Bucs v Eagles Film Doesn't Help Much

by Douglas O'Connor

follow on Twitter @Ren_Daxt

     The Tampa Bay Buccaneers faced of against Chip Kelly's Philadelphia Eagles on November 22, of last year and walked out of Lincoln Financial Field with a 45-17 win. Jameis Winston threw for 5 touchdowns tying a rookie record and Doug Martin ran for a whopping 235 yards. Initially you'd think that the Bucs could dust off that game tape and use it as a blueprint against the now Kelly led San Francisco 49ers. Sure the offense schemes are the same but just about everything else has changed.

Offense
     Chip Kelly's offensive scheme is the same, but obviously the players have changed. The biggest change is at quarterback. Gone is the turnover machine Mark Sanchez replaced by a more mobile and more dangerous Colin Kaepernick. Sanchez threw 3 interceptions and put his team in a hole almost from the start. Now that Kaepernick is at the helm the read option will be a much bigger part of Kelly's game plan. 

     Dirk Koetter's offense put up 45 points and over 520 yards of offense against the Eagles last year. Giving Chip Kelly an up close and personal look at all of the Bucs offensive weapons. What makes the tape near worthless is that 2 of the 5 offensive touchdowns and 365 of the 520 total yards won't be on the field Sunday. Mostly in the form of Doug Martin, Charles Sims, and Vincent Jackson.

Defense
     Granted the Eagles offense didn't do a lot to help out their defense. 4 turnovers and only 7 points, but the offensive game plan the Bucs conceived for Philly is pointless now. Not only are the players different, but so is the coordinator and scheme. When Chip Kelly "moved" from the Eagles to the 49ers he didn't bring then defensive coordinator Billy Davis instead he hired Jim O'Neil away from the Cleveland Browns. The only thing that is a consistent factor between the 2 defenses is that they both lineup in a 3-4.

     The Buccaneers defensive film against the Eagles will be the most helpful, but with the hiring of new defensive coordinator Mike Smith his plan won't be identical. The addition of 4 new Bucs that will see significant playing time and Kaepernick's mobility changes the defensive approach enough to use the the tape more as a guideline not a blueprint.

     You can follow fellow staffers @realbucstalk
     As always thanks for reading and Go Bucs!

         
     

Post Game Thoughts

Well last night didn't go exactly how the Bucs would have liked to start the preseason opener, but even though there were negatives there were some good positives as well. Most important thing about preseason is evaluation and see what needs to be improved for the next game in efforts to get better as a team. Last night's game did just that as it show some really good things and that there is still work to be done. With that being said here are some of my thoughts from the game.

Kenny Bell is in trouble- Bell did not help himself last night with an opening the game with a fumble on kickoff return. Plus didn't make any impact in the passing game so overall it wasn't the start he was looking for. Good news is he has three more games to prove himself and that he is capable of being a dependable wideout.

Screen game is in midseason form- The Bucs offense struggled to move the ball, but had great success with their screen game which produced most of the passing yards last night. It was just fun to watch, and when ever it was called a big play happen. Now again it's preseason but it was good to see it being properly utilized.

Defense looked properly coached- What impress me most about the defense is they all looked like they knew where to be on the field. It was assignment sound football as all three levels of the defense were working together. The front four had a pass rush plan and guys in coverage were in their spots which led to some coverage sacks. This defensive staff is big improvement.

Robert Ayers looks like a good FA signing- Robert Ayers was probably the best player on the field last night. He was being physical at point of attack and was consistently winning his one on one matchups. If healthy, he is going to have a solid year for the Bucs.

Penalties and Turnovers are still an issue- This will be improved due to Dirk Koetter's mentality, but it was not pleasant to see last night as it was one of the big themes of the offseason. The good news it is preseason and none of this counts and there are still more preseason games to correct it.

Overall, I don't look too much into last nights game because it is preseason and its just a glorified scrimmage, Now just look for improvement in next week's game against the Jaguars and if we don't take a step forward in that game then it might be time to worry a little.

5 Things to Look For in Tonight's Game

Finally football is back and the Bucs kick it off against the Eagles tonight in their first preseason game. The team starts fresh under a new staff led by new head coach Dirk Koetter who has done a great job this off-season and has brought an aggressive approach to this team. There are a few things to watch for tonight as we finally get to see what kind of team the Bucs are going to be this year. So with that being said, here are my 5 things to look for tonight.

Play smart football- Last year, the Bucs usually beat themselves with costly penalties or turnovers and it cost them at least a few wins. Can the Bucs limit the dead ball flags like false starts, offsides, legal procedures, and dumb personal fouls? Hopefully they can show improvement there and can keep it limited tonight.

Put pressure on the QB- The Bucs have upgraded the front four with the additions of Robert Ayers and Noah Spence. With a healthy Gerald McCoy and Jack Smith, I want to see the Bucs d-line be disruptive tonight and as a whole put some pressure on the Qb tonight. It doesn't have to be just from the front four, it can be with blitzes but just put some hits on the Qb. The Bucs didn't get enough pressure on the Qb last year, that has to change.

Make explosive plays- The Bucs did a good job of making big plays on offense but it could have been better. The deep passing game is something that needs to be solid this season if the Bucs want to win more games. Hopefully the Bucs call up some downfield passes tonight and can hit a few. The defense needs more explosive plays as well, whether its sacks, turnovers they need to make more big plays.

Who will step up at WR?- The Bucs have their top 3 at receiver set with Evans, Jackson, and Humphries but who will get the last two or three spots behind them. Pressure is on Kenny Bell tonight as he needs to standout in some way tonight and make some plays. Russell Shepard has shown the ability but needs to be more consistent. The guy I will be watching is newcomer Jonathan Krause who has been strong in camp so far.

Competition at CB- Many good battles to watch here as the competition is fierce. Will Hargreaves show his playmaking ability and move into that nickel position or will Jude Adjei-Barimah be the better player tonight? Is this the end for Johnthan Banks or will he step up and move back into contention for a top spot? These questions probably wont be answered tonight but it will be interesting to see how the corner position battle plays out.

So there is my 5 things to look for tonight, it should be a fun game to watch and hopefully no injuries on both sides. Football is back!