Where has Rueben Bain Jr. gone?
That’s the question hanging over Tampa Bay’s rookie edge rusher after two games, because the production simply hasn’t matched the player the Buccaneers thought they were getting. Bain has logged 76 defensive snaps and come away with just one tackle and no sacks.
Pro Football Focus has him down for only two pressures, no quarterback hits and a 43.0 overall grade, which puts him 110th out of 112 qualified edge defenders. His 47.8 pass rush grade is also 110th.
That is a long way from the version of Bain who tore through his final season at Miami. He finished with 9.5 sacks and 15.5 tackles for loss, led the nation with 83 quarterback hurries, posted a 92.5 PFF grade and was named ACC Defensive Player of the Year.
Injuries appear to be at least part of the story. Bain dealt with an AC joint injury in his shoulder during training camp, and Todd Bowles recently said the rookie is not fully healthy.
Bowles also made clear Bain was healthy enough to play and that Tampa Bay still wanted more from him. Then came another setback: Bain suffered a groin injury in Sunday’s loss to Cleveland and did not practice Wednesday as the Buccaneers started preparing for Minnesota.
The bigger question now is whether Tampa Bay is actually helping Bain by keeping him out there. He played 35 defensive snaps against Cleveland and didn’t record a tackle or sack.
David Walker, meanwhile, picked up his first career sack in only nine defensive snaps. The Bucs still have Yaya Diaby, Al Quadin Muhammad and Walker available to work the edge rotation.
There’s no need to sound the alarm after two games. Bain’s college tape and his preseason flashes didn’t vanish.
But if the shoulder is still an issue and the groin injury adds another layer, a short break could make more sense than asking him to push through multiple problems. Tampa Bay drafted Bain for what he can become over the next several years, not just what he can deliver in September.
If sitting him for a game or two gets the explosive version of Bain back, that may be the smarter move than continuing to play a version of him that has not looked like himself.
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 May Have Found A Defensive Difference-Maker Faster Than Expected
Josiah Trotter has wasted little time turning himself into one of the early stories of Tampa Bays season. The rookie linebacker has piled up 24 total tackles through the first two weeks, putting him among the league leaders right away, and hes already made an impression far beyond simple production. His debut was memorable enough on its own, and the Buccaneers have reason to feel encouraged by how quickly he has fit into the defense.
Trotters opening act has been strong enough to keep him in the weekly awards conversation, with Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week nominations in both of the seasons first two weeks. He has also drawn positive grades from PFF, a sign that the impact is showing up on the tape as well as the stat sheet. For a Tampa Bay defense looking for reliable difference-makers, the bigger question now is whether the rookies rapid rise is just the start of something even more disruptive. [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 🡒]