Back on top

The rumors of the defense's decline have been greatly exaggerated

By RICK STROUD
Published January 7, 2006

	[Times photo: Bill Serne]
	Anthony McFarland pressures Saints quarterback Aaron Brooks. The Bucs allowed the fewest yards per game in the league and were eigth in points allowed.

TAMPA - By now, they were expected to have arthritic knees, failing eyesight and slow reflexes.

Unable to impose their will, they were supposed to retreat like hairlines, giving up yards and points in uncommon quantities.

Even if the Bucs kept their aging defense together, it was considered only a matter of time before it physically fell apart.

But three years after winning the Super Bowl, the Bucs defense is ranked No. 1 in the NFL again.

It hasn't just returned to prominence, but to the playoffs.

And darned if it doesn't feel like just the start of things.

"I think it's big," coach Jon Gruden said. "To say you're No. 1 in the NFL in team defense, statistically speaking, that's a great accomplishment. It's a well-coached defense. We've got some dynamic playmakers. The effort level, the standards are high, and we've had a lot of newcomers help us this year.

"We have only had a couple of real dark moments defensively. Other than that, we have been pretty stout. Otherwise, we wouldn't be No. 1 in the NFL."

Entering today's NFC wild-card game against the Redskins, the Bucs will have eight starters from their Super Bowl defense: Derrick Brooks, Simeon Rice, Ronde Barber, Anthony McFarland, Greg Spires, Shelton Quarles, Brian Kelly and Dexter Jackson.

But the Bucs lost two of their biggest leaders before the start of 2004, safety John Lynch and defensive tackle Warren Sapp, who have combined for 13 Pro Bowls. "We really didn't adjust well," Barber said. "We struggled with leadership after some of those guys left. The thing about Sapp when he was here, you'd see something on tape, and it might not have anything to do with him or the position he played. But he'd understand that it was wrong, and he'd make you feel uncomfortable about it.

"That just wasn't the case the past two years. But I think everybody's taken their accountability level up to a different level, and that makes it easier to come to work and do your job."

The Bucs defense finished fifth in the league the past two seasons, but their rushing defense fell to 13th in 2003 (109.8 yards per game) and 19th in 2004 (123.3). They also had trouble closing out games.

Rice said the remaining core of defensive players were uncomfortable in new roles.

"The friends that you had are gone," Rice said. "Once you're in a comfort zone and you have to get out of a comfort zone, that's when the change forces you to be a stand-up guy and accept the new. Sometimes, the new brings about change, and that's a good thing.

"I think more than being more vocal, you've got to be proactive. You've got to take the guys under your wing at practice. You've got to show the guys how to go through drills so they're more accepting of that and the standard we've set."

Nowhere did the Bucs improve more than against the run. The Bucs, who signed nose tackle Chris Hovan before this season, allowed seven fewer runs of 20 or more yards than last season. The longest run allowed was 31 - to the Redskins' Clinton Portis - whereas the Bucs allowed four runs longer than that a year ago.

The top-ranked 2002 defense accounted for only one more turnover (31) than this season. But the big difference was defensive scores. The Super Bowl team produced nine touchdowns while the 2005 Bucs had three.

Statistics can be twisted in a variety of ways. The Bears allowed the fewest points in the league. The Colts were second while the Bucs finished eighth.

But in total yards, the Bucs sneaked past the Bears for the top spot on the final day of the regular season.

"It's a testament to the coaching staff, No. 1, for managing the team and getting us back; not just back to health, but to prominence," Rice said. "To get to prominence is a very hard journey. It's a journey. It's a rite of passage. And once you're able to achieve that, you have to finish it."

Brooks and Barber enjoyed Pro Bowl seasons. Rice, second in the NFC with 14 sacks, and McFarland are alternates. "It was a matter of just digging the ditch with the workers," Brooks said. "Not telling them where to dig, just getting down there and showing them where to dig."

The hard work has paid off. The Bucs defense is back. But it won't be satisfied unless it results in another Super Bowl ring.

"It's the only reason we play, to be in the position we're in now," Barber said. "Anything else has got to be considered an unsatisfactory season. We've been up. We've been down. But to have a chance to get back to the top is real, real special now.

"When you get a whole influx of young guys, you start to realize your football mortality is right around the corner. It's nice being where we've been ... on defense, but great teams are defined by championships. We've got a long way to go to win another one."

And that never gets old.

[Last modified January 6, 2006, 17:42:02]