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Pittsburgh Steelers Meet The Opponent: Week 3, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

By Donnie Druin

PITTSBURGH, PA - SEPTEMBER 28: Antonio Brown #84 of the Pittsburgh Steelers catches his second touchdown of the game during the second quarter against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Heinz Field on September 28, 2014 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
PITTSBURGH, PA - SEPTEMBER 28: Antonio Brown #84 of the Pittsburgh Steelers catches his second touchdown of the game during the second quarter against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Heinz Field on September 28, 2014 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /
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ATLANTA, GA – NOVEMBER 26: Gerald McCoy #93 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers warms up prior to the game against the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on November 26, 2017 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA – NOVEMBER 26: Gerald McCoy #93 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers warms up prior to the game against the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on November 26, 2017 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/Getty Images) /

Defense

Quick life lesson: You can always find good in something bad, or bad in something good. The Buccaneers have been mind-blowing offensively… but still have some work to do on the defensive side of the ball as well. This isn’t blasting Tampa’s defense, but rather pointing out that Tampa Bay does indeed have some blemishes that can be found on their team.

Those blemishes reside in their young secondary. Tampa Bay currently sits 31st out of 32 teams in pass defense, allowing 377 yards per game through the air and a league-high 77.4% completion percentage.

The Buccaneers are also one of four teams left in the league without an interception to their secondary’s name. When Antonio Brown and company roll to town, the Bucs look forward to hopefully having cornerback Brent Grimes back to make his season debut. Tampa Bay took a hit to their secondary depth when corner Vernon Hargreaves suffered a torn labrum, causing him to miss the rest of the 2018 season.

The rest of the secondary is composed of names like Justin Evans and Chris Conte playing at safety, with Carlton Davis, Ryan Smith and M.J. Stewart lined up at corner along with a potentially healthy Grimes. Smith and Davis seemed to have improved in week two, and will look to use Monday’s big test as a measuring stick to build on. Meanwhile, M.J. Stewart has received a little less love through the first two weeks of the season, and may have his hands full with JuJu Smith-Schuster in the slot.

Tampa Bay’s front seven has played up to their billing thus far, ranking second in the league in run defense in terms of rushing yards given up. Playing a 4-3 defense, the Bucs linebacking corps features players Lavonte David and Kwon Alexander, forming one of the more respected duos in the league to go along with Adarius Taylor.

Up front, Tampa Bay touts one of the best four men fronts in the game. Jason Pierre-Paul and Vinny Curry play as defensive ends while Gerald McCoy and Beau Allen anchor the inside as defensive tackles. Rookie defensive tackle Tevita Tuliʻakiʻono Tuipulotu Mosese Vaʻhae Fehoko Faletau (you can just call him Vita) Vea hopes to return to the field after nursing a calf injury for roughly seven weeks, and will look to make good of his first round selection.

Defensive coordinator Mike Smith is in his third season as the team’s defensive coach, previously serving as the Atlanta Falcons head coach from 2008-2014. Smith has seen his defense improve nearly drastically between the first two weeks of the season despite allowing over 400 yards of offense in both contests. Smith’s defense will need to see continued improvement in the pass rush department to help cover the holes in the secondary.

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