Bucs’ Defensive End Da’Quan Bowers Says Bucs Have Held Back in Preseason

During the course of an extensive sit down with the media, Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive end Da’Quan Bowers said that he is in great shape and that the Bucs as a whole haven’t revealed much in their preseason game plan. Bowers, a former first round pick from Clemson, is expected to step in for the departed Michael Bennett, who left the team as a free agent for Seattle.

“I’m in pretty good shape,” Bowers said. “I played a lot of snaps this preseason. I’m glad I played a lot of snaps this preseason. I needed it. Not only for conditioning, but to get myself in the swing of things. Coming off injury and not being able to really have a camp last year, I think it hurt me this year going into camp. I didn’t quite know what to expect. The preseason has helped me. I was very grateful for the preseason, and still am.”

While the Bucs have performed woefully in the preseason, Bowers said that people shouldn’t read in to it too much, and that the team has held back in their playcalling defensively.

“We haven’t really shown anything,” Bowers said. “It has just been all about the Bucs so far. I think we had a productive camp on both sides of the ball. (Preseason) games aren’t really games to us. It is kind of like a practice against someone else – like the Patriots. When it counts you can definitely expect the Bucs to be on their P’s and Q’s and ready to attack.

“In those preseason games you see those guys like Dashon (Goldson), Mark (Barron) those guys playing just five or 10 snaps and Gerald (McCoy)…once the whole team and the whole 11 get together it is going to be something special. I think everyone is waiting to see that, everybody is a little upset they haven’t seen it yet. But I have seen it and it looks really, really good.

“I would just tell them to be confident. Let the coaches coach and the players play. We do this for a living and we have a little insight about it. It is going to be a long season and those four games don’t mean anything. When it is really time to go and really time to count we can promise with everything we have, the Buccaneers we will be going. And going hard with everything we have.”

Bowers has struggled at times through his NFL career, though he says he’s refocused himself and he’s ready to tackle this year’s challenge with his team. Last year, the Bucs fell apart late, but Bowers said this year will be much different.

“Just dedication, guys wanting to learn and guys working together,” Bowers said. “Last year it was a lot of individual efforts. This year I just think everybody has come together collectively and come with a purpose and a dedication to help the group and not their individual selves. Myself and Gerald, Adrian (Clayborn) and Gary(Gibson) and Derek (Landri) – everybody has come together with a plan to help everybody out to help each other out. Not just get Da’Quan sacks, get Gerald sacks, but everybody collectively. And I think that will help everybody out.

“There is a lot of work to be done but we are so many, many miles away from where we were last year at the end of the year. And I can tell a difference and you can see the making of what’s going to be there. It’s not quite there yet, but in due time it will be there.”

The Bucs are predicted by many to surprise the NFC South this season, though Bovada.lv has them listed as over/under 7.5 wins. Here are the team’s prop bets, courtesy of Bovada.

Will the Tampa Bay Buccaneers make the playoffs?       

• Yes                  +250
• No                    -325

Tampa Bay Buccaneers – 2013 Regular Season Win Total    

• Over                            7½ (-140)
• Under                          7½ (+110)