A Show-Up Day For YaYa Diaby
October 18th, 2026
David Walker (51) and YaYa Diaby.
Joe doesn’t play along with the bizarre notion that the Bucs have a good pass rush.
And the fact that Tampa Bay’s best rusher, David Walker, literally plays less defense per game than ousted edge rusher bust Chris Braswell is almost insulting.
The front office tried to bolster the pass rush in the offseason with a premium draft pick and a free agent coming off an 11-sack season, and it touted Walker’s return after a lost rookie season. But those poor men and women on Jason Licht’s team can only watch as Walker rests far more than he plays.
Even company man Rondé Barber seems in disbelief.
Today against the Steelers, Joe would like to see starting edge rusher YaYa Diaby produce. Yes, his interception after Walker brilliantly defended a pass that got re-tipped by Tykee Smith was very nice against Dallas. But how about something less fluky?
Diaby is sackless this season with only one quarterback hit, and he’s on a 15-game run without a forced fumble. Consider that Diaby’s nine combined tackles ranks 12th on the team, behind Walker.
Joe is getting tired of classic Diaby excuses: “He needs an edge rusher opposite him to draw attention. Wait til’ Calijah Kancey gets healthy. YaYa does other things.”
With undrafted rookie free agent quarterback Jalon Daniels starting against a dangerous defense today, the Bucs probably will need a few big plays from their defense and a pass rush that scares Aaron Rodgers. Maybe today is the day Diaby leads the charge.
Enjoy Friday’s Ira Kaufman Podcast! It’s a must-listen before the Steelers-Bucs game.
October 18th, 2026 at 4:57 am
Need more pass rushers,oops I mean corners LOL.
October 18th, 2026 at 5:00 am
This team is sackless.. in more ways than one.
October 18th, 2026 at 5:42 am
Fully agree on Joe’s take on Diaby but the whining about Walker is negativity at its highest. Bain had 35 snaps, Diaby 34, Muhammad 25 and Walker 19. Add in his snaps on special teams and what are we talking about? The defense and special teams are playing well. Stick to whining about Otton. Yeesh!
October 18th, 2026 at 5:56 am
It would help if there was some pressure up the middle. The big man is holding the line against the run, but he’s not collapsing the pocket. Has anyone seen number 94 yet this season? He has vanished all together.
The OC in the league have built pass plays to get rid of the ball in 2.5 seconds when playing against high blitzing teams. If you don’t collapse the pocket, no edge rusher can get to the QB in less than 2.5 seconds.
Perhaps the CB can get away with a 7 yard cushion rather than the 10-11 yard that we give now. Take away the quick slants that Anzalone and Trotter can’t seem to get back fast enough to break up.
Old man Rodgers isn’t going to run away from anyone today, make him move off his spot. Somebody go piss off the big man and wake up #94. The Defense can win this game, 3 picks today 1 for a TD.
LFGO
October 18th, 2026 at 6:30 am
Just doing what he’s coached to do! 30-10 Steelers!
October 18th, 2026 at 6:31 am
He sets the edge well.
So does Bain.
We are top 3 in run defense because everyone is doing their job.
Yaya may not be getting sacks or TFL yet.
But he is also not getting pushed around by offensive tackles.
He is strong enough to occupy tackles and hold the line.
Stats aren’t everything.
Did you guys see that Robinson is one of the highest rates defensive linemen?
He is also not getting alot of stats, but he’s doing his job.
I think the sacks are gonna start coming.
October 18th, 2026 at 7:03 am
“…David Walker, literally plays less defense per game than ousted edge rusher bust Chris Braswell is almost insulting.” Wrong Mr. Joe. It’s insulting as hell!
October 18th, 2026 at 7:27 am
Keep waiting Joe. Licht can’t draft them, Bowles can’t develop them. Time to get off the hamster wheel. JTS, Braswell, YaYa, please, make it stop. Just need to GM it better, HC it better!
October 18th, 2026 at 7:42 am
The Bucs currently lead the NFL in sacks with (16)…
Unfortunately that’s sacks allowed.
They have earned (6) sacks so far this season.
That is PATHETIC!
October 18th, 2026 at 8:05 am
Marine Buc Says:
The Bucs currently lead the NFL in sacks with (16)…
Unfortunately that’s sacks allowed.
They have earned (6) sacks so far this season.
That is PATHETIC!
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Even more pathetic when you factor in the Bucs are #3 in the NFL in blitzing.
Maybe if the genius would figure out a soft zone does NOT go with a blitz?!
I swear I heard a defensive play call one game they yelled out “CHARMIN”!!!
October 18th, 2026 at 8:18 am
Hope is a 4 letter word.
October 18th, 2026 at 8:20 am
@ Harry
And with all that BS this defense still ranks @ #7 in points allowed and yards…
That is a head scratcher there.
My only thought is – the Bucs offense is so bad that other teams haven’t had to score many points to win.
Go Bucs!
October 18th, 2026 at 8:25 am
If he could have he would have
Remember his mug yapping last summer
“ how will anyone be able to stop “ and he rattled off the names of the DL
Should have cleaned house at the end of 2024 !
October 18th, 2026 at 8:48 am
Honestly what would Dallas, Carolina, and Detroits record be if they played our schedule so far and had are defensive performance in each game. They all three would be at least 4-1 right now. It’s our offense that is killing us right now. We held teams to 33,23, 23,17,16. We have scored 27,19,16,14,24.
October 18th, 2026 at 8:55 am
And we’re only averaging 16.3 points a game at home. That is insane. How can you win any games with that average. That is borderline line criminal.
October 18th, 2026 at 9:12 am
Pitt will not score 30..Daniels with a wk and a half to prepare..We’ll see today what the kids got.Field goals win the game Can the kicking team hang with Bosworth..
October 18th, 2026 at 9:15 am
Fire bowles he might actually improve
October 18th, 2026 at 9:37 am
@ Steve
“Pit will not score 30”
I agree.
Take the under on this one… Last I checked it was @ 39.5
October 18th, 2026 at 10:09 am
Paychecks drop like clockwork win or lose so what the heck
Step up to the podium and explain in dire tones the same thing just rephrased
I used to call for Rondy Barber as the President of Football Operations… but even he has given up honestly for favors under the roof at OBP .
It’s a magnificent Florida early fall day and our first break from months of summer weather.
Slow slow torture
October 18th, 2026 at 10:18 am
Marine…Good Football Morning! GO Bucs! Dallas and Pitt going down back to back!
October 18th, 2026 at 10:22 am
Bowels does not draft them to rush. He drafts them to drop in to pass coverage.
October 18th, 2026 at 10:29 am
“Marine Buc Says:
October 18th, 2026 at 8:20 am
@ Harry
And with all that BS this defense still ranks @ #7 in points allowed and yards…
That is a head scratcher there.
My only thought is – the Bucs offense is so bad that other teams haven’t had to score many points to win.
Go Bucs!”
……………………………………………………….
I’ve pondered this often over the years. We rarely get a 2 and out, BUT after we allow them to dink and dunk 50 yards or so,they’ll get a holding penalty or something, and have to kick a FG (WHICH, Todd looks upon as a win)
October 18th, 2026 at 10:34 am
the one legit advantage the Bucs have is not that Rogers does not play well in Florida.It is that the Bucs had a mini bye week, and Todd does do a decent job of game planning when he has extra time.
Maybe Todd can game plan how to get sacks on Rogers?
Or game plan how to get Zac to include Bucky and Gainswell in the passing game?
Or how his CBs can get tighter coverage at the line so the Bucs blitz works?
Or how our ILB can cover the middle of the field without our OLB dropping into coverage?
October 18th, 2026 at 10:45 am
They are quite the opposite. Licht and Bowles are two “full steaming sacks” and hopefully only 13 games before that pail will be emptied
October 18th, 2026 at 10:47 am
Why can’t the Glazers see this?
Oh they do and ask about it but keep falling for what Jason and Fraud tell them about whatever…….
October 18th, 2026 at 10:53 am
@Marine
“And with all that BS this defense still ranks @ #7 in points allowed and yards…
That is a head scratcher there.
My only thought is – the Bucs offense is so bad that other teams haven’t had to score many points to win.”
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Yea, that is a head scratcher.
But its not the lack of scoring, I dont think. Every game has been a one score game.
@CIN: L -6
CLV: L -3
MIN: L -7
GB: L -3
DAL: W +8
Its almost like Todd keeps his thumb down on Zac – I know that is not it – the naked eye can see the offense SUCKS. But you know if its Todd’s choice, it would be strictly run the ball, and Todd would trust in his defense.
But who knows. Todd is such a genius that he knows things the rest of the NFL is not aware of.
Like sacking the QB is not a big deal in this age of aerial assault.
And his soft coverage at the line is the way to go to allow QBs a quick release so his OLB can’t get home.
Pure genius my brother.
October 18th, 2026 at 10:57 am
Broken record!
October 18th, 2026 at 11:18 am
No one is expecting YAYA to get a sack.. hes YAYA, almost got a sack Diaby.. now hes a very good run defender.. thats his game. YAYA will never be a double digit sack guy, it is what it is at this point.
October 18th, 2026 at 11:28 am
Diaby is a good backup who might luck into a double digit sack season once before he retires, like the free agent from Detroit.
October 18th, 2026 at 11:58 am
Bucs should get sacks today…..Rodgers can’t move…I think Bucs defense gets 6 sacks and 2 turnovers today
BUCS WIN 31-21
GO BUCS
October 18th, 2026 at 12:13 pm
Steelers are a lot more vulnerable than many here seem to acknowledge. Primary weaknesses:
1 – 3rd down conversion rate is only 32.8% (that’s converting only 20 our of 61 third-down opportunties in 5 games). They’re ranked #27 in that category.
2 – Steelers are passing on 64% of their plays, but Rodgers has only completed 110 of 186 actual passes & has been sacked 14 times in 5 games. So he’s attempted to pass 200 times, but only completed 110 of those … 52.6%. And passing-wise, they’re only averaging 5.6 YPR .
The irony to me is that their running game is averaging 4.7 YPC, yet they attempt to pass on slightly over 65% of their plays. And I suspect that’s what they’ll do again today (since the Bucs’ defense is pretty good at stopping the run).
I see Rodgers using predominantly quick, short passes today (like every other QB we’ve faced this year) and THAT’S what we need to focus on, at least at game start. Rodgers has averaging taking 3 sacks a game; I’d be perfectly happy with that. Rodgers has made an average of 1 turnover per game (4 INTs & he’s fumbled twice); I’d be happy with 1 turnover (as long as we don’t make any).
The key IMO is don’t give him anyone to throw to on those quick releases (a lot of bump-and-run, etc). Their 3rd down conversion rate sucks; TAKE ADVANTAGE.
October 18th, 2026 at 12:18 pm
Just goes to show you how mismanaged this team is. Jason built a team with a soft, slow, defense and Todd spends his time defending these clowns and talking BS. Todd starts guys that should not be in the line up. Total sh*t show from top to bottom. YaYa is a clown and Bain is the latest clown in training.
October 18th, 2026 at 1:15 pm
Diaby is below average.