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Stick a fork in them: 2012 Tampa Bay BuccaneersBy Marc Sessler
Around the League Writer
Published: Dec. 12, 2012 at 03:00 p.m.It pains me to do this. I take no pleasure in lifting the fork and sinking it deep into heart of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Greg Schiano's team is young, still learning, with a bright future ahead. There's no fun in this task, but it must be done.
Around the League will stick a fork in teams believed to have no chance to make the playoffs. If we're wrong, we'll give a sizable check to charity and be publicly shamed. A vast majority of the teams we've forked are riddled with issues, wandering lost and plagued by questions of what comes next. The Bucs don't fall into that realm. Had a handful of plays gone differently -- bitter moments reversed -- Tampa would be the talk of the league. There's talent here, but the fork is a mysterious entity. Cruel and unloving -- and here to take away the Bucs.
What went wrongTampa Bay's 2011 campaign ended with 10 straight losses, including seven defeats in which the Bucs allowed 30 or more points. Last year's defense imploded entirely. The 2012 version was a feistier beast, but Tampa's pass defense cost this team victories. The Bucs rank dead last against the pass and opposing quarterbacks sport a 92.4 passer rating against this defense. The Bucs have allowed an NFL-worst 4,051 yards through the air. No other team is close. Losing cornerback Eric Wright to injury and a four-game suspension served as the knockout punch for a secondary already paper thin following the trade of Aqib Talib. Mystery men like E.J. Biggers and Leonard Johnson were asked to step in and slow down the likes of Matt Ryan and Peyton Manning. They had enough trouble as it is against Nick Foles on Sunday. Schiano's decision to ship Talib to the New England Patriots was a bold move that sent a message to his players, but removing a potential top-five cornerback off the roster was a loss the Bucs never recovered from. Tampa has allowed almost 26 points per game since November. The defense shows no ability (or desire) to play press coverage, even in situations screaming for more aggressive scheming. The talented young offense can't keep up.
Sunday's painful loss to the Philadelphia Eagles was telling. Tampa was in a fight for their playoff lives, but the secondary crumbled against a rookie quarterback. Foles torched the Bucs for 381 yards and two touchdowns. Tampa had an 11-point lead with a little over seven minutes on the clock and couldn't hold down the fort. Fixing this secondary is top priority.
What went rightNow to the happy part.
Tampa's offense was a joy to witness. The concerns about Josh Freeman after last year's down campaign have diminished. The young passer bloomed this season into a more decisive and instinctive quarterback.
The rebuilding of this offense started long before the season with the free-agent additions of receiver Vincent Jackson and Pro Bowl guard Carl Nicks. Jackson flipped the switch on the passing game, giving Freeman confidence to wing the ball deep -- and it worked. Freeman has been held to under 200 yards just three times all season and only once since Week 3. His 25 touchdowns to eight interceptions don't even begin to tell the tale of how explosive Freeman was compared to a season ago. He had seven games this year where he didn't turn the ball over through the air.
On the ground, Nicks brought veteran presence to an offensive line composed of mainly undrafted free agents. That's no knock on the bunch, because Tampa's line has been sensational at stretches and helped give birth to the wonder of Doug Martin. The rookie back was a revelation. Tampa opened the season with questions of how Martin would jive with LeGarrette Blount. Chatter of a committee backfield gave way to the truth: Martin is not only a foundation back in this offense, he shows the potential to become a very special player. His downhill, bruising style masks his speed -- and he's valuable in the passing game, too. Schiano has found his man.
Let's give a head nod to Ronde Barber. We can't stand Tampa's secondary, but the 37-year-old defensive back continues to play with fire from within. Meanwhile, rookie safety Mark Barron shows great promise.Tampa's ugly pass defense obscured a run defense that went from 32nd in the league in 2011 to No. 1 in 2012. That has a lot to do with coaching and a young front seven that continues to jell.
What still mattersBrass tacks: The Bucs can still finish 9-7 (and make pure fools of the fork committee), but remaining games against the New Orleans Saints, St. Louis Rams and Atlanta Falcons pose problems for a team that can't stop the pass. Tampa can be proud of what has been accomplished under Schiano in Year One, but we're calling Sunday's loss to the Eagles the end of the road.
What changes are comingSchiano has just begun tweaking this roster. He inherited a broken team; undisciplined and unprepared for NFL competition. Many wondered if Schiano could adjust to the pro game, but he's done an excellent job. We expect a heavy push to upgrade the secondary and fortify the offensive line, which ultimately suffered too many injuries this season, but the sweeping changes are over. That was last year. These young Bucs will work to shore up weaknesses and weed out the players Schiano doesn't believe in. There's accountability now in Tampa -- and a light up ahead.
