The Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ pass rush hasn’t found its rhythm yet, and that’s the concern hanging over Week 6. Through five games, the defense has managed only six sacks, a number that tells the story on its own.
A pair of inside linebackers, Alex Anzalone and Josiah Trotter, have accounted for two of those sacks. Backup rushers David Walker and Anthony Nelson have chipped in with three more. There’s value in seeing young players like Walker and Trotter make noise, but they were not supposed to be carrying this much of the load.
That’s especially true with the bigger names still searching for their first sack. Yaya Diaby and Rueben Bain Jr. have yet to put one on the board, even though plenty of Buccaneers fans expected both to be central to the team’s pass-rush push this season. Bain Jr. has missed a couple of games because of injury, and Diaby has been dealing with a few nagging ailments of his own, so the slow start isn’t entirely on them.
Still, the broader picture isn’t what Tampa Bay envisioned after reworking the pass rush in the offseason. The talent is there, but the production hasn’t matched it.
Veteran edge rusher Al-Quadin Muhammad is in the same boat. He has not made his presence felt yet either, which stands out because he posted 11 sacks in a rotational role with the Detroit Lions last season.
Now comes Aaron Rodgers.
Rodgers is one of the league’s most polished quarterbacks when it comes to handling pressure, but he hasn’t exactly owned the Buccaneers. In six career games against Tampa Bay, he is 3-3 with ten touchdowns and ten interceptions.
If the Buccaneers can finally get consistent disruption from Diaby, Bain Jr., and Muhammad, they may have a real shot at an upset in Week 6. But if the pressure again comes almost entirely from Walker, Nelson, and the inside linebackers, Tampa Bay could be in for a long afternoon.
In Other News...
Baker Mayfield's Thumb Suddenly Looms Over A Crucial Bucs Stretch
Baker Mayfields thumb has quickly become the hinge point of the Buccaneers next stretch, with Tampa Bay waiting to see how his recovery progresses after the injury sidelined him. The quarterback is due to test whether he can grip and throw the football soon, a key checkpoint for a team trying to stabilize its offense and get the season pointed in the right direction.
For now, the Bucs are preparing to move ahead without him against the Pittsburgh Steelers, with Jalon Daniels in line to start again. The more meaningful date may be Week 7 against the Carolina Panthers, when Mayfield could be back in the mix if the thumb responds well, giving Tampa Bay a chance to regain the kind of production it has been missing in his absence. [Read more 🡒]
Buccaneers Face A Familiar Problem Against Aaron Rodgers In Week 6
The Buccaneers head into their matchup with the Steelers looking to steady a season that still feels very much in progress, and the chess match up front could shape the afternoon as much as anything else. Tampa Bay has gotten encouraging signs on the ground from Bucky Irving, while Pittsburgh has leaned on a versatile offense built around Jaylin Warren, who has become the Steelers most productive weapon out of the backfield.
For Tampa Bay, the bigger concern is whether its defense can create enough disruption to make life uncomfortable for Aaron Rodgers. The Buccaneers have struggled to finish plays with their pass rush, and that is exactly the kind of issue Rodgers tends to expose. If the Bucs are going to leave with a result that helps their record, they will likely need more than just solid offense and a clean game script. [Read more 🡒]
Rueben Bain Jr. Is Giving The Bucs A Needed Defensive Hope
Rueben Bain Jr.s rookie season with the Buccaneers has been more about patience than splash plays so far, which is not what anyone envisioned when Tampa Bay added him to help the edge rush. The outside linebacker has been slowed by injuries, but the broader need is obvious: the Bucs have a strong secondary and are still looking for a pass rush that can make life easier on the back end and give the defense a more complete feel.
There are signs the picture may be turning. Larry Foote has liked what he has seen from Bain lately, and the rookie appears to be moving better after working through the shoulder and groin issues that interrupted his early progress. Tampa Bay can live with a developmental arc if the payoff comes later, but getting more from Bain would be especially important with the rest of the defense trying to build on that complementary structure. [Read more 🡒]