The Good – Lavonte David

106 solo tackles, 38 assists, 6 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, and 5 interceptions. Lavonte David is doing things in his second year that most linebackers can only dream of. Yes, David has the stats but what I am most impressed with is the intangibles, the spark, that he brings to an often flat Buccaneers defense. This guy can blitz AND (I say “and” in capital letters because not many backers have both skills **COUGH COUGH Kuechly**) drop into coverage, blanketing some of the best over-the-middle receivers the NFL has to offer. He is always moving towards the ball and his incredible closing speed helps him get their and make plays. To say he was snubbed his first Pro Bowl selection this year would be an understatement. David is a brightly shining light in an otherwise flickering Bucs defense. Which brings me to “The Bad”.

“The Good” honorable mentions: Vincent Jackson, Jonathan Banks, Tiquan Underwood, The O-Line, and Gerald McCoy.

The Bad – The Pass Rush

Ranking 24th in the league in sacks (35) is not the way to establishing a strong defense. This has been a source of bleeding on the Bucs defense for some time now. You can trace it all the way back to when Simeon Rice played in pewter and red. Aside from a strong showing from Michael Bennet last year (who we we let walk) and the great play from McCoy this and last year there is very little pressure being put on opposing quarterbacks. I think with a few moves in the draft and maybe a free agent signing, or two (Jared Allen?!) we finally give some long awaited help to McCoy, Clayborn, and Spence.

“The Bad” Honorable Mentions: Revis (obviously wasn’t at 100%), consistent quarterback play, defensive play calling, and the number of big plays allowed.

The Ugly – Coaching

Do I like Schiano? Yeah, I do like Schiano. I think that he could be the right fit for this team. A team that has a lot of promise and talent, but the problem this year does not stay solely on Schiano’s shoulders. Some changes need to be made with OC Mike Sullivan and DC Bill Sheridan. Again, these are two guys that I think can make it work in Tampa, but not without a few adjustments. The beginning of the season was awful from the coaching side of things. The whole Freeman debacle along with going 0-8 made the coaching staff look especially bad, and rightfully so. Revis should have been playing guys 1-on-1 from the very beginning. You don’t bring in Darrell Revis, one of the best CBs in the NFL, to play zone. Buc coaches need to realize mistakes early on and be confident enough to make the changes necessary. You don’t burn your hand on a stove and go back seconds later and touch it again do you? NO. You’re going to burn the shit out of your hand. This year the Buc’s coaches burned the shit out of their hands.

Can’t wait for 2014. GO BUCS!

-Matt