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Scouting Report, Week 8: When the Bucs play the Vikings, things could get messy

 
Detroit Lions defensive linemen Ezekiel Ansah and DeAndre Levy sack Minnesota Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater during their Week 6 game. The Vikings have allowed 13 sacks over their past two games. [Getty Images]
Detroit Lions defensive linemen Ezekiel Ansah and DeAndre Levy sack Minnesota Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater during their Week 6 game. The Vikings have allowed 13 sacks over their past two games. [Getty Images]
Published Oct. 23, 2014

A new defensive-minded head coach, an early season change at quarterback, shaky offensive line play and five losses — sounds like the resume of the 2014 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, doesn't it?

It also describes the Minnesota Vikings, losers of three straight who visit this Sunday in search of their first win in Tampa Bay since when the Spice Girls were a big deal (1997).

Incidentally, neither the Spice Girls nor the Vikings have put together strong performances in a very long time.

The Vikings offense, in particular, has struggled mightily. It ranks among the worst in the league by almost any measure, including yards per game (29th), points per game (30th) and Football Outsiders' defense-adjusted value over average metric, or DVOA (last).

What's wrong? A little bit of everything. Superstar running back Adrian Peterson is awaiting trial in a child-abuse case, rookie quarterback Teddy Bridgewater has been hesitant and inaccurate at times, and the offensive line has been more vulnerable than Prince's credit card at a Target in Minneapolis.

For this week's scouting report, we called on former Buccaneer and Super Bowl champion Todd Yoder to walk us through the Vikings' issues. Yoder, who is in his second year as head coach at Calvary Christian High School in Clearwater, toiled in the NFL trenches as a tight end for nine seasons.

• • •

Minnesota's offensive line has been much-maligned this season, and left tackle Matt Kalil (drafted fourth overall in 2012) has taken the brunt of the criticism. The line has allowed an average of 12.3 total pressures (quarterback sacks, hit and hurries combined) per week, the sixth-most in the NFL, according to Pro Football Focus. As for Kalil, the analytics site assigns responsibility to him on eight sacks this season, tied with Washington's Tyler Polumbus for most in the league.

It's not often that a single player is wholly responsible for a negative play, however. Here's one such example from the Vikings' Week 6 home loss to the Detroit Lions.

On this 3rd-and-8 play early in the second quarter, defensive end Ezekiel Ansah, who was known for his exceptional speed when he was drafted fifth overall in 2013, lines up well outside Kalil's left shoulder. Not only does he make quick work of Kalil en route to Bridgewater but he also knocks the ball out of his hand (the Vikings recovered and then punted). If Ansah's explosive first step wasn't enough for Kalil to handle, Ansah gains an additional edge with a simple move.

Coach Yoder explains: "Really what gets (Kalil) here is the hand slap. If you get both hands in a guy and punch him, in the NFL, the guys are so strong, you're good. You're going to get locked up. But as you reach for a guy and he chops your hands down and goes right around you, you don't get any hand punch."

A one-armed Kalil is no match for Ansah, but Bridgewater, despite good coverage downfield, has an option. Ansah's pressure creates an opening.

"Tuck it and run," Yoder says. "Escape through that gap and get out. Maybe you buy some more time for your receivers to come back and help you or you just run it yourself."

Instead, the Lions pick up the second of eight sacks on the day.

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• • •

While Kalil had to contend with Ansah's speed on the edge in Week 6, it was an inside move late in the game against Buffalo on Sunday that proved to be his — and perhaps the team's — undoing. Let's take a look.

It's early in the fourth quarter, and the Vikings, up 13-10, are driving to put the game out of reach. Bridgewater's 14-yard pass to Jarius Wright converts a 3rd-and-10 and gets the Vikings to Buffalo's 7-yard line. When Bridgewater comes to the line on 1st-and-goal, the Bills show him a "Cover 0" look, which means the cornerbacks are playing man-to-man against the receivers and there is no safety deep to help in coverage. It looks as though a blitz is coming, so Bridgewater checks out of the run call into a pass call.

Note how defensive end Jerry Hughes is positioned: standing up and to the outside of Kalil's left shoulder.

"Anytime as an offensive lineman, when you've got a stand-up-rush-type guy and he's outside," Yoder says, "the thing you're scared of is him beating you around the edge with speed."

Kalil overreacts and sets deeper to prevent getting beat outside, which opens a lane inside that Hughes is happy to exploit.

"If the tackle wouldn't have set as deep, there's not a gap in there because (Kalil and left guard Charlie Johnson) would be standing more shoulder-to-shoulder," Yoder explains. "A guy's not going to be able to run through two guys that big. They're playing on separate levels because the tackle sets so deep. He gives up that inside lane, and that's all it takes for the guy to squeeze through."

But once again, it's not entirely on Kalil.

Immediately after the snap, Bridgewater looks in the direction of Wright. He prepares to throw and then hesitates.

"(Wright) is trying to run a fade route, and the corner just jams the snot out of him, and he falls down," Yoder says. "Right at that instant where the quarterback was going to let it go, he saw the receiver getting tripped up a little bit and just didn't throw the ball."

Bridgewater made the right call to audible to a pass, but his preferred option simply wasn't there.

"They're just betting that (Wright) is better than (the cornerback)," Yoder says, "and in the NFL, those are the matchups that determine whether you win games or not. If this kid beats him and catches a touchdown, then they win the game."

The Bills sacked Bridgewater again on the next play, and the Vikings settled for a field goal and a 16-10 lead. That left the door open for Kyle Orton to engineer a 15-play, 80-yard game-winning drive, capped by a touchdown pass to rookie Sammy Watkins as time expired.

• • •

Sometimes a quarterback stays in the pocket for too long, sometimes an offensive lineman blows a block and sometimes receivers are just well-covered.

Halfway through the first quarter, the Vikings were approaching midfield after gains of 21, 6 and 13 yards. The drive stalled, however, when the Bills defense held against a play-action fake. Let's go to the coaches film.

On 1st-and-10, the Vikings line up in 12 personnel (one running back, two tight ends) and sell the appearance of a run to the right by putting tight end Rhett Ellison in motion and positioning him behind the right guard. The play design makes sense because the Vikings tend to run outside the right tackle often, averaging 5.9 yards in that direction on 38 attempts, 13 more than any other direction.

The Bills put eight defenders in the box but rush only four and drop the safety back into coverage.

Bridgewater fakes the handoff to running back Jerick McKinnon, but the linebackers don't bite.

Bridgewater might be able to swing a pass out to Cordarrelle Patterson in the flat, but he looks downfield, where the Bills have his potential targets covered. The protection, which was good initially, starts breaking down.

Immediately after the snap, Kalil and Johnson double team defensive tackle Marcell Dareus, but Kalil sees two unblocked defenders to his left.

"He realizes he needs to get out there," Yoder says. "What's happening is the guard doesn't feel that, so the guard continues on."

With Kalil's attention divided, Dareus breaks free and takes down Bridgewater with ease for the first of five Bills sacks.

Something to watch Sunday: While the Bills successfully defended this play-action pass, quarterbacks have executed such passes at will against the Buccaneers this season, completing 78 percent (46/59) of their throws for 559 yards and four touchdowns.

Final analysis

Buccaneers defensive end Michael Johnson will be lined up across from Kalil on Sunday, but a persistent high left ankle sprain has hindered his pass rush and significantly limited his impact in run defense all season. The Bucs' hope is that the bye week gave Johnson and several other defensive starters — including defensive tackle Gerald McCoy (broken left hand), cornerback Johnthan Banks (neck) and safety Dashon Goldson (ankle) — time to heal.

After the Falcons embarrassed the Buccaneers in Week 3, we showed that just because a team is blown out one week, a blowout isn't any more likely to occur the following week. Sure enough, the Bucs bounced back in Week 4 to upset the Steelers in Pittsburgh. As for this week, I expect the Buccaneers will put the 48-17 Week 6 loss to the Ravens behind them and put together an effort worth watching for at least more than a quarter. The pick: The Buccaneers give their fans what they want — what they really, really want — and eke out their first home win since December.

Contact Thomas Bassinger at tbassinger@tampabay.com. Follow @tbassfootball.