Bucs Need Shaq Barrett Against Colts
November 23rd, 2023
Gotta have him Sunday.
The Bucs need a consistent pass rush, even though they average more sacks per game than in 2002 and the same amount as in 2020. This has been a recurring theme all but three seasons since Joe launched this here site in 2008.
The lone three years Joe wasn’t bellyaching about a pass rush was after Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht stole Jason Pierre-Paul from the Giants for a paltry third-round pick.
On the days teams take out Bucs sacks king Shaq Barrett, the Bucs have no dangerous edge rush. None. Joe Tryon-Shoyinka has morphed into a milk carton. He hasn’t had a sack since the Bucs’ loss to Detroit.
In other words, the last five games, JTS has been stonewalled.
That leaves the bulk of the rush to Shaq. Last Sunday, the 49ers bottled Shaq up. The Bucs’ veteran didn’t even get one pressure on quarterback Brock Purdy.
Joe just wants to rifle his mug of Community Coffee against the wall he gets so p!ssed at how the Bucs kept YaYa Diaby off the field last Sunday. And when he did play he got two sacks!
So given recent history, Joe doesn’t expect the Bucs to have an epiphany to get their best pass rushers on the field in passing downs.
Should they? Hell, yes! Will they? Different story.
Shaq has been on a warm streak of late with three sacks in his last five games. They will need him Sunday.
While Joe isn’t frightened by Colts quarterback Gardner Minshew, Joe does know that in two of the past three games, C.J. Stroud and Purdy flame-broiled the Bucs’ pass defense.
If the Bucs still hope to play a playoff game in January, another total collapse of the pass defense cannot happen Sunday.
November 23rd, 2023 at 10:09 am
We need much more than Shaq……Va Ya, Nelson, Kancey, Vea, White, Hall, LVD, Winfield all contributing….need 6 sacks Sunday.
November 23rd, 2023 at 10:13 am
JTS is about to turn the corner Joe!
No idea to where though.
November 23rd, 2023 at 10:20 am
Think it leads to TIA.
November 23rd, 2023 at 10:46 am
Maybe he just turns left on to Dale Mabry and continues north until the native language is French! Too much to hope for!
November 23rd, 2023 at 11:02 am
I loved the “flame broiled” remark.
Bucs Flambe’ or Burger King Bucs. Well done of coarse.
With so many starters out maybe the Bucs defense actually improves.
November 23rd, 2023 at 11:09 am
Correcto Mundo. They need Shaq, Big Vita and they need to bench Joe Tryon and replace him with one of the rooks. We need a pass rush….Period.
November 23rd, 2023 at 11:12 am
More sacks is better, consistent is better, timely is even better.
JPP and Suh always had a knack for showing up in the right moment.
Them averaging more then our Super Bowl teams proves that the problem lies in other parts of the team, so I don’t know why you keep harping on this opinion, Joe.
It’s not completely logical.
Happy Thanksgiving!
November 23rd, 2023 at 11:16 am
That’s an easy formula for our defense. Take out Shaq ignore JTS. I can’t wait for black Monday
November 23rd, 2023 at 11:33 am
Yes but the D has a system and VA Ya will get his 19 snaps.
November 23rd, 2023 at 11:33 am
“Them averaging more then our Super Bowl teams proves that the problem lies in other parts of the team, so I don’t know why you keep harping on this opinion, Joe.”
Not necessarily. It would be more informative to see and compare sacks per pass attempt between the teams. Anecdotally, this year’s Bucs seem to have a lot of 3 and outs on offense and let the other teams have long, continued drives while on defense, suggesting that the team has a lot of defensive snaps to accumulate sacks. If the Super Bowl-winning teams had more shut-down defenses that get off the field quicker or an offense that could sustain more drives (2020), those teams would have fewer defensive snaps to accumulate sacks.
November 23rd, 2023 at 11:55 am
They need man coverage, too.
November 23rd, 2023 at 12:04 pm
Happy thanksgiving joes and thanks for your efforts.
November 23rd, 2023 at 12:21 pm
Bucs only have 1 question that they need to answer right now: How do we beat the Colts? At 4-6 we don’t have much margin for error in our remaining 7 games.
Colts are 5-5 and are on a 2-game win streak. They played some very good defense in those 2 games (giving up 13 points then 6 points), BUT … their opponents were Carolina (1-9) and New England (2-8). Bucs’ offense isn’t exactly setting the NFL on-fire itself, but it’s probably better than either of those. Still, they’ve lost 3 games to tough teams (Jags twice & Ravens) plus to the Saints & Rams.
In looking for ‘weaknesses’, Colts lost the Turnover Battle in each of their 5 losses, and won it or tied it in each of their 5 wins. They’ve given the ball away 15 times this season, and 13 of those were in their 5 losses.
Other than that though, they kinda mirror the Bucs. In their last 4 games (2 wins, 2 losses) they’ve averaged 50% runs to 50% passing. It worked very well in the last 2 games against the Panthers (27-13 win) & Patriots (10-6 win), and even to a degree against the Browns (39-38 loss) and Saints (38-27 loss). I fully expect though that’ll be the focus of their game plan against the Bucs (ie, relatively balanced attack).
Looking back through their schedule, I’d expect this game to look very much like the Colts-Saints game. Saints ran it 36 times (for 161 yds) & were 20-of-29 passing (69%) for 354 yds. Saints pulled ahead in the 3rd qtr, forcing the Colts to pass more (didn’t work). Colts defense (ranked #26) is apparently vulnerable to the run (#25) slightly more than to the pass (#18), and the Saints capitalized on that. Interestingly, Carr only hit on 2-of-7 deep passes in that game (1 for a TD though), while Minshew was even worse, hitting on only 2-of-8 deep passes (1 for a TD).
November 23rd, 2023 at 1:12 pm
Minshew is 3-3 as a starter for Indy. The team was the only in the NFL to score 20+points per game prior to the Patriots game. The D better be on their game because Indy can score points. Minshew is pretty illusive more so than Baker. Interesting match up. Defense for both teams will be the key.
November 23rd, 2023 at 1:29 pm
Falcons lost three games in a row but they are still a head of Bucs in NFC South. That tells you how bas Toilet Bowl and Trash Baker are. We lose to Colts with all these injuries also. Fire Toilet Bowl and bench Baker if we lose to Colts.
November 23rd, 2023 at 1:31 pm
We need everybody to play great the rest of the way. Especially our ‘Stars’.
LFG
November 23rd, 2023 at 2:00 pm
Two games ago, Bowles put Vea on the edge and it was successful, rendering a sack. He hasn’t done it since.
November 23rd, 2023 at 2:04 pm
The Bucs aren’t going to have the cap space to keep Shaq around next year, but I still hope he goes out on hot streak.
November 23rd, 2023 at 2:29 pm
#RESIGNBAKER. One of the many great things about re-signing Mayfield is knowing that it will drive trolls like David, Capt’n Munch and NE Fan absolutely crazy. Can’t wait to hear them moan!
November 23rd, 2023 at 2:37 pm
He’ will make a good backup next year.
November 23rd, 2023 at 2:45 pm
The reason the Bucs lost last weekend is Canales throttled his Offense. I still don’t know if Bucs would have won, but the final score would have been more accurate. 4 sacks of the 49ers QB? Bucs probably lead the league or are in the top three Ds. I hope Devon White is gone. Shaq Barrett will be getting of help Sunday. Hopefully, Bowles had a serious chat with Canales.
November 23rd, 2023 at 5:17 pm
Baker fans: There will be no resigning of Baker. Here is why. He will be benched after we lose to Colts this Sunday .
November 23rd, 2023 at 7:51 pm
Shaq is a great person, he’s washed as a football player.😭
November 23rd, 2023 at 8:30 pm
Orlbucs@ the reason Bucs lost last weekend is becuase SF was superior from top to bottom.
November 23rd, 2023 at 10:27 pm
If we had a GM like jerry Jones or john lynch our team would be superior from top to bottom.
November 23rd, 2023 at 10:39 pm
WyomingJoe, I’m offended you didn’t mention me. No fan of Baker here, going nowhere if he’s under center.
November 24th, 2023 at 1:42 am
Bowles won’t do anything bold like bench JTS, we’re still in playoff contention and his philosophy remains to play to not lose…we need to play as if we have nothing to lose.