Anthony Nelson And “The Zone”
October 27th, 2025
Anthony Nelson holds the ball aloft after walking into the end zone with his first NFL pick-six Sunday.
Did Anthony Nelson visit “The Zone” on Sunday?
Nelson had one of the greatest games in recent Bucs history yesterday. He had two sacks, a pick-six, a forced fumble and two tackles for loss.
Some might say Nelson visited “The Zone” yesterday.
So what is “The Zone?” It’s when an athlete has a game or moments in the game where he can do no wrong. It’s when everything comes easy, like being a kid again playing in the backyard and dominating everyone. When a player simply cannot be stopped.
Joe always associated “The Zone” with Michael Jordan, who had his legendary games in the biggest of moments. There are other instances of players reaching “The Zone” too, but Jordan always comes to mind for Joe.
Mean Joe Greene used to scoff at players always talking about “The Zone.” The Hall of Famer said you only visit “The Zone” once or twice in your career. That’s a damn high standard because Greene is widely considered the greatest defensive tackle to ever play.
Given how Nelson, in his first start of the year, damn near beat the slimy Saints all by himself, and simply dominated the slimy Saints, did he reach “The Zone” yesterday?
“Yeah, you definitely get in that zone,” Nelson said after the beatdown the Bucs handed the slimy Saints. “And I think a lot of that has to do with the guys around you, like I said, punch a ball.
“But we had a lot of guys going after the ball getting strips, punching at the catch, even some that were close that ended up being incompletions. So, when everybody is doing it, it kind of gets contagious, and you can feel it, it gives you confidence. And then, everybody joins in on it. So, it feels good to get so many.”
Joe maintains Nelson had the best game for a Bucs outside linebacker maybe since Shaq Barrett went wilding on the Packers in the NFC title game for the 2020 season. If that game didn’t meet high standards, then when Shaq went bananas in Nelson’s rookie season at Carolina, a Week 2 game in which he had three sacks in a win.
(Shaq actually had four sacks the next week against the Giants, but the Bucs lost that game.)
So the way Nelson blew up in New Orleans, Joe wonders if Nelson’s game met Greene’s standards for visiting “The Zone?”
October 27th, 2025 at 2:54 pm
Nelson was never a bad player so why did they go get Reddick who has done my of nothing.
October 27th, 2025 at 3:00 pm
Time met opportunity and Nelly cashed in, there’s a reason he’s been extended in re-signed in his time with us.
October 27th, 2025 at 3:01 pm
Leave him in there … Reddick has not earned the right to hold the spot . Play the player with the best results !
October 27th, 2025 at 3:14 pm
many have said it and there is some explanation but how many great plays does nelly have to make to get more game time. he brings energy. juice as they say.
October 27th, 2025 at 3:14 pm
the way logan hall is the new gholston…
nelly is the new carl nasib…
a piece is still needed…
you can’t throw it all on nelly, and the old reddick hasn’t shown up…
it licht can work some deadline magic, it would be great
October 27th, 2025 at 3:14 pm
if licht *
October 27th, 2025 at 3:16 pm
“the way logan hall is the new gholston…”
Elijah Roberts is eating into Logans’ snaps
October 27th, 2025 at 3:17 pm
There are 14 million reasons they’ll put Reddick back out there when he’s healthy… likely in two weeks.
October 27th, 2025 at 3:27 pm
TBBF is in the “Zone” when he has his Balvenie 12 & an Arturo Fuente
October 27th, 2025 at 3:34 pm
Anthony Nelson has EARNED the starting job and he damn well better get it.
October 27th, 2025 at 3:35 pm
Sometimes a guy just needs a chance! Start him at New England and see how he responses! He’s outperformed HR, give him a chance!
October 27th, 2025 at 3:41 pm
I like Tony. He always seems to be in the right spot to make plays. Giving him more play time clearly paid off.
But you can’t negate the fact that Rattler looked scared out there. He was so rattled by that Bucs D, the defensive plays starting flowing. Letting the play clock run out was case in point. I don’t blame the Aint’s for yoking him out.
October 27th, 2025 at 4:10 pm
He was certainly in a zone. Not sure there is “the” zone.
Many of us have been clamoring for him to get a lot more snaps. Maybe Todd will actually keep him out on the field more, although, you know, pass coverage and stuff .
October 27th, 2025 at 4:27 pm
Rob in Land O’ Lakes Says:
October 27th, 2025 at 3:17 pm
There are 14 million reasons they’ll put Reddick back out there when he’s healthy… likely in two weeks.
Reddick is the Kirk Cousins of the Bucs.
October 27th, 2025 at 4:56 pm
Nelson has always been reliable and seems to always make a big play when he gets on the field. Like others have said, there’s a reason the Bucs keep him on the roster and I suppose there’s also a reason he rarely plays and never starts (but I have no idea what that reason is).
He’s far more than just a “warm body” coming in off the bench to give the starter a breather. He almost always makes a play for us. He’s a smart player and instinctive. Not to ruffle any Belichick haters’ feathers, but he’s exactly the type of defensive player Belichick loved and turned into playmakers. A “bring your lunch to work in a brown paper bag and get to work” kind of guy. A definite “Do your job” kind of dude. No flash. No dance. Just results.
October 27th, 2025 at 5:28 pm
The problem is when you get out of tge zone.
And someone will screw this up,
If braswell could get in tge zone we would want him.
He just cant. Zone guys are hard to find. Quit worrying about measurable. Zone is harder than 40 time
October 27th, 2025 at 5:51 pm
Aqualung the Bucs Defense played great. Just shut up with your bullsh•t
If you are a real fan you will enjoy the win . If not you will continue to troll.
October 27th, 2025 at 6:50 pm
Joe you are quite the historian with a Mean Joe Greene quote. I ran into an old-timer here in North Carolina in the grocery store rocking my Bucs gear yesterday before the game, and he laid a John McKay quote on me about the offense’s execution, which is funny because yesterday, I wondered if McKay could say that today
October 27th, 2025 at 7:02 pm
Nelly was definitively in The Zone. Dude didn’t just make a game changing play or 2, he damn near wrecked the Saints by himself. Saved the Bucs last year against Carolina. This is why JTS, Kancey, Braswell, Dennis and Reddick are such busts. They barely get a sack let alone a turnover or cause a turnover. Always liked Nelson. He plays hard, smart and let’s his play do the talking.