The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are trying to stop a fast slide before it gets any uglier, and Tristan Wirfs isn’t waiting around for help from outside the locker room.
After a 0-3 start that has started to look a lot like last year’s late-season collapse, Tampa Bay’s offense has been out of sync and the defense has had trouble getting off the field on third down. But the biggest concern has come up front, where an offensive line that was supposed to be a strength has instead been one of the team’s biggest problems.
Heading into the season, the Bucs expected their line to be bolstered by players returning from injury, with Wirfs anchoring Baker Mayfield’s blindside. Instead, the protection has been shaky through three weeks, and Mayfield is now dealing with an injury to his throwing hand after taking hit after hit.
On Monday, Wirfs made it clear the answer has to come from inside the building. He said the "calvary isn't coming," and that the players in the room have to be the ones to turn things around.
Wirfs at least did his part in Tampa Bay’s Week 3 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. He kept Dallas Turner, the league’s top pressure generator through three weeks, from recording a pressure on 14 reps. The rest of the line had a far rougher night, giving up six sacks and 12 quarterback hits, with the final hit aggravating Mayfield’s injury.
Even with Tampa Bay’s uneven play over the past few seasons, Wirfs has been a steady force in the trenches. He began his NFL career at right tackle before moving to the left side and making history as the first player in NFL history to earn AP First-Team All-Pro honors at both right and left tackle.
Last season, the No. 13 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft posted a 92.7 overall PFF grade, which ranked second among 89 qualified offensive tackles, according to PFF. His 84.9 pass-blocking grade and 91.6 run-blocking grade both finished in the top five at his position, and he allowed just two sacks.
His run-blocking grade has dropped this year, but he still ranks among the NFL’s best in pass protection. His 83.9 pass-blocking metric is second among offensive tackles.
That kind of stability will matter again in Week 4 against the Green Bay Packers, a team that has been giving up nearly 140 rushing yards per game to opposing backs. Tampa Bay will also need to keep rookie quarterback Jalon Daniels clean in his NFL debut, with the undrafted free agent set for his first action.
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