Six Sacks!
October 12th, 2025
Big game.
Finally, the football gods have heard Joe’s non-stop pleas.
With the exception of the second quarter, when 49ers beat up backup quarterback Mac Jones looked like he was playing flag football, standing in the pocket flat-footed with zero fear because the nearest white jersey was in Seffner, the Bucs clamped down on Jones and the 49ers today and discovered that sacks really do lead to punts.
And wins!
The Bucs finished with six (!) sacks, an incredible amount. Even more startling was the Bucs had half of those sacks in the first quarter alone. The last time the Bucs pulled that off was November 2014 against the Bears.
And YaYa Diaby was a force today. He had two sacks, his second coming late in the game to help seal the win.
YaYa must like San Francisco. In his rookie year, 2023, YaYa went wilding on the 49ers, too. He also had a pair of sacks that day in Santa Clara.
Maybe the Bucs should hypnotize YaYa into thinking every team is San Francisco. Maybe YaYa likes sourdough bread — if so, the Bucs need to feed that to YaYa before kickoffs.
YaYa’s fourth-quarter sack was a big help in the Bucs holding the 49ers (with Christian McCaffrey) to a lone field goal. That was the ballgame.
The Bucs tried nothing different in the second half, YaYa said. The same attack mode the Bucs had in the first quarter was the same in the second half.
And YaYa thought they could get after Mac Jones on Sunday.
“It was the same mentality we had in the first half” as the second half,” YaYa said. “Just get after it. We felt like we had an advantage of getting to the quarterback We just kept pounding.”
The second quarter the Bucs must have gotten away from that attack plan. San Francisco scored 13 points in the second quarter and it appeared Jones was morphing into Kirk Cousins. He stood back in the pocket with no fear of an angry opponent and he was picking apart the Bucs defense.
Jones finished the first half with a galling 200 yards passing.
But then the Bucs put the clamp down in the second half.
That is what we have been implementing,” YaYa said of the near-shutout defense in the final 30 minutes of football. “Especially going into this week.
Facing the 49ers “was a good week to showcase [the Bucs’ defense] against a really good team.” YaYa said.
And after a 30-19 win, it is the Bucs who are a pretty good team. They stand at 5-1, even with the offense almost destroyed by injuries.
That second-half defense is a playoff defense, folks.
October 12th, 2025 at 9:05 pm
Special shout out to all those fake a$$ Bucs fans wearing 49ers gear at the stadium today. I bet you were chanting “BAY” on every Bucs first down.
I’d say have a safe flight home, but I have no doubt that home is Carrollwood and Citrus Park.
October 12th, 2025 at 9:08 pm
Great team win
5-1
GO BUCS
October 12th, 2025 at 9:10 pm
49ers’ Defense (against Bucs): Allowed 10.52 net yards per dropback with 2 TDs and zero turnovers.
Bucs’ Defense (against 49ers): Allowed only 6.27 net yards per dropback, yielded zero TDs, and forced 2 turnovers (interceptions) and almost the David strip sack.
October 12th, 2025 at 9:10 pm
They stepped up and made plays. Credit where credit is due! It can be quite schizophrenic at times, but the defense got the job done today. If this team overall can ever get healthy, I mean dang, look out!
October 12th, 2025 at 9:11 pm
Baker was the best player on the field again! Wow!
October 12th, 2025 at 9:13 pm
Romo pointed out on the broadcast that the amazing thing was Todd was totally out of character eschewing the blitz in the first half and much of the 2nd.
The fact that six sacks came with a mininum of blitzing is something for the Bucs to hang their hats on.
October 12th, 2025 at 9:19 pm
I find it weirdly comforting that the big plays happened because guys fell down. The banana peels were in abundance today
October 12th, 2025 at 9:20 pm
It was simple. Todd finally decided to take away the gimme free 8 yard dumpoff and for the most part the tackling was solid. Complementary football. Wow.
October 12th, 2025 at 9:23 pm
“That second-half defense is a playoff defense, folks.”
——
When and if that happens we can all take heart that it only took HC Bowles 4 seasons to make it a reality. The team has been carried by the offense all along. I have seen this D fall apart too many times with this guy to start making SB plans. His D played well today. Big plays. When this type of performance becomes the standard then we can say they have finally caught up. This D should have been further along a long time ago. Next step is consistency. We call live and dream.
October 12th, 2025 at 9:24 pm
This is the story of the game. What I LOVED the most …
Bucs got sacks from ALL 3 LEVELS
Bucs go INTs from LB and DB
That is the stuff that messes with a QBs head.
October 12th, 2025 at 9:29 pm
Of course baker was the best player on the field. He just may be the best player in the league right now.
October 12th, 2025 at 9:30 pm
They were getting after it. The commentators were even saying that they were surprised Bowles wasn’t blitzing because he’s known for how much he blitzes.
October 12th, 2025 at 9:30 pm
The defense is dealing with some injuries as well I do believe. I guess that doesn’t matter. I will also add that Diaby needs to stop windmilling his arms. That has to cost him a half step or more. Maybe his depth perception is off. Good game though but he can do more.
October 12th, 2025 at 9:31 pm
We may not have 1 superstar sack meister but we a team of sack makers
October 12th, 2025 at 9:34 pm
OK but
1 mac Jones is a reserve qb with backup wrs and tes
2. We still gave up wp points, which is not special for this defense
3. You shouldn’t need a coach to go public about you to get to a high level, im skeptical they can sustain.
As always I look forward to be proven wrong
October 12th, 2025 at 9:38 pm
reddick whiffed on a couple also looks like they’re trying too hard and over shooting the qb
October 12th, 2025 at 9:40 pm
Were the edge rushers allowed to do what they’re supposed to, as in rush the quarterback? I assume they didn’t drop into pass coverage as much?
I agree with Joe(s) banging the drum for the second most important position.
How does Bowles scheme dropping edge rushers into coverage compare to the league?
October 12th, 2025 at 10:05 pm
everyone always talks about our edge rushers like we’re are a 4-3 defense. The 3-4 requires at least one edge or tackle must play coverage when you don’t blitz, and you can’t blitz every freakin play, idk what ppl expect, that’s how its always been, it’s not like this defense is some foriegn concept
October 12th, 2025 at 10:07 pm
Hopefully Zyon and Morrison return soon but Vildor, Parrish and Dean all came up big today. Dean’s INT was amazing to me.
October 12th, 2025 at 10:12 pm
Mveal2006 Says:
October 12th, 2025 at 9:34 pm
OK but
1 mac Jones is a reserve qb with backup wrs and tes
^^^^^^^
You must be a fairly new Bucs fan (or have a terrible memory) if you think a backup QB for the opposition means an easy win, or a win at all.
October 12th, 2025 at 10:14 pm
“‘Oro” our Polynesian Warlord was gang busting double teams all day.
Vita is are ‘Oro. I think we go as far as he takes us, definitely has aura farming.
October 12th, 2025 at 10:43 pm
To further Joe from MI – Mac Jones is playing great football and is probably better than Purdy, he’s been averaging >300 yards a game with throws like the one that went just over Lavonte. Lynch is gonna have a big decision.
Durango is right, this performance needs to be sustained but happy right now for the great win.
But backups have been an Achilles heel for this defense.
October 12th, 2025 at 10:50 pm
Daniel Dream appreciate your comment.
I’m an old fart Buc fan from Black n Blue Central Division and 4-3 defenses. The first time I remember a DE dropping into coverage it was called a zone blitz.
I’m just curious how our edge rushers drop into coverage compared to the league.
October 12th, 2025 at 10:51 pm
Two teams were 4-1; now one team is 5-1 because they’re the better team! That’s how it is! Go Bucs 🏈🏆🌎
October 12th, 2025 at 11:22 pm
It’s remarkable, the Bucs went to that zone at the end of the 1st quarter, and played it until the 4th quarter, and gave up a ton of yards and points. How do you keep going to that zone when you see the same thing happen over and over again. When the Bucs blitz AND don’t play that trash zone, they get sacks and turnovers, then they go back to that Zone for like 20 plays in a row and give up 250 yards and 20 points in like 4 series.
October 12th, 2025 at 11:35 pm
the edge rushers….rushed.
October 13th, 2025 at 2:21 am
We finally stopped McCaffrey! Good Job Todd! Good Job Defense. Good job pass rush!
Go Bucs!
October 13th, 2025 at 9:15 am
A defensive player with the initials SVD was quite busy and quietly very productive today. Still stupefied but proud and happy for my team. When is the last time Bucs had 6 sacks? Was it the HOF Dungy Tampa Two Defense of 2002? We old-timer Buc fans know defense in these parts. Go Tampa Bay!!
October 13th, 2025 at 12:17 pm
Our rushers are no different really to other teams in the 3-4. To me, I would say it’s slightly above average in comparison to other teams. Not much though.
Also while I would love to run Man defense all game, it’s not sustainable in today’s games. The front line has to play like it did today, which they have been doing this season and we’ll be fine.
Go Bucs