THE DEFENSIVE WIZARD DONS A DUNCE CAP

TOO MANY ARE OBSESSED  with opinions that Godwin shouldn’t have been in a game they had no chance to win. But Todd Bowles is in a no-win situation there – literally. It’s not like the NBA, the Bucs can’t protect everybody.  It’s football. Injuries can and will happen anytime, anywhere.  If you’re going to critique Bowels, it must be for his defense.

Against Baltimore ..the Buccaneers gave up 34 unanswered points.

• The Buccaneer defense surrendered 508 yards of offense.
• The Buccaneer defense gave up five touchdown passes to Lamar Jackson.
• The Buccaneer defense allowed 281 yards passing on only 22 attempts.
• The Buccaneer defense made sure Jackson is now the frontrunner for a fourth MVP award.
• The Buccaneer defense permitted Derrick Henry to run over, around, and through them for 169 yards on the ground.
• The Buccaneer defense gave up four catches for 121 yards and a touchdown to Rashod Bateman.  Coming in, Bateman had 13 catches for 152 yards in six games this season.

If I seem overly impatient with the Buccaneer defense, remember …

• The Buccaneer defense gave up 42 completions and 509 yards passing to Atlanta’s Kirk Cousins.
• The Buccaneer defense gave up 550 yards in the overtime loss in Atlanta.
• The Buccaneer defense gave up the tying field goal at the end of regulation and the winning touchdown in overtime.
• The Buccaneer defense relinquished a touchdown on the ground and 216 yards passing to rookie quarterback Bo Nix. It was the first win for Nix and Denver.
• The Buccaneer defense is giving up an average of 386 yards per game this season.

To put that into some kind of perspective, in their winless 1976 debut, the Buccaneer defense allowed 343 yards of offense on their 0-14 campaign.

~ Article Written by Al Keck ~