In Position to Make Plays

I know it's early and there is still a long way to go but the Bucs defense just looks way better in how the players are in position and understand their assignments on the field. Watching the defense the past two years I couldn't say that as players were out of position often and seemed to be lost on the field. This defensive coaching staff led by Mike Smith has done a great job of tailoring the scheme to fit the player's strengths allowing them to be comfortable on the field. The focus has been on details and putting an emphasis on clear communication between the players and coaches.

When watching the Eagles game again, I saw guys in position to make plays on the football for pretty much every play. There was no blown coverages, opposing receivers running scott free down the field and not many missed tackles which was very encouraging. Again there is still a long way to go, but from watching most of training camp and then watching last week's game and comparing it to last year the difference is night and day.

If players are in position more often that means more opportunities to make plays on the football which was rarely the case last year. This week will be a good test against the Jaguars potent offense and we will see if the Bucs can play assignment sound football on defense again. I'm just excited to see that this coaching staff is allowing their playmakers on defense to play fast and go make plays on the football. If this defense can stay healthy, I expect to see mass improvement this season.