…and what could have been.
Week 3 At Vikings
1) 3RD & 7 AT TB 38 |01:42
(1:42) (Shotgun) J.Winston pass incomplete short left to A.Humphries.
and
3RD & GOAL AT TB 4 |10:35
(10:35) (Shotgun) C.Keenum pass incomplete short left to A.Thielen. PENALTY on TB-T.Ward, Defensive Holding, 2 yards, enforced at TB 4 – No Play. Penalty on TB-R.Russell, Defensive Offside, declined.
The first play was a bad Defensive Holding on a Smash route where Hump had beaten Man coverage from the Slot and had a big catch and run coming. However, the defender reaches out and grabs him on the pivot to prevent the coverage from being lost and this ends up turning a big potential big play into a 3 and out.
A much less egregious case of DH happens around the goal-line when we’re on D (Ward just puts his rear hand on the guys waist while tracking him…not grabbing, holding, and completely stalling a pivot route that he’s about to get dusted on) and we’re called for Defensive Holding. Instead of them getting 3, they get a new set of downs and they get 7.
2) 1ST & 10 AT MIN 34 |04:02
(4:02) (No Huddle) J.Winston pass deep middle intended for D.Jackson INTERCEPTED by T.Waynes at MIN -2. T.Waynes pushed ob at MIN 16 for 18 yards (A.Humphries). PENALTY on MIN-X.Rhodes, Taunting, 8 yards, enforced at MIN 16.
The defense has had 2 stops and given up 2 TDs.
Our offense opened with a good drive and a FG and then proceeded to go 4 and out and 3 and out.
Now, we’ve driven to scoring range and are about to score to make it 14-10. Wide open Post route to DJax is thrown late and underthrown by JW. A trivial pitch-and catch TD turns into a devastating 14 point swing as they get the pick, drive down and score.
3) 1ST & 10 AT MIN 23 |02:45
(2:45) C.Keenum pass deep middle to S.Diggs to TB 30 for 47 yards (R.Smith).
Alright, so we don’t get that easy TD on the DJax Post and they get a pick instead. However, we have to hold here and make a play to get the momentum back.
We’re in C3Z and Ward is deep middle here. Despite a big pass (both a Pressure and a big Hit on the QB), we have blown coverage in the secondary. Ward is, for some unknown reason, leaking over to the far hash instead of playing deep middle, maintaining the integrity of that zone, and being aware of potential threats to it. Smith’s WR under him runs a Post. Yes, Smith gets beat, but this Post should have easily been broken up by a deep middle Safety in C3Z who is doing their job (especially due to the pass rush by McDonald). Its Ward’s play. It isn’t close to being made.
Momentum death spiral, another 7 shortly thereafter, game/set/match (followed by a further Jameis implosion).
