Puzzling Edge Rusher Usage
September 15th, 2026
So the Bucs had a miserable edge rush on Sunday in Cincinnati.
Perhaps it’s because their secret weapon got no snaps.
After all the David Walker hype from the Bucs’ front office and coaching staff, the second-year edge rusher finally got healthy this summer and had a very strong August. But he didn’t play defense on Sunday.
Zero snaps.
At edge rusher, Rueben Bain played 64 percent of the snaps. YaYa Diaby played 62 percent, his lowest snap percentage since 2024 (why?). Al-Quadin Muhammad got 41 percent and Anthony Nelson was at 36.
The Bucs couldn’t find one series for Walker. Odd. He looked very active on special teams, where he had one tackle and was in on another.
Joe assumes Todd Bowles doesn’t trust Walker against the run, which makes him unworthy of the field.
September 15th, 2026 at 6:40 am
Get rid of the Fckng head coach already
September 15th, 2026 at 6:44 am
Agree with Joe. He definitely needs to work on stopping the run, but very surprised he didn’t get a couple of snaps on obvious pass downs.
September 15th, 2026 at 6:44 am
Would it even matter. The guys not good. Period. I never heard we are bringing Warren sapp along or we are trying to find the right time to use him.
No he was so talented they had to have him on the field. Stop making excuses for average nfl .players
Diaby is very average. He never pops.
Hold opinion on bain. Until week 12 but it doesn’t look special after week one
This walker guy didn’t even flash in preseason against accountants.
September 15th, 2026 at 6:57 am
Itzok as John prine once said; ‘you are what you are, and you ain’t what you ain’t’.
And that’s where the head coach must come in with blitzes and adjustments because the talent or lack thereof, is what it is.
If …ifs and buts,we’re candies and nuts, we would all always be having a very merry Christmas man! Go Bucs… week 2!
September 15th, 2026 at 7:04 am
Negative people get negative results.
September 15th, 2026 at 7:15 am
Bowels is LOST unless he has superior athletes against bad teams under the perfect circumstances.
I have zero confidence in TB !
September 15th, 2026 at 7:20 am
Joe, bring back the Todd Bowles confidence poll.
September 15th, 2026 at 7:20 am
Bowles still doing Bowles things. Go watch the tape he is doing the same thing as last year and the year before that where he drops these edge rushers in pass coverage way to often. Rushers are supposed to rush the passer not play Defensive back.
September 15th, 2026 at 7:40 am
Come on now. Easy on the coach. He is not going to reveal his masterpiece in one game.
Once Baker started playing Santa the game was lost. No need to reveal more of it.
September 15th, 2026 at 7:43 am
Just like we have seen for years now the pass rush was nowhere to be found.
Burrow did not get pressured more than a handful of times.
I was actually surprised about the secondary and the DBs i thought they played quite good.
Its one game I will not over react although we saw some of the same glaring issues in Defense again.
But if we make Watson look like a Probowler on Sunday and Wentz at week 3 then Im sorry but I wont be bothered anymore and expect things to be different.
September 15th, 2026 at 7:43 am
Todd is fixing last years injury problems by keeping them in the bench more. He is right. Don’t you think?
Tomlin for 2027!!!!!
September 15th, 2026 at 7:53 am
It wasn’t just the edge rusher usage that was puzzling Joe, it was the whole DLine. When you look at the def snaps versus each player’s ‘productivity’, you have to come away shaking your head.
o Vea: 44 snaps (69%) … 0 tackle, 0 TFL, 0 sack, 1 QB hit
o Kancey: 40 snaps (62%) … 0 tackle, 0 TFL, 0 sack, 1 QB hit
o Robinson: 32 snaps (50%) … 5 tackle (3 solo), 0 TFL, 0 sack, 1 QB hit
o RNR: 16 snaps (25%) … 1 tackle, 0 TFL, 0 sack, 0 QB hit
o Roberts: 16 snaps (25%) … 0 tackle, 0 TFL, 0 sack, 0 QB hit
Capehart & Simmons didn’t play (probably didn’t dress even). Other than A’Shawn’s productivity, Vea, Kancey, RNR & Roberts contributed very very little it looks like (as in 1 tackle (assist) for the 4 of them). And yet, Cincy ran 27 times. Hmmm.
Our OLBs were actually more productive.
o Bain: 41 snaps (64%) … 1 tackle, 0 TFL, 0 sack, 0 QB hit
o Diaby: 40 snaps (62%) … 1 tackle, 1 TFL, 0 sack, 0 QB hit
o Muhammad: 26 snaps (41%) … 1 tackle, 0 TFL, 0 sack, 2 QB hit
o Nelson: 23 snaps (36%) … 2 tackle, 0 TFL, 0 sack, 0 QB hit
And like you said Joe, Walker got 0 def snaps, but he did get 15 S/T snaps and got 1 tackle. Interestingly, our rookie Keionte Scott got 47 def snaps (73%), I guess meaning that we were in Nickel on almost three-quarters of our plays. To ‘pay for’ using a Nickel for the majority of the game, Todd cuts down on the number of DLinemen (3 to 2). Scott’s contribution: he did make 4 solo tackles, but also missed at least 2 others that proved to be critical.
September 15th, 2026 at 8:08 am
Trust in the defensive genius and the best GM ever at selecting edge.
September 15th, 2026 at 8:17 am
Bucs fans and all of this imaginary talent they see on this roster
I guess David Walker is another Simeon Rice in the imaginary world
😂 😂
September 15th, 2026 at 8:19 am
Doesn’t trust him against the run or he can’t cover? Ya know… “other things”
September 15th, 2026 at 8:33 am
“Vea: 44 snaps (69%) … 0 tackle, 0 TFL, 0 sack, 1 QB hit”
$6M raise for that? Last time I checked, a business pays you to work today. For those who said Vea doesn’t need to earn it, I ask – What does a business get if it makes a monetary tribute for work done many moons ago? Good feelings? Smiles and laughs? A plaque on the outside of the fan club building? Real useful for winning games today.
I expect more, especially from a guy who did the team dirty with public antics.
September 15th, 2026 at 8:34 am
Defense played better than last year but because they weren’t perfect it’s Bowles fault. These are the same folks who blame Bowles for bakers 3 fumbles , buckys fumble , gas prices so high and global warming. Y’all real smart. 🤡
September 15th, 2026 at 8:36 am
Walker looked like he had 3 or 4 tackles on special teams. I was impressed that he seemed to be in frame on every return.
September 15th, 2026 at 8:42 am
MISERABLE HEAD COACH equals MISERABLE results
September 15th, 2026 at 8:48 am
And these same clueless so-called fans was begging for Jack Pyburn
He didn’t even dressed out last night, l doubt if he dress out this season
This has got to be the most clueless fanbase in all of sports
September 15th, 2026 at 8:49 am
Puzzling???? What exactly has you puzzled at this point???? Are you blind???
It’s Todd Bowles!!!!! His Swiss cheese wide open soft as butter scheme!!!!
We have a HC that sucks out loud. And his DC is clueless how to run a defense.
Unfortunately they’re the same person!!!!! Might as well fire Robinson and make Bowles the HC\DC\OC.
Just think of the savings in salary the Glazer kids could save!!!!! 🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡
September 15th, 2026 at 9:07 am
The problem is how the talent is used, not the talent itself. If you ask a fish to fly or a bird to swim, it’s not going to turn out too well.
Let the pass rushers rush the passer. Let the big guys in the middle play the run and force the backs to the outside, where the linebackers can clean up. Let the defensive ends rush the passer and don’t worry about screens or the run because the scheme is designed for the linebackers to clean that stuff up.
Oh wait, we should be running a 4-3 with our current personnel, and that’s the problem: it’s Todd Bowles’ pride and refusal to do things differently. Some people said it last year: he would have Myles Garrett and put him in coverage. He makes no sense.
His scheme is confusing and, quite frankly, it’s dumb. It makes no sense. Defense is about playing fast—no thinking, just reacting to what you have seen on tape. His scheme makes guys hesitate, and he who hesitates finishes last.
September 15th, 2026 at 9:07 am
David Walker😂I told you he was a nothing burger. Let’s chat again IF he Ever makes a tackle or dare I say sack???
NO MORE David Walker posts.
September 15th, 2026 at 9:09 am
Kancey: 40 snaps (62%) … 0 tackle, 0 TFL, 0 sack, 1 QB hit
most disappointed in CK94 performance!!!!…that stat line is embarrassing for a former 1st round pick who just had his 5th year option picked up….
what famous coach said, “dont tell me what he cant do, tell me what he can do”…..was that Parcell or Walsh?…..
if the kid is great at rushing the passer, turn him lose!!!!…line him up on the left then on the right…make him a pass rushing specialist…its not like we have a half dozen pass rushing guru’s on the defense…
how is Walker going to improve his run defense if he doesnt get the opportunity to do so in games?!?…..
its too early to call for any coaches head but bowles still is showing zero sense of urgency and he’s not putting the team or its players in the best position to win
GO BUCS!!!!!
September 15th, 2026 at 9:12 am
Josh
i agree
after last year, we shouldve hired a 43 DC(Jim Schwartz)
GO BUCS!!!!
September 15th, 2026 at 9:30 am
Dead last in the pressure rate last week… 21.6% ain’t gonna get it done Todd. I can’t fathom why he was given another year for his archaic defense to falther once again.