Bend but don't Break

[SANJAY]

Bend but don't break has been around for a long time.  Simply put the theory is to keep everything in front of you, not give up yards after catch or yards after contact.  You're not conceding first downs but trying to make the offense run 10+ plays to even get in range of scoring assuming (and statistically this probably does work) that the offense will offer upa turnover or will be incapable of stringing together that many effective plays.  It is the strategy you run when the offense is more talented than you are and you don't want to give up easy touchdowns.

Having said that, no defense works when you take bad angles, do not hustle, do not wrap up or drop your head when trying to tackle.  Probably a half dozen times yesterday where someone missed a tackle on 3d down and gave up the first.  You could play a Bears 46 defense and the defensive effort or execution last night would not have resulted in anything better.

[keith S]

Bend but don't break is fine but:

1) We weren't playing bend but don't break, we were vso soft we were playing prevent.

2) When you are only rushing 4 or sometimes 3 against 5, it wears them pretty well because our backs are so soft, the lack of paqss rush makes the DBacks have to cover for a long time.

3) When they send there receivers long, it leaves a really big hole for the QB to dance for long yardage on 3rd downs instead of shutting down the rush.

4) When they are using a hurry up offense against us, it destroys our players because they are on the field for 15 to 16 sets of downs every time they go onto the field. They may stop them for a couple of field goals but, unless the offense gives them some sit down time, it doesn't take long for them to die.

5) I would rather bring the pressure and get burnt a coupple of times so the defense would get off the field. The way we are going you are going to loose one way or the other. At least with pressre you might make a mistake and force a punt, or who knows maybe a turn over.

The Bucs have run a bend but don't break for years but without the threat of  Rhonde Barber coming off the corner, or a linebacker shooting the gap, it will be impossible to stop. You do know we were playing againg Tino nobody for Pete's sake. We made him look like one of the Mannin