ESPN: YaYa Diaby Will Have A Big Game Against New England
November 8th, 2025
Prediction.
Joe isn’t a huge stat guy but there are a couple of numberscrunchers whose insight Joe respects and values.
One of these men is Aaron Schatz, the former chieftain of Football Outsiders (RIP) and the creator of DVOA.
Why does Joe respect Schatz so much? Even though he’s a stats guy, he is not a slave to stats. And he’s not pushing some dumbarse grades as the end-all, be-all to football analysis.
Joe has heard/read Schatz refer to a stat and then add something along the lines of, Well, this doesn’t make sense. Open-minded Schatz always relies on a his eyes in the final analysis.
So whenever Schatz types something, Joe pays attention.
In an ESPN preview of tomorrow’s Patriots-Bucs game, Schatz doesn’t like the way New England rookie left tackle Will Campbell is blocking. Combined with Patriots quarterback Drake Maye’s habit of giving up sacks and YaYa Diaby heating up in the past two games, Schatz predicts a big day for YaYa tomorrow.
Bold prediction: Bucs linebacker Yaya Diaby will have multiple sacks. Patriots left tackle Will Campbell is currently 56th among qualifying tackles with a pass block win rate of 83.8%, while taking sacks is Maye’s biggest weakness (34 in 2025). Only the Titans’ Cam Ward (38) has more.
In the past three games, YaYa has three sacks.
If YaYa gets a sack or two early, Joe is confident the Patriots will adjust to get Campbell help, and that ought to loosen things up for other Bucs to get after Maye.
November 8th, 2025 at 10:02 am
I Will believe it when I see it. He gets a lot of pressure ,just can’t finish.
November 8th, 2025 at 10:03 am
Ms Coot and I will be at the game tomorrow, Club 212, we will be closing monitoring the situation, we are not expecting a victory, Pats 34 Bucs 2
November 8th, 2025 at 10:11 am
The Cooters haven’t been around during the Bucs win streak. Can’t say they have been missed.
November 8th, 2025 at 10:13 am
Cooter, it is going to be in the 30s Monday night so you might get cold in your grandma’s basement. Space heaters are on sale at Lowe’s.
November 8th, 2025 at 10:33 am
There is a video of Yaya working with Simeon Rice. It is fantastic, and it seems like he is learning a lot. Look it up if you haven’t seen it.
November 8th, 2025 at 10:37 am
bspn
November 8th, 2025 at 10:40 am
Yaya has had a presence all year. He looks 10 fold better than last year. Faster and deliberate. Hope when he starts breaking out, it allows Braswell (if he gets snaps) to get less attention on the other side and breakthrough.
His sacks are coming!
Go Bucs, make a statement this next month.
November 8th, 2025 at 10:40 am
No basements in Florida.
November 8th, 2025 at 10:46 am
Nationally Televised game!! I get to actually watch from my comfy living room here in Denver! Of course we gotta win or I catch a lot of flack from my office buddies.
November 8th, 2025 at 10:50 am
Joe, obviously you are correct about the lack of basements in Florida homes. Perhaps I should have said grandma’s gardening shed.
November 8th, 2025 at 10:51 am
Hey I am in section 212 club!. Hopefully Ya Ya has a big day!!. The defense needs to have a big day to win. The offense is lacking so many weapons!!. If we get Godeke and Haggard back, hopefully the O line plays well gonna need to keep Baker upright!! Joe is right no basements in FL unless you are in a submarine
November 8th, 2025 at 11:26 am
No basements in Florida? 1. Google is your friend. 2. I live in Florida 33 miles West of Tallahassee. I have one.
November 8th, 2025 at 11:55 am
Basements are rare in FL but there are a few, mostly up in the panhandle like DBS says or in places far inland and in the sandhills along the Lake Wales ridge. Google “Mount Dora Catacombs” and you will read a crazy story about 25 rich families in that town who built the largest private nuclear shelter in the US back in the early ’60s after reading “Alas Babylon”. It is essentially the biggest basement in FL. Also, Tampa Theater downtown on Franklin Street has a basement, some claim it is haunted and I have heard stories of tunnels running under some of the old buildings in Ybor, probably for hiding things in prohibition or so that wise-guys could make a quick escape from the coppers which implies that some of those old building could have basements too.
November 8th, 2025 at 11:57 am
The Woodshed
November 8th, 2025 at 11:59 am
I’m glad you can watch the game in Denver. I live on the east coast of Florida and am stuck with the Jags game. Ridiculous Orlando feed is Jags territory. Guess I’ll drag the ball and chain with me to Hooters. Very distracting watching there if you know what I mean, but I’ll try my best!
November 8th, 2025 at 12:15 pm
I’ve got him down for three whole tackles! Let’s go!
November 8th, 2025 at 12:29 pm
HE BETTER have ‘multiple’ SACKS. Not a bunch of ‘almost’ sacks. Same goes for the rest of the team… They’ve GOT TO get home. HE ‘LOVES-IT’ when you blitz him… He. Will. Carve. You. UPPPPP. The Bucs better show up in a big way, cause this “Maye kid” is the reeeeallll DEAL. He’s soooo smooth and on the money. It all looks really good. SUPER Talented. He’s lookin’ to be well on his way to being a Top-5 QB in the league now, VERY SOON. He is definitely, way ahead of schedule. Kraft was so smart not to mess around, by getting him the ‘right’ coach in there FAST, and not to screw him up!!!! I can see what everyone was talking about pre-draft, concerning the amount of raw talent that is there… Looks-like, it has now been UNLEASHED.
November 8th, 2025 at 12:47 pm
Now, let’s get to watching some college football for about the next 12+HOURS. USF crushed-it Thursday night, and Tulane had a HUGE WIN in Memphis last night, setting up another MONSTER Showdown for USF. That game coverage on FOX for the Northwestern at USC game last night, was absolutely HORRIBLE. I mean, everything about it. You seriously, could not even HEAR the USC Band and the game was AT USC. It was SO BAD that I even questioned IF the USC Band was even AT the game!? Seriously, I was just running-it through my mind… Is it BECAUSE it’s on a Friday Night, or what!? I mean, THAT is the greatest etching about watching a USC game to begin with (and of course the USC cheerleaders in those sweaters)… Is hearing THAT BAND as they are driving down the field. And, FOX doesn’t have microphones ON IT!? Absurd. And, for the announcers (this will be everywhere today, I’m sure)… They just went ‘onnnn andddd onnnn’ FOREVER, about this punter throwing a pass on a fake punt, BUT it wasn’t the actual punter at all. It was the backup QB. Another one of those Huard’s, which the lead announcer, happened to work with his Dad up in the booth, forrrr YEARS. Embarrassing. And, it just showed how unprepared they were to begin with, for this game… A pretty damn ‘big-one’ too!!!! There was just sooo many other ‘little-things’ too. It was awful. But, I don’t know HOW you don’t at least have ONE microphone on the USC BAND tho!? It was all ridiculous.
November 8th, 2025 at 12:57 pm
It seriously, took them at least another 20-30 MINUTES, before finally figuring out that it was NOT the actual Punter. Through multiple commercial breaks and everything. I mean, they (RGIII) literally broke-down his fundamentals and throwing motion, in SLOW MOTION… Saying that someone should look at recruiting him to be their QB for another team LoL. Embarrassing. They went on and one about forever, showing at least 4-5 replays, AND 4-5 ‘zoom-ins’ of him on the sidelines. It was unbelievable.
November 8th, 2025 at 1:51 pm
Let’s go Yaya – double digits this year bro!
Let’s go Bucs – beat the Pats!
November 8th, 2025 at 2:05 pm
Ya Ya is 11th in pass rush win rate and 3rd in run stop win rate. He’s come on strong the last few games and seems to be getting better.
Diaby’s overall performance half way through the 2025 season (even including the ‘slow’ start) is very close to Parsons, Garrett, Crosby, Hendrickson – guys who are all making $25>40M per year….
Bucs would probably be wise to sign him to a long term deal next offseason – prior to the 4th year of his rookie contract in order to same some $ in the long run….
November 8th, 2025 at 2:30 pm
Cooter turtle has gone back to grandma’s golf course pond!
November 8th, 2025 at 2:35 pm
Yes Yaya is becoming a Beast.
Just stacking good rep after good every weak now.
Diaby’s play against the run is as good or better than any OLB in the NFL.
His consistent ability to set the edge provides containment that this defense counts on.
Watch the tape this year when Yaya is playing the run or rushing the passer (mostly on the right edge) very rarely does a RB or QB break outside. I would bet the few times that a rush or scramble broke out to the right side Yaya’s assignment on that play would have been either a stunt inside or a drop in coverage.
Yes agreed extend him.
Go Bucs
November 8th, 2025 at 4:38 pm
Also of interest is that Elijah Roberts is 13th among all DTs in pass rush win rate.
November 8th, 2025 at 5:22 pm
yaya is too nice he needs to get mean!!!
November 8th, 2025 at 6:54 pm
My prediction: Bucs 20 Patriots 17. This is realistic.
Diaby is coming on. Why not 3 sacks?
Go Bucs!!
November 8th, 2025 at 7:18 pm
I feel the same way about Diaby having a big day. If the Pats don’t use a 12-package to help out with Diaby or Nelson, look out. Vita Vea will feast if they can’t consistently double him. Man, I wish Kancey was back.
November 8th, 2025 at 8:00 pm
Why is it assumed Cooter lives in Florida. Just because he says he’ll be at the game doesn’t mean he lives in Florida. Maybe Granny fronted him some dough to make the trip for the game.
November 8th, 2025 at 10:16 pm
“Joe Says:
November 8th, 2025 at 10:40 am
might get cold in your grandma’s basement
No basements in Florida.”
Normally I’d agree with y’all on this, but my friend in Seminole on 139th Ln had a basement, and it was a palace. His dad was a general contractor and had it specially made.
November 9th, 2025 at 8:25 am
1.Nobody gives a spit about basements.
2. We care even less about the USC band.
3. Thank you for your attention to this message.
LFG BUCS!
November 9th, 2025 at 8:49 am
I feel that Reddick is gonna have a huge game for us today…oh wait…never mind