Buccaneers defensive tackle Gerald McCoy is frustrated with the team’s pass rush – or lack thereof – and has every reason to be.

Not only does Tampa Bay rank last in the NFL in terms of sacks with seven in six games, the Bucs are causing their own problems by stunting too much and not doing enough up-field rushing. The Bucs recorded one sack last week in Tampa Bay’s 30-28 loss at Buffalo, which was when defensive end Robert Ayers beat a tight end to get to quarterback Tyrod Taylor.

Bucs DT Gerald McCoy – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

“I don’t know if I can pinpoint it, I’d really have to break some things down and go into some things I would rather not go to,” McCoy said.

McCoy doesn’t have to. As I pointed out in my SR’s Fab 5 column, those stunts aren’t working because of the poor design of the scheme and the poor spacing that accompanies it.

The Bucs run a lot of “games” or “twists,” which is when two defensive linemen cross with the first lineman penetrating one way and the other lineman looping around behind the other to try to create some misdirection and open up some pass rushing lanes.

“I think we can do less games and less twisting and more straight rush,” McCoy said. “Regardless of what it is, we have to get him (the quarterback) on the ground. We’re getting to the QB, but we need to get him on the ground. That’s the big thing. It doesn’t matter how many times you hit him. I’m hitting the quarterback constantly, but we need to get him on the ground.”

McCoy, whose two sacks are tied with fellow defensive tackle Clinton McDonald for the team lead, is right. They are poorly executing the stunts, as legendary Hall of Fame Bucs defensive tackle Warren Sapp pointed out in the aforementioned SR’s Fab 5 column, often running into each other and creating running lanes and throwing windows for opposing quarterbacks.

McCoy expressed some dissatisfaction with his usage in the team’s 3-3-5 scheme on third downs last week in Buffalo when the coaching staff wanted to keep linebacker Kendell Beckwith on the field against the Bills because of the injury to defensive end Ryan Russell, who rushes in nickel pass rush situations.

McCoy played the three technique and nose tackle in the 3-3-5, and in the play below, you’ll see him waste time running laterally in the scheme of defensive coordinator Mike Smith and defensive line coach Jay Hayes rather than get up the field and penetrate. McCoy starts in the left “A” gap, crosses the center’s face, goes past the right “A” gap and then attacks the right “B” gap. By the time that happens, he’s double-teamed by the center and the left guard and rendered ineffective.

“Three-man?” McCoy said. “I just play what they call. I’m not going to answer that. I just play what they call. I don’t have no say so in what we run. I’m a team guy and I do what they ask me to do. Do I feel like I could have been more effective in a different way? Yes, but I’m a team guy. It’s not about Gerald. Whatever coach calls is what I’m going to run.”

McCoy talked about his role as a defensive tackle in he 3-3-5 and isn’t necessarily happy with it.

“Your rush has to be different for sure,” McCoy said. “You can be aggressive, but not as aggressive because when you have a guy that can run like Tyrod could or Cam can, you have to make sure you keep your hands out in front of you. You really kind of just mirror the quarterback. For me, I make guys move. That’s why I give guards so much hell. Once I get them in space it’s a problem for them. But when we are in a three-man front I can’t really do that.”

Head coach Dirk Koetter wasn’t happy with the play of Tampa Bay’s 3-3-5 scheme or the third down defense in general.

“Our third-down execution in general was not good enough,” Koetter said.  “The goal with that is we were a little short on D-lineman and we were a little bit long on linebackers [so we were] just trying to get those three linebackers on the field at the same time. … No, it didn’t work well in this game, but alignments don’t win or lose games.”

McCoy said he’ll continue to be a good soldier and run whatever scheme or game Smith and Hayes want him to run.

“We’re just trying to figure out a way to win,” McCoy said. “I don’t think any coach is here to put clamps on anybody. That’s why I said it’s not about me. It’s about the team. The ultimate goal is to win. If the coaches feel like that’s the best way to win, then I’m going to go with it. I don’t game plan. I just play what the coaches call.”

But with seven sacks in six games, the 3-3-5 scheme and all the twists and stunts ain’t working.

It’s time to listen to the five-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle and let McCoy do what he does best – penetrate straight up-field, exploit one-on-ones and wreck havoc.