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A Cautionary Tale - Tampa Bay Opener

Jeremy Igo

By Jeremy Igo,
in Carolina Panthers

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ForMac Newbie

ForMac

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Real contenders dominate when they are expected to. The year 2012 against the Buccanneers was so frustrating because they proved that point, that they were not ready yet. Hopefully this year will begin a Dynasty of playoff appearances.

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the_philosopher Newbie

the_philosopher

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Stewart was not active in 2012, and is by far the more complete running back. We have already seen in preseason just how much better the Panthers rushing attack looks with Deangelo Williams out of the lineup, and Jonathan Stewart (or even Fozzy Whitaker) taking the hand offs.

 

 

True, Deangelo hasn't made any plays in preseason, but here are some inconvenient stats for all of you who are so ready to push him all the way down the depth chart:

 

  • Stewart's 2013 YPC = 3.8 (43 carries)
  • Tolbert's 2013 YPC = 3.6 (101 carries)
  • Whittaker's YPC on Thurs night's amazing game that has everyone so excited = 3.96 (23 carries)
  • Williams' 2013 YPC = 4.2 (201 carries)

 

So Williams, in addition to being the best Panthers RB ever, was our most productive back in our most recent season and even managed more YPC for that entire season than Fozzy did in his "breakout game." And let's not forget that Deangelo made one of the most explosive plays of the year in the passing game last season. If I'm coach, I keep him in the lineup until his regular season production dips.

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BigSombrero Newbie

BigSombrero

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What has been the overall tone of pre season for the Bucs? Other than hearing about the bad O line, everything has been quiet. How is Mike Evans looking? Does Mccown look as good as last year? How has their D looked? Anyone give me the lo down?

I like to consider myself a realistic Bucs fan/NFL fan so I think I can give you a scouting report with little bias.

 

Some major points:

The O line was bad.  Opening preseason week was so bad that there was no way they could possibly go into an NFL season with the bums we had.  Some say it takes time to gel, I don't necessarily believe that, at least not to a large degree.  They were just bad.  Particularly our guards.  We seemed to be intent on starting Oniel Cousins (who's been described as the worst guard ever seen by ex pro Steve White) and Patrick Omammeh, who doesn't have much on tape to really know what he's about.  So when we hit the oh crap button and traded for Rishaw Johnson and Logan Mankins, it came with little surprise.  

 

Both moves will pay dividends for us and while Johnson is still a project, the rest of the line is stacked with at least capable players (Collins, Deitrich-Smith, and Demar Dotson who finished last years rated highest amongst right tackles over at PFF).  Now while the names sound good, I don't necessarily know how good this line will be.  My guess, average - above average depending on the week.  Collins will have to show he is a capable starter. Mankins will have to show he's still got it.  And whoever we start at RG (probably Rishaw) will have to develop well.  Your d line is good so we will have some issues but by fixing the guard issue, our o line will be substantially better than it was with Cousins and Omammeh in the preseason.

 

 

Offensively, see above really.  Tough to judge an offense when the o line is a sieve but, in the one acceptable game they played, vs Buffalo, the offense was rolling well.  Doug Martin seems to be ready to return to his 2012 form.  Mike Evans, who I honestly didn't like in the draft at 7th, has looked better than I thought.  V Jax is going to be V Jax.  McCown is gonna McCown meaning he will throw some head scratches but is capable enough.  I will take those head scratchers due to over confidence in his arm over a guy too scared to make a play.  A guy to watch on offense is Austin-Seferian Jenkins.  Due to the team seemingly wanting to evaluate our other two TE's (Brandon Meyers and Luke Stocker)  ASJ didn't really get much opportunity.  But by all accounts, he picked up the offense incredibly quickly and will be a major part of this offense.  http://nflspinzone.com/2014/08/18/tampa-bay-buccaneers-head-heels-austin-seferian-jenkins/  ( a little write up on the 6'6 260 lb prospect).  I have a feeling he will be getting quality pt in the regular season.

 

Defensively, we're right where we left off really.  Run defense through the first 3 weeks of preseason (discounting the 4th due to bubble players starting) Bucs allowed the lowest ypc, rated 4th best run defense over at PFF, and our starting D only allowed 3 points total all preseason.  The run defense will be impressive this season.  The biggest issue on defense is teams with that shifty slot receiver.  Lance Moore types will give us fits due to Leonard Johnson being weak in coverage out of the slot.  Find a way to pick on him, and you can get some easy yards off of us.

 

 Pass rush wise, Gerald McCoy broke the rating system over at PFF.  PFF uses cumulative scores on players through the year and with his limited snaps in preseason, McCoy has already surpassed Haloti Ngata's rating at the end of last year.  This isn't just a stat either.  Watch him through the first 3 games and you will see a man unstoppable.  You will have to double team him though he was beating doubles in Miami for sacks.  Good news is, other than McDonald (our nt) no one else on the d line has shown much in the way of pass rushing.  Michael Johnson and Adrian Clayborn will have to step up to bring the pass rush to the next level.

 

Also, I have to mention Lavonte David because he's Lavonte David.

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ctrcat Newbie

ctrcat

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I like to consider myself a realistic Bucs fan/NFL fan so I think I can give you a scouting report with little bias.

Some major points:

The O line was bad. Opening preseason week was so bad that there was no way they could possibly go into an NFL season with the bums we had. Some say it takes time to gel, I don't necessarily believe that, at least not to a large degree. They were just bad. Particularly our guards. We seemed to be intent on starting Oniel Cousins (who's been described as the worst guard ever seen by ex pro Steve White) and Patrick Omammeh, who doesn't have much on tape to really know what he's about. So when we hit the oh crap button and traded for Rishaw Johnson and Logan Mankins, it came with little surprise.

Both moves will pay dividends for us and while Johnson is still a project, the rest of the line is stacked with at least capable players (Collins, Deitrich-Smith, and Demar Dotson who finished last years rated highest amongst right tackles over at PFF). Now while the names sound good, I don't necessarily know how good this line will be. My guess, average - above average depending on the week. Collins will have to show he is a capable starter. Mankins will have to show he's still got it. And whoever we start at RG (probably Rishaw) will have to develop well. Your d line is good so we will have some issues but by fixing the guard issue, our o line will be substantially better than it was with Cousins and Omammeh in the preseason.

Offensively, see above really. Tough to judge an offense when the o line is a sieve but, in the one acceptable game they played, vs Buffalo, the offense was rolling well. Doug Martin seems to be ready to return to his 2012 form. Mike Evans, who I honestly didn't like in the draft at 7th, has looked better than I thought. V Jax is going to be V Jax. McCown is gonna McCown meaning he will throw some head scratches but is capable enough. I will take those head scratchers due to over confidence in his arm over a guy too scared to make a play. A guy to watch on offense is Austin-Seferian Jenkins. Due to the team seemingly wanting to evaluate our other two TE's (Brandon Meyers and Luke Stocker) ASJ didn't really get much opportunity. But by all accounts, he picked up the offense incredibly quickly and will be a major part of this offense. http://nflspinzone.com/2014/08/18/tampa-bay-buccaneers-head-heels-austin-seferian-jenkins/ ( a little write up on the 6'6 260 lb prospect). I have a feeling he will be getting quality pt in the regular season.

Defensively, we're right where we left off really. Run defense through the first 3 weeks of preseason (discounting the 4th due to bubble players starting) Bucs allowed the lowest ypc, rated 4th best run defense over at PFF, and our starting D only allowed 3 points total all preseason. The run defense will be impressive this season. The biggest issue on defense is teams with that shifty slot receiver. Lance Moore types will give us fits due to Leonard Johnson being weak in coverage out of the slot. Find a way to pick on him, and you can get some easy yards off of us.

Pass rush wise, Gerald McCoy broke the rating system over at PFF. PFF uses cumulative scores on players through the year and with his limited snaps in preseason, McCoy has already surpassed Haloti Ngata's rating at the end of last year. This isn't just a stat either. Watch him through the first 3 games and you will see a man unstoppable. You will have to double team him though he was beating doubles in Miami for sacks. Good news is, other than McDonald (our nt) no one else on the d line has shown much in the way of pass rushing. Michael Johnson and Adrian Clayborn will have to step up to bring the pass rush to the next level.

Also, I have to mention Lavonte David because he's Lavonte David.

Thanks for the insight. I had a hard-on for ASJ with our first pick, and, while I'm glad we got KB instead, I was and still am sickened you got him-a rare, freakish size/speed/hands/body control combo for sure.

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BigSombrero Newbie

BigSombrero

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Thanks for the insight. I had a hard-on for ASJ with our first pick, and, while I'm glad we got KB instead, I was and still am sickened you got him-a rare, freakish size/speed/hands/body control combo for sure.

I paid more attention to this draft than I have in years past.  Really loved that pick.  Didn't care for Evans at 7 value wise.  Liked KB where he was picked more.  Pleasantly surprised with Evans so far though.  Didn't think his run after catch ability would translate as well as it has.  

 

Also surprised by ASJ's character.  Good dude, smart enough to impress everyone with how fast he picked up the offense even while missing some of the offseason due to NFL/college rules.

 

On topic though.  I feel like a team that can spread their offense out and work the middle of the field will make it a lot easier on themselves against us.  Our secondary has big play ability with Banks, Goldson, Barron, and Verner but they are inconsistent.  Leonard Johnson at nickel gets bullied game in and game out and our linebackers are still a little iffy in zone.  

 

Running the ball is always a part of success but against us, you wouldn't want to throw all your eggs in that basket.  You will have to pass.  And more importantly, take care of the ball. Our offense hasn't shown much in the way of sustaining long drives and through the preseason, we have scored a TD 75% of the time after turnovers so giving us good field position is even more key to a Tampa win than most teams.

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FattyFatFat Community Regular

FattyFatFat

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Definitely have to run but our playcalls can't be predictable. If we start the game with a Dwill run up the gut followed by a Dwill off-tackle run that sets up a 3rd and 8, I'll be worried. Let's start like we did against the Pats. Let the pass open up the run, not the other way around.

Sent from my iPhone using CarolinaHuddle

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