YaYa Diaby Still A Focus Of Offenses
September 12th, 2025
Calijah Kancey celebrates with YaYa Diaby after the Bucs’ outside linebacker tackled Atlanta QB Michael Penix.
Last year Joe felt bad for YaYa Diaby. All offenses had to do was take out YaYa and they knew the Bucs more often than not wouldn’t have an edge rush.
Yeah, Anthony Nelson would make some plays. But other than Nelson, YaYa got no help from the other side of the defense.
One reason Joe was so stoked about the addition of Haason Reddick was it meant offenses could no longer afford to focus so much attention and energy on YaYa. Now, offenses had to account for Vita Vea, Calijah Kancey, Reddick and YaYa.
Someone surely wouldn’t be getting double-teamed.
Joe asked YaYa yesterday if he saw less attention from the Dixie Chicks because of Reddick’s presence. YaYa didn’t feel change.
“I wouldn’t say that, man,” YaYa said about potentially getting less blockers keying on him. “They are still coming. It got to a point [Sunday] where I was getting chipped [on] back-to-back-to-back-to-back plays.
“So I feel like [offenses], they’re still all focusing on me.”
YaYa told Joe not to be confused; he is not complaining. He said he just has to find a way to do his job and that’s putting quarterbacks on the ground no matter what offenses throw at him.
“You know, I just gotta find a way to get to that quarterback and actually capitalize,” YaYa said.
Two quarterback hits were credited to YaYa on Sunday. For the horseshoes and hand grenades crowd, the PFF tribe claims YaYa had four quarterback pressures.
September 12th, 2025 at 6:57 am
The defensive line was getting after Penix all day he couldn’t take any deep shots. The sacks will come.
September 12th, 2025 at 6:57 am
Have to say I watched the Packers game last night Joe. I watched Daniels (Washington QB) getting hurried to the nth degree. He wasn’t getting sacked but man the pressure was on when he dropped back. And the Packers DLine kept him contained when he would try to run. I think he averaged less than 3 yards a run. Probably his toughest game of his career. It was defensive pressure, not sacks, just relentless pressure all night long. I love sacks. But pressure, unrelenting pressure from every direction, will suit me just fine.
September 12th, 2025 at 7:10 am
Ya Ya had the defense’s first sack of the day until Dean’s facemask wiped it off the stat sheet.
September 12th, 2025 at 7:15 am
Yaya does not have it. It’s time to recognize it.
September 12th, 2025 at 7:16 am
Neither does SirVocea.
September 12th, 2025 at 7:23 am
Guys gotta finish the play they missed like 4 sacks
September 12th, 2025 at 7:23 am
Seemed like Packers brought 5 or more guys all game long last night.
Just a wonderful defensive effort. Not sure we have the horses they do — besides Micah, the rest of those guys came at Daniels.
I think they were credited with 24 pressures last night on something like 52 Washington drop backs. Michah had 6 pressures so that was 18 pressures for the rest of the guys.
September 12th, 2025 at 7:39 am
@ModHairKen,
I don’t believe it’s fair to judge YaYa on a single game, especially on the first game of the season when the team had no tape on the Falcons offense from this season.
But if you want to judge him, he did do what he needed to get a great sack in the game. The reason it didn’t count had nothing to do with YaYa. I’m confident he’ll be better this year.
September 12th, 2025 at 8:21 am
Sorry. YaYa is solidifying himself as mostly hype.
September 12th, 2025 at 8:45 am
Being a realist Diaby is great against run and a 6 sack guy at best
September 12th, 2025 at 8:45 am
Jose, how many sacks would be a good to very good year for us? 50? We will play over 1000 snaps on defense with at least 500 pass plays. You want to bank your defense’s season on 50 plays. Jose, this makes me question what football games you actually watch. If the defense is successful 10% of the time we win everything! Someone out there put together a video about Reddick during the game and pressure Definitely affected Penix. To think pressure is useless is about as valid as proclaiming Johnny Football is the second coming of John Elway.