Bucs defense working not to cross pre-snap line
Gerald McCoy has four neutral-zone penalties this season.BUCCANEERS.COM By Ira Kaufman | Tribune Staff Published: December 3, 2015 at 08:26 PMTAMPA — As usual, John Wooden had it right.The late overseer of UCLA’s college basketball dynasty authored several memorable sayings, including one that has particular relevance to an issue bedeviling the Tampa Bay Buccaneers:Be quick, but don’t hurry.The Bucs are on pace to set a franchise record for penalties, but some flags are more perplexing than others. Leading the pack are the 11 neutral-zone infractions called against Tampa Bay this season heading into Sunday’s home matchup against the Falcons.The discipline problem cropped up again in last week’s 25-12 setback at Indianapolis as Pro Bowler Gerald McCoy, fellow defensive tackle Henry Melton and defensive end Jacquies Smith were each flagged for being overeager while trying to get to 40-year-old quarterback Matt Hasselbeck with the Colts in shotgun formation.“When it happens to me, it’s about me trying to make a play,’’ defensive tackle Akeem Spence said. “At the same time, we know up front that we can’t have too many penalties. You give a team two of those penalties on one drive and that’s 10 yards ... that’s a free first down.’’That’s exactly what happened at Indianapolis.On the fourth snap of the game, with the Colts facing second-and-7, Smith was flagged before the ball was snapped. Three minutes later, McCoy was penalized on second-and-14 and Indianapolis ended up kicking a field goal to cap its opening drive.“The most frustrating part is they are pre-snap penalties,’’ Bucs defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier said Thursday. “We talk about how important it is to not give a team first-and-5. Or on third-and-5, don’t give them a first down. To see it happen again Sunday after going two weeks with one defensive penalty in each game is a little frustrating.’’Although Atlanta is mired in a four-game losing streak, Tampa Bay’s defense faces quite a challenge Sunday. The Falcons boast the league’s No. 5 offense and Atlanta rolled up 496 yards against the Bucs at the Georgia Dome a month ago in a 23-20 overtime win by Tampa Bay.“We don’t need to give this team third-and-short,’’ Frazier noted.McCoy has been flagged a team-high four times for neutral-zone infractions this year, while Smith and Melton have been penalized two times apiece, followed by one each for William Gholston, George Johnson and Tony McDaniel.“Generally, when you have (pre-snap flags), you know teams are really going to try and draw you,’’ Falcons coach Dan Quinn said. “That’s been my experience. For instance, a hitter who’s struggling with the curveball — what are you going to see? That usually happens when there are infractions, jumping offsides. Sometimes it can be a unit problem, and sometimes it can be an individual problem.”Finding a solution can be difficult.“Atlanta’s quarterback, Matt Ryan, is a great hard-counter, so we have to have our antennas up and be alert on Sunday,’’ Spence said. “Still, we want to be vicious and violent getting off the ball. Those penalties are very frustrating, but they’re not going to stop us. We still want to attack upfield and wreak havoc. Let’s just be smart about it.’’On the other side of the ball, offenses can turn those penalties into yellow caution flags.“It helps a lot when you get a defense to jump a couple of times,’’ Bucs center Joe Hawley said. “You can get them to play tentatively and use the snap count to your advantage. Those penalties get you five free yards, but even more importantly, they can get defensive linemen to think more and slow down their ability to get off the ball.’’[email protected]Twitter: @IKaufmanTBO