FAB 2. DEALING WITH BEING A MARKED MAN IS THE NEXT STEP FOR SPENCE
Bucs rookie defensive end Noah Spence was named the NFC Defensive Rookie of the Month in November when he notched 11 tackles, 2.5 sacks and two forced fumbles. Considering he recorded just 22 tackles, 5.5 sacks and three forced fumbles during his entire rookie season, November was a month to remember.

December, on the other hand, was a month to forget for Spence. He recorded just five tackles in Tampa Bay’s final five games, one pass breakup, zero sacks and zero forced fumbles. So what happened to Spence down the stretch after such a successful month in November?

Bucs DE Noah Spence – Photo by: Mark Lomoglio/PR

“Well, I believe that they’re giving more resources, they’re turning the protection at times,” Bucs defensive coordinator Mike Smith said. “There are ways to slow pass rushers down and I think that the type of month that he had in November, guys were watching the tape and going, ‘Gosh, we need to put chip help’ or ‘We need to put a tight end over on that side.’ So that has happened and again, each week it’s a different dynamic, in terms of how you’re going to put together a game plan, what the match-ups are, what down and distances we’re in. We have not done a good enough job – we’ve been very good on our third down efficiency, but haven’t done a good enough job in getting teams in that third and what we like to call, the winnable ones for the defense. We’ve had challenges, in terms of the down and distances that we’ve been faced with on third down.”

While Spence has seen more action on early downs as the season progressed, he is counted on to provide the team’s pass rush on obvious passing downs as part of Tampa Bay’s nickel rush package. Spence became a victim of his own success in that team’s began to game plan to not only stop Pro Bowl defensive tackle Gerald McCoy, but also the rookie defensive end.

Spence became a marked man in December, and the next step in his NFL evolution is learning how to deal with the added attention he’s brought on himself.

“Yeah, it’s been different down the stretch,” Spence said. “I wasn’t used to that, but I’ve seen more help coming my way to slow me down. Yeah, the next step for me is learning how to beat a tight end and a tackle. I need to be more precise with my moves and learning which moves are best for me. It’s all a process.”

Spence was voted the Pepsi Rookie of the Week for his five-tackle, 1.5-sack performance in Tampa Bay’s 14-5 win over Seattle in which he also forced a fumble. That would be Spence’s best game of the year, but also the last in which he would record a sack.

EKU DE Noah Spence – Photo by: Eric Dellaratta/PR

Part of Spence’s late-season decline in numbers could be attributed to the fatigue of perhaps hitting a rookie wall. It was almost a year ago at this time that Spence was playing in the Senior Bowl in late January before prepping for the NFL Scouting Combine in February and his pro day workout in March. Throw in playing in three preseason games and 16 regular season games and that’s a lot more football than he was accustomed to at Ohio State and Eastern Kentucky.

“That’s wild when you think about it,” Spence said. “I’ve played in like 20 games over the past year. You really have to find it within yourself to play for the love of the game. You have to keep your body right. That’s the big thing I’ve learned. You’ve got to do things for your body, especially recovery. You need a lot more recovery than you need in college. In college you don’t even think about it, but here you have to do it or your body is going to ache all the time.”

Another reason for Spence’s dip in production aside from attracting more chip blocks with tight ends and backs is his injured right shoulder. Spence suffered a dislocated shoulder in the Bucs’ Week 4 loss against Denver and has been wearing a harness all season. In Tampa Bay’s 17-16 win against Carolina on Sunday, Spence separated his shoulder again in the second half, but was able to pop it back and continue playing.

“That doesn’t surprise me with the type of player that Noah Spence is,” Bucs quarterback Jameis Winston said after the game. “I think I would’ve done the same thing, honestly. We just have 60 minutes of football. The playoffs weren’t guaranteed to us. That’s the mentality that you’ve got to have as a football player, no matter the circumstances you are in. You’ve got to be willing to put your life on the line. This is a physical sport. Keep popping it back in there, Noah. Keep popping it back in there.”

Bucs DE Noah Spence – Photo by: Getty Images

It is unknown as to whether or not Spence will need offseason surgery to repair his shoulder, or if time and rest will fix it. Regardless, Spence is ready to relax for the first time in a very long time.

“I feel like I’ve been going non-stop for almost two years straight with the Senior Bowl last year and the Combine,” Spence said. “It’s going to be nice to get some rest and heal up.”

Physically, Spence needs a few months away from football to rejuvenate his battered body. But mentally, he’s ready to take the next step as soon as possible and learn how to beat double teams in order to dominate as a pass rusher in 2017.

“I know I could do a lot better, and I’m going to go all out in the offseason to try and get a lot better so I can come back next year when I know I can be something,” Spence said.