Tag: Zyon McCollum

Bucs designate DB Jamel Dean to return from Injured Reserve

On Monday, the Bucs designated cornerback Jamel Dean to return from injured reserve.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been dealing with an unreliable secondary for weeks. General Manager Jason Licht made some moves to fix it, but the return of one starting corner could do the trick.

On Monday, the Bucs designated cornerback Jamel Dean to return from injured reserve. The designation begins his 21-day practice window today, and he is eligible to be activated at any time during the 21-day period.

Dean has played in six games this year for the Bucs and has totaled 43 tackles and four pass breakups in those games.

The secondary has surrendered over 400 yards per game this year, including 264 passing yards. The combo of Tykee Smith and Zyon McCollum has flashed but they need more. The return of Jamel Dean and the move to claim Mike Edwards could be what this team needs.

The secondary, at least, will have a simpler test coming off the Bye Week as they face either Tommy DeVito or Drew Lock after the Giants have benched Daniel Jones.

Bucs HC Todd Bowles discusses potential for giving up defensive play calling

Defense has been costing the Bucs several games this season, while the offense has put up impressive numbers in just about every category.

Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles has been under a lot of scrutiny in recent weeks due to his defense’s performance. The defense has been costing the Bucs several games this season, while the offense has put up impressive numbers in just about every category.

On Monday, during his media availability, Todd Bowles was asked about the potential for his play-calling duties to be handed over.

“What’s not happening is we have about four or five plays a game where we either miss a tackle or we’re not dropping where we’re supposed to and we give up a big play. I’ll continue to call plays.”

The defense showed against the Saints that it can make play after play when it is healthy. Against the Ravens and Falcons, the Bucs have looked lost and, at times, disorganized. The play calling has been a factor; look at what Minnesota and Brian Flores have done with a depleted Vikings secondary.

Something has to give for the Bucs. If they can’t turn things around against the Chiefs in Week 9, then the rumblings will only get louder.

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.

Chris Olave (concussion) ruled out for the rest of Week 6 vs. Buccaneers

Chris Olave entered the NFL concussion protocol after a big hit against the Buccaneers, and he won’t return for the remainder of the game:


Disaster hit the New Orleans Saints early against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers when Chris Olave went down hard after a big hit. The team’s best wide receiver took a helmet-to-helmet hit from Zyon McCollum, but the play wasn’t fouled. Olave also fumbled on the play, which was recovered  and returned for a Buccaneers touchdown to extend Tampa Bay’s early lead.

They’re going to miss him. So much of the offense is built around Olave demanding double coverage and extra attention from the opposing  secondary, which creates opportunities for teammates like Rashid Shaheed to work one-on-one. Olave has entered the league concussion protocol and there’s no guarantee he’ll clear it in time to play on Thursday night against the Denver Broncos.

The Saints’ depth at wide receiver is going to be tested. Outside of Olave and  Shaheed, the only other players on their 53-man roster are veteran backup Cedrick Wilson Jr. and rookies Bub Means and Maston Tipton. There  are three wideouts on the practice squad including Equanimeous St. Brown, Kevin Austin Jr., and Jermaine Jackson but none of them are eligible to play against the Bucs.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

Bucs CB Zyon McCollum says he isn’t changing his approach in coverage

The Falcons and Kirk Cousins exposed the Bucs secondary as it continues to miss Antoine Winfield Jr. while he recovers from his injury.

The Atlanta Falcons and Kirk Cousins exposed the Tampa Bay Buccaneers secondary as it continues to miss Antoine Winfield Jr. while he recovers from his injury. The Falcons were expected to have a dynamic passing attack but it never showed itself until it faced the Bucs in Week 5.

Despite their breakout performance that saw Cousins pass for over 500 yards, Bucs cornerback Zyon McCollum says he is not changing his style of play.

Speaking to the media on Wednesday, McCollum says he is going to continue playing aggressively. He went on to explain it “motivates” him to be able to find success in that play style and has to learn from it.

McCollum has played well this year despite his performance in Week 5. Many believe that he has a chance to earn a long-term, meaningful role with Todd Bowles directing him. The return of Antoine Winfield Jr. will help his development and make the workload more manageable.

Until then, he has to be able to handle these more significant assignments and learn as he says.

The Bucs need to address the secondary in some fashion

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers showed on Thursday against the Atlanta Falcons that this secondary is going to be a problem.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers showed on Thursday against the Atlanta Falcons that this secondary is going to be a problem. It’s not the way the Seattle Seahawks’ Legion of Boom was a problem but rather the way the 2008 Lions’ secondary was a problem during their winless season.

In his fifth game since tearing his achilles last season, Kirk Cousins was able to pass for 509 yards. The Falcons have some receiving weapons in Drake London and Kyle Pitts, but they never put up these types of numbers before Thursday.

The secondary will also not have time to figure things out. They are set to face off against the Saints’ explosive passing attack, which could easily pass for 500+ yards again.

Jason Licht is going to have to find some solution for this secondary through a trade or free agency pool. Getting Antoine Winfield Jr. back will be a boost, but is that enough? Perhaps it wouldn’t hurt to find some extra help in the process.

Bucs defense among the leagues best in a critical category

Through the first four weeks, the Bucs have generated 77 pressures, earning a top-five spot in the league.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense has largely been talked about due to the play of the secondary, with the emergence of CB Zyon McCollum and the play of S Christian Izien while Antoine Winfield Jr. remains sidelined with a foot injury. Through the first four weeks, the Bucs have generated 77 pressures, earning a top-five spot in the league.

Yaya Diaby’s 21 pressures not only lead the Bucs but also tie him with Micah Parsons for fourth-most in the NFL. While registering a sack is the ultimate goal, it doesn’t tell the full story. Pressuring opposing quarterbacks into moving around the pocket only creates more opportunities for mistakes. As fans saw during Sunday’s victory over the Philadelphia Eagles, Jalen Hurts was never able to get comfortable in the backfield, as the Bucs generated 26 pressures on the day.

Through four games this season, the Atlanta Falcons’ 26th-ranked pass-blocking offensive line has allowed 45 pressures on Kirk Cousins. For context, the Bucs’ offensive line has allowed eight fewer pressures, with 37. Expect Todd Bowles to exploit matchups on Thursday as the Falcons’ running game has a setback with RB Bijan Robinson not playing at 100% with a hamstring injury.

Eagles limp into bye week after a 33-16 loss to the Buccaneers in Week 4

The Philadelphia Eagles suffered a disastrous 33-16 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday.

With A.J. Brown (hamstring), DeVonta Smith (concussion), and Lane Johnson (concussion) out with injuries, the Eagles didn’t have enough depth in key positions. They suffered a disastrous 33-16 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday.

Jalen Hurts was sacked six times on the afternoon, and the star quarterback committed another turnover (fumble), as Philadelphia could not sustain any offensive consistency without the big three in the lineup.

Saquon Barkley had ten carries for 84 yards (8.4 avg). Still, with the Eagles playing from behind all afternoon, the running back was unable to get the Philadelphia offense over the hump against a motivated Tampa defense.

An Eagles defense that shut New Orleans down in Week 3 was gashed to 445 total yards for the Buccaneers offense, including 111 rushing yards and a twelve-minute advantage in time of possession.

Baker Mayfield was on fire early, and even after an inefficient second half, he still was 30-40 passing for 347 yards, two touchdowns, and a 100.2 rating.

Philadelphia (2-2) will now have a week off, during which questions about Sirianni’s job security and the Eagles’ playoff hopes will dominate the airwaves.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

Sights and sounds from first half of Eagles matchup vs. Buccaneers

Jalen Hurts was 7-15 passing for 49 yards and one touchdown, and the Eagles offense was non-existent in the first half as Tampa jumped out to a 21-0 lead before finishing the first half with a 24-7 lead. The Buccaneers dominated time of possession, …

Jalen Hurts was 7-15 passing for 49 yards and one touchdown, and the Eagles offense was non-existent in the first half as Tampa jumped out to a 21-0 lead before finishing the first half with a 24-7 lead. The Buccaneers dominated time of possession, holding for 20:14 seconds, compared to Philadelphia’s 9+ minutes with the football.

With the second half set to begin, here are sights and sounds from the first half.

Former Bucs CB Carlton Davis III off to rough start with Lions

Carlton Davis III is off to a rough start in his new home with the Detroit Lions, and Bucs fans don’t seem surprised by it.

Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Carlton Davis III is off to a rough start in his new home with the Detroit Lions, and Bucs fans don’t seem surprised by it.

After spending his first six years in Tampa, general manager Jason Licht decided it was time to move on from Davis, and sent him along with two sixth-round picks (2024 and 2025) to the Lions in exchange for a third-round pick. During his tenure with the Bucs, Davis showed flashes of being a quality starter- when healthy. The oft-injured cornerback has yet to log a full 17 (or 16) game season, seeing action in 14 games in 2019 and 2020 being his healthiest seasons.

Davis only has nine career interceptions and is routinely in the Top 10 in terms of yards allowed, and that is not even playing in a full-season slate. The slow start for the seven-year veteran in Detroit is proving more of the same, which is why Licht and the Bucs were okay transitioning away from Davis, his $14.5M contract, and added two draft picks along with him.

Through three games, Davis has allowed 224 receiving yards on 18 receptions, the most among CBs in the NFL. Those numbers also come with a 136.2 allowed QB passer rating, which is the seventh-highest. The kicker is that he is not seeing as many snaps defending opposing top wide receivers for the Lions, who rookie Terrion Arnold is currently leading.

It’s safe to say that with the emergence of Zyon McCollum, Licht made yet another solid roster move for his team. McCollum has only allowed four receptions on 12 targets for 52 yards, matching up against WRs like Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, and Courtland Sutton.