Lavonte David vs. Sam LaPorta: The Epic Rematch
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By: Joshua Queipo
Bucs fans, you are in for a treat. This weekend when Tampa Bay faces off against the Lions in Detroit you will get to witness a heavyweight matchup – again. The Lions feature a bevy of playmakers on offense. Not the least of which is rookie tight end Sam LaPorta. But the Bucs have Lavonte David as the perfect counter.
With 86 catches, 889 yards and 10 touchdowns, he had one of the greatest rookie seasons by a tight end in NFL history. LaPorta has quickly ascended into one of the top tight ends in the league and one of the focal points of the Lions offense.
LaPorta was targeted seven times or more in eight games this season, caught five or more passes 10 times, and generated 50 or more yards receiving eight times. In Week 6 against the Bucs, LaPorta was targeted 11 times. That was tied for the second most targets in any game this year and it was the second most targets of any Lions player in that game.
But it was not one of the games where he hit five catches or 50 yards.
Despite offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and quarterback Jared Goff trying to run their offense through their star tight end, LaPorta caught just four passes for 36 yards. His 0.92 yards per route run was the fourth lowest mark of the regular season and his 3.3 yards per target was the lowest of the season. To put it bluntly, LaPorta got locked up for most of the game.
Lavonte David Locked Up Sam LaPorta
How were the Bucs able to shut down a budding superstar? Youth meet wisdom.
For a good portion of the game Tampa Bay matched their soon-to-be 34-year-old linebacker against the Lions 23-year-old tight end for much of the game. The matchup was electric.
Per Pro Football Focus, Lavonte David was in coverage on six of Sam LaPorta’s 11 targets, allowing just three catches and 36 yards. The two players traded blows like two heavyweights.
Not necessarily in order, but here are the cuts. Great matchup if you are a fan of football. https://t.co/TmD0bvkYXu pic.twitter.com/V1Q51iW5lA
— Joshua Queipo (@josh_queipo) October 18, 2023
In the first clip of the cutup David is lined up in man coverage against LaPorta in the slot. The young pass catcher tries to get vertical separation on a slot fade, but David was having none of it. David got his hands on LaPorta as he stemmed to his break and stayed in lockstep throughout the route working through the ball as LaPorta tried to make a difficult catch. No dice.
Bucs ILB Lavonte David – Photo by: USA Today
On the second rep LaPorta runs a quick out from an in-line position. David flows to the right flat and matches LaPorta before undercutting the route and killing the angle of the pass and forcing the incompletion.
David matches with LaPorta on a corner route on the next route again on the next play, again flowing in phase with the pass catcher as he works underneath LaPorta. Quarterback Jared Goff throws with anticipation, thinking his athletic tight end can gain separation from the aging linebacker in a “mismatch.”
But separation there was not as David had the clamps on LaPorta and the pass once again fell incomplete.
On the fourth play, David is pressed up on LaPorta at the line of scrimmage and tries to get a jam at the outset of the play. LaPorta is able to work through the jam and gain inside leverage before breaking over the middle. This gives him the room he needs to haul in the pass and gain another five yards after the catch.
The final rep has LaPorta running an intermediate out route. David picks up LaPorta from an inside alignment but can’t keep up as the tight end stems at the top of his route. A hands-catch follows and LaPorta’s athleticism allows him to turn up field quickly for a 20-yard gain.
Matchup Will Be Key To Divisional Round
Where most teams would have to match a safety against Sam LaPorta, the Bucs have a special weapon in Lavonte David. By having confidence in their future Ring-of-Honor linebacker’s ability to be competitive against one of the Lions’ best weapons it frees up All-Pro safety Antoine Winfield to rove throughout the defense as a star defender, being deployed in any number of ways.
The post Lavonte David vs. Sam LaPorta: The Epic Rematch appeared first on Pewter Report.
Originally posted on Pewter Report
