Ever since Todd Bowles took over the defense, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been one of the NFL’s most aggressive teams when it comes to sending extra rushers after the quarterback.
For the most part, that approach has paid of well for Bowles and the Bucs, a trend they hope will continue now that he’s the head coach.
Not only does Bowles have a scheme that emphasizes complex blitz packages, he also has the personnel to execute that strategy effectively, thanks to athletic linebackers like Devin White and Lavonte David, and versatile defensive backs like Antoine Winfield Jr. and Mike Edwards.
“A little bit of both,” said Bowles this week, responding to a question about whether personnel or philosophy was most responsible for his penchant for sending the blitz. “I’m more of an aggressive guy by nature, but you’ve got to be smart with it as well. You can’t hang the secondary out to dry all the time, and you’ve got to speed up the [defensive] line sometimes. It all depends on the gameplan – what we think we can take advantage of. But, I don’t think you can get there just rushing four [and] I don’t think you can be successful just blitzing. We’ve got to have a mix of it and we try to do that.”
Expect more of the same from Bowles and the Tampa Bay defense in 2022, as they look to avenge last year’s early playoff exit, and return to the Super Bowl.
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