Josiah Trotter’s first two NFL games have given the Buccaneers exactly the kind of early return they were hoping for, and then some. The rookie linebacker has piled up 24 total tackles through two weeks, good for third in the NFL entering Week 3, while quickly becoming a central piece of Todd Bowles’ defense.
Trotter wasted no time making a splash in his debut against Cincinnati. He finished with 11 tackles, two tackles for loss, a sack and an interception of Joe Burrow that he brought back 38 yards for a touchdown.
That outing put him in the record book as the first player to post both a sack and a pick-six in his NFL debut. It also earned him a nomination for Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week.
He backed it up against Cleveland with another busy afternoon. Trotter logged 13 tackles, including six solo, even while briefly dealing with a shoulder injury during the game.
His work in the middle helped Tampa Bay hold Cleveland to 44 rushing yards and just 1.9 yards per carry. Through two games, he has one sack, one interception, one pass breakup and a defensive touchdown to go with those 24 tackles.
The league also noted that his tackle total trails only two players across the NFL. And for the second straight week, Trotter was nominated for Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week.
The early advanced numbers have matched the production. PFF has Trotter at a 78.0 overall grade through two games, along with a 78.3 coverage grade. That matters for a Tampa Bay linebacker room that came into the season with questions about defending the middle of the field, especially after struggling with nearly every linebacker paired next to Lavonte David since Devin White in 2019.
There’s still a long season ahead, and the real test will be whether Trotter can keep this up over a full schedule. But for a 46th overall pick, ranking third in the league in tackles after two games is a strong start - and a reminder that Tampa Bay may have found another young defender with the look of a future fixture in red and pewter.
In Other News...
Buccaneers Fans Have A Week 3 TV Map Problem To Watch
Week 3s TV map is one of those Sundays that can make Buccaneers fans do a little channel surfing before kickoff. The NFLs broadcast slate is spread across CBS and FOX with different early and late windows, and the leagues regional assignments mean what shows up on the screen can depend as much on where you are watching as on who you are hoping to follow. Add in the international matchup between Baltimore and Dallas in Rio de Janeiro, and the day has the kind of odd setup that can leave viewers checking listings more than once.
For Tampa Bay fans, the wrinkle is in the regional coverage, where market shifts can change which game is easiest to find and which one gets bumped to the background. CBS has the bulk of the early and late action, while FOX carries a single window, and each network has its own set of broadcast teams attached to the games. It is the sort of Sunday that rewards a quick look at the map before settling in, especially for anyone trying to keep tabs on more than one NFC storyline. [Read more 🡒]
Buccaneers Need One Offensive Change Fast To Avoid An 0-3 Hole
The Buccaneers have already put themselves in an early-season bind by starting 0-2 for the first time since 2014, and now the schedule quickly turns into a test of whether they can stop the slide. Minnesota is next, which makes the timing especially tricky for a Tampa Bay offense that has not yet found the kind of balance it needs to settle in and control games.
The biggest issue remains the ground attack, where the Bucs need a meaningful step forward to help offset what the Vikings do well on defense and take some pressure off the rest of the offense. Tampa Bays passing game has shown enough to keep the conversation alive, but without a more dependable run game, this matchup has the feel of one that could push the team into a much deeper early hole. [Read more 🡒]
Buccaneers May Need To Reconsider How Theyre Using Rueben Bain Jr
Rueben Bain Jr. has been on the field enough to get a feel for how Tampa Bay wants to use him, but not enough to look fully like himself. Through 76 defensive snaps, the rookie edge defender has just one tackle and no sacks, and his PFF grade has landed near the bottom of the edge-defender group. For a Buccaneers defense that expected more impact from one of its more intriguing young pass rushers, the early returns have been muted.
Health appears to be part of the equation. Bain dealt with an AC joint injury in training camp and then picked up a groin injury in a recent game, and Todd Bowles acknowledged that he is not fully healthy even if he is still available to play. With other edge defenders on hand, Tampa Bay may need to decide whether pushing Bain through the bumps is helping the defense now or whether a little time off could do more for him in the long run. [Read more 🡒]