Potentially “Unstoppable” YaYa Diaby
September 24th, 2025
Some fun Week 3 factoids emerged from the official NFL NextGen Stats crowd. They track player game equipment via satellite technology to determine all sorts of things.
One nugget Joe especially liked was Cardinals defensive lineman Calais Campbell registering the fastest get-off of any interior D-lineman all season (minimum 10 pass rushes). Campbell is 39 years old! What a beast. He’s got 2 sacks and 5 QB hits this season.
On the local front, Bucs edge rusher YaYa Diaby was credited with 11 quarterback pressures against the Jets, per NextGen Stats, and that total led the league.
Joe realizes some fans cheer pressures as if they’re made field goals. Soon, these crazies are going to stand and applaud every time they see one, whether the quarterback completes the pass or not. Pressures are nice, but Joe argues that good quarterbacks have no problem with “pressures.”
Regardless, Diaby was having a day, and Todd Bowles thinks he’s approaching greatness
“[Diaby] came off the ball, he wasn’t thinking as much. He really came off the ball [against the Jets],” Bowles said on his weekly radio show (Joe listens via SiriusXM). ” He was determined to get back there and when he comes off the ball like he does, I think he’s unstoppable.”
Man, it sure would be nice to have an unstoppable edge rusher. The Bucs might need one to beat the Eagles on Sunday.
September 24th, 2025 at 11:29 am
Yaya does look like he’s taken the step up we expected, and it’s a great sight to see. The only thing I’ve noticed is that when he does get back there, he either struggles to take the right angle and gets beat, can’t finish the tackle, or just makes a subpar attempt at it.
I understand (and absolutely despise) that there have been some VERY soft roughing the passer calls and it’s getting worse, but man would it be nice to start seeing Yaya drive through the QBs chest on some of these pressures.
September 24th, 2025 at 11:30 am
bucky Irving.
September 24th, 2025 at 11:32 am
Nice that Ya Ya may be coming around.
Sad that Braswell is playing nearly identically to JTS.. jogging around, watching.
September 24th, 2025 at 11:33 am
Yaya himself has 4 QB hits and has sacked the QB twice, but one got called back and he’s been putting a beating on OTs even if it doesn’t equate to a sack recorded.
In fact, Diaby had a good rep on the Winfield blitz that got home and mushed Fashnu off his base with his left hand, good rep and Yaya has had a good amount of those through 3 games.
September 24th, 2025 at 11:34 am
I noticed too. For the first time this year he appeared to rush the QB violently.
Keep pushing!
September 24th, 2025 at 11:38 am
It’s the best we’ve seen Yaya play. But we should be worried that he wasn’t dropping into coverage enough. Where’s his versatility? If he’s rushing the passer, that means he’s not on the back end helping survey the field for who just caught the pass for the first down in the 4th quarter? They need to be tackled.
Gotta be a complete player in the mastermind’s highly touted defense. Especially when the collapse is on in the 4th quarter.
September 24th, 2025 at 11:39 am
The last unstoppable DL the Bucs have had was Warren Sapp.
September 24th, 2025 at 12:01 pm
If someone manages to look beastly and powerful in that jersey, you know he’s doing something right.
September 24th, 2025 at 12:04 pm
It seems like we get close to the QB alot, but then we either fail to take him down due to a missed tackle or he somehow escapes and gets away. Its frustrating. Get the QB on the ground please.
September 24th, 2025 at 12:07 pm
But wait Ironlung says he trys to hard?
September 24th, 2025 at 12:16 pm
I thought pressure was there often from the edge BUT then they would take an inside route just before getting to the QB and allowing him to escape outside. Don’t loose that containment. The sacks gonna start coming keep working.
September 24th, 2025 at 12:17 pm
Pressures are great when they force the QB into an errant throw. That cannot be denied. Pressures become ineffective when the supposed hurried QB completes his pass for a short to substantial gain.
By NFL definition, a pressure forces a QB into making a decision he is not ready to make. Under that scenario a pressure, albeit not as productive as a sack, is most always a good thing.
And I’ll take all the good things this team can muster.
Cannot get a sack? Pile up the pressures and you have a defense who doesn’t quit and comes to play.
September 24th, 2025 at 12:26 pm
Ya ya was playing with his hair on fire! I hope he keeps bringing it like that every week!
September 24th, 2025 at 12:42 pm
Yep! With YaYa becoming “unstoppable” and Braswell “shocking” the world, we have nothing to worry about now! lol
September 24th, 2025 at 12:55 pm
Why don’t they have a stat that correlates pressures to whether it affects the play? Similar to passes defensed for DBs. Something like Effective Pressure.
September 24th, 2025 at 1:00 pm
Joe I’ve talked about consistent pressure, that being the key word. I agree that the QB needs hit, knocked around and brought down because that would make the pressure itself more influential to a QB making an errant throw. But we don’t get a sack without the pressure. I believe it’s not getting the guy to the ground when we’re close and it letting him have that extra time that is hurting us. When we’re that close that sack needs to happen sooner.
September 24th, 2025 at 1:14 pm
Pressure caused the Pick Joe
September 24th, 2025 at 1:19 pm
@JMarkBuc
Yeah I would’ve passed on Tryon & I would’ve passed on Braswell, too!
September 24th, 2025 at 1:22 pm
I’ve been a critic. He’s playing well.
September 24th, 2025 at 1:22 pm
You guys type that pressures are overblown but then wrote an article about how Jamel Dean owes Parrish a dinner for throwing off Taylor’s footwork and causing an errant throw leading to the interception… aka getting a pressure.
This whole calling people crazy for liking pressures is getting old and you contradicted yourself by writing that Parrish article. I get multiple people write for this website but let’s at least try to stick with one narrative.
September 24th, 2025 at 1:32 pm
Need to distinguish between winning pressures and losing pressures. All pressure are not the same. Worthless stat as presented. A pressure that wins for the defense or a pressure that the offense still wins the play. A big difference. So what kind of pressure are we talking about. How many of Diabys 11 pressure was a win for the defense? Clarity please.
Go Bowles!
September 24th, 2025 at 1:35 pm
Yeah, yeah. How many of those pressures came in the 4th quarter as the jets were racking 21 pt? How many did buc fans get screaming at Tyron. Im with you Joe, this is a stat on whiffs
September 24th, 2025 at 1:37 pm
POTENTIAL VS PERFORMING
Tykee Smith, AWJ, and VV are performing. They’re worth talking about. Tykee is killing it. AWJ is winning games. VV is the entire DL.
I’m tired about talking about our OLB’s potential. Do something.
September 24th, 2025 at 1:47 pm
At the end of the day Bucs only get home and to the QB when they blitz. Only way TB gets consistent pressure. Its still a BIG problem. Sunday will be a great test for YaYa and the others because Philly will have to throw against this defense. I dont see them running the ball with any consistency…even as good as they are upfront and with Saquon. One thing I love about Bowles and his defense is making the opponent one dimensional. Problem is – getting to the QB and getting off the field on 3rd down.
September 24th, 2025 at 1:51 pm
“Pressure caused the Pick Joe“
In what looked like a cover 3 zone fire blitz, which turned out as a best cast scenario in how’s its drawn up to effect the offense. Pressure, pick, then a TD
September 24th, 2025 at 1:52 pm
Pressure lead to an inception for dean so pressures are pretty important not as important as sacks but they effect every quarterback even good ones.
September 24th, 2025 at 2:02 pm
Like to see Yaya get a couple this week…. He’s been SO close repeatedly.
And yes, pressures matter. Very few people would still cling to the notion that it doesn’t. I’d guess over half of picks in the league start with “pressure”.
Feels like the defense is figuring it out this season…. Lots of new faces but we’re improving and continuing to “gel”. We’re playing more man to man (did the more man commenters even notice?), we’re getting sacks, we’ve broken the ice with a few turnovers…. We’ve had goal line stands, 4th and 3rd down success, stayed stout against the run.
Big game Sunday – we’ll need all 3 squads to play complimentary football to make a statement!
September 24th, 2025 at 2:02 pm
To me it’s only a pressure if the play is affected positively for our defense. If the O is still successful then it was “pressure” not pressure.
September 24th, 2025 at 2:06 pm
Have often wondered Joe how having the NexGen stats available impacts how evaluators assign ‘pressures’. Checked on AI but I’m not sure it answers the question. Did have some interesting info on it though …
The NFL defines a “pressure” as any play where a pass rusher negatively affects the quarterback before the ball is thrown, encompassing sacks, QB hits, and hurries. A QB hurry specifically involves the pass rusher beating the blocker to force the quarterback to throw a quick pass, step up in the pocket, throw the ball away, or move from the pocket to avoid contact. The NFL’s Next Gen Stats also quantifies pressure using a probability threshold, defining it as a play where the pressure probability exceeds 75%.
Types of Pressure:
Sack: The QB is tackled or brought down at or behind the line of scrimmage.
QB Hit (or Knockdown): The rusher makes contact with the QB in the act of throwing or has the QB in their grasp.
Hurried Pass: A defender has beaten their blocker to force the QB into a quicker-than-intended throw, a throwaway, a rushed pass, or a change of direction to escape the pocket.
How a Pressure is Awarded:
Beating the Blocker: A defensive player must beat their assigned blocker or the blocker’s immediate area to earn the pressure credit.
Forcing a QB Move: The defender’s actions must result in the QB moving from their intended drop back spot, scrambling from the pocket, or making a quick throw.
Key Factors:
Timing: The pressure must occur before the ball is thrown.
Quality: The impact on the QB must be significant enough to alter their throwing rhythm or pocket position.
Subjectivity: While there are defined types, a degree of subjectivity can exist, particularly with hurries, where evaluators assess the impact on the quarterback.
September 24th, 2025 at 2:10 pm
BTW Joe, that last section on ‘Key Factors’ seems to indicate that a ‘pressure’ must impact the play in one way or another for it to count (ie, alter the QB’s ‘throwing rhythm’ or his ‘pocket position’. Love the ‘subjectivity’ caveat though.
September 24th, 2025 at 2:49 pm
Should have picked up Calais Campbell when he was available- Parsons too- Then you’re talking Super Bowl- those two plus Reddick
September 24th, 2025 at 2:49 pm
Also we should extend Baker properly. He’s shown enough
September 24th, 2025 at 2:53 pm
Can’t believe Campbell at 39.
September 24th, 2025 at 3:51 pm
Yaya has been fantastic this year. So glad to see him get a sack after one was taken away because of a stupid penalty the week before.
Reddick has been playing pretty well also. Would love to see the two of them really getting sacks in bunches.
September 24th, 2025 at 3:53 pm
DR, don’t overemphasize AI. Your mental analysis is a lot sharper. If we can get 1 or 2 of our DB headhunters back Sunday, the Defense will have some fun disrupting the h3ll out of the Philly offense. That includes almighty god, Shaquan Barkley (sp). Bucs win this one against the Eaglets/refs, I’ll be laughing for days. I really have no bias against our football opponents. It’s the cheating I can’t stand.
September 24th, 2025 at 4:29 pm
I haven’t focused in on Yaya and definitely saw some pressures but I’m in the big deal about pressures camp. Tyrod made a couple throws with that pressure in his face. Sure it lead to a pick 6 on one so they aren’t useless all the time but I hope to see some quicker wins for our defensive front.
Campbell… I was banging the table for him on these here boards a few months ago. Guy has always produced, veteran leader, well liked in the locker room. I know we wanna be young but this guy would have been huge for us, especially with Kancey out now. I want Roberts to develop but Campbell was a SB helping piece.
September 24th, 2025 at 4:58 pm
orlbucfan … Trust me, I’ve been working with computers for so long that I’m wary of anything that comes out. But I’ll be the first to admit that AI typically does a decent job of summarizing a whole bunch of information IF it’s solid information to start with. But no, I wouldn’t make any bets based solely on analysis gotten from AI sources.
The loss of Kancey concerned me at first, but it looks like Vea kicked it into a higher gear & that helped against the Jets. He played 70% of the def snaps, Gaines was up to 52% in that game, & our rookie Elijah Roberts got a whopping 57% on the DLine. Our other rookie DLineman, Elijah Simmons, also got in there for 11 def snaps (16%). For some reason Logan Hall got used much less than normal (only 22 def snaps – 32%). Kinda wondering if he got banged up. Also interesting to me that the Bucs brought up CJ Brewer to the active roster a few days ago (he improved quite a bit last season I thought).
September 24th, 2025 at 5:24 pm
Hall got banged up.
September 24th, 2025 at 6:49 pm
I think you all make a valid point that “pressures” lead to mistakes, but isn’t it just a part of a whole in which the objective is to limit and force mistakes? It’s like chess. Without mistakes, every game is a stalemate/tie.
My issue with “pressure” is it is more subjective than empirical. DR does an excellent job painting the “pressure” canvas, but it doesn’t paint the whole picture. Removing a QB off a spot” is vague. It’s playing football. Yaya’s “pressure” doesn’t account for Vea being double teamed, the QB moving to 2nd/3rd reads due to good coverage, or poor OL play… To me, “pressure” is a step below a RB picking up a blitz. Im sure that stat is counted to. Do we need to count blocks, jumps attempting to block a punt, the number of good angles a tackler takes? PDs, tackles, sacks, ints…all of these actions end a play. Pressures are playing ball. Good for him, but end a play already
September 24th, 2025 at 7:04 pm
We’ve played some pretty elusive QB’s the first three games, this next one will be as well. Hopefully he gets some good hard hits on him
September 25th, 2025 at 2:50 pm
Let’s play a 9 man front all game long, having our fastest and strongest defensive players on the line. Then set multiple stunts all game long, see if that takes the pressures to the next level, hopefully resulting in meaningful pressures, hits, sacks or turn overs. Just keep someone deep incase of a breakout receiver or RB get loose. 9 man front with fake bliz motion, and alternating stunts with the DL and OLB’s. Anything, something has to work in order to get more hits, sacks and turnovers. Hope Todd and friends are reading these post. Let do something differently in order the help our guys take that next step in the progression.
Go Bucs. Hit, Sack, Pressure , lets do something this weekend. Go Bucs, Welcome back CGjr14.
September 25th, 2025 at 2:51 pm
Let’s play a 9 man front all game long, having our fastest and strongest defensive players on the line. Then set multiple stunts all game long, see if that takes the pressures to the next level, hopefully resulting in meaningful pressures, hits, sacks or turn overs. Just keep someone deep incase of a breakout receiver or RB get loose. 9 man front with fake bliz motion, and alternating stunts with the DL and OLB’s. Anything, something has to work in order to get more hits, sacks and turnovers. Hope Todd and friends are reading these post. Let do something differently in order the help our guys take that next step in the progression.
Go Bucs. Hit, Sack, Pressure , let’s do something this weekend. Go Bucs, Welcome back CGjr14.