White. I say oddly because for whatever reason they seem to take him out of the game on running downs at times even though I'm not really sure why. But when you see him play the run you see him getting up the field, on an edge, and ripping off blocks to make plays. His technique is best I've seen on the team and so are his fits. If we could get everybody other than the nose playing more like him against the run we would be much better off.

Also I'll be honest in saying that I personally have a problem with how much the Buccaneers are using our 3-3-5 alignment. Maybe its the defensive lineman in me showing my bias but while I understand wanting to have Quincy Black on the field as much as possible, I just don't think using a 3 man line so prominently helps us as much as it would just mixing it in from time to time. We also saw yesterday what can happen when a team catches us in that 3 man line alignment and decides to run the ball. Some of the plays where Cedric Benson gashed us were against that alignment and we simply aren't gap sound versus the run in that defense.

Using the 3-3-5 to generate pass rush has also gotten mixed results at best in my opinion. Yes Black is fast and athletic but I have yet to see him beat an offensive tackle one on one this regular season so far. In fact most of the time he just runs a TEX with Gerald McCoy who is rushing from a defensive end position. That isn't all bad by any means but it IS predictable. Also because McCoy is running a TEX from that alignment instead of a regular 3 technique alignment it means he has to come inside hard first and try to blow up the B gap almost as if he was instead running an EX game. The problem with that is on a true TEX game the defensive tackle is supposed to have a contain rush.

Now when run well the defensive tackle can have a contain rush by getting to the back of the offensive tackle and then falling off inside of him to make the sack because he has gotten far enough up field to do so. When running a TEX out of a 3-3-5 however the defensive tackle, while having an opportunity to get pressure on the quarterback, generally won't be upfield far enough keep containment.

You can see this on the play where McCoy and Stylez White both almost get a sack on Carson Palmer. White makes a really good outside move on left side and turns the corner. McCoy comes crashing in and gets good pressure as well. But Palmer steps to his left a little to avoid the rush and is able to get the ball off. McCoy ends up running into Stylez and knocking him off his rush (Stylez was getting held by the way), gets a hit on the quarterback but can't bring home the sack. Black in the meanwhile loops inside for the TEX then comes back out of it and almost gets an interception.

On paper its a good play no doubt and we get off the field. But I'm going to go out on an limb and say the Bucs would rather have a sack there than just a pressure by McCoy.

Now we could blitz out of that package but we aren't doing much of that either. I think by my count we sent more than four only one time out of the 3-3-5 alignment yesterday. And this is when you have a statue like Palmer sitting back there who doesn't want to take off running ever and would rather throw the ball away than take a sack. It just didn't make any sense to me that Coach Morris wouldn't run more true four defensive lineman rushes in third and long situations and or blitz more to make Palmer uncomfortable. The truth is the Bucs got bailed out several times yesterday by the Bengals wide receivers just dropping the ball on plays that would have garnered first downs for them.

I am pretty sure it has to do with his philosophy versus mine. I think Coach Morris would rather lean towards coverage being the answer than pressure. That doesn't mean I'm right and he's wrong or vice versa. It just means that I personally think the Bucs should be taking a different approach and that it would give us greater results than we have had so far in terms of getting to the quarterback.

I will say that it was good to see both Brian Price and Michael Bennett getting more playing time yesterday and I thought both guys confirmed why they deserved it during the game. It was also good to see us running a few more run blitzes with the corners and strong safeties on early downs versus run personnel and formations. That will end up helping us in the long run.

One last thing before the individual break downs. The Bucs are running a lot more Pirate this year where the undertackle and the end to his side stunt inside to the A gap and B gap respectively. I like the stunt and believe it can help us against the run but guys are getting cut off from their gaps too much. One of the things that can help with this is if they back up off the ball about 3 inches or so. You don't want to back off so far that its easily noticeable but just enough to give yourself room to operate.

Here's the deal, the closer a defensive lineman is to the ball, the easier it is for an offensive lineman to cut them off from coming on an inside stunt. The point of contact happens much faster and if the offensive lineman is faster off the ball they have an immediate advantage. By backing up just a little bit it gives guys the chance to take a really good step inside, gain ground and rip through the stunt all before contact is made. And if the play happens to be coming to you it gives you the ability to get penetration up into the gap because you aren't having to go as flat on the movement.

Welp that's my tip for the day, now on to the breakdowns:

Kyle Moore: Kyle Moore had a productive day against the run with 5 tackles. But he also was one of the guys who got pushed off the ball too much. For one thing he is habitually late off the ball which always gives the offensive line an advantage. He also tends to end up too down the middle of blockers instead of on their edge. And finally he is just lazy with his hands both in the running game and on pass rush.

Moore has all the physical tools you like to see. He's strong and fast. He has good size. But his technique and get off need a lot of work. As productive as he was he could have had a dominant game. He had a chance to tackle Benson when the Bengals were backed up but he didn't rip off the block and Benson ran through his arms. That ended up being a big play as Benson ended up busting off a big run. Now it wasn't an easy play by any means but it would have been a much EASIER play if he didn't have someone hanging on to him as he tried to make the tackle.

Also he because he is late off the ball he rarely has an opportunity to try to turn the corner against an offensive tackle on pass. He ends up running right down the middle of guys much too much instead of using his athletic ability to make a move. It is rare to see him even attempt to do a rip move on pass rush unless its on third and long and that's just not going to get it done. The Bucs can't wait until third downs to get pressure on the quarterback, we need consistent pressure whenever they try to pass the ball even and maybe especially when its on play action pass.

He did have a really good EX game with White on the right side and got a nice hit on the quarterback. But for a guy who is starting and playing as much as he is he needs to step his pass rush game up a LOT more to justify it.

Gerald McCoy: I thought McCoy played better this game. He almost got his first sack on the aforementioned play out of the 3-3-5 alignment and he had another really good pass rush from undertackle where he got another hit on the quarterback. He also tipped a pass at the line of scrimmage. One thing I noticed is that although they continued to play him at end in the 3 man alignments, he didn't play defensive end in our four man lines even when the Bengals were backed up. I definitely think that is a step in the right direction of letting him develop more at undertackle.

One thing I was disappointed in however is that he fell in love with making inside moves for some reason yesterday. Time after time when he got a pass set he kept going inside and then wound up in a double team. I'm not sure if that was part of the game plan or what but one time when he and Price were both in the game on third down they both came inside and got wadded up at the line of scrimmage.

Part of being an undertackle is getting up the field and putting pressure on the guard to block your speed on an edge. That doesn't mean you can't make an inside move, but it does mean it should only be a change up and not your standard move. One of the major reasons why is that if the undertackle is getting up field, even if he turns the corner a little wide he provides the defensive end to his side the opportunity to fall back underneath him and get a sack or pressure on the quarterback. We used to call it a "natural game" where guys just play off each other to get pressure. But if the undertackle is consistently going inside then it opens up a lane between himself and the defensive end rushing outside for the quarterback to both step up into in order to avoid the rush and to be able to see his receivers down field.

Again, I'm not sure if it was just a part of the game plan but I think McCoy would be better served getting off and getting up the field the majority of the time when he reads pass.

Roy Miller: I'm one of the biggest Roy Miller fans you will find in the Tampa Bay area but I was disappointed in his play yesterday. Playing nosetackle in a 4-3 defense is a very hard job. You have to be able to anchor in and not get pushed off the ball in double teams. You have to be able to play scoop blocks where the back side guard is trying to cut you. And you have to be able to play the center reach blocks and maintain your gap.

That's not all you have to do but just those three things are so different in terms of the technique you have to use that it can make your head swim. Unfortunately yesterday it appeared that Miller's head was indeed swimming. He got pushed off the ball way too much against the double teams and scoop blocks. And he got reached at least three times where he lost his A gap. There is no one thing he was doing wrong because each block is so different.

The main thing on the reach blocks is that he needs to be strong with his outside hand and keep his hips turned inside instead of allowing the center to get him turned toward the sideline. You have to recognize what the center is trying to do and while not taking off running towards the side line you have to work more lateral than upfield to maintain your gap.

With the double team he just has to play lower and keep his feet in the ground. Trust me, I know its easier said than done. But once he feels the double he has to make sure he doesn't get pushed off the line of scrimmage and then feel the guy coming off to the linebacker and expand in that direction.

With the scoop block I know its hard because of the threat of a backside cut block but he has to be able to play off the guard and rip off so that he can get up into the gap and either make the play or make the running back have to go lateral rather than being able to continue down hill.

Miller has the ability to do all these things. I know because he has done them before. But yesterday he just seemed to consistently get pushed 4 or 5 yards off the ball. That's not winning football and he needs to get that fixed ASAP.

He did notch 1 tackle and 2 assists so it wasn't all bad.

Stylez G. White: I have been saying for weeks that White has to start making inside moves to get offensive tackles to stop setting for his outside rush. And for weeks nothing has changed. Now Stylez did some good things against the Bengals. He had an assisted tackle. He had a great EX game going with Moore where he comes in and blasts the left guard and takes out two blockers to free Moore up. And he also had that great outside rush from the left side which I talked about earlier.

But I'm going to make a point here. I counted 7 times when Stylez had an opportunity to make an inside move. By opportunity I mean the left tackle took a wide set, the B gap was open, and the left guard at least initially was not looking for him to come inside.

SEVEN TIMES!

With a damn statue back there at quarterback!

Stylez won't have a better opportunity to sack a quarterback who has no inclination to try to move very much in the pocket. And Palmer isn't the type of guy to hold on to the ball and allow you to get to him consistently with an outside rush. And yet out of those 7 opportunities Stylez didn't try even once to take what the Bengals were giving him.

Maybe the most egregious opportunity squandered was with 45 seconds left in the first half. The left guard literally turns his back to the B gap and the left tackle opened up so wide with his shoulders turned towards the sideline that he practically had a neon sign flashing "SPIN ON ME PLEASE!!!" Instead White tried to go around the horn again...and didn't get there.

I have always had confidence in Stylez as a pass rusher. I was one of the ones who agreed with his assertion that he would have double digit sacks this year. But right now he is giving away sacks and pressures. Left tackles should be sending him thank you cards because he is letting them off the hook. And the defense is not as dominant as it should be because he continues to focus solely on beating guys outside.

There isn't a premier pass rusher in the NFL at defensive end who does not make inside moves several times again. Not a single one. Simeon Rice who was one of the most productive and fastest defensive ends in Buccaneers history would make three or four inside moves a game at least. You HAVE to do it not only because it gives you an opportunity for quick pressure, but also because it gives left tackles more than one look so they can't be comfortable in their pass sets.

Its just like a pitcher. If all you throw is fast balls, even if you throw heat, people are going to knock your shit out of the park. But if you throw a change up here or there you keep guys off balance. And you make it a lot easier on yourself.

Until Stylez starts throwing change ups our pass rush isn't going to consistently scare anybody. And there is absolutely no chance he will get to double digits.

It is what it is.

Michael Bennett: Bennett finally gets activated and all he does is go out there and get five good rushes and a pressure. When I say five good rushes I mean he beat his guy with a pass rush move. He only got one pressure because every other time Palmer got rid of the ball and it was completed. Its probably going to be ignored by most but his pressure came on third and five right before the half and forced Palmer to throw early and erratically to his receiver who couldn't haul it in. Instead of a first down the Bengals had to settle for a field goal and considering the final score and the fact that the Bengals had driven all the way down to the red zone with relative ease, that ended up being a pretty big play.

An interesting thing to note is that all of his good rushes came in the first half. Its not that he started rushing bad in the second half but more so he wasn't given many more opportunities. He did play some on base but other than a few plays inside he wasn't in the game much on 3rd and long.

Hopefully after they watch the film that will change because there is no doubt who had the best rushes on the team yesterday at defensive end. Bar none.

But all was not perfect. Even though he did get some good penetration in the run game, he also got shook out of his shoes on one play by Benson when he was unblocked. I'm sure he will catch some grief in the film room over that one.

He also pissed me off by running a shitty TEX. I don't know what they are teaching over at One Buc but it would do my heart some good to see just one defensive end get THREE STEPS or more up the field to set up the offensive tackle on a TEX game just once. I mean damn, there are college defensive lines running better TEX games than the Bucs D Line.

For the umpteenth time, the further the defensive end gets up the field, the better chance the TEX game has of winning. For everybody.

Enough said.

Brian Price: I love Price's get off but I hate his technique. Once he actually learns how to play nosetackle though he is going to give people fits. Right now he has to understand that some plays aren't his plays and instead they are opportunities for him to open it up for someone else.

He also needs to stay off the ground. He wasn't on it much this game but every time he is on the ground that is an opportunity to go and make a play hustling to the ball that is lost. As fast as Price is he should be racking up assisted tackles down the field. But you can't do that if you're lying on the field with some guy on your back.

As a pass rusher though? That guy is a MONSTER. He had two really good rushes and a hit on the quarterback when he rushed from the nosetackle position. Mind you he went from being over the nose to rushing and beating a guard on those three plays. You may not understand how hard that is but trust me its damned impressive.

Hell on the play where he gets hurt in the second half he beats the guard and just about gets to Palmer on a quick pass even though the guy literally tackles him. That's how he got hurt in the first place. It was amazing that the penalty wasn't called but still it was a very very impressive play by him.

On the negative side we had a zone blitz where he was supposed to cross the center's face to the opposite A gap. He did that initially but then came back into the the A gap he initially started in. The only problem is Moore's assignment on that zone blitz is to be in that A gap and so he created a bit of a log jam. That's why its important for guys to know WHY they are doing something on any given defense. He may not have gotten pressure in the opposite gap but there's a chance he would have opened things up for Moore and the other guys blitzing.

He also did not loops around for contain on a Pirate. That's a problem he has had since the preseason and it needs to get corrected. Otherwise we are giving up all containment to the quarterback with the line stunt and that ain't good!

All in all a good day for the rookie though. And I imagine his playing time will continue to increase. Of course if we played more four man line on third and long we could get to see what Price could really do when he doesn't have to start lined up over the center.

Just throwing that out there.

Tim Crowder: I had Crowder down for one tackle and two good rushes with one hit on the quarterback. He played a solid game like he always does. Sometimes Crowder doesn't fill up the stat sheet but then you go back and watch the game and he always seems to be where he is supposed to be. He didn't set up his TEX game but see my earlier rant on that one. Other than that not much to complain about his time in the game yesterday.


Well that's it for this week. If you have any questions just leave them in the comments and I will get to them as fast as I can.

Great win this week but now we gotta get ready for those Saints to come to town. Its definitely going to be a bigger challenge. You can count on that!

Copy Cat League, Running Game Edition

I just wanted to weigh in on something that kept popping into my head while I was watching the game again.

Why don't the Bucs utilize the same kinds of running schemes as the Panthers?

I'm dead serious about this.

People always call the NFL a "copy cat league" because when one team has a success running a certain scheme then before you know it you will see other teams trying to do the same thing. And if there is one thing the Panthers have been good at over the years its running the ball.

Hell its part of the reason why we signed Keydrick Vincent this offseason.

But its not enough to just pick up their former players, why not pick up some of their plays.

Don't get me wrong, we run some of the same plays that they do. But we don't use them with the frequency or precision that they use them. And when you think about it our offensive personnel blocking wise is pretty similar to the Panthers.

A lot of what they do involves getting the defense moving one way and then cutting one guy on the back side so you have a cutback lane. Usually its a fullback or a tight end leading up on a defensive end or outside linebacker and they just cut them and the running back starts hard to the strong side then cuts back for nothing but open road.

And the Panthers themselves don't mind copying other teams. They ran a play yesterday that they definitely copied from the Saints, where they fake a bootleg to get the defensive end up the field then run a split belly inside of them. The Saints used the same play last year and killed us with it.

So why don't we take some of the things our opponents do well and use it against everybody else?

Ill tell you this much, it would help our tight ends a lot because Carolina finds ways to put their tight ends in favorable positions to block defensive ends and linebackers. Rather than always keeping them on the line they will put them just a little outside of the box and then have them come back in and crack on a linebacker. I think Kellen Winslow would be much better served in that set up. One thing is for sure, he isn't doing so hot trying to block a defense end right in front of him.

I would love to see the Bucs run a bunch of split bellys and Ram belly's this week and mirror the Panthers' running game. I think its a perfect scheme for Cadillac too because he likes to make one cut and then get down hill. It seems like it should be a no brainer.

So why not?

Bucs Films Review: Carolina Panthers Week 6

Time to check out The Good, The Bad and The Ugly from the Panthers game. Back up because I am spitting HOT FIYA today!

The Good.

Cadillac Williams: I thought the guy did a great job of running the ball and several times making something out of nothing. The cut back run for a touchdown was an absolute thing of beauty and he also did a great job of blitz pickup throughout the game. The question I have is why, after Offensive Coordinator Greg Olsen said just the other day that he wanted to make Caddy into more of a featured back did he only get 16 carries? We have a young quarterback, facing a tough defense at home and our workhorse only gets 16 carries? Now he made the most of them with 77 yards rushing but you have to wonder what he could have done with more opportunities. And for that matter the effect it would have had on opening up the passing game down field as well.

Tashard Jackson: In his second game back after serving a 4 game suspension to start the season Jackson was back to his playmaking ways. He started it off with a huge hit on Panthers wide receiver Musin Muhammaed, followed that up with a caused fumble deep in our own territory after our offense had turned the ball over, and capped it off with a pick six to tie the game in the second half. He made a lot of other plays in the run game and also showed the kind of pass coverage that we have come to expect from him at this point. If Tashard can keep playing like that we should always have a fighting chance on defense.

Sammie Stroughter: This guy showed up big time in a game where we needed to make something happen. His kickoff return was HUGE in the second half at a moment when I am sure a lot of people were about to write the game off because we had just gone down two touchdowns. He also had several big catches and he and Josh Johnson seem to have developed some good chemistry. In my honest opinion the kid has earned more playing time by virtue of making the most of the opportunities he has been given.

Greg (Stylez) White: In his first game starting at right end since Gaines Adams was traded last week White had a pretty good day. He had his first sack of the year and he also was close on another play where he literally crawled all the way to Jake Delhomme. But the best part of his game, in my opinion, was how he played against the tight ends in the run game. It is a lost art of defensive line play nowadays of escaping off a block to make a play. So often guys just try to stick their arms out and hope that somehow some way they will make the tackle. But White put on a clinic technique wise, getting full extension, ripping into his gap and then putting his face in somebody's chest. It was definitely encouraging to see.

Barrett Ruud: Ruud was all over the field making plays on Sunday. He had a gang of tackles several passes broken up and a big interception in the first half. He also was very physical on the Panthers' fullback, blowing him up several time on isolation blocks. I would love to see him come down hill more versus the run but I will talk about that more in a minute.

The Bad

Ryan Sims: As I stated in my post on joebucsfan.com Sims didn't have a good game. He didn't hold up really well against double teams and he didn't get much push in one on one pass rush situations. I feel kind of bad lumping him in this group because he still gave one hell of an effort on every single play which ain't easy for a big guy. But it is what it is, he can do better, he knows he can do better, and he needs to do better for us to have a chance to win.

Josh Johnson: Josh showed some flashes of greatness during the game but he wasn't close to being consistent enough. The miss to Stroughter deep in the Red Zone was huge because we could have put the Panthers down two touchdowns early and tried to make them one dimensional trying to keep up. Johnson also put his offensive line in difficult situations at times because he held on to the ball too long. I know he didn't do it on purpose but we also can't have the fumbles that take us out of field position and threaten to give the game away. What I was most disappointed in however was Johnson's decision making in the second half. On the interception that he threw he had two other guys wide open without a lot of coverage around them. He also pushed the ball downfield several times for incompletions when he had underneath routes running free. And although Julius Peppers was a force on several plays, on the majority of the passing plays the offensive line and backs held up, even versus the blitz, and gave Johnson enough time to find the right guy. It appears that he will have just one more chance to make his bid to continue starting and I hope he makes the most of it.

Sabby Piscetelli: Sabby is simply going to have to grow up fast or else we need to see what Will Allen can do. Its one thing if you are a safety who is strong in coverage and average against the run or you are a safety who is strong against the run and average against the pass but what you can't be is average in both. Right now I don't think any running back or receiver fears Piscetelli and that is a bad thing. We can't afford to have him missing as many tackles as he is missing when he has one one one opportunities. At the least I am going to need Sabby to know where the hell his help is. Missing DeAngelo Williams is one thing, missing Williams and letting him bounce outside when you are the contain element of the defense is quite another. For all of Allen's deficiencies in pass coverage the guy will stroke you in the run game. If Sabby doesn't get any better at some point they need to pull that plug.

Jeremy Trueblood: Trueblood gave up two sacks to Julius Peppers but he should have had some help both times. Unfortunately for him nobody cares about whether the guard kicked out or not. What they DO care about is seeing Josh Johnson getting slammed hard to the turf several times. Admittedly Peppers is a BEAST but Trueblood should be able to hold his on with him at this point. One good thing I will say is that at least he didn't get another bs illegal procedure (jumping off sides) penalties that he has been plagued with of late.

The Ugly

Dick Stockton and Charles Davis: I swear that the crew calling the game on Sunday was one of the worst I have ever seen or heard. When they weren't getting basic facts like the correct names of the teams and players wrong, these guys were showing replays of big plays without taking note of the penalties occurring. On DeAngelo Williams' first rushing touchdown Aqib Talib is OBVIOUSLY held by Steve Smith. I mean you see the jersey pull and everything and it was right in front of the referee, but even though they showed the replay several times neither Stockton nor Davis even raise the possibility that it might be holding. Later on when Johnathan Stewart scored on a play right up the middle, the Panthers' center all but tackled Barrett Ruud to the ground from behind and again nothing but silence from that duo. I really thought at some point the camera would cut to them and we would catch them getting stone cold drunk like the announcer in the movie "Major League". Come to find out evidently they were actually sober although I would need to see a breathalyzer to be really sure.

Jerramy Stevens: I am going to keep this straight and to the point. If Stevens doesn't want to block then they need to keep his ass off the field, period. It doesn't make any damn sense for him to be that damn big and keep getting his tail handed to him when he tries to block defensive ends. I like his athleticism, I think he can help us in the passing game, but right now he is a frikkin liability unless he is out on a route. Even though John Gilmore had that crucial penalty on 4th down, he needs to be in the game more. Watching his effort blocking and watching Stevens effort is like seeing night and day. We are 0-6 now and we don't need any weak links so either Stevens starts manning up or its time to sit him down.

Defensive Scheme: I have tried to kind of talk around this all season so far but I am done with that. Our defensive scheme sucks, there I said it. Its hard for me to even know where to start but here goes. First of all as I have said numerous times, trying to two gap with your defensive tackles requires that you have two guys who are 6 ft 5 or better and 330 lbs or better. And even then its still not a given that it will work. But we do not have the frikkin personnel to pull this kind of scheme off. Neither Ryan Sims nor Chris Hovan are gonna grow several inches or gain 10 or 20 pounds or so as this season goes on so at least for the rest of this year its going to be a problem. What is so messed up is both Sims and Hovan and for that matter even Roy Miller, are all quality NFL defensive tackles. But they are being put in a position to fail damn near every single play. They can't use their quickness and they aren't being allowed to play in a gap which would actually help them hold up better against double teams. Having them so tight in their alignments also hurts them when they have line stunts because the offensive linemen don't have to step as far to block them initially which means they don't have far to go to recover on the movement. I now a lot of people won't understand what I just said, but those that do will feel me. Hell a few times during the game, whether by hook or by crook, Sims actually lined up closer to a more traditional alignment on the center and stepped into him on the snap and whaddya know he was able to control the guy and make the play both times. Just imagine if he was able to actually tilt in and put his inside hand down and really get off in his A gap. I bet he has day dreams about it.

This situation, of course, has an effect on the play our linebackers also because when one of our defensive tackle is pushed three or four yards off the ball because of a double team then that means our backers have a harder time seeing the action in the backfield and also recognizing their gap responsibility. It is frustrating as hell to watch time and again when our linebackers have to go lateral instead of down hill because they have to get around their own guys first. But explain to me how Sims or Hovan or Miller are supposed to hold their ground at the line when they are lined up damn near head up on the guy in front of them and there is another guy coming down hard on their backs. It would damn near defy physics for guys their size to not get moved down field.

Another effect of the two gapping with the inside guys and the defensive end on the weak side is that there is practically no penetration in offensive line and running plays are allowed to bounce outside. It happened several times on Sunday and its going to keep happening every week. In this instance we are getting the worst of both worlds. See in a real 4-3 your ends and your strong side defensive tackle would be getting upfield in the gap and making most running plays cut back. In a true 3-4 you would have stand up outside backers who could get up field and turn most running plays back. Instead we end up with a neither nor proposition and we see good backs like Williams exploit that.

We also are running blitzes that are poorly designed and haven't been successful so far this year. What is worse is the guy you would think we would usually want blitzing, Quincy Black, hardly ever even gets his number called. Instead its usually Ruud and Geno Hayes trying to find their way through the A gaps or both of them trying blitz strong. Not only that but evidently the only person who gets to blitz off the edge is Ronde Barber. Now I like Ronde and he is a helluva blitz guy but its a problem when we are in our base defense and we never show a blitz with the defensive end coming inside and Quincy Black rushing from the outside. In general what makes most blitzes work is confusing the offensive line as to who they have but the way we send our blitzes we might as well raise our hands and let them know where we are coming from.

Also pertaining specifically to the fourth quarter on Sunday we don't even have a solid plan for stopping the run when we have to get the ball back for the offense. We show 8 men in the box and yet the linebackers evidently aren't being coached to spill the play to the free hitter. That means we have Piscetelli or Jackson just sitting their waiting to blow somebody up and instead they are being wasted because nobody is turning the ball back to them. And in the process we are giving up 3 to 5 yards a pop and that's on a good play.

Oh and then how about the scheme we went to with a 3-4 look inside evidently to try to stop the run? I can't do anything but laugh at it at this point because I spent so much time already yelling and screaming about it watching the game. I will say this much, had the Panthers tried to run a quarterback sneak or two, we would have been ALL over that shit. But being as they didn't yet again our guys were set up for failure. I can't even think of a team off hand that plays a 4-3 then goes to that look to try to stop the run other than the Buccaneers. Most teams want to cover both A gaps and both B gaps in that situation but hey I guess everybody else is crazy, and we are the geniuses. Doesn't quite explain that 0-6 record though does it?

I doubt if Coach Morris would ask for or perhaps even wants my advice, but I am going to give it to him anyway. Defensive Coordinator keeps saying over and over that his scheme works, well we haven't seen any signs of that so far. Coach Morris its going to be your job on the line if things don't get any better, its time to step in and get back to Buccaneer football on defense. You don't need to switch Joe Barry to defensive coordinator but I can promise you that he remembers how we played the run her for years and can teach it if you ask him. Both you and he definitely know the Tampa 2 inside and out. And quiet as kept I know that we ran a helluva lot more Cover 3 in different permutations than Cover 2 over the last few years and you can definitely put that back in the game plan too. But what we are doing now can't get much better. Notice I said can't. Either you are going to make a change or somebody else above you is and I would much rather it be the former than the later. So try to take this advice in the spirit its given because I am pulling for your success.

But this is the NFL and we both know what that stands for. It is what it is.

Update: I swear I hadn't seen this until after I finished up this post.

"It wasn't the calls," Morris said after fielding a question about the number of run blitzes the Bucs tried during the game's last critical drive. "We just got physically overpowered there.

"How did it happen? They wore us down. Some of (changing that) is about getting a little bigger. Some of it's about getting more physical. We did play better than we did (the last time we faced Carolina). But not enough."

I am not quite sure how Coach Morris plans on our guys getting bigger during the season but at this point all I can do is shake my head.