Why Did Bucs Secondary Record So Few INTs Last Year?

It was the same message as last season for the Bucs’ defensive backs – but this time with even more of emphasis.

Get your hands on the ball and get more interceptions.

A lack of turnovers plagued Tampa Bay in a season where the team really could have more. The Bucs saw a significant drop in interceptions last season, going from 17 in 2021 to just 10 in 2022. The team came storming out of the gates with nine turnovers and six interceptions over the first four games. That was highlighted by a five-takeaway game in Week 2 at the Saints where Jamel Dean recorded two interceptions and Mike Edwards took one to the house for a pick-six.

But then things quickly changed – for the worse.

Bucs Had Hot Start With Interceptions, But Soon Cooled Off

The problem is, the turnovers vanished after the first month of the season. Tampa Bay went five games in a row without a takeaway at all, and went six games before their next interception. Even that one should come with an asterisk because it was Hail Mary on the last play before halftime against the Browns with Edwards recording his second – and final – interception of the year.

Bucs CB Carlton Davis III – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

The next interception didn’t come until three weeks later in Week 15 when Carlton Davis III had a gimme, coming down with the ball after a Joe Burrow pass was tipped. Tampa Bay did record interceptions in consecutive weeks against the Cardinals and Panthers, but the picks were too few and far between in 2022. The Bucs had three players tied for the team lead with two interceptions – Dean, Edwards and Sean Murphy-Bunting. Only Dean remains on the roster this season.

“This will be year 44 [in coaching] and all I can tell you is – I don’t want to give you a cliche but I’m going to give it to you – they come in bunches,” Bucs safeties coach Nick Rapone said. “It’s the same kids that were playing the last three years so why didn’t we get them? I couldn’t tell you. They come in bunches.

“You’re right, we started off like gangbusters. Antoine Winfield Jr. was in today, he was in Monday, and that’s still what I emphasize with Antoine – let’s get the football. He says, ‘I know, Coach. I know, Coach. I know, Coach.’ So, hopefully we will get back to where we were able to get the football.”

Winfield will be moving from the slot in nickel defense back to free safety, so there’s a chance of an uptick in production from that position where he can roam the field and play the ball in the air. At cornerback, the Bucs re-signed Jamel Dean, assuring that they’ll have a great combo on the outside with Carlton Davis III and Dean for multiple seasons. The expectation for those two to take the ball away are now loftier than ever.

“With high pay [come] high expectations, so they need to take the next step up,” cornerbacks coach Kevin Ross said. “I’m looking for these guys to lead the young guys and show them what it’s all about. So, it’s good and its bad. If they catch the ball like they can then there’s no reason they shouldn’t be an All-Pro player or a Pro Bowl player and that will propel us to play even better on defense.”

Bucs DBs Getting Constant Reminders About INTs

Bucs CBs coach Kevin Ross and S Antoine Winfield Jr. – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

There were plenty of chances for the Bucs to record a higher number of interceptions. Many times it was a situation of close, but no cigar or simply just dropping the ball. Davis might’ve been the biggest culprit. Starting with this phase of the season, it’s a constant emphasis in the building.

“We don’t need more opportunities, we need to take advantage of the opportunities we had already,” Bucs cornerbacks coach Kevin Ross said. “We dropped a lot of balls. We left a lot of plays on the field and that will be the emphasis this summer – the whole summer – is to make sure we capitalize on the opportunity to make plays and we make those plays.”

Until it gets corrected, this will constantly be brought up by teammates and coaches on a regular basis.

“I mean it’s not like these guys are not conscious of it, we bring it up every day,” Ross said. “We try to practice it before practice – even start catching balls and things like that from all kinds of positions. Sometimes your eyes just get big, you just get so excited that you just fumble the ball every now and then. I think they’ll both do better this year at that.”