Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Run defense needs to improve in 2017
For a true shot at contention, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers need to tighten their run defense.
This might sound obvious, but the Tampa Bay Buccaneers need to improve their run defense if they want to tangle with the Goliaths of the NFC South. The Bucs gave up 117.2 yards per contest last season, a number that ranked them in the bottom half of the league. In their last three contests of the season, they gave up an average of 145.3 yards per game.
In those three games, they played Dallas, New Orleans, and Carolina. Granted, the powerful running attacks of those teams are not exactly the easiest to stop, especially if the opponent is Ezekiel Elliott.
In the Cowboys’ narrow 26-20 victory over the Bucs, Elliott had a field day. Rushing the rock 23 times for 159 yards and a touchdown, he was efficient, averaging 6.9 yards per carry on the day. That was a career high for the former Oho State Buckeye.
Heading into 2017, the NFC South has perhaps the most talented running back group in the league. Tevin Coleman, Devonta Freeman, Mark Ingram, and rookie Christian McCaffery are some of the notable names Tampa Bay will have to deal with. To their credit, Tampa Bay had a running back of their own by the name of Doug Martin who is also pretty good. However obviously, he cannot help them defensively.
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What can the Buccaneers do to stop it?
For starters, Tampa Bay could blitz more. However, how often they execute it would be dependent upon the team they are facing.
When they face the Carolina Panthers (Oct. 29 and Dec. 24) they should play a balanced defense. The Panthers ranked No. 10 in the NFL in total rushing yards last year (1,814), but they also have several weapons in the passing game (Kelvin Benjamin and Greg Olsen are prime examples.)
For a team like the Saints, focus on blitzing a little more. This, in theory, would confuse the line and put pressure in the backfield quickly. They ranked No. 16 in total rushing yards with 1,742, but they did not have Adrian Peterson. The only caveat with that is, we don’t know what kind of production he will bring to the Big Easy. Even still, they must respect the talent he possesses.
The Atlanta Falcons bring a tough test all-around. They are a balanced team with Matt Ryan and Julio Jones being a major threat in the passing game in addition to what Coleman and Freeman bring to the table. I would still try to bring as many rushers as possible. Atlanta ranked No. 11 in the league in sacks allowed with 38 and the offense line has been a problem area for them as of late.
Possessing the firepower
If there is one thing the Bucs have, it is a strong defense. Gerald McCoy led the team with seven sacks last season while Kwon Alexander had 145 total tackles, good enough for second in the NFC. Combine that with guys like Keith Tandy and Noah Spence, and you have a tremendous assembly of athletes. They are multifaceted. The group is adept at rushing the passer in addition to making a tackle.
With that being said, they need to make sure they are ready to go on every single play. New Orleans and Atlanta were Nos. 1 and 2 in total offense in 2016, respectively. The Saints racked up 6,816 total yards while the Falcons amassed 6,653 total yards. To put it simply, taking plays off is not an option for Tampa Bay.
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All in all, the Buccaneers have put together a team built to succeed. However, they need to address their run defense if they have any hope of contending for an NFC East title. If they do not, the offense will have to be almost perfect for the team to contend.