Defense seems confused

Since 1996, there's one thing Bucs fans could always count on: the Defense. Even if the offense was terrible, the defense seemed to be there. Even if you couldn't stand watching Trent Dilfer throw INT's or Jeff Garcia dance around the pocket, the defense was always there. The defense was the unit you didn't want to miss. The defense was the unit that was going to keep the Bucs respectable. Well Bucs fans, it seems them days are over.

As it stands after 2 weeks in the season, the Bucs have the 31st ranked defense in the NFL. They give up big pass plays. They give up big chunks of yards to unknown backs with a crappy offensive line. They make Tony Romo look like Joe Montana.

Now it seems, Coach Raheem Morris has found the solution to the defensive problem: They players don't buy into it. Yesterday, Coach held a town hall meeting to try and convince his team that defensive coordinator Jim Bates defense can work.

"It's exactly what I put up on the board (Wednesday) to show our team (Bates') philosophy and what he believes in," Morris said. "And I matched it up with our philosophy and what I believe in. And it's pretty similar. So a lot of things that we already believe in is what we're going to do."

Really coach? Our philosophy is matched up with our philosophy? Is that what you mean? Or do you mean that Bates' defensive philosophy is the same as your defensive philosophy? Or does it just mean that all this defensive philosophy has you confused and you just want to go back to the Cover 2 you know so well.

And I think that's where the problem likes. Morris may have been trying to convince himself as much as the team. In fact, the Bucs played a lot more of the traditional 2-deep safety look as opposed to Bates' bump-n-run deal. Sounds like coach isn't quite sure.

Let's be honest, changing the defense wasn't the best idea this year. Morris probably should've stuck with what he knows best and hired someone to be the defensive caretaker. Morris has a lot on his plate as a first year coach and really shouldn't be exerting that much energy into the defense. If the Bucs had stayed with the Cover 2 base defense, Morris would have a much easier time diagnosing what the problems are.

Of course, the biggest problem is that the Bucs really don't have the personnel for Bates' defense.  The defensive line is atrocious. And, because of Tanard Jackson's suspension, the secondary is missing one of its best players.

I'm not sure why the organization decided to change the defense among all the other changes this year. I guess growing pains are to be expected after the loss of Monte Kiffin, but who knew they were going to be this painful. I just hope Morris doesn't get so fed up with the defense that he decides to fire his 2nd coordinator in his short coaching career.