The Weakest Link
July 23rd, 2025
Can he save the Bucs’ defense?
Joe had a good laugh yesterday at the expense of former Bucs first-round draft pick outside linebacker Joe Tryon-Shoyinka.
Joe was listening to the best damn football show on radio, “Movin’ the Chains,” heard exclusively on SiriusXM NFL Radio. There, former Bucs scout Pat Kirwan was talking about how in the world Browns defensive end Myles Garrett was going to get any help from the other side to take heat off him so he can still terrorize quarterbacks unabated.
He mentioned JTS — with a tremendous moniker.
“Joe I’m-Tryin.'”
In his breakdown of the Bucs’ roster, Mike Clay of BSPN, a spreadsheeter, says there’s no doubt about it. The Bucs’ weakest link is at edge rush.
Biggest weakness: Edge rusher. The Bucs’ roster is pretty solid and balanced so I’m being picky, but edge rusher continues to be the largest concern. Yaya Diaby played well in a hefty 808 snaps last season, though he was limited to 4.5 sacks (the Bucs’ current group totaled 11.0 sacks in 2024). Perhaps the Bucs can get newcomer Haason Reddick back on track, but that’s no sure thing after a down season (1.0 sack in 10 games) and in his age-30 campaign. A bright spot is that youngsters Chris Braswell, David Walker and Elijah Roberts all offer potential.
Joe is beginning to find it humorous — you know, in the way you hope to laugh to keep from crying — how so many people try to build up an almost-stat like pressures.
Joe maintains pressures do not significantly affect good quarterbacks.
In any walk of football have you ever heard someone try to prop up a quarterback with a poor completion percentage because he had several near-completions? Or that a linebacker is better than his stats because he had several near-tackles? Or that a running back with bad rushing stats is somehow better because he had several almost broken tackles?
But yet some who walk among us prop up these horseshoes-and-hand-grenades pass rushing numbers as a positive trait. Please!
A good defense regularly puts the quarterback on his arse.
As the Confederate spy Henry Thomas Harrison told a skeptical Gen. James Longstreet in the movie “Gettysburg,” on the cusp of the great battle about Federal troop movements he witnessed, “That, by God, is the Lord’s truth!”
"Everything that I rehearsed in practice became a performance in the game."
Bucs legend @simeon_rice takes @greatyaya4 under his wing to teach him tricks of the trade that can't be found in a playbook đź“ť pic.twitter.com/oSCeLwS7u1
— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) July 20, 2025
July 23rd, 2025 at 9:07 am
When it comes to the defense – I find it refreshing that Mike Clay has to be picky…you know…nit pick. Also, I think Reddick frees up Yaya. He’ll feast. With regards to JTS – keep hoping Browns fans.
July 23rd, 2025 at 9:26 am
JTS is one of Jason Licht’s most important draft picks. It taught him a lesson. Just look at the last 3 drafts. Nothing but smart dogs. The exact opposite of JTS. Just saying.
July 23rd, 2025 at 9:46 am
I foresee the largest increase in sacks year-to-year in club history. Why? Reddick. Healthy Kancey. Healthy Diaby. Healthy SirVocea. New S. Better CBs. And a scheme that fits them.
No 10 yard off the ball CBs.
Improved Offense. Better top to bottom talent at WR. Bucky is in year 2 with Barton. That should equal more TOP.
July 23rd, 2025 at 9:48 am
Simeon has a beautiful mind. He’s a one of a kind poet. YaYa’s takeaway should be to avoid the trap of paralysis by analysis. And if I were him, I’d take Simeon up on his offer to help anytime. There’s a lot of wisdom just waiting to be tapped.
July 23rd, 2025 at 9:50 am
Just hope Ya Ya and Braswell step up and help Reddick. Walker is the wild card. Barring injuries, this year’s edge rush should be a lot better.
July 23rd, 2025 at 9:55 am
Sorry, but true pressure matters. The stat for quarterbacks under pressure versus a clean pocket reveals what pressure can accomplish. It’s clearly not as good as a sack. The stat for sacked quarterbacks versus pressured ones is undefeated. That doesn’t make pressure worthless.
July 23rd, 2025 at 10:00 am
Early Pressure and secondary covering quick / hot routes and check downs has created a broken play. Good QB’s buy time and beat you or throw the ball in the dirt or make you pay with their legs. Bad QB’s hold the ball, try to be Captain America and lead the league in interceptions.
Pressure a QB enough and you have given them one more thing to think about and sometimes even have QB’s seeing ghosts.
Big difference in a QB getting rid of the ball in 2.5 Seconds because they can and because they have to.
Have linebackers that can cover sideline to sideline, free up the secondary to do their job by not having to provide run support and pressure blitzing, and you will have something great. D Line and Backers need to do their job.
2020 the best linebackers sideline to sideline were Fred Warner, Roquan Smith, Tremaine Edmunds and yes Devin White was named in that group.
Bucs have had the reliability of David but nothing close to resembling White since.
Pete Carroll is known for using defenders in ways that maximize their strengths and White could have a very good season with the Raiders.
July 23rd, 2025 at 10:22 am
Rice belongs in the hall!!
July 23rd, 2025 at 10:22 am
Anyone remember how Shaq Barrett almost never had a sack unless JPP was out there with him on the opposite side?
You need on terror on both edges or one can be neutralized/avoided most of the time.
July 23rd, 2025 at 10:23 am
*a terror
July 23rd, 2025 at 10:37 am
Simeon had a get off that was unreal and he was so long that tackles struggled keeping him away from QB
July 23rd, 2025 at 10:41 am
Joe, I understand your angst over “pressures” vs sacks. However, you have to consider that when a QB is under pressure, he may make bad decisions – throw incompletions or in the best case scenario (for the defense) throw an interception, which is even better than a sack, because the opponent’s offense takes immediate possession. I would think an important stat from all these “brain trusts” out in the interwebs would be a follow-up to determine how the pressure affected the play. Options – scrambled and ran with the ball (either tackled for loss or gained yards) or passed the ball (completion, pass incomplete, or interception). That kind of breakdown might support or refute your assertion that pressures are garbage. DR, where are you buddy?
July 23rd, 2025 at 10:45 am
Brutal
July 23rd, 2025 at 10:53 am
JBF … ‘A good defense regularly puts the quarterback on his arse’.
Ideally I’d agree with you Joe. If we did that every play, it’d be a very short game, and oh ya, we’d be undefeated. But NFL defenses are obviously a loooong ways from that ideal.
Last season our Bucs had 46 sacks in 1065 plays run by the opposition. That amounts to getting a sack roughly 4% of the time; the other 96% of the plays came down to tackling, forcing punts or takeaways, allowing scores, etc. With those 46 sacks, the Bucs tied for 6th-best in the NFL (not horrific BTW).
1 – Broncos (10-7): 63 sacks – 1 sack/17.3 plays – def #3
2 – Ravens (12-5): 54 sacks – 1 sack/19.7 plays – def #9
3 – Cowboys (7-10): 52 sacks – 1 sack/20.1 plays – def #31
4 – Vikings (14-3): 49 sacks – 1 sacks/22.0 plays – def #5
4 – Texans (10-7): 49 sacks – 1 sack/21.4 plays – def #14
6 – Chargers (11-6): 46 sacks – 1 sack/22.5 plays – def #1
6 – Bucs (10-7): 46 sacks – 1 sack/23.2 plays – def #16
Personally I’d rate the Broncos, Ravens, Vikings & Chargers as being teams with ‘good’ defenses (all were Top-10), but I’m not sure you could say the same about last year’s Texans or Bucs or Cowboys defenses. Cowboys for example accumulated 52 sacks but at #31 didn’t exactly set the world on fire. The 2024 middle-of-the-pack Bucs & Texans were better, but have a ways to go to be considered ‘good’ defenses.
July 23rd, 2025 at 10:54 am
PSL Bob … LMAO
July 23rd, 2025 at 10:59 am
I’d like to see Robert’s play 3 tech in place of Hall on passing downs. Roberts is supposed to be a good pass rusher. Let’s see if he can make some plays..
July 23rd, 2025 at 11:11 am
Coach Sim made me want to put on a helmet and Effin GOOOO
July 23rd, 2025 at 11:12 am
I bothered to watch the Rice/Diaby vid above. Love to see content like that.
My takeaway? Rice telling the youngster: How good do YOU want to be? Now go practice like a game. Priceless advice.
July 23rd, 2025 at 11:14 am
It’s a travesty that Simeon Rice is not in the HOF.
July 23rd, 2025 at 11:21 am
Any way to get Rice a coaching gig with the Bucs? He is so knowledgeable when it comes to pass rushing.
July 23rd, 2025 at 11:39 am
“Pressures” were invented by player agents.
July 23rd, 2025 at 12:00 pm
Hi DR. I looked up the cowboys defense from last year. It looks like the only thing the Cowboys could do on defense IS rush the passer. It looks like the only thing our defense could do was stop the run…kinda. Our pass defense was so bad there was no reason to run very much. To tell ya the truth, all that stuff just gives me a headache. The BUCS have always been near the bottom of the passing statistics whenever their run defense was stout. From what I read yesterday Bowles is insinuating that he will change the focus and balance towards pass defense this year. He didn’t really specify how. Guess we shall see.
July 23rd, 2025 at 12:03 pm
I’m hoping Larry Foote will help the edge rush.
July 23rd, 2025 at 12:20 pm
Consistent PRESSURE on the QB is how the Bucs held Mahomes and Hill and Kelce and the high flying 2020 Chiefs offense to ZERO TDs and just 3 field goals in Super Bowl LV.
The 3 sacks for -27 yards were important to be sure – but it was the consistent, in your face PRESSURE – all night long – by mostly just 4/5 guys up front (Barrett in particular) that allowed the Buccaneers to dominate that game and walk off their home field with joyous smiles and Red and Pewter colored Lombardi shaped confetti still clinging to their hair…..
Todd Bowles has schemed up 45-50 sacks every single year he’s been in Tampa Bay and in charge of the Bucs defense. Great right? Top 10 every year in # of sacks…. Wheeeeee – we should be unstoppable then right? We’re always among the best teams at generating a good # of sacks for the season….
(sarcasm button now dis-engaged…)
What’s needed for Todd’s defense to be elite is consistent PRESSURE – from the 4/5 pass rushers up front – not from blitzing LBers and Safeties – from the 2/3 DLinemen and 2 Edge rushers playing at the line of scrimmage.
If OLB coach Larry Foote can get Reddick and YaYa and Walker and Braswell and Nelson playing like their best selves in 2025 – this defense and this season is going to be special!
July 23rd, 2025 at 12:21 pm
Fred … ‘From what I read yesterday Bowles is insinuating that he will change the focus and balance towards pass defense this year. He didn’t really specify how. Guess we shall see.’
Sounds like a fair assessment Fred. I’m not sure that’s a solid approach however. Todd actually did that back in 2022; we ended up with the #9 Pass Defense (Yards Allowed) and the #15 Run Defense (Yards Allowed). Together that gave us the #13 defense (Points Allowed), which to me is the real bottom line.
Folks who focus on Passing Yards Allowed (cough cough) sometimes overlook some performance factors such as Passing TDs Allowed. For instance, the 2022 Bucs’ defense gave up fewer passing yards BUT … far more passing TDs (that year we gave up 29 Passing TDs for a #29 ranking). Not sure I’d consider that ‘progress’. Least Points Allowed is the key IMO.
July 23rd, 2025 at 12:53 pm
DR points allowed is the key stat and more importantly touchdowns allowed. I remember the Bucs great D used to get moved on between the 20’s but there was usually a sack, int in there somewhere to take the ball away or a FG attempt instead of a PAT.
Pressure on the QB is what leads to sacks, DOH! Obvious statement but my point is that sacks are hopefully the end result. Now if you have a couple sacks a game and you’re getting pressure a lot then it is going to effect the QB’S play, move him off his spot, hurry his throws, get to the ball carrier in the backfield, all those positive defensive plays. I do believe that you have to put the QB down for the pressure to be more effective, otherwise he’s finding his outlet and that can lead to a big play for the offense. Or a breakdown in the secondary, SMH. OK, there, I said it.
July 23rd, 2025 at 1:29 pm
I think pressure can affect a good QB, BUT only if he’s been on his arse painfully a few times beforehand.
July 23rd, 2025 at 2:17 pm
DR, you made me remember the one unavoidable reality about NFL defenses. It’s like playing whack-a-mole.
July 23rd, 2025 at 2:42 pm
All things considered, points are all that matter. I top remember Monte Kiffen’s defenses allowed yards between the 20s.
July 23rd, 2025 at 4:17 pm
Weakest link does two half jobs poorly.
July 23rd, 2025 at 4:36 pm
That is the greatest video ever produced by humankind
July 23rd, 2025 at 5:25 pm
Fred … ‘ It’s like playing whack-a-mole.’
Absolutely perfect description of NFL defenses!
July 23rd, 2025 at 5:52 pm
“chased him out of the pocket”
“made him throw it away”
“made him bring his eyes down”
“harassed the qb all day”
These all describe pressure. But I think Pickgrin and WillieG are on it. Need some of those (maybe at the right times) to put the qb on his butt in order to get into his confidence. Otherwise the qb may be “breaking out od the pocket” or “avoiding any sacks” or “making another big play” which can really deflate defensive effort.
July 24th, 2025 at 6:24 am
Yeah Joe I do not like the pressures “stat” either. I dont think Sapp counted his almost sacks now that you mention it. Selmon either so umm… Lets get after it dudes!
Go Bucs!