Todd Bowles’ Defense Gives Receivers No Room To Work

When Todd Bowles was brought in with Bruce Arians, Buccaneers fans knew that the defense was going too look much different than in years past.

Bowles might not have been a good head coach during his time with the New York Jets, but something he always has been good at is being a defensive coordinator.

It was honestly incredible to watch the amount of times the Cleveland Browns started on the opposite side of the 50-yard line and only came away with nine points in the first half.

Watching the third pre-season game on Friday night, one thing stood out to me on almost every single pass play. The cornerbacks were glued to the receivers, no matter the route. Whether it was Carlton Davis, M.J. Stewart, Jamel Dean, VH3 - ultimately it didn’t matter. The coverage was tight and invasive.

Yes, the Browns were without four skill players on offense, but it was still nice to see tackles made immediately rather than not having a player within fifteen yards of the catch.

The Buccaneers’ defense showed signs that it could be one of the surprise units around the league this season. If Lavonte David, Vita Vea and at some point Jason Pierre-Paul come back and make an impact, this can be an extremely well run unit.

I can say one thing for certain, the Buccaneers won’t be facing many three score half time deficits this season, if they face any at all.