Bucs Do Well With Almost-Sacks From The Edge
October 25th, 2025
Pressures!
Joe has screamed and hollered for the Bucs to buy/trade/develop a double-digit edge rusher so much that Joe is worn out. Hoisted the white flag. Gave up.
“This Joe” firmly believes that unless or until Bucs coach Todd Bowles begins to value and take seriously an edge rush, only then will it ever come about.
And no, Joe does not sip from the cup of those who profess pressures to be the art of defense.
It’s the football version of exit velocity in baseball. Doesn’t mean a damn thing, something for the nerds to rub their palms together over and get amped for the night’s Dungeons and Dragons foray.
Joe refers to pressures as “almost-sacks.” When a guy gets close and fails to get a sack, he can always say, “Hey Mom, I got close. I got a pressure! Pay me! Ain’t I good?“
In roughly 7 percent of all drives where a quarterback gets sacked an offense scores a touchdown. Simply put, sacks are drive killers.
Pressures? Good quarterbacks aren’t phased by them. And in the playoffs, sooner or later, you likely will face a good quarterback. Maybe more than one.
But, for those into new-age football, this is for you: The Bucs this year are getting strong pressure from their outside linebackers. Wee! By way of NextGen Stats, the Bucs’ media realations staff shared that YaYa Diaby and Haason Reddick rank in the top-10 in quarterback pressures. Through Week 7, Diaby was sixth with a pressure rate of 16.3 percent. Reddick was ninth (15.7 percent). Each player on the list had to have a minimum of 150 rush snaps.
So yeah, in the spirit of Halloween (you should see all the people in New Orleans dressed up for Halloween) the Bucs’ edge rushers are scaring opponents. Boo!
Sacks from the edge? Well…
Joe knows the only two times the Bucs won a Super Bowl, they had a ferocious edge rush both times.
October 25th, 2025 at 12:44 pm
Joe for the LAST time. Pressures lead to INTs and errant throws that lose downs.
Yes Sacks are better usually however I will take a pressure that leads to a PICK Every day and Twice on Sundays and Mondays
October 25th, 2025 at 12:45 pm
A great defensive coach once said stats are for losers
October 25th, 2025 at 12:51 pm
The game of football is like most everything else in society in that it has become too technical, too sophisticated, too complex, over engineered, etc. The basics of the game haven’t changed though. It’s all about the ball. Just like the baseball, the basketball, the soccer ball and the hockey puck. Just stop the forward progression of the ball towards the goal, basket, net or whatever. The first start of forward progression of the football begins with the quarterback. That is the first level. Todd’s defense seems to rely on stopping forward progression at the second level. I believe the focus should be to attempt to stop forward progression at the first level. Put the quarterback who has possession of the ball on the ground to retard forward progression. SACK HIM !
October 25th, 2025 at 12:59 pm
And Thursdays. lol
October 25th, 2025 at 1:11 pm
I almost win the lottery every week. I’m usually only 5 numbers off!
October 25th, 2025 at 1:36 pm
🙂
October 25th, 2025 at 1:40 pm
We don’t have high enough draft picks typically to draft an automatically successful edge rusher. They go fast like Left Tackles and Quarterbacks. So we’d have to get one in free agency somehow.
October 25th, 2025 at 1:52 pm
Isn’t Reddick who Joe was stomping his feet for ?
Regardless, pressures and QB hits lead to picks and fumbles. Which greatly contribute to wins.
October 25th, 2025 at 1:58 pm
Sometimes a pressure can be better than a sack if it causes an interception or ill-advised/errant throw.
October 25th, 2025 at 1:59 pm
I agree with SB.
Joe doesn’t get it.
October 25th, 2025 at 2:00 pm
Joe, I cannot disagree with a word ur saying. This is why JL has to trade for an established vet (like JPP or Shaq) who will nod and pat Bowles’s head and then go get a sack. Rookies aren’t going to see the innate flaws in TB’s scheme or have the self presence to question it. Imo, this is JL’s only flaw…he seems to be more of a reflection of his coach rather than the other way around. JL has been witness to the lack of OLB production under Todd going on 4 yrs and he does nothing to change TB’s philosophical use of OLB. Note how BA immediately made JL address the problem (imo), and BA likely told Todd in a backroom….”we brought JPP in to get after QBs, not cover slot receivers. So that’s what I want to see.” JL can demand this of Todd, so stop giving him a pass
October 25th, 2025 at 2:10 pm
Hope Vita plays. We need him to push that middle like he does. He is essential.
October 25th, 2025 at 2:22 pm
It would be far more effective if Reddick had been rushing the passer as frequently as in the opener against the Fowlcons. It also might help if Tood took a page from Dan Campbell and didn’t leave the safety valve 15 yards wide open for the easy completion. Every. Game. Look for an 85% completion rate tomorrow from the Rattler.
The classic Todd sleepwalk game is the way to enter the Swoon with conviction.
October 25th, 2025 at 2:31 pm
Diaby seems to be improving really fast this season IMO. Was hoping to see him and Kancey grow together…
October 25th, 2025 at 2:44 pm
You know we’re are 6th in team sacks
October 25th, 2025 at 3:02 pm
The reason YaYa Diaby got a sack Monday night was – PRESSURE – from Haason Reddick.
Reddick bulled his man straight back into Jared Goff giving Goff no room to bounce around as Goff stared down the receiver who was about to come open.
Diaby lined up on Goff and took a mad swipe at the ball just as the receiver came open and Goff began his passing motion. The resulting sack fumble and take away just doesn’t happen without – PRESSURE – from Haason Reddick.
As an individual measure, pressure demonstrates an Individual’s contribution to a Team effort.
As data collection and analysis marches ever forward, teams and fans could perhaps benefit from the reporting of some new stats:
– pressure vs man on man blocking and rate against the defender
– pressure vs man blocking with help and rate of such blocking vs the defender
– pressure vs double team blocking and rate against the defender
– hurries, hits, throwaways, incompletions, defended passes, interceptions and sacks for all of the above
For the individual and the team, pressures that result in throwaways, incompletions, defended passes, interceptions, sacks, fumbles, and fumble recoveries should all have WPA, APA and WAR values.
We pay great attention to sacks as the impact is immediately obvious.
But, when a player who is blocked by one man gets to a quarterback who could not escape because of pressure from a player overcoming a double team block to pin the quarterback in the pocket with no avenue for escape, who made the play? And, who made the play possible?
And, yes, there should also be stats for who fails to make a play when pressure gives them an opportunity to make a play.
Since he is retired and not a current favorite or scapegoat, think about Nadomican Suh. Think of the times when, overcoming a double team, that his pressure up the middle collapsed the pocket and forced a throw away or a bad pass or set someone else up for a sack. Suh didn’t get credit for a sack on such plays. But, clearly such plays all have WPA, APA and WAR values.
This kind of analysis can identify the key elements you have and the key elements you are missing. If a player pressures the quarterback and forces a throw away or a bad throw or sets up a sack, that player is surely doing more for the team that a player who is single teamed and never gets much pressure but who does occasionally benefits from a clean up sack when the QB is flushed into his arms.
October 25th, 2025 at 3:35 pm
Those pressure rates will turn into sacks if the Bucs aren’t playing that soft zone crap – and Bowles has been playing a lot less of the soft zone this year, in particular when all the corners healthy. It gives me a lot of hope in that perhaps Bowles, after now years of watching that trash zone let the other teams move the ball at will, that he’s finally decided to go back and look at how the Bucs won a SB, and realized it wasn’t having 6 defenders run backwards at the snap of every play and stand around in zone doing nothing.
October 25th, 2025 at 3:45 pm
Diaby is playing well and has gotten sacks the last 2 games.
Reddick is out – so its time for Anthony Nelson to show us what good steady play looks like from the Edge opposite YaYa.
Its also time for Braswell to start showing at least some flashes of capability as an NFL pass rusher. Kinda hard to believe that Licht missed so badly on that relatively high draft selection…. I mean – the dude was coached for 3 years by Nick Saban and had really solid numbers his 3rd year (2023) once he finally got the chance to start – 42 tackles – 10.5 TFLs – 8 sacks – 1 Int – 3 FF –
So where is that player??? Its half way through year 2 and the guy that Licht all but promised would break out in 2025 has been literally invisible rushing off the Edge.
Braswell is averaging only 13.8 snaps per game through 7 games. He has a respectable 14 Tackles (9 solo) on 97 defensive snaps. With only 1 TFL….
But 0 sacks, 0 QB hits, 0 Hurries, 0 pressures
Time to step it up Chris Braswell!
October 25th, 2025 at 3:54 pm
Winfield didn’t get a sack on Darnold at the end of that game against the Seahawks but his pressure sealed the game for us.
I know, only one example but a really good one.
October 25th, 2025 at 4:10 pm
Pickgrin Says:
October 25th, 2025 at 3:45 pm
Diaby is playing well and has gotten sacks the last 2 games.
Reddick is out – so its time for Anthony Nelson to show us what good steady play looks like from the Edge opposite YaYa.
———–
Shocking how the last couple of games the Bucs have mostly went away from the super soft zone crap and suddenly started getting pressure and sacks. They also didn’t play a ton of soft zone vs the Jets, and shock, they got a lot of sacks, and turnovers.
Yaya will get some good numbers if Bowles just stops having guys stand around in his super soft zone, because if Bowles is playing man, or heaven forbit, a tight zone, it doesn’t let QBs easily get rid of the ball to a wide open WR at the first sign of pressure. If they have to hold the ball for an extra half second, that’s the difference between a sack and a pressure.
As for Nelson… the lumbering giant is just a space filler. He’s fine as a backup, and on run downs, but he’s so slow, he’s a huge liability in the pass game. But he still sometimes come through and makes a play here and there, but he’s certainly not someone who I’d ever consider a steady performer – unless by steady you mean really mediocre. He’s been around forever at this point and is what he is, and isn’t going to suddenly develop. He just lacks the speed/quickness you need from a edge at the NFL level. Again, he’s not bad as a backup, but no one should want to see him playing a ton of downs as he doesn’t bring much – at least vs the pass.
October 25th, 2025 at 6:05 pm
Interesting. I do not see the NFL sack leaders at the top of “almost sacks” (pressures)
Brian Burns, 9.0 sacks, Byron Young with 9.0, and Nik Bonitto with 8.0
Perhaps there is NO correlation between “almost sacks” and real sacks?
October 25th, 2025 at 6:11 pm
@Munch: They don’t have to play soft zone when the secondary is healthy, witch is the first time it has been healthy since the Super Bowl.
October 25th, 2025 at 6:26 pm
So, according to the games I listen to, there’s a lot of disruption in the opponents’ back field. That rattles the h3ll out of the offense. If the defense stops them at the wrong time (?), BAM (!) Defensive holding. How about offensive holding??
October 25th, 2025 at 6:28 pm
Your NFl 2025 Sack leaders (NOT almost sacks):
Brian Burns, 2025 9 sacks, drafted 2019, 16th pick
Byron Young, 9 sacks, drafted 2023, 77th pick
Nik Bonitto, 8 sacks, drafted 2022, 64th pick
Jonathon Cooper, 6.0 sacks, drafted 2021, 7th, pick
Tuli Tuipulotu, 6 sacks, drafted 2023, 54th pick
So this BS that the Bucs do not pick high enough to get a sack artist is a myth. If you include Burns in a trade up, the Bucs could have picked 4 out of 5 of this years sack masters. But I don’t necessarily put this on Licht. He has done an extraordinary job of finding talent and has already invest heavily in OLBs.
No, this is Todd. OLBs don’t fit his system. Todd wants pressure up the middle and the ends are to contain. That is my theory anyway. In fairness to Todd, he is very, very good at developing the talent Licht sends his way. OLBs are to contain, NOT rush the passer
October 25th, 2025 at 6:37 pm
@Rod, “Shocking how the last couple of games the Bucs have mostly went away from the super soft zone crap…”
Why is it shocking? The Bucs DBs are finally getting healthy. There is some depth, finally. You want to play pressure, lock em up D with the likes of Cobee Bryant and CJ Henderson?
October 25th, 2025 at 7:13 pm
Effectiveness of pressures is a matter of degrees. Players should only be credited with a pressure if it results in an incompletion, which is not as good as a sack, or a turnover, in which case is even better than a sack.
October 25th, 2025 at 7:33 pm
For a pass rush to be considered a pressure it should be obvious that the timing of the play was affected resulting in an incompletion or a turnover otherwise it’s meaningless.
October 25th, 2025 at 9:29 pm
Joe loves trades, they make a great story and we love reading it.
October 25th, 2025 at 10:03 pm
reddick is still better than jts and braswell, nelly is a situation guy, hoping reddick comes back a better man after coaching and the bye
October 25th, 2025 at 10:11 pm
braswell became a 98 OVR superstar x-factor and had 16+ bags a season in my madden franchise 😂😂😂
October 25th, 2025 at 10:20 pm
also worth pointing out: arguably the four top edge rushers last season played on teams that didn’t make the playoffs… parsons, garrett, crosby, and hendrickson
contrary to recent popular opinion, it does not equal the importance of a quarterback.
defenses that win championships are well rounded, well schemed, and well coached. and yes, strong edge play is important.
if we get our horses back on offense and the defense continues progressing I still have faith in our team as a competitor. we just have to get healthy.
if we’re scoring on offense with most of our guys back, and other teams are desperate to catch up, that’s when diaby and reddick will clean up and pad their stats.
October 26th, 2025 at 2:46 am
To me Joe, it is not just edge rush. Until we can get a solid, consistent four man pass rush Bowles will continue to scheme sacks. Blitzes and stunts have done this at the expense of making others vulnerable. Would love it if we could rely on our front four to get home and just blitz in critical situations but…
Dropping Vea still seems counterproductive to me.
Go Bucs!