The BUCCANEERS Defense Faces A Big Challenge In Detroit’s Pass Game
The Buccaneers face their first big test when the team hits the road to Detroit to face the Lions. While the Washington Commanders did present a few unique challenges with Jayden Daniels and an unpredictable offense in Week 1, the Week 2 opponent is an entirely different monster.
QB Jared Goff won't be as fleet of foot as Daniels, but he's far more experienced, and the talent around him is exponentially more dangerous. Like the BUCS, the Lions have a well-rounded talent pool on offense that can spread a defense thin, and it'll be even more challenging with multiple injuries plaguing the BUCS.
Secondary Issues & Primary Concerns
WR Amon-ra St. Brown had a quiet outing in Week 1 vs the Rams. He caught 3 balls for a total of 13 yards on 6 targets. The Rams wrangled him by playing mostly zone coverages. He only saw 3 routes against man coverage last week. CB Quentin Lake was the defender who matched against him when they did matchup man-to-man. Jamel Dean would most likely be the BUCS' guy if/when man coverage is called.
The biggest question mark and possibly an even more significant challenge is who would cover speedster Jameson Williams. He went for 121 yards on 5 catches last week. Williams has been a legit down-field threat since his days at the University of Alabama. That 4.25 speed is why the Lions drafted him as their version of Tyreek Hill. Even with Zyon McCollum clearing concussion protocol, Todd Bowles has only Dean, who can keep up with Williams' speed in man coverage.
The Lions' offense largely depends on short passes that go for significant gains after the reception, emphasizing blocking by other receivers and tight ends. In the two matchups last season, the BUCS' biggest issues containing the Lions' offense stemmed from the inability to tackle receivers after the catch. That has to be a focal point in the defensive attack this time.
OC Ben Johnson likes to run a 12 Personnel offense(2 WRs, 2 TEs, 1 RB) to start the game with Sam LaPorta and Ben Wright as the Tight Ends. Second-year TE Sam LaPorta will be the obvious target in the passing attack. Ben Wright is a good decoy who is pretty solid when it comes to being an additional run blocker. Lavonte David and KJ Britt will need to read their keys and be in sync to contain LaPorta and not allow Wright to help spring David Montgomery(RB) or Jahmyr Gibbs(RB) out of the backfield.
Against the Rams, Detroit focused most of their passing attack on the short throws that relied heavily on getting yards after the catch. Besides one long completion to Williams for 54 yards, 9 of their 10 biggest offensive plays came from short passes to the left side of the offensive line or in the middle of the field that turned into 10+ yard gains. Expect to see Todd Bowles utilize multiple variations of zone coverages to mitigate the speed of some of their receivers and help out the injury-riddled secondary. To defend the screen plays, OLBs Tryon-Shoyinka, Chris Braswell, and Yaya Diaby will need to play it smart in their pass rush. Recognizing the tendencies by the offensive line will be key in preventing big plays on the edge.
But it doesn’t end with the edge defenders. Jordan Whitehead and Chris Izien, stepping in for Antoine Winfield Jr., will called upon to get to the ball-carrier after a completion since the Lions design their offense to turn everyone into blockers after a reception.
Let's take a look at how the Lions' offensive attack looked last week.
