Bucs HC Todd Bowles – Photo by: USA Today

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Pewter Report's Scott Reynolds answers your questions from the @PewterReport X account this week in the Bucs Mailbag. Submit your question to SR each week via X using the hashtag #PRMailbag.  Here are the Bucs questions we chose to answer for this week's edition.

QUESTION: What's wrong with the Bucs defense? Starting slow, seem to figure it out mid-game, then let the damn break late. Back to back weeks now with the same issues and continuing to give up big plays. This is on Todd Bowles as the offense continues to bail his defense out.

ANSWER: What the Bucs defense is missing right now are splash plays. Tampa Bay has four sacks through two games, including three against Houston quarterback C.J. Stroud on Monday Night Football in the team's 20-19 win. Yet with the talent the team has up front with outside linebackers Haason Reddick and Yaya Diaby and defensive tackles Vita Vea and Calijah Kancey, that seems like a very small number. Especially considering that only Reddick has a sack out of that four-man rush unit so far.

Bucs OLB Yaya Diaby and Texans QB C.J. Stroud – Photo by: Jeffrey Jones/PR

Tampa Bay also has yet to come away with a turnover – a fumble or an interception – in the first two games of the year. So much emphasis was placed on creating more takeaways this offseason and in training camp, but they have yet to materialize in the regular season. Cornerback Zyon McCollum dropped a gimme interception in the Week 1 win at Atlanta, and head coach Todd Bowles said the team dropped three as a whole.

There were probably fewer opportunities in Houston, but linebacker Lavonte David had a C.J. Stroud pass hit him right in the hands on third down in the fourth quarter. That was a costly drop as the Texans kicked a field goal on the next play and cut into Tampa Bay's lead, making it 14-13.

Outside of the lack of sacks and takeaways, I thought Bowles' unit played very well versus the Texans. Outside of an opening drive touchdown, Houston only had 10 points at halftime and didn't score in the second half until getting the ball twice deep in Tampa Bay territory thanks to a blocked punt, which led to a field goal, and a huge punt return, which led to a touchdown drive late in the game.

The Bucs held the Texans to just 2-of-9 (22.2%) on third downs and forced a turnover on downs on fourth-and-goal at the Tampa Bay 1. Houston only amassed 260 total yards, including 84 on the ground, and Stroud only threw one touchdown. Through two games, the Bucs defense is allowing just 19.5 points per game. That's not a bad start against two playoff-caliber teams in my opinion.

QUESTION: Whose soul do we have to sacrifice to get an interception and hang onto it?

ANSWER: Lol! I don't know and I don't want to offer up any suggestions, either! All I know is that so far the lack of creating takeaways is disappointing. They often come in bunches, so perhaps the Bucs will go on a tear and have a multi-interception game or two. So far, the team is 2-0 without them, which is good – and lucky. Oftentimes it's good to be lucky.

Bucs defense with HC Todd Bowles – Photo by: Jeffrey Jones/PR

We did see rookie cornerback Benjamin Morrison play in an NFL game for the first time on Monday Night Football. He's known as a ballhawk from his days at Notre Dame, where he snared six interceptions as a true freshman and then had three more as a sophomore the next year. Perhaps he can be the lucky charm this secondary needs as he gains more experience. He was subbing in for Jamel Dean on certain series throughout the night.

When interceptions hit you right in the hands, you have to catch them. I'm looking at you, Lavonte David. Throughout his illustrious career, David has been a better blitzer than he has been an interceptor. He has 39.5 sacks and 13 interceptions so far in his 14-year Tampa Bay career, including just one interception since 2021.

"As far as the interceptions being dropped, the only way that killed me was Lavonte's because it was pretty much handed to him," Bowles said. "That kind of hurt my heart a little bit. He'll hear about it all week."

The Bucs will need to be more opportunistic in weeks to come on defense for sure. The team has to produce more than the seven interceptions it recorded last year, right?

QUESTION: Bucs are going to have to make a move and bring in a free agent or trade for D-line or ILB help with injuries and SirVocea Dennis' poor play. Who are some players we could bring in?

ANSWER: I think SirVocea Dennis regressed a bit in this game. There were some times, especially in coverage, where he looked like his head was swimming out there. Dennis finished with four tackles, including a tackle for loss, and had a nice third down pressure of C.J. Stroud on a blitz that led to an incompletion and ultimately a punt. But his play through two games in coverage has been concerning.

Bucs ILB SirVocea Dennis and FS Antoine Winfield Jr. and Texans QB CJ Stroud – Photo by: USA Today

It looked like Dennis was benched at the end of the game in favor of Deion Jones, who thwarted the Texans' two-point conversion attempt with a sack, but Bowles said he wasn't. I wouldn't be surprised to see Dennis and Jones platoon at middle linebacker a bit moving forward until Dennis shows some improvement in coverage. Or if he doesn't, I could see Jones eventually taking over as the starter. As of right now, Bowles is sticking with Dennis.

The Bucs have a pair of rookie linebackers – one on the practice squad in Nick Jackson and one on the 53-man roster in John Bullock. I'm not sure either is ready to be put into the mix with the starters just yet. And I'm not sure there are many saviors on the street in September at either inside linebacker or defensive tackle.

Calijah Kancey's pectoral injury is a huge concern as it could be very serious. Unfortunately, I expect him to miss several games at the very least. Logan Hall has not been off to a stellar start in his contract year, which has been disappointing through two games, but Elijah Roberts split a sack with Lavonte David and has shown some promise. Again, I'm not sure there is an adequate replacement for Kancey on the street right now. We'll see how the trade market develops as the season progresses and teams fall out of playoff contention.

QUESTION: Through two games the pass rush hasn't been great and now it could be without their leading sacker last season in Calijah Kancey. Many have said we are one injury away from being as bad as last year on the D-line. If Kancey misses time, I can't see Jason Licht staying put if we're serious about a Super Bowl.

ANSWER: I think a lot of what happens next depends on how serious of an injury Bucs defensive tackle Calijah Kancey sustained on Monday Night Football when he hurt his pectoral muscle in the first half. Kancey had to leave the game and didn't return, which wasn't a great sign. After the game, Bucs head coach Todd Bowles said that Kancey was in a shoulder sling and that the injury could be serious.

Bucs DT Calijah Kancey – Photo by: Jeffrey Jones/PR

If it's a torn pectoral muscle, that likely means that Kancey would be done for the season as he would need surgery. The Bucs are hoping that it's a pectoral strain rather than a tear. That's what happened last year to both safeties Jordan Whitehead and Christian Izien. Whitehead made it back at the end of the year but missed nearly half the season, while Izien's injury occurred in the Week 16 loss at Dallas and that landed him on injured reserve.

The problem for Kancey is that life in the trenches is far different and more physical than life in the secondary. Whitehead was able to wear a harness when he returned that helped stabilize his shoulder and chest area and he could protect it from re-injury far easier than Kancey could. Kancey's use of his pectoral muscle while taking on offensive linemen is unavoidable. I hope I'm wrong, but I fear the worst about Kancey's injury.

I will say that the Bucs did win a Super Bowl in 2020 while missing Vita Vea for much of the season to a broken ankle. Yet Tampa Bay also had two great edge rushers in Jason Pierre-Paul and Shaq Barrett, in addition to Ndamukong Suh, who was still in his prime. It will be interesting to see what moves Jason Licht makes. The Bucs do have a slew of defensive tackles on the practice squad, but no one comes close to doing what Kancey can do with his speed, agility and quickness.

QUESTION: Is there anyone more valuable to their team's success than Baker Mayfield this year? Heck, these last few seasons?

ANSWER: I can't comment on other teams, as I have tunnel vision on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for Pewter Report. But it's hard to imagine any other player in the league meaning more to their team than Patrick Mahomes does to the Kansas City Chiefs given that team's recent success with Super Bowl victories and appearances. Buffalo's Josh Allen and Baltimore's Lamar Jackson are also in the mix, but so is Baker Mayfield in Tampa Bay without a doubt.

Bucs QB Baker Mayfield and RT Luke Goedeke and Texans DE Will Anderson Jr. – Photo by: USA Today

Mayfield is not just a great, playmaking quarterback that not only puts touchdowns on the board but also comes through in the clutch more often than not. As he's the heartbeat of not just the Bucs offense but the entire team. Whether it's his trash-talking ways that get the team fired up or his gritty runs for first downs and touchdowns or his gutsy play when it comes to shaking off a minor injury to keep fighting, Mayfield always answers the bell.

The Bucs are absolutely blessed and fortunate to have Mayfield as the successor to Tom Brady. It's rare that NFL franchises find that next guy worthy of carrying the torch at the quarterback position. San Francisco had that from one Hall of Famer to another with Joe Montana and Steve Young. Green Bay has been the envy of the league going from Hall of Famer Brett Favre to future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers to Pro Bowl quarterback Jordan Love.

Going from Brady to Mayfield puts the Bucs in that rare category, too. Yet more importantly, it has kept the team from entering a rebuilding mode and has extended the winning ways that Brady started in Tampa Bay upon his arrival in 2020. The Bucs are gunning for a fifth straight NFC South title and a sixth straight playoff appearances in 2025, which is Mayfield's third season in red and pewter.