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JOANNE KORTHWhen it works, the Bucs one-gap defense achieves symbiosis between teamwork and individual responsibility.
TAMPA - One gap, one man.
That, simply stated, is the principle upon which the Bucs run defense is based. Each player is responsible for one gap, and no gap is without a player.
If only it were that simple.
"Everyone thinks, "Oh, just play one-gap football, it's a piece of cake,"' linebackers coach Joe Barry said. "Well, you have to be in the right place, you have to whip a block and then you have to tackle a hell of an athlete. It's not always easy."
One-gap defense is a mental, physical and collaborative pursuit. It tests a player's ability to read, react, perform and, above all else, trust in his teammates to do the same.
"Trust, in my opinion, is everything," Pro Bowl linebacker Derrick Brooks said. "This defense is built on accountability. That's what the one-gap system is all about, trusting that the person will be in his gap. That's what we have to do."
Gaps are potential running lanes, labeled by the Bucs with letters. Starting from the center and working out, the A Gaps are on either side of the center; B Gaps, between the guards and tackles; C Gaps, outside the tackles; and D Gaps, outside the tight ends. In a two-tight end set there are eight gaps.
Middle linebacker Shelton Quarles calls the defensive coverage in the huddle, but as players take their positions, each is responsible for diagnosing the play. Gap assignments change with each play, depending on the offensive formation and the defensive coverage and front.
"That would be simple if for 60 snaps a game you could say, "I'm an A Gap player; I'm going to play the A Gap,"' Barry said. "It's not that simple. It changes. But once the ball is snapped you do have one gap of responsibility and you have to play it."
There is much more to playing a gap than merely being in it. Football, don't forget, is a physical game. For linemen, playing a gap can mean defeating a 300-pound blocker, sometimes two, to clog a running lane or stuff a play. For a linebacker or defensive back it can mean taking on a fullback. For every player, it means tackling a running back who makes his living breaking tackles.
"It's not just, "I've got my gap, my job is done,"' defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin said. "It's very complex. Not a lot of rookies play for us."
A number of things can go wrong.
"Sometimes it's not recognizing the formation you're seeing," nose tackle Anthony McFarland said. "Sometimes it's just being more physical. Sometimes you're in your gap and just not making the tackle. We've been in one or all of those situations."
This week, the Bucs face the Saints and powerful tailback Deuce McAllister, who last season rushed for 109 and 99 yards in victories against Tampa Bay. So far this season, the one-gap run defense has been alternately susceptible and stingy.
Two weeks ago, the 49ers surprised the Bucs with run formations the defense had not seen. As a result, players were out of their gaps. Compounding the problem, players missed tackles.
The 49ers ran for 212 yards.
Sunday, the Bucs made corrections, holding Dallas to 60 yards on 22 carries in a 16-0 victory. Three times on third and 1, the Cowboys ran up the middle. Twice Troy Hambrick was tackled for a 1-yard loss and once Richie Anderson was stopped for no gain.
"We just made an effort to come out and get back to the basics: gap responsibilities, assignments on the field and tackling," defensive tackle Warren Sapp said. "You see what happens when we have it down."
Though based on individual assignments, the true strength of the one-gap system is symbiosis. Each player must do his job, and his job only, to achieve the desired result.
The key is trust.
"You can't be worried about, "Well, the last time they ran this play the guy who was responsible for the A Gap didn't make it, so I better cheat over there and help him,"' Barry said. "Then the ball cuts back to your gap. It's all about accountability."
With trust, the Bucs then can add one more dimension to their run defense: leverage.
"We try to get the ball to the free hitter," Brooks said.
In taking on a lead blocker, the defender knows whether he has help to his inside or outside. The terms "turn back" and "spill" refer to ways the Bucs take on that lead blocker in an attempt to funnel the ball carrier toward open tacklers.
"If I'm a defender and I know I have help inside of me, I'm a turn-back player, meaning I'm turning the ball back into my help," Barry said. "If I'm a spill player I have help outside of me, now I'm spilling the ball to my outside."
Again, all based on trust.
And accountability.
"Everyone has to take ownership in the defense," Barry said. "If you do your job and the guy next to you does his job, usually the end result is pretty damn good."