After a poor performance against the Steelers a week ago, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive front took a step forward last night vs. the Miami Dolphins.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers took on the Miami Dolphins in their annual preseason clash last night, coming out on top with a final score of 16-14. The Bucs first team played a pretty solid game last week in Pittsburgh against the Steelers, and this week, the depth behind them took a step forward in their first home game.
Coming into the season, we knew the defense was a problem. This was due to a lack of pass rush and lousy play in the back end. Last week in the first look at the new scheme the pass rush was actually alive, and the secondary even got an interception from Vernon Hargreaves that was called back.
Noah Spence was a delightful surprise last week in Pittsburgh. With the new scheme under Todd Bowles, Spence is back at outside linebacker and causing issues for opposing tackles just like he did at Eastern Kentucky and Ohio State.
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Spence has gotten Bucs fans excited for years due to his physical attributes but has struggled to put it all together. This season could be the breakout we have been waiting for. Last night he tallied one tackle for the Buccaneers in limited action as the starters played just one series again.
The Cleveland Browns made a mistake last year when they released edge rusher Carl Nassib in one of the last scenes of ‘Hard Knocks’ a year ago. He and Spence are now listed at the top of the depth chart together at outside linebacker, and last night he tallied a tackle as well.
Newcomer and former Dolphin Ndamukong Suh will also look to make his presence known. Given his status as a proven veteran, Bucs fans will have to wait until the regular season in order to see Suh make much of a splash on the field in the pewter and red.
Last night at Raymond James Stadium, the Buccaneers tallied five total sacks, and only one of them came from a first teamer in Shaquil Barrett. This is great news as head coach Bruce Arians challenged the backup defensive linemen after they gave no push in Pittsburgh.
Shaq Barrett had a fantastic game. But this is the power of a 3-4 defense. Notice the defensive end and outside linebacker at the bottom of the screen. One takes on the left tackle to free up the other for an easy sack. Barrett tight roping around the edge to perfection pic.twitter.com/8RO8fstwu3
— Nick Sitro ✌️ (@nicksitro) August 17, 2019
In addition to Barrett’s sack (technically listed as second string but will get significant playing time), the Buccaneers defensive front plugged holes as three linebackers got home in Patrick O’Connor, Devante Bond, Demone Harris, and Farrington Huguenin.
Rakeem Nunez-Roches and Jeremiah Ledbetter are some backups along the defensive front who are gathering some steam due to their versatility. While Ledbetter did not play last night, Nunez-Roches finished with one tackle as well. It would be nice to see a bit more out of the 2019 seventh rounder Terry Beckner Jr. moving forward.
The Buccaneers’ defensive front has two more preseason games moving forward, one more until the first wave of cutdowns to prove they belong on the roster. Last night the group took a step in the right direction.