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Former Auburn cornerbacks Carlton Davis and Jamel Dean locked down the Chiefs’ weapons in the Big Game.
The discussion for much of the week leading up to the Super Bowl was how will Carlton Davis and the Buccaneers’ secondary handle Tyreek Hill and the Chiefs’ weapons at wide receiver after being torched in the regular season. Former Auburn cornerbacks Carlton Davis and Jamel Dean answered the challenge and were a vital part of the Tampa Bay defense locking the Chiefs out of the end zone. Pro Football Focus (PFF) put out a tweet detailing Davis’ contribution in coverage.
Carlton Davis in coverage tonight:
???? 54 coverage snaps
???? 4 targets
???? 2 receptions
???? 14 yards pic.twitter.com/ZH82AGj2JQ— PFF (@PFF) February 8, 2021
Carlton Davis had a little to say about the defense’s performance as well.
????️ GRAVEDIGGERS pic.twitter.com/Sw08CjqhU9
— PFF (@PFF) February 8, 2021
Of course, PFF also noted the Tampa Bay defensive line’s role in dominating the Kansas City offensive line with 38 total pressures on the Chiefs. Patrick Mahomes was endlessly flushed out of the pocket, which can make any secondary look good. Nonetheless, give it up for the secondary that most people were down on, including me, going into the Big Game. They played their part too in a team championship for Tampa Bay.
Auburn basketball suffered its third loss in a row, losing to Ole Miss on Saturday. What’s wrong with the Tigers?
It made sense that Auburn lost to the No. 2 team in the country. What has Auburn fans scratching their heads is the two losses following the Baylor game that has seemingly stopped all momentum the Tigers had going into the final stretch of the season. With the addition of Sharife Cooper to the Auburn roster, it’s easy to point out the Tigers appear to be more talented than Ole Miss and Georgia. Unfortunately for Auburn, talent doesn’t always equal wins. What’s going on for a team that was showing promise after beating 12th-ranked Missouri just two weeks ago on January 26?
Primarily, Auburn is struggling to defend its own rim. But, I thought Auburn was the top shot-blocking team in the country? While Auburn does rank fourth in the nation in blocks, the Tigers are 213th in defending two-point shots. Over this three-game losing streak, Auburn has allowed its opponents to shoot 52 percent from inside the arc.
Second, turnovers have plagued this “young” Auburn team for the entire season. Auburn has only won the turnover battle in four of its 20 games this season. This point is self-explanatory.
Third, Auburn is relying too much on the three-point shot. Of course, this is a characteristic of many Bruce Pearl-led teams, but at the moment, Auburn is dying by the three rather than living. Over the three-game losing streak, Auburn has shot 55 percent inside the arc, while shooting just 32 percent on threes. Unfortunately for Auburn, three-point shots have accounted for almost half of Auburn’s shot selection at 42 percent. Auburn shoots the second-most threes out of any team in the conference, but they also rank first in two-point percentage at 55 percent. Maybe, an emphasis in the paint could help Auburn moving forward.
