TAMPA– What if Tom Brady is an afterthought?
What if, after acquiring an ageless marvel with more records, Super Bowls and disciples than any quarterback humanity has ever known, the story of Tampa Bays season was a relentless defense?
Silly, best? Bradys aura is too big, and the defense is too not sure. Brady is Godzilla and everybody else is just hoping for a little screen time before the credits roll.
However … what if?
In the second half of last season, the Bucs defense quit approximately 316 lawns with 1.9 turnovers per game. Those are the numbers of a top-five defense. Those are the kind of numbers were utilized to seeing from the Patriots, Ravens or Steelers defenses.
Maybe that was simply a fluke versus the softer side of the schedule, however its likewise possible that it suggested things to come. A look into the future of a rebuilt defense with a proven organizer, Todd Bowles, at the controls.
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This defense does not merely have 2 months worth of data on its side, it likewise has stories to accompany it. The story of how a group of protective backs made it through doubts and jibes and came away more powerful than anyone anticipated. The story of Lavonte David finally getting his due. The story of first-round draft choice Devin White talking and play at 100 miles per hour.
” Theres a great deal of garbage talking going on during practice,” coach Bruce Arians said of the young people on defense. “Theyre really feisty. Devin is a man who brings a lots of energy. The DBs are getting a great deal of swagger. I love it, thats what competitors is all about. Nobody talks more crap than me.”
Its been a very long time because anybody desired to declare a defense in Tampa Bay as their own, which is an embarassment due to the fact that every remarkable minute in this franchises history has actually focused on defense. When the Bucs went to the playoffs for the very first time in 1979, it was with the No. 1 defense in the NFL. When they won the Super Bowl in 2002, it was with the No. 1 defense in the NFL.
Theyre not all set to cross that bridge in 2020, but theyre a lot closer to the opposite than they have actually been in a decade or more.
” What you put in is what you go out,” linebacker Jason Pierre-Paul said. “Hot days in Florida … sweat and blood, getting ripped up and scraped up, thats whats going to count.
” We can be one of the very best defenses in the NFL, but weve got to put in the work.”
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They lost some pass-rushing depth when Carl Nassib left via complimentary company, but White is expected to play a larger function in chasing the quarterback.
” Bowles will work his magic and put everyone in a position to make plays,” linebackers coach Larry Foote said, when inquired about how Barrett might fare with more attention focused on him this season.
Bradys aura is too large, and the defense is too not sure. In the second half of last season, the Bucs defense offered up an average of 316 yards with 1.9 turnovers per game. Its been a long time given that anybody wanted to declare a defense in Tampa Bay as their own, which is an embarassment because every glorious minute in this franchises history has actually revolved around defense. When the Bucs went to the playoffs for the first time in 1979, it was with the No. 1 defense in the NFL. If what we saw in November and December was not a mirage, the Bucs have a playoff-caliber defense.
Arians said he would like to see less dynamite plays from opposing offenses, and thinks the secondary can produce more interceptions, however he didnt back away from the concept that the defense is prepared to enter the spotlight.
“I would prepare for no drop-off,” he said.
No, this defense isnt good enough to eclipse Bradys celebrity but they may not watch out of put on the red carpet.
John Romano can be reached at [email protected]. Follow @romano_tbtimes.
How great can this defense be?
Will they have the No. 1 run-stopping unit again? Considering theyve got Suh and Vita Vea in the middle, and Bowles makes run defense a focus, thats not an over-the-top proposition.
Can Barrett duplicate his league-leading 19.5 sacks? That will be harder, however another double-digit season would promise.
Will the secondary continue to grow? This might end up being the key to the whole season. The Bucs have a playoff-caliber defense if what we saw in November and December was not a mirage.
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You might have seen, the offense got all of the glamour shots in the offseason. Brady was brought in. Novice take on Tristan Wirfs. Then tight end Rob Gronkowski and running back LeSean McCoy.
Yet, in the end, the Bucs invested nearly as much money in the defense. By re-signing Pierre-Paul, Ndamukong Suh and Shaquil Barrett, the Bucs ensured stability on a still-young roster. And by taking Antoine Winfield Jr. in the 2nd round in April, Tampa Bay now has four second-round choices and two third-round picks in the secondary from the previous 3 drafts.
