Devin White Must Take Step Forward in Coverage for Buccaneers vs. Saints

The Buccaneers can't afford a repeat performance defensively like Week 9's showing against the New Orleans Saints. Specifically, Devin White will have to improve in coverage in his return to the field.

Linebacker Devin White's return to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' defense after sitting out two games on the reserve/COVID-19 list is more than welcomed. Head coach Bruce Arians described White as "one of the top players in the league," when discussing his activation on Monday.

That proves true on the box score, and there's no denying that White has been a play-making stud for Tampa Bay this season. Despite missing the final game of the regular season, White would finish as the Bucs leading tackler by 23, with 140 in total, to go with nine sacks, 15 tackles for loss, four pass-breakups, and a forced fumble.

However, if there's one area the arguable Pro Bowl snub could improve, it's in coverage. Pro Football Focus dings White for allowing 87.8% of his 98 targets this season to have been caught, with opposing pass-catchers tallying 761 yards and four touchdowns against White in coverage.

Specifically, New Orleans Saints passers completed 15-of-17 passes against White in the NFC South rivals' two matchups this year. And the Buccaneers face the Saints this Sunday in the Divisional Round of the playoffs.

White gave up just 29 yards in Week 1 and recorded a pass breakup that week, but also allowed a score on a screen pass to Alvin Kamara where White took a bad angle attacking downhill in man coverage. It was a different story in Week 9, nonetheless, when the Saints went 11-of-11 throwing White's way, for 79 yards and another touchdown. The score came from a corner-post by tight end Adam Trautman in the red zone as the Buccaneers played Cover 3, sending only three rushers, and White got beat by a double-move in his zone.

White failed to improve much in coverage as the season went along. Following the second Saints contest, he allowed 39-of-44 passes to be caught against him, for 299 yards and a touchdown.

As Jenna Laine of ESPN shared on Monday, Saints quarterback Drew Brees has struggled against press-man coverage this season compared to off-man. His completion percentage drops from 74.6% against off-coverage to 57.6% when cornerbacks press. The Buccaneers are a strong press-man team when healthy in the secondary, which they are entering the Divisional matchup.

Expect the Bucs to press this weekend, and hope that the pass rush can do enough to rattle Brees. But should Brees be forced to target the middle of the field instead of the outside against press, White's role in coverage becomes even more important.

PFF's pass charting map credits Brees with completing 172-of-219 passes for 1744 yards, 15 touchdowns, and four interceptions to the middle of the field from behind the line of scrimmage up to 20 yards downfield, through the intermediate level of the defense. That area is largely White, and fellow inside linebacker Lavonte David's, responsibility in zone coverage, and naturally in man as well unless a running back/tight end/slot receiver assignment flexes out wide.

White can benefit from stronger angles while getting downhill as short passes such as screens and crossing patterns develop in front of him, and trusting his spot in zone coverage to eliminate overpursuing route breaks should the receiver attempt a double-move.

Cover 2 (linebackers in zone) and Cover 2 Man should eliminate a lot of outside passing and force New Orleans to throw inside the hashes and run the ball this weekend. That only emphasizes the importance of a strong showing from White at middle linebacker as he re-enters the lineup and Tampa Bay looks to advance to the NFC Conference Championship.