Boom! Starters Are Back P2

The Bucs are inching nearer to the common season. After a protracted and grueling low season, the crew is on the precipice of actual soccer once more. And so Bucs head coach Todd Bowles determined to provide his starters a tune-up earlier than dwell bullets get fired. We already profiled the Bucs starting offense earlier this week.

Right this moment we’re going to take a look at the Bucs protection. Bowles left his defensive starters out for 2 drives in Indy which encompassed eight performs. We’ll check out these eight performs and see how the unit carried out and had been there any wrinkles in scheme we are able to glean from this efficiency. So, with out additional ado let’s bounce into it.

First-and-10, IND 25

The Bucs begin off in a well-known Bowles look with a single-high security. Put up-snap they rotate into Cowl 2 with a four-man rush the place security Mike Edwards comes off the sting from the left. On the other facet of the road outdoors linebacker Shaq Barrett drops into protection. Colts quarterback Matt Ryan is pressured to make a fast check-down throw to the working again because of the virtually instant strain he receives from the Bucs cross rush.

Anthony Nelson and Akiem Hicks are each capable of push again deep into the pocket and make Ryan uncomfortable. From there cornerback Carlton Davis III is ready to pinch down on the working again shortly after the catch for a minimal acquire.

Second-and-6, IND 29

Right here Hicks lined up within the “A” hole because the nostril sort out. The protection seems to be a two-high shell with man protection beneath. Hicks supplies a stellar cross rush, splitting a double crew with a powerful shoulder punch to the fitting guard and getting after Ryan. Sadly, Ryan navigates the pocket effectively and sees a chance to choose up a sizeable acquire with a lot of the protection having their backs to him in man protection.

General, it is a robust play from a protection standpoint. No receiver is ready to separate rapidly, and Ryan is pressured to make use of his legs. As a protection you’ll name {that a} win. The cross rush loses containment, permitting for the scramble. You may see Nelson acknowledge the lane and attempt to modify. He simply can’t get there in time.

First-and-10, IND 40

On this play the Bucs present single-high pre-snap. The Colts are arrange in 12 personnel (one working again and two tight ends). Moreover, they’ve their receivers in tight to the road of scrimmage. This enables the Bucs to get eight males within the field. Regardless of this the Colts nonetheless technically have the numbers benefit.

Off the snap you see Hicks instantly get penetration on the play facet of the run. His capacity to penetrate the entrance permits him to hunt the working again. The working again sees the short win and tries to bend the run again to the left. However what he doesn’t see is Edwards blitzing off that facet and able to make the defensive cease.

Hicks was all over in his restricted motion on Saturday night time. In eight snaps, he had a strain, a rush, and was the direct reason for two completely different run stops. He was penetrating and disruptive. He was everything the Bucs wanted from their defensive line this year. And his Pro Football Focus grade backed that efficiency up with an 89.9 general score.

Second-and-10, IND 40

Would you take a look at that?! The Bucs cross rush exhibits up once more. There’s a good likelihood that is going to be a theme for the 12 months if Hicks and Vea can keep wholesome. The Bucs present a single-high look once more and find yourself bringing a four-man rush. However whereas they solely rush 4, it seems to be like a blitz. That is simulated strain the place the Bucs protection drop conventional cross rushers into protection and rush different gamers. It usually occasions creates overloaded cross rushes from one facet of the pocket.

Lavonte David is the additional rusher as he shadows Hicks initially, earlier than looping inside round Hicks. In the meantime Barrett drops into protection from the fitting edge. Hicks’ explosive get-off and rush path power the middle and proper guard to interact him. This supplies the hole for David to loop into and thru to get to Ryan. Once more, you possibly can see Hicks being a disruptive power that’s serving to elevate the play of these round him. From that angle it’s a bit of powerful to see, so let’s have a look from the top zone angle.

Right here you will get a greater take a look at that simulated strain. With Barrett dropping, defensive finish Will Gholston is ready to successfully occupy each the left guard and sort out. He is ready to get each to set huge, serving to to create the outlet that David is ready to finally get via. This look created double groups for Hicks and Gholston, whereas leaving outdoors linebacker Anthony Nelson in a one-on-one with David coming free for the sack.

Third-and-17, IND 33

With third-and-forever upon them the Colts elect to strive a large receiver display screen to choose some discipline place again up. They lineup with a three-receiver bunch to Ryan’s left. The Bucs counter with solely slot defender Antoine Winfield, Jr. close to the road dealing with them. Because the display screen is thrown, the Colts attempt to create a tunnel display screen that enables the receiver to maneuver up discipline again in the direction of the within.

However Barrett makes a terrific learn on the play. He instantly notices the left sort out transfer previous him and reacts to the display screen by leaping into pursuit. He is ready to make an athletic diving sort out from behind to restrict the acquire to eight yards. Further kudos are warranted for each deep safeties on this play. Each Edwards and Nolan Turner learn and react effectively to this display screen, crashing all the way down to cease the play effectively in need of the primary down. This ends the Colts drive effectively out of scoring vary.

First-and-10, IND 44

On the primary play of the second drive the Colts try and run a easy working again dive to the robust facet of their alignment. The Bucs protection isn’t having it. Vita Vea winds up one-on-one with the left sort out and simply manhandles him to the facet. As soon as he throws the sort out into subsequent week he calmly shuts down the working again for a 2-yard acquire. Shaq Barrett assists on the play after executing a double-hand swipe and slipping across the tight ends block try. Nice rep by each gamers.

Second-and-8, IND 46

On second down, the Colts come out in shotgun with a double wing look out of 12 personnel. It seems to be like Ryan’s preliminary learn is the receiver on his left working a dig route. However Ryan can’t anticipate the path to develop. Why? as a result of the Bucs run a T/T stunt on the within.

Hicks comes crashing down from Ryan’s proper to left. He places the middle on curler skates and pushes him again into Ryan’s grill. This forces the Colts quarterback to go together with a scorching learn to his again within the flat. A barely inaccurate throw forces the again to attempt to readjust his whole physique to make the catch. He’s unable to take action and ball falls harmlessly to the bottom for an incompletion.

Third-and-8, IND 46

Bowles likes to blitz. And he particularly likes to do it on third-and-long. And with the Colts dealing with third-and-long, Bowles didn’t break from his character. On this play he brings a zone blitz as he dropped Nelson right into a hook zone on the left whereas he blitzed two defensive backs from the fitting within the type of Edwards and Sean Murphy-Bunting.

The consequence was an overload on Ryan’s blind facet that pressured him out of the pocket virtually instantly. With Vea in good pursuit forward of him Ryan didn’t have an inexpensive choice to run on this play. As an alternative, he needed to proceed to scramble to the sideline whereas hoping certainly one of his receivers might come open. Finally he decides to dump a cross off too his tight finish Mo Alie-Cox within the flat. Whereas the cross wasn’t excellent, it was catchable. However Alie-Cox dropped it whereas Davis drove down on him for what would have been a drive-ending sort out.

Takeaways

Bucs HC Todd Bowles and S Mike Edwards – Picture by: Cliff Welch/PR

It was the smallest of pattern sizes, however the Bucs protection regarded REALLY GOOD. The cross rush particularly was dominant. Between Bowles’ schemed up blitzes and simulated strain packages, and the shear athleticism of Barrett, Hicks, and Vea, the Bucs had been capable of get penetration and strain on virtually each single play. Ryan was unable to think about any long-developing routes as a result of he simply didn’t have time.

The lone massive play the Bucs protection gave up was a damaged play scramble by a quarterback not identified for his wheels. I’m certain Bowles will take that 10 occasions out of 10.

On six drop backs the Bucs obtained strain on Ryan thrice. They held him to 2 completions on 4 makes an attempt for 12 yards and an 11-yard scramble with a sack. As well as, they held the Colts’ working backs to 2 carries for 2 yards.

By any customary you need to take a look at the Bucs’ beginning protection was dominant on Saturday night time. And if they will keep this degree of dominance come the common season, it might go a protracted option to serving to the crew attain its final aim of the third Tremendous Bowl in franchise historical past.