One of the biggest surprises in the Bucs 36-27 loss to the Saints was how little Joe Tryon-Shoyinka played. The first round pick played a career-low eight snaps, two less than Anthony Nelson. It’s the first time this season that Tryon-Shoyinka has been out-snapped by Nelson. Two of Tryon-Shoyinka’s eight snaps were in coverage, where he has struggled to make plays in space.

“JPP (Jason Pierre-Paul) was playing so good,” Arians said. “The package wasn’t as big for Joe this week. So it’s just a matter of how much we can get him in. But yeah, I would like to see him play more.”

Since Pierre-Paul returned to the lineup in Week 5, Tryon-Shoyinka’s playing time has been volatile. After seeing a noticeable dip in Weeks 5 and 6, the rookie jumped back to 37 snaps in Week 7. So to plummet to just eight snaps in one week is startling. Tryon-Shoyinka is at his best rushing the passer, but hasn’t been able to get into a rhythm doing so. His usage has been frustrating in limited reps since Week 4. And now, so is his lack of usage.

Bucs OLB Joe Tryon-Shoyinka – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Some might laugh at Arians saying he’d like to see Tryon-Shoyinka play more, since he is the head coach. But Arians lets his coordinators run the show on both sides of the ball, especially during the game. His words indicate that a conversation with Todd Bowles and the team’s defensive staff is likely, perhaps to see if they can develop a plan for Tryon-Shoyinka to play more snaps.

The Washington product is one of the team’s most talented pass rushers, he just needs more opportunities. A lot of pass rushing is setting up and breaking down opponents over a series of reps, which Tryon Shoyinka flashed in Weeks 3 and 4 with two sacks. Moving into the second half of the season, the Bucs must get him on the field more often. At least play him more than Nelson, who has been a non-factor all year.