Buccaneers pass rusher YaYa Diaby is starting to turn pressure into production, and Todd Bowles says the difference is showing up in the finish.
Bowles pointed to Diaby’s recent progress on the edge, saying the outside linebacker has been “our most pressure guy without getting the sacks … yesterday the sacks kind of came to fruition like we talked about last week and his growth is understanding what offensive linemen are trying to do to him and having counterattacks.”
“ He has been rushing good the last couple of weeks it just has not worked out for him, ” Bowles said, via the team’s website. “ He finished them yesterday.
He has been our most pressure guy without getting the sacks … yesterday the sacks kind of came to fruition like we talked about last week and his growth is understanding what offensive linemen are trying to do to him and having counterattacks. ”
In Atlanta, Michael Penix Jr. keeps stacking clean performances. Over his last two weeks, the Falcons quarterback has thrown six touchdowns without an interception, and in his five starts since returning from a torn ACL, he has only one pick overall. That stretch included a strong showing in the Week 7 upset of the 49ers, when he went 25 of 34 through the air.
Penix has put that together while working without a full offseason in Kevin Stefanski’s system because he was rehabbing. Stefanski said Penix handled that stretch with unusual focus.
“I’ll tell you, he’s a very, very diligent person,” Stefanski said via Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer. “And even going back to the spring, where he’s not taking team reps, he’s doing everything in his power to learn the new system.
He’s doing everything in his power to get his body right. And then we’re just following the lead of the medical team, and he does a little bit more here, a little more there.
But all the while, working to get ready to play.
“Now, I didn’t know when he was going to get cleared. We didn’t know when that time was going to come. But he works like a crazy man to get his body right, to get his mind right.”
In Carolina, left tackle Ikem Ekwonu is still moving forward, but the Panthers aren’t putting a timetable on his return to the practice field after Week 7.
Dave Canales said Ekwonu is hitting encouraging checkpoints, but there’s still a long way to go before the team is ready to expose him to full-speed work.
“Every week seems like good milestones, good progression,” Canales replied, via Panthers Wire. “I can’t tell you exactly how close that is, how far that is.
But I know that he’s trending in the right direction, getting into some more individual drills where he can start to really load and anchor and do all those things. But it’s gotta get to a point where we feel really comfortable about sending somebody at him full speed.
We’re not quite there yet. So, I can’t really tell you, specifically.”
In Other News...
Maason Smith Is Making The Falcons Look Smart Fast
When Ian Cunningham made his first offseason move as Atlantas general manager, the swap sent Ruke Orhorhoro to Jacksonville and brought Maason Smith into the Falcons front. It was the kind of trade that needed time to sort itself out, but Smith has wasted little of it, giving Atlanta a noticeable boost inside as the season has unfolded.
His impact has been especially visible in pass rush, where he entered Week 7 leading all defensive tackles in win rate and then backed it up in the Falcons win over the 49ers. After the game, head coach Kevin Stefanski singled out Smiths work, another sign that the Falcons may have found more value in that deal than anyone could have expected this quickly. [Read more 🡒]
Michael Penix Just Gave Falcons Fans A Reason To Believe
Michael Penix Jr. gave the Falcons a much-needed jolt on Sunday, guiding Atlanta to a 29-20 upset of the previously unbeaten San Francisco 49ers. The rookie quarterback looked composed throughout the win, helping a team sitting at 2-4 find at least a little footing against one of the leagues toughest early-season opponents.
Jessie Bates III was quick to point to Penixs performance as a reason for optimism, even with the record still leaving plenty of work ahead. The Falcons now turn to their next test against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on November 1, and for a team still searching for consistency, the bigger question is whether this kind of showing can become the norm rather than the exception. [Read more 🡒]
Falcons Suddenly Have A Trade Rumor Fans Can't Ignore
Brian Thomas Jr. has not been placed on the trade block, and the Jaguars are not actively shopping the 2024 first-round wideout. Still, when a player of his caliber sits out the second half of a recent game, it is enough to get the rumor mill moving, especially with teams around the league always watching for a chance to upgrade at receiver.
From Atlantas perspective, the chatter lands because the Falcons are among the clubs that could use a player with Thomas upside if Jacksonville ever decides the timing and price are right. For now, it remains more speculation than a real market, but the fact that Atlanta is already being mentioned tells you how quickly a situation like this can gain traction. [Read more 🡒]