SB Nation - Quincy Black

New York Jets Run Offense vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers Run Defense

John B — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 14:38:48 -0000

Thomas Jones should feel like he's facing the Bills.

The Bucs are brutal against the run. They give up over 160 yards on the ground each game and 4.2 each carry. They are about as bad as the Bills against the run. You may remember the Jets hanging over 500 yards in two games against them. With a backup quarterback in the lineup and the kind of power rushing attack the Jets own, you can expect to see healthy doses of Thomas Jones and Shonn Greene.

Stopping the run starts in the middle, and the defensive tackle situation tells us a lot about why Tampa Bay struggles. Chris Hovan and Ryan Sims have been two of the worst tackles in football this year. They consistently lose their matchups. Sims in particular will be New York's target as the Jets seem to have a big edge with him going against Nick Mangold and Brandon Moore. We'll see another below average run defender, Roy Miller, join the mix at the position as a rotational player. You'll see a lot of mock drafts suggesting Nebraska tackle Ndamukong Suh will end up with the Bucs. There's a reason.

At end things don't get a ton better. Stylez White is the one lineman on Tampa Bay who plays the run well, but he'll be matched up with D'Brickashaw Ferguson, who should have the edge. The Jets love running it to the right side anyway, and Damien Woody will be facing Jimmy Wilkerson, a below average run defender giving about 50 pounds.

Tampa's best linebacker against the run is Geno Hayes, undersized at 220 pounds and battling a hamstring injury. Middle linebacker Barrett Ruud has been something of a bright spot, but strong side backer Quincy Black, ironically the biggest Bucs linebacker, has played poorly.

Tampa Bay will probably load up the box, but I'm not sure how much it will help. They seem pretty overmatched up front.

New York Jets Pass Offense vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers Pass Defense

John B — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 13:00:20 -0000

by Tony Gutierrez - AP

-- FILE -- In this Nov. 22, 2007, file photo, New York Jets quarterback Kellen Clemens looks to pass during an NFL football game against the Dallas Cowboys in Irving, Texas. Clemens was considered the favorite to be the starting quarterback until the team traded up from No. 17 to No. 5 and took a player they believe is the future of the franchise. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez,file)

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The Jets do not want this game in the hands of Kellen Clemens. Part of this has to do with how well the Jets run it. Part has to do with how poorly the Bucs stop the run. As much as anything is how little faith this organization has in Clemens. The Jets wouldn't have traded for Brett Favre if they thought Clemens was ready to be their guy. They certainly wouldn't have traded up for Mark Sanchez. Last week's horrendous performance against the Bills didn't inspire much confidence.

If there's one thing I'd like to see the Jets do it's let Clemens work without a huddle. He's been in this system for four years. He knows it inside and out. If you remember back to 2007, Clemens did some of his best work in late game situations. In other spots, he seemed tentative and unsure of himself. Going no huddle speeds things up for him and doesn't give him enough time to overthink. It also limits the defense's ability to substitute and throw exotic looks at him.

In recent weeks, Tampa Bay has switched from Jim Bates' system into a Cover 2 scheme. I predict things will be a bit different this week. The Bucs will load up the box with a lot of eight and nine man fronts. They want to take away the run and force Clemens to beat them. Tampa has a quality starting corner in second year man Aqib Talib. The other starter, Ronde Barber, was formerly a top corner. At 34 his skills have diminished, and his best years are behind him. Talib should be able to hold his own against Braylon Edwards or Jerricho Cotchery. Whoever doesn't draw Talib should have an edge against Barber, and Clemens should look in that direction.

Also look for the Jets to target Dustin Keller. Think back to Mark Sanchez's midyear struggles. The Jets seemed to make Keller Sanchez's first read to make things safer. Without much faith in their quarterback, we could see a similar focus. The Bucs have some solid linebackers in coverage in Barrett Ruud and Quincy Black.

The more things change (Offense), the more they stay the same (Defense)

Niko Houllis — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 21:55:02 -0000

More photos » by Hans Deryk - AP

2 fourth quarter comebacks in as many weeks for Mr. Freeman gives Bucs fans a reason for optimism.

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Two weeks in a row now, Josh Freeman has led the Bucs from behind in the 4th quarter; this time down 22-13 in the 4th qtr behind the excellent kicking of Conor Barth, and timely interception of Quincy Black. If anything, the Bucs may have scored too early after Blacks interception when Cadillac Williams stretches into the endzone for the go-ahead touchdown.

The first sign of a problem was a 15 yard, enforced on the kickoff penalty on Kellen Winslow, but the Bucs covered the return team and kept Miami pinned deep in their end of the field. The defense once again has failed this team as they allowed the Dolphins to drive down the field in under two minutes.

While there may be no pressure to win right now, the Bucs still fought for 60 minutes and showed us some signs to be optimistic about this team's future.

If anything, the play of the game may have been the end of the 1st half atrocity perpetrated by the officials when they ruled Michael Clayton had fumbled a caught ball when replays clearly showed the ball was caught and the play was dead. This resulted in 10 Miami point the Bucs had to fight back from.

Yet the defense did show some fight, but holding MIami to 5 of 14 third down conversions was little consolation to giving up 199 yards on the ground, something the Dolphins clearly went to on the final drive.

And so the season goes on, Tampa Bay is developing an offense which just needs to show up a little earlier, and a kicker which is a position that has sorely been missed in 2009 until today. The defense however is still simply undermanned. Defensive Tackles, Ends and a few guys in the secondary are going to be needed if this thing will be turned around next season. Today, we saw a little bit of the foundation the future will be built on.

With game 5 coming up, a look at some Top 5's.....

Niko Houllis — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 19:00:19 -0000

game 5

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Some Top 5 things from our 5th game of the season, at the Linc in Philadelphia!

5 BEST PLAYERS ON THE FIELD FOR THE BUCS-

The new 2009 Cadillac Williams looks BETTER than the 2005 model!
Tanard Jackson returns to help out at safety. Is he just sticking his thumb in the dyke?
Chris Hovan is becoming a vocal leader on the defense.
Geno Hayes and Quincy Black are quickly catching up to Barrett Ruud. Linebackers are becoming best unit on the team.
Ronde Barber's body is in a state of temporal flux. His body is in his 30's, while Barber's legs are in his 20s.

5 PLAYERS STRUGGLING TO KEEP THEIR JOBS BASED ON PERFORMANCE-

Gaines Adams received a stay of execution from the govonor last week, but one quarter does not a season make. He may not get a chance this week with an injury bug.
After week one, Michael Clayton had Raheem Morris and Steve Duemig daring anyone to call and ask why the Bucs resigned him. Both signed up for unlisted numbers this week.
Kellen Winslow has 5 catches for 35 yards over the last two games. Young Quarterbacks best friend my BEEP!
Jeremy Trueblood is supposed to be part of the strongest unit on the Bucs. Instead he is becoming the weakest link with 4 false starts in 4 games. This after leading the Bucs in penalties last year.
Josh Johnson may not exactly deserve to be on this list as he only has one start for the team, but this team has already got a QB that it expects to have to deal with growing pains for. Johnson looked sharp on his first pass, but looked every bit the roll of the young first start QB afterwards. Going against the Eagles defense will not be J.J.s fault, but a very poor outing could bring Leftwich back up to 1 on the depth chart; at least until Faine returns and/or the bye week when we could see Josh Freeman. more after the jump...

5 WAYS THE BUCS CAN WIN THIS SUNDAY-

Eagles veterans get 2002 NFC Championship flashbacks and drive to the Veterans Stadium location instead of the Linc.
Matt Bryant releases the Matt Bryant Day Curse and new kicker Shane Andrus makes all his kicks.
Josh Johnson is able to find K2 and Jeremy Stevens 7-10 yards downfield consistantly.
Our fully restored 2005 Cadillac Williams is featured by Morris in the run & short passing game.
Bucs defense continues to show improvement and faith buying into Jim Bates' system.

5 REASONS TO WATCH THE ENTIRE GAME-

Your a Bucs fan, die hard, and you dont miss a single game.
Your a glutton for punishment.
You were the one screaming for J.J. to start this preseason, and here he is.
You enjoy watching the 2 guys who make the most money on the team get overpaid to not do their job.
Your part of the 10% that does NOT root for the underdog, and will scream "NO MERCY" in the 4th Quarter.

and last but not least...

5 THINGS WERE TIRED OF HEARING FROM THE FOX BROADCASTING TEAM

How the Bucs don't have Derrick Brooks on the team anymore.
The fact that fantasy football players pick every opponent vs the Bucs to win.
Our 28th or 31st rankings in either catagory.
That Monte Kiffin isnt on the team anymore. And finally...
Anything from Tony Siragusa!

Week 4 Preview: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Washington Redskins

Buc Wild — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 14:00:27 -0000

by David Duprey - AP

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We're about to hit the quarterpole of the regular season, and it's not pretty. We know the Bucs had a late four game slide last year, and couple with the first three games this year, we haven't seen a real win in our last seven regular season games. Ugh. This week, the Bucs go on their second road trip of the year to the nation's capital to face off against the Washington Redskins. The Redskins are coming off an embarrassing defeat that saw them hand the Lions their first win in 19 games. Can they hand us our first win in 7 games? Let's take a look inside at some of the key points.

I generally write this preview mid-week, before I have all of the injury data. Last week I had Kenny Phillips playing a big part in the game, and he ended up being out for the year. Just realize that this is written ahead of time.

When Washington has the ball

I don't think Washington is a world beater this year. That being said, they have the type of team that scares me when faced off against the Bucs. They have a quarterback with a strong arm who needs time to operate. They have two receviers who can stretch the field and a tight end who is equally comfortable patrolling the middle or heading downfield. Their running game has stalled a bit, but Clinton Portis can still move the ball.

Moss and Randle El might give us fits if we don't get pressure on the quarterback. They both are the small, quick receivers. They also can throw Devin Thomas or Malcolm Kelly, two big bodied receivers at us. The issue has been Campbell having time to throw, which against the Bucs, hasn't proven to be an issue.

If the Bucs double Moss or Randle El, that leaves Cooley open. He's already matched his TD total from last year, and could up it against the Bucs. He should draw Quincy Black in coverage, and Black will have to position himself well, not rely on athletic talent.

I expect against our beaten down defense to see Washington go to a balanced attack. They have to get Portis on track and after seeing how the Giantsdid with a balanced attack, look for Washington to mimic that.

I've watched Campbell for 6 years now, including college. He's an athletic guy with a big arm, but he needs time to throw. The best thing the Bucs can do to shut the Redskins down is to pressure him. Get in his face. Don't allow him to step up, make him throw on the move. At some point Bates will have to pick his poison. Either you sit back, rush 3-4 guys and let them dink and dunk down the field with the hopes you can stop them or you pressure them and trust your secondary to cover. I don't advocate blitzing every play, but i watched the Giants manhandle Campbell in Week 1 with pressure. We have to do the same.

Assuming we bring pressure, our safeties will either be asked to be part of the blitz or to single up on a receiving target. This is a huge responsibility for them, given the lapses we've seen in the past. I'd be more comfortable if Bates threw a few zone blitzes at them, as long as everyone maintains their assignment. In fact, Here's a pretty standard zone blitz. (Note: The circles aren't big enough, but they should represent the areas covered by respective players. There shouldn't be a gap between the Free Safety's zone and the two cornerback's zones. Blame it on my art skills)

It isn't exactly to scale, but here is what's going on. The two cornerbacks and the free safety are responsible for the deep thirds and thus, they drop off. The right end starts pushes on the inside shoulder of the tackle, with the defensive tackles stunting. The goal is to create confusion with two linebackers coming. The WLB should end up singled on the left tackle with the SLB hopefully coming free on the outside. The defensive end (Gaines Adams in my scenario) starts up field and then drops off to cover the underneath route. The middle linebacker slides out into the short flat vacated by the corner with the strong safety coming down into the middle.

Now, this is just one variation. The strong safety can attack the flat with the MLB staying put, you can bring corners, drop DT's etc. The goal is to make the opposing QB think blitz from the LB's but not account for the dropping DE's or DT's, who slide into passing lanes. With Campbell using Cooley as a dump off, the hopes are that you confuse him to a quick release and it's right into the hands of a sliding Ruud or dropping Hayes/Black.

When Tampa Bay has the ball

Run the ball. This is key. The Bucs have to run the ball, run it consistently and run it well to have an opportunity to win. This is the strength of the team. They need to get everyone involved. I'm not a big fan of the rotation, but you have to get each guy on the field and let them do their thing. Running the ball 10-15 times won't work. We went through that with Gruden. This is supposed to be a different team, let's see it. Being down 7-14 points early is not cause to give up. The line has to provide some lanes for the backs to get through.

With a new and young QB, the focus needs to be on easy throws to get going. Don't overwhelm him. Johnson can escape if there's pressure, but he can't be Garcia. Our line is having enough trouble blocking now, let alone when they don't know where the quarterback will be. I look for a lot of Winslow and quick passes, slants, to set Johnson up. The deep ball will be there, but let's not confuse the young man.

On a similar note, I'm somewhat confident that Johnson can run the playbook as is, but the playcalling needs to be tailored to his game. That means rollouts, sprint outs, passes and plays that utilize his talent. He can move the ball with his legs, and while we want him to throw first, a timely quarterback draw can be another issue the defense has to worry about. This isn't immobile Leftwich, let's adapt accordingly.

The Redskins should focus on shutting down the run game. You take away the legs and force Johnson to go through the air all day, it could be an issue. If Haynesworth plays (as of this writing, he is assumed to be in the game), he can cause all kinds of havoc being matched up over top of Mahan. This could be an issue all day, and it's a matchup I expect the Redskins to exploit.

A young quarterback usually favors the dump off and the tight end. With Bryant hurting, Clayton not demanding attention, and the running backs staying in to block, if I'm the Redskins, I'm taking away Winslow and Stevens. Make the young quarterback throw downfield, through outside. Don't let him use his security blankets. If the Redskins can get pressure with just a 4 man rush (something Buffalo and New York did), this will allow them to drop 7 into coverage and limit Johnson's reads.

Statistics

Bucs	Stat	Redskins
13.7	Points/Game	13.3
30.3	Points All/Game	16.3
296.3	Yards/Game	341.3
86.3	Rush Yards/Game	91.7
210	Pass Yards/Game	249.7
432.3	Yards All/Game	325.7
187.3	Rush Yards All/Game	127.7
245	Pass Yards All/Game	198
26:47	T.O.P.	27:19
-1	Turnover	-1
3	Sacks	4
2	Sacks Allowed	6

Key matchups

Albert Haynesworthagainst Offensive Line - Mahan will be matched up with Haynesworth and will need help. If Fat Albert is healthy, he will look to collapse the pocket and cause chaos from the center of the line. This could cause more plays to bounce outside and it might not be a bad idea to move JJ off a spot. As with any game, the trench battle is key.

Black vs Cooley - Campbell's favorite target will draw Black in coverage on most plays. Black showed decent coverage skills last week, but will have to be on his game to take out the security blanket

Redskins WR vs Bucs secondary - The deep ball has been our nemesis this year and when Campbell has time, Moss and Randle El can get down field. The Bucs will have to be disciplined in their coverage and finish plays. No free-lancing.

Things to watch

The biggest thing to watch is how Josh Johnson handles his first start in the early going. Instant pressure or a few bad throws could make this a long day. He needs to get the team moving right away as we have a tendency to fall behind early.

UNFNole did a good analysis of the Bucs and how they performed against the Giants. He pointed to our average 3rd down as 3rd and 7.1 yards to go. To combat that figure, the Bucs will have to make sure they are moving forward on first down. Runs for no gain, incomplete passes, sacks, penalties; these things can not be part of the first down game plan.

I'm gonna keep harping on this point until something changes. We have to get pressure. We watched pressure decimate us last week while Manning had all day to sit and throw. We need to flip the picture on this one. Pressure Campbell, make him move around, punish him. In turn we need to protect Johnson, allow him time to make his reads.

Players to watch

Josh Johnson - For reasons we all know. First start, on the road. Bring us a win.

Antwaan Randle El & Santana Moss - Pick one. Both are small, fast receivers. We can't allow them to get deep on us. When they catch it, hit them hard.

Sean Mahan - The whipping boy on the offensive line. He must make the right reads at the line and then give Johnson time. The center has to do it all and right now he isn't doing much.

Prediction

Washington is playing for their season and their head coach. Both are about to be lost. The Bucs are playing for their new quarterback and some pride. Both teams have been ridiculed and put through the public ringer. Washington lost to Detroit and returns home. Another loss and they are sitting 3-4 games behind the NFC East leaders. The Bucs need a win. The schedule doesn't have a must win. I think Johnson and the offense come up and can put up some points and I'm hoping that Bates and the defense can just hold on. I could go either way on this, but I'm taking the Bucs, for maybe the last time this year. Bucs 17 - Redskins 16

An incomplete effort, from top to bottom.

Buc Wild — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 05:00:16 -0000

It's always tough to try and remain objective when you're not only writing about your favorite team, but writing in a place where a few other folks will read it. I've done my best to remain impartial, and would like to think I'll continue to do so. This column is one of those from a disappointed fan. I've never been blindly optimistic or blatantly pessimistic instead trying to remain objective and as impartial as I can. I'm not sure how this will go over, whether it will look like whining after a loss or a quick look at some big issues with the team. Take it for what it's worth.

That being said, I was pretty fired up after the recent loss to the Bills. The Bills beat us, hats off to them. I can handle being out-manned, out-coached, out-schemed, but I can't handle sloppy play, blown assignments and undisciplined play. You all are probably sick of me using that word, undisciplined. It's not a buzz word, or one of those exciting football terms. It's something that we all have to have in our job, and it also falls in the realm of being an NFL player.

But I'm not an old timer calling out the team to play more like the olden days with leather helmets and no forward pass. A well coached, well disciplined team always shows well, win or loss. Like I said, I can handle losing, I can handle mistakes, but not when they come in bunches. And right now, I see a lot of sloppy play.

I don't even want to dive into the Dallas game. The blown assignments there have been beaten to death. We know about Sabby and his exploits, Phillips and his ability to seemingly miss every other tackle. We know about the wide pass rush that leaves open cut back lanes and room for QB scrambles.

This week should have been different. Doesn't mean a win was on the way, but I thought for sure I'd see a better coached, better prepared, better disciplined team. And there were times were the Bucs looked as such. But the bitter taste that still resides was one of amateur hour.

I lost track of how many missed tackles there were. And it started on the first play when Flip tried to blow up T.O. rather than tackle him. Sure, that tackle won't get you on Sportscenter, or on Jacked Up, but it saves yards. Fundamentals guys, geez. That lone missed tackle was a microcosm of the entire day.

I saw Flip miss more tackles, I saw Sabby take poor routes to the ball and miss tackles. I saw Barrett Ruud get faked out of his jock strap. I watched Quincy Black give a tight end the edge, the list goes on. It was a pathetic showing. I wish i could blame it on old habits, but a lot of these guys are new starters. I wish I could blame it on regime, but Gruden and Allen are quietly collecting paychecks while unemployed.

We had over 100 yards in penalties (13 for 112 yards to be exact), including 4 facemask calls. That's ridiculous. We saw Gaines Adams yet again throw his hat in the ring for a few penalties. Jeremy Trueblood decided to re-visit late last year and get a few penalties called. Illegal touching, blocks in the back, you name it, the Bucs did it. Especially aggravating.

Blown assignments. I'm happy to say no one ran free down the middle of the field, at least, not that we saw or were beat by. But we saw pass rushers go up field with no idea where the play was, we saw underneath coverage break down and we saw a few over the top plays where other options were open.

Again, getting beat isn't what I want, but I can handle it. What I can't stand to see is this lack of effort. I'm not calling anyone lazy, but to see Fred Jackson continually turn up field and blast through our guys while they had given up on the play is ridiculous. It's just not understanding the play isn't over.

I'll get off the soapbox in just a second, but want to make something clear. I have no issue with another team or player being better than the Bucs. I just don't want to see guys standing there instead of wrapping up, or flying in trying to make the highlight reel and costing us 7-9 yards. If this were a movie, there would be a big locker room scene with the coach yelling at the players, and the players getting back to basics with tackling drills with some hit song in the background.

The blame is spread equally amongst coaches, players and front office. The players have to play and finish, the coaches have to hold them accountable and the front office has to deliver the message from the top down.

Hopefully, this is the last article I have to write on this topic. Teams that turn the ball over, commit excessive penalties, and don't stick to their assignments aren't successful. Fix it now Bucs.

Grading out the Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Defense

Buc Wild — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 03:00:11 -0000

Looking back to Thursday's game, it's hard to imagine the way our defense played led to a loss. Granted, allowing 10 points is not bad, but a loss is a loss, or so I've been told. Let's take a gander at each of the units/positions on defense and how they fared.

Defensive Line

To me, this has been the biggest surprise. With a highly touted 3rd year player (Gaines Adams), some re-treads (Hovan and Sims) and Wilkerson, I don't think this group screams trouble. But after three games, they've been pretty stout against the run (though the end of the year isnt here yet) and have generated some pressure on passing downs. Adams hasn't quite made the impact I've expected, but I won't pitch a fit until the regular season comes. Wilkerson showed some nice moves and explosion on Thursday night. The big additions have been mid round picks Roy Miller and Kyle Moore. These guys not only add some depth, they have added playmaking abilities, shown in the game against the Dolphins. Chris Bradwell continues to show up. An interception and a forced fumble were generated by the DL, along with 4 sacks (only one by the first string). Grade: B

Linebackers

A mixed bag on Thursday night. Against the run they appeared to flow to the ball, and make some nice plays. Able to read and react. Against the pass, there a bit iffy. When picking up tight ends or running backs in man to man, they seem to use the trail technique, which is fine. But in zone, they appear lost. Not a good sign. Mystery man Barrett Ruud has yet to do anything in preseason. Count me as concerned. Geno Hayes has stepped up, and I'll admit, as an FSU fan, I'm happy to see him do well, but he was my pick to start all along once we let 55 go. Flip and Hayward are nice players at WLB, but I think Hayes is the right guy here. Quincy Black still hasn't showed that flash that the coaches talked about. Koutouvides and McCoy played well. The touchdown pass by Pennington was a result of too much time in the pocket and getting lost in coverage. All in all, not a bad night, but room to improve Grade: B-

Defensive Backs

If you remove Torrie Cox from the equation, the secondary played pretty well. No big plays, a sack (E.J. Biggers), and though some spotty communication, no real downfield threats. When you put Torrie Cox in, it wasn't pretty. Down the field plays, a few muggings, just not a good night. It's hard to predict how our secondary will do without T-Jack and possibly without Talib. Elbert Mack will need to step up and we will most likely have to count on Cox to some degree if Talib misses game time. If this group can maintain discipline as they did most of Thursday night, should be a decent group. And thus far, Ronde Barber has stepped up. My only question? We haven't played a team with a dominant receiver yet, will have to see how we match up there. But for Thursday night, I'll take the few big plays against Cox with everyone else showing up. Grade: B-

Overall

10 points, thats all that was given up and the touchdown came after undisciplined coverage by Cox, and Pennington playing sandlot football and hitting his tight end. Our first string gave up 3 points over one half of football, and didn't allow Miami to become any kind of threat. That's a pretty darn good performance right there. All in all, 4 sacks, a pick, a forced fumble and recovery, and 10 total points. You hold the opponent to 10 points, I'll take it every week. The defense has progressed and continued to look good in preseason. Though we had 4 sacks, one was by the first team. I'd like to see a bit more pressure generated. Grade: B

Grading out the Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Defense

Buc Wild — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 09:45:10 -0000

Continuing on with the "Grading out the Tampa Bay Buccaneers" columns, we'll take a look at the defense.

As usual, we are looking at the previous game (Bucs @ Jags) and how each unit/individual did relative to their position on the team, expectations and other factors. For example (fictitious): Gaines Adams getting 2 hurries against first string opponent is worth more to me than him getting 2.5 sacks against the 4th string JV team. When looking at a player/unit, we take into account what they did at their position. If McCown delivers a strike to a WR but the WR tips it to a defensive player and it gets picked, I'm not holding that against McCown.

To check out the grades, click the jump and read on.

Defense

Defensive Line

Gaines Adams - Perhaps it just took me calling him out in an open game day thread. Was non-existant for most of his playing time until he exploded for two pressures and an almost sack in 4 plays. When he does something other than speed rush, he can be a force. Needs to be more consistent in his play still. Grade: B-

First String - The pressure arrived in Jacksonville. After a week of stellar run play, but no pass rush, the DL added that missing caveat. Consistenly got up field, disrupted the back field on plays. Did show some fatigue, but with some good depth (which we have) may be the biggest improvement on the team from last year Grade: B

Roy Miller - No idea how he lasted to third round if he keeps this up. Was in the backfield, occupying double team (and winning occassionally), hitting runners, providing pressure. I'm pleased with the progress. Would like to see him against starters. Probably needs a bit more size to hold up for 60 minutes against double team. Grade: B

Kyle Moore - Another nice surprise. Pressured the quarterback numerous times. Moved inside and showed he could adapt to play DT or DE, which is HUGE as a defensive lineman. Could easily assume the starting spot opposite of Gaines if he keeps it up. Grade: B-

The Others - While the pressure was there, inconsistency killed this group again. Made some nice edge plays and were able to disrupt a few plays. But allowed Jacksonville to move too freely in two minute drill. Grade: C

Linebackers

Barrett Ruud - If you look at the box score you would think Ruud didn't play as he is listed nowhere, no stats, no tackles, nothing. He was in the game. This is back to back games where he has been average at best. It may be the new scheme but right now, he isn't making plays like he was last year. I don't see him as first to the ball. He did make a nice play in pass coverage on the tight end, but he has to re-emerge and fast. Grade: D+

Quincy Black - Still waiting to see that break out potential. He's around the ball alot but not making too many plays. Again, didn't show up in boxscore. Lined up at end a few times and if he can get soem coachign on some pass rush moves, he looks to be a fit there on 3rd downs. He probably ideally projects to a 3-4 system as the DE/LB hybrid. Grade: C-

Angelo Crowell - Our big defensive free agent acquisition is done for the year. Not the impact he (or we) wanted him to make. Good luck to you Mr. Crowell. Grade INC

The Others - Hayes? Phillips? Hayward? Not much of an impact. Phillips made a nice tackle on the play he got hurt, but missed one prior. Largely disappointing Grade: D

Defensive Backs

Sabby Piscitelli - Showed why coaches and fans are concerned. While he is a ball hawk, shows little discipline in coverage. Was beat 1.5 times (both long plays to Williamson). One he was beat deep, the other he overpursued. Must find a way to remain in position or will hurt us in long run. Grade: D

Tanard Jackson - I give him an A for not coming out stoned. Seriously, played alright, played longer than most starters and made some ncie open field tackles. Looked a step slow at times and missed 2 tackles that he seems to have lwarned from Flip. Grade: C

Elbert Mack - Hisnumber sshow differently, but thought he was more liability in coverage than usual. Was beat on long play to Williamson (the non-TD). Must learn on the job quickly. Grade: C

The Others - Arrington made some nice plays and showed the ability to finish plays and hang in coverage. Nice reaction and tipped pass in the end zone as it looked as if he was in zone and read the sideline pass. Grade: B-

If you take out the first play of the game, the defense played well and played pretty discipliend. The pass rush improved, the run game didn't go anywhere, and though we saw no turnovers, we did see more sacks and hurries. Unfortunately the first play did happen, and it was our starters. A leader needs to step up. Grade: C+

Game Preview (Preseason Game 2): Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-1) at Jacksonville Jaguars (0-1)

Buc Wild — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 15:00:13 -0000

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Training camp is over. The first game is under the belt. As we head into the second preseason game there is a lot at stake. Not only the learning and retention of new schemes and systems, but with Coach Morris stating that most of the depth chart (particularly the quarterback position) will be decided by the third preseason game, this is the last chance for players to put together solid film to be considered for any starting position. Both teams are trying to respond to a somewhat poor first outing and get headed in the right direction.

As the Bucs head up to Jacksonville to take on the Jaguars, let's take a look at the storylines of the game and a few things to watch for as the game progresses.

Date: Saturday, August 22, 2009

Time: Kickoff at 7:30 PM ET

Where: Jacksonville Municipal Stadium (Seating capacity of 67,164)

Where to Watch: In the Bay area, WFLA-TV - Channel 8 (Brighthouse/Verizon) or 508/608 in HD (Brighthouse/Verizon)

Where to Listen: 103.5 FM or WDAE 620 AM

Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jags are coming off a down season, mainly due to their inability to stop the run and the loss of half their offensive line to injuries. Their top two picks went towards offensive line in hopes of building some depth and re-establishing the run game and protection of the quarterback. After going 5-11 year, the Jags are looking to get back to being a top tier team in the AFC.

Offense

A new identity should be forming as Fred Taylor is gone, making way for Pocket Hercules aka MJD aka Maurice Jones-Drew. He will be asked to carry the load as "the guy". Backing him up is former 'Nole Greg Jones and Rashad Jennings. The wide receivers are a mainly unknown and young group, with the exception being free agent signing Torry Holt. Holt may not have the YAC ability anymore, but should be a solid possession guy. Running the show is David Garrard. After a stellar 2007 season that had the media praising him and Del Rio (for sticking with Garrard over Leftwich), 2008 was a return to Earth. A slightly better than 1:1 TD to pick ratio won't get it done this year. When Garrard gives way, we'll be treated to Todd Bouman. I think it's safe to say that the Jags need Garrard healthy and upright. The OL had a ton of injuries last year and has to remain healthy for the Jags to have a chance to win a few games this year.

Defense

The defensive unit has seen some slippage. First round pick Derrick Harvey remains an enigma, and Quentin Groves, starting left end may not have the size needed to play with his hand down. Their secondary does have playmakers in Rashean Mathis and Reggie Nelson, and while they have great ballhawking skills, must work on positiong and reading plays and avoiding the mental lapses that plagued them last year. You can run against the Jags, so look for the Bucs to exploit that. The Jags have been seen as a defensive stalwart in the past and look to get back after a slip in 2008. They were 17th in 2008 in total yards allowed, while ranking 24th against the pass and 13th against the run.

Previous Game

The Jaguars lost their first preseason game to the Dolphins in a shootout, 12-9. Jacksonville couldn't find the endzone, relying on 3 field goals for their scoring. While it's early, the turnovers (two picks, neither by Garrard) and penalties (11 for 98 yards) have to be a concern. This will be their second game and first home game. On a side note, will be interesting to see how full the stadium is. In fact, some Jacksonville media are already reporting a full blackout for all 10 home games this year. Yikes!

Top Story Lines - Jacksonville

The most notable is MJD taking over the starting role. While he always was a featured back, this time there is no Fred Taylor to help with the workload. Will he be able to withstand the touches given to him? Garrard looks to rebound, which will depend on how and if the O line can protect him. A lot of hype has been fed to Rashad Jennings, this will give a good glimpse into a potential back up to MJD. Who will catch the passes? Holt is here, but with leading receiver Matt Jones leaving, someone else needs to step up. On defense, can Nelson and company rebound from a down year? For other news on the Jags, head over to Big Cat Country.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

We find the Bucs stumbling into this week on the heels of a suspension and arrest. Getting back on the field should prove to be a good thing for the team. The Bucs will continue with the installation of the new schemes and look to make some progress on that front, as well as solidify the lineup. The rookies and young players know this may be the last chance they have to hit the field and show their worth. The first game really didn't show too much in terms of progress. If nothing else, it created some bigger questions and fueled the pessimism surrounding the team.

Defense

Coming off a better than expected performance against Tennessee, the defense looks to hold serve and continue shutting down the opposing team. The goal for this game should be consistency, particularly from week to week and then from first team to second team. The pressure on the quarterback has to be ramped up, no questions there. The secondary may also be cut in half, as T-Jack and Talib both appear ready to play, but Morris will need to find out what kind of depth we have at those positions as we know Jackson is out the first 4 games and it looks like Talib will miss a game or two. Look for Elbert Mack and Torrie Cox to try and step in to fill the voids left by Talib and T-Jack. I'd like to see some consistency from the linebacking corp also. Quincy Black needs to translate his camp hype to game performance.

Offense

There's just no good place to start here. The offensive line has to block someone and help out the running game. With Faine likely out, Mahan will be the guy again, and that doesn't bode well for the Bucs. Leftwich will get the start against his old team and looks to lock down the starting job. McCown will try to rebound from a pretty bad performance and Johnson and Freeman continue to look for playing time to show their worth. The first string tandem of Ward and Graham need to get going and this looks like the optimal time to do it. At wide receiver, we should have Clayton back, but beyond Stroughter, we have more questions than anything else. Brian Clark could claim the 3rd WR spot this week with a strong performance. It all starts up front, and while many say it takes half a season to learn the new zone blocking scheme, I'd just like to see progress.

Previous Game

The loss to Tennessee seems like a long time ago, but nonetheless, we're 0-1. The Bucs were able to limit the Titans on offense, but their inability to get anything going on the offensive side, coupled with an untimely pick 6 from Freeman cost the Bucs the game. The good news is, the team did show positive signs in the loss. A better than expected defense, and some flashes from all QB's minus McCown

Top Story Lines - Tampa Bay

From a team standpoint, the top story lines are can the offense get going, and will the defense continue. On a player basis, it's the Jackson and Talib story. Who will step in and how much will it hurt us? A fair amount of playing time and starting jobs are on the line as Morris has said and confirmed repeatedly that most of the depth chart will be decided before the first home preseason game. The QB battle should end on Saturday, witha winner declared in the next week. The pressure is on, who will step up?

Players To Watch

- Luke McCown - This may be his last viable chance at winning a starting job here (or anywhere else).

- Bryan Clark - Will he step up and claim the 3rd WR spot?

- Stylez G. White - Had an excellent first performance in the new scheme. Will need to continue it

- Elbert Mack and Torrie Cox - For reasons listed above, will need to show they can fill in when/as needed.

- Mario Urrutia - A late addition to the Bucs, he has a chance to show his size and speed will fit well with the Bucs.

Things to Watch For

- How will Leftwich do in his return to Jacksonville?

- The entire first string offense, but mainly the offensive line with the new scheme.

- Will Jacksonville's OL be able to contain the pass rush?

- How Talib, Jackson and the team handle the latest commotion

- Does Josh Johnson really have a chance at making the team?

- Will there be any fans in the seats for the game?

Injuries

It sounds like Michael Clayton will be able to go, but Jeff Faine may be out. Also mentioned as a possibly injury casualty is Gaines Adams. Will keep you posted on any other injury news.

Update: Dexter Jackson and Will Allen did not make the trip.

Prediction

Always tough to predict who wins these meaningless games, but I think Tampa and it's defense play well and the offense does enough to win. We'll call it Bucs 20 - Jags 17.

(Editor's note: This is preseason for the staff also. If there are other looks, pieces of info or segments you want, let me know. I figure a look at each team, their injuries, stat leaders, team stats, and stories on each side of the ball should work, but as always, I'm open to suggestions).

The Point After - Grading out the Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Defense

Buc Wild — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 14:45:08 -0000

We've graded out the offense after the first preseason game (can be seen here), now let's turn our heads to the defense. This is a unit that not only lost on field and locker room leaders, but guys that were counted on to make plays. We've taken some of the same players and shuffled the deck, moving them to a new spot on the field. We've asked some players to bulk up to fit the new scheme, and others to learn new moves to become the player they should have been. Let's see how the defense grades out.

Defensive Line

First String - When looking at an entire unit, the grading becomes more a function of the team than the players. The first string D line provided some good plays, but seemed inconsistent overall. Stylez G. White had a great game, and it only took a quarter to put the numbers up, going for 3 tackles, a sack and a pick. Overall, the line wasn't creating the pressure needed to wreak havoc and keep it at a 4 man rush. In his limited time, Gaines Adam didn't record anything statistically significant (no tackles or sacks). The run was shut down with a mob attack, but the Titans had plenty of time to throw. Grade: C

Second String and beyond- You could almost throw the same analysis in here as we did for the first string. The second string didn't register a sack, and only a very small amount of pressure. The running game wasn't able to get going, minus one long run by Javon Ringer. One of those mediocre efforts that will lose more games than they win. Grade: C

Linebackers

Jermaine Phillips - He did generate one tackle and one assisted tackle but overall, did exactly what I expected. His first game was largely an expirement. He showed the same flashes he did as a safety, and the same problems. Missed a few tackles where he was first to the ball carrier and rather than make a sure tackle appeared hell bent on blowing the play up. Result? He did neither. Will take some time to acclimate, but must prove to be a better tackler to succeed. Grade: C-

Quincy Black - I was as excited as anyone to see him play. Go check the boxscore, he didn't make it in there. Disappointing. For all the hype, all the talk, he didn't show up on paper, but played well on the field. Looked fluid in coverage and was able to get up the field in limited attempts. Need more film to study him in live action. Grade: C+ but should be INC

Rest of the First String - Really just Barrett Ruud. 1 assisted tackle. Have to credit him or Bates' for the run defense. The players were in the right position to shut it down. Excellent job in flowing to the ball as a team. Looked to be more of the same, in a good way. Grade: B

Second String and on - There were some fantastic plays, and some not so good plays. Geno Hayes was flying around, Adam Hayward made some good tackles, but there were plenty of missed opportunites. Guys getting stuck on blocks, not hanging in coverage. Was pleased with their effort against the run game. Grade: C+

Defensive Backs

Sabby Piscitelli - Good play on the interception. Didn't get beat deep. Looked to be in position, played the run well. Great start to 2009. His playmaking ability has always been discussed, but needs to maintain discipline in positioning and stay healthy. Grade: B+

Tanard Jackson - I'll admit, I didn't watch him too closely. Only big play involving T-Jack was a long completion to Bo Scaife with TJ in trail mode. Would like to see tighter coverage, but he gives up side and there are inherent difficulties with a safety on a tight end. Grade: C

Ronde Barber - Pretty darn pleased with his effort. Nice tackles in the backfield. Looked at home in coverage. Was able to read and react. Very positive step for Ronde in shutting the media up. Grade: B

Aqib Talib - Only big play his way was the Sabby INT and Talib was in good position. Will need to see some more time on field or more attempts his way. Grade: INC

Second String - The obvious blown coverage on the VY to Britt TD. Mack, for all his playmaking in camp, was so-so. Made a nice deflection, also lucked out on a pass attempt where he was late to get a hand up in the endzone. Torrie Cox was alright in coverage. An average effort from an average group of players. Grade: C

Overall

The defense as a unit played well, particularly against the run. The defense shut down the Titans after a fumble in our own territory and only surrendered 6 points in first half. Pass defense looked to be in good order, but pass rush was lacking. Was thinking about a B minus, but gave up 20 points (other 7 were from Freeman pick) and didn't allow run game to get going. Very solid first effortFinal Numbers: 17 allowed first downs, 7/15 (46%) on 3rd downs, 92 rushing yards, 186 passing yards (278 total), 2 sacks, 2 INT's. Overall Grade: B

So what do you think Buc's fans? How would you grade out the Bucs defense after their first game?