There’s no shortage of storylines heading into Super Bowl LV between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Kansas City Chiefs. But, one that I don’t think has been discussed enough is this Bucs defense and just how much it resembles those old Pittsburgh Steelers defenses that won a couple of championships back in the day. When you factor in that head coach Bruce Arians was the wide receivers coach (2005) and offensive coordinator (2008) for the Steeelers during those two titles, it makes sense as to why there may be similarities between those teams and the contemporary Bucs.
The Steelers won those two Super Bowls in the mid-2000s, in part, thanks to a defense that hit people, hit ’em hard, and flew around the ball creating turnovers. Safety Troy Polamalu immediately comes to mind. He always had a way of making plays and being around the ball at just the right moment. I can still see James Harrison returning that ball the length of the field in the Super Bowl against the Arizona Cardinals. But, he was just apart of the Steelers’ incredible run of linebackers during that era. Those dudes gave that defense some real teeth – guys like James Farrior, LaMarr Woodley, Lawrence Timmons, Joey Porter, and current Bucs linebackers coach Larry Foote, who took questions from the media on Monday.
On Bruce Arians: “He recognized the leadership I brought on the field.” | On why he survived in the league so long: “It was my play from the neck up.” -Larry Foote
They were aggressive. They rushed the passer. And, when they could make quarterbacks uncomfortable, they could force turnovers. Foote has taken that sort of mindset and applied it in coaching to this Bucs team. That’s a lot of what’s been going so well for this unit that has played lights out during the postseason. With guys like Foote on the staff, the fingerprints of those wildly successful Steelers teams are all over this defense. “Ever game starts with linebackers,” Foote said with a smile, “we’re the heart of the defense.” He clarified that he was only kidding, then added that whoever puts the most pressure on the quarterback increases their chances of winning greatly on Sunday.
With a linebacking corps that includes Jason Pierre-Paul, Devin White, Lavonte David, and Shaq Barrett, the Bucs are more than capable of disrupting the Chiefs offense the same way Foote and company disrupted offenses all those years ago. And, when they do disrupt quarterbacks, the Bucs secondary has proven opportunistic in taking the ball away. Sean Murphy-Bunting has three interceptions this postseason (one in each game). They forced the Saints into three interceptions. The Chiefs can’t afford to let this defense get settled in on Sunday.
More Super Bowl LV Coverage
- Byron Leftwich Talks Offensive Philosophy, Working With Brady, Head Coaching Opportunities
- Forget The Quarterbacks – Super Bowl LV Features A Match-Up Of Historically Great Tight Ends
- Former Titans Playing In Super Bowl LV
- If The Bucs Win, Mike Evans Will Get A Lombardi Trophy Tattoo
- Steve Spagnuolo on Tom Brady: “He’s a Step Ahead of Everything”
- This Bucs-Chiefs Super Bowl Is All About ‘Greatness’
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network, and a Dogs Playing Poker on velvet connoisseur. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD and #BeBetter. “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley
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