The Buccaneers’ offensive line is still winning the most important battle, but it’s not enough to hold its place near the top of the NFL. Tampa Bay fell two spots in Pro Football Focus’ latest rankings, sliding from seventh to ninth entering Week 6 even though the group has allowed the fewest pressures in football.
That pass protection stat is as good as it gets. Tampa Bay has given up pressure on just 18.4% of its pass-blocking snaps, the lowest rate in the league, and all five starters have posted pass-blocking grades above 60.0.
Ben Bredeson is the only starter below 70.0 in that category. But the run game keeps dragging the unit down, with only two starters grading above 60.0 as run blockers.
That split is the reason the Buccaneers are still being viewed as a talented line that hasn’t put it all together.
Tristan Wirfs is a perfect snapshot of that divide. He owns the NFL’s best pass-blocking grade among offensive tackles at 88.6, and he’s on an active streak of 90 straight snaps without allowing a pressure. But in the run game, he sits 58th at his position with a 52.3 grade.
Cody Mauch’s struggles have also stood out. The former second-round pick has had trouble consistently winning his one-on-one run-blocking reps, and the Buccaneers are now in his fourth NFL season. At this point, the expectation is for more.
Bredeson has flashed more reliability in those isolated run-blocking situations, but the inconsistency across the interior remains part of the problem. Bucky Irving’s 165-yard rushing day against Dallas offered a bright spot, yet it didn’t erase the bigger issue. Irving has shown he can make explosive plays, but Tampa Bay can’t keep asking him to create production while fighting through poor blocking.
With Wirfs, Luke Goedeke, Graham Barton, Mauch, and Bredeson up front, the Buccaneers have invested heavily in this group. Ninth in the league is solid, but the standard is clearly higher than that. Until the run blocking comes up, Tampa Bay’s line will keep looking like a unit with serious talent that still isn’t maximizing it.
In Other News...
Bucs Inactive List Creates One Big Problem Against Pittsburgh
The Buccaneers arrived for Week 6 already thin in a few key spots, and their inactive list only sharpened the edge of the matchup with Pittsburgh. Baker Mayfield and Antoine Winfield Jr. are both out with multi-week injuries, which keeps Tampa Bay without its starting quarterback and one of its most important defenders as it tries to navigate another difficult week.
Easton Stick is back as the backup quarterback for the third straight game, while the backfield got another shake-up with Sean Tucker inactive and Josh Williams elevated for the game. The Steelers brought their own list of absences into the afternoon as well, including receivers Ben Skowronek and Roman Wilson, while cornerback Jamel Dean was active and Sean Murphy-Bunting was not, leaving both sides to work around some familiar lineup uncertainty. [Read more 🡒]
Buccaneers Face A Brutal Test If Two Problems Don't Improve
Bucky Irving gave Tampa Bay exactly the kind of spark it needed last week, piling up a career-high 165 rushing yards and adding a rushing-plus-receiving touchdown against Dallas. If the Buccaneers are going to keep up that momentum against Pittsburgh, they may need Irving to stay central to the plan while the offense also gets quarterback Jalon Daniels into a cleaner early rhythm.
The matchup gets even trickier if Tampa Bay cannot tighten up two areas that have been lagging. The Bucs have had trouble getting after the quarterback, with only six sacks in five games, and they are still waiting for a first-career sack from Rueben Bain Jr., while also having to deal with Steelers back Jaylen Warren and the usual turnover battle that can swing a close game fast. [Read more 🡒]
Luke Goedeke Is Becoming A Bucs Strength Where Fans Once Worried
Luke Goedeke has gone from an early source of concern to one of the more dependable pieces on Tampa Bays offensive line. After beginning his career with the Buccaneers at left guard and running into real growing pains, he found a better fit at right tackle and has settled in as a steady pass protector beside Tristan Wirfs.
The result has been a far more secure edge for the Bucs than many fans expected when Goedeke first arrived. His consistency has given Tampa Bay a valuable presence on the line and a reminder that development in the NFL is not always linear, especially for linemen who need the right position and the right role to show what they can do. [Read more 🡒]