Bucs prepare for brawl in the trenches against Harbaugh, Chargers

Bucs prepare for brawl in the trenches against Harbaugh, Chargers

TAMPA – When you face a team coached by Jim Harbaugh, you better approach the day with an enthusiasm that no one knows.

That’s the Harbaughs’ mantra — Jim with the Chargers and John as head coach of the Ravens since 2008 — that they inherited from their coaching father, Jack.

“He is a great coach. A great leader,” said Bucs guard Ben Bredeson, who played for Harbaugh at Michigan. “I really enjoyed playing for him and so did my brother (Max). They are having a good year there. He has a unique personality. Guys play for him and I think he has some success in the NFL.”

Harbaugh built a career as a turnaround specialist who had a shorter shelf life with programs than his record would require.

In 2007, he took over the struggling Stanford program after a 1-11 season. In his fourth season with Andrew Luck at quarterback, the Cardinal defeated Virginia Tech in the Orange Bowl.

Harbaugh then led the 49ers to three consecutive NFC Championship Games from 2011 to 2013, losing Super Bowl 47 to his brother and the Ravens. A year later, he lost a power struggle with general manager Trent Baalke and went to his alma mater, Michigan.

Last season, Harbaugh led the Wolverines to a national championship, then fled to the NFL, escaping before the NCAA punished him for recruiting violations and other violations.

Back in the NFL, Harbaugh’s 8-5 record and physical run-first mentality has the Chargers in the Wild Card competition. Quarterback Justin Herbert manages the offense with 14 touchdown passes and just one interception.

There is no secret about what awaits the Bucs against the Chargers. Harbaugh will dominate the football, melt the clock and give the Bucs a physical brawl.

“I think there’s definitely a sense of urgency,” Bucs offensive coordinator Liam Coen said. “I don’t think anyone here is worried, but you have to know what style of game we’re going to play.

“This is going to be a physical football game where both teams want to control the football and whoever takes care of the football and wins the situational football will probably win this game. “They did a phenomenal job of not turning the ball over and their mark and playing their style of football that has been successful for them so far this season.”

Defensively, the Bucs rank 11th in the NFL against the run (1,497 rushing yards allowed) and are 21st in rushing average, allowing 4.6 yards per attempt.

“Well, you know they want to run the ball and they’re stubborn when it comes to running the ball and it’s going to be hard and stubborn and they’re (not) going to turn it over,” Bucs co- Defensive coordinator Kacy Rodgers said. “It’s no secret what you’re getting because they have a 290-pound fullback (Scott Matlock), so that tells you what you’re going to get. That’s where you fight it.”

The Chargers also have the best red zone defense and rank third in the NFL with a giveaway/takeaway ratio of plus-11.

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“It’s football,” Bucs linebacker Lavonte David said. “Those are the old days. Are you doing what you really love and who is harder? What will it be like? What will happen next? Four quarters and we’ll see who runs out first. They have that mentality. They have great players with the skills, so we have to be able to compete. It’s definitely a challenge and I feel like we’ll be up for it.”

Chapel law

Bill Belichick speaks after being introduced as North Carolina's new coach at a news conference Thursday in Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Bill Belichick speaks after being introduced as North Carolina’s new coach at a news conference Thursday in Chapel Hill, North Carolina (BEN MCKEOWN | AP)

Bill Belichick’s decision to take the head coaching job at North Carolina caused a stir in the NFL.

Part of the decision had to focus on the dwindling chances of getting a job in the league. The Falcons head coaching job that went to Raheem Morris was the only one Belichick interviewed a year ago.

The assumption is that he wants to be in control of football operations and deploy his own people wherever he ends up. He has the opportunity to do that with the Tar Heels by hiring Michael Lombardi as the program’s general manager.

Coen, who coached in the NFL with the Rams and Bucs, played at Kentucky and grew up a Patriots fan in Rhode Island, likes the change.

“Honestly, I think it could be great for this game if he could find a way to better college football in terms of the demands on the coaches, the recruiting staff, the personnel, the name, the image and the likeness “To make it more similar) and all these different things,” Coen said. “If he can make things a little easier for some coaches, create a great atmosphere and have success, I think that will be great for our game. It’s actually pretty cool to see.”

But, Coen warned, Belichick will discover that there is a big difference in coaching college players.

“It’s a cultural shift,” he said. “When you get up for a game on Saturday morning, there’s just a difference. Men aged 18-22 are expected to do the right thing, on whom your livelihood depends, as opposed to men in a company who actually care in many ways. It’s just a different business. Regardless of whether you want to influence people – and it sounds like he’s trying to influence this game in a positive way – I think he has the ability to do that.”

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