Bucs aim to improve tackling after ‘sloppy’ performance vs. Steelers
TAMPA — Missed tackles were a back-breaker for the Bucs defense in Friday’s preseason opener against the Steelers.
Many of the defensive starters sat out, and the less-experienced players struggled to find their footing while attempting tackles or completely missed their mark altogether.
Head coach Todd Bowles said after the game the unit played sloppily, with players leaving their feet too early on tackles. Correcting it is now a point of emphasis –– even without live tackling periods in practice.
“We’ve got to come to balance and have our knees under us and our legs under us so we can make the tackle,” Bowles said Sunday. “We’re coming in there flying, head full of steam, and we’re flailing around. We’ve got to come to balance a lot better — we can practice that.”
Cornerback Zyon McCollum blew an outside-gap assignment, resulting in a 14-yard Anthony McFarland touchdown. Like his teammates, he also missed tackles.
Bowles said Friday that the missed tackles happen when players leave their feet too early.
McCollum is now working on staying grounded as long as possible.
“If I’m missing a tackle in a game, at any point in my career,” McCollum said Sunday, “it means I need to work on it.”
Wide receiver signs, defensive back waived
The Bucs announced the signing of wide receiver Cephus Johnson on Saturday. Johnson, who played quarterback and wide receiver at the South Alabama and Southeastern Louisiana, had been waived by the Vikings on Tuesday.
Bowles said Johnson’s speed and strong workout stood out to the Bucs.
“We thought we needed an extra body at that position,” Bowles said. “The length on him (6 feet, 5 inches) was intriguing to work with. His workout was good enough to where we thought we could do some things with him.”
The Bucs waived defensive back Duron Lowe. He spent one week on the Bucs’ practice squad at the end of last season and was signed to a reserve/futures contract in January.
Defensive play-calling plans
Bowles has served as the defensive play-caller for the Bucs since 2019. That’s not changing anytime soon.
He confirmed on Saturday that he plans to call games during the regular season. The defensive operation has changed somewhat this season, he said, with the arrival of outside linebackers coach George Edwards. The Bucs also did some “tinkering” with the defense on Friday, Bowles said.
Bowles is giving the co-defensive coordinators a chance to run things during the preseason. Larry Foote called Friday’s game, and Kacy Rodgers will call Saturday’s preseason game against the Jets.
Diaby, Dennis, Ramirez sit out
Outside linebacker Jose Ramirez, linebacker SirVocea Dennis and outside linebacker YaYa Diaby did not practice Sunday.
Bowles said the rookies were sitting out due to soreness from Friday’s game.
“Those guys will be fine,” he said. “They played most of the game, just coming back after that they got days off.”
Diaby left the game early with what looked like a leg injury, which was unrelated to him sitting out Sunday. Bowles said Diaby could have reentered the game but had played enough snaps.
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