The Tampa Bay Buccaneers spent the offseason trying to fix the one problem that has hung over Todd Bowles’ defense for years: a pass rush that just never seemed to show up when it mattered.
So when Week 1 rolled around against the Cincinnati Bengals, all eyes were on the revamped front. Tampa Bay added Rueben Bain Jr., Al-Quadin Muhammad, and A’Shawn Robinson, and the team also gave Vita Vea a one-year, $30 million extension to settle his trade request and get him back in the fold.
On paper, it looked like the kind of investment that could finally change the shape of this defense. On the field, it looked far too familiar.
Joe Burrow barely felt the heat. According to Pro Football Focus, he was the NFL’s least pressured quarterback in Week 1, and Tampa Bay’s blitz-heavy approach still didn’t rattle him. The Buccaneers blitzed on nearly half of his dropbacks, but they only managed one sack, and that came on a blitz by rookie inside linebacker Josiah Trotter.
For a Bengals offensive line that has taken plenty of criticism over the years, it was a surprisingly clean night. They kept the Buccaneers from turning pressure into disruption, and Tampa Bay’s front never really found its footing.
The individual stat lines told the story. Bain was shut down by Bengals right tackle Amarius Mims and finished with just one tackle.
Diaby, who has led the Buccaneers in sacks in two of the last three seasons and is in a contract year, also had only one tackle. Vea, in his first game since signing his extension, didn’t even record a tackle.
That’s the part that has to worry Tampa Bay. The whole idea behind this offseason makeover was that the front four could do enough on its own to let Bowles ease off the blitz and protect the back end. If the rush can’t get home, the defense has to lean on pressure packages, and that opens the door for coverage issues elsewhere.
According to Jon Ledyard, via SumerSports, Bowles went right back to his familiar approach in the second half and sent pressure on 64% of plays. That’s not the direction this unit needs to be headed.
It’s only one game, so nobody’s pushing the panic button yet. But when the biggest offseason investment on the roster looks this flat out of the gate, concern is justified. The Buccaneers spent more resources on the pass rush than any other area, and Week 1 looked a lot like the same old problem.
If this group can’t turn into the disruptive force it was supposed to be, Bowles and the Buccaneers could be staring at another season of mediocrity.
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Bowles Just Gave Bucs Fans One Reason For Hope Up Front
Todd Bowles came away from the opener with at least one area of the defense he could point to without much hesitation. After the Buccaneers fell to the Bengals in Week 1, the head coach singled out Calijah Kancey, Vita Vea and A'Shawn Robinson for the work they put in up front, a notable bit of encouragement for a unit that has dealt with its share of questions around health, depth and consistency.
Kancey drew praise for how well he played despite the injuries that have slowed him before, while Vea earned notice for his conditioning as he works back after missing preseason time. Robinson, meanwhile, was lauded for the toughness and versatility he brings along the defensive line. For Tampa Bay, it was a reminder that even in a loss, the interior front may already be giving the team something to build on. [Read more 🡒]