Rueben Bain Jr. still hasn’t put up the kind of impact Tampa Bay hoped for when the rookie outside linebacker arrived, but the arrow is starting to point the right way.
Bain has been slowed by injuries, missed two games, and has yet to record a sack or deliver a standout play for the Bucs. Even so, there’s a clearer sense now that he’s settling in. Outside linebackers coach and co-defensive coordinator Larry Foote said Bain played his best game of the season last week and looks fresher after dealing with shoulder and groin issues.
That matters for a Tampa Bay defense that could use a jolt off the edge. The secondary has been playing well, but the pass rush hasn’t gotten home in the last two games, and getting Bain going would give the unit a major boost.
On the other side of the ball, the Bucs are still searching for an offensive identity. That’s tough to pin down when the offensive line keeps piling up penalties. The group has been effective in the run game - enough to help Bucky Irving turn in a sensational performance - but the execution errors keep getting in the way.
Pewter Report also broke down more from practice, including why inside linebackers Alex Anzalone and Joisah Trotter fit together so well and what Tampa Bay might be able to get from quarterback Jalon Daniels in his third start of the season.
Fans can catch Bucs Practice Buzz each week on PewterReportTV’s YouTube channel, which also features the Pewter Report Podcasts. The channel has 24,700 subscribers, and the podcasts air live at 4:00 p.m. ET every Monday, Wednesday and Thursday during the regular season, plus a post-game show usually about an hour after each Buccaneers game.
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 🡒]
Former Buccaneer Just Turned Up Tampa Bay's Quarterback Debate
Leonard Fournette has jumped into a quarterback conversation that already had plenty of weight around it, backing Jalon Daniels to keep the starting job for the Buccaneers even when Baker Mayfield is healthy again. The former Tampa Bay back said Daniels is a better fit for the offense and pointed to Mayfields turnovers as a reason the team has had trouble finding its rhythm, adding another layer to a debate that has been building as the injury situation unfolds.
Jarvis Landry quickly offered a different read, defending Mayfield as the teams starter and a proven winner while describing Daniels as a quality backup. For Tampa Bay, the split adds some outside heat to a decision that will eventually land back with the coaches, but it also shows how much the position still feels unsettled with Mayfield working his way back. [Read more 🡒]