Bucs defense working towards dominance ahead of game against Lions
Carlton Davis III #24 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and head coach Todd Bowles of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers talk during the second half against the New Orleans Saints at Caesars Superdome on October 01, 2023 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Chris Gr
TAMPA, Fla. - The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are taking on the identity of their head coach – a team driven by a tough and tenacious defense. It's Todd Bowles background and an emphasis he's instilling into his team.
"We’ve been playing tough," Bowles said. "We made mistakes, no question about it. We’ve been playing tough when we give ourselves a chance. [If] we clean up the mistakes, we have chance to be a decent team."
The Bucs defense is allowing just 17 points per game. Better than the 2020 Super Bowl defense, but well short of the 2002 Super Bowl unit that allowed just 12 points per game, but this group is striving to get better.
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"We can always improve tackling," Zyon McCullum said. "Filling the gaps and stopping the run. Then eliminating deep plays in terms of communication in the back end."
Getting first round pick Calijah Kancey in the lineup would be step towards creating more pressure up front. He returned to practice for the first time since week one.
"I'm anxious," Kancey said. "I've seen what I was able to do on the field when I got out there. I want that feeling again. I want to go back out there and make plays."
"We've seen a glimpse of it obviously against Minnesota," Lavonte David said. "He got a couple QB hits and stuff like that."
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One of the biggest issues for the Bucs' defense last year was taking the ball away from the other team. They went six weeks without getting an interception. This year they have six interceptions in their first four games.
"When the ball finds you, it finds you," Carlton Davis III said. "It's about making the play. So we've got guys out there just making plays."
One area that Todd Bowles feels his team can be better at is forcing fumbles.
"For sure, that's the main things," David said. "I put that on me."
The defense will be tested even more than they were against the Eagles. The Lions offense is averaging nearly 30 points per game – second best in the NFC behind San Francisco.