Buccaneers leader calls out defensive play

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are heading into the 2025 season with a chip on their shoulder after a disappointing 2024 campaign. Despite making the playoffs, their season ended in frustration, with the defense failing to deliver in key moments.

The Buccaneers had opportunities to close out games, but too often, they came up short. Veteran linebacker Lavonte David acknowledged that the defense simply didn’t do enough to help the team advance further.

"You know, every time we take the field, you gotta put the game on us," David said. "Every time we're in a situation where we can close out the game, we have to close out the game. We just have to be better."

When asked about the defense, Lavonte David says that the unit didn’t do enough last year — he says they’ve talked about it and that the unit will come back strong this year: pic.twitter.com/qPv0HBj3bB
— River Wells (@riverhwells) March 17, 2025

Tampa Bay's wild-card loss to the Washington Commanders still lingers as a missed opportunity, and David made it clear that the defensive unit understands the role it played in that outcome.

"We had to be better defensively, and we didn’t do our best to help us get over that obstacle in the wild-card game," David said. "We had countless opportunities to do that, and we didn't get it done."

Buccaneers linebacker Lavonte David (54) celebrates after a sack of Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert. — Dec 15, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Lavonte David (54) celebrates after a sack of Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (10) in the second half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

That failure has turned into motivation as the Buccaneers look ahead to 2025. David emphasized that the entire defense is locked in on improvement and is determined to avoid a repeat of last season’s shortcomings.

"A lot of guys on defense know that and feel it," he said. "I feel like we’re gonna be better. Guys are more motivated. I have close relationships with all the guys, and we’ve been talking about things we can get better at, how things are gonna be different."

For a team that still has championship aspirations, the focus is clear: elevate the defense to a level that can carry the team deep into the postseason.

"I definitely think we could’ve gotten our team to the Super Bowl last year, but we didn’t do our part defensively," David admitted. "We did okay, but we didn’t do what we’re capable of."

As the Buccaneers prepare for the 2025 season, the message is clear—this defense is determined to prove it can be the difference-maker. If David and his teammates back up their words with action, Tampa Bay could be poised for a major turnaround.

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