It’s time for Scott Reynolds’ postgame two-point conversion column. This column features two big statements, two probing questions, and two bold predictions.
The Bucks fell to 3-2 on the year after losing 20-6 to the Detroit Lions, but remain atop the NFC South. Tampa Bay’s offense was disorganized and unable to get the run game going, while the Bucs’ defense was unable to score for the first time this season. Still, there were some bright spots for Tampa Bay on Sunday. It wasn’t just the shine of their bright cream uniforms.
Two important statements
Statement 1: Bucks defense shows increased loss against Lions
Jared Goff put the Bucs on the creampie again (see what I did there?) with 353 yards passing with two touchdowns and no interceptions. Goff, in his third season in Detroit, helped the Lions win at Tampa Bay, completing 30 of 44 passes and improving to 5-1.
The former No. 1 overall pick in 2016 has played at a Pro Bowl level, averaging just under 30 points per game for the Lions before Sunday. Despite the Bucs defense shutting down the run game and holding the Lions to just 40 yards on 22 carries, Goff made the right, quick and decisive throws, allowing Detroit to convert 9 of 16 on third downs. contributed to.
Bucks OLB Joe Tryon Soyinka – Photo by Cliff Welch/PR
And when it mattered most, Goff was clutch, scoring a 27-yard touchdown to Amon-Ra St. Brown on third-and-13 just before halftime, giving the Lions a 10-3 lead and scoring a 10-3 lead by Jameson Williams. found the ball downfield and scored a breathtaking goal. , a 45-yard scoring strike in the third quarter to push the score to 17-6.
Despite Goff having a near perfect day, the young Bucs defense showed a lot of grit and growth as well. Not so much on third down…especially on third-and-long. But overall, Tampa Bay collected three sacks on the day and played very well against the run. The Bucks even held the Lions to 10 points below their season average.
Lavonte David, the aging linebacker who led the Bucs with nine tackles and one sack, wasn’t the only one to beat Father Time. It was Tampa Bay’s three young players who really showed promise, as well as the solid Vita Vea, who is playing at a Pro Bowl-caliber level.
Outside linebacker Joe Tryon-Soyinka had quality run and pass play against the Lions, recording two hurries and his third sack of the season. With just one more sack, JTS will match his single-season record, but he will likely become a more consistent edge rusher this season under the guidance of new position coach George Edwards.
“It was one of the most complete games for Joe, especially in the run game,” Bucs head coach Todd Bowles said. “He had about three tackles and four assists and had a sack to go with it. [and] He was dabbling with the ball here and there. Joe played a very good ball game yesterday. ”
Defensive tackle Logan Hall, the Bucs’ top pick in 2022, has only one tackle on the stat sheet, but he has become more and more disruptive and provided pressure against the Lions. Hall wasn’t pushed much in the run game like he was earlier this year. I’m hopeful that we’ll have a chance to see Hall make significant progress by the end of the season.
Bucks DTs Logan Hall and Kariya Kanshi – Photo by Cliff Welch/PR
But the real young player who showed great potential was first-round pick Kariya Kanshi. He saw just 11 snaps in Week 1 against Minnesota, his first full appearance, due to a lingering calf injury from training camp. Cuncey recorded his first sack in the NFL, along with four hurries and six tackles for loss.
“He’s disruptive,” Bowles said. “He fills out the stat sheet. [There are] There are some things he has to work on and some rust he has to work off, but we like where he is right now. He’s very destructive. ”
After the game, Cuncey acknowledged that he missed most of training camp, the entire preseason, and the first month of the regular season due to a calf injury, and will have to make up for lost time.
“It was great. It was still knocking off some rust,” Kancey said. “It’s more like preseason for me than it is for other players.” [have] He went outside and ran around. ”
The big sin for the Bucs defense on Sunday was their inability to generate takeaways for the first time this year. Not winning the turnover battle appears to be a death sentence for a Tampa Bay team that can’t afford to make mistakes. So it’s imperative that he get back to forcing fumbles and picking off passes against the Falcons on Sunday.
So is another game where Tryon Soyinka, Hall and Kancey take a big step towards development together.
Statement 2: Baker Mayfield had a bad game.
The Bucs’ game plan was to rely on the passing game a little more against the Lions due to Detroit’s solid run defense. Tampa Bay is actually a team that is better at pass protection than they are at running the ball. The only problem is that Baker Mayfield played exactly as he said he would after the game.
Bucks QB Baker Mayfield – Photo courtesy of USA Today
“Today was a disaster, and we were a disaster today. We were a disaster from the beginning,” Mayfield said. “I mean, we can’t play like that. We didn’t start fast, we didn’t get going in the middle, we didn’t finish strong until the end, so, plain and simple, we’ll do better. We need to. The Lions are a good baseball club. If we played like that, we would lose every time. The defense and special teams did a great job once again. I think the offense just picks its own team. [play] There’s really no way around it. ”
Mayfield chipped a pass near the line of scrimmage, but it was intercepted in the first quarter, setting up Detroit’s first field goal. Mike Evans was wide open downfield and was still running when he caught the ball. It was an 82-yard score that never happened.
Mayfield also beat open-field Trey Palmer downfield twice for potential touchdowns and threw two underthrown passes to Deven Tompkins that could have been big gains. .
But if Mayfield had played like he did against the Saints, where he threw a season-high three touchdown passes, the Bucs would have had enough to win against Detroit on Sunday.
Say what you want about Dave Canales’ play calling, but Canales had several open looks Sunday. It’s up to Mayfield to connect with his receivers downfield, but Mayfield didn’t do that.
2 Detailed questions
Question 1: Is Luke Goedeke really that good?
Yes, the Bucs appear to have found the right tackle of the future in Luke Goedeke, returning to his original position where he played his final two seasons at Central Michigan. Thanks to the addition of Tristan Wirfs in the offseason, Goedeke is stronger this year and more confident than he was when he played left guard as a rookie.
Goedeke has allowed just one sack this year. It was against Minnesota Pro Bowler Danielle Hunter in Week 1. But that sack wasn’t so much against Goedeke as it was against Hunter’s backup, Baker Mayfield. Since then, Goedeke shut down Philadelphia’s Haason Reddick, neutralized New Orleans’ Cameron Jordan and on Sunday shut down Detroit’s Aidan Hutchison. There was only one pressure on the player who broke up the Lions’ game, and it wasn’t from Goedeke.
It’s not far-fetched to think that with more time at the position and honing his technique, Goedeke could develop into more than just a solid starter. Would you say he’s a potential Pro Bowler? stay tuned.
Question 2: Should the Bucks replace Ryan Neal in the starting lineup?
Yes, why? Ryan Neal has been a huge disappointment so far in Tampa Bay. After setting his career-high with a Pro Football Focus composite grade of 82 (including an 84.4 coverage grade) in Seattle last year. The Seahawks mysteriously released Neal and replaced him with Giants safety Julian Love. Did Seattle think Neal’s big year was a fluke? That certainly seems like it.
Lions WR Jameson Williams and Bucks S Ryan Neal – Photo courtesy of USA Today
PFF’s performance is subjective and should be taken with a grain of salt, but it’s through five games in Tampa Bay. Neal is underperforming with a 49.8 overall grade and 48.4 coverage grade. In Sunday’s loss to the Lions, Neal struggled in coverage and finished with a 44 grade and 43.6 overall grade. Neal was credited by PFF with allowing five catches for 84 yards, including a 45-yard touchdown to Jameson Williams in the third quarter. The score increased Detroit’s lead to 17-3.
Despite initially losing on the route, Neal recovered and almost broke up the pass. But Neal, who is on a one-year demonstration contract with Tampa Bay this year, was unavailable, and Williams provided the decisive goal. Is Neal a playmaker or is he a JAG? Just a guy? He looks like the latter unless things turn around soon.
Perhaps it’s time for Dee Delaney to replace him in the starting lineup. Delaney, a versatile backup defensive back, filled in for Neal for nearly the entire game against New Orleans and posted a 73.2 overall PFF grade and 70.3 coverage grade against the Saints. Delaney is also tied for the team lead with two interceptions, while Neal has yet to score his first point in Tampa Bay. It seems like adding a playmaker like Delaney to the field will only help the Bucs defense make more plays.
2 Bold predictions
Prediction 1: The Bucks will sign a double-digit football player in 2023.
Bucks OLB Joe Tryon Soyinka – Photo by Cliff Welch/PR
Bucs defensive tackle Vita Vea led the team with a career-high 6.5 sacks last year. Todd Bowles’ defense usually boasts double-digit sack numbers, but that wasn’t the case in 2022. With 12 games remaining, Bear’s 3.5 sacks still lead the club, and there’s a chance he could repeat that feat, perhaps with 10 if he’s successful. Another 6.5 sacks in this section. However, Joe Tryon-Soyinka quickly caught up with three points and seems to be playing better this year.
Still, don’t be surprised if defensive tackle Kariya Kanshi comes in from the back end and wins the Bucs’ sack title by the end of the year. Cuncey recorded his first career sack on Sunday and played incredibly well. The Falcons’ offense has already allowed Desmond Ridder to be sacked 19 times through the first six games of the season, an average of three per game. Look for Bear, Kancey, JTS, or all three of them to add to the total in a big game rushing the passer against Atlanta on Sunday.
Prediction 2: The Bucks will beat the Falcons and take the top spot in the NFC South.
My Bucs predictions for this year accurately predict a 3-2 start for Tampa Bay with an impressive 5-0 start. I think the Bucks are the better team and will extend their lead in the NFC South with a 2-0 start by defeating the Atlanta Falcons 3-3 on Sunday at Raymond James Stadium. .
The Bucs had seven total sacks against the Falcons last year, including Marcus Mariota’s five sacks last year in Tampa Bay. Look to the Bucs’ improved run defense to stop a dangerous Falcons running game featuring rookies Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgaier. This would allow Tampa Bay’s pass rushers to tee off on Desmond Ridder and allow the second-year quarterback to try to beat the Bucs with his arm.
