Alex Anzalone’s Week 8 explosion didn’t just help the Bucs roll past the Falcons, it earned him league-wide recognition.
The Tampa Bay inside linebacker was named NFC Defensive Player of the Week after stuffing the stat sheet in the Bucs’ 16-0 win over Atlanta. Anzalone came away with two interceptions, six combined tackles, one tackle for loss and two passes defensed in a performance that helped power Tampa Bay’s shutout.
It was the kind of game that put his recent surge in full view. After a quiet start to the season, Anzalone has started stacking impact plays, and the Bucs have benefited from it.
His interception against the Cowboys on Thursday night football helped seal that game for Tampa Bay, and his two picks off Michael Penix Jr. against the Falcons helped set the tone for a defense that grabbed four interceptions on the day. Those were the first two by Tampa Bay’s starting inside linebacker and team captain.
Anzalone was the only NFL player in Week 8 to record multiple interceptions in a win. His three picks on the season are tied for second-most in the league and are the most by any non-defensive back. He’s also one of just two players with at least three interceptions and a sack this year, joining Green Bay Packers safety Xavier McKinney.
The numbers behind his broader body of work are just as strong. Since becoming a full-time starter in 2021, Anzalone’s 36 passes defensed rank fourth among NFL linebackers. Over the past six seasons, from 2021-26, he is the only linebacker in the league with 500-plus tackles, 35-plus passes defensed and 10.0-plus sacks.
His play has lined up with a defense that’s been rolling. Tampa Bay became the first team this season to post a shutout.
The Bucs led the league in Week 8 with four interceptions, tied for the league lead with four takeaways, and gave up the second-fewest total yards at 224 and the third-fewest passing yards at 125. Atlanta also went 0-for-12 on third down, making Tampa Bay the only team in the NFL to keep an opponent from converting one.
Through eight weeks, the Bucs sit third in the NFL in total defense at 285.9 yards per game, second in rush defense at 80.0 and sixth in scoring defense at 18.9. They’ve held opponents to 300 or fewer total yards six times and to 100 or fewer rushing yards six times, both league highs. Tampa Bay has also kept seven of eight opponents under 100 rushing yards, the most such outings by any team in the NFL.
The takeaway machine has been running hot, too. The Bucs lead the league with 16 takeaways and 12 interceptions, rank fifth in points off turnovers with 49, and have forced multiple takeaways in four of their last five games. That stretch includes a season-high four straight-up takeaways in back-to-back weeks, Weeks 7 and 8.
For Anzalone, the honor is the first of his career and the first Player of the Week award for a Buccaneer this season. He’s the first Tampa Bay linebacker to win the award since Anthony Nelson in Week 8 of the 2025 season, and the first Buccaneer linebacker to do it in his first year with the team since Kwon Alexander in Week 8 of the 2015 season.
He also becomes the sixth different Buccaneer to win NFC Defensive Player of the Week under Todd Bowles, joining Anzalone, Anthony Nelson (Week 8 - 2025), Jamel Dean (Week 6 - 2025), Yaya Diaby (Week 18 - 2024), Antoine Winfield Jr. (Week 18 - 2023, Week 13 - 2023) and Devin White (Week 10 - 2022).
In Other News...
Bucs Defense Just Earned National Praise After Shutting Down Atlanta
The Buccaneers defense got a little national shine this week after its shutout of Atlanta landed two of its standouts on Pro Football Focus NFL Team of the Week. In Tampa Bays 16-0 win in Week 8, linebacker Alex Anzalone and cornerback Jacob Parrish were both recognized for the kind of disruptive, mistake-free football that can swing a game before the offense ever finds its rhythm.
Anzalone was especially active, piling up seven tackles and a pair of interceptions while grading out well in coverage, a notable milestone for a player who has spent plenty of time around the football but not always finished the play. Parrish also made his mark with seven tackles, an interception and two passes defended, helping the Buccaneers force four turnovers and turn a division game into one of their cleanest defensive outings of the season. [Read more 🡒]
Doug Williams Just Put A Buccaneers Legacy Debate Back In Focus
Doug Williams latest Hall of Fame nod has a way of pulling the Buccaneers back into one of the franchises most enduring legacy conversations. The first Black quarterback to win a Super Bowl has been nominated for the Pro Football Hall of Fames 2027 class, putting his name alongside other notable contributors such as Robert Kraft, Virginia McCaskey, Ralph Hay and John Wooten. For Tampa Bay fans, it is another reminder of how much of the leagues history still runs through Williams trailblazing career.
The nomination also arrives at a time when the Buccaneers are juggling more immediate football matters, with linebacker Alex Anzalone earning NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors and receiver Emeka Egbuka plus outside linebacker Yaya Diaby working back from injuries. Still, Williams case has a different kind of weight because it speaks to the broader story of the game, not just the week-to-week grind. The next step in that Hall of Fame process will determine how far this latest push goes, and for now it keeps a familiar Buccaneers figure in the center of a debate that has never really gone away. [Read more 🡒]
Buccaneers Suddenly Face A Trade Deadline Decision That Could Shift Fast
The Buccaneers have put themselves back into the kind of position teams hope for in late October, with their improved playoff outlook making them a legitimate candidate to buy at the NFL trade deadline. In a season where the margin between chasing the division and simply staying afloat can change quickly, Tampa Bay is now being discussed as a club that could look to add help rather than stand pat.
The list of possible fits is broad enough to show how many different ways the Bucs could try to strengthen the roster, from tight end help to pass rush and interior depth. Trey McBride, Khalil Mack, Dallas Goedert and Roy Lopez have all surfaced as names to watch, but the bigger question is whether Tampa Bays next stretch of games leaves the front office leaning into a move or forcing a more cautious approach in the division race. [Read more 🡒]