The Pewter Plank
FanSided

Walk the Plank! 3 Buccaneers who contributed to loss vs. Saints

By Cory Kinnan

TAMPA, FLORIDA - NOVEMBER 17: Demario Davis #56 of the New Orleans Saints looks to recover a fumble by O.J. Howard #80 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the first quarter of a football game at Raymond James Stadium on November 17, 2019 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
TAMPA, FLORIDA - NOVEMBER 17: Demario Davis #56 of the New Orleans Saints looks to recover a fumble by O.J. Howard #80 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the first quarter of a football game at Raymond James Stadium on November 17, 2019 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images) /
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TAMPA, FL – AUGUST 23: Head coach Bruce Arians of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers talks with Sean Murphy-Bunting #26 on the sidelines in the fourth quarter of the preseason game against the Cleveland Browns at Raymond James Stadium on August 23, 2019 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Will Vragovic/Getty Images)
TAMPA, FL – AUGUST 23: Head coach Bruce Arians of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers talks with Sean Murphy-Bunting #26 on the sidelines in the fourth quarter of the preseason game against the Cleveland Browns at Raymond James Stadium on August 23, 2019 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Will Vragovic/Getty Images) /

player. Pick Analysis. CB. . Sean Murphy-Bunting. 26. 48. Scouting Report

Let me repeat: the Buccaneers intentionally schemed Jamel Dean out of their gameplan. The rookie cornerback who tallied an interception, four pass breakups, and two tackles a week ago against the Arizona Cardinals was left out of the pewter and red defensive plans a week later.

Arians’ reasoning was because they planned to play a lot of zone coverage, and Dean is more of a man coverage cornerback. Right, because good coaches plug players into the scheme they want to run instead of scheme around the strengths of their players. Got it.

Without Dean on the field, the Bucs predictably struggled to slow down Saints’ quarterback Drew Brees and his favorite target Michael Thomas. On the day, Thomas finished with eight catches for 114 yards and a touchdown; on his score, rookie Sean Murphy-Bunting appeared to be confused as he was a solid five yards from Thomas, who was wide open inches from the goal line.

Murphy-Bunting was torched all day, and the Bucs pass defense had no answers for the Saints all day long. Growing pains are part of the process now that Vernon Hargreaves has been cut and claimed by the Texans, as the youngsters are now being thrown into the fire. SMB definitely faced some of those growing pains yesterday in this divisional matchup.

For now, however, Sean Murphy-Bunting, you may walk the plank!

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