Pass Rush Will Make Or Break Tampa Bay Buccaneers Defense In 2015

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Kim Klement-USA Today Sports
Kim Klement-USA Today Sports

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers weren’t very good on either side of the ball in 2014. That much should be clear about any team that finishes 2-14. With instability at the quarterback position and a terrible offensive line, the offense was definitely worse than the defense. That doesn’t mean the defense was any good, though. The Bucs blew multiple fourth-quarter leads, largely due to the defense falling apart late in games.

It was clearly tough on most of the players trying to adapt to Lovie Smith’s Tampa-2 defense. Early in the season many players looked lost and confused. It was often far too simple for opposing offenses to thrash the Bucs’ D for easy yards and uncontested scores. As the season went on, though, the defense seemed to get more comfortable playing in Smith’s system. Even if it didn’t translate to wins last year, the defense was definitely much better by the end of the season.

The Bucs’ defense finished 25th in total yards allowed last year, but that’s not the best indicator of how they were playing when the year ended. Even though they were pretty atrocious to start the season, the Bucs finished 18th in Defensive DVOA (Defense-adjusted Value Over Average), just below league average.

I think that represents their overall defensive play last year, and there is no reason they won’t be better in 2015. Of course every team looks to improve every offseason, but the Bucs were still learning a new system last year. Now they have more film to watch and actual examples of what they did and didn’t do well.

Learning the system is important, but having the best players for the system is what really matters. Mason Foster, the team’s starting middle linebacker for the past several seasons, left in free agency. However, he never seemed to pick up Smith’s defense that well, anyways.

The Bucs signed Bruce Carter away from the Dallas Cowboys and hope that he can do a better job than Foster did in the middle of the field. A faster and more athletic player than Foster, Carter should be a better fit for the Bucs if he can integrate himself quickly enough.

There are definitely some question marks at safety, as neither of the Bucs’ two starters from a year ago are returning. More concerning than that, though, is the pass rush. No matter what defense you run, if you can’t put pressure on the quarterback, you won’t be successful.

Jacquies Smith was decent in 2014 and the Bucs signed George Johnson, who was a productive player for the Detroit Lions. However, those two won’t be enough for a dominant pass rush, and they will probably be the starting ends opening day. William Gholston and Larry English will definitely be in the rotation, but they are far from being game-changers.

Bucs fans should absolutely be worried about the team’s pass rush. Just like the offense only goes as far as the offensive line can take it, the defense is nothing without a strong front four. With that being said, the Bucs do have two elite defensive playmakers in Gerald McCoy and Lavonte David. It can’t be forgotten that coach Smith is a longtime defensive wizard, either. If anyone can turn this Bucs defense into a solid unit, it’s him.

David Rumsey is the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Beat Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter (@David_Bucs) for more Bucs’ news and analysis.

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