2017 Buccaneers Preseason: Week 2 grades vs Jacksonville Jaguars
Nobody tends to notice the offensive line unless they’re pancaking a Buccaneers opponent, or giving up a sack.
Similarly, the only time the defensive line gets attention is normally when they get a lot of sacks or none at all.
The trenches is still where games are won and lost in the NFL, so it’s important these guys get it right.
Evidence of this could be seen on the second installment of HBO’s “Hard Knocks” series featuring the very same Bucs this year.
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Following a game-one shoulder injury to backup quarterback Ryan Griffin, starter Jameis Winston took it upon himself to scold a pair of young linemen who were having a little too much fun considering the player they’re paid to protect just went to the locker room.
It was a brilliant display of leadership, and anyone who doesn’t see it as such should probably stick to their day job, and leave the leading to guys like Winston.
Moving on.
Each team came away with two sacks in the game.
Both Buccaneers sacks allowed fell on Winston. The first, came from Jaguars defender Sheldon Day.
On the play, the Tampa quarterback stepped up in the pocket looking to find a throw to make into the endzone. Jacksonville defensive end Dexter Fowler got loose from tackle Caleb Benenoch and got his hands-on Winston forcing the quarterback to fight off the sack.
However, this gave Day the seconds he needed to wrap up Winston’s legs leading to the ugly duckling interception which never was.
Benenoch actually had pretty good leverage and position on Fowler in the play, and when the former Florida Gators star spun back towards the line of scrimmage, the Bucs lineman let him loose as he was unaware his quarterback had stepped up behind him.
Moving forward, coaches will certainly ask the young tackle to finish his blocks and stay engaged with the defender through the entirety of the play.
The second sack of the evening on Winston came late in the first half and ultimately knocked the Buccaneers out of field goal range.
On the play, right tackle Leonard Wester either forgot how fast Fowler can be off the edge, or just didn’t find the juice needed to stay in front of him.
Either way, the Jaguars defensive end ran right by the young tackle and hit Winston’s arm right as he was about to deliver a pass to running back Charles Sims which would have likely put the Bucs in range for a Nick Folk field goal try.
Instead, Fowler’s hit caused a fumble which was then picked up by Adam Humphries and run in for a score, kind of. NFL rules state a fumble can’t be progressed by the offense within two minutes, so the ball was dead at the spot of the fumble.
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On defense, Tampa came away with two sacks of their own, but neither came from the line.
Instead, it was the linebackers who tallied both of them. Now, any good teammate will say the defensive line opens the gaps for linebackers to get sacks in, but it’s still nice to see the linemen get home from time-to-time.
In the entire game, the Bucs defensive line collected three tackles. Clinton McDonald, Chris Baker and Channing Ward each collected one.
Eating blocks was the role for the front-four in this game as Jaguars running backs accounted for just 30-yards of offense on 17 combined carries.
The line may not have been wrapping up the ball carriers, but they were keeping the linebackers free to do so themselves, and it worked.
Both lines played well for the most part. There were a couple of missed assignments as there always will be.
There were however, times when Winston stood in the pocket for what seemed like an eternity, free to survey the field.
Alternately, Blake Bortles certainly didn’t get comfortable in his playing time, and neither did Chad Henne.
Third Jacksonville quarterback Brandon Allen found the most success of them all, and did most of his damage on the move. The line will definitely need to figure out how to contain mobile quarterbacks, but it doesn’t detract too badly from the final results.