"I Have Never Had a Mike Evans Before"

This past Saturday the Bucs welcome their two big free agent signings in WR Desean Jackson, and DT Chris Baker to Tampa. Both were introduced to Tampa Bay and spoke with the local media on what they will bring to this team. Let's focus on Desean Jackson as he is the explosive playmaker this team desperately needed and is the perfect fit for this offense. For the Bucs to be able to get him in free agency is rare which is what  Bucs Gm Jason Licht said after signing Jackson per pewterreport.com.

“It is rare to find a player in free agency with the combination of speed and natural playmaking ability of a DeSean Jackson. DeSean is a smart, gifted athlete who has averaged more than 17 yards per reception throughout his nine-year career and brings the type of veteran experience and deep threat receiving ability that will have an immediate impact on our offense.”

Licht is right as it is very hard to find impact players like Desean Jackson hitting the open market but just like last year with Robert Ayers and Brent Grimes, the Bucs get a high level talent in Jackson this off-season. Now the Bucs have a legit threat next to the Bucs top receiver in Mike Evans who is only 23 and has put up three consecutive 1000 yard seasons. Now with an electric player like Desean next to him, the sky is the limit for this offense as it will put tons of stress on the opposing defense. Both will help each other as it could be a big year for both, possibly a career year for Desean as he really hasn't played with a player like Mike Evans before. Desean talked about this during his press conference on Saturday per Buccaneers.com.

    “As far as receivers I’ve played with in the past, I feel like I’ve played with some pretty good receivers. Jeremy Maclin for five, six years when I was in Philly, Pierre Garcon is definitely a physical, durable receiver. I give them guys credit, they’ve done some great things. Fast forward now, Mike Evans. I don’t think I’ve ever played with a Mike Evans. I’m just intrigued man, to go out on the field, to have a quarterback like Jameis (Winston) that wants to throw deep. To have another guy like Mike on the other side, he’s what, 6’5”? I’m 5’10”. You’ve got a big guy who’s kind of fast, you’ve got a smaller guy that’s very fast. This guy right here, (points to Koetter) I know he’s licking his chops to get it going. I am too, though.”

It's a power speed combo that the Bucs have now in Mike Evans and Desean Jackson. Evans can make plays anywhere on the field as can Desean so it is going to be very interesting to see how coach Koetter utilizes their abilities. Desean has been a number one WR for his whole career as he made Jeremy Maclin and Pierre Garcon into who they are which are very good number two's. Now the Bucs are paring Jackson with a elite number one WR in Mike Evans who hasn't even his is ceiling yet which is kinda scary. One thing is for sure, the Bucs offense is going to be fun to watch with the duo of Evans and Jackson working together.

The Bucs will be able to attack all three levels of the field and finally will have a diverse and versatile passing attack. The hot topic has been Desean is going to make Jameis better which he will, but the bigger topic is that Mike Evans is going to make Desean better which is great news for the Bucs offense. Evans will be able to draw defenders away from Jackson which will give Jackson more one on one matchups which is bad news for opposing defenses. More importantly, Jackson will have space to use his speed to create big plays down the field which will make the Bucs offense more effective in 2017. It is a great time to be a Bucs fan as we could see something very special this year on offense.

Bucs Offense Will Have Room to Operate

Big day for the Bucs especially the offense as they have added much needed speed with the signing of former Redskins WR Desean Jackson. Jackson has been a dynamic playmaker his whole career and was really good last season producing another 1000 yard season in which he led the NFL in yards per catch with 18. Even at 30 years old, Jackson still has top notch speed and hasn't slowed up yet as he continues to produce big plays. Jackson had 4 catches of 50 yards or more last season so definitely provides big play ability and can be that explosive playmaker for them.

More importantly, now having Desean the Bucs offense is going to have more space to operate as an unit. The run and passing game are going to get better looks when he is on the field because of his speed. Opposing defenses will be forced to play more zone looks which means more cover 2 and cover 4 looks which means safeties are playing back. In other words, the Bucs will get more 7 man in the box looks which will allow the Bucs to be a more effective running team. If the Bucs can run the ball which Koetter wants to do, then that will open up the play action passing game for Jameis Winston. That's where Winston is at his best when he can use the play action giving him and his receivers more space in the middle of the field.

Jackson should also see favorable matchups as well because they can't double him and Mike all the time. So I would expect to see Jackson be moved around and working in the slot at times to exploit certain matchups. This offense just got way better with the addition of Desean Jackson and guys like Cameron Brate, Mike Evans, and Adam Humphries are all going to reap the benefits. His veteran presence, swagger, and playmaking ability will help the Bucs take a big step towards that next level.

Bucs Get Their Guy in Desean Jackson

Update: Here is the official deal for Desean Jackson per Adam Schefter.

Buccaneers reached agreement with DeSean Jackson on a three-year, $35-million contract that includes $20 million guaranteed, per sources.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 9, 2017

The Bucs knew once the off-season started they needed to add speed to the offense as there was not enough explosive plays last season. Both HC Dirk Koetter and GM Jason Licht said they wanted to add more playmakers and it looks like they have done that today. Bucs are expected to sign WR Desean Jackson who was their top free agent target per NFL Network's Ian Rapport.

The #Bucs are expected to sign #Redskins WR DeSean Jackson, source said. A deal they’ve expected, but a big one.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 9, 2017

Expect this deal to become official right at 4pm once free agency begins which is great news for the Bucs offense and Jameis Winston. The Bucs needed another receiver to pair up with Mike Evans, but most importantly someone who is dynamic and can make big plays. Well the Bucs are getting just that in Desean Jackson who still has plenty of speed and led the NFL in yards per catch at 18. Jackson, 30 is a big time playmaker as he had 4 catches of 50 yards or more last season while the Bucs as a team had none in 2016. With Jackson now, the Bucs have the capability to produce more explosive plays down the field which creates quick strike ability for the Bucs offense. More details expected later today stay tuned. Right now it's a great day in Tampa Bay!

Here it is...Touchdown to Jackson. Two plays! And Redskins have 7. #explosive. #Bucs pic.twitter.com/yz1XWzJhdA

— realbucstalk (@realbucstalk) March 5, 2017

Real Bucs Talk Mailbag: Combine, Combine, Combine...

by Douglas O'Connor
follow me on Twitter HERE 

     Here at Real Bucs Talk we pride ourselves on communication with Buccaneer fans. You can mostly find us on Twitter but sometimes 140 characters isn't enough, so we started a Mailbag. This gives us ample space to answer your questions. Look for the Mailbag every Sunday during the off season and maybe see your questioned answered.

     We are smack dab in the middle of the NFL Combine so it wasn't a surprise that all this weeks Mailbag questions are combine related. Real Bucs Talk have been following the combine closely and are ready to answer want you want to know.

Does John Ross 4.22 40 Make Him A Must Draft If He Is There At 19?

     It's no secret that head coach Dirk Koetter is looking for speed on the offensive side of the ball. What better way to fill that need than draft the player that has the fastest 40 combine time ever. However, I do have some concerns.

     Ross has already had two knee surgeries and is scheduled to go under the knife again to repair his soldier. So labeling him as injury prone is more than fair. Because of his knee injuries Ross only has one year of production and when the light were brightest, a game against Alabama he didn't show up.

     This isn't to say that I don't like Ross, I do, but this draft is so deep at wide receiver Jason Licht might feel a 1st round pick is to risky. I also think that because of his size Ross might be better suited as a slot receiver. Since the Bucs like Adam Humphries maybe Ross isn't in the Bucs plans.

     If the Bucs do select Ross at 19 I will be more than okay with the pick. Even though I have my reservations about he medicals I have all the confidence in Jason Licht and his vetting process. After winning the lottery with Jameis Winston, Jason hit a home run the next year with Noah Spence. Both players had major red flags coming out of college. #InLichtITrust.

Who Was Your Biggest Combine Surprise?

     The combine isn't over with yet as of time of post, so safeties and corner backs are going to be excluded but that's okay because a player really caught my eye during the tight end drills.

     If you follow Real Bucs Talk them you know that we have taken a long look at free agent tight end Jack Doyle. He spent his first three years in the NFL as the Colts blocking tight end, think Luke Stocker. Then when Coby Fleener moved on to the Saints he got his shot to catch some passes and he responded, think Cameron Brate.

     When I first started writing about Doyle it seemed like no one was talking about him. Now I hear his name more and more, so he may not end up being the bargain I hoped he would be.

     Enter George Kittle.

     Kittle played his college ball at the University of Iowa, so you know he block, but when he ran a 4.52 40 I started to take notice. Not only did Kittle place 3rd overall in the fastest tight end class of all time, but he placed 3rd in the broad jump and 6th in the vert.

     Huh... let's go find some tape.

     There isn't much tape of Kittle catching passes. If you want to see some superb blocking no problem but receptions are rare. So I checked with some draft evaluators that I trust and pick their brains. Both draft guys weren't surprised by Kittle's combine performance. Although his 40 time wasn't expected they felt that Kittle is undervalued. A guy that can get to all three levels and has more make you miss than you'd think and of course block. Just what Jason Licht is looking for.

     This tight end draft class was billed as the deepest ever and they came out during the combine and proved it. As a Bucs fan I'm hoping Kittle is around in the 4th or 5th round and Licht gets his tight end for a bargain.

Who Were You High On That Didn't Have A Good Combine?

     To be honest no one. Sure some guys under preformed in some drills, but I don't think anyone had a combine that killed their draft chances. I will list one player from each position that had a bad drill or two and might need a closer look to cement their draft grade.

RB Wayne Gallman, Clemson: Some experts have Gallman as a top 5 back. He was middle of the road all day. Need to see more.

OL Zach Banner, USC: He has been struggling with his weight and it's a work in progress, needs a better pro day.

QB Seth Russell, Baylor: Injuries derailed his college career. Needed a huge combine to create some buzz. Didn't happen.

TE Jeremy Sprinkle, Arkansas: This guy just got lost in the historically deep tight end draft. Personally I don't think he loves the game. 

LB Reuben Foster, Alabama: Sent home for getting into a shouting match with a hospital worker during the medicals at the combine. If it hurts his draft stock at all it will only be a position or two but that's a lot of money. If you can't keep your cool at the combine when are you going to, Red Flag!

DL Tim Williams, Alabama: His expected explosiveness wasn't anywhere to be seen. I mean nowhere. Every team will be going back over tape on this guy. Could be nothing could be everything.

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Thanks for reading and as always GO BUCS! 

Bucs Believe in Their O-Line

Well I think it is pretty safe to say that the Bucs won't be making many changes if at all to the offensive line this off-season. Both Gm Jason Licht and HC Dirk Koetter echoed that today as both said they like their current group and feel they have a good nucleus to work with. Now that doesn't mean they don't need to improve as coach Koetter said they need to get better as a group per Rick Stroud.

Koetter said they're happy with their personnel on the offensive line. But they have to get better.

— Rick Stroud (@NFLSTROUD) March 1, 2017

 This makes sense as the Bucs have invested heavily into the O-line the past few years by adding key draft pieces in Donovan Smith, Ali Marpet, Kevin Pamphile, and Caleb Benenoch. Plus the team will get back J.R Sweezy who was signed last off-season and is expected to make an impact this season. The team also has key veterans in Evan Smith and Demar Dotson coming back who both provide depth and starting ability. I think the Bucs will try to bring back C Joe Hawley for the right price as they will try to keep last year's unit intact.

Now let me be clear I do not agree with the Bucs opinion of their O-line as I think we need to upgrade the C and RT positions. I would like the team to bring in players at those positions via free agency or the draft. On the other hand, the Bucs might have the answers already on the roster to upgrade these positions. Donovan Smith, Ali Marpet, and Kevin Pamphile should continue to get better as they gain more experience and all three want to be great.

So right there I say you have 3 out of your 5 starters and are looking for two more to step up to the plate. Now some internal options include JR Sweezy, Caleb Benenoch, Ben Gottschalk, Leonard Wester, and newly acquired James Stone. The Bucs are very high on all five and I think Gottschalk and Stone have a chance to be the upgrade at center if the Bucs choose not to resign Joe Hawley. Again the Bucs feel they have a good group and I think the ideal scenario is they can move either Pamphile or Marpet to C and have Sweezy play G, giving you a strong line of Smith, Pamphile, Marpet, Sweezy, and Dotson. It's going to be an interesting off-season for this unit as they are coming off a down season and must improve overall as an unit.

Prospect Watch: WR John Ross

There are some things that can be taught and then there are some things that just can't be taught. I believe one of those things that can't be taught is speed as it is something that you either have or don't. Right now, the Bucs offense doesn't have much speed if any at all right now and head coach Dirk Koetter feels that is something the Bucs need to add this off-season. Talking on the Buccaneers radio last month Koetter talked about how he would love to add a home run guy opposite of Mike Evans via bucswire.usatoday.com.

"Absolutely, could not agree more," Coach Koetter said. "You know, it was unfortunate when we lost Vincent Jackson and, you know, we had to fill in with some guys. And it’s nothing against them, but we definitely would love to add a guy with some home run speed on the opposite side of Mike Evans, I totally agree. I think it would help Jameis a lot. And it’s very high on our priority list. I can promise you."

The good news for the Bucs is that there are some options if they are looking for a homerun threat via free agency or the draft. However, in this article we are going to take a closer look at player that the Bucs could target with the 19th overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. This player is all about speed as he has that rare ability to break away and can instantly change the game with one play. The player I am talking about is no other than Washington Huskies WR John Ross.

John Ross- 22 years old, 5'11-190lbs  81 receptions, 1150 yds, 14.2 ypc, 17 tds

Strengths: If there is one word to describe Ross it would be electric as he can change the game with the ball in his hands. Ross has one gear and that is being fast at all times as he can go from 0 to 60 real quick. He has solid hands as drops are rare and does a good job of tracking the ball on deep passes. He knows how to use his speed to create separation and make defenders miss in the open field. He has the ability to play on the outside or in the slot and can also bring return ability to special teams.

Weaknesses: Even though there are routes that Ross runs very well, he needs to work on all his routes especially in the short and intermediate levels to make him a three level player. He needs to attack the football more with his hands as he tends to catch with the body too much. Overall balance needs to improve as he sometimes falls for no reason. Injury concerns as he has had two surgeries on his knees so that is something to keep an eye on. He is not the biggest guy as he is listed at 5'11 190lbs, might need to add some more strength to help with the riggors of the NFL.

Overall, John Ross is one of the special playmakers in this years draft as he has rare speed and the ability to create separation which is very important in today's game. His size and past injuries are concerning but with the ability to change the game with one play is a reason he is being considered as a first round pick. Ross has been compared to Brandin Cooks and Desean Jackson whom both are very explosive players and consistently make big plays in the passing game. Ross has the right mental makeup as he is very competitive and some would call him an edgey type player. If coach Koetter and Gm Licht want to add some speed, then Ross might be there guy at 19. With Ross on the team, opposing defenses would have to decide who to double. Do you double Evans, leaving Ross and Brate with one on one's or do you not double Evans, either way with Ross the Bucs would be more dynamic and explosive.

The Only Free Agent Wide Receiver The Bucs Should Sign

by Douglas O'Connor
follow me on Twitter @Ren_Daxt

     A mini-miracle has occurred here at Real Bucs Talk, we all agree on something! Michael, Mark and myself all think the Buccaneers should go after only one wide receiver during the 2017 free agency period and we feel it needs and has to be Cordarrelle Patterson.

     Patterson was a 1st round draft pick of the Minnesota Vikings back in 2013. After a very promising rookie season his numbers dipped slightly in his second season, only to fall into Norv Turner's doghouse in 2015 and rarely saw the field. Cordarrelle redeemed himself this past season and put up comparable numbers to his first year, even with a mid-season change of his offensive coordinator.

     At first look Patterson's number gives the appearance of a solid number 2 or a productive slot receiver. If you take out the 2015 season (2 catches for 10 yards), Cordarrelle averaged 43 catches for 435 yards with just over 2 touchdowns per year. Nothing to get excited about for sure, but if you look a little deeper Patterson's real value becomes apparent. Factor in another 4 touchdowns on the ground and 5 more from returning kicks. Cordarrelle's value is clear.

     Blessed with true 4.4 speed that is spread through his 6' 2" 220 lbs frame, Patterson is built as an every down receiver. He has scores of 79, 67, and 50, the last two coming on the ground, makes him a big play threat from anywhere on the field. He also has 3 kickoff returns over 100 yards and a total of 24 over 40 yards. Widely considered as the leagues best return man Cordarrelle is a 3 time All Pro selection and is going to his 3rd Pro Bowl later this month.

     Buccaneer GM Jason Licht loves versatile players and Patterson fills three impending needs. First is speed. Head coach Dirk Koetter talked about in his exit presser about getting faster on offense. Second is wide receiver help for Jameis. Although Patterson's number aren't eye popping, I believe that he is not suited for the short and quick passing game Minnesota runs. He would be a much better fit here in Tampa that employs deeper route running and more shots over the top of the defense. Third is the instant upgrade to the kickoff  returns. The Buccaneers ranked dead last in this category in 2016 and the addition of Patterson could take them all the up to 1st.

     Jason Licht will still have to look to upgrade the wide receiver position in the draft but we think that Cordarrelle Patterson is the only and right choice in this year free agent market.

you can also follow us on Twitter @realbucstalk
Thanks for reading and as always Go Bucs!

     

Bucs Offense Need More Explosive Plays

In 2015, the Bucs had a lethal running game which created explosive plays for the offense and allowed them to be more efficient. In 2016, due to injuries and inconsistent line play, the Bucs had no running game which didn't help the passing game to create explosive plays downfield. Now part of this is due to the offense not having much speed to work with which is why the Bucs were at the bottom in yac(yards after catch) yards.

In this league, it is all about explosive plays and the Bucs went from averaging 9 explosives to only 7 in 2016. This off-season, the Bucs need to figure out how they can achieve more explosive plays whether it's via the run or pass. Everyone has a part in it and unfortunately both Doug Martin and Charles Sims were out multiple times this season due to injuries. Those two combined for more explosive plays in 2015 than the whole team in 2016. Jameis Winston needs to improve his deep ball accuracy, but more receivers besides just Mike Evans on the outside will help that too. Coach Koetter needs to be more creative and diverse in his play calling. Simply, the Bucs need to add more speed to this team and get guys in here that can make one guy miss and take it to the house for 6.

The good news is Bucs Gm Jason Licht knows this and will be definitely upgrading the talent at the skill positions this off-season. This offense can be dangerous as it did a great job converting on third down but it is hard to score in this league on 10 to 12 play drives everytime. Taking care of the ball and hitting on explosive plays is what wins games in this league now. Koetter talks about this all the time and have to believe that him and Licht are going to do what they can to add that missing ingredient which is called speed.

Bucs Have The 19th Pick in The Draft

With the 2016 season officially over for the Bucs, the front office and coaching staff will shift their attention to the off-season. Right now staffs around the league are watching tape and evaluating everything they did the previous season and what they need to do to get better as a team. This off-season will be very important as the Bucs are close to being a contender but need some more pieces added to the mix.

The Bucs will be better just by having most of the staff returning plus players will be more comfortable with their current schemes and playbooks. So that in itself is a positive as is the younger guys will get better as they have more experience to work with. The arrow is pointing up and now it's up to Jason Licht and his staff to keep it that way by having a good off-season. There were so many positives from the 2016 season as this team got better with each game. The offense suffered a setback but was mainly due to injuries and inconsistent play from certain positions. However, the defense took huge steps as they improved in points allowed and third down defense in which they were number one.

With that being said, this team could still use more pieces on both sides to the ball. On offense, positions that I would address would be WR, C, TE, RB. Then on defense, it would be DE, DT, S, CB. So still many positions need to be addressed and Jason Licht and his staff truly believe that the NFL Draft is the best place to just do that. As Licht has said in the past, the draft is where you find your star players. The Bucs have the 19th selection in this year's draft which puts them in a good position to get a solid player to fill one of the needs mention above. Most scouts have said this draft is deep at RB, DE, S, and TE which is great news for the Bucs. We will get deeper into draft talk as we move closer but as of now the Bucs are in a great situation.

Bucs Finish The 2016 Season Strong

At one point this season the Bucs were 3-5 and things were looking to be spiraling downward towards another losing season for the team. However it's not how you start it's how you finish and this team finished strong. The Bucs put together a five game winning streak with outstanding defense and a clutch offense. Ultimately the team finished 6-2 down the stretch in which they beat two playoff teams in the Chiefs and Seahawks.

The defense made big strides along with special teams as both units got better as the season went along. Unfortunately, the offense took a step back as injuries and inconsistent play hurt the unit and just wasn't good enough during critical times of the season. With that being said for this team to fight and stay together all season was great to see as this team brought the effort every Sunday. I thought the coaching staff as a whole made improvements especially Dirk Koetter and Mike Smith as they made adjustments to help the team win. Now with the off-season underway, the Bucs have to be confident they can make improvements and carry this momentum into the 2017 season. Progress was made and the arrow is pointing up for this franchise.

There is No Tomorrow!

Today is it for the Bucs as they have to win against the Saints if they want a shot at the playoffs. The team is coming off a tough loss against the Cowboys in which they didn't bring their best but still had a shot to win the game. That can't happen today as the Bucs need to bring their best and play their best game of the season. Jameis says today is do or die as the playoffs start now for them against the Saints.

“Absolutely and we start on the road. We know that we’re going to be on the road in a tough environment against the Saints, so yeah, it starts now. We’ve got to start preparing for the show.”

All three phrases as in offense, defense, and special teams need to help each other and play physical, smart Bucs football. Be aggressive and don't let off the pedal, run the football with authority and use play action as much as possible for Jameis Winston who is at his best in play action throws. The offensive line needs to man up and come to play today. Coach Koetter needs to creative but also simplistic in the redzone, use more fades and slants inside the 20.

As for the defense, the front four just needs to win their one on ones and get after Drew Brees. Attack them, dont defend them be aggressive and jump routes all day. The defense has been really good lately and needs an awesome performance today. Gerald McCoy, Noah Spence, Robert Ayers, Kwon Alexander, and Lavonte David all need to step up today and be star performers. Now for special teams just make good kicks and please have a big return as we could use one today. There is no tomorrow and let's hope the Bucs come out and play like it.

Use What You Have!

So often during each week the media asks Coach Dirk Koetter whats going on with the offense and their usual go to assumption is that there isn't good enough personnel or people around Jameis to get the job done and Koetter always responds the same way as you can read below.

Love Koetters response to reporters about personnel "we can cry all we want about personnel but no one cares and everyone has issues"

— realbucstalk (@realbucstalk) December 13, 2016

He went further about personnel-"the guys that r out there playing are good enough to b here and it's our job to find a way to make it go"

— realbucstalk (@realbucstalk) December 13, 2016

Koetter above all knows what he has on his offense. Its a lot more than just superstar Mike Evans. There are plenty other options like Cam Brate who is always open in the middle of the field, Charles Sims in the flats, Adam Humphries with the WR screen. This offense has weapons they just have to used corrected and at the right times. Football has always been about X's and O's, you don't have to win by just being bigger, stronger, faster, but by being smarter.

Obviously we don't have the pure speed option but that doesn't mean we don't have guys who can do things with the ball in space like Sims and Huff. Which brings me to that point. Koetter and Winston need to find a way to get the ball in all of our playmakers hands as that will open everything up for Evans as well. The game of football is like the game of chess, its strategy and breaking the other team down based on weaknesses and we need to see this offense take control of the Cowboys 28th ranked offense against the pass today.

Bucs Offense Must Get Back to The Basics

The Bucs are winning again which is awesome as their defense has been terrific during this 5 game winning streak. However while that is great, the offense has been struggling to get any kind of consistency going especially in the redzone. They are 21st in scoring efficiency with a rate of 34% which is not very good and is something they must improve down the stretch if they want to play in January. This offense starts with the running game as it opens up the play action passing game which is what Jameis is best at. It's been a struggle all year for the run game as there have been injuries, inconsistent O-line play, along with opposing defenses forcing Jameis to beat them.

Personally I think it's time to get back to the basics as this offense needs to make everything simple and dont try to get too fancy. I think the Bucs need to get away from running out of the shotgun formation and purely run out of the I-form or singleback allowing Doug Martin and company to run downhill. Everytime the Bucs run out of the I-form or singleback up the middle usually good things happen. So if the Bucs start with that, it could help the offense more down the stretch also think the Bucs run better with the three wide formation as well.

As for the passing game, it's real simple in which Jameis needs to trust other guys besides Brate and Evans. Take what the defense is giving you and stay ahead of the chains. This past game Jameis had other guys open but instead got too locked on Evans or Brate and it ends up being a wasted play. With that being said they need to find a way to isolate Evans and Brate more in the redzone as the Bucs are leaving too many points on the field. Need to get back to more slants and drag routes over the middle to help open up space against the opposing defense. Jameis expects it to get better via buccaneers.com.

“No, we didn’t (perform well). We’re going to look back on this film and say, ‘A win is a win.’ Coach Koetter’s going to get after us. The coaches should get after us, because like Robert [Ayers[ said, ‘We’re terrible.’ We’ve got to continue every week to get better and better. The offense, we have to play better for us to win football games.’

Bucs D Leads The Way Again!

The Bucs did it again yesterday as their win streak has reached 5 games and are now 8-5 on the season. The defense was outstanding as they held the high powered Saints offense to 9 points defeating the Saints 16-11 eliminating them from playoff contention. The Bucs offense did just enough as they were smart with the ball having zero turnovers and rookie kicker Roberto Aguayo made all of his kicks. Jameis Winston was a little off with his accuracy in this game but did enough to help the team win. Running back Doug Martin didn't have stellar numbers but ran hard and helped the Bucs controlled the clock limiting the possessions for the Saints offense. Head coach Dirk Koetter blamed himself for the offensive struggles, he says it must get better.

“That’s one of the things that’s crazy on the stats. I felt like we had 215 penalties and I look at it and they had twice as many as we did. I’m not satisfied at all with how we’re playing on offense. We definitely left points out there. We’re going to get a chance to play these guys again in two weeks. I’m sure both New Orleans’ offensive coaches and our offensive coaches are going to be feeling the same way. We’ve got to play better. And both (sets of) defensive coaches are feeling pretty good about the way they played.’’

“The main reason we’re leaving points on the field is the play-caller is not going a good enough job.’’ 

It's all good coach as long as the team wins and the Bucs have won five straight which keeps them tied with Atlanta for the division crown. Let's get back to the main reason for the Bucs streak and that has been the outstanding play of the defense. The unit has been flying around the field making plays all over the field. During this five game streak, they are allowing 12.8 points per game, 298 yards per game, and 2.8 turnovers per game making this unit the number one defense during this stretch. Another great stat is that the defense has only allowed one Td during their last three home games which was the fluke hail mary play by Jay Cutler and the Bears. Winston knows how good this defense can be when they are healthy and they finally are.

“Absolutely. Our defense has been playing amazing. It starts with our leaders on that defense. [Defensive tackles] Clinton McDonald, Gerald McCoy and [linebacker] Lavonte [David] have taken it to a whole new level. [Linebacker] Kwon [Alexander] is stepping up, it’s amazing. When our defense is healthy, you see what they’re all about.’’

Buc ball is back and the defense is getting better every week and it's really fun to watch the unit play. Huge game this Sunday against the 11-2 Cowboys as they have a great O-line and really play great team ball. Bucs will need to bring their "A" game and I believe they will. Let's keep this streak going!

2 Out Of 3 Last Week, What To Look For Against The Chargers

by Douglas O'Connor
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     Chances are that writing about Mike Evans, Jameis Winston and the turnover battle will just be a regurgitation of obvious keys to victory that you have read this week and all season long. Here are some lesser known things to watch versus the Chargers that can deliver a Buccaneers victory.

Open Field Tackling: San Diego Head Coach Mike McCoy's offense relies heavily on draws, screens, and rubs (legal picks). Getting his athletes the ball in space and letting them make a play. Outside corner backs Brent Grimes and Vernon Hargreaves are going to have to get off blocks and make solo tackles against bigger Charger receivers. When you hear "another great open field tackle by a Buccaneer", coming from announcer Sam Rosen, you know they've been doing their job.

Rush Lanes: I spotlighted this one last week as well but for a totally different reason. Rush lanes were important against the Seahawks for keeping Russell Wilson in the pocket. This weeks importance has to do with stopping the draw. Buccaneers DT need to stay in their lanes, pushing the pocket back and clogging the middle giving Gordon nowhere to go. MIL LB Kwon Alexander will also have to challenge the releasing center instead of using his speed to slip the block awarding Gordon an easy cut to get into the secondary. Here against the Rams is a 3rd and 19 that went for a 1st down. Bad lanes and slippage from Kwon left the runner uncontested until he reached the 3rd level.

Disciplined rush lanes will be a factor in keeping Gordon from doing this against the Bucs on Sunday. pic.twitter.com/1akfZvOANx

— Douglas Sean OConnor (@Ren_Daxt) December 3, 2016

Max Protection: Buccaneers Head Coach Dirk Koetter believes in protecting the passer more than spreading out the defense. Last week the Bucs threw the ball out of a 6 OL set and have used backs and receivers to chip opposing DE to ensure his quarterback remains upright. The Chargers have 20 sacks on the year with half coming from two players, Melvin Ingram and rookie Joey Bosa. Look for the Bucs to continue this trend and allow Jameis Winston to progress through his reads and pick apart a poor and beat up San Diego secondary.

     Seven out of eight experts have picked the Chargers in this game, for the record these same experts all picked the Chiefs and the Seahawks too. The more I look at this game I see a double digit win for the Bucs. San Diego is 6th against the run but their leading tackler is out this week leaving 3rd stringer Korey Toomer at ILB. I think the soaring confidence and new found nastiness of the Bucs OL puts up a nice performance in the run game. The ability to run the ball and the extra protection for Winston equates to the Bucs easily moving the ball up and down the field. The Chargers offensive scoring numbers are inflated by all the short fields their defense have been giving them. Couple this with San Diego's leading receiver will be wearing a brace on his shoulder for a torn labrum and the new look Buccaneers defense stinginess. I envision lots of smiles on the team flight back to Tampa.

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Odds And Ends About The Chargers Game

by Douglas O'Connor
follow me on Twitter @Ren_Daxt

     Not all interesting components of the Buccaneers, Chargers game can be generated into a full story. So I have put together some "oh really" tidbits and posted them all together for easy consumption.

Gerald McCoy pulled Chargers RB Melvin Gordon to the side after interviewing him on press row during Super Bowl week. Giving him a pep talk about his disappointing rookie season and telling him just to keep working. Things will get better. Gordon is 4th in the league in rushing and rushing touchdowns, after coming in 29th last year with zero TD's.

The Chargers run the ball over 55% of the time on 1st down.

Head Coach Mike McCoy has elected to receive the past two games, even though the Chargers have won the coin toss.

Phillip Rivers starts fast but steadily declines as the game goes on. 1st quarter QBR 108.4 then continuously drops till it bottoms out at 76.9 during the 4th.

Rivers hasn't thrown a touchdown pass on any San Diego drive that starts on or inside their own 20 yard line.

When trailing late in games, under 4 minutes. Rivers is throwing for less than a 50% rate with 4 interceptions and 0 touchdowns.

Buccaneers Head Coach Dirk Koetter said while talking to the San Diego media that you teach offense through the eyes of the quarterback. Koetter has been fielding questions about Jameis Winston for almost 2 years and this is the first time I've heard this.

Casey Hayward a free agent pick up from the Green Bay Packers. Where he played almost exclusively inside nickel corner, is tied for the lead league for interceptions. Hayward has moved to outside starting corner back this season and has shadowed some teams elite receiver. Mike Evans is expected to draw Hayward all day this Sunday.

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Things To Watch For Today Bucs Vs Hawks

by Douglas O'Connor
follow on Twitter @Ren_Daxt 

 Turnovers, penalties, and the ability to run the ball are tried and true factors to winning any NFL game. Dig a little deeper and you will find it's the little things that are just as important to gaining a victory . Here are some things to watch in the Buccaneers game against the Seahawks that can translate into a big win for Tampa.

Rushing Lanes The Bucs defensive ends, especially Noah Spence, use their superior speed to out race the offensive tackle to a preconceived spot in the backfield hoping to find the quarterback just finishing his drop back. This outside speed rush opens up huge lanes in between the rushing DE and the DT trying to collapse the pocket from the inside. Seattle QB Russell Wilson is exceptional at seeing these open lanes and using the space to extend plays and finding open receivers after the coverage breaks down. Look for the Bucs DE's to use more inside spin moves and to directly attack the OT inside shoulder to keep the lanes closed forcing Wilson to stay in the pocket and make quicker decisions.

Backside Coverage Head coach Dirk Koetter and Defensive coordinator Mike Smith both made a point to mention Russell Wilson's ability to throw to open men on the opposite side of the field while scrambling. Normally this is frowned upon by offensive coordinators because of the high interception rate, Wilson is making it a weapon. Look for the off corner, safety, and linebacker to stick to their man like glue until Wilson crosses the line of scrimmage.

Open Set The Bucs never run a 4 wide receiver set, but they will line up in a 3 WR set with the tight end split out from the line. Pro Bowl S Earl Thomas is inactive and with Richard Sherman shadowing Mike Evans look for the Bucs to spread out the field to get some 1 on 1 match ups with the 2nd string safety.

     The Bucs are looking for two straight victories against elite NFL opponents. With a win today the national media will sit up and take notice. These three factors could be the difference against the Seahawks.

     Thanks for reading and as always GO BUCS!

Expect Max Protection

One thing that the Bucs offense doesn't do much is max protection with their passing game. Tomorrow it should be utilized against the pass rush that they will be facing at 1pm. The Chiefs have some talented pass rushers like Dee Ford, Tamba Hali and perhaps making his return in Justin Houston. Ford has 10 sacks on the season and is becoming one of the more feared pass rushers in the game today. With Houston in the mix they become that more dangerous as Houston is one of the elite rushers in the game already. This is why it's important that the Bucs coaching staff give their o-line some help tomorrow by going with max protection and allowing Jameis enough time to operate.

Now running the ball the effectively will help keep the pass rush at bay, but I would expect the Bucs to throw out of typical run formations to keep the Chiefs defense off balance. Given that our tackles both had crap games last week and playing with a rookie left guard, have to expect that head coach Dirk Koetter is going to do what he can to help them out. Look for the Bucs to run a lot of two tight end sets along with keeping a running back in to help chip on the edges. Now again a great ground game will help a lot but Jameis is going to have to be able to make plays in the passing game in which pass protection has to be there. I would be very surprised if we don't see some sort of max protection against the Chiefs defense tomorrow.

Defense Played to Their Strengths

After losing two in a row in which his defense struggled to make stops consistently and were giving up a bunch of yards via the passing game, Bucs defensive coordinator Mike Smith said enough is enough. Smith finally got back to a more aggressive style of defense in which they had success against the Panthers and 49ers respectively. He ask his corners to play more press man coverage allowing the safeties to play more in the middle of the field and closer to the line of scrimmage which suits their strengths more effectively. Then bringing pressure from your front seven with linebacker blitzes along with corner blitzes were very effective as it allowed this defense to play downhill which is how they should be utilized every week.

Mike Smith was trying to compensate for the lack of pass rush by trying to mix up his coverages and pre-snap looks which ended up just causing miscommunication on the field. After the Atlanta game, the coaching staff got together and realize that this defense needs to be more aggressive and allow the players to play fast and downhill. Coach Koetter wanted them to be suffocating and after the Bears game he thought they were just that via Buccaneers.com.

That was great to see because so many of the things that the coaching staff identified and [Defensive Coordinator] Mike Smith and his staff worked into the game plan, to see the players carry it out like that, to see them playing fast, playing downhill and getting after the ball, really tightening up the coverage, the pass rush, hitting the quarterback, disrupting the quarterback. Fun to see, fun to see those guys have that kind of success.”

 “Across the board, the entire defense that we felt like we needed to – yeah, we needed to tighten up. The word we used was suffocating, we needed to be more suffocating with our coverage and I’ve got some really good film clips to show them on Wednesday of them doing that.”

With Kansas City being the next opponent, the Bucs defense needs to bring the same approach they did last week and bring the pressure on the Qb. Chiefs offense is an west coast style as they run a lot of route combinations and quick passes. The Bucs defense needs to continue to play press man coverage and allow their linebackers to play downhill and attack. Make Alex Smith throw it deep and play the short routes and likely their will be chances for interceptions.

Jameis Took Over in The 2nd Half.

At the beginning of the third quarter, the Bucs got the ball to start the second half leading 17-10 and were looking to get things going on offense to take control of the game. The Bucs didn't start great as they were facing 3rd and long and on the brink of going 3 and out which would have given more momentum to the Bears. Instead, Bucs Qb Jameis Winston decided to take over and make probably the play of the year via NFL.com.

Jameis Winston is out here playing backyard football against the Bearspic.twitter.com/ApFNgYAJcR

— NFL Retweet (@NFLRT) November 13, 2016

After that play, Winston was outstanding as he delivered a strike to Freddie Martino for his second touchdown putting the Bucs up 24-10. Winston put all his skills on display in this game as he was throwing guys open with anticipation and accuracy. Coach Koetter felt it was Winston's best game of the season via buccaneers.com.

Dirk Koetter on Jameis Winston having a great game Sunday: He showed toughness, mobility, arm strength, ability to see the whole field.

— Scott Smith (@ScottSBucs) November 14, 2016

Winston continues to get better with time, and he is starting show signs of being that complete Qb that the Bucs need him to be. If Winston can keep playing like this, the Bucs should be in every game going forward this season.