NFL Record On Sunday?
October 5th, 2019
Could it happen?
This is just blowing Joe’s mind.
The Bucs, an organization that for the better part of the past decade treated the skill and art of pass rushing about the same as your neighbor who refuses to trim his hedges until the branches begin tickling the gutters and City Hall is starting to threaten to lock up his bank account if he doesn’t get off his duff, have a guy who is on the cusp of tying an NFL record for sacks.
That’s right. Pass rusher/linebacker Shaq Barrett, who leads the NFL in sacks — just typing that Joe thought he was writing about some sleepy Rachel Watson fantasy — could tie NFL history tomorrow.
With a sack Sunday against not-so-mobile Saints quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, Barrett will tie Hall of Fame pass rusher Kevin Greene as the fastest man to reach 10 sacks in a season (five games). Greene set the record in 1998.
Barrett has been a dream come true for the Bucs, sort of like the kid sitting on his bed in the final minutes of “Animal House” when a hot babe comes flying through the window.
There is no way anyone with the Bucs can say with a straight face they saw this coming. Nobody did. And for now Barrett, Joe guesses, is a prime candidate to be franchised at year’s end and pocket millions of Team Glazer loot.
October 5th, 2019 at 8:09 am
This team is entertaining and fun and as a bonus all the stars are class acts.
What a joy to root for good guys instead of a bunch of dbags.
Shaq gets it. Comes here for less money because he wanted opportunity. Whoa…that ain’t even American…give up ANY gold for OPPORTUNITY! (snark font off)
JW has grown into a fine young man…our two star WR’s are not divas and feel free to compliment each other because they are confident in their own abilities and are just really decent human beings.
The ONLY player with any rep issues is Suh and after seeing him interviewed at the French Open my eyes were opened. He may be the most interesting guy on the team…incredible three sport star in high school…very smart dude and highly successful in business. And just goes about his business quietly and efficiently.
I like the players…I like the coaches…I’m beginning to like Licht. Never felt he was as bad as folks here seem to believe.
October 5th, 2019 at 8:15 am
Better keep this guy around.
Way too good to let walk at years end.
October 5th, 2019 at 8:28 am
Gotta give Lycht credit. He might not be able to draft DB’s, but he nailed it w Barrett and Suh.
October 5th, 2019 at 8:33 am
Agree 100% stpetebucsfan. GO BUCS 🤘🏼🤘🏼
October 5th, 2019 at 8:34 am
“This team is entertaining and fun and as a bonus all the stars are class acts.”
ditto Bro
October 5th, 2019 at 8:35 am
How does a team franchise a Free Agent?
Barrett is on a one-year deal.
October 5th, 2019 at 8:47 am
Amen, stpete.
October 5th, 2019 at 8:52 am
@stpetebucsfan,
Have to agree with everything you said. It’s starting to look like the fans are going to owe Licht a huge apology. It’s clear that his pics were not being developed. It’s unfortunate because I think for guys like VH3 and Noah Spence, the player development and coaching came too late. But it’s obvious he has made choices that were good that coaching made look terrible (RoJo, Cappa, Winston).
October 5th, 2019 at 8:54 am
Cobraboy Says
“How does a team franchise a Free Agent? Barrett is on a one-year deal.”
Teams ONLY franchise free agents, lol. Not awake yet? 😉
October 5th, 2019 at 8:56 am
There were people here that predicted Barrett would be incredible. I wasn’t one of them. I knew nothing about him.
Props to those guys. You called it!
October 5th, 2019 at 9:10 am
There are no divas on this team. Not one.
And not one negative comment yet. Can’t wait to see this game. But let’s not rush through our Saturday!
October 5th, 2019 at 9:12 am
Im calling tomorrow “Shots for Shaq sack Sunday.”
October 5th, 2019 at 9:45 am
StPete … Love your take on Shaq. Snark font made it. Agree totally BTW that we’re finally getting some players to really identify with, like we did with Brooks, Lynch, Alstott, etc. They might’ve been multi-millionaires, but to most of us fans they were ‘blue-collar’ all the way.
The most intriguing ‘new’ player this year to me is Ndamukong Suh. I absolutely love the way he’s come in to this team, grabbed the bull by the horns, and made his presence known. Some ‘fans’ don’t seem to appreciate his REAL value to this TEAM, but IMO he’s made all the difference.
One thing I learned from a quarter century in the military is that those at the top often get credit for things they had very little to do with (do I need a snark font for saying that?). Bucs’ example: Suh came here from all I’ve read for the OPPORTUNITY to play for Todd Bowles. He fits perfectly IMO with the style of defense that TB employs. My ‘gut feeling’ is that TB & BA had much more to do with this defensive roster makeover than Jason Licht did (to include our draft picks BTW). No way to prove it obviously, but TB’s fingerprints are all over the ‘qualities’ of the new players we have on our defense. And most are already making a huge difference.
October 5th, 2019 at 9:53 am
D.R.
“do I need a snark font for saying that?”
I only had two years in the military but I can second what you just posted. BTW…My two years were terrific. I’ll always be grateful to the military for what they gave me. I volunteered thinking I was giving to my country but I realize I received far more than I gave. It came between 19-21 and it was a perfect place to grow up and learn many of life’s most difficult lessons.
I admire Israel’s two year service commitment for everybody.
And I’m with you on Suh. When Unis change I’m going to grab a #12 but I’m thinking of adding a #93 as well. I’ve always been prejudiced towards smart people. Suh IMHO is easily the most interesting cat on the team. He’s real “Renaissance” man.
October 5th, 2019 at 10:09 am
The best thing about this guy is he is a Free Agent who didn’t come here for a 17 week paid vacation he actually came to work and help this team! He should be the #1 priority for an in season extension no questions asked
October 5th, 2019 at 10:50 am
Shaq needs to be sign to an extension now. Not wait till the end of the year. Best defensive player they got.
October 5th, 2019 at 11:48 am
What a pleasure to read this article and all the comments! Positivity is a beautiful thing. Thank you Shaq, Suh, TB, Evans, Godwin… and JW. I haven’t a clue who should be credited with this renaissance but all decisions go through Glazer Central and appear to connect with BA and his band of brothers (and sisters)… hats off to all involved!
October 5th, 2019 at 12:24 pm
St Pete … I also admire Israel’s 2-year service commitment for everybody. I think that most of the young folks who I’ve met could benefit from serving their country in one way or another for a year or two, whether that be in the military services, forest service, border patrol, TSA … whatever. And especially if it college ‘assistance’ came along with it after their commitment was completed. But oh well, I guess that guys like you and I are just ‘old-fashioned’ thinking like that, huh.
Tom … I’d love to see us lock Shaq up for several years, but he’s probably still trying to figure out what his ‘market value’ is. Some things you just have to let play out I guess. But along those same lines, extending Ndamukong Suh is just as important IMO. With Suh & Vea applying interior pressure, OC’s have to pick their poison in terms of who to double. Shaq has been benefitting from that IMO, but that could change for any number of reasons. Really much too early to worry about next year’s roster & salary Cap, but with so many on ‘1-year tours’ it’ll be a huge challenge IMO.
October 5th, 2019 at 12:37 pm
Joe,
If they gave one tenth of the effort that you gave to try to make the City Hall analogy work we’d be in the freakin Super Bowl!
Painful.
Plus, how are we getting so many sacks when we didn’t draft a DE?
Weird
October 5th, 2019 at 12:54 pm
I seen this coming because of madden if anyone who plays use the 4-3 under formation and the plays designed to blitz shaq barrett gets the sack 9 times out of 10. That was before any game played this season.
October 5th, 2019 at 1:09 pm
Doosh,
Lol…I’m calling the shot early…best reply of the day..
Well done Sir
October 5th, 2019 at 3:01 pm
Casual fans should dig deeper in that stat with Kevin Green.
He got 10 sacks in five games.
That means he only got five sacks in the remaining 10 games, which is not exactly stellar, on track for a pedestrian 8-sack season pace.
I hope that is not the future with Barrett.
I don’t see the torrid pace continuing, but it would be amazing and awesome if it does.
October 5th, 2019 at 7:20 pm
stpetebucsfan Says:
“This team is entertaining and fun and as a bonus all the stars are class acts. What a joy to root for good guys instead of a bunch of dbags.”
.
Yes! DB55 must be upset. He doesn’t think you can build a team without thugs.
“Shaq gets it. Comes here for less money because he wanted opportunity. Whoa…that ain’t even American…”
.
America was founded on the principle that all people should enjoy opportunity. Shaq taking advantage of an opportunity by sacrificing some short-term gain is very American, by my point of view! 🙂
Go Bucs!
Go Rays!
October 5th, 2019 at 7:29 pm
DR & StPete
I’ll sign on with your 2 year mandatory service idea.
What I really wish is that everyone would be committed to some overseas service of any kind. Americans mostly have no idea how people in most other countries live. Most supposed poor people (like me) in the US have a better standard of living than easily 75 percent of the world population, yet they have no idea that this is true.
I appreciate both of your daily comments, by the way. Keep em coming.
October 6th, 2019 at 1:03 am
Good comments stpetebucsfan I enjoyed you posted.