October 14, 2025 • 50 mins
Team Reporter Casey Phillips sat down with Tampa Bay Buccaneers Head Coach Todd Bowles & Defensive Line Coach Charlie Strong following the Week 6 game against the San Francisco 49ers. They discussed the team’s culture, Vita Vea’s coachability and how the Bucs’ depth is delivering under pressure.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
What that three three?
Speaker 2 (00:05):
This is Buccaneers Total Access with head coach Todd Bowles.
Speaker 3 (00:09):
That the hell of a job going back.
Speaker 4 (00:15):
Robin Baka throws a sideline route.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
It is pod ball, pop Paul my cabits what the
guy try?
Speaker 1 (00:21):
Toll over it touch down? Tampa Bay Fire, the Cannets,
Get up Going.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
Brought to you by Advent Health.
Speaker 4 (00:27):
Whether you're in the stands, on the field, or celebrating
with your greatest fan, Advent Health make sure you're ready
for game day and every day feel hole with advent
Health Exclusive Hospital of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Speaker 1 (00:40):
Fire the Cannons.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
Now your host, Bucks team reporter Casey Phillips and head
coach Todd Bowles.
Speaker 5 (00:46):
Welcome into the Todd Bowles show Casey Phillips here with
head coach Todd Bowles, tied for our best six game
start in franchise history. Now tell me this start of
the season and then also getting off to a little
bit quicker starting games. What do you feel like has
just if you look at the big picture of what
stands out to you about why this team has been
able to start this way.
Speaker 3 (01:06):
Mental toughness. I think the trip in preseason we took
the Pittsburgh getting away for that week like it was
an old school camp and getting the chemistry together, establishing
boundaries them, getting to trust one another and being around
each other day in and day out helped really help
with our mental toughness. And planning that stadium against a
(01:28):
very good football team, and then going out playing in
Atlanta and Houston the first two games of the year
on the road, playing in the hostile environments. That brought
us closer together mentally. We didn't crack at the end
of the ball games and we made plays to win.
And that kind of been continuing and that's been the
theme thus far. And you know that kind of creates
a tough football team.
Speaker 5 (01:49):
I know a Baker's game he now in these last
two weeks has the highest completion percentage and QB rating
of anyone over these last two weeks and the only
quarterback to average at least eleven yards per attempt in
the games. How do you see that he's able to
find chemistry. I feel like we talk about how we
know Mike Evans is great because he does it no
matter whose quarterback is over the years. Baker's now showing
(02:09):
he's doing it no matter who his wide receivers are.
How do you think he's able to be so consistent
no matter who is out there with him.
Speaker 3 (02:16):
I think he trusts the offense number one, so he
understands his reads and knows where to go with the football.
And he does a great job in the offseason of
getting to know individuals wide receiver wise, tighth end wise,
running back wise, really entire team. But the guys that
are out there, he knows where they're going to be.
He knows what kind of routes they run. He knows
(02:37):
if he breaks the pocket, who's going to beware, who
does what and how they think. So the connection has
been great on his part and I think he's done
an outstanding job.
Speaker 5 (02:46):
Let's talk about his third and fourteen scramble play. First
of all, I would like a narration in your brain
over the course of that play if we were hearing
the active thoughts.
Speaker 3 (02:57):
First impressions was go down, tuck the ball away. He's
gonna get killed. Then he broke out of the pocket. Okay, slide, slide, slide.
Then he goes to the left. Oh my guy, he's
getting ready to get killed. And this guy's crazy. I
think he's gonna make it.
Speaker 1 (03:09):
It's like, goot, yeay, got yet great dap Baker, and
then you go to the next play.
Speaker 5 (03:15):
Yeah, this is exactly what I would have predicted. Actually,
I actually wish now we could have this randomly, this
commentary for all plays. That's what we all need instead
of being just miked up the active thoughts. I think
that's what went through most Bucks fans thoughts. He next
transtat said he had just a three point seven percent
(03:35):
chance to get the first down on that play. What
did that individual play mean to the game and the
team at that time?
Speaker 3 (03:42):
I found meant everything because Mecca had just went out
and we didn't have all our guys in there for
him to make that toughness run. It kind of brought
everybody up that saw Mecca was down. Then a few
plays later he hit tails on the deep ball. So
it seemed to be happening every other week for him.
And he's making some statement plays in the game and
(04:03):
that's great to see.
Speaker 5 (04:04):
Yeah, let's talk about tes Johnson. That touchdown was actually
Baker's third touchdown pass of at least forty yards this season,
which is the most among all quarterbacks. Take us through
that play and what both Baker and Tesz and the
offense as a whole unit really did well to make
that happen.
Speaker 3 (04:19):
Baker brought time in the pocket, O line did a
great job giving him protection. He wanted the inside route,
it wasn't there. He recalibrated, looked the other way. Tedz
was cheeking down the sideline. It was a heck of
a throw, the heck of a catch. He connected with him.
They've thrown some deep balls in practice, so he knows
how fast Taz is and where he needs to place
the ball, and he put it out there for him
(04:39):
and Tedz went got it.
Speaker 5 (04:41):
I know Grizzard talked about before the season that increasing
some of the deep balls and larger chunk plays was
a really big emphasis for this year. But I'm sure
a lot of people would have thought with so many
injuries on both your offensive line and wide receiver room,
that would have been a tough thing to have happened.
But it still has happened a lot more, I think
than last year. So what's worked well on overall just
more of the deep passes, chunk plays, and why Gizzard's
(05:04):
offense is designed to have a little bit more of
that this year.
Speaker 3 (05:08):
Well, it's worked well, especially yesterday, because Tedz and Cam
can run. You know, they can run all day, and
they got young legs so they can run non stop,
getting to not get tired. And they did a great
job of playing fast. B Mac always preaches to those
guys to play fast. They did a great job playing
fast and learning and paying attention. And I think it
(05:28):
clicked yesterday.
Speaker 5 (05:30):
Cam Johnson going into this game, had zero career receptions
and then finished as our leading receiver, had that incredible touchdown.
Tell me about why he was ready in this moment
and outside of being fast, you know, just all the
things that he has shown to prove to you prove
to Baker that he was ready for a moment like this.
Speaker 3 (05:48):
I think after being here a year and him being
on a practice squad last year, then coming in this year,
he had something to prove and he did it on
special teams and he got the confidence and that felt
like he can be more of a receiver, and his
time came up. Preseason. He's a little jittery, but he
only had one game, but after that he's been working
his tailoff in practice and his chance came and he
(06:10):
took advantage of.
Speaker 5 (06:11):
It and then now, I know we don't know a
lot about a Mecca's health at this point, So what
did you see from him in the in the game
before he went out? And then just the ways that
these other guys stepping up make you feel better about
if he does have to miss some time, you know,
even missing out basically it could be your top four
potentially wide receivers. You know that what he was showing you.
(06:33):
And then what these other guys stepping in means for
moving forward.
Speaker 3 (06:36):
I mean, he came in playing fast, he was picking
up right where he left off. He's on his way
to having a very good ball game. He works hard
and he plays hard. Mecha can do what two or
three guys can do. So now it's to replace him.
It's going to have to be about three or four
guys to try to replace him. But very confident in
those guys. They played some ball, they got some good
experience yesterday, and you know, if we got to play
(06:57):
with them guys Monday night, I think they'll play well.
Speaker 5 (07:00):
I know Rashad's touchdown now has him tied for the
fifth most touchdowns from scrimmage by a running back in
franchise history. Tell me what you saw from his game
and his touchdown in particular, and how he's been able
to step into be the main guy with Bucky bean out.
Speaker 3 (07:14):
Shaw has really been the unsung hero in the glue
offensively between him and Kate, that kind of keeps everything together.
He makes the tough runs and the hard runs. He
makes some great catches in the screen game. He makes
the tough blocks for us, and I mean, you look up,
he's always there. He's diicing through the hole, getting extra
yards after getting hit, got a third and one play
(07:35):
after getting hit in the backfield and made something out
of nothing. So he's really been doing all the little
things for us to be a good team, for us
to win.
Speaker 5 (07:42):
Casey Philips here with head coach Todd Bowles Sterling Shepherd
two catches, but they went for fifteen and thirty six yards,
his longest catch as a Buck. What were his contributions
like in the game and how much they meant even
though it was a couple catches, seemed like really crucial moments,
And that feels like a theme for Shep this year.
It's not always about the quantity, but it feels like
he steps up kind of when you need him the most.
(08:03):
He does.
Speaker 3 (08:04):
He always finds the spot and he knows where the
open spaces are. He did a heck of a job blocking.
He was our energizer in there. He kept everybody together
and everybody going. Really good for the young guys to see.
And he makes plays. He always makes plays and he
lets you know about it.
Speaker 5 (08:19):
I don't doubt that. How about Sean Tucker stepping in
is the number two and his touchdown and what stood
out about that play and then his performance overall?
Speaker 3 (08:27):
John can run the football. We wanted him in there,
but really impressive was his past protection. You know, he
stuck his face in there and made some blocks for
Baker to throw the football. But he can run when
he gets outside. He's a lot faster than people thinking
you can't catch him.
Speaker 5 (08:40):
And how about your offensive line? Yet again, another game
where we ended up with a different combination of people
out there. So tell me what you saw from them.
Both before Haggard went out and then once Elijah Klin
stepped in.
Speaker 3 (08:50):
Haggard was actually done a very good job. He really
came to his own this week. And when he got
out of there and Client stepped in, and from having
played before, he really stepped in and he was on
a calm and under control and knew what he was
doing and he did his job.
Speaker 5 (09:03):
You mentioned Kate Atten earlier being kind of one of
the unsung heroes of the offense. Now five catches for
fifty one yards. So after only thirty four receiving yards
across the first four weeks of the season, when he
was essentially almost an honorary O line member due to circumstances,
he's now contributed one hundred and thirty two yards in
weeks five and six. So tell us just kind of
what he's done the last couple of weeks and getting
(09:25):
the chance again to be more that receiving guy and
the role he can play with so many injuries with.
Speaker 3 (09:31):
Mecha coming on and the attention going to him, you know,
Kate was the other guy that was wide open all
the time. So we started using them and incorporating him
in the offense a lot more and more, and he's
making some great catches and moving the chains for us
along with him and Rashads, so they got to play
as more. Honest.
Speaker 5 (09:47):
All right, let's talk about Jamal. A couple big plays
for him interception and his first career sack. Tell me
about those two plays and what he did well.
Speaker 3 (09:55):
Their first career sack was probably the most impressive play
I've seen him play, and I've been here seven years.
Speaker 5 (10:01):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (10:01):
But he actually dipped and came under and he went
for the strip when he got the sack, which he
has never done in his life. And that was probably
my most proudest moment yesterday of all. And he played
the interception very well. He had McCaffrey in front of him,
he had the receiver behind him, he was in cover
two and he sat there and he waited the quarterback
(10:22):
out and he caught it with his hands. Again, really
playing well.
Speaker 5 (10:26):
Like the play season that's great and Kendall wildor also
an interception. I'm not sure that was one that Bucks
fans had on their Bengo cards to tell me how
great was that? Playing just the way that Kendall's been
able to step in when called upon, you know.
Speaker 3 (10:39):
It was a heck of a play by him. It
was a great read, great catch. I don't know about
him not being able to get off the ground and
getting stumbling and bumbling three times. He could have got
up and crawled in if he wanted to, But it
was a heck of a play by him. He's a
very smart player, He's very instinctive player. He had some
plays throughout that ball game really play it well.
Speaker 5 (11:01):
And then just the way that now also when you
look at how he has been called upon, but then
also you had Parish and the way that whenever Kendall
was in versus that Parish having to play a little
bit of Nick a little bit outside. How impressive is
it that he's able to manage both positions, not just
in general, but even in one game, to have to
manage what his role is when he changes.
Speaker 3 (11:21):
I thought it was a lot better this week, you know,
after going at it against Seattle, you know it was
a little rough going from both places. But this week
I thought he did a very good job. He played
a heck of a ball game, very tough ballgame coverage
wise and tackling wise. And Paraprires is a very good
football player.
Speaker 5 (11:39):
I know that Fred Warner is a guy you definitely
think very highly of, and all of us know how
talented he is. What was kind of the effect on
the game when he went out of a player of
that caliber, and what that can maybe do even for
your game.
Speaker 3 (11:51):
Plan, You know, we saw it when it happened. Something
you don't want to see, especially against a guy with
that caliber and how good he is off the field
with everybody. Everybody loved the sky all over the place.
A great competitor, great person. And to see something like
that happen early in the game, you know, that can
be devastating for a team, both teams. Really, we had
(12:11):
guys on our team that couldn't even look and turn
around and see what happened there. So hopefully speedy recovery
and the best form.
Speaker 5 (12:18):
We saw the sack well first of all six sacks,
which incredible performance on that And what worked so well
from a pass rush standpoint and the fact that I
imagine that for you, it's kind of the dream of
where it's defensive lineman, it's outside linebackers, it's a corner
that all levels of your defense were getting in on
that action. So what worked so well from that standpoint
in this.
Speaker 3 (12:36):
Game started up front. They were getting off the ball early.
When the D line gets off the ball early, that
allows you to open up everything else. Vita Logan, gains
ya Ya Hasan, all of them guys started taking off
on the ball. It allows the second level to start
to come through because they're spending more time on the
(12:56):
other guys. So when Lebonte got his and Dean got here,
is all set up by the defensive front and that's
good to see.
Speaker 5 (13:03):
Yeah, So the sack that was split between Elijah Roberts
and Vita. First of all, Elijah's now got one sack,
but each of them are a half. The guy can't
quite get his own so far, but has a rookie've
been in there on a few of them. So what
did you see on that play overall? And then just
the fact that Elijah Roberts has come in and shown
he really can be a force in that area.
Speaker 3 (13:22):
Oh, Vita beat his man clean first. Beta should have
had it by himself, but he missed it. Obviously. Elijah
came running right behind him. He uses his hands very well.
He's very good at using his hands and getting on
the edge of blockers and getting back in the backfield.
And I think that's a skill set that he already
knew because you can't teach that. You can teach it,
(13:42):
but you can't do it like he can do it.
And he has a knack for that, and that's only
going to help us in the future.
Speaker 5 (13:47):
I know. Vita now with that half sack, tied Jason
Pierre Paul and Brad Culpepper for the ninth most sackson
franchise history. We've just seen the way that a guy,
you know, at his position, his size is able to
pass rush on such an elite level, and saw that
he brought pressure on a lot of plays where maybe
he didn't even get a stat for it, it seems
like he helped on ya yas. And what have you
(14:08):
seen for this season overall and in this game in particular,
the way that he's still continuing to show he can
be elite in that way he's been dominant.
Speaker 3 (14:15):
He's been dominant. He's the one guy that can get
his own even if the play is not designed for him.
You know, he can really cause havoc back there if
you don't pay attention to him. Whether it's a short
yard to stop, whether it's a sack, whether it's an
edge run play, no matter what, Vida can make his plays.
And he's been great for us this year.
Speaker 5 (14:35):
No, yeah, ya ended up with two sacks on the
books in this game. What made this game one where
he kind of exploded a little bit in that area
And then just what you're trying to work on with
him for it to be where more consistently he's shown
up in the ways where he gets so close it
feels like a lot of times, but to really finish
some of these plays more consistently.
Speaker 3 (14:52):
We had a good conversation, and you know, I think
he came out with the right mentality and then he
took it to heart and he went out and played
a hell of a ball game, and that's what.
Speaker 1 (15:02):
We know he can do.
Speaker 5 (15:03):
And then I know that Born they also we talked
about they were so injured coming into this game, very
similar to us, and so also similar to us, they
had some backup guys step up in a big way.
Bourne finished with one hundred and forty two yards receiving.
What was the challenge of facing him and just overall
what it's like to scout a team that ends up
having a lot of guys that haven't gotten as many
games and reps in the past due to injuries.
Speaker 3 (15:25):
Well, he's a good receiver, but two of them catches
that went for about eighty yards, we can't even keep
our feet. We just fall down. I mean, if Voss
keeps his feet, the ball hits him in the face
and we got to do a better job of being
an athletic out there above. Obviously they have tough receivers.
They were born in Jennings. He's played in this league
a while. He's very quick, he understands what to do.
(15:46):
Him and Mac had a connection and he made some
plays and we're just happy we made more in the end.
Speaker 5 (15:52):
We knew Christian McCaffrey could be a guy that you
can really make or break a game. And you guys
held the forty nine ers to sixty seven rushing yards,
which is the fewest allowed to an opponent this season
and the fewest that they've produced in a single game
this season. So what worked well from the run game standpoint?
Speaker 3 (16:08):
Again, it starts with Vita. It starts with Vita on
the inside, and Boss did a heck of a job
coming down. He'll making some plays and I thought we
really corralled him in the passing game as far as
yak yards. When he caught the ball, it was one
of two guys coming from every angle and Boss was
spear hitting it.
Speaker 5 (16:25):
We saw Levante get the stripsack that unfortunately then just
turned into a sack, but still a great play even
after it was overturned. On replay, what did he do
well on that play? And then his game overall.
Speaker 3 (16:36):
Avante has been in the defense long enough where he
understands the timing of the blitz, he understands what the
other guys have to do to free himself up, and
he does a very good job of waiting till the
exact time to turn on the gas and let the
blocks take care of themselves and make the plays. And
he's become great at that, and he's very good at it,
and he made the play.
Speaker 5 (16:57):
Time to talk about this upcoming game against the line,
So tell me Jared Goff this season obviously faced him
several times now over the course of different teams. What
does he look like this year and some of the
unique challenges he brings.
Speaker 3 (17:11):
Extremely accurate, knows where to go with the football, gets
the ball out of his hands, has tons of weapons
to work with. Again, tough team. We've played him the
last three years. It's always been a dogfight. It don't
expect anything different here. But he's a very accurate pass
of one of the best in the league, and he's hard.
Speaker 1 (17:30):
To get to.
Speaker 5 (17:31):
And then how about Jamiir Gibbs and David Montgomery and
the fact that each one of them what they bring,
but then having them together the way that that makes
it challenging to game plan.
Speaker 3 (17:40):
For extremely tough Montgomery's extremely tough coming up and inside running.
He's hard to bring down. He's more thunder gives is
more lightning. Even though he's hard to bring down, he's
very quick and he's fast and he can break tackles
on the outside and you're not going to catch him if.
Speaker 1 (17:57):
He gets going.
Speaker 5 (17:58):
And then aman Ra sat another is if those weren't
enough weapons, tell me what's interesting about him and the
way he's come on in yours.
Speaker 3 (18:07):
They've got a ton of him again, He's another one
catches at least nine ten balls a game, very good
down the field, very good intermediate, very good in the
short rout, and very good ones. He gets the ball
in his hands. So he's gonna be another tough out.
And they spread all these guys out and they make
you play individual ball and you've got to be very disciplined.
Speaker 5 (18:26):
Then we know Aiden Hutchinson a guy who can reck games.
And tell me, now, with where the offensive line is
at this point, the comfort level with that, and just
ways that you try to limit a guy like him
who really can be a game wrecker.
Speaker 3 (18:40):
No, we were similar to last year. We were playing
with a backup tackle and he had a hell of
a day against us last year. But Charlie's playing very
good right now, so we're going to have our hands
full with Aiden again. He's a tough football player, but
we gotta fight and we got to win our battles.
Speaker 5 (18:56):
How about the rest of their defensive front outside of him?
What stands out?
Speaker 3 (19:00):
Extremely physical at the point of attack. Obviously we're going
against one of our coaches over there, Casey Rogers. He'll
have those guys ready to play, so he'll have some
tricks up his sleeve, so.
Speaker 1 (19:09):
We better be ready.
Speaker 5 (19:10):
And then how about their secondary ballhawks.
Speaker 3 (19:13):
They play a lot of man coverage. They play very
tight coverage. They come after you up front. They played
the tight covers in the back and they wait for
you to make a mistake.
Speaker 5 (19:22):
What did you learn from the last Monday night football
game of how the team handled it well and just
in general knowing there had been some struggles in primetime games,
but to do well in this last one, and what
you guys feel like the takeaway was and how guys
handled it.
Speaker 3 (19:34):
The biggest thing was the crowd noise. We hardly had
any false start, so that was big. To play in
that type of environment and play a tough ball game
and not flinched. It's not easy to do. So we
got to go up there with the same mindset. It's
going to be us against everybody once we get up there,
and we just.
Speaker 1 (19:48):
Got to execute well.
Speaker 5 (19:49):
Coach, thank you as always for your time. We really
appreciate it, and again congrats on that big w this weekend.
Speaker 1 (19:54):
Thank you.
Speaker 5 (19:54):
Coming up next on Buccaneers Total Access is defensive line
coach Charlie Strong, brought to you by Advan Health Buccaneers Radio.
Speaker 2 (20:01):
Buccaneers Total Access brought to you by advant Health, Exclusive
Hospital of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Dropping back of the row,
we've threatened the blitz of coming after my home Puss.
Speaker 1 (20:11):
He sacked from the back field.
Speaker 2 (20:12):
That's a forty two yard line. Vitavea has his fourth
sack of the season. Now more with Bucks team reporter
Casey Phillips.
Speaker 5 (20:20):
Welcome back into Buccaneers Total Access brought to you by
advent Hell. First half of the show we had head
coach Todd Bowles. Now I am so excited to be
joined by defensive line coach Charlie Strong, coach, thanks for
being with us.
Speaker 1 (20:30):
Oh, thank you, Casey, thank you for having me all and.
Speaker 5 (20:32):
You got a good one to come on for. Man,
I mean, what a game that was. What a start
to the season. This is it. It's been unbelievable as
a fan and everybody to watch this tied for the
best six game start in franchise history. To have this
kind of record, all the injuries, all the last minute wins,
all of the chaos so far this season. What is
this like? What does it feel like in the locker
(20:52):
room and the coaches meetings and just the overall vibe
of this team at this point.
Speaker 6 (20:56):
I think that when you look at our team right now,
it carries a personersonality of our head coach.
Speaker 1 (21:01):
And so you look at the wins where.
Speaker 6 (21:04):
We came back late in the fourth quarter and one
of the games, they don't crack. You know, it's just
like we just continue to play. The head coach doesn't.
That's the way he carries himself, and you see his
personality and you just know at some point someone's gonna
make a play. You know, we may be down now,
but I think now just because the way offense is
(21:25):
playing the way Bakers plan that you can always count.
Speaker 1 (21:29):
You hate for that to happen because you said.
Speaker 6 (21:31):
Okay, every week we were lying on Baker to come
and make a play, and at some point the defense
has to step up and stop people. But just the
personality of the head football coach where nothing bothers him
and he's going to continue to coach and he feel
and that's the way the team that has.
Speaker 1 (21:47):
Carried on that personality.
Speaker 5 (21:48):
When you got here, what did you notice about the
culture of this team?
Speaker 6 (21:52):
Oh, it was unbelievable culture. And you just look at
the players and just how they mingle together with the
coaches and even with them, says Else, And you just
know that a real culture has been built because when
you look at your team, you always say, you know, like,
who's going to be a problem for us, and we
don't have.
Speaker 1 (22:10):
That at all.
Speaker 5 (22:11):
You mentioned Baker, which it has been a blast for
all of us to watch him. I imagine it's the
same for you and nice to be having him on
your team and not the opposing I wonder if you
relate sometimes to the defensive watching when they almost have
him down for that sack on third and fourteen and
then he comes out of it. If it's just like
good grief, like what is this? What does it take
to stop this guy? What has watching him been like?
(22:33):
And even having so much of your experience on defenses
to explain why Baker's having the kind of success he
has and how hard he is to stop and get
down in the pocket.
Speaker 6 (22:42):
Well, I had the firsthand because when I was at Texas,
Baker was at Oklahoma, and so when he played, we
played against every year.
Speaker 1 (22:51):
So one year he beat me, the next.
Speaker 6 (22:53):
Year I think I beat him or vice versa, but
he was the starting quarterback to one year that we
beat them. The following year he came back meet us,
but just to see him how he's developed, and just
over the years where he went from college to the
NFL and then the teams that he was with and
now they come here and.
Speaker 1 (23:09):
Have the success that these have. It.
Speaker 6 (23:11):
I'm so happy for him because he's put so much
into it. And you can and when your team feels
like you can always count on someone, then it says
a lot about them. And that's what is happening with
Baker because they just we deepend on him so much
and and like I said, at some point the defense
is gonna sat the step up and make a play,
(23:33):
but just to see it happens, it's been fun to watch.
Speaker 5 (23:36):
And six sacks on the on the day for the defense,
what a what an explosion in that area. What an
incredible stat line and huge part of the game. What
you guys were able to do on that side. I
know some came from your group, some from outside linebackers,
some from corners, which I feel like, that's that's such
a Todd Bowles defense kind of day right there. So
tell me why this game the sacks were there was
(24:00):
you guys can take from that to carry on to
future games because I know maybe not every game is
six sacks, even though you'd love for it to be.
So what does it look like in this game and
the ones moving forward?
Speaker 6 (24:10):
Well, you're looking at it. Last game, I don't know
if we had any sacks. And it's always like any
guys understand, and I think Vita says it best. He
always said, coach, they come in bunches, they come in bunches.
Speaker 1 (24:20):
We'll get some and then we won't get some. We'll
get some, but the.
Speaker 6 (24:23):
Half six against a really good offensive team like San
Frian is really good, and they started off early where
I think maybe the fifth player of the game were
able to get a sack, where Vita and Roberts Elijah
both got a half a sack. But it's it's when
you are able to put pressure on the quarterback and
(24:44):
get the ball out of his hands and then go
and sack him. And like you said, it's came from
the defensive line, the outside linebackers, the corner. You know,
Dean comes on the sack and gets the sack in
a big sack where he calls the fumble. We don't
get the fumble, but it's a strip fumble, but you know,
it happens for us, and it's good because now you
get the offense behind the chains and you're able to
(25:06):
get off the field.
Speaker 1 (25:07):
On defense.
Speaker 5 (25:08):
That's a very big deal. We're talking to defensive line
coach Charlie Strong. So Vita, I mean, not only did
he get that half sack, but it just felt like
he was influencing the pass game, even on ones where
he's not necessarily getting things that are going to show
up in the stat box, like helping other guys end
up getting their sacks. He just seemed like he was
having a heck of a game in that area. So
what were the biggest ways you saw him affecting the
(25:30):
pass game and what he did well that maybe we
don't even always notice or appreciate.
Speaker 1 (25:34):
Well when you.
Speaker 6 (25:35):
Watch him, if you don't double Vita, you're gonna have
a problem with him. And then they try to single
him and he's not going to you know, he's just
he's pushing the pocket and he's knocking people back, and
that's where he's really effective. And then sometimes he got
able to knock him back and then get his hand
on the quarterback or even just affect to throw make
the quarterback hap to move his feet. And that's where
(25:56):
he did a good job for us last night because
he was able to just push the pocket and just
just just and I said, I said, he has been
disruptive the whole day and it was really good. And
then they couldn't run the ball. So now when they
try to throw the ball, he was disrupted. He disrupted
in the run game, so he was I had a
(26:16):
really good day.
Speaker 5 (26:17):
Yeah, tell me about the run game overall, what you
guys thought of how the D line handled the run game,
especially when you're facing a guy like Christian McCaffrey, where
you know he can do a lot of things, both
run and pass game, but run game overall. And then
specifically how you guys were able to limit Christian a bit.
Speaker 6 (26:32):
Well, the key thing when you go into a game,
you try to make a team one dimensional, so whatever
their strength is, and we don't want them to get
the run game going, because if you allow a team
to get the run game going, now they're able to
throw the ball and run the ball, and they're able
to stay balanced, and you want to make.
Speaker 1 (26:46):
Sure that you created where they're not going to be
a balance offense for that day.
Speaker 6 (26:51):
So now we went into it knowing that how how
good of a player McCaffrey was, and said, there's no
way we know he's gonna get his touches. We know
he's gonna make some plays, but we cannot allow him
to run the football against us.
Speaker 5 (27:04):
I know CJ. Brewer also ended up with a half
a sack. This is a guy who doesn't get the
notoriety of the attention of a lot of the main starters.
Has been on the practice squad at times, bounced around,
but seems like he's a guy that whenever his number
is called does what's asked of him.
Speaker 6 (27:18):
So dependable, and he's one of those guys that he
knows what everyone on the defensive front is doing, and
he knows all the calls, and he's sitting there trying
to tell everybody. And sometimes I tell him, hey, you
get lined up and quit worrying about them. Okay, you
be you, you do your job.
Speaker 1 (27:35):
Let's hey, they will get their job taking care of well. Coach,
I want to make sure he knows what he's doing.
I'm fine with that, but let's make sure.
Speaker 6 (27:42):
Yeah, let him do he knows what he's doing. You
don't have to tell him every time.
Speaker 1 (27:46):
That's great, but he is.
Speaker 6 (27:47):
But he's so dependable, and you knowing that he's gonna
give you everything he's got.
Speaker 5 (27:53):
I know we saw yeah, yeah, get a couple of sacks.
Great to see him have a bit of a breakout game.
Hassan got a half a sack. What did you notice
about the off the outside linebackers and just the ways
that I know you guys work so closely with them,
and the way that you guys help each other out
and influence each other.
Speaker 6 (28:08):
Well, we work together every day and it's like when
we go with our past game we were together and
we're working games, and just to see ya Ya and
Hassan come out and get the sacks.
Speaker 1 (28:18):
That they got was really good. And it was good
for y'all.
Speaker 6 (28:21):
Yeah, because he's been so close, you know, weekend and
with you own and he just have been never been
able to finish it. And to see him finish it,
it was really good and I was.
Speaker 1 (28:30):
Just so happy for him.
Speaker 5 (28:31):
I know, also having Levante behind your line not a
terrible person to know you got back there. Tell me
what it's been like for you to come in and
watch what it's like to have him back there, and
the way he influences all of your guys, and just
for you, what you knew about him before you even
got here is compared to learning and watching him every
single day.
Speaker 6 (28:50):
Well, he's a true leader and he is the leader
of our defense. And you look at the play he
made in the Seattle game. You know, you get into
the game, and there's some games you get into and
you're like, got the money, we got to stop him,
We got to get a stop here. And then Seattle
gets the ball back and then they're driving and you're like,
we can't let him because they get in the field
goal range and they kicking field goal. They're gonna try
(29:11):
to have, you know, last second field goal and go
win the game.
Speaker 1 (29:14):
He comes up with a.
Speaker 6 (29:15):
Big interception about ball hits one of our guys, hits
Logan's helmet and he's able to intercept it, and now
all of a sudden we end up kicking the field
goal to go win the game. But I had a
chance to see him in high school because I recruited
him out of high school and he end up going
to Nebraska with the junior college to Nebraska. But him
and Teddy and the whole group of guys coming out
(29:36):
of the high school, Yeah, high school just produces so
many good players. But just to see his leadership now
and how he is he and he accepts that role
and he takes on that role and which is really
good because the players respect him so much.
Speaker 5 (29:51):
Also, I know you are busy watching running backs as
you watch film preparing for things. So watching the way
that Rashad has stepped in when Bucky's been out and
then just having the two of them when they're both healthy,
how challenging that is for defenses to take on.
Speaker 6 (30:04):
Well, when you have that pair is really tough. Because
they give you. You look at Uno and that's what I
call him shot. He is a power runner and it
has enough speed to just run through defenders in there.
As Bucky with his size, he's quick enough where he
can outrun you and then or make a move on
you and make you fall on your face. But just see,
(30:25):
I had to have that one two punch is really good.
But then now that Bucky was out and to watch him,
go to watch her shot, just go watch him run
the ball. It was really good and it was just
fun watching it because you want to see him, you say,
at at some point you just want to see him
handle it by himself.
Speaker 1 (30:42):
And that's what he was able to do.
Speaker 5 (30:44):
Yeah, stepped up in a big way for sure. We're
going to take a quick break here on Buccaneers Total Access,
brought to you by advent Health. We're talking to defensive
line coach Charlie Strong. This is Buccaneers Radio.
Speaker 2 (30:54):
You were listening to Buccaneers Total Access with head coach
Todd Bowles and Bucks team reporter in Casey Phillips. Brought
to you by ad Van Health, Exclusive Hospital of the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Speaker 5 (31:06):
Welcome back into Buccaneers Total access brought to you by
Advent Health. We're talking to defensive line coach Charlie Strong,
So I want to dive into Vita a little bit more. Here.
Tell me what you knew about him before coming in
and then what you've learned since being here about who
he is on and off the field.
Speaker 6 (31:21):
Well, I had a chance because I live here in
Tampa just to see him and just to see the games.
Speaker 1 (31:27):
Did not really know him, just knew, you.
Speaker 6 (31:30):
Know, he went to Washington, came here as a as
a first round pick, and then to watch, you know,
each and every game.
Speaker 1 (31:37):
He was so young when he came in because he has.
Speaker 6 (31:39):
Sue and he had enough guys around him, so he
was able to learn from that group of guys.
Speaker 1 (31:46):
And now he's the older guy in the room.
Speaker 6 (31:49):
You do understand, you the older guy, you don't have
to listen to these young guys. He's one of those guys.
He doesn't say much. He just let he just let
his work speak for itself. And he's not a raw
row guy. He'll say something to one of the guys
to give them advice, say this is what you need
to do.
Speaker 1 (32:07):
It's amazing how he goes about.
Speaker 6 (32:08):
His work and he works, and then when it's time
to go play, he shows up to go play. And
it's like every week he shows up to go play.
And it's always been fun because when you have a
guy like that, it's easy to coach a guy like that.
Speaker 1 (32:22):
You know. It's those guys where you feel.
Speaker 6 (32:23):
Like you had to just drive, Hey, get ready, and
even though they are.
Speaker 1 (32:27):
Professionals, you still have to do that, but with him,
you don't.
Speaker 5 (32:31):
And where are the things that you've seen that he's
grown in the most, But then also what you're still
working on with him moving forward of where you know,
are we at vita ceiling or are there ways that
meant he can even still take another little step. As
incredible as he is, oh, I.
Speaker 6 (32:46):
Still think he's got something left in him where he
can take that next step. And because if you watch
him his game, it's still like urge areas that he
can improve on and he's willing to improve on it.
He's not those guys that feel like, hey, this is
it for me this And because you look at him,
he's still is like God, he's still got so many
(33:07):
more years left hand.
Speaker 5 (33:08):
Yeah, even if that's incredible.
Speaker 6 (33:11):
It is because they're like, but you still got a
lot left in you. And I think that you know,
he has a daughter now, and I think that has
really helped him with his family, had been been a
family man that he is, and then coming to work
each and every day. I really you have seen him.
They just really grow it and and just taking that
next step.
Speaker 5 (33:31):
That's cool. And I think that the number of snaps
he plays is one of the most underrated things about him.
Explain to people who are not the defensive line experts
you are, how unheard of that is, and also then
therefore how important that is to the defense that he
can be out there as much as he is.
Speaker 1 (33:48):
You would think someone with that size, you say, someone
that size, or.
Speaker 6 (33:52):
They're not going to be able to play this many
snap And each game, each week he played more snaps
than any defensive line that I have. You know, like yesterday,
I think it was maybe seventy two steps we played
on defense. He played fifty two steps at a seventy
two So no one else is playing those type of numbers.
And that's every week that he's like that, because if
(34:14):
he is healthy, he's going in the game and he'll
tell you, coach, you don't give it. Hey I'm gonna
come out this play, but I'm back the next play, hey,
or coach the third.
Speaker 1 (34:23):
Down, I'm coming back in the game.
Speaker 6 (34:25):
But I tell him, listen, we're gonna go as you go,
and that's how we're gonna play.
Speaker 1 (34:30):
As you play.
Speaker 6 (34:31):
So you don't wane who set the standard here. You
don't want who everyone's watching. And he don't mind it
like he's he accepts that and that's why he's able
to play the number of plays he played cause he
don't want to be out and he don't want anyone
to ever say, well, Vita's not in and they won't
say that, but he doesn't want that sad about him.
Speaker 5 (34:49):
And I know losing Kalijah had to be pretty brutal
on the line for the season. And what were the
things that he was doing best prior to getting hurt,
and just how this season was looking for him now
that he's had a couple years under his belt.
Speaker 6 (35:03):
Well, I felt like just going coming into the season
like he had one of his best camps and he
was under He's explosive.
Speaker 1 (35:11):
He's a guy.
Speaker 6 (35:12):
That learns a game, studies a game, and always telling
the other guys, hey man, you line up on this guy.
Speaker 1 (35:19):
This is what this guy liked to do, and I
give it to him.
Speaker 6 (35:21):
Like he goes down, he talks about each lineman that
we're gonna face and every offensive lineman that we're gonna face.
But he was, he was doing an unbelievable job. And
him and Vita plays off for one another. You know,
Veata's a strong, powerful guy's side knock people back. And
then Elijah comes with the quickness and the speed where
they have to chase him. And but you know, losing
(35:42):
him has heard us. But we've had, you know, some
guys that step up. But it's it's just still he's
still around, and he still comes in our meetings, and
he still talks to guys. He still watched film where
everybody on the sideline he's talking when they come up
the field.
Speaker 1 (35:57):
He's telling him what he see.
Speaker 6 (35:59):
But it it's amazing just to have him around and
how he's gone himself, has continued to see the game.
Speaker 5 (36:06):
We're talking to defensive line coach Charlie Strong. Tell me
about the guys that have stepped up in his absence
and the way that that has affected the whole line.
The way you guys try to use them and your
job overall trying to replace Kelijah when there isn't another
Elijah on the roster. How have you guys tried to
use some of those other guys in the ways they've
stepped up, right?
Speaker 6 (36:25):
And I think that the guys understand that, like, you know,
we're not going to replace him because he is a
different guy, you know. And so like you take a
guy like Gaines, Gaines has you know what his skill
set is, like you know, he's a guy who's been.
Speaker 1 (36:38):
Around a while.
Speaker 6 (36:39):
He understands the game, and he sees a game where
he studies a game and he's always looking for just hey,
I can use this, you know, his tidbit here, I
can take this nugget and I can this is how
I'm gonna work this guy.
Speaker 1 (36:52):
But he's been around, he's a fat And then.
Speaker 6 (36:55):
You take a guy, you take a rookie now like
Elijah Roberts, who is so talent that who's got a
big ceiling.
Speaker 1 (37:02):
Ahead of him.
Speaker 6 (37:03):
And if he once he learns he understands the game,
but he really doesn't understand it and once he does,
he's gonna become a really good player. And Collijah's kind
of mentoring him, like he's taking him under his wing.
Speaker 1 (37:17):
And then we talked about C. J.
Speaker 6 (37:18):
Brewer, guy that has been around, who has played some
that has made plays. And even with Logan, I think
that what Logan does is he's gonna give you everything
he's got every play, and he's gonna he's gonna play
like that every play.
Speaker 1 (37:31):
He's gonna give you everything he has.
Speaker 6 (37:33):
And and just to watch how like all those guys
that knowing that they have to step up now because
we have lost Collija, So now we have to step
up now. We have to be we have to play
within ourselves and we know what our ability and our
skill set is. We can't be him, but we can
improve our game.
Speaker 5 (37:50):
I know that last year, I think George Edwards told
me on one of these shows that Logan Hall was
one of the most underrated guys on our defense for
what he does for us. Is that's still the case.
And just overall, how are you guys working to use
him and the things that he can add that maybe
we don't always see or end up on the stat sheet.
Speaker 1 (38:10):
Well, Logan, he doesn't say anything.
Speaker 6 (38:13):
And then so you'll have Vita and you have Collijah,
and it is like he's almost like to forgotten one
just sitting over her by himself, and who is a starter.
But you watch him play like that, he's around the ball,
you know, he's making plays and and and I think
that with him, he has accepted that, Okay, I just
(38:33):
gotta do my job. I can't worry about anything else
because I know Vita's a man, I know Colijah's man.
Speaker 1 (38:39):
But I just have to do my job. And he has.
Speaker 6 (38:42):
He's kind of one of those guys. He isn't lost,
but he's he's someone that does his job, does it well,
and you know, week in and week out, you know
you can always.
Speaker 1 (38:53):
Depend on it.
Speaker 5 (38:54):
And then I know Desmond Watson we were able to
bring back on the practice squad. What is having a
guy like him around help with it at practice and
the ways you guys try to use him as a
practice squad guy and just kind of his his potential
with the way he is such a unique player, Daz.
Speaker 1 (39:09):
He's got size, he has everything you want.
Speaker 6 (39:12):
And his issue is that you would like to get
him in a place where we can.
Speaker 1 (39:18):
Bring him alone more than what we're doing right now.
But he comes up, he's at practice, he's on the
scout team.
Speaker 6 (39:24):
You know, he's working, and he's get him as his
working and he understands, now this is you don't get
many opportunities and on his level, and when you get
that opportunity, you have to take advantage of it because
someone is always looking to take your job, so you
have to. You have to when you get given a chance,
you have to step up. And I think he's beginning
(39:45):
to realize that now.
Speaker 5 (39:46):
I love it. And also I wanted to ask your
thoughts on watching our offensive line this season and what
all they've had to deal with and go through that
as someone who clearly scouts and looks at offensive lines
all the time to see what they've been able to
accomplish with one million different combinations of people. Even in
the game yesterday, you know that you're having Haggard go
out and Clin step in. I mean, it's just been unbelievable.
(40:08):
What's it been like to watch how they've handled it
and just how surprised you would have been as a
defensive line coach going against a group like that that
they've been able to manage it.
Speaker 1 (40:15):
You know, I tell Carbs every day.
Speaker 6 (40:17):
I said, Carbs, Yeah, I mean, it's amazing a job
you're doing.
Speaker 1 (40:20):
With that line, because if you saw us in just.
Speaker 6 (40:23):
Theiring OTAs and what we had with our offensive line,
it was like, you know, it's Tristan, you had all
these guys, Luke, you had them all lined up, bart
but Breston, you had them lined up, Cody, And now
you have the injuries that we've had. And so at
one time there was like what four starters down, three
starters down?
Speaker 1 (40:43):
You had Bartner, you had Birch, who was your Bretson?
Who are your guys?
Speaker 6 (40:47):
And now and each week it's just like we're retooling it,
like okay, now these are the starting five. But it's
been amazing how those guys have been able to work
together and work off one another and and not use
it as an excuse. A lot of times you can
sit back excuse say, well, we don't have our offensive
line and that's the glue, like of the offensive defensive
(41:10):
line are the ones that set the tone for the
whole game. But we've been able to work through it.
You know, like a client is stepped up. You know,
those guys are all stepping up and and and they're
they're making their plan and they're plan.
Speaker 5 (41:22):
Well, all right, we'rena taking one more break here on
Buccaneers Total Access, brought to you by Avan Health. We're
talking to defensive line coach Charlie Strong. This is Buccaneers Radio.
Speaker 2 (41:31):
Buccaneers Total Access with head coach Todd Bowles now continues,
brought to you by Advan Health, Exclusive Hospital of the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Speaker 5 (41:40):
We're talking to defensive line coach Charlie Strong. Uh So,
since you are new here this year, wanted to help
our fans get to know you a little bit. And
your football history of positions and roles and everything is unbelievable.
I was looking at the fact that you've coached outside linebackers,
wide receivers, defensive ends, and line assistant, head coach and
head coach, defensive coordinator, inside linebackers, like, oh my gosh,
(42:04):
at this point, you've coached dang near everything. Tell me
how you've been able to be in a position to
coach so many different roles and even position groups, and
how that's sort of helped form the coach you are
at this point.
Speaker 6 (42:17):
You're right, because I started off as a graduate assistant
on defense, and I was in the secondary at that time,
and so then I go from the secondary and then
I take a job as a wide receiver coach, and.
Speaker 5 (42:30):
I coached such a logical jump.
Speaker 6 (42:32):
Yeah, I'll go from secondary to wide receivers, and then
then I come back and I start coaching outside linebackers.
But I just felt like that if you want to
be a head coach then or coordinator, you're gonna have
to know every position, and you should coach every position
because that only helps you out and it makes you
more aware of what's happening with each position, and you
(42:54):
can help your position coach. Like if there's something is
going on and I guy he's coaching a different position.
Speaker 1 (43:00):
You probably see it from a different angle.
Speaker 6 (43:02):
You can say, hey, this is what I've tried before,
and this is what I've used.
Speaker 1 (43:06):
But it has helped me.
Speaker 6 (43:08):
It helped me tremendously along the way in my career.
Speaker 5 (43:12):
And how about coaching a lot of college and then
also now pro that what are the ways that those
are similar different in the ways that having a lot
of college experience influence the way you relate to the guys.
Speaker 1 (43:25):
It all comes back just developing young men.
Speaker 6 (43:28):
And so even on the collegiate level or the professional level,
because a lot of times I think that you know
when you get them in college. They're so young and
so they have no idea, but they think they do.
They have no idea, and you're you're center trying to
grow them up and get them ready. And you always
tell them, if your goal is to play at the
next level, and you all of you think you're professional players,
(43:49):
then just listen and then you can get there. And
then once you get to this level, and people always think, well,
this guy is he's a pro and he knows it,
but they still they're still learning. And the guys that
have their loane careers in the NFL are guys that
have taken their game and they've taken it to another
level where they study the game. They understand the game,
(44:12):
and the game doesn't stop when they go home, you know,
when they leave here, you know they go home and
they still or study it. But it's all about just
watching them develop and grow.
Speaker 5 (44:21):
And then how impressed have you been at how ready
our rookies have been knowing that of watching your experience
in college. And I think right now we lead the
league this year and last year in rookie receiving touchdowns.
And I mean, we've just had so many players at
every position group come in as rookies and be so ready.
What have you seen about how we're able to do
that and find that and just the roles they've already
(44:42):
been able to play this year, especially with injuries, the
importance of those rookies.
Speaker 6 (44:45):
I think our scouting department do a great job of
going to those schools where you have a chance, where
you take a you knowing that you want to draft
one of their players, and then they get all the
information on them, knowing that they when we get them here,
they're gonna be ready to go play. You take a
guy like Mike you know, even yesterday with Johnson that
the way he played. But it's it's always like they
(45:08):
knowing who is ready, and when they get into our
system and our culture then and makes them even more
ready because we're going to get them ready to go
play with the coaches that we have.
Speaker 5 (45:19):
We're talking to defensive line coach Charlie Strong. You were
familiar largely because of how much, especially in college, you
had done with so many people on this team before
you even got here that that's just so crazy, how
many different paths you crossed with first I'd love to
hear about. Of course, we were talking about in the
commercial break you being at UT and a certain wide
receiver for the Bucks is rather prolific at A and M.
(45:40):
At one point, tell me what you remember about Mike Evans.
Speaker 6 (45:44):
Well, I told Mike, I said, said, yeah, coach, you
were at UT when I in these Texas, Texas and
l Now when I got there, we had stopped playing,
and but you still you know, both of those are
the two lead schools in the States, so so you're
gonna know a lot about him. And it's still the
rivalry better and we didn't get to play him, but
(46:05):
it was just you know, just watching him and seeing
how how well he you think about what he's done
after he leaves college to come it's unbelievable what he's
done and you don't see I don't think it's ever
been done with the number of years that he's been
here and have the one thousand yards receiving, it's crazy.
Speaker 1 (46:26):
And he and he's a guy.
Speaker 6 (46:28):
When you watch him, you know, I have just had
a chance now that I'm here, just watching him and
how you carry himself, and he is still wanting to learn,
and he helps the young guys and he's always coaching them.
Just a quiet confidence about him, and you just know
when the lights come on, here he goes and he's
(46:48):
ready to go play.
Speaker 5 (46:49):
So now we got Monday night football again. Feels like
we just did this, and I imagine Monday night football
is kind of like the nightmare for coaches in so
many ways of what are the ways that you've learned
and to try to cope with the Monday night football
and how much does it end up affecting you as
a coach, and then the way you try to get
your guys ready on both ends of it.
Speaker 6 (47:07):
Well, you do get an extra day of preparation, which
is good for the coaches, but after the game, you
gotta get ready the next week for the next opponent,
so then you lose it. And when you have a
good opponent like Detroit, you don't know if you want
to look ahead.
Speaker 5 (47:22):
To the point, maybe we don't spend any time doing that.
Speaker 6 (47:24):
Yeah, you don't know if you want to look ahead,
because you know how big this game is. But just
to see just the whole preparation in a way that
coach Bo's has done. We're getting our guys ready to
go play, and it's just been amazing to watch and
how our players themselves. You know, you have an older
group when they themselves has taken upon them to where
(47:47):
they're sitting there saying, hey, this is what we gotta
get done. We understand what we gotta get done. It's
how we got to come to work every day.
Speaker 5 (47:53):
What have you already seen or know about especially Premior
Gibbs David Montgomery and what those two guys are going
to be like to face?
Speaker 1 (48:00):
Well, I wasn't in Alabama when Gibbs, you know, he's a.
Speaker 5 (48:04):
Georgia you know everybody.
Speaker 6 (48:06):
Then he came to Alabama, uh, and you know it
was like three they have three or four players from
Alabama on that team at Detroit. But you know, you
look at Gibbs, who's so fast, and he's so quick
and explosive, and he's he's every time he touched the ball,
he's he's a he can take it the distance, he's play.
He's one of those guys that you say, here's a
home run. He's a home run hitter. And then you
(48:28):
look at Montgomery, who's who's strong and who's powerful like
I wanted two punch. You know, Bucky may not have
the speed that kids have, but he's a guy who
can take in the distance and and then you look
at Montgomery who's so powerful, run behind his pads and
and those are a great one two punch right there.
But you still have to contend with the receivers that
he toted out for.
Speaker 5 (48:53):
Yeah, and uh and Jared Goff tell me just kind
of the things of game planning for a guy like him,
what that looks like.
Speaker 6 (48:58):
Well, let me tell us you got another store another
When I was at Texas Golf was a cow So
we played them. So they had come to the UH
when at Austin and we we were behind, so we
tied the game up. So I'm walking and so we
send the extra point to the extra point team out
(49:19):
on the field to kick the you know we're gonna
retire the game. And so I'm walking and so I'm
walking away from so they're behind me. The goal post
is behind me. So I'm walking to water defensive coordinator
some said to him to say, hey, fans, look, we
gotta get ready because we can't let golf beat us.
So we got to get ready because we are going
to overtime. And he says, you don't have to worry
(49:40):
about that. We just missed the extra point and I
turned and we missed the extra point, and I just
thought it so bad for our kick.
Speaker 1 (49:47):
Oh, I said, you.
Speaker 5 (49:49):
Were not excited about having to go against Golf. No.
Speaker 6 (49:52):
I sat there with him, I said, there with a
field goal kicker all day and he's like, I'm sorry, listen,
it happened.
Speaker 1 (49:58):
It happens. But but Golf.
Speaker 6 (50:01):
You know, he's a guy that does a good job
of running the offense, can throw the deep wall, does
a really good job spacing the ball out, finding the
open receivers.
Speaker 5 (50:10):
Yep, got your work cut out for you, Leaus. You
got that extra day.
Speaker 1 (50:12):
It does and next day helps. But our work is
cut out.
Speaker 5 (50:15):
Yeah, we're cut out for you. Eleve it well, coach,
thank you so much for spending time with us. We
appreciate and congrats on that win yesterday.
Speaker 1 (50:20):
Thank you and thank you for having me.
Speaker 5 (50:22):
All right, that's gonna do it for us. On Buccaneers
Total Access brought to you by Advan Health. This is
Buccaneers Radio.
What that three three?
Speaker 2 (00:05):
This is Buccaneers Total Access with head coach Todd Bowles.
Speaker 3 (00:09):
That the hell of a job going back.
Speaker 4 (00:15):
Robin Baka throws a sideline route.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
It is pod ball, pop Paul my cabits what the
guy try?
Speaker 1 (00:21):
Toll over it touch down? Tampa Bay Fire, the Cannets,
Get up Going.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
Brought to you by Advent Health.
Speaker 4 (00:27):
Whether you're in the stands, on the field, or celebrating
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Speaker 1 (00:40):
Fire the Cannons.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
Now your host, Bucks team reporter Casey Phillips and head
coach Todd Bowles.
Speaker 5 (00:46):
Welcome into the Todd Bowles show Casey Phillips here with
head coach Todd Bowles, tied for our best six game
start in franchise history. Now tell me this start of
the season and then also getting off to a little
bit quicker starting games. What do you feel like has
just if you look at the big picture of what
stands out to you about why this team has been
able to start this way.
Speaker 3 (01:06):
Mental toughness. I think the trip in preseason we took
the Pittsburgh getting away for that week like it was
an old school camp and getting the chemistry together, establishing
boundaries them, getting to trust one another and being around
each other day in and day out helped really help
with our mental toughness. And planning that stadium against a
(01:28):
very good football team, and then going out playing in
Atlanta and Houston the first two games of the year
on the road, playing in the hostile environments. That brought
us closer together mentally. We didn't crack at the end
of the ball games and we made plays to win.
And that kind of been continuing and that's been the
theme thus far. And you know that kind of creates
a tough football team.
Speaker 5 (01:49):
I know a Baker's game he now in these last
two weeks has the highest completion percentage and QB rating
of anyone over these last two weeks and the only
quarterback to average at least eleven yards per attempt in
the games. How do you see that he's able to
find chemistry. I feel like we talk about how we
know Mike Evans is great because he does it no
matter whose quarterback is over the years. Baker's now showing
(02:09):
he's doing it no matter who his wide receivers are.
How do you think he's able to be so consistent
no matter who is out there with him.
Speaker 3 (02:16):
I think he trusts the offense number one, so he
understands his reads and knows where to go with the football.
And he does a great job in the offseason of
getting to know individuals wide receiver wise, tighth end wise,
running back wise, really entire team. But the guys that
are out there, he knows where they're going to be.
He knows what kind of routes they run. He knows
(02:37):
if he breaks the pocket, who's going to beware, who
does what and how they think. So the connection has
been great on his part and I think he's done
an outstanding job.
Speaker 5 (02:46):
Let's talk about his third and fourteen scramble play. First
of all, I would like a narration in your brain
over the course of that play if we were hearing
the active thoughts.
Speaker 3 (02:57):
First impressions was go down, tuck the ball away. He's
gonna get killed. Then he broke out of the pocket. Okay, slide, slide, slide.
Then he goes to the left. Oh my guy, he's
getting ready to get killed. And this guy's crazy. I
think he's gonna make it.
Speaker 1 (03:09):
It's like, goot, yeay, got yet great dap Baker, and
then you go to the next play.
Speaker 5 (03:15):
Yeah, this is exactly what I would have predicted. Actually,
I actually wish now we could have this randomly, this
commentary for all plays. That's what we all need instead
of being just miked up the active thoughts. I think
that's what went through most Bucks fans thoughts. He next
transtat said he had just a three point seven percent
(03:35):
chance to get the first down on that play. What
did that individual play mean to the game and the
team at that time?
Speaker 3 (03:42):
I found meant everything because Mecca had just went out
and we didn't have all our guys in there for
him to make that toughness run. It kind of brought
everybody up that saw Mecca was down. Then a few
plays later he hit tails on the deep ball. So
it seemed to be happening every other week for him.
And he's making some statement plays in the game and
(04:03):
that's great to see.
Speaker 5 (04:04):
Yeah, let's talk about tes Johnson. That touchdown was actually
Baker's third touchdown pass of at least forty yards this season,
which is the most among all quarterbacks. Take us through
that play and what both Baker and Tesz and the
offense as a whole unit really did well to make
that happen.
Speaker 3 (04:19):
Baker brought time in the pocket, O line did a
great job giving him protection. He wanted the inside route,
it wasn't there. He recalibrated, looked the other way. Tedz
was cheeking down the sideline. It was a heck of
a throw, the heck of a catch. He connected with him.
They've thrown some deep balls in practice, so he knows
how fast Taz is and where he needs to place
the ball, and he put it out there for him
(04:39):
and Tedz went got it.
Speaker 5 (04:41):
I know Grizzard talked about before the season that increasing
some of the deep balls and larger chunk plays was
a really big emphasis for this year. But I'm sure
a lot of people would have thought with so many
injuries on both your offensive line and wide receiver room,
that would have been a tough thing to have happened.
But it still has happened a lot more, I think
than last year. So what's worked well on overall just
more of the deep passes, chunk plays, and why Gizzard's
(05:04):
offense is designed to have a little bit more of
that this year.
Speaker 3 (05:08):
Well, it's worked well, especially yesterday, because Tedz and Cam
can run. You know, they can run all day, and
they got young legs so they can run non stop,
getting to not get tired. And they did a great
job of playing fast. B Mac always preaches to those
guys to play fast. They did a great job playing
fast and learning and paying attention. And I think it
(05:28):
clicked yesterday.
Speaker 5 (05:30):
Cam Johnson going into this game, had zero career receptions
and then finished as our leading receiver, had that incredible touchdown.
Tell me about why he was ready in this moment
and outside of being fast, you know, just all the
things that he has shown to prove to you prove
to Baker that he was ready for a moment like this.
Speaker 3 (05:48):
I think after being here a year and him being
on a practice squad last year, then coming in this year,
he had something to prove and he did it on
special teams and he got the confidence and that felt
like he can be more of a receiver, and his
time came up. Preseason. He's a little jittery, but he
only had one game, but after that he's been working
his tailoff in practice and his chance came and he
(06:10):
took advantage of.
Speaker 5 (06:11):
It and then now, I know we don't know a
lot about a Mecca's health at this point, So what
did you see from him in the in the game
before he went out? And then just the ways that
these other guys stepping up make you feel better about
if he does have to miss some time, you know,
even missing out basically it could be your top four
potentially wide receivers. You know that what he was showing you.
(06:33):
And then what these other guys stepping in means for
moving forward.
Speaker 3 (06:36):
I mean, he came in playing fast, he was picking
up right where he left off. He's on his way
to having a very good ball game. He works hard
and he plays hard. Mecha can do what two or
three guys can do. So now it's to replace him.
It's going to have to be about three or four
guys to try to replace him. But very confident in
those guys. They played some ball, they got some good
experience yesterday, and you know, if we got to play
(06:57):
with them guys Monday night, I think they'll play well.
Speaker 5 (07:00):
I know Rashad's touchdown now has him tied for the
fifth most touchdowns from scrimmage by a running back in
franchise history. Tell me what you saw from his game
and his touchdown in particular, and how he's been able
to step into be the main guy with Bucky bean out.
Speaker 3 (07:14):
Shaw has really been the unsung hero in the glue
offensively between him and Kate, that kind of keeps everything together.
He makes the tough runs and the hard runs. He
makes some great catches in the screen game. He makes
the tough blocks for us, and I mean, you look up,
he's always there. He's diicing through the hole, getting extra
yards after getting hit, got a third and one play
(07:35):
after getting hit in the backfield and made something out
of nothing. So he's really been doing all the little
things for us to be a good team, for us
to win.
Speaker 5 (07:42):
Casey Philips here with head coach Todd Bowles Sterling Shepherd
two catches, but they went for fifteen and thirty six yards,
his longest catch as a Buck. What were his contributions
like in the game and how much they meant even
though it was a couple catches, seemed like really crucial moments,
And that feels like a theme for Shep this year.
It's not always about the quantity, but it feels like
he steps up kind of when you need him the most.
(08:03):
He does.
Speaker 3 (08:04):
He always finds the spot and he knows where the
open spaces are. He did a heck of a job blocking.
He was our energizer in there. He kept everybody together
and everybody going. Really good for the young guys to see.
And he makes plays. He always makes plays and he
lets you know about it.
Speaker 5 (08:19):
I don't doubt that. How about Sean Tucker stepping in
is the number two and his touchdown and what stood
out about that play and then his performance overall?
Speaker 3 (08:27):
John can run the football. We wanted him in there,
but really impressive was his past protection. You know, he
stuck his face in there and made some blocks for
Baker to throw the football. But he can run when
he gets outside. He's a lot faster than people thinking
you can't catch him.
Speaker 5 (08:40):
And how about your offensive line? Yet again, another game
where we ended up with a different combination of people
out there. So tell me what you saw from them.
Both before Haggard went out and then once Elijah Klin
stepped in.
Speaker 3 (08:50):
Haggard was actually done a very good job. He really
came to his own this week. And when he got
out of there and Client stepped in, and from having
played before, he really stepped in and he was on
a calm and under control and knew what he was
doing and he did his job.
Speaker 5 (09:03):
You mentioned Kate Atten earlier being kind of one of
the unsung heroes of the offense. Now five catches for
fifty one yards. So after only thirty four receiving yards
across the first four weeks of the season, when he
was essentially almost an honorary O line member due to circumstances,
he's now contributed one hundred and thirty two yards in
weeks five and six. So tell us just kind of
what he's done the last couple of weeks and getting
(09:25):
the chance again to be more that receiving guy and
the role he can play with so many injuries with.
Speaker 3 (09:31):
Mecha coming on and the attention going to him, you know,
Kate was the other guy that was wide open all
the time. So we started using them and incorporating him
in the offense a lot more and more, and he's
making some great catches and moving the chains for us
along with him and Rashads, so they got to play
as more. Honest.
Speaker 5 (09:47):
All right, let's talk about Jamal. A couple big plays
for him interception and his first career sack. Tell me
about those two plays and what he did well.
Speaker 3 (09:55):
Their first career sack was probably the most impressive play
I've seen him play, and I've been here seven years.
Speaker 5 (10:01):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (10:01):
But he actually dipped and came under and he went
for the strip when he got the sack, which he
has never done in his life. And that was probably
my most proudest moment yesterday of all. And he played
the interception very well. He had McCaffrey in front of him,
he had the receiver behind him, he was in cover
two and he sat there and he waited the quarterback
(10:22):
out and he caught it with his hands. Again, really
playing well.
Speaker 5 (10:26):
Like the play season that's great and Kendall wildor also
an interception. I'm not sure that was one that Bucks
fans had on their Bengo cards to tell me how
great was that? Playing just the way that Kendall's been
able to step in when called upon, you know.
Speaker 3 (10:39):
It was a heck of a play by him. It
was a great read, great catch. I don't know about
him not being able to get off the ground and
getting stumbling and bumbling three times. He could have got
up and crawled in if he wanted to, But it
was a heck of a play by him. He's a
very smart player, He's very instinctive player. He had some
plays throughout that ball game really play it well.
Speaker 5 (11:01):
And then just the way that now also when you
look at how he has been called upon, but then
also you had Parish and the way that whenever Kendall
was in versus that Parish having to play a little
bit of Nick a little bit outside. How impressive is
it that he's able to manage both positions, not just
in general, but even in one game, to have to
manage what his role is when he changes.
Speaker 3 (11:21):
I thought it was a lot better this week, you know,
after going at it against Seattle, you know it was
a little rough going from both places. But this week
I thought he did a very good job. He played
a heck of a ball game, very tough ballgame coverage
wise and tackling wise. And Paraprires is a very good
football player.
Speaker 5 (11:39):
I know that Fred Warner is a guy you definitely
think very highly of, and all of us know how
talented he is. What was kind of the effect on
the game when he went out of a player of
that caliber, and what that can maybe do even for
your game.
Speaker 3 (11:51):
Plan, You know, we saw it when it happened. Something
you don't want to see, especially against a guy with
that caliber and how good he is off the field
with everybody. Everybody loved the sky all over the place.
A great competitor, great person. And to see something like
that happen early in the game, you know, that can
be devastating for a team, both teams. Really, we had
(12:11):
guys on our team that couldn't even look and turn
around and see what happened there. So hopefully speedy recovery
and the best form.
Speaker 5 (12:18):
We saw the sack well first of all six sacks,
which incredible performance on that And what worked so well
from a pass rush standpoint and the fact that I
imagine that for you, it's kind of the dream of
where it's defensive lineman, it's outside linebackers, it's a corner
that all levels of your defense were getting in on
that action. So what worked so well from that standpoint
in this.
Speaker 3 (12:36):
Game started up front. They were getting off the ball early.
When the D line gets off the ball early, that
allows you to open up everything else. Vita Logan, gains
ya Ya Hasan, all of them guys started taking off
on the ball. It allows the second level to start
to come through because they're spending more time on the
(12:56):
other guys. So when Lebonte got his and Dean got here,
is all set up by the defensive front and that's
good to see.
Speaker 5 (13:03):
Yeah, So the sack that was split between Elijah Roberts
and Vita. First of all, Elijah's now got one sack,
but each of them are a half. The guy can't
quite get his own so far, but has a rookie've
been in there on a few of them. So what
did you see on that play overall? And then just
the fact that Elijah Roberts has come in and shown
he really can be a force in that area.
Speaker 3 (13:22):
Oh, Vita beat his man clean first. Beta should have
had it by himself, but he missed it. Obviously. Elijah
came running right behind him. He uses his hands very well.
He's very good at using his hands and getting on
the edge of blockers and getting back in the backfield.
And I think that's a skill set that he already
knew because you can't teach that. You can teach it,
(13:42):
but you can't do it like he can do it.
And he has a knack for that, and that's only
going to help us in the future.
Speaker 5 (13:47):
I know. Vita now with that half sack, tied Jason
Pierre Paul and Brad Culpepper for the ninth most sackson
franchise history. We've just seen the way that a guy,
you know, at his position, his size is able to
pass rush on such an elite level, and saw that
he brought pressure on a lot of plays where maybe
he didn't even get a stat for it, it seems
like he helped on ya yas. And what have you
(14:08):
seen for this season overall and in this game in particular,
the way that he's still continuing to show he can
be elite in that way he's been dominant.
Speaker 3 (14:15):
He's been dominant. He's the one guy that can get
his own even if the play is not designed for him.
You know, he can really cause havoc back there if
you don't pay attention to him. Whether it's a short
yard to stop, whether it's a sack, whether it's an
edge run play, no matter what, Vida can make his plays.
And he's been great for us this year.
Speaker 5 (14:35):
No, yeah, ya ended up with two sacks on the
books in this game. What made this game one where
he kind of exploded a little bit in that area
And then just what you're trying to work on with
him for it to be where more consistently he's shown
up in the ways where he gets so close it
feels like a lot of times, but to really finish
some of these plays more consistently.
Speaker 3 (14:52):
We had a good conversation, and you know, I think
he came out with the right mentality and then he
took it to heart and he went out and played
a hell of a ball game, and that's what.
Speaker 1 (15:02):
We know he can do.
Speaker 5 (15:03):
And then I know that Born they also we talked
about they were so injured coming into this game, very
similar to us, and so also similar to us, they
had some backup guys step up in a big way.
Bourne finished with one hundred and forty two yards receiving.
What was the challenge of facing him and just overall
what it's like to scout a team that ends up
having a lot of guys that haven't gotten as many
games and reps in the past due to injuries.
Speaker 3 (15:25):
Well, he's a good receiver, but two of them catches
that went for about eighty yards, we can't even keep
our feet. We just fall down. I mean, if Voss
keeps his feet, the ball hits him in the face
and we got to do a better job of being
an athletic out there above. Obviously they have tough receivers.
They were born in Jennings. He's played in this league
a while. He's very quick, he understands what to do.
(15:46):
Him and Mac had a connection and he made some
plays and we're just happy we made more in the end.
Speaker 5 (15:52):
We knew Christian McCaffrey could be a guy that you
can really make or break a game. And you guys
held the forty nine ers to sixty seven rushing yards,
which is the fewest allowed to an opponent this season
and the fewest that they've produced in a single game
this season. So what worked well from the run game standpoint?
Speaker 3 (16:08):
Again, it starts with Vita. It starts with Vita on
the inside, and Boss did a heck of a job
coming down. He'll making some plays and I thought we
really corralled him in the passing game as far as
yak yards. When he caught the ball, it was one
of two guys coming from every angle and Boss was
spear hitting it.
Speaker 5 (16:25):
We saw Levante get the stripsack that unfortunately then just
turned into a sack, but still a great play even
after it was overturned. On replay, what did he do
well on that play? And then his game overall.
Speaker 3 (16:36):
Avante has been in the defense long enough where he
understands the timing of the blitz, he understands what the
other guys have to do to free himself up, and
he does a very good job of waiting till the
exact time to turn on the gas and let the
blocks take care of themselves and make the plays. And
he's become great at that, and he's very good at it,
and he made the play.
Speaker 5 (16:57):
Time to talk about this upcoming game against the line,
So tell me Jared Goff this season obviously faced him
several times now over the course of different teams. What
does he look like this year and some of the
unique challenges he brings.
Speaker 3 (17:11):
Extremely accurate, knows where to go with the football, gets
the ball out of his hands, has tons of weapons
to work with. Again, tough team. We've played him the
last three years. It's always been a dogfight. It don't
expect anything different here. But he's a very accurate pass
of one of the best in the league, and he's hard.
Speaker 1 (17:30):
To get to.
Speaker 5 (17:31):
And then how about Jamiir Gibbs and David Montgomery and
the fact that each one of them what they bring,
but then having them together the way that that makes
it challenging to game plan.
Speaker 3 (17:40):
For extremely tough Montgomery's extremely tough coming up and inside running.
He's hard to bring down. He's more thunder gives is
more lightning. Even though he's hard to bring down, he's
very quick and he's fast and he can break tackles
on the outside and you're not going to catch him if.
Speaker 1 (17:57):
He gets going.
Speaker 5 (17:58):
And then aman Ra sat another is if those weren't
enough weapons, tell me what's interesting about him and the
way he's come on in yours.
Speaker 3 (18:07):
They've got a ton of him again, He's another one
catches at least nine ten balls a game, very good
down the field, very good intermediate, very good in the
short rout, and very good ones. He gets the ball
in his hands. So he's gonna be another tough out.
And they spread all these guys out and they make
you play individual ball and you've got to be very disciplined.
Speaker 5 (18:26):
Then we know Aiden Hutchinson a guy who can reck games.
And tell me, now, with where the offensive line is
at this point, the comfort level with that, and just
ways that you try to limit a guy like him
who really can be a game wrecker.
Speaker 3 (18:40):
No, we were similar to last year. We were playing
with a backup tackle and he had a hell of
a day against us last year. But Charlie's playing very
good right now, so we're going to have our hands
full with Aiden again. He's a tough football player, but
we gotta fight and we got to win our battles.
Speaker 5 (18:56):
How about the rest of their defensive front outside of him?
What stands out?
Speaker 3 (19:00):
Extremely physical at the point of attack. Obviously we're going
against one of our coaches over there, Casey Rogers. He'll
have those guys ready to play, so he'll have some
tricks up his sleeve, so.
Speaker 1 (19:09):
We better be ready.
Speaker 5 (19:10):
And then how about their secondary ballhawks.
Speaker 3 (19:13):
They play a lot of man coverage. They play very
tight coverage. They come after you up front. They played
the tight covers in the back and they wait for
you to make a mistake.
Speaker 5 (19:22):
What did you learn from the last Monday night football
game of how the team handled it well and just
in general knowing there had been some struggles in primetime games,
but to do well in this last one, and what
you guys feel like the takeaway was and how guys
handled it.
Speaker 3 (19:34):
The biggest thing was the crowd noise. We hardly had
any false start, so that was big. To play in
that type of environment and play a tough ball game
and not flinched. It's not easy to do. So we
got to go up there with the same mindset. It's
going to be us against everybody once we get up there,
and we just.
Speaker 1 (19:48):
Got to execute well.
Speaker 5 (19:49):
Coach, thank you as always for your time. We really
appreciate it, and again congrats on that big w this weekend.
Speaker 1 (19:54):
Thank you.
Speaker 5 (19:54):
Coming up next on Buccaneers Total Access is defensive line
coach Charlie Strong, brought to you by Advan Health Buccaneers Radio.
Speaker 2 (20:01):
Buccaneers Total Access brought to you by advant Health, Exclusive
Hospital of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Dropping back of the row,
we've threatened the blitz of coming after my home Puss.
Speaker 1 (20:11):
He sacked from the back field.
Speaker 2 (20:12):
That's a forty two yard line. Vitavea has his fourth
sack of the season. Now more with Bucks team reporter
Casey Phillips.
Speaker 5 (20:20):
Welcome back into Buccaneers Total Access brought to you by
advent Hell. First half of the show we had head
coach Todd Bowles. Now I am so excited to be
joined by defensive line coach Charlie Strong, coach, thanks for
being with us.
Speaker 1 (20:30):
Oh, thank you, Casey, thank you for having me all and.
Speaker 5 (20:32):
You got a good one to come on for. Man,
I mean, what a game that was. What a start
to the season. This is it. It's been unbelievable as
a fan and everybody to watch this tied for the
best six game start in franchise history. To have this
kind of record, all the injuries, all the last minute wins,
all of the chaos so far this season. What is
this like? What does it feel like in the locker
(20:52):
room and the coaches meetings and just the overall vibe
of this team at this point.
Speaker 6 (20:56):
I think that when you look at our team right now,
it carries a personersonality of our head coach.
Speaker 1 (21:01):
And so you look at the wins where.
Speaker 6 (21:04):
We came back late in the fourth quarter and one
of the games, they don't crack. You know, it's just
like we just continue to play. The head coach doesn't.
That's the way he carries himself, and you see his
personality and you just know at some point someone's gonna
make a play. You know, we may be down now,
but I think now just because the way offense is
(21:25):
playing the way Bakers plan that you can always count.
Speaker 1 (21:29):
You hate for that to happen because you said.
Speaker 6 (21:31):
Okay, every week we were lying on Baker to come
and make a play, and at some point the defense
has to step up and stop people. But just the
personality of the head football coach where nothing bothers him
and he's going to continue to coach and he feel
and that's the way the team that has.
Speaker 1 (21:47):
Carried on that personality.
Speaker 5 (21:48):
When you got here, what did you notice about the
culture of this team?
Speaker 6 (21:52):
Oh, it was unbelievable culture. And you just look at
the players and just how they mingle together with the
coaches and even with them, says Else, And you just
know that a real culture has been built because when
you look at your team, you always say, you know, like,
who's going to be a problem for us, and we
don't have.
Speaker 1 (22:10):
That at all.
Speaker 5 (22:11):
You mentioned Baker, which it has been a blast for
all of us to watch him. I imagine it's the
same for you and nice to be having him on
your team and not the opposing I wonder if you
relate sometimes to the defensive watching when they almost have
him down for that sack on third and fourteen and
then he comes out of it. If it's just like
good grief, like what is this? What does it take
to stop this guy? What has watching him been like?
(22:33):
And even having so much of your experience on defenses
to explain why Baker's having the kind of success he
has and how hard he is to stop and get
down in the pocket.
Speaker 6 (22:42):
Well, I had the firsthand because when I was at Texas,
Baker was at Oklahoma, and so when he played, we
played against every year.
Speaker 1 (22:51):
So one year he beat me, the next.
Speaker 6 (22:53):
Year I think I beat him or vice versa, but
he was the starting quarterback to one year that we
beat them. The following year he came back meet us,
but just to see him how he's developed, and just
over the years where he went from college to the
NFL and then the teams that he was with and
now they come here and.
Speaker 1 (23:09):
Have the success that these have. It.
Speaker 6 (23:11):
I'm so happy for him because he's put so much
into it. And you can and when your team feels
like you can always count on someone, then it says
a lot about them. And that's what is happening with
Baker because they just we deepend on him so much
and and like I said, at some point the defense
is gonna sat the step up and make a play,
(23:33):
but just to see it happens, it's been fun to watch.
Speaker 5 (23:36):
And six sacks on the on the day for the defense,
what a what an explosion in that area. What an
incredible stat line and huge part of the game. What
you guys were able to do on that side. I
know some came from your group, some from outside linebackers,
some from corners, which I feel like, that's that's such
a Todd Bowles defense kind of day right there. So
tell me why this game the sacks were there was
(24:00):
you guys can take from that to carry on to
future games because I know maybe not every game is
six sacks, even though you'd love for it to be.
So what does it look like in this game and
the ones moving forward?
Speaker 6 (24:10):
Well, you're looking at it. Last game, I don't know
if we had any sacks. And it's always like any
guys understand, and I think Vita says it best. He
always said, coach, they come in bunches, they come in bunches.
Speaker 1 (24:20):
We'll get some and then we won't get some. We'll
get some, but the.
Speaker 6 (24:23):
Half six against a really good offensive team like San
Frian is really good, and they started off early where
I think maybe the fifth player of the game were
able to get a sack, where Vita and Roberts Elijah
both got a half a sack. But it's it's when
you are able to put pressure on the quarterback and
(24:44):
get the ball out of his hands and then go
and sack him. And like you said, it's came from
the defensive line, the outside linebackers, the corner. You know,
Dean comes on the sack and gets the sack in
a big sack where he calls the fumble. We don't
get the fumble, but it's a strip fumble, but you know,
it happens for us, and it's good because now you
get the offense behind the chains and you're able to
(25:06):
get off the field.
Speaker 1 (25:07):
On defense.
Speaker 5 (25:08):
That's a very big deal. We're talking to defensive line
coach Charlie Strong. So Vita, I mean, not only did
he get that half sack, but it just felt like
he was influencing the pass game, even on ones where
he's not necessarily getting things that are going to show
up in the stat box, like helping other guys end
up getting their sacks. He just seemed like he was
having a heck of a game in that area. So
what were the biggest ways you saw him affecting the
(25:30):
pass game and what he did well that maybe we
don't even always notice or appreciate.
Speaker 1 (25:34):
Well when you.
Speaker 6 (25:35):
Watch him, if you don't double Vita, you're gonna have
a problem with him. And then they try to single
him and he's not going to you know, he's just
he's pushing the pocket and he's knocking people back, and
that's where he's really effective. And then sometimes he got
able to knock him back and then get his hand
on the quarterback or even just affect to throw make
the quarterback hap to move his feet. And that's where
(25:56):
he did a good job for us last night because
he was able to just push the pocket and just
just just and I said, I said, he has been
disruptive the whole day and it was really good. And
then they couldn't run the ball. So now when they
try to throw the ball, he was disrupted. He disrupted
in the run game, so he was I had a
(26:16):
really good day.
Speaker 5 (26:17):
Yeah, tell me about the run game overall, what you
guys thought of how the D line handled the run game,
especially when you're facing a guy like Christian McCaffrey, where
you know he can do a lot of things, both
run and pass game, but run game overall. And then
specifically how you guys were able to limit Christian a bit.
Speaker 6 (26:32):
Well, the key thing when you go into a game,
you try to make a team one dimensional, so whatever
their strength is, and we don't want them to get
the run game going, because if you allow a team
to get the run game going, now they're able to
throw the ball and run the ball, and they're able
to stay balanced, and you want to make.
Speaker 1 (26:46):
Sure that you created where they're not going to be
a balance offense for that day.
Speaker 6 (26:51):
So now we went into it knowing that how how
good of a player McCaffrey was, and said, there's no
way we know he's gonna get his touches. We know
he's gonna make some plays, but we cannot allow him
to run the football against us.
Speaker 5 (27:04):
I know CJ. Brewer also ended up with a half
a sack. This is a guy who doesn't get the
notoriety of the attention of a lot of the main starters.
Has been on the practice squad at times, bounced around,
but seems like he's a guy that whenever his number
is called does what's asked of him.
Speaker 6 (27:18):
So dependable, and he's one of those guys that he
knows what everyone on the defensive front is doing, and
he knows all the calls, and he's sitting there trying
to tell everybody. And sometimes I tell him, hey, you
get lined up and quit worrying about them. Okay, you
be you, you do your job.
Speaker 1 (27:35):
Let's hey, they will get their job taking care of well. Coach,
I want to make sure he knows what he's doing.
I'm fine with that, but let's make sure.
Speaker 6 (27:42):
Yeah, let him do he knows what he's doing. You
don't have to tell him every time.
Speaker 1 (27:46):
That's great, but he is.
Speaker 6 (27:47):
But he's so dependable, and you knowing that he's gonna
give you everything he's got.
Speaker 5 (27:53):
I know we saw yeah, yeah, get a couple of sacks.
Great to see him have a bit of a breakout game.
Hassan got a half a sack. What did you notice
about the off the outside linebackers and just the ways
that I know you guys work so closely with them,
and the way that you guys help each other out
and influence each other.
Speaker 6 (28:08):
Well, we work together every day and it's like when
we go with our past game we were together and
we're working games, and just to see ya Ya and
Hassan come out and get the sacks.
Speaker 1 (28:18):
That they got was really good. And it was good
for y'all.
Speaker 6 (28:21):
Yeah, because he's been so close, you know, weekend and
with you own and he just have been never been
able to finish it. And to see him finish it,
it was really good and I was.
Speaker 1 (28:30):
Just so happy for him.
Speaker 5 (28:31):
I know, also having Levante behind your line not a
terrible person to know you got back there. Tell me
what it's been like for you to come in and
watch what it's like to have him back there, and
the way he influences all of your guys, and just
for you, what you knew about him before you even
got here is compared to learning and watching him every
single day.
Speaker 6 (28:50):
Well, he's a true leader and he is the leader
of our defense. And you look at the play he
made in the Seattle game. You know, you get into
the game, and there's some games you get into and
you're like, got the money, we got to stop him,
We got to get a stop here. And then Seattle
gets the ball back and then they're driving and you're like,
we can't let him because they get in the field
goal range and they kicking field goal. They're gonna try
(29:11):
to have, you know, last second field goal and go
win the game.
Speaker 1 (29:14):
He comes up with a.
Speaker 6 (29:15):
Big interception about ball hits one of our guys, hits
Logan's helmet and he's able to intercept it, and now
all of a sudden we end up kicking the field
goal to go win the game. But I had a
chance to see him in high school because I recruited
him out of high school and he end up going
to Nebraska with the junior college to Nebraska. But him
and Teddy and the whole group of guys coming out
(29:36):
of the high school, Yeah, high school just produces so
many good players. But just to see his leadership now
and how he is he and he accepts that role
and he takes on that role and which is really
good because the players respect him so much.
Speaker 5 (29:51):
Also, I know you are busy watching running backs as
you watch film preparing for things. So watching the way
that Rashad has stepped in when Bucky's been out and
then just having the two of them when they're both healthy,
how challenging that is for defenses to take on.
Speaker 6 (30:04):
Well, when you have that pair is really tough. Because
they give you. You look at Uno and that's what I
call him shot. He is a power runner and it
has enough speed to just run through defenders in there.
As Bucky with his size, he's quick enough where he
can outrun you and then or make a move on
you and make you fall on your face. But just see,
(30:25):
I had to have that one two punch is really good.
But then now that Bucky was out and to watch him,
go to watch her shot, just go watch him run
the ball. It was really good and it was just
fun watching it because you want to see him, you say,
at at some point you just want to see him
handle it by himself.
Speaker 1 (30:42):
And that's what he was able to do.
Speaker 5 (30:44):
Yeah, stepped up in a big way for sure. We're
going to take a quick break here on Buccaneers Total Access,
brought to you by advent Health. We're talking to defensive
line coach Charlie Strong. This is Buccaneers Radio.
Speaker 2 (30:54):
You were listening to Buccaneers Total Access with head coach
Todd Bowles and Bucks team reporter in Casey Phillips. Brought
to you by ad Van Health, Exclusive Hospital of the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Speaker 5 (31:06):
Welcome back into Buccaneers Total access brought to you by
Advent Health. We're talking to defensive line coach Charlie Strong,
So I want to dive into Vita a little bit more. Here.
Tell me what you knew about him before coming in
and then what you've learned since being here about who
he is on and off the field.
Speaker 6 (31:21):
Well, I had a chance because I live here in
Tampa just to see him and just to see the games.
Speaker 1 (31:27):
Did not really know him, just knew, you.
Speaker 6 (31:30):
Know, he went to Washington, came here as a as
a first round pick, and then to watch, you know,
each and every game.
Speaker 1 (31:37):
He was so young when he came in because he has.
Speaker 6 (31:39):
Sue and he had enough guys around him, so he
was able to learn from that group of guys.
Speaker 1 (31:46):
And now he's the older guy in the room.
Speaker 6 (31:49):
You do understand, you the older guy, you don't have
to listen to these young guys. He's one of those guys.
He doesn't say much. He just let he just let
his work speak for itself. And he's not a raw
row guy. He'll say something to one of the guys
to give them advice, say this is what you need
to do.
Speaker 1 (32:07):
It's amazing how he goes about.
Speaker 6 (32:08):
His work and he works, and then when it's time
to go play, he shows up to go play. And
it's like every week he shows up to go play.
And it's always been fun because when you have a
guy like that, it's easy to coach a guy like that.
Speaker 1 (32:22):
You know. It's those guys where you feel.
Speaker 6 (32:23):
Like you had to just drive, Hey, get ready, and
even though they are.
Speaker 1 (32:27):
Professionals, you still have to do that, but with him,
you don't.
Speaker 5 (32:31):
And where are the things that you've seen that he's
grown in the most, But then also what you're still
working on with him moving forward of where you know,
are we at vita ceiling or are there ways that
meant he can even still take another little step. As
incredible as he is, oh, I.
Speaker 6 (32:46):
Still think he's got something left in him where he
can take that next step. And because if you watch
him his game, it's still like urge areas that he
can improve on and he's willing to improve on it.
He's not those guys that feel like, hey, this is
it for me this And because you look at him,
he's still is like God, he's still got so many
(33:07):
more years left hand.
Speaker 5 (33:08):
Yeah, even if that's incredible.
Speaker 6 (33:11):
It is because they're like, but you still got a
lot left in you. And I think that you know,
he has a daughter now, and I think that has
really helped him with his family, had been been a
family man that he is, and then coming to work
each and every day. I really you have seen him.
They just really grow it and and just taking that
next step.
Speaker 5 (33:31):
That's cool. And I think that the number of snaps
he plays is one of the most underrated things about him.
Explain to people who are not the defensive line experts
you are, how unheard of that is, and also then
therefore how important that is to the defense that he
can be out there as much as he is.
Speaker 1 (33:48):
You would think someone with that size, you say, someone
that size, or.
Speaker 6 (33:52):
They're not going to be able to play this many
snap And each game, each week he played more snaps
than any defensive line that I have. You know, like yesterday,
I think it was maybe seventy two steps we played
on defense. He played fifty two steps at a seventy
two So no one else is playing those type of numbers.
And that's every week that he's like that, because if
(34:14):
he is healthy, he's going in the game and he'll
tell you, coach, you don't give it. Hey I'm gonna
come out this play, but I'm back the next play, hey,
or coach the third.
Speaker 1 (34:23):
Down, I'm coming back in the game.
Speaker 6 (34:25):
But I tell him, listen, we're gonna go as you go,
and that's how we're gonna play.
Speaker 1 (34:30):
As you play.
Speaker 6 (34:31):
So you don't wane who set the standard here. You
don't want who everyone's watching. And he don't mind it
like he's he accepts that and that's why he's able
to play the number of plays he played cause he
don't want to be out and he don't want anyone
to ever say, well, Vita's not in and they won't
say that, but he doesn't want that sad about him.
Speaker 5 (34:49):
And I know losing Kalijah had to be pretty brutal
on the line for the season. And what were the
things that he was doing best prior to getting hurt,
and just how this season was looking for him now
that he's had a couple years under his belt.
Speaker 6 (35:03):
Well, I felt like just going coming into the season
like he had one of his best camps and he
was under He's explosive.
Speaker 1 (35:11):
He's a guy.
Speaker 6 (35:12):
That learns a game, studies a game, and always telling
the other guys, hey man, you line up on this guy.
Speaker 1 (35:19):
This is what this guy liked to do, and I
give it to him.
Speaker 6 (35:21):
Like he goes down, he talks about each lineman that
we're gonna face and every offensive lineman that we're gonna face.
But he was, he was doing an unbelievable job. And
him and Vita plays off for one another. You know,
Veata's a strong, powerful guy's side knock people back. And
then Elijah comes with the quickness and the speed where
they have to chase him. And but you know, losing
(35:42):
him has heard us. But we've had, you know, some
guys that step up. But it's it's just still he's
still around, and he still comes in our meetings, and
he still talks to guys. He still watched film where
everybody on the sideline he's talking when they come up
the field.
Speaker 1 (35:57):
He's telling him what he see.
Speaker 6 (35:59):
But it it's amazing just to have him around and
how he's gone himself, has continued to see the game.
Speaker 5 (36:06):
We're talking to defensive line coach Charlie Strong. Tell me
about the guys that have stepped up in his absence
and the way that that has affected the whole line.
The way you guys try to use them and your
job overall trying to replace Kelijah when there isn't another
Elijah on the roster. How have you guys tried to
use some of those other guys in the ways they've
stepped up, right?
Speaker 6 (36:25):
And I think that the guys understand that, like, you know,
we're not going to replace him because he is a
different guy, you know. And so like you take a
guy like Gaines, Gaines has you know what his skill
set is, like you know, he's a guy who's been.
Speaker 1 (36:38):
Around a while.
Speaker 6 (36:39):
He understands the game, and he sees a game where
he studies a game and he's always looking for just hey,
I can use this, you know, his tidbit here, I
can take this nugget and I can this is how
I'm gonna work this guy.
Speaker 1 (36:52):
But he's been around, he's a fat And then.
Speaker 6 (36:55):
You take a guy, you take a rookie now like
Elijah Roberts, who is so talent that who's got a
big ceiling.
Speaker 1 (37:02):
Ahead of him.
Speaker 6 (37:03):
And if he once he learns he understands the game,
but he really doesn't understand it and once he does,
he's gonna become a really good player. And Collijah's kind
of mentoring him, like he's taking him under his wing.
Speaker 1 (37:17):
And then we talked about C. J.
Speaker 6 (37:18):
Brewer, guy that has been around, who has played some
that has made plays. And even with Logan, I think
that what Logan does is he's gonna give you everything
he's got every play, and he's gonna he's gonna play
like that every play.
Speaker 1 (37:31):
He's gonna give you everything he has.
Speaker 6 (37:33):
And and just to watch how like all those guys
that knowing that they have to step up now because
we have lost Collija, So now we have to step
up now. We have to be we have to play
within ourselves and we know what our ability and our
skill set is. We can't be him, but we can
improve our game.
Speaker 5 (37:50):
I know that last year, I think George Edwards told
me on one of these shows that Logan Hall was
one of the most underrated guys on our defense for
what he does for us. Is that's still the case.
And just overall, how are you guys working to use
him and the things that he can add that maybe
we don't always see or end up on the stat sheet.
Speaker 1 (38:10):
Well, Logan, he doesn't say anything.
Speaker 6 (38:13):
And then so you'll have Vita and you have Collijah,
and it is like he's almost like to forgotten one
just sitting over her by himself, and who is a starter.
But you watch him play like that, he's around the ball,
you know, he's making plays and and and I think
that with him, he has accepted that, Okay, I just
(38:33):
gotta do my job. I can't worry about anything else
because I know Vita's a man, I know Colijah's man.
Speaker 1 (38:39):
But I just have to do my job. And he has.
Speaker 6 (38:42):
He's kind of one of those guys. He isn't lost,
but he's he's someone that does his job, does it well,
and you know, week in and week out, you know
you can always.
Speaker 1 (38:53):
Depend on it.
Speaker 5 (38:54):
And then I know Desmond Watson we were able to
bring back on the practice squad. What is having a
guy like him around help with it at practice and
the ways you guys try to use him as a
practice squad guy and just kind of his his potential
with the way he is such a unique player, Daz.
Speaker 1 (39:09):
He's got size, he has everything you want.
Speaker 6 (39:12):
And his issue is that you would like to get
him in a place where we can.
Speaker 1 (39:18):
Bring him alone more than what we're doing right now.
But he comes up, he's at practice, he's on the
scout team.
Speaker 6 (39:24):
You know, he's working, and he's get him as his
working and he understands, now this is you don't get
many opportunities and on his level, and when you get
that opportunity, you have to take advantage of it because
someone is always looking to take your job, so you
have to. You have to when you get given a chance,
you have to step up. And I think he's beginning
(39:45):
to realize that now.
Speaker 5 (39:46):
I love it. And also I wanted to ask your
thoughts on watching our offensive line this season and what
all they've had to deal with and go through that
as someone who clearly scouts and looks at offensive lines
all the time to see what they've been able to
accomplish with one million different combinations of people. Even in
the game yesterday, you know that you're having Haggard go
out and Clin step in. I mean, it's just been unbelievable.
(40:08):
What's it been like to watch how they've handled it
and just how surprised you would have been as a
defensive line coach going against a group like that that
they've been able to manage it.
Speaker 1 (40:15):
You know, I tell Carbs every day.
Speaker 6 (40:17):
I said, Carbs, Yeah, I mean, it's amazing a job
you're doing.
Speaker 1 (40:20):
With that line, because if you saw us in just.
Speaker 6 (40:23):
Theiring OTAs and what we had with our offensive line,
it was like, you know, it's Tristan, you had all
these guys, Luke, you had them all lined up, bart
but Breston, you had them lined up, Cody, And now
you have the injuries that we've had. And so at
one time there was like what four starters down, three
starters down?
Speaker 1 (40:43):
You had Bartner, you had Birch, who was your Bretson?
Who are your guys?
Speaker 6 (40:47):
And now and each week it's just like we're retooling it,
like okay, now these are the starting five. But it's
been amazing how those guys have been able to work
together and work off one another and and not use
it as an excuse. A lot of times you can
sit back excuse say, well, we don't have our offensive
line and that's the glue, like of the offensive defensive
(41:10):
line are the ones that set the tone for the
whole game. But we've been able to work through it.
You know, like a client is stepped up. You know,
those guys are all stepping up and and and they're
they're making their plan and they're plan.
Speaker 5 (41:22):
Well, all right, we'rena taking one more break here on
Buccaneers Total Access, brought to you by Avan Health. We're
talking to defensive line coach Charlie Strong. This is Buccaneers Radio.
Speaker 2 (41:31):
Buccaneers Total Access with head coach Todd Bowles now continues,
brought to you by Advan Health, Exclusive Hospital of the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Speaker 5 (41:40):
We're talking to defensive line coach Charlie Strong. Uh So,
since you are new here this year, wanted to help
our fans get to know you a little bit. And
your football history of positions and roles and everything is unbelievable.
I was looking at the fact that you've coached outside linebackers,
wide receivers, defensive ends, and line assistant, head coach and
head coach, defensive coordinator, inside linebackers, like, oh my gosh,
(42:04):
at this point, you've coached dang near everything. Tell me
how you've been able to be in a position to
coach so many different roles and even position groups, and
how that's sort of helped form the coach you are
at this point.
Speaker 6 (42:17):
You're right, because I started off as a graduate assistant
on defense, and I was in the secondary at that time,
and so then I go from the secondary and then
I take a job as a wide receiver coach, and.
Speaker 5 (42:30):
I coached such a logical jump.
Speaker 6 (42:32):
Yeah, I'll go from secondary to wide receivers, and then
then I come back and I start coaching outside linebackers.
But I just felt like that if you want to
be a head coach then or coordinator, you're gonna have
to know every position, and you should coach every position
because that only helps you out and it makes you
more aware of what's happening with each position, and you
(42:54):
can help your position coach. Like if there's something is
going on and I guy he's coaching a different position.
Speaker 1 (43:00):
You probably see it from a different angle.
Speaker 6 (43:02):
You can say, hey, this is what I've tried before,
and this is what I've used.
Speaker 1 (43:06):
But it has helped me.
Speaker 6 (43:08):
It helped me tremendously along the way in my career.
Speaker 5 (43:12):
And how about coaching a lot of college and then
also now pro that what are the ways that those
are similar different in the ways that having a lot
of college experience influence the way you relate to the guys.
Speaker 1 (43:25):
It all comes back just developing young men.
Speaker 6 (43:28):
And so even on the collegiate level or the professional level,
because a lot of times I think that you know
when you get them in college. They're so young and
so they have no idea, but they think they do.
They have no idea, and you're you're center trying to
grow them up and get them ready. And you always
tell them, if your goal is to play at the
next level, and you all of you think you're professional players,
(43:49):
then just listen and then you can get there. And
then once you get to this level, and people always think, well,
this guy is he's a pro and he knows it,
but they still they're still learning. And the guys that
have their loane careers in the NFL are guys that
have taken their game and they've taken it to another
level where they study the game. They understand the game,
(44:12):
and the game doesn't stop when they go home, you know,
when they leave here, you know they go home and
they still or study it. But it's all about just
watching them develop and grow.
Speaker 5 (44:21):
And then how impressed have you been at how ready
our rookies have been knowing that of watching your experience
in college. And I think right now we lead the
league this year and last year in rookie receiving touchdowns.
And I mean, we've just had so many players at
every position group come in as rookies and be so ready.
What have you seen about how we're able to do
that and find that and just the roles they've already
(44:42):
been able to play this year, especially with injuries, the
importance of those rookies.
Speaker 6 (44:45):
I think our scouting department do a great job of
going to those schools where you have a chance, where
you take a you knowing that you want to draft
one of their players, and then they get all the
information on them, knowing that they when we get them here,
they're gonna be ready to go play. You take a
guy like Mike you know, even yesterday with Johnson that
the way he played. But it's it's always like they
(45:08):
knowing who is ready, and when they get into our
system and our culture then and makes them even more
ready because we're going to get them ready to go
play with the coaches that we have.
Speaker 5 (45:19):
We're talking to defensive line coach Charlie Strong. You were
familiar largely because of how much, especially in college, you
had done with so many people on this team before
you even got here that that's just so crazy, how
many different paths you crossed with first I'd love to
hear about. Of course, we were talking about in the
commercial break you being at UT and a certain wide
receiver for the Bucks is rather prolific at A and M.
(45:40):
At one point, tell me what you remember about Mike Evans.
Speaker 6 (45:44):
Well, I told Mike, I said, said, yeah, coach, you
were at UT when I in these Texas, Texas and
l Now when I got there, we had stopped playing,
and but you still you know, both of those are
the two lead schools in the States, so so you're
gonna know a lot about him. And it's still the
rivalry better and we didn't get to play him, but
(46:05):
it was just you know, just watching him and seeing
how how well he you think about what he's done
after he leaves college to come it's unbelievable what he's
done and you don't see I don't think it's ever
been done with the number of years that he's been
here and have the one thousand yards receiving, it's crazy.
Speaker 1 (46:26):
And he and he's a guy.
Speaker 6 (46:28):
When you watch him, you know, I have just had
a chance now that I'm here, just watching him and
how you carry himself, and he is still wanting to learn,
and he helps the young guys and he's always coaching them.
Just a quiet confidence about him, and you just know
when the lights come on, here he goes and he's
(46:48):
ready to go play.
Speaker 5 (46:49):
So now we got Monday night football again. Feels like
we just did this, and I imagine Monday night football
is kind of like the nightmare for coaches in so
many ways of what are the ways that you've learned
and to try to cope with the Monday night football
and how much does it end up affecting you as
a coach, and then the way you try to get
your guys ready on both ends of it.
Speaker 6 (47:07):
Well, you do get an extra day of preparation, which
is good for the coaches, but after the game, you
gotta get ready the next week for the next opponent,
so then you lose it. And when you have a
good opponent like Detroit, you don't know if you want
to look ahead.
Speaker 5 (47:22):
To the point, maybe we don't spend any time doing that.
Speaker 6 (47:24):
Yeah, you don't know if you want to look ahead,
because you know how big this game is. But just
to see just the whole preparation in a way that
coach Bo's has done. We're getting our guys ready to
go play, and it's just been amazing to watch and
how our players themselves. You know, you have an older
group when they themselves has taken upon them to where
(47:47):
they're sitting there saying, hey, this is what we gotta
get done. We understand what we gotta get done. It's
how we got to come to work every day.
Speaker 5 (47:53):
What have you already seen or know about especially Premior
Gibbs David Montgomery and what those two guys are going
to be like to face?
Speaker 1 (48:00):
Well, I wasn't in Alabama when Gibbs, you know, he's a.
Speaker 5 (48:04):
Georgia you know everybody.
Speaker 6 (48:06):
Then he came to Alabama, uh, and you know it
was like three they have three or four players from
Alabama on that team at Detroit. But you know, you
look at Gibbs, who's so fast, and he's so quick
and explosive, and he's he's every time he touched the ball,
he's he's a he can take it the distance, he's play.
He's one of those guys that you say, here's a
home run. He's a home run hitter. And then you
(48:28):
look at Montgomery, who's who's strong and who's powerful like
I wanted two punch. You know, Bucky may not have
the speed that kids have, but he's a guy who
can take in the distance and and then you look
at Montgomery who's so powerful, run behind his pads and
and those are a great one two punch right there.
But you still have to contend with the receivers that
he toted out for.
Speaker 5 (48:53):
Yeah, and uh and Jared Goff tell me just kind
of the things of game planning for a guy like him,
what that looks like.
Speaker 6 (48:58):
Well, let me tell us you got another store another
When I was at Texas Golf was a cow So
we played them. So they had come to the UH
when at Austin and we we were behind, so we
tied the game up. So I'm walking and so we
send the extra point to the extra point team out
(49:19):
on the field to kick the you know we're gonna
retire the game. And so I'm walking and so I'm
walking away from so they're behind me. The goal post
is behind me. So I'm walking to water defensive coordinator
some said to him to say, hey, fans, look, we
gotta get ready because we can't let golf beat us.
So we got to get ready because we are going
to overtime. And he says, you don't have to worry
(49:40):
about that. We just missed the extra point and I
turned and we missed the extra point, and I just
thought it so bad for our kick.
Speaker 1 (49:47):
Oh, I said, you.
Speaker 5 (49:49):
Were not excited about having to go against Golf. No.
Speaker 6 (49:52):
I sat there with him, I said, there with a
field goal kicker all day and he's like, I'm sorry, listen,
it happened.
Speaker 1 (49:58):
It happens. But but Golf.
Speaker 6 (50:01):
You know, he's a guy that does a good job
of running the offense, can throw the deep wall, does
a really good job spacing the ball out, finding the
open receivers.
Speaker 5 (50:10):
Yep, got your work cut out for you, Leaus. You
got that extra day.
Speaker 1 (50:12):
It does and next day helps. But our work is
cut out.
Speaker 5 (50:15):
Yeah, we're cut out for you. Eleve it well, coach,
thank you so much for spending time with us. We
appreciate and congrats on that win yesterday.
Speaker 1 (50:20):
Thank you and thank you for having me.
Speaker 5 (50:22):
All right, that's gonna do it for us. On Buccaneers
Total Access brought to you by Advan Health. This is
Buccaneers Radio.
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