How Good Was The Bucs Defense Last Year?
April 19th, 2026
“We had our share of gifts, Mike.”
The headline is not a typo.
Joe is asking because the Bucs tied for 12th in the NFL last season in most drives starting in opponents’ territory.
The data is via Warren Sharp, the noted NFL analytics guru and handicapper.
The stat absolutely does not define a defense. But it’s hard to be among the better teams in that area without playmakers on defense or special teams.
Jacksonville led the league with 30 drives started in opponents’ territory. (If bettors are looking for a reason the Jaguars will take a stop back next season, there it is. That’s a huge number to sustain.) Ranking a distant second were Miami and Detroit at 23 drives.
The Bucs were tied with a cluster of teams, which included the Seahawks, at 19 drives that started in opposing territory.
Joe re-watches all Bucs games every summer and is eager to track those 19 drives — what exactly put the Bucs in opposing territory to start, and how the drives finished.
April 19th, 2026 at 9:40 am
The doldrums of the offseason before the draft. The Bucs were poor on defense last year. Congrats on finding one data point that doesnt make them look as terrible as they actually were.
April 19th, 2026 at 9:48 am
I am pretty sure the Bucs were the only team which allowed a 3rd and 28 to end up in a first down by the opposition without the benefit of a defensive penalty. That pretty much tells the average fan everything he or she needs to know about Todd Bowles’ D in 2025. If anyone but Bowles were DC, he would have been fired right along with Grizzard and McGaughey for gross ineptitude. I can only guess that the Glazers figured they would stick with Todd unless they could hire Harbaugh which did not happen. Make or break year for Bowles, I hope the Glazers and Licht make the bar really high, not just improvement on last year’s train wreck of a season.
April 19th, 2026 at 9:58 am
It was absolute garbage last year and the year before lmao
April 19th, 2026 at 10:09 am
Last year the offense, special teams, defense stunk the field
There were no bright spots on this team
But l think the Bucs are trending in the right direction
April 19th, 2026 at 10:31 am
I was curious how the Bucs did by quarter on D in games because it seemed like the Bucs were much worse in the second half and especially the 4th quarter. However, hey were actually worse in the first half.
The facts of the Bucs 2025 points allowed are 24.2 pts per game – 20th
7.0 pts avg per4th qtr – tied for 19th
4.4 pts avg per 3rd qtr – tied for 15th
7.5 pts avg per 2nd qtr – tied for 19th
5.2 pts avg per game 1st qtr – tied for 23rd
The above does not differentiate for points given up by the D vs. those from special teams or by the O like on a pick 6 or turnover deep in their own territory (inside the 20)
April 19th, 2026 at 10:32 am
How good was the Bucs defense last year? It wasn’t, not as a whole. Some numbers were ok but overall to many brain farts and lack of talent to overcome. With all the ‘good weeks’ of practice that we heard about only for them to step on their junk on game day shows a lack of interest by some, and it only takes one guy to derail the play called. Weeding those guys out was one of the imperatives this off season, as well as getting a better, nastier attitude. That applies to the offense as well. Then adding some good talent and depth. To have a good team there has to be a good mix of all these things, guys that work hard and want to succeed are far better than guys who lazily think they can rely on their talent and then magically conjure it up on game day.
April 19th, 2026 at 10:32 am
too many brain cramps.
April 19th, 2026 at 10:35 am
You almost had me Joe until you dropped this gem, “playmakers on defense or special teams.” I’ll stick to what my eyeballs witnessed all year. The defense was offensive.
April 19th, 2026 at 10:37 am
We gave up 23 plays of 25+ yards
6 run plays 17 pass plays, 8 TD
Those 23 plays were a big part of our defensive yards allowed
April 19th, 2026 at 10:58 am
Hmm… Was the opponent just giving us a chance? A timely BS penalty or ten?
Bad spots? Sun got in their eyes? Makes no sense to this fan. Wonder if any were 4th down fails.
Go Bucs!
April 19th, 2026 at 11:05 am
The Bucs biggest issues on defense since Bowles has been DC is getting off the field on 3rd downs. I dont wanna hear stats..I watch every game and when it’s 3rd down Im usually shocked when the get a stop and there’s no flag.
The only way to be better on 3rd down is to be a le to effect the pocket and cover on the back end a d across the middle. Poor pass rush along with LBers like SVD and LVD that couldn’t cover, made it easy for offenses to convert. The other issue is Bowles scheme almost NEVER puts his safeties in positions over the top to make plays.
I dont expect Bowles to change. What I expect is JL will draft some good defensive players and the fans will call for his firing because they just won’t be as good as they were in college due to bring confused by Bowles horrendous scheme.
This is the truth. Bowles scheme is trash and only confuses it’s own players, not opposing QBs and OCs.
April 19th, 2026 at 11:27 am
The last 2 years the Bucs defense has progressed from worst to terrible!
April 19th, 2026 at 11:33 am
Licht and Bowles have ignored the defense and look where we are now?
April 19th, 2026 at 11:39 am
Joe if you’re going to rewatch 2025 Bucs games, better have cases of cold beer, some bottles of really good bourbon and maybe an anxiety medicine prescription. Fugly.
April 19th, 2026 at 11:50 am
The defense did a few things fairly well, but wouldn’t get off the field on third down and they were prone to simply quitting.
April 19th, 2026 at 11:51 am
Don’t know what all that means. My eyes have not deceived me. The Bucs defense run by DC, Todd Bowles, has been pathetic the last couple of years. That is why there will be 6 or 7 new starters in 2026. Hoping for a turnaround but have
zero confidence in TB. However, am willing to accept that the defense lacked talent including AWjr. Hope a talent infusion turns things around. I note, however, that blog , fake analyst, RODMUNCH, has insisted that the defense wasn’t a problem last couple of years. Wondering why Bucs are expected to draft mostly defenders later this week? Answer is Munch is a fraud.