The PewterReport.com Roundtable features the opinions of the PR staff as it tackles a different Bucs topic each week.

This week’s topic: What do you want to see from Duffner’s Bucs defense?

Scott Reynolds: More Exotic Looks On D
One of my biggest gripes of Mike Smith calling the defensive plays was the lack of exotic looks. For whatever reason, the Bucs have been pretty basic in terms of their four-man fronts this year. Perhaps it’s been overconfidence in having new defensive ends Jason Pierre-Paul and Vinny Curry playing alongside six-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Gerald McCoy. Perhaps it was Smith’s lack of imagination when it came to designing blitzes. Whatever it was, the Bucs’ blitzes were predictable and easily picked up.

But when the Bucs showed an exotic look against Chicago with Curry and McCoy with their hands in the dirt – McCoy playing nose tackle – and Pierre-Paul and defensive end Carl Nassib standing up – Nassib threatening the “A” gap like a linebacker – that look confused the Bears and JPP wound up with a sack. It was the only sack the Bucs would get against the Bears and they never showed that look again in the game despite it working so well.

Smith showed a very similar look with the same personnel and a slight modification at Atlanta, and guess what happened? Pierre-Paul got another sack – the Bucs’ lone sack versus the Falcons. And Smith didn’t show it again the rest of the game for some reason. What happened to the old football adage “If it works, keep doing it until they stop you?”

I don’t know if Smith came up with that exotic look, or if defensive line coach Brentson Buckner did, but new defensive coordinator Mark Duffner needs to incorporate more exotic formations to generate pressure and become less predictable up front. Duffner should have his linebackers walk around before blitzing to keep offensive linemen guessing as to which gaps they will be shooting rather than just having Kwon Alexander stand in the A gap or Lavonte David stand in the B gap.

Statistics suggest the Bucs aren’t a very good blitzing team, but that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t keep trying because they have to apply pressure on opposing quarterbacks to help out their young and inexperienced secondary. Duffner needs to reexamine Tampa Bay’s blitzes and make them more effective, and come up with more exotic looks up front to reduce the predictability when rushing the passer.

Mark Cook: More Accountability
I am old. And grumpy. And so is Mark Duffner. We are kindred spirits perhaps. Mike Smith is old, too. Maybe he just wasn’t grumpy enough. Smith was the dad or uncle everyone loved. Always smiling. Never too critical. And would never throw a guy under the bus or call them out. Yes, I know in 2018 when you yell and scream at young folks they tend to need a safe space to go to sort out their feelings. Boo hoo. Get over it. Life is hard.

I hope Duffner coaches from the sidelines instead of the booth. I want him on the field and when a player screws up, I want to see accountability. I want them to walk to the sidelines dreading getting an earful from their coach. I want more Rod Marinelli and less Lovie Smith. I want more Herm Edwards and less Raheem Morris. I want to see a coach who will go break up a sideline dance routine in the middle of a game when they are losing by eight points. Actually, I want to see a defense who would be afraid to start dancing on the sideline, knowing their coordinator would be pissed if he saw them do something so foolish.

I am all about having fun. But the most fun a player can have is walking off the field after a win. Dance on the plane ride home. Dance on your social media story page after the game. Dance naked in your living room for all I care. But it is time for the players to be held accountable for what happens on the field. Of course I want to see a simpler scheme to help communication issues. Of course I want to see a more aggressive defense that brings pressure from all over the field. But mostly what I want to see is a team living up to the expectations and players earning their paychecks. A team that is humble, but takes pride in what they do every single play. I want to see accountability and old grumpy Duffner is the guy who I think can bring that to this defense. I hope so at least. Now, you damn kids – get off of my lawn!

Trevor Sikkema: Pairing Pressure With Press
I think both Scott and Mark are onto something with both creativity and accountability, but I’m here calling for a combination of both and then some.

The Bucs can’t get more exotic with their blitz packages if the secondary isn’t also in proper position to let the front seven get home. Enough of the soft stuff. When you blitz, play true man coverage. If the offense makes a perfect pass or a receiver is just that damn good, then tip your cap to them. But until you find that out, fight like hell to make everything as difficult as possible for them to connect, move the ball or get into a rhythm. You can’t bring six players on the blitz and then play eight yards off Julio Jones on the outside. It’s too easy. “Oh, there’s pressure? Let me immediately just toss it to the guy who is already open at the snap.”

How does that makes sense? There’s no rational pairing there. Pressure and press is like a good cheese and a fine wine.

That was my main gripe with Mike Smith as coordinator. He failed to make offenses uncomfortable on a consistent basis. Do the Bucs have the best players in the league to make it happen as often as other teams? No, especially with that young secondary. But they didn’t even try. I want to see more aggression in the secondary. If you don’t have the players, you were either going to find out now or sometime in the future. Fool’s gold can’t fool forever. And if they players can’t make it, get them out.

Enough settling.