Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles says his young players on defense don't know their football history - and that's a good thing
- The Buccaneers defense will face the difficult task of stopping Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City offense in Super Bowl LV.
- Tampa Bay's defense is young, with several starters having only two or three years of NFL experience.
- Buccaneers defensive coordinator Todd Bowles thinks their inexperience could be a good thing heading into the big game.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense is busy this week preparing for the tall task of shutting down Patrick Mahomes and the dangerous Kansas City offense in Super Bowl LV.
If they are to lift the Lombardi Trophy on Sunday, the Buccaneers will need to rely on big plays from several young, key members of their secondary. Cornerbacks Sean Murphy-Bunting and Carlton Davis are in their second and third seasons, respectively. Safety Antoine Winfield Jr., who missed the NFC championship game due to injury, is a rookie.
Even one of the captain's of the Buccaneers defense, linebacker Devin White, is playing in just his second NFL season.
But while NFL experience can give players an advantage in some cases, Buccaneers defensive coordinator Todd Bowles believes the ignorance of youth may play a bit to his advantage on Sunday.
"These guys don't have much of a history of the game and that's a good thing," Bowles told Peter King of NBC Sports.
Bowles cited their performance against the Packers - during a daunting road trip to Lambeau Field no less - as evidence that his young secondary wasn't afraid of the moment because to them, it was just another game.
"Last week, everybody's talking about the frozen tundra and Lambeau Field. Those guys don't even know what the frozen tundra is. They don't know what mystique is. That's for us old guys to know about!" Bowles said. "Packers, Cowboys, Ice Bowl, forget it. These guys don't go as far back as 2015. Everything you think they should be nervous about, they don't even know about. So I'm not too worried about the big stage."
Another help to the Buccaneers young defense will likely be their week of preparation heading into the Super Bowl. With Tom Brady set to play in the 10th Super Bowl of his career, he should have plenty of wisdom to offer to his younger teammates should they need it this week.