Bruce Arians defends blitz on Cooper Kupp catch, blames communication, execution

Cooper Kupp broke through the Tampa Bay Buccaneers secondary on Sunday to set up a game-winning field goal that sent the Los Angeles Rams to the NFC championship game.

The decisive final offensive play left many wondering what exactly the Bucs were thinking on defense.

Why did the Buccaneers blitz?

With 27 seconds remaining and no timeouts, the Rams needed a big gain from their own 44-yard line to have any hope of ending the 27-27 game in regulation. Instead of dropping back in a zone to defend the deep ball, the Bucs gambled on a blitz, leaving defenders in one-on-one coverage with safety Antoine Winfield Jr. responsible for defending football's most productive receiver.

Kupp did what he's done all season. He sprinted past a backpedaling Winfield on a post route and hauled in a perfectly placed Matthew Stafford deep ball over the top of the Bucs secondary. The 44-yard gain set up a chip-shot field goal from Matt Gay to win the game and end Tampa Bay's season.

Arians blames execution, communication

After the game, head coach Bruce Arians defended the play call. But there appeared to be issues in communication and execution. Not everybody who was supposed to blitz did.

Lavonte David didn't blitz

Arians didn't name names. But linebacker Lavonte David appeared to miss the blitz memo. He confirmed with reporters that there was a communication issue on the play.

What the tape shows

Graphic analysis shows that six Bucs defenders blitzed Stafford while four dropped back in man coverage. David, meanwhile, played in a shallow zone with no Rams receivers nearby. The Bucs essentially played with 10 effective defenders on the play.

Here's the play again in real time showing David out of position.

But what about the play call?

While Arians' and David's explanations piece together what went wrong with the play's execution, neither satisfy the original question: Why were the Bucs blitzing in the first place? The decision drew plenty of criticism for Arians and defensive coordinator Todd Bowles, including from former Bucs quarterback Shaun King.

It's a question that will linger over the offseason in Tampa Bay.