Bucs Analysis

Well, I think this game will come down to the Bucs Offense vs our Defense. Specifically, do we need to drop aS into the box to handle their run game. It's not JUST whether we can stop them, but how many defenders do we need in the box. This is very important because we can mitigate a lot of potential damage from their 2 WR's if we can keep 2 players deep to help out if one or both runs a deep route. Expect this to happen on 1st and 10 with a playaction pass with us less likely to blitz and them very likely to go max protect.

So we'll see if the Titans can control the run with 2 S's deep. If not, we need to mix up coverages and bring out the best in LeBeau's zone blitz scheme so we can cover with 7 while bringing 4 from different angles, sides, and looks.

I watched a game and a half of the Bucs in preseason though I don't remember which games they were. Everyone has mentioned Donovan Smith at LT but he didn't look bad. On the other hand, Marpet was getting totally abused!!! I would line Casey up on him all day on passing downs (4 man front) and rush Orakpo from the other side. Let them pick their poison as to which side they slide the line. Course, if we occasionally keep Casey and Orakpo on the same side, we can drop Rak into coverage and bring 3 people from the other side knowing they will slide the line the wrong way so all 3 players will at best be 1v1.

Winston has looked pretty good (minus his first game) when given time. When you get him pressured he has rattled surprisingly easily. The key will be getting pressure up the middle (Casey vs Marpet) and early in the game. He folds quickly and makes his worst INT throws this way.

The funny thing is, Winston needs to find the weakness in the D/coverage and go for broke to exploit it (which gets him into trouble...starts staring downs WR's and predetermines who hes throwing it to) while Mariota will need to be patient and take what Lovie's Tampa 2 gives him. We should be able to exploit the middle of the field either deep over the Tamp MLB (getting stuck on PA) or underneath him if he drops deep.

Mariota really needs to be careful they don't bait him into a trap coverage and a pick 6. With a cover 2, he'll expect the CB to stay flat, but if they invert the S and CB on one side (Sky), then he'll start seeing the CB bail out and go deep and hit the flat WR before the S can get there. Asante Samuel in NE got a million INT's doing this. Samuel would either follow the WR for a few steps so the QB thought he was in man coverage and try and hit the outbreaking WR whom Samuel broke in front of since he understood the route combo. Other way to do this is to cover the short flat defender knowing they will try and run a medium outbreaking route behind you. If the QB doesn't have a big arm and you anticipate this, can be an INT waiting to happen as the CB can drift back when the QB's looks towards the slot WR.

 

Your DC will be the key... Pressure Winston, and it will be Pick city. If Lebeau confuses Winston enough, stick a fork in us.

 

When confronted with this, Mariota handled it pretty well in college, and if Whis calls plays correctly he'll neutralize a CB that does that, with roll-outs and run threats.
Mariota has been great at making that run threat to bait the CB back up to the LOS and then throwing over his head. The corner is forced to make a choice between defending the run or the pass. And MM's release is quick enough to make the CB pay when he catches him leaning the wrong way.
The key is maintaining some protection from a spy LBer, like they didn't do against KC when Houston came in and blew up the play.

I'm sure Whis is smart enough to know that Mariota's legs can keep one defender occupied all game just spying his running ability, and turn it into an 11 on 10 game.

 

Bigger doesn't mean better against the run lmao

 

In our case it does

also, shut up

you believe 5'10" is even with 6'6"

 

Rethink those 2. They have an established running back who is in good form. We don't know who our lead running back will even be because they're all doing so terrible. They have a front 7 that includes Gerald McCoy and Lavonte David.

 

Bigger better than small? Bell better than levitre!! Things looking up!!

 

Who is their established running back? Doug Martin?

You do realize that Doug Martin hasn't cracked 500 yards in the last 2 years, right? In the last 2 years he has average 3.6 and 3.7 yards per carry. He has only scored 3 TDs in the last 2 years lol.

Hell, Bishop Sankey (who is terrible according to you) out rushed Doug Martin last year ... Doug martin had a good rookie year, and has been trash since then, hardly an 'established' running back


And Its not just a matter of who has the better front 7 ... football is all about matchups. Its about who's front 7 has the better matchup. Watching them in the preseason, their OL looked pretty horrible (yeah I know its only preseason, but in week 1 thats all we have to go off of).

I think our front 7 will fare better against their OL than their front 7 will fare against our OL.