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Giants' Jacobs Poses Big Problem For Bucs

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By ANWAR S. RICHARDSON The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 5, 2008

TAMPA - The Bucs' defensive players intensely examined film of New York Giants running back Brandon Jacobs this week, and each had the same conclusion.

"He looks like a defensive end, like Gaines Adams being a running back or something," middle linebacker Barrett Ruud said.

"He's a defensive lineman in a running back's body. He's built like a defensive lineman and runs like a running back," defensive tackle Jovan Haye said.

Jacobs is 6-foot-4 and 264 pounds, nearly the same size as Adams (6-5, 258) and fellow defensive ends Greg White (6-3, 270) and Greg Spires (6-1, 265). But Jacobs' immense stature is not the Bucs' only concern.

Jacobs has carried the ball 202 times for 1,009 yards and four touchdowns in 11 games this season, and he will be the biggest defensive concern for Tampa Bay when it faces New York on Sunday at Raymond James Stadium.

"He's a north-and-south runner. They come right at you," Haye said. "They don't beat around the bush. They don't hide. They let us know what they're doing, and they just feel their guys are better than yours."

The reason New York believes in punishing opponents: Because it can.

Jacobs averages 5.0 yards per carry, one of three 1,000-yard backs this season to carry an average of 5 yards or more. The others are Jacksonville's Fred Taylor (1,202 yards and 5.4 average) and Minnesota's Adrian Peterson (1,341 yards and 5.6 average).

That strength directly affects Tampa Bay's biggest weakness - third-down conversions by its opponents. Tampa Bay's opponents converted 59 percent of their third downs between 1 and 3 yards; 45.6 percent between 4 and 6 yards, and 31.2 percent between 7 and 10 yards.

"Instead of three or four guys, you get five or six to the football against Jacobs. You just gang tackle," linebacker Derrick Brooks said. "He is what he is. A strong, powerful running back. Will we make every tackle with him? I don't know, but we have a better chance of getting more guys to the football, and that's just been our emphasis this week. Instead of getting three or four guys to the pile, you have to get a couple more."

Opponents have rushed for more than 100 yards in three of Tampa Bay's seven losses.

Seattle's Shaun Alexander (105 yards), Indianapolis' Kenton Keith (121 yards) and Carolina's DeAngelo Williams (121 yards) each had success during victories against Tampa Bay. Only St. Louis' Steven Jackson (115 yards) rushed for more than 100 yards in a loss against the league's 17th-ranked rushing defense.

"Teams go into it determined and more determined to do it run against Tampa Bay," Jacobs said. "They haven't been giving up much because they are the No. 2 defense, I think, overall in the league. These guys are a good defense, and I guess teams that wanted to run the ball went in with the will to run the ball and just kept at the run, kept at it and never gave up on it."

It is why every Tampa Bay defensive player agrees on one thing - the Bucs must stop Jacobs to win Sunday's game.

"We definitely don't want him to get 100 yards, or more than that," Haye said. "If we can keep him in our average, we will be all right."

Reporter Anwar S. Richardson can be reached at (813) 259-8425 or arichardson@tampatrib.com

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