Emeka Egbuka Drawing Coverage
With a plethora of injuries to the wide receiver room, including ones suffered by Mike Evans, Chris Godwin Jr. and Jalen McMillan, rookie Emeka Egbuka has emerged as the team's bona fide No. 1 on the depth chart. With his efficiency between the hashes, defenses have begun allocating resources to the first-year player by rolling safeties to his side of the field. Egbuka is the only player in NFL history with 25-plus receptions, 400-plus receiving yards, and five-plus receiving touchdowns through his first five career games. He controls the catch point and is a route-running technician, finding ways to manipulate the leverage of coverage with nuances. Egbuka drawing attention has created advantageous matchups for Tez Johnson, Sterling Shepard and Cade Otton. Offensive Coordinator Josh Grizzard discussed the importance of finding ways to get Egbuka the football and scheme him open against various coverages.
"I think you saw that a little bit – I wouldn't say start for the Detroit game, because you even saw it versus really Philly – but especially in the Detroit game with the coverage rolling that way or being double-teamed, where we've got to find better ways to get him the ball even if he has the double-team on him," noted Grizzard. "Then, if he does have the double-team, it's what are we doing for the other side of it? Because these guys should be singled up in man coverage to be able to get them the rock. So that's something he'll have to adjust to based on those guys being out, like you said. It's something he's prepared for as well, because that's the way he conducts his business, and he knows, 'Okay, if I'm not getting this because I'm getting doubled, then it's opening up Tez or Cade or whoever it might be.' So that's mainly on us to try to find ways to get him the ball even if he was getting a cloud corner or cloud safety over top."
Patriots' Run Defense
The Patriots boast the top-ranked run defense in the NFL, holding opponents to an average of 75.4 yards per game. New England's goal is to stop the run, forcing the opposition to become one dimensional. New England is disciplined in run fits and the line sets the tone with Milton Williams. He has accumulated 18 run stops – tackles made for no gain or a loss – and the unit plays in sync to force rushers inside. He quickly sheds blockers to take down running backs and he holds the point of attack with force. The talented two-gapper anchors their unit and will be a point of emphasis for Tampa Bay in Week 10. In creating a balanced approach, the Bucs face a challenging test with the visiting Patriots' squad.
"They're so gap-sound, in terms of they don't get out of a gap, that way, if you have two people in one gap and now you can gash them in the run game," described Grizzard. "You see that from time to time around the NFL. With these guys, you don't really see that. It starts because of how physically fit and strong they are up the middle – where you're trying to get off of those blocks and those guys do such a good job. They're predicated off setting the edge with the defensive ends – they're trying to box everything in. So, when you get those two things and they're disciplined, there's not a lot of running lanes, which is why it leads to being one of the better rush defenses in the league."
Tez Johnson Dishes on Baker Mayfield's Attention to Detail
Baker Mayfield has willed the Buccaneers to a 6-2 record, including four game-winning drives and four come-from-behind wins, despite the club being without six preseason projected starters. He has rallied the team to victory with late-game heroics and critical scrambles that kept drives alive. Mayfield's on-field poise can be attributed to his preparation and attention to detail during meetings. Tez Johnson joined ‘The Insiders’ on NFL Network, discussing a barrage of topics, including Mayfield's highlighting tactics.
"Baker is so detailed," noted Johnson. "If you watch him take notes in the team meeting rooms, he has his highlighters, his iPad and he is so detailed in everything. The way he makes sure that me and Mek know exactly what he is thinking on a play, you couldn't ask for any better quarterback than that. I am very grateful for that."
