Built into the structure of the Todd Bowles defense is a complexity that simply cannot be altered.
That was the firm message from Buccaneers legend Rondé Barber, who collects a paycheck from the team for video breakdowns on the team website.
Barber also is the analyst on Bucs preseason games and a close friend to many in the organization. On the WFLA streaming show that bears his name, Barber pushed back on the notion that Bowles can simplify his defense to fix some basic issues that have been become recurring problems.
> “You can’t dumb it down. You just can’t,” Barber said of the Bowles defense. “These guys have to smarten up, basically. It has to be the other way. They have to learn how to play chess is what it is. And if they think they can play checkers because they’re athletic and talented, we’re going to have a bunch of games like we just saw.”
The Bucs defense played very well in the first half Sunday, then it imploded against a bad offense. And now injuries have crept into the mix.
Joe’s not waving a white flag yet as it relates to the defense. Mental toughness, Joe believes is a bigger issue, and a more depressing one. If the Bucs’ stars/captains were locked in from Week 1, this Bucs team likely has a 2-0 record.