NFL Sacks-Allowed Data Can Be Deceiving
July 18th, 2026
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The NFL has shared sacks-allowed stats for the Buccaneers.
Teams don’t like to share negative stats. Drops and missed tackles, among other negative stats, aren’t part of a box score or stats pages on NFL.com. The league prefers not to formalize those kinds of numbers.
Joe assumes it’s part of an agreement with the NFL players union, or it’s an effort to spin everything to help fans lean positive.
However, within a recent Buccaneers season video preview on the NFL YouTube channel, sacks-allowed numbers were shared.
They’re in the NFL screenshot below:
Zero sacks by Luke Goedeke in 11 games looks amazing! But it doesn’t mean he was a perfect pass blocker. For example, sometimes a Goedeke fail leads to a sack made by a guy being blocked by Graham Barton or Tristan Wirfs. The opposite can be true and sometimes a sack is/was simply Baker Mayfield holding the ball too damn long.
Perhaps that’s another reason these kinds of stats rarely are highlighted. They can be deceiving.
Backup guard Dan Feeney earned the nickname “Dangerous Dan” from Joe for a reason. Too often his work got Mayfield hit. Michael Jordan? There’s a reason he has no job at 28 years old in a league starved for offensive line depth.
Those guys combined to start 19 games! Did they only lead to a combined eight sacks, per the graphic. Joe will take the over on that.
The health of the Buccaners offensive line very much will determine the success of the 2026 season, Joe believes.
And some of that is just about resources. The Bucs have four premium draft picks on that O-line. No team wins when four premium picks have down years like those linemen did last year.
July 18th, 2026 at 8:46 pm
“Michael Jordan? There’s a reason he has no job at 28 years old in a league starved for offensive line depth.”
And Dan Feeney would likely be in the same boat if Gas Licht hadn’t inexplicably re-signed him. It’s beyond me how he watched that guy first hand all year and decided he was the best option of all FA linemen to choose from.
July 18th, 2026 at 8:46 pm
Tristan Wirfs was NOT playing his best. Guess that procedure messed him up big time.
Hopefully is was just a bleep.
Go Bucs
July 18th, 2026 at 8:58 pm
Wins. The only stat that matters.
BTW, if Licht does not sign Baker, and he leaves, then he will take a lot of ceasp for losing Evans this year and Baker next year.
Not a good look.
July 18th, 2026 at 9:04 pm
Is anyone else alarmed that Tristan Wirfs allowed 5.5 sacks in only 12 games last year?
On the other hand, our regular 5 OLine starters played in 63 total games among them; divided by 5 players that about 12.5 games average. Those 5 players gave up 12.5 sacks last season … what would have been an average of 1 sack per game. I’d say that’s pretty danged good. Just hopin & prayin that they all stay healthy this year.
July 18th, 2026 at 9:11 pm
I’d wager that Baker holds the ball too long quite a bit actually.
He runs around in the pocket too much trying to make something happen.
Yes, it works sometimes. But sacks are a drive killer.
Looking forward to having conversations without so many if’s, should’s, and maybe’s.
This is a huge year for many parties involved.
July 18th, 2026 at 9:26 pm
DR. Our lineman- the five- wirfs 12 games, goedecke 11 games- Bredeson 11 games- Mauch- 2 games – Barton 17 games.
I came up with 53, not 63. I can’t help it- I’m a numbers man.
July 18th, 2026 at 9:30 pm
And those OLine stats are barely useable. I think Wirfs played extremely well- and Goedecke left plenty to be desired. I don’t know what these guys are watching.
July 18th, 2026 at 11:53 pm
You keep saying that Michael Jordan has no job at 28 in all these articles. If you are going to put down someone at least try to be accurate. He was picked up by the Eagles this year.
July 18th, 2026 at 11:55 pm
Mayfield’s new contract salary should read $1 million per sack and double that if you get sacked less than 30 times this season.
July 19th, 2026 at 1:49 am
Goedeke looks like the best OLine player last year based on those stats….
Yet I distinctly remember mister melon head getting SIX penalties in ONE game