Buccaneers HC Todd Bowles Says Bears QB Justin Fields ‘Faster Than Most Of Our Guys’
In today’s NFL team’s like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are more likely to face a mobile quarterback than not.
Even Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield - who isn’t considered a ‘running quarterback’ per se - can move enough to be dangerous.
But there are those who are a little more than capable, and in fact use mobility as part of their attack against opposing defenses.
Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields is among that population, and the Bucs defense has to be ready for it, or they’ll fall victim to it all day long this coming Sunday.
“It’s tough,” coach Todd Bowles said about facing off against Fields and his athletic ability. “As fast as he is, he’s faster than most of our guys. We’ve got to rally to the ball and try to hustle.”
First and foremost, keeping Fields into the middle of the field as much as possible is going to be key.
Allowing him to get around the edge and to an area of the field where most of Tampa Bay’s defense isn’t could result in big plays for the Bears quarterback, and disadvantageous scenarios for the home team.
But that’s not all the Bucs need to do.
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“Obviously, containing the quarterback,” Bowles said in response to being asked about his defensive emphasis this weekend. “They’ve got a great run game, they can throw the ball down the field - so, it’s a little bit of everything. We’ve just got to play smart, sound football.”
And they’ll have to do all that without veteran cornerback Carlton Davis III (toe) on the field this weekend along with rookie defensive tackle Calijah Kancey (calf) and linebacker SirVocea Dennis (hamstring), making things just a little more complicated.
The Buccaneers are favored to win their home opener, and containing Fields despite the defensive absences will be a big part of whether or not they make good on those odds.
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