After stifling Ja’Marr Chase, Bucs cornerback Carlton Davis seeks encore
TAMPA — The marching order read like a mortal mission, at least to outsiders. Last Sunday, the Bucs assigned Carlton Davis to an island, with no accompaniment other than his swagger.
“We talked about it in our defensive meetings, based on what the (Bengals) would do,” Bucs co-defensive coordinator Kacy Rodgers said. “They would create the formation where (receiver Ja’Marr Chase) is isolated by himself and we said, ‘Carlton, you will have no help. You got him, man.’”
By night’s end, Davis’ 2022 season no longer seemed nondescript. Only Chase’s stat line was, at least when defended by the Bucs’ fifth-year cornerback.
Aligned across from Chase on 33 of his 40 routes, Davis limited him to three receptions on eight targets for only 32 yards, according to NFL Next Gen Stats. Davis snagged one of those throws — deflected by safety Keanu Neal — for his first interception of 2022.
“I just came out there ready to play,” Davis said. “My team, my coaches, they all believed in me to do my job, and that’s what I did, and that’s what I’m going to do every week, regardless. I’ve really been doing it since I got here into the league.”
While self-assuredness never has eluded Davis, splash plays have. Or at least the amount befitting a corner who signed a three-year, $45 million deal last spring.
Sunday’s interception was his first since the 2021 season opener against the Cowboys. And while his 48 passes defended between 2019 and 2021 tied for most in the NFL during that span, he entered Sunday’s game with only seven. Meantime, his overall defensive grade (63.9) ranks 58th among NFL cornerbacks, according to Pro Football Focus.
But he had four passes defended in that 34-23 loss to the Bengals.
“He competed,” Bucs coach Todd Bowles said.
“He did a lot of things well. Two or three things we can help him out with or he can do better, but he competed. He didn’t give up the deep ball. He heard it all week — Chase has made great catches and runs on everybody; he’s a great receiver. Carlton competed, and he made some plays for us.”
Now, the chance for an encore looms.
When the Bucs face the Cardinals on Christmas night in Glendale, Arizona, Davis almost certainly will be matched up frequently with three-time first-team All-Pro DeAndre Hopkins. When they squared off late in the 2019 season (when Hopkins was a Houston Texan), Hopkins had his least-productive game in more than two years (five catches, 23 yards).
This time, Hopkins will have a third-string quarterback — former Penn State standout Trace McSorley — throwing to him. While McSorley has thrown only 39 NFL passes, the Bucs must account for his mobility (1,697 rushing yards in four seasons with the Nittany Lions).
“So we look at it as the concept (that) they spread you out to run the ball. So when they (employ) all those wideouts, we’ve got to match them up,” Rodgers said.
“Now you’re light in the box with a mobile quarterback, so the thing is, they’re really going to do what they do. It isn’t like we’re going to have to face a schematic change. ... You know, (McSorley) might not be as fast as (Kyler) Murray, but they can run the same play.”
Either way, another lockdown performance could mark a late-season resurgence for Davis and his 6-8 team, which still has all of its goals for 2022 — winning season, first back-to-back division titles in franchise history, playoff berth, Super Bowl — in play.
Davis indicated he’s relishing this Christmas-night clash. Swagger, it seems, takes no holiday.
“In the back half of 2019 I really started following guys, and (Hopkins) was one of my first assignments, so you never forget it,” Davis said. “But he’s a physical receiver, I’m a physical corner. Somebody’s going to win, somebody’s going to lose, and it’s not going to be me.”
Contact Joey Knight at jknight@tampabay.com. Follow @TBTimes_Bulls
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