Night Of Many Sacks?
September 15th, 2025
Here come the Bucs!
If the Bucs game tonight plays out the way a notorious statgeek claims it will and the Bucs win, Joe might have to smoke a (tobacco) cigarette and take a cold shower.
Since Father Time caught up with Jason Pierre-Paul and an Achilles injury did in Bucs sacks king Shaq Barrett, Joe has been bellyaching for the Bucs to do something about their edge rush.
Joe would have to think long and hard for the last time a team won the Super Bowl without a decent edge rush. Chucky claims it cannot be done.
Virtually every half-arsed member of a Super Bowl-winning team either tries to find or develops a competent edge rush. But in these parts, folks think they can reinvent the wheel and win without an edge rush.
There is a reason why quality edge rushers are drafted high and proven edge rushers make a fortune. It’s such an important position.
Well, Seth Walder of BSPN, a guy who never met a number he didn’t like, thinks the Bucs’ edge rush is going to explode tonight in Houston. (That’s “explode,” not “implode.”)
Walder is convinced the Bucs will take advantage of injuries to the Texans’ offensive line and C.J. Stroud will be beaten to a pulp.
Bold prediction: Tampa Bay will sack Stroud six or more times. The combination of Bowles’ blitz-heavy defense (though it wasn’t particularly blitz-heavy last week), the Texans’ weak offensive line and — this part’s a guess — a Bucs lead should put Stroud under plenty of pressure.
Six sacks! This would be insane if it happened. The last time the Bucs had six sacks in a game was the great defense of 1999, led by Warren Sapp up front. Against the Eagles that season in Philadelphia the Bucs racked up six sacks.
If the Bucs get six sacks, that tells Joe both Haason Reddick and YaYa Diaby will go nuts tonight. Probably Vita Vea, too.
September 15th, 2025 at 7:20 am
Just score a lot of points. With a game under his belt Baker should be more accurate. with emeka they can’t double anyone. Should be a big passing nite.
September 15th, 2025 at 7:20 am
Bowles’ defense is your classic bend AND break defense. Stroud will be throwing short passes all night. Todd will have his DB’s in the “safe zone” That’s a 15 yard cushion, folks. Stroud throws for 350 and 3 TD’s. Houston’s D will injure Baker, more than likely. Best case scenario for the Bucs tonight is they lose the battle,
not the war. Once the Bucs are down by more than 10, and they will be, Bowles needs to pull all the starters he can.
September 15th, 2025 at 7:21 am
Never count your sacks till they hatch.
September 15th, 2025 at 7:23 am
No chance we get 6 – I’d snap your hand off if offered 3 lol. Prove me wrong Defence!!!
September 15th, 2025 at 7:25 am
Jeff, all due respect, where do you come up with this garbage? Go Bucs!!!
September 15th, 2025 at 7:29 am
I’d settle for 3!
September 15th, 2025 at 7:35 am
Razor, c’mon man. You know acknowledging their existence only feeds them more.
Anyway, one minor interesting aspect of this game is you have two fan bases probably asking the same thing. “Exactly how good are we?”
I guess we learn tonight.
September 15th, 2025 at 7:35 am
This reminds me of our last Super Bowl. Lets see how well we dominate a weaken Oline
LFG!!!!!
September 15th, 2025 at 7:36 am
What is with all of the stupid people on this site ?
September 15th, 2025 at 7:39 am
Why do I get a bad feeling our pass rush will be non-existent even with Houston’s depleted line? Not like a perceived Bucs advantage always turns out to be a HUGE disadvantage.
September 15th, 2025 at 7:42 am
I ain’t banking on sacks. This kid Stroud can move. And we have some DBs who are often out of frame. A few long completions and their confidence will be sky high.
They’ve got to crowd the WRs, plan for the backs (SVD’s pathetic performance last week is on tape), and not give up long drives.
September 15th, 2025 at 7:44 am
Loved to see many sacks, especially on their turf. Go Bucs!
September 15th, 2025 at 8:02 am
Bucs are notoriously bad in Prime time. So we shall see.
September 15th, 2025 at 8:09 am
Maybe the Bucs can break the prime time bad luck tonight. For Mike, being at his hometown and many family and friends there. Go Bucs!
September 15th, 2025 at 8:14 am
Not feeling great about this game. Given Bucs history in prime time and and frequently playing down to the level of our competition. We have all witnessed it.
Hopefully come out hitting hard and fast. Go Bucs!!
September 15th, 2025 at 8:24 am
Before making wild predictions like 6 sacks, you have to take into consideration the game plan on BOTH sides. Do you think the Texans don’t know they have issues with the Offensive line? Look for Chubb, Ogunbowale, and Dalton Schultz to receive the bulk of the work with quick, short dump-off passes. This is still an area where the Bucs need work. Without Godwin, the Texans will try to take Evans out of the game and force Irving, Eduka, and Otten to work the ball downfield. This will make it hard for the Bucs to get a big lead, keeping things close. Without a big lead and the Texans working the clock with short throws, there isn’t much of a chance of 6 sacks between both Monday night games.
September 15th, 2025 at 8:27 am
Jeff, your first sentence was amusing and close to being accurate. The rest of your post was as usual juvenile crapola. Grandad must be sleeping in as he hasn’t rapped your knuckles yet.
September 15th, 2025 at 8:28 am
I’d be happy with 3 or 4.
September 15th, 2025 at 8:49 am
Problem is the same prediction would be fairly accurate for Houston as well. They’ve got 2 of the best edge rushers in the game, and we’ve got leftover soup for an offensive line.
September 15th, 2025 at 8:51 am
Jeff Says:
September 15th, 2025 at 7:20 am
“Bowles’ defense is your classic bend AND break defense.”
Completely inaccurate.
‘Break’ infers that the players quit. They never quit.
September 15th, 2025 at 8:53 am
Sacks would be fun to watch…but It I’d rather we take the ball away from them for a change. Nothing deflates a team more than turnovers.
September 15th, 2025 at 8:54 am
Defense needs a dam statement game!!! Supposed to be what bowels is great at. Last 4 years multiple last second losses average QBs looking great against his defense it’s been maddening!! Don’t think he can get us to the superbowl sub 500 coach at best hope he proves me wrong but so far he has not.
September 15th, 2025 at 8:55 am
Also…a primetime win would be a nice change too.
September 15th, 2025 at 8:59 am
They D better get after it because the Houston defense is no joke and the Bucks offensive line is not in great shape right now
September 15th, 2025 at 9:08 am
I’ll believe when I see it
September 15th, 2025 at 9:13 am
Wish folks would go back & look at the stats from Houston’s first game against the Rams. Ya they lost 14-9, but their defense played well against the Rams. Houston’s offense actually won the TOP (31:25 to 28:35) but they lost the Turnover Battle 2-1 (very costly it turned out … Ogunbowale’s fumble on the Rams 24-yard line killed the potential winning drive).
Houston’s defense looks legit. Rams had only 57 plays in their 9 driv es, and the Texans forced them to punt 5 times. They gave up 2 TDs, but forced a fumble on another drive & the Rams last drive ran out the clock. I’m admittedly wary that it’s a Monday night game (not usually our best showings), it’s a night game (we’re not historically strong there) and we’re playing on their turf. I’m convinced we can beat them, but I’m also convinced that we can beat ourselves just as easily.
September 15th, 2025 at 9:16 am
I would feel a whole lot better if Wirfs was starting and our o-line was intact. Plus this is a prime time game and we alll know how well the Bucs do in prime time smh
September 15th, 2025 at 9:37 am
Is tonight the night Braswell earns that 2nd round nod? I hope so. Cuz the kids from Atlanta played like they are supposed to sack the QB. Braswell looks so unsure most of the time. We shall see! Go Bucs!
September 15th, 2025 at 9:41 am
Houston has advanced in the playoffs the last two years. Dang right they’re good. If we escape this opening road swing with 2 wins it won’t be smoke and mirrors. The night game anomaly, and Joe has been pushing it, even though I’ve pointed out Baker plays his best games in big games, is getting put to rest tonight. This team is fixing to make a statement. Don’t know if it’s tonight but I think it will be tonight.
September 15th, 2025 at 9:50 am
3 would be great!
September 15th, 2025 at 9:57 am
Give me a defensive score, you know something that directly boosts our win probability and counts on the scoreboard.
September 15th, 2025 at 10:05 am
Warren
We’d have to have DBs who could catch.
September 15th, 2025 at 10:13 am
I just want to see fundamantals, not only of football but of logic too.
Please when a blitz is called can the DBs not be 10 yds off?
Please can we see some contested catches or dare I say some pass breakups?
Go Bucs
September 15th, 2025 at 10:15 am
Remember the Titans !!! Rise to the challenge and everyone that you are Champions. And Mike would like to walk out of there with the W
September 15th, 2025 at 10:28 am
Is the Bucs D particularly bad in prime time, or is it just the offense?
September 15th, 2025 at 10:44 am
Under Bowles, the Bucs have been 2-0 every season. Let’s keep *that* streak going instead. 🙂
September 15th, 2025 at 11:13 am
For reference look at what Atlanta’s D-line just did to the Vikings… I don’t think our shifted line is as bad as people think. I know Houston D-line will be a problem but Baker and crew will be up to the task.
Kancey to me is the key to this whole night for sacks he went up against an all pro guard and wasn’t effective in his one on ones vs him. if he and Vita get that push up front the boys outside should be able to EAT!!!!
LFG!!!
September 15th, 2025 at 11:14 am
A lot of posters here think that the Bucs are favored I guess.
September 15th, 2025 at 11:16 am
Smith… put to rest in one night?.. it’s GOING TO take more than one game to do that…
We are Currently 1 and 7 Monday night losers. I’ll go with the positive vibe that you know yourself, you’re having to Dig Deep to convince Yourself much less the rest of us that want to stop the bleeding there. And I appreciate the “damn the torpedoes, we’re gonna Break that Curse!” attitude..
But the Actual Odds “seem” to be against us in a strangely Big Way before we even play the “Monday night” game.
However, the comments above concerning the “Bend and FAR to often breaks” defensive, “sort of” contain strategy as we ALLOW teams to March down the field with “minimal” stopping power as they Time after Time achieve First Downs without resistance from Bowles soft defensive idea of letting the opposing team control 85% of the field and THE ENTIRE CLOCK! Well there’s not much to say other than it’s A BAD STRATEGY! Because he allows the opponent far too much ease of movement and it just seems Obvious that to give over control of the clock is just a bit arrogant and just NOT a great idea.
The Reasons we have few interceptions is because Bowles defense strategy leaves very little room for that (interceptions) to actually happen…
Also you may have Noticed Just How Many “DROPS” we have… Doesn’t that seem ODD to you? Repeatedly our guys act as if they’re hands are made of rocks and Covered in butter, AND IT’S ALL OF THEM!.. Notice that? Well I’ll tell you why…
THEY ARE GUN SHY AND HAVE BEEN LITERALLY TAUGHT TO GIVE 10/15 yards of cushion AND TO NOT BE AGGRESSIVE! Bowles has their heads Screwed Up! He has them “somehow” believing it’s a “bad thing” to intercept the ball. They are simply CONFUSED….
What’s funny is Bowkes marching around declaring “I Want ballhawks!”
All these guys “WERE” press man, ballhawks BEFORE BOWLES SCREWED THEM UP!
Notice how rookies get interceptions often and eventually, after spending timebcan’t seem to catch a cold
September 15th, 2025 at 11:45 am
we’ll see what happens. the bucs arent playing a paper football team. last time they played them they lost a shootout at the end of a four game losing streak…..
hopefully the kicking game is intact and the defense can take advantage of their injuries… another road win to go 2-0 would be great. would be good to see a rushing leader besides baker….
September 15th, 2025 at 11:53 am
Bucs will be lucky to sack Stroud once. The defense better be ready for a hard hitting game. Hope the team shows up tonight. Not at all confident.
September 15th, 2025 at 12:00 pm
“We’d have to have DBs who could catch.“
We scored on a fumble return last season, more than one way to skin a cat fella
September 15th, 2025 at 12:12 pm
Warren
😂😂😂
September 15th, 2025 at 12:15 pm
Unfortunately, the Bucs have a long history of NOT taking advantage of weak, beat up, rookie/inexperienced QBs…they usually make us look foolish! Hopefully that will change tonight!
September 15th, 2025 at 12:21 pm
JMarkBuc
A guy can’t dream? 😅