Battle for First Place vs. Falcons, Week 5 | Bucs Insider

the Chiefs. What were the biggest things that other than it not going how we wanted it to go, what were some of the biggest things that you took away from that game? Well, I guess since it's the loss, you start with the not so happy stuff, right, because there was some good stuff to game, and we'll get to that, I'm sure. But you know, it was one

of those games where it's frustrating to watch. I'm sure it was frustrating to be involved in because there just didn't seem to be an answer for anything the Chiefs were doing defensively, and some of that you just have to chalk up to the fact that Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelsey are phenomenal players with an incredible connection. I mean, I don't really know how you're supposed to stop the play where he scrambles all around and does appear wet

and then flips the ball like that. Um. But overall, I think that probably the part that the Buccaneers were at LEAs happy about is that they didn't stop the run. And that is something that has been a signature of the Todd Bulls defense ever since he got here in two thousand nineteen, and in that span they are still even with that game, by far the best run defense in the league. But they didn't have it in that game, and you wonder how much it has to do with

the team hicks not being in there. You wonder if there are you know, if guys are making mistakes, or if it wasn't schemed up well for for that particular running game or what. But it's a concern because the next game we're playing against the Falcons, which is about for first place surprisingly in the NFC South. The Falcons are running the ball really really well, so that I think would have to be a focus for the team

this week coming out of that last game. Yeah, it's it's another back to back test to see if they learned the lessons from this last week. That does feel like running the balls. But even without Patterson, who's gone on I R you'd think that would have made it where, oh, we'll starting running backs out, maybe we don't have to worry about that so much, but we still know that's going to be the Falcons game plan. Yeah, well, they have a quarterback that can run, and that was a

problem against Patrick Mahomes. But overall, if you look back at like the to Philadelphia games last year, uh, Jalen Hurts, the Buccaneers actually handled that running quarterback very well, which is more like what I mean. Mariota is not playing at the level of jale and Hurts right now. But it's the same kind of concept with r P O s and and design runs and so on. So, uh, it is a concern on the other hand, because we

want to talk about some good things as well. Right, It turns out when you have Mike Evans and Chris Godwin in the game, you're passing attack is a lot better. Who thought so, yeah, you know, and Donovan Smith being back as well, and Mike Evans comes right back from that one game suspension that thirty yard catch right down the middle and for the first big play. The game ends up with two touchdowns hundred three yards, just vintage Mike Evans. The second touchdown catch that back corner of fade,

just I don't you can't defend it. It's just it's ridiculous that look at that play. It's amazing, a perfect throw and a perfect catch and there is nothing you could do. So in the process of that game, he

also broke another record. So the guy that already holds the Bucks all time records for touchdowns, receiving, touchdowners, receptions, receiving yards, probably a few other things I'm not thinking of, is also now the all time leader in most yards from scrimmage, passing, a record that's stuff for a very long time by James Wilder, who had rushing yards and receiving yards Mike stune at all but ten yards of

the air. But just yet another sign post another obvious sign that Mike Evans is the most accomplished offensive player in Buccaneers history. Unbelievable, and I think it's interesting that you pointed out. I mean, of course, Donovan Smith coming back was going to make Brady feel like he could probably hold onto it a little bit longer wait for

some of those routes to develop. But also the fact that Chris Godwin was alongside Mike Evans that it's one thing to just have their skill set of the number of actual catches Chris gets, the number of catches Mike gets, but it's the effect they have on each other and what they forced defenses to do. Is that something that you've noticed of how much they need each other to each have their own individual success. It definitely helps both

of them. And you know, it didn't hurt that the Bucks also had Russell Gauge and did Julio Jones for a half, and they were making the passes to the back's work, I mean Leonard for Rashad Why combined for more yards. But yeah, and I think the thing you saw Chris Godwin was that sort of missing element of being able to work the middle of the field, being

an effective weapon out of the slot. Buckner's didn't really find a solution for that in the in the games that Chris did two and half games that crystals out and so I think that made a big difference, even if I mean his fifth I think seven catches for yards is a good day, not overwhelming, but the effect

he had on the entire offense, as you said, was big. Yeah, and I think it was going to know that as much as they gave up more points than they had the first three games combined, but then they scored more touchdowns and they had the first three games combined, So it's just going to be about that complete game where finally now it does feel like the good news was the offense got going and getting the running backs involved

in the past game. As much as it was unfortunate that there was what three yards rushing for the Bucks and the game, yes that at least, like you mentioned, tab over a hundred yards in the receiving game from that,

that was a huge thing. So it felt like at least, even though the game didn't go how you wanted and there were some areas that didn't go as well defensively, but offensively, it felt like you found some things you had not so far, and one of those things was throwing the ball to learn from Rashad White and Roshot.

You know, Coach Bowls had been saying for two weeks that we need to get the other backs more involved, and I think he specifically meant Rashad White, and I think you have a sort of a two headed monster now developing with White and those two guys combined for I think a hundred and seven yards and a touchdown, and most of those passes were really quick throws that you know the Lennard would get like ten or twelve yards out of, and the same thing with Shot White.

So it worked really well, and you like to see Rashade getting involved in in fact um with cam Brad leaving the game with the concussion, Kate Dotten played his highest percentage of snaps yet, and you have Luke Getta keep playing every snap of guard and you look up from the end of the game, you realize, man, the rookies played a time played a lot. I mean, look at that Logan Hall. He's kind of been getting about that many snaps every game. Obviously, Luke played every single snap,

a much bigger percentage for Rashad White and Kay Doton. Obviously, Jake mart Is in the game as much as you need. All of those snaps for Potokasi were on special teams. And then co Keith, you know, he had his first career catch. It was kind of a nice spinning catch tight end there. So I mean I think, you know, especially on a team that has a lot of veterans, it's it's the oldest team in the league by average age.

To see this many rookies making an impact, it's kind of I mean, even just to have seven rookies on your roster and active on game day, it's pretty incredible.

It shows what a great job Jason Lett and those guys did with drafting, with you know, signing even like with you know, to have him in there, even as an undrafted guy, it's pretty incredible, and it shows I think the potential as the season goes on, because we know with rookies, every snap is a big deal, every game is a big deal in their development and their learning, and so I think that when you see how much is dependent on these young guys, it will only get

better as the season goes on and they get more experience. It's probably particularly true for Luke Kettucky. Yes, absolutely, and so I know. Also the Bucks defense we talked about, it was not the game they want, they expect, or the game compared to the three before, because they came in just guns blazing in terms of being the stingiest

defense and not allowing points going into it. What did you see that was different this week or just overall where the defense still stands now even with a game that did not really live up to their standards well, and and that's in in the overall picture. You have to ask yourself, do I think that this game was the aberration or were the first three games the aberration? And the truth is probably somewhere in the middle, because I don't think you're going to go through a season

and allow just nine points per game. But I don't think that you're going to see a lot of outings like this one. It's a very I think it's still a very talented defense with a lot of very good players at every level. And what's kind of h I think has become a signature of this team is how

many different people are contributing. And this particular game was due to injury because Logan Ryan left early and Carlton Davis left in the second half, so Kean O'Neill played a good amount of the game in the Logan Ryan role, and then Sean Murphy Bunny got his first shot, which we knew was coming at some point, and sure enough, he goes out there and gets an interception the eighth of his career. You know that he has now intercepted Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers, and Patrick Mahomes. He just shows

up for the big name. Well, I mean he also he also intercepted Gardner Minshew and Sailor Heinekes. Tho, I don't know. Yeah, I have to play all the big quarterbacks for him to get his picks. But um, that just put another person in the contribute. Contribution is the word I'm looking for. I guess, uh column, I mean, look at this. It just occurred to me the other day when I was looking at our defensive stats, how

many different people had these big stats already. The Bucks have the most players in the league that have at least half a sack. They have them tied for the most players with the least an interception, tied for the most players with the quarterback hit, and second behind San Francisco with the most players with the tackle for loss.

So everybody, and that just speaks I think so much to not only just the depth of talent on this team, but the scheme that Todd Bowls uses, where he uses players in so many different roles that that's what keeps offenses on their toes, not knowing are you blitzing, are you dropping back, or that you know that. This is what makes offense is so confused, because if you look at these stats, there's a reason they have no idea

who's coming who's not. And it's incredible and that confusion for them ends up meaning that these guys, it's so interesting to me that he can have a scheme that is confusing for the offense and yet not for the defense. That they all reilier at a point where they know their roles. It's a good point, and they've been working towards that for long for a really long time, and that's the kind of communication and the consistency I know.

Jamal Dean was on the radio show this week with me and he talked about how different it is now of the way he learns and how he understands that bulls can tell him something and he immediately gets it and that wasn't the case his first year. And he said the bulls can now tell that too, that it's so different and the bulls wore just say it and be done. And I thought that was so a great sign. And watch so many of these guys and a guy

like Jamal is having such a great year. Um, So looking ahead to this game in Atlanta, what do you think are going to be the biggest things that we want to see based on this last game to show that it was an aberration and that they learned from it and have been able to fix a few things. Well, I think you want to get a quicker start, for one thing. Fast starts have definitely not been something that

Buckners have had much of this year. And you talked about you threwout the obvious fact that the Bucklers ran six times for three yards in that game. Right, that's terrible, and nobody's making excuses or trying to say that it was a good game in terms of running the ball. But you also have to at least give the context of it. Um, there were only six carries because we

were down fourteen three by the time. We had three carries and uh and one of those was the lost for four yards and then it was twenty one three moments later, so you were passing the entire time. So there's a lot of context to it. And Rashad White two of his three carries were from either the two or the one yard line, one of which was a one yeard touched on. Hey a one year touched on in third and one is fantastic play, but doesn't really

help the stats. So that being said, I think the Buckers, while Todd Bowls constantly says it's not and Byron leftism, it's not necessarily about balance. They don't need to run the ball fifty time time every game, but they need to be able to win in a variety of ways. And sometimes you're gonna need to be able to run the ball, and I think they have the pieces to

run the ball. Harold Goodwin good he was saying yesterday he was talking at the pudding because Todd Bowls was gone for a day, and he was saying that some of those guys on the interior, they do need to play a little bit better. They understand the context and they like where they're at, but they do think they're going to get better, right, And so they're going to get better. And I think learn for Net and Rashad White have the tools to give you a good rushing game.

But I think you need to start quicker so you don't get off script and have to throw the ball fifty two times. I agree, And then this is a perfect to our question that we had from Richard who said, well, we see more jumbo packages to get more production in the run game. I'm not sure that that necessary would

make that much of a difference. I mean, if you put the jumbo package out there, you were probably you're telling the defense you're probably gonna run the ball, right, And I don't think controlling the line of scrimmage has been what's been going well from the Buccaneers in the running game in the last few games. So if you're just trying trying to put a big package out there, the defense is going to respond with a heavy front, are you really making it any better? I'm not sure.

I think they just need to run their normal expected plays the way they expect them to be run. They just need to be better at the execution of what they're of what they want to do, right, all right, Well, that is going to do it for us on this edition of Bucks Insider Live. Thank you so much for being with us. We'll be back here next week to talk about that Falcons game.