Category: Analysis

5 takeaways from the Bucs brutal loss to the Ravens in Week 7

Here are five key takeaways from the Bucs’ 31-41 loss to the Ravens in Week 7.

A quick 10-0 start for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers over the Baltimore Ravens sent Raymond James Stadium into a frenzy.

However, 34 unanswered points from Lamar Jackson and the Ravens had fans leaving the stadium at the end of the third quarter. While the Buccaneers may have lost the game, they would go on to lose much more as the game went on.

Here are five key takeaways from the Bucs’ 31-41 loss to the Ravens in Week 7.

Consistently inconsistent

Wins are hard to come by in the NFL and are even more challenging to earn when you do not play consistently, which is precisely what this Buccaneers team lacks. On both sides of the ball, through all seven games, it’s hard to determine which Buccaneers team will show up and how many quarters will last.

Wide receiver depth is a glaring hole

When you have the luxury of superstar wide receivers like Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, there should never be a discussion about issues at WR for the Buccaneers. A worst-case scenario for the Bucs happened as the team lost both Evans and Godwin on the same night. While Evans reaggravated a hamstring injury, he should miss minimal time, whereas Godwin will likely be done for the remainder of the season.

You cannot replace receivers the caliber of an Evans or a Godwin, but who on the roster will step up and assert themselves as leaders inside the wide receivers room? Baker Mayfield and Sterling Shepard showed a rekindling of their former college teammate relationship in Week 4; however, that has been routinely non-existent since then, leaving a real issue at wide receiver for the Bucs.

Defense is still an issue

This season, the Buccaneers have needed to play nearly perfect offense more often than not, as their defense has been unable to slow down their opponents. For added context, the Bucs defense even allowed the Detroit Lions to control the clock and generate more offensive yards in a winning effort in Week 2.

Sure, they’ve battled injuries, but it’s a recipe for disaster when you force your offense to play mistake-free, and this was on full display for the Buccaneers against the Ravens. Through seven games, the 4-3 Buccaneers defense has allowed opposing offenses to outgain them four times.

Good problem in the running back room

The good news for the Buccaneers is that Rachaad White showed flashes of why he was the clear-cut starting running back coming into the season. This gives the Bucs an embarrassment of riches in the backfield between White, Bucky Irving, and Sean Tucker, the reigning NFC Offensive Player of the Week. As the Bucs will need to do some serious soul-searching, particularly on offense, with the loss of their top two leading receivers, OC Liam Coen may start leaning on the emerging three-headed monster in the backfield.

It all boils down to coaching

The Buccaneers showed they would not give up when they recovered the onside kick with 3:46 remaining in the game. On a drive that would result in a touchdown and bring the Bucs within 10 points as they trailed 31-41, there were no attempts to get out of bounds or throw toward the sideline to stop the clock— they still had all three timeouts, plus a potential of being ahead of the two-minute warning. The following Ravens series was an attempt to run out the clock, with the Bucs defense forcing a punt.

Todd Bowles kept his starters in the game, which was already out of reach with 1:34 remaining and no timeouts remaining. The result was a gruesome injury to Godwin, and the early expectation is that he will not return for the season as his lower left leg was immediately put in an air cast.

When teams are inconsistent, it comes back to coaching. Ironically, this has been a consistent theme among Bucs fans, with their general distaste for Bowles as the team’s head coach. As the Bucs await to hear the prognosis on Evans’s hamstring injury, it will be a tumultuous finish to the second quarter of the season for a Bucs team who have a gauntlet of the Atlanta Falcons, Kansas City Chiefs, and San Francisco 49ers.

Could Andrew Van Ginkel win the Defensive Player of the Year Award?

The Defensive Player of the Year award was considered a virtual lock for Lions edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson before his brutal knee injury.

The Defensive Player of the Year award was considered a virtual lock for Lions edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson before his brutal knee injury. Since his injury, we have discussed a handful of defensive players, minus one that deserves it.

Andrew Van Ginkel has been playing as well as any defender in the NFL.

Despite that, no one has been highlighting his performance this year. The entire Vikings defense has been playing well as a unit, so it is easy to blend in, but his work needs to be highlighted.

Through six games, Andrew Van Ginkel has 26 total tackles, six tackles for a loss, five sacks, two interceptions, and two defensive touchdowns. If his name was Fred Warner, T.J. Watt, or Myles Garrett, he would be a national star this year.

Sooner or later, if he keeps playing this way, folks around the NFL will be forced to take notice. For now, he will remain a free agent steal for Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and a menace for Brian Flores in his defense.

The good, the bad, the ugly: Instant analysis from Browns’ loss to Bengals in Week 7

Little good, some bad, mostly ugly in the loss to the Bengals.

The Cleveland Browns not only lost the game to the Cincinnati Bengals, but they have also lost quarterback Deshaun Watson for the season.

What looked like a popped achilles in the second quarter, the Browns replaced Watson with second-year quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson. He also left the game with a finger injury while emergency third quarterback Jameis Winston finished the game (and looked the best).

The return of running back Nick Chubb was marred, although he did score a touchdown in his return to the field. On a pitch count, Chubb finished with just 22 yards on 11 carries, adding another 10 yards on one catch. He will look to get it rolling next week against the Baltimore Ravens.

Tight end David Njoku led the team in catches with 10 for 76 and a touchdown, wide receiver Cedric Tillman led the team in yards with 81 on eight catches, and Jerry Jeudy failed to get anything going.

Ultimately the Browns lost the game 21-14 to fall to 1-6 on the season. What instant analysis stood out from this game? Here is the good, the bad, and the ugly from this Week 7 loss:

The good: The defense withstood the test in this one for the Browns

The Browns’ defense, outside of getting caught by Ja’Marr Chase on a one-on-one matchup (as happens to every team once per game), played a strong game against the Bengals. Creating turnovers remains a massive issue, but they held the Cincinnati offense to just 14 points on the day.

Defensive linemen Shelby Harris and defensive end Za’Darius Smith both came away with sacks of Joe Burrow in this one. Second-year defensive end Isaiah McGuire and defensive tackle Maurice Hurst II split a sack as well.

Sitting at 1-6, defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz is going to have to find a way to keep these guys locked in and motivated as the season looks completely lost already. However, there are still contract extensions on the line and young players who will see playing time.

Linebacker Mohamoud Diabate is an emerging player, defensive tackle Mike Hall Jr. needs live reps, and cornerback Martin Emerson Jr. is going to have to prove he is worth a contract extension after a slow start to the season. Some of these guys even have Pro Bowl clauses in their contracts.

There are still players who need to play hard. We’ll see what else happens after that.

The bad: The Browns now have one healthy quarterback

So not only is Deshaun Watson out for the season, and likely done in a Cleveland Browns uniform (and likely the end to his NFL career), but backup quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson left the game after hitting his finger on the helmet of a defender.

This left just Jameis Winston, who led an offensive scoring drive for the Browns to give them a shot to win at the end of the game. It’s evident that Winston deserves to start for the Browns the rest of the way out, but who will back him up if Thompson-Robinson has to miss time?

The ugly: What is left to save from a 1-6 start and who else could be traded?

Let’s call it like it is. The Browns need to play their younger players, they need to trade players who are on the other side of 30 with less than two years left on their contract, and they need to look forward to evaluating the guys who will actually be a part of their future.

This leaves players like defensive end Za’Darius Smith, who has already been a rumored target of the Detroit Lions, defensive tackles Dalvin Tomlinson and Shelby Harris, offensive tackle Jack Conklin, and more on the chopping block to be traded.

Even starting Winston is a risk because he can actually win you games and hurt draft positioning. However, the only way to really evaluate the other players on the offensive side is the ball is with a functional quarterback, and Winston seems like the only one on the roster.

Steelers vs. Jets: Aaron Rodgers must win the time of possession battle

New York Jets QB Aaron Rodgers will need to overwhelm the Pittsburgh Steelers pass defense and keep Najee Harris on the sideline in Week 7.

Delegating touches has been an area of interest for quarterback Aaron Rodgers in the New York Jets’ offense.

Rodgers will be looking to get the ball to newly acquired wide receiver Davante Adams, as well as keep wide receiver Garrett Wilson, and running back Breece Hall involved on Sunday night.

The question is; will the Jets have enough time of possession to get the ball distributed on offense?

Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin is going to start Russell Wilson at quarterback and look to keep the ball away from the Jets offense. Steelers running back Najee Harris will be asked carry the offense so that fatigue sets in on the Jets’ defense.

While, Adams is a huge upgrade from Mike Williams, it won’t matter who the Jets have on offense if their defense can’t get off the field.

The Jets’ offense must therefore capture and maintain the lead early to neutralize the Steelers plan.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DBPY-w0x5Jw

Total first downs are a stat to look for in this game and will be directly tied to the winner of time of possession.

Breece Hall didn’t need to improve, the Jets’ play calling did

Breece Hall didn’t need to improve, the Jets’ play calling did

Instead of forcing New York Jets running back Breece Hall in the a-gap on inside zone plays, new play caller for the offense, Todd Downing, sequenced in misdirection, toss, sweeps, and outside runs to create lateral advantages for his dynamic half-back.

By forcing opposing linebackers to pursue Hall laterally, Downing understands that this increases the probability of Hall making defenders miss. While Hall’s nimble stature and quickness allows him to elude tackles in the open field, versus interior linemen, he’s like a candle in a the hot sun.

Inside runs should alternatively be handled by Hall’s reserve, running back Braelon Allen. The Jets did sequence in some 21 personnel versus the Buffalo Bills, with Allen and Hall on the field simultaneously but limited Allen to just three carries.

Hall finished Monday night with 18 carries for 113 yards at a six yards per carry average. However, things will be much more difficult versus the Pittsburgh Steelers defense in week seven.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DBMQKQzPu_8/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

While an improved performance on ground may boost morale in the Jets locker room, there’s really little room for moral victories when the team is two games under .500 and two games behind the Bills in the AFC East.

[lawrence-related id=698007,697972,697984]

Browns Week 6 snap count observations and analysis vs. Eagles

What stood out from the Browns’ snap counts against the Eagles?

The loss at the hands of the Philadelphia Eagles was both encouraging and heartbreaking for the Cleveland Browns.

With team and fan morale slowly dropping as we got further into the season, the Browns went into Philly and put up an excellent fight when no one thought they would. The Browns easily covered the spread against them and were in the game until the end against a healthy and rested Eagles team in their stadium. That type of effort would go a long way for most struggling teams.

But for the Browns frustration is at an all-time high. Quarterback Deshaun Watson continues to play at a replacement level and as head coach Kevin Stefanski emphasized, he’s going to continue to be the starter. In a winnable and close game like this where the defense held up their end, special teams made multiple plays, and backups played admirably for injured starters, losing this because of the severe quarterback disadvantage stings.

Perhaps this is a sign that things will improve sooner than later, it is at least better to be competitive. Here’s another look into what the snap counts told us in Philadelphia.

100% club

iOL J. Bitonio
iOL M. Dunn
OT J. Wills
OT J. Conklin

DB D. Bell
DB R. McLeod
LB J. Owusu-Koramoah

This list will continue to be led by warriors like Joel Bitonio and Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah who’ve provided their sides of the ball the spark they’ve needed this season. Providing some aid on the offensive line are both starters, Jack Conklin and Jedrick Wills, finally both playing a full game together.

The most surprising name here is D’Anthony Bell who appears to have filled in for Ronnie Hickman who missed this game with an ankle injury. Bell has received very limited snaps, previously playing a season-high of 21 snaps last week against Washington but now has been thrust into a full-time role in which he didn’t come off the field.

Staples

QB D. Watson – 98%
iOL Z. Zinter – 95%
WR J. Jeudy – 91%
WR A. Cooper – 82%
TE D. Njoku – 74%

CB G. Newsome – 97%
DE M. Garrett – 79%
LB M. Diabate – 74%
CB M. Emerson – 73%
DT S. Harris – 61%
DT D. Tomlinson – 61%

The most encouraging sign offensively is that David Njoku played a near full allotment of snaps in his first true return to action after a knee injury took him out of his first return game last week. The timing is nearly comedic as another starter, Elijah Moore, exited early himself with an injury.

Another new name pops up with second-year linebacker Mohamoud Diabate taking a majority of snaps across from Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, supplanting Devin Bush who initially took over for Jordan Hicks. This would be a career-high in snaps for Diabate who only had substantial snaps last year in week 18 against Cincinnati and previously appeared this season in week one against Dallas before landing on the injured reserve.

Others of note

WR E. Moore – 67%
RB P. Strong – 53%
RB D. Foreman – 35%

CB D. Ward – 56%
LB D. Bush – 55%
DT M. Hall – 40%

Interim starting running back Jerome Ford went down with an injury early in the game and while backups Pierre Strong and D’Onta Foreman both saw plenty of action, it would be Strong who took the lead with more snaps and yards, though Foreman would outcarry him ten to eight.

Playing through injury, the Browns opted for a half-in, half-out approach with cornerback Denzel Ward who appeared in just over half of available snaps. Rookie lineman and second round pick Mike Hall was eased into the mix after he made his debut after a lengthy suspension started his NFL career.

5 key takeaways from the Bucs pivotal win over the Saints in Week 6

An ever-important bounce-back game was on the docket for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers against the New Orleans Saints on the road.

An ever-important bounce-back game was on the docket for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers against the New Orleans Saints following their Week 5 loss to the Atlanta Falcons. Not only would the Bucs fall to .500 with a loss, but they would have been 0-2 in the NFC South, a place you do not want to be.

With a commanding 51-27 win over their division rivals, this was more of a giant leap forward for the Bucs team, who improved to 4-2 on the season. Here are 5 key takeaways from Sunday’s pivotal win over the Saints.

The offense once again showed glimpses of explosiveness

For the fourth time in six games, Baker Mayfield and the Bucs have put up more than 30 points, three of those being in winning efforts. Despite three interceptions from Mayfield, two of which should have been catches, Liam Coen never let off the gas in his playcalling. Three fourth-quarter touchdowns were a much different -and welcomed- feeling for Bucs fans as the offense was able to truly shut the door on the Saints in their blowout win.

The Buccaneers have the luxury of two superstar wide receivers and a revolving door of capable running backs. A balanced offensive attack proved the recipe for success against the Saints, as there was a 36-to-35 passing attempt to 35-to-35 rushing attempt split.

Rachaad White might be the odd man out

There will likely continue to be a theme when it comes to figuring out the running back room, and the theme will be uncertainty. A couple of times this season, it appeared that Rachaad White and Bucky Irving could be in the discussion for one of the top duos in the league until they weren’t. That conversation spun off into Irving potentially taking over RB1 duties from White. With White being inactive for Sunday’s matchup against the Saints, insert Sean Tucker into the conversation. Tucker carried the ball 14 times for 136 yards and a touchdown, while Irving also logged 14 carries for 81 yards and a touchdown.

A saving grace for White has been his ability to catch passes and create out of the backfield. However, Tucker finished the day as the team’s second-leading receiver, with 56 yards and a touchdown on three receptions.

The coaching staff will need to figure this out, and with arguably the toughest four-game stretch in the league looming, it might be time to roll the dice and stick with what worked so well against the Saints.

Defense still needs to tighten up

Don’t let the score fool you. Typically a 30+ point effort puts your team into prevent defense and clock-eating mode, that just simply hasn’t been the case for this team more often than not this season. Once up 17-0 early over the Saints, quickly turned into a 3-point 20-17 deficit. Rookie quarterback Spencer Rattler was sacked five times and threw two interceptions on the day, but he never truly looked uncomfortable in the backfield in his first career start.

Only one time throughout their six games have the Buccaneers given up less than 250 yards, and that was to an A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith-less Eagles offense that generated 227 yards of offense. Leaving your offense to win in a shootout is going to be a difficult task, especially with the Baltimore Ravens, Kansas City Chiefs, and San Francisco 49ers coming up. Yes, a crucial game against the Atlanta Falcons should be on the radar as the defense allowed Kirk Cousins to have a career day in Week 5.

Cade Otton isn’t the tight end the Bucs need

As legendary pro wrestling commentator Jim Ross would say, “he’s a good hand.” What that means is that he can be dependable, but there is nothing that truly stands out. It’s not a knock on Otton, but he is incapable of the athletic playmaking that the Buccaneers offense needs. GM Jason Licht is not one to make in-season trades, however, a dynamic playmaking tight end could prove to push this offense into the upper echelon of the consistently elite offenses in the NFL- emphasis on consistently.

Tykee Smith is developing into a solid starter

It’s too early in his career to talk about a budding superstar. After yesterday’s performance, it’s understandable why emotions are high, but let’s bring it back down to earth and talk about what Tykee Smith truly is, and that is a very solid developing star in this Buccaneers defense. Allowing just a 3.5 passer rating -yes, you read that right, 3.5- to Rattler while seeing six targets (second most behind Zyon McCollum’s 7) cannot be ignored. As Jamel Dean has struggled in the first quarter of the 2024 season, and the continued need for Todd Bowles to tighten up the defense, Smith should continue to see more snaps- especially with the return of Antoine Winfield Jr. looming over the top.

 

When healthy, Antoine Winfield Jr. and the Bucs make an elite defense

The Tampa Bay Bucs defense had not been able to find any consistency until Sunday against the Saints.

The Tampa Bay Bucs defense had not been able to find any consistency until Sunday against the Saints. All season, that side of the ball was nothing but hills, but something clicked against the Saints.

One reason for everything coming together could be linked to the return of Antoine Winfield Jr.

After playing in Week 1 against the Commanders, Winfield Jr. had missed the previous four games with a foot and ankle injury. With his return on Sunday, he brought with him the turnover charm because the defense was hawking the ball away from the Saints. They forced three turnovers: Tykee Smith forced a fumble and caught an interception, and Zyon McCollum grabbed an interception of his own.

Winfield Jr. grabbed that forced fumble and returned it for a touchdown, but his impact goes beyond that. The defense’s focus on him allowed Smith and McCollum to be forgotten about in coverage instead of being the main focus point for an offense.

It could be the sign of things for this Bucs defense, and it develops into an elite unit.

3 keys to a Bills victory vs. the Jets in Week 6

3 keys to a Bills victory vs. the Jets in Week 6

The Buffalo Bills will visit the New York Jets at Metlife Stadium on “Monday Night Football” in Week 6. The winner will become the leader in the AFC East.

The Bills (3-2) and Jets (2-3) are both coming off tough losses to good football teams. The Bills fell at the Texans while the Jets lost to the Vikings in London. Both teams are looking to bounce back.

The Bills are mostly searching for answers on offense while the Jets are searching for a new direction for the team after firing their head coach Robert Saleh on Tuesday. The Jets’ defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich has been promoted to interim head coach, while Todd Downing has taken over the offensive play calling for Nathaniel Hackett.

The Bills aren’t exactly sure what to expect given the coaching changes for the Jets, but they’ll be focused on themselves getting back in the win column.

Here are three keys to a Bills win in Week 6:

Play to the strengths of personnel

Getty Images

It took one Khalil Shakir ankle injury for the Bills to learn what they had in their new offensive weapons. Under offensive coordinator Joe Brady, they haven’t had to pass much this year. Josh Allen is tied for 23rd in the NFL in pass attempts.

When they passed, Shakir was the go-to guy. Without him in Week 5, newcomers had to step up. They didn’t.

Mack Hollins, Curtis Samuel, Keon Coleman, and Marquez Valdes-Scantling were targeted a total of 18 times in the loss. They caught just four of the passes.

The pass catchers looked out of place and were misused. Hollins hasn’t made a living on go-balls. MVS in the short field hasn’t been his strong suit. According to former NFL WR Steve Smith, Coleman belongs in the slot. And, Samuel has been nonexistent in the offense. So, why are they being used this way?

It’s still a newly formed unit, and Brady will have to play some chess to figure out how they can be most effective. But, changes ought to be made to how they are being utilized, and quickly.

Don’t let Jets running backs heat up

Getty Images

Jets running backs Breece Hall and Braelon Allen have been held in check lately on the field. In the last two weeks, they have averaged 37 combined rushing yards per game.

They are capable of much more. They can make defenders miss and are one of the more talented duos in the league. They are threats through the air as well. Both backs have a receiving touchdown this year.

The Bills’ rush defense ranks as eighth-worst in the NFL through five weeks. They give up over 144 yards per game on the ground. Sure, Breece Hall has averaged an abysmal 3.0 yards per carry to start the year, but the Bills defense has allowed big ground games this year. Ed Oliver was ruled out for the game as of Saturday morning, which makes things more difficult for the middle of the Bills defense.

More efficient offense

Getty Images

Last week Allen was 9-for-31 passing (29%). He was 1-of-14 on passes ten or more yards downfield. Under pressure, he was 0-for-15.

What happened? Week 5 was night and day from what we saw the first three weeks when Allen and Brady had the offense humming. After three games, Allen was completing 75% of his passes and the Bills led the league in points per game.

The offense knows they have to be better. An early learning curve is expected due to all the new pieces and having a young OC, but no one expected the curve to look that bad. Eyes will once again be on the Bills offense to see how they turn it around, just like they were last week after their poor performance in Week 4.

[lawrence-related id=141429,141410,141425]

Snap count observations from Browns vs. Commanders

What stood out from Sunday’s snap counts against the Commanders?

Well, they do say it gets better before it gets worse, which is hopefully true because it’s pretty bad right now. The Cleveland Browns fell to 1-4 this Sunday after a 34-13 loss to the Washington Commanders.

This marks the seventh straight game the Browns have failed to score above 20 points and their lowest mark on the season, which is especially concerning when the Washington pass defense was supposed to be an exploitable area that could help the passing game get back on track.

That was not the case. Deshaun Watson was held to 125 yards passing, half of which went to Amari Cooper. The offense as a whole only netted 212 yards, half of the Commanders’ total. Whether it was going one-for-thirteen on third down, or the seven sacks allowed, the Browns didn’t come close to getting out of their offensive funk.

With little option but to move on, let’s take a look at what the snap counts from this game showed up.

100% Club

OT Dawand Jones
OT Jedrick Wills Jr
iOL Joel Bitonio
iOL Zak Zinter

The big guys up front did their parts in one of the most stable games this season from the offensive line. The return of Wills should start to make an impact as the line gets healthier over time.

Staples

QB DeShaun Watson – 92%
iOL Ethan Pocic – 84%
WR Amari Cooper – 82%
WR Jerry Jeudy – 76%
WR Elijah Moore – 69%
RB Jerome Ford – 58%

LB Devin Bush – 93%
CB Greg Newsome – 90%
CB Martin Emerson – 85%
LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah – 84%
DB Grant Delpit – 81%
DB Rodney McLeod – 78%
DE Myles Garrett – 78%
DL Shelby Harris – 66%
DL Dalvin Tomlinson – 60%
DE Za’Darius Smith – 55%

From this angle, the Browns’ defense is looking pretty healthy with 10 players playing a majority of snaps. Bush has ascended from a special teams backup to carrying a bulk of the snap defensively, replacing the injured Jordan Hicks.

The entire started defensive line continues to play at a solid clip and Myles Garrett leads them as he plays through injuries.

Offensively, a lack of cohesion on that side of the ball is not coming from a lack of reps. Cooper, Jeudy, Moore, and Ford have all been active and consistent this season and that trend continued on Sunday

Notable

TE David Njoku – 42%
RB D’Onta Foreman – 34%
WR Cedric Tillman – 32%

CB Denzel Ward – 49%
DE Isaiah McGuire – 48%

It does not help that David Njoku has had a string of bad luck to open the season, getting injured in the opener and again in his return. With his exit, the Browns returned to a trio of tight ends covering his snaps.

Despite not recording a reception, Cedric Tillman is starting to eat into the snap count, this time playing on a third of offensive snaps. While he only had three receptions on the year it’s clear he’s the favored fourth receiver.

Denzel Ward left the game with a hamstring injury in the third quarter, something we’ll have to monitor very closely. Hamstring injuries are tricky but at the time of injury, there was little reason to try to get him back in the game, so the severity is a complete unknown.

Lastly, Isaiah McGuire is the beneficiary of the Alex Wright injury as played nearly half of all defensive snaps. This makes him the top backup lineman by playing time and with Garrett’s injuries it’s very possible he’ll continue to see more and more playing time.