FAB 3. Duffner Making The Best Of Bucs Defense

The job of any general manager in football is to get players for the team’s coaches. In the case of former defensive coordinator Mike Smith that meant getting big defensive tackles like he had back in Jacksonville with 6-foot-6, 310-pound Marcus Stroud and 6-foot-7, 335-pound John Henderson the last time he was a coordinator in 2007.

That’s why general manager Jason Licht didn’t re-sign 6-foot-2, 290-pound Clinton McDonald after he recorded five sacks in 2016, which was second on the team behind Pro Bowler Gerald McCoy and opted for Chris Baker in free agency. At 6-foot-2, 320 pounds, Baker had the size Smith wanted, but unfortunately he was a lazy, cancerous turd in the locker room, which prompted his release this offseason.

Bucs DT Vita Vea – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Licht went out and got some more big defensive tackles to fit Smith’s scheme this offseason in 6-foot-3, 327-pound Beau Allen, 6-foot-4, 300-pound Mitch Unrein and 6-foot-4, 347-pound Vita Vea, in addition to a trio of new defensive ends in Jason Pierre-Paul, Vinny Curry and newcomer Carl Nassib, who was claimed off waivers on September 4.

Yet despite all of the talent upfront, Smith wanted to continue to use a 4-3 Over scheme that emphasized the play of the linebackers and used the defensive linemen to tie up blockers. At times it looked as if the defensive tackles were playing a two-gap scheme, as the goal wasn’t to penetrate a gap but control a guard and push the pocket. It was not the most efficient use of the team’s talent up front, but with Pro Bowl-caliber linebackers in Lavonte David and Kwon Alexander it’s not like Smith was crazy for this approach.

But the predictability of Smith’s scheme and his lack of desire to bring pressure outside of the front four while continuing to play a good deal of Quarters (Cover 4) coverage was hurting the Bucs even with both Alexander and David were healthy. The best example of that was against Chicago in which David and Alexander combined for just nine tackles on the Bears’ 57 plays. Tampa Bay had just one sack that day, which came from Pierre-Paul.

In fact, the Bucs registered just one sack in three of the team’s five games before Smith was fired following a 34-29 loss at Atlanta. Tampa Bay compiled just nine sacks in five games under Smith, an average of 1.8 sacks per game.

Since linebackers coach Mark Duffner took over as the defensive coordinator, the Bucs have amassed 20 sacks over the last six games, which is an average of 3.3 sacks per game.

Bucs’ Sacks Under Mike Smith
Saints – 1 sacks
Eagles – 3 sacks
Steelers – 3 sacks
Bears – 1 sack
Falcons – 1 sack

Bucs’ Sacks Under Mark Duffner
Browns – 5 sacks
Bengals – 2 sacks
Panthers – 2 sacks
Redskins – 3 sacks
Giants – 4 sacks
49ers – 4 sacks

Outside of the emergence of Nassib, who has 5.5 sacks in the last six games, Duffner has been more varied in his schemes, mixing in a 4-3 Under concept, playing less Quarters coverage and simply calling more blitzes. The results under Duffner have been eye-opening for Tampa Bay.

Bucs DC Mark Duffner – Photo from Buccaneers.com

In Weeks 7-12, the six games that Duffner has presided over the defense, Tampa Bay ranks second in sacks, No. 12 in total yards and No. 5 in third down defense. That’s up from No. 29 in sacks, No. 31 in total yards and No. 23 in third down defense from the five weeks that Smith was in charge of the defense.

This is what I was expecting when I called for Smith to be fired and replaced by Duffner in my SR’s Fab 5 column prior to the Bucs’ bye week, and the type of results that Koetter and Licht were hoping for when they ultimately pulled the trigger after the Falcons game.

Keep in mind that Smith had Alexander, David and free safety Justin Evans at his disposal, too. Duffner has done far more with less over the last six weeks.

He only had Alexander for one half until he tore his ACL against Cleveland. The Bucs have also been without David and Evans for the past two and a half games.

Duffner has been working with Riley Bullough, Devante Bond and Adarius Taylor at linebacker, in addition to a secondary that saw the likes of Isaiah Johnson, Ryan Smith, Javien Elliott, newcomer Josh Shaw and rookies Jordan Whitehead and Carlton Davis playing in last week’s win against San Francisco.

Duffner has already made some necessary subtle changes to the defense, as I outlined in a previous SR’s Fab 5. But because he took over midseason, Duffner is still running pages from Smith’s playbook. That’s not ideal, especially for a defense that is now flawed, as the linebackers are supposed to be the playmakers – and the Bucs have had to play without their starting linebackers recently.

Duffner’s tweaks have allowed the defensive line to make its presence felt more often, and that’s a good thing. There has been less of a two-gap style and more gap penetration. Vita Vea’s three tackles for loss and a sack last week against the 49ers are proof of that.

Bucs DC Mark Duffner – Photo by: Mary Holt/PR

I’ll admit that I’d be curious to see what Duffner could do with a healthier defense at full strength that featured Alexander, David, Evans, linebacker Kendell Beckwith and cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III next year. But before that happens, I’d like to see how Duffner and his rejuvenated defensive line and his makeshift linebacker corps and secondary handle the Panthers, which racked up 407 yards and 42 points against the Bucs in Tampa Bay’s embarrassing loss at Carolina nearly a month ago. The Panthers have lost three in a row and is in the fight for a playoff spot and possibly the NFC South crown. Duffner and Tampa Bay’s defense will be getting the best Carolina’s offense has to offer.

That rematch happens on Sunday at Raymond James Stadium where Tampa Bay’s defense is only allowing 18.4 points per game – only 16 points per game with Duffner as the defensive coordinator – as opposed to 38.6 points per game on the road.