The Tampa Bay Buccaneers haven’t exactly put together a clean three-game start, but one part of their team has quietly become a real problem for opponents: the run defense. That matters a lot heading into Week 4 against the Green Bay Packers, a team that is already carrying serious questions on offense and now has to deal with a matchup that looks ugly on paper.
Tampa Bay’s defense showed enough against Kyler Murray and Aaron Jones to suggest it can handle a physical test, even in a loss to the Minnesota Vikings. If Baker Mayfield had played better, the Buccaneers would have had a real shot to win that game, just as they would have in Week 1 against the Cincinnati Bengals. Instead, the defense did its part and left the offense to sort out the rest.
Now comes another NFC North opponent, and this one may be walking into a trap. The Packers are fresh off a blowout loss to the Atlanta Falcons, and Jordan Love enters this matchup with plenty of uncertainty around him.
That’s already a tough spot. It gets worse when you look at what Tampa Bay is doing up front.
The Buccaneers’ run defense has been the surprise strength of the season. Last year, that unit was passive and soft.
Tampa Bay answered by adding veterans and rookies through the draft and free agency, and the early returns have been strong. Josiah Trotter has been a menace at inside linebacker.
A'Shawn Robinson leads the Buccaneers’ defensive linemen with 13 tackles this season. Alex Anzalone, after nightmare outings against the AFC North’s Bengals and Cleveland Browns, bounced back in a big way against his old rival Vikings.
The numbers back up the eye test. Tampa Bay is giving up just 3.1 yards per carry, which ranks second in the NFL.
The Buccaneers are also allowing the second-fewest rushing yards and sit near the top five in fewest rushing touchdowns allowed. At this point, the run defense is the best thing about the team.
That creates a major problem for Green Bay. The Packers are last in the NFL in rushing yards per attempt at 3.0 yards per carry, and with star running back Josh Jacobs out, the ground game has become a mess.
Three different Packers running backs have at least 11 carries, and none is averaging better than 3.6 yards per carry. No Green Bay player has scored a rushing touchdown.
That’s the kind of setup that can wreck an offense. If Tampa Bay takes away the run, the Packers will be fighting uphill on third down, fourth down, and in the red zone. It also means more chances for the Buccaneers’ pass rush to attack Jordan Love without worrying about getting softened up by the ground game first.
In Other News...
Bucs Slow Start Could Force Jason Licht Into A Tough Deadline Call
A 0-3 start has put Tampa Bay in a familiar but uncomfortable spot, with the Buccaneers now staring at the possibility that this season could turn quickly from early disappointment into a bigger organizational decision. General manager Jason Licht has built enough credibility to get patience, but when a team opens like this, the conversation naturally shifts from fixing the present to protecting the future.
If the losses keep piling up before the November 10 trade deadline, Tampa Bay could be forced to weigh a reset that would send veteran players into the market and bring draft capital back the other way. Names like Vita Vea and Chris Godwin Jr. have already surfaced in that kind of speculation, which says plenty about how quickly a slow start can change the conversation around a roster. For the Bucs, the next few weeks may determine whether this becomes a short-term slump or the start of a much tougher recalibration. [Read more 🡒]
Bruce Arians Sends Baker Mayfield A Blunt Warning Buccaneers Fans Will Feel
Baker Mayfields rough start has put the focus back on the way he plays the position, and Bruce Arians is not exactly soft-pedaling the message. The former Buccaneers coach said Mayfield needs to be willing to throw the ball away more often and play with a little more restraint, especially as he works his way back from a dislocated thumb.
Arians framed it as a matter of survival as much as style, pointing to Mayfields aggressive running habits and the toll that can take over a season. For Tampa Bay, the warning lands with extra weight because the quarterbacks ability to stay on the field and protect the football could shape everything that comes next. [Read more 🡒]
Gerald McCoy Just Hit A Nerve For Frustrated Bucs Fans
Gerald McCoy knows what the Buccaneers expect from a defense, and he did not hold back during a recent appearance on ESPNs This is Football. The former Tampa Bay defensive tackle pointed to what he sees as shaky coaching direction on that side of the ball, especially the decision to ask pass rushers to drop into coverage, while also raising questions about why pass rusher David Walker has not seen more of the field.
McCoys criticism landed because it came against the backdrop of another sluggish start, with the offense also drawing his concern as the Bucs slipped to 0-3. For a fan base already looking for answers, hearing a longtime franchise figure voice those same frustrations only sharpened the conversation around how much of this is about personnel and how much is about the way the team is being used. [Read more 🡒]