Primarily based on accidents and workforce personnel, the Bucs have been pressured to play a handful of younger gamers in elevated roles this season. The outcomes have been various. There have been nice outcomes with rookies Bucky Irving at operating again, Tykee Smith at nickel and Graham Barton at facilities. However, there’s additionally been performances which have held the Bucs again. Determining cornerback between second-year participant Josh Hayes and undrafted rookie Tyrek Funderburk has been a problem. Extensive receiver has been an issue as nicely as a result of first and second-year gamers Jalen McMillan, Trey Palmer and Rakim Jarrett haven’t emerged simply but.
There’s no straightforward answer for when gamers go down or there are not any different choices at a place. Typically you simply need to go together with what you bought and coach them up. The Bucs are operating into that difficulty for the time being. Take for instance cornerback. Tampa Bay had good depth going with Jamel Dean, Zyon McCollum and Bryce Corridor as their high three.
Nevertheless, Corridor broke his leg within the first sport of the season and is out for the 12 months. Dean has been on injured reserve and gained’t be again till at the least after the bye. That leaves McCollum on one facet with fourth and fifth stringers Hayes and Funderburk on the opposite. Not precisely how the Bucs drew it up.
Bucs Younger CBs Can’t Come Up With Play In Massive Second
“You don’t anticipate these issues, however they make the workforce for a motive,” Bucs head coach Todd Bowles answered on the problem of placing them in. “All people is in the identical sport plan conferences. You need to mentally put together in the event you can’t bodily put together so whenever you go on the market and also you get a possibility, you must make the perfect of it. That’s in soccer, that’s in life.”
Through the newest sport for Tampa Bay in opposition to San Francisco, McCollum exited the sport late within the fourth quarter with a hamstring damage. This put Hayes and Funderburk in at nook for the ultimate drive because the 49ers drove far sufficient down the sphere with solely 40 seconds to go to kick the game-winning discipline objective.
Bucs CB Josh Hayes – Photograph by: Cliff Welch/PR
There have been complaints of Tampa Bay enjoying an excessive amount of off the ball, permitting San Francisco to run brief out routes to maintain going ahead and in addition get out of bounds to cease the clock. Even after the 49ers used their final timeout, the Bucs nonetheless performed off and allowed them to get nearer into discipline objective vary. This made an enormous distinction as kicker Jake Moody had already been struggling lacking three discipline objectives. He linked, however the ball was nonetheless crusing to the suitable, so had he been a few yards again, it may need missed once more.
This isn’t the primary time Todd Bowles has come underneath scrutiny for enjoying such smooth protection on the line of scrimmage. However with who was on the sphere, Bowles could have felt like he had no different alternative.
“It is dependent upon who’s the weak spot and who’s the weak spot we’re making an attempt to guard – completely different guys we attempt to shield,” Bowles mentioned. “Typically it’s outdoors, typically it’s inside, you attempt to shield them as you go. You’re enjoying with [Tyrek] Funderburk, you’re enjoying with Josh [Hayes], you’re enjoying with a few guys that [are] getting their first style of full-time motion so you must watch out with a whole lot of issues, however we should always nonetheless be dropping the place we have to drop at and that’s not getting throughout for 4 quarters.”
He expanded additional upon why in zone protection receivers have gotten tons of separation.
“A part of it’s as a result of the quarterback has slightly bit extra time to throw than he usually has,” Bowles mentioned. “And a part of it’s that we’re not in the suitable space on the play motion.”
Bucs’ WRs Haven’t Confirmed Up Both
We knew it was going to be powerful sledding for the Bucs at broad receiver after Mike Evans and Chris Godwin went out, however I don’t assume many have anticipated it to be this unhealthy. It’s been broad receiver by committee to get the job completed between veteran broad receiver Sterling Shepard, second-year wideouts Trey Palmer, Rakim Jarrett and Ryan Miller and rookie Jalen McMillan.
Bucs WR Ryan Miller – Photograph by: Cliff Welch/PR
There’s been transient sparks of moments by the group, reminiscent of contributions from Shepard, Palmer and Miller on the game-tying drive on Monday night time soccer in opposition to the Chiefs the place Miller’s landing put them able to tie it up.
However take the 49ers sport for what it was.
Miller had one catch for 11 yards. Shepard had one catch for seven yards and Jarrett had two catches for 10 yards within the sport. Palmer didn’t file a catch or any receiving yards. Pedestrian is an understatement to their outcomes, and there’s a motive why tight finish Cade Otton and the operating backs are the focal factors within the passing sport.
Jalen McMillan was dressed for this sport however primarily missed his second sport in a row with a hamstring damage and his fourth of the season. His absence is one other story itself however the backside line is that he’s not serving to the time both. The Bucs want Mike Evans badly to come back again quickly.
“It’s slightly little bit of every little thing,” Bowles mentioned of the shortage of manufacturing at receiver. “Any time you lose two All-Professionals and you’ve got a man that’s enjoying for the primary time, actually – ‘Shep’ (Sterling Shepard) has performed on this league but it surely’s his first time within the system – ‘J-Mac’ (Jalen McMillan) is a rookie, Trey [Palmer] is [in his] second 12 months, you’ve gotten Ryan [Miller] coming off the observe squad, so there [are] going to be some chemistry issues.
“There’s going to be a change within the offense and it’s going to look a bit completely different. We’ve been throwing the ball fairly [well] these days and had some success – yesterday wasn’t the case. They did a superb job slanting down.”
