No Pass Rush From Defensive Line (And Outside Linebackers) Set Up Deshaun Watson Success
September 22nd, 2026
Begging for sacks.
Some day, 10, 15, 20 years from now, Joe hopes whomever convinced KitKat-eating Bucs coach Todd Bowles that a pass rush is a secondary priority for a defense calls Bowles and apologizes for sending him into forced retirement.
That’s where this season seems to be headed barring a significant and quick turnaround.
Joe wants to go absolutely wild about the irresponsible pass rush development — or lack of a pass rush development — by this coaching staff. Why hasn’t Joe done that? Because Joe’s been conditioned over the years not to expect a pass rush!
The saga of the Bucs’ edge rush is like romance novels. The only things that change are the dates and the names. The results are the same, novel after novel, or in the case of the Bucs’ edge rush, year after year.
Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, Chris Braswell, Rueben Bain (for now) are the biggest names. And then there is YaYa Diaby, who is looking for his first sack of the season and is still trying to match his career high-water mark set as a rookie (7.5).
It doesn’t matter what the guy’s name is.
You may as well have a mailbox on the field or a lawn chair and often those items can rush the passer better than whomever the Bucs line up.
Only the Bucs defense would bend over for a horrible quarterback like Deshaun Watson. But former NFL scout-turned-media celebrity Daniel Jeremiah, speaking on his podcast “Move the Sticks,” says there was one major reason Watson had so much success Sunday.
When Watson can stand in the pocket with little to no traffic, Jeremiah says Watson still has enough skills to produce.
And when a team faces the Bucs, it knows its quarterback will have plenty of time to throw. Hell, they could order an Uber Eats and still not worry about getting their jersey dirty facing the Bucs.
Jeremiah’s producer, Jack Foster, had a very telling stat. The Bucs are 2-9 in their last 11 games (dangerously close to Raheem Morris territory). In that span, the Bucs have 15 sacks — tied for the lowest in the NFL with the 49ers.
However, when the Bucs last year jumped out to a 6-2 mark, the Bucs had 25 sacks in those eight games.
As Jeremiah put it, if the Bucs had any sort of decent pass rush, they could have tied Watson in knots. But who needs a pass rush when you can craft an “exotic” blitz that won’t get home?
September 22nd, 2026 at 7:08 am
Where is our 30 million dollar NT???
September 22nd, 2026 at 7:13 am
Might as well play all corners with no pass rush
September 22nd, 2026 at 7:14 am
The Cleveland Browns had 297 total yards of offense
They ran 55 plays for 297 yards, that’s not succeeding in my book
The lack of offense by the Bucs allowed Deshaun Watson to win
The Bucs offense
4 FGs, 4 Punts, One INT, One Turnover on Possession
And this against a team that recently TRADED the DPOY
That’s why Deshaun Watson looked good
Because the QB he was playing against was Hot Garbage
September 22nd, 2026 at 7:16 am
Falcons were able to get production from Jalon Walker and James Pearce last year under Rah, yet Bowles will get bupkis out of his first round edge rusher, Mr Bain, of course Rah did not have his edge rushers dropping into pass coverage either. Walker is out for the year but Pearce will be back from his suspension to get multiple sacks both times the Bucs play the ATL with a top 3 draft pick possibly going to the loser. Being a Bucs fan, I know the Bucs will win just enough games to miss out on the generational talent in the draft, like getting Broderick Thomas instead of Barry Sanders, Neon Deion or Derrick Thomas or getting Gaines Adams instead of Megatron or Joe Thomas, its a Bucs life, 5 and 12 coming baby!
September 22nd, 2026 at 7:16 am
Yeah. No kidding.
Exact quotes from my post this spring.” This team can’t rush the passer. Now, they are going to count on a Rookie. That’s a plan to fail. Rookie DLinemen typically take a year or two to develop.”
And failure is what we have.
Blame whoever you want. But the problem is clear as crystal.
We cannot pass protect. We cannot pass rush.
That was obvious a year ago
We have an unimaginably bad OC. A terrible head Coach, who is also a miserable DC. We have a Bad GM, who hasn’t build a pass rush or a OLine in 54 years. And team depth is sooo weak.
I knew last year. Evans knew, and got outta Dodge. Mayfield was planning to leave, imo, but team Glazer threw too much money at him to resist.
Bet he regrets it now. This line will get him hurt. This team will fail him, and make him look like trash.
It’s gonna be a loooong season.
September 22nd, 2026 at 7:20 am
And Kam Johnson returned the kickoff 48 yards to set the Bucs up for the win.
What did they do on offense during this clutch moment?
They went on a 10 play, 32 yard drive ….yes this is no misprint
A 10 play 31 yards drive to end the game
And this was after the officials gifted them over 2 hours to game plan for 28 yards to win it
And they blew it
They blew it, because they are a overrated, pathetic offense
September 22nd, 2026 at 7:28 am
* In 4 years.
September 22nd, 2026 at 7:34 am
@NC, Vita was nowhere to be seen on the Browns go ahead TD. Not to mention it was a 3rd & 2. Seriously where the hell was/is Vita?
September 22nd, 2026 at 7:34 am
Gruden
September 22nd, 2026 at 7:37 am
Yes, I said it. Kancey and Bain are going to be a bust.
September 22nd, 2026 at 7:38 am
This whole organization is one big joke. Pathetic excuse of an nfl team. The fact that the glazers kept Todd because the really like him is asinine. Hows that working for you glazers? Not working for the fans.
September 22nd, 2026 at 7:39 am
All you need to know, every defensive player has regressed in Todd’s system! Just about every D player that was drafted here was better in their first couple yrs. before they were brainwashed by this terrible Bowles system! When’s the last time AW has made a play? Last yr. second or third game against NO, that’s way too long.
September 22nd, 2026 at 7:40 am
To be fair, Bowles is working with the players he was handed by Jason Licht.
Also to be fair, Bowles is very good when he has a guiding hand (think Bruce Arians) who can look over his shoulder and remind him of what works and what does not. He is not good when he has to serve as his own counsel.
September 22nd, 2026 at 7:42 am
Lakeland: Watson looked good because Baker, with whom he never would nor could share the field, looked bad? OK, sure thing. Maybe Baker looked bad because the Rams played great the day after. Whatever.
September 22nd, 2026 at 7:42 am
Deshaun Watson had so much time in the pocket he qualified for a Florida homestead exemption.
Great job, coaches!
September 22nd, 2026 at 7:45 am
Our edge rushers spend so much time “almost” getting there, they should be sponsored by the failed Spirit Airlines.
September 22nd, 2026 at 7:48 am
IMO….Bowles is a former secondary player (safety) and his entire philosophy is built around that perspective. Everything he does attempts to spotlight the safeties. He’ll never develop a pass rush because its not his focal point and like a lot of schemes, teams eventually figure out the weakness which is what I believe we are seeing.
Frankly i think teams have long figured out Bowles however if facing a consistent/efficient offense, Bowles could get away with his scheme because the offense forced the opponents hand to be pass happy in order to keep pace. Now the offense isn’t putting up 25+ points per game and the defense is exposed for what it is….incapable.
September 22nd, 2026 at 7:55 am
Next coach needs to be a defensive minded coach.
September 22nd, 2026 at 7:55 am
Lakeland, you don’t like Mayfield we get it he’s not playing well. Give it a break! This entire team from top to bottom isn’t playing well. Not one single team captain on either side of the ball has done ANYTHING!
NO sense of urgency, No passion, No direction.
This team more than anything is lacking leadership on and off the field!
September 22nd, 2026 at 8:03 am
Defense is smoke and mirrors. I guess Bain’s arms really are too short and Zyon appears bored. Like the time the WR ran right in front of him and he just stood there and watched him get a reception for a first down. The guy is flat footed, didn’t even touch the WR. What type of coach puts up with this BS?
Nothing has changed on defense from last season.
September 22nd, 2026 at 8:13 am
do not give Ya Ya a huge contract they were talking about 20-25 million per year. He is a 5-million-dollar backup DE at best…
September 22nd, 2026 at 8:14 am
The worst QB on the field Sunday was not Watson. BM played just like the acronym suggests, SHeeT!!!!!
September 22nd, 2026 at 8:15 am
David Walker needs to be playing 30 snaps- period.
September 22nd, 2026 at 8:18 am
So disappointing this season already is, what a complete meltdown. Glazers should have done this change back in January 2026. Glazers please Bring Jon Gruden back as HC.
2027 Bucs HC Jon Gruden?
new young OC?
2027 Bucs DC-Rod Marinelli
2027 Bucs DL Coach- Jason Taylor or Warren Sapp??
September 22nd, 2026 at 8:37 am
When Todd is at home and sitting-up late at night, like a mad ‘defensive’ scientist, and moving his chess pieces around his personal ‘defensive’ chessboard… He is doing so, without one very important piece being involved in his brilliant ‘defensive’ equation. And, that would be the ‘unpredictability’ of REALITY. In his mind, he is basing his calculations on the other team doing exactly what HE ‘thinks’ they will do in any given situation, and without making ANY adjustments of their own, on that particular day. While, also assuming that his own team along with EVERY single player (from BOTH teams), are all in the exact same spots on the field, at that exact point in time, based from HIS ‘predictions’ of where EVERYONE should just happen to be. It’s all one HUGE mind-frgg… He’s stuck inside of his own head, it’s not even close to being in REALITY. Everyone else is playing 4D chess in this new-age modern-day NFL… And, Todd just ‘thinks’ HE IS. But, HE’s NOT. He’s too STUCK inside of his own head, to even realize that his OWN TEAM, both offensively AND defensively, are NOT playing freely… They are NOT having FUN. Then, during the postgame press conferences, he’s always like, “the tape said they wouldn’t do that, or the numbers said that they liked doing this or that…” Well, NOT TODAY, they sure didn’t… “COACH.” And, it’s entirely IRRELEVANT what they did LAST WEEK… Since, that particular game-plan was entirely schemed with a completely ‘different’ opponent in mind. Annnnddd, THEY just too what THAT TEAM was giving THEM. Just exactly like they are to “you” RIGHT NOW. But, YOU are still consistent on NOT making the necessary adjustments, and immediately changing things up on the fly. HE CAN’T DO IT. You have to impose YOUR WILL, and MAKE THEM do what it is that YOU WANT THEM TO DO. Instead of being totally ‘reactionary’ based off of WHAT THEY DO. Especially, when you are at a TALENT disadvantage… And, THEY ARE against MOST opponents. It just is what it is. You have to do a lot of different things, take RISKS, using a lot of “smoke and mirrors,” while constantly changing it up. YOU have to be UNPREDICTABLE.
September 22nd, 2026 at 8:38 am
“Where is our 30 million dollar NT???”
36 snaps, 2 tackles. Awesome.
Can the Glazers hold out on his next paycheck? Why is holding out a one-way street?
September 22nd, 2026 at 8:49 am
Goid stat about wins and dacks
September 22nd, 2026 at 8:54 am
Kyler Murray absolutely stinks. But he will torch this defense Sunday and look like MVP Lamar Jackson. Mark my words.
September 22nd, 2026 at 9:14 am
@ FortMyersDave Says: “Falcons were able to get production from Jalon Walker and James Pearce”
Both of those guys are “FREAK” ATHLETES. Pearce was an easy Top-5 TALENT, had he not been a psychopath OFF the field. Jalon Walker too, if ‘traditional type’ Linebackers were valued as highly as other positions… Shoulda been (if he can stay healthy). He’s more of a hybrid, but ‘inside’ (eventually the Mike, even) is really what HE IS… A LEADER. And, a #1 Class-A PERSON. “Butkus Award” WINNER, while at Georgia. Was ‘Runner-Up’ for the HS Butkus. North Carolina Gatorade Player of the Year. 4.0 student. 4.4/40. “Son of a coach” (which I love). 5-star RECRUIT. Track and basketball star in HS. Theatre actor. Singer in his church choir, and was the ‘spokesperson’ for THE SEC during his final season in Athens… Was ‘the voice’ behind a lot of those SEC commercials. A frequent guest on PAWL Finebaum, and HE WAS SOOOO IMPRESSIVE, every single time he was on there, and in every single way! I saw them ALL. His ONLY problem is being able to stay HEALTHY.
September 22nd, 2026 at 9:24 am
@ FortMyersDave – Another thing about Jalon Walker… He was injured during the pre draft, and then was dealing with other minor injuries during his rookie season. He mostly played through them all, BUT they definitely affected him. He still put up decent numbers, especially for a ROOKIE. But, he could’ve been A LOT BETTER. Hate it for him about having to miss this season. He’s is such a GREAT LEADER. I really wanted HIM BAD to be the one, who replaced Lavonte, and to get to play at least a season with him.
September 22nd, 2026 at 9:42 am
Also, just last week PAWL interviewed the new freshman starting-QB there, at Mississippi State… VERY interesting interview. SO RAW. I wanna SEE MORE of this kid. A LOT MORE.
September 22nd, 2026 at 9:44 am
Please young fans STOP WITH THE BRING BACK GRUDEN!!!!!!!
The only time I liked him was in 2002!!!! He is as stubborn as Todd!
You are asking for history to repeat itself. And I’m not talking about another Super Bowl.
Young Bucs fans ask older Bucs fans about him. Or go ahead let Gemini get you up to date. Ask Gemini Bucs yearly record while coached by GRUDEN
More of the same young Bucs fans.
September 22nd, 2026 at 10:08 am
@3-28 PREACH BROTHER. Let’s hire the guy who has been out of coaching for a decade, that will surely get us that SB chip… /sarcasm
September 22nd, 2026 at 10:28 am
They have 4-3 personnel but won’t play that way. It gives them a 3-4 DE who is only 6’ tall and outside linebackers who are much better suited up on the line. Baffling. Mix in a soft zone on every third down and it is just terrible. Bowles won’t change.
They could have brought in Schwartz as DC if Bowles were more interested in winning than massaging his ego.
September 22nd, 2026 at 10:38 am
Evidently, those who quit on Bowels last year remain quit this year. But Bowels doesn’t have the stones to bench the perpetrators. I know, I know. Who are you going to replace them with, right? Someone who really wants to compete, that’s who.
It was Raheem Morris who said “I will tolerate you until I can replace you.” How did that work out? I’ll tell you how. The 2011 season ended with 10 consecutive losses by an average margin of 17 points. Joe’s “Raheem Morris territory”.
September 22nd, 2026 at 10:40 am
Give Walker 36 snaps and Bain 9.
Bain could probably still manage 0 sacks with only 9 attempts.
September 22nd, 2026 at 10:58 am
Why don’t they hire an experienced, proven pass rusher to coach these guys? Whoever is teaching them now is failing miserably!
September 22nd, 2026 at 11:06 am
Only our guru HC\DC can turn the Miami mauler into a cardboard cutout.
Nothing changes until he’s gone. It will seem like magic.
And Joe will never be able to place his finger on the reason for the turnaround.
Sort of like why Evans left for higher taxes and a pay cut.
It’s a mystery! 🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡
September 22nd, 2026 at 11:19 am
Joe, I didn’t know you read romance novels. Learn something new every day!
September 22nd, 2026 at 12:04 pm
This team has no leadership. Vea gets 30 mil he has 2 tackles in 2 games 0 sacks. Upper management and ownership doesn’t see the problem.
September 22nd, 2026 at 12:52 pm
NFL offenses figured out how to neutralize Todd Bowles’ attack schemes & personnel packages a long time ago. That’s why the Bucs only have 15 sacks in the last 11 games.
I’m convinced that our biggest problem is inadequate penetration from the DLine interior, and that’s caused by too little beef on the field. Bowles used Scott as a Nickel on 80 of the 122 def snaps in these first 2 games (roughly 65% or about 2/3rds of the def plays). To ‘pay’ for that 5th man in the Secondary, he only uses 2 DLinemen, plus the 2 ILBs & 2 OLBs. Sorry, but 2 DLinemen results in inadequate penetration by the interior DLine. The OLBs, when they do pass rush, haven’t done diddly in terms of sacks.
The beast on the DLine has been A’Shawn Robinson … 1 sack, 2 QB hits, 1 TFL, 10 tackles (5 solo) in these first 2 games. Kancey has yet to impress me (I think I’d rather see Elijah Roberts get more snaps).
Most of all though, Bowles needs to go with THREE big guys in the DLine on most defensive plays, with the goal of collapsing the center of the OLine and pushing it back quickly into the QB’s lap. As that happens, turn the 2 OLBs loose to pass rush. That provides 5 pass rushers and leaves 6 defenders to provide coverage (preferably more aggressive man-to-man instead of 10 yds off).
September 22nd, 2026 at 1:35 pm
Well said defense rules! I concur we need to have more penetration up the middle. But what do we know?
September 22nd, 2026 at 3:17 pm
Todd will frequently drop edge rushers into coverage to keep them passive until he is fired. It goes against human mentality to keep dropping back when your job is to go forward.!
September 22nd, 2026 at 4:37 pm
Yaya is the one guy I saw getting pressure, along with that one time Walker was out there.
Last week Burrow was instantly getting rid of the ball, so there wasn’t much to take from that. This week, I thought early in the game that the Bucs were getting decent pressure, but seemed to get tired as the afternoon went along.
Maybe tear down the Glazer shed, stop using that as a crutch, and get guys into game shape instead of letting them hide in the air conditioned tent.
September 22nd, 2026 at 4:38 pm
That’s what really irks me. You watch other teams with allegedly not the talent the Bucs have on the defensive line and they are penetrating, twisting, turning, scratching and clawing trying to get to the QB. You watch the Bucs and they just seem to run into the O-linemen and if he doesn’t have a massive heart attack and fall over we don’t get to the QB. You know the guys we have are better than that. Why can’t they act like their lives depended on getting to the QB?
September 22nd, 2026 at 4:51 pm
Gruden could be a temporary solution! He studies this team. He knows what each player does well and would use that info. Plus he can game plan too!! Of course he would need a defensive coordinator. He would hold players accountable for their production or lack there of. Just sayin’. A possible temporary solution. Anything almost, would be better than Todd Bowles.
September 22nd, 2026 at 5:02 pm
Bring in Gruden and Jim Schwartz! We could turn this ship around! Go Bucs!
September 22nd, 2026 at 5:49 pm
No one want to coach the YUCS
They were revelant with Ton Brady
They sucks without Tom Brady
It’s back to the bottom of the barrel for them