Hopefully the Bucs score more than enough points to offset Brock Bowers running free in the Bucs secondary.
I would consider manning McCollum up on him all day. He's a legit thoroughbred.
Winfield shadow all game. McCollum om Jakobi.
The rest of their weapons are dog shit. This is a game where the blitz can work well imo
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I'd have Dean on Jacoby and McCollum on Bowers. Winfield would be with Mayer or helping the other two if Mayer isn't on the field.
They run a lot of 12 personnel, so the Tight Ends are going to be an issue.
Another team that took KC to the wire this week. Either KC is worse than everyone believes (hard to believe with their record), or some teams are getting better (or a combination of both).
Aidan led Raduhs looking pretty Maxxed out…
Another team that took KC to the wire this week. Either the KC is not that great, or teams sone teams are getting better (or a combination of both).
Aidan led Raduhs looking pretty Maxxed out…
Kc's defense hasn't been as good as they were last season, or even earlier this season. They aren't generating much pressure with their front-4, though the return of Omenihu should help some, they can't cover TEs, but that's been an issue for a couple seasons now, and the secondary has struggled without L. Sneed. So, they're giving up more points, about 4 more, iirc. On the other side of the ball, the OL, in particular the OTs and Trey Smith have not been good in 2024. Correction, they've been pretty bad, Wayna Morris in particular, but Taylor hasn't been much better, and his issues have made Trey Smith look worse than he actually is.
If the LT situation weren't so bad, the Chiefs' offense would look better. Incrementally, but it would be more efficient and score about 3-4 more points/game.
As it is, Mahomes has been getting pressured right off the snap on many occasions, which no QB will look good when the edge rushers are coming completely unblocked multiple times in a game, or he's been scrambling just 2 seconds after the snap, so his receivers haven't had any time to get into their routes most of the time. All of that has led to poor decisions by Mahomes, or indecision by Mahomes. The other issue with Mahomes is that he's fallen back into some bad habits with his footwork/throwing mechanics, probably in part because of his protection issues, but he's always had those kinds of issues at points every season, so that's not just the protection or lack thereof.
So yeah, KC isn't nearly as dominant as their record suggests right now. They've gotten by mostly on great preparation and coaching, several good teams being injured at key positions when they met, a few solid drives by Pat and the offense to end some games, opposing teams crapping their pants at crucial moments, and a lot of plain luck.
But they'll have to execute at a much higher level in the playoffs on both sides of the ball, or they will be one-and-done in the post-season. The hope in KC is that DJ Humphries will just perform better than either Morris or Suamataia could. Nobody expects him to be his former Pro-Bowl self, but a significant step up from either of those two, plus the return of both Pacheco and Brown in a few weeks could be enough to turn things around.
Interesting.
Carolina and Las Vegas attacked KC in different ways, and like the Bucs, came really close.
This offense, somewhat hobbled now, has helped this defense by robbing the other team of plays - the run game & the short fast passes. We can get the chunk plays with the run this season, or when needed with the passing game. Everyone is hiding something, the better coaches disguise their weaknesses for more wins.
We know it’s the time of the season when all teams are missing key game changers - some have more on one side of the ball or the other. It’s a game within the game that keeps us fascinated. The good OC’s/DC’s use that to leverage their strengths to exploit the opponents weaknesses.
Las Vegas didn’t have anything to lose, and they played to their strengths, but Aidan getting back in seems to have helped him surprise KC’s defense. Maybe it’s because KC didn’t have a lot of tape on Aidan O’Connel, or maybe they stripped the game down and he figured some things?
I think Las Vegas isn’t going to be a pushover - and they have begun to figure out some things - but I think we win because we can chew up clock and keep Bowers off the field with longer offensive drives. I think we can win because we have the ability to run the ball - and hit the quick outs…but Maxx will make it interesting
but I think we win because we can chew up clock
the modern old school way
How bad are things?
bringing back Neal
Earlier in the day, the Buccaneers signed free agent safety Kaevon Merriweather.
The Bucs also are signing free agent safety Ryan Neal their practice squad, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
Hopefully the Bucs score more than enough points to offset Brock Bowers running free in the Bucs secondary.
I would consider manning McCollum up on him all day. He's a legit thoroughbred.
Winfield shadow all game. McCollum om Jakobi.
The rest of their weapons are dog shit. This is a game where the blitz can work well imo
.
I'd have Dean on Jacoby and McCollum on Bowers. Winfield would be with Mayer or helping the other two if Mayer isn't on the field.
They run a lot of 12 personnel, so the Tight Ends are going to be an issue.
Michael Mayer is a non factor... Which means he's going for 50 yards and a TD
Josh Q is a Bowles Apologist
"Mike Edwards is just the latest in a long line of injuries to the Bucs secondary. Here is a list of players and how many games they have missed.
- FS Antoine Winfield Jr. – four games (foot)
- SS Jordan Whitehead – one game and counting – currently on injured reserve (pectoral)
- NCB Tykee Smith – four games and counting (concussion, knee)
- CB Jamel Dean – four games (hamstring)
- S Mike Edwards – will miss next game (hamstring)
- DB Christian Izien – one game (elbow)
- CB Bryce Hall – 11 games and counting – out for season on injured reserve (broken leg)
That’s a collective 25 games and counting. The Bucs had tried to build depth in the secondary this offseason. They drafted Tykee Smith in the third round and signed Jordan Whitehead and Bryce Hall in free agency. Still nothing could prepare them for this."
This is from an article where he suggests that safety RYAN NEAL. -- yeah, THAT Ryan Neal -- can improve the Bucs LINEBACKER group:
"Neal has been a historically solid tackler, with a career missed tackle rate of 11.7%. And while he struggled as a deep safety last year, he most likely has more athleticism and movement skills than any of the young linebackers the Bucs have trotted out this season since they lost SirVocea Dennis in week four.
And that is something Tampa Bay is in sore need of. As a dime overhang player, he could be an upgrade over a group of unathletic linebackers who look like they are stuck in the mud as 34-year-old Adam Thielen runs by them.
Tampa Bay has been trying to get to dime looks on long and late downs for weeks now. But injuries have continually thwarted the best laid plans of mice and men. Neal provides them with an unlikely opportunity to once again try to get to that personnel grouping if they so choose."
Which is the smoking gun proof that Bowles above all else wants players who know the system and doesn't want to try to bring in fresh blood. I mean Ryan Neal was a huge bust. He was getting beaten badly time after time. We couldn't wait to put him on the first bus out of town. Now rather than scouring the other team's practice squads we bring back Neal. Doesn't matter how washed up he is. You can't tell me there weren't any better options out there even if they had to learn a new system on the fly. If we put Neal back in there and he starts getting roasted again that will just be the cherry on top for the argument for firing Bowles.How bad are things?
bringing back Neal
Earlier in the day, the Buccaneers signed free agent safety Kaevon Merriweather.
The Bucs also are signing free agent safety Ryan Neal the practice squad, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
Which is the smoking gun proof that Bowles above all else wants players who know the system and doesn't want to try to bring in fresh blood
Yes and having a defense that is that limited is not a good thing, especially in a period of time where the team seems to be putting the brakes on free agents. Its setting the defense up for precisely this kind of injury-related failure and doing so when it wasn't exactly setting the world on fire in 2023 to begin with.
The Bucs have trapped themselves a bit here
Winfield injury is 100% on Bowles tho.
Dean is made of glass so no surprise there.
The rest are bad luck.
Could be a self-inflicted trap, or the point.Which is the smoking gun proof that Bowles above all else wants players who know the system and doesn't want to try to bring in fresh blood
Yes and having a defense that is that limited is not a good thing, especially in a period of time where the team seems to be putting the brakes on free agents. Its setting the defense up for precisely this kind of injury-related failure and doing so when it wasn't exactly setting the world on fire in 2023 to begin with.
The Bucs have trapped themselves a bit here
looks like many in the NFCS are either kicking can down the road (Saints), or spending like drunken sailors (Atlanta), this will cause the can-kickers to blow it up & start over, and the drunken sailors to limit spending next season.
I’ve felt from the start of the season that we would push forward with what we have - with sites set on 2025. Just speculation, but it seems to be playing out that way.
Cap is the bigger long-term play, and we had a big debt to pay down. Because we started it earlier than our NFCS rivals, staying disciplined could position us pretty well going forward.
Again, it’s just speculation.
Back to the point of the OP: we’re going to need WR/TE - but yeah, I don’t think we’re going to have a choice but to go with a defense-heavy draft…and some selective FA spending.
One of the strangest things we all saw multiple times during this game was Kancey standing up behind the D-line. I get that this is for the Bowles blitzing scheme that makes it difficult for the other teams O-line to identify blitzers, but its also robbing Kancey of his #1 disruptive tool, which is his insane get off at the snap. Bowles should use someone else for that role.
I would have to look but I think all of Kancey's sacks come from him winning from a stance like this
https://www.nfl.com/videos/calijah-kancey-wraps-up-bryce-young-for-9-yard-sack
The reason why he has Kancey standing up is because he doesn't want the QB to instantly go over the middle as Kancey is a potential zone dropping threat. But it would work better with a player like Diaby kicking inside on Nascar packages.
Back to the point of the OP: we’re going to need WR/TE - but yeah, I don’t think we’re going to have a choice but to go with a defense-heavy draft…and some selective FA spending.
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It depends on many factors like the coaching situation and how much the salary cap increases. I think the Bucs keep drafting defense and use cap space for offense which is what you see a lot of other NFL teams doing now.
